[85GTI]

link to my newb intro
http://www.vwforum.com/forums/f67/bought-my-first-vw-74625/

figured I would move on to some questions that I didn't ask but feel free to answer the questions in the other post in either of these threads.

So the car is actually pretty zippy for being 29 years old. but what are a few things I can do to make this car more fun.

I'm not an HP mad teenager anymore so i'm not going to ask you how to turbo it. (yada yada anxiety teen statement here) But there are some questions As this is my first VW and even first FWD that made me grin.

Tires & Wheels.
the bolt pattern is 4x100? but what about offsets and what can i fit on stock suspension.(may upgrade to some coilovers later)
The wheels on it right now are pretty beat up (so is the car but only cosmetically) and i want to start with new tires and rims but i have no clue on sizing for this car. (used search became more confused no one could agree it seems on wheels)

OEM vs upgrades.
things like bushing and the like it's my understanding that the GTI (correct me if i'm wrong) upper end of VW factory performance.
so is there anything to be gained with performance brand bushings and other body mods over factory (sway bars and frame stiffeners not part of the question)

And the final question is more of a poll
When this little 8v dies and we all know it will happen what should i do?
*note that it has already been upgraded to a MK3 transmission.
I have every intention of saving money for the eventual rebuild/engine swap
and i have read allot about doing everything from an ABA 2.0 to a VR6 and Even a 1.8t but i want this to Stay a DD and not become a Huge project.It is my understanding that the VR6 is the most strait forward if you get a donor car and if this is true it seems like a good choice. But i am asking what you guys think.

sorry for the long post but i figured i would get as many questions out of the way now that way i don't waist thread space.

Pic in my intro post link above.

 

[85GTI]

is this forum dead?

 

[vwGLI]

not much activity on the mk2 section

 

[85GTI]

sad cause this is a nice little car. with such a good platform it seems like it would have a bigger community. the MKII supra community is pretty big with the same age cars.

 

[vwGLI]

it really is. these gti's look great done up.

 

[85GTI]

i have some ideas for it we will see how it goes

 

[tom5191]

MK2 VWs have a pretty big following, just not on this forum. There's probably only 10 active people on this forum out of all the generations, and majority of them are MK4.
Most MK2 owners stay on VW Vortex.

As far as your questions go:
If you're 4 lug then you're 4x100. If you're 5 lug you're 5x100 using MK3 VR6 spindles.
You wanna stay around +30 to +35 offset for your wheels, unless you want to stretch your tires, then you can run a lower offset.

Bushing wise, poly urethane bushings are great, besides in the control arms. The front control arm bushing can be poly urethane, but the rear can't. MK4 R32 bushing is great for that spot.

Engine swap:
ABA is the easiest swap you can do. For an 85 you will need to either upgrade your wiring to CE2 from the 1990-1992 VW Golf/Jettas, buy the ABA to CE1 engine harness, or splice the ABA harness to work with the CE1 electronics.

The ABA is the best for daily driving. The 115hp will make your little Golf feel awesome, and you can still get 30+ mpg. If you put the TDI 5th gear in the trans, you can get 40-45mpg on the highway.

 

[85GTI]

i thought about the aba blocks and it's not a bad idea there seems to be a bit of aftermarket for them as well.

 

[tom5191]

Yeah, the ABA has a pretty good aftermarket following. You can take the head from the 2.0 16v from the 1990-1992 GTI and GLI and put it on the ABA. It's the equivalent to the 2.0 16v ABF they had in the MK3's in Europe. They made around 134hp, and kept up with the VR6.
The VR6 is great, but it gets a little harder to reliably daily drive them. While the motor is in the process of swapping it's smart to do the timing chains, upgrade the cooling system's 'crack pipe', and a few other things that are known the fail in the VR6's cooling system.

If you plan on driving a little hard on twisty roads, you also have to worry about the VR6's weight. The added weight in the front makes it a lot easier to under steer a MK2, or lift off over steer. The aba or aba/16v keeps the weight distribution even and makes it a lot less likely to have the cornering issues.

 

[85GTI]

I worked in fiberglass for a few years so i'll be replacing the hood, fenders doors and rear hatch with 1 off parts over the next year as well.I'm starting on the hood in a few weeks. So weight isn't going to be an issue. Yes carbon fiber is lighter but it's also 3 times the price and a PiTA to work with and paint. If anyone wants to know how to do that i will be starting a thread on that when all my materials arrive.

 

[tom5191]

I'd definitely like to watch that build.

 

[85GTI]

I have to order a small roll of glass. when that gets here i'll make my mold then make the hood from the mold. making glass hoods is very easy it's the complex parts like doors where things get complicated. but hood and fenders is easy enough that anyone who played with playdoh as a kid can make a reproduction glass part.