88 VW Jetta GLI (Questions)

[Blitanicle99]

So I got an offer on a trade for my Toyota. Its a 1988 VW Jetta GLI. Apparently in great shape minus a paint job. 100k, new clutch, wheels, tires, fluids, and all that.

Here is the link... Click Me

Im honestly just asking for opinions, on the car itself. I would probably just throw a paint job on it and flip it for something else, or sell it outright.

Are these things worth money? Or just to the right person?

Please keep the negative comments to a minimum.

[Jecht]

They aren't worth a lot, that is a decent price for that one since it is a GLI and has the DOHC 16 valve engine. Those Recaro seats are worth a TON to VW enthusiasts, and there are plenty of people waiting to buy some.

Honestly, I think you should trade for it and keep it. The Mk2s are incredibly lightweight and handle decently. Plus you should get in the range of 25-32 miles per gallon in that car. I hate to recommend people to vwvortex.com, but you can learn a lot from the 16v engine forum about performance.

[Thighs]

that car looks really nice. like jecht said, those seats = $$ but that car can actually be a VERY quick and cheap car to drive. IMO, those are the best years for vdubs. get it, drive it, then decide if you wanna keep it or not.

p.s. jecht: guess what i got...

[Blitanicle99]

I mean it might be fun to drive around on some curvy roads or something. It is lowered on good springs he told me.

However, I am very accustomed to rear wheel drive, the way it handles and kicks out. I generally do not feel safe driving something front wheel for some reason.

I might do it just to do something different and have something to drive while my junk gets built.

[Thighs]

I mean it might be fun to drive around on some curvy roads or something. It is lowered on good springs he told me.

However, I am very accustomed to rear wheel drive, the way it handles and kicks out. I generally do not feel safe driving something front wheel for some reason.

I might do it just to do something different and have something to drive while my junk gets built.

once you get used to FWD, you will probably like it alot. its actually easier to drive fast than rwd because throttle has more control over handling (you may think im wrong, but trust me)

[Blitanicle99]

But coming from driving 240s and M3s It will be quite different.

[88GLI]

Man that looks like a good deal! lol...

[G2iowner]

If i were u id trade, the 16Valves are pretty quick.

[Blitanicle99]

Im thinking about it. He is calling me back in a few minutes.

I figure a macco paint job and a for sale sign if I get bored of it.

[Blitanicle99]

Alright. Well I did it. I now own a 1988 VW Jetta GLI... This thing is awesome. Its like a go kart with 4 doors. I might actually drive this thing for awhile for the gas mileage and fun affect.

[StraightSix]

once you get used to FWD, you will probably like it alot. its actually easier to drive fast than rwd because throttle has more control over handling (you may think im wrong, but trust me)

I'm going to disagree with you here. FWD cars have inherent understeer. Think about it like this, the front wheels are doing all of the work; controlling direction and putting power to the ground as well as carrying the entire weight of the driveline. So, in real world applications, FWD asks the front tires to do a lot of things. Much more of the vehicle's weight is transferred to front under braking, and too much transferred to the rear under acceleration. Also, suspension geometry in a FWD is worse because of the driveline packaging than most RWD cars.

FWD cars can be prepped such that they have much better balance. It takes quite a bit of work, however. Things like much larger rear sway bars, higher spring rates, sticky tires and better damping. As an example, I have some friends who Time Trial with NASA. One has a 1991 Toyota MR-2 with Koni Yellows, and Toyo RA-1s in the stock sizes. The other a 1990 Honda Civic sedan. The cars are typically with in a second or two of each other. But here's the kicker...the Honda has a ZC swap, modified Si transmission, Koni Yellows/Ground Controls, big Suspension Techniques rear sway, RA-1s, and EX front brakes with the correct master cylinder. Granted the MR-2 isn't a front engine, rear wheel drive car, but the comparison still holds. My friend with the Honda had to work a lot harder to make his car competitive against a less prepped car.

[Jecht]

Congrats!

[Gutling]

they look okay fixed up some, kinda old school (some fat bbs wheels on it and a paint job) and are fun to drive

[Thighs]

I'm going to disagree with you here. FWD cars have inherent understeer. Think about it like this, the front wheels are doing all of the work; controlling direction and putting power to the ground as well as carrying the entire weight of the driveline. So, in real world applications, FWD asks the front tires to do a lot of things. Much more of the vehicle's weight is transferred to front under braking, and too much transferred to the rear under acceleration. Also, suspension geometry in a FWD is worse because of the driveline packaging than most RWD cars.

FWD cars can be prepped such that they have much better balance. It takes quite a bit of work, however. Things like much larger rear sway bars, higher spring rates, sticky tires and better damping. As an example, I have some friends who Time Trial with NASA. One has a 1991 Toyota MR-2 with Koni Yellows, and Toyo RA-1s in the stock sizes. The other a 1990 Honda Civic sedan. The cars are typically with in a second or two of each other. But here's the kicker...the Honda has a ZC swap, modified Si transmission, Koni Yellows/Ground Controls, big Suspension Techniques rear sway, RA-1s, and EX front brakes with the correct master cylinder. Granted the MR-2 isn't a front engine, rear wheel drive car, but the comparison still holds. My friend with the Honda had to work a lot harder to make his car competitive against a less prepped car.

i see what your saying, and i agree that FWD will NEVER be faster between 2 evenly prepared cars. but i still feel like the throttle has more control in a FWD car. in a rwd car, you give more gas to get more rotation, given that you have a decent setup (ignore track related variables. just take any given average turn.). but if you lift in the turn, you are gonna get alot rotation as well. in a fwd, if you increase throttle you get understeer, if you lift you get oversteer. this makes it much easier to control the car. if you get alot of slip angle going into the turn, you can get on it harder coming out. if you push going in an you are on the gas, you can lift and the car will rotate some.

i KNOW its not ever going to be faster, but it is generally easier.

[Thighs]

oh and ill trade you a miata for it? lol

[StraightSix]

in a rwd car, you give more gas to get more rotation, given that you have a decent setup (ignore track related variables. just take any given average turn.).

Nope. Think about it in terms of weight transfer and physics. In a RWD car, lifting throttle mid corner will transfer weight to the front inducing more rotation. Holding all variables constant, and assuming a steady state throttle position, in a corner adding throttle shifts weight rearward and should cause understeer.

in a fwd, if you increase throttle you get understeer, if you lift you get oversteer. this makes it much easier to control the car. if you get alot of slip angle going into the turn, you can get on it harder coming out. if you push going in an you are on the gas, you can lift and the car will rotate some.

i KNOW its not ever going to be faster, but it is generally easier.

It is possible to "power out" of an oversteer condition in a FWD car.

It has been my experience that a RWD is easier to balance with the throttle over a FWD. I've driven both on track, and found my 944 just felt better than my Civic.

[Jecht]

RWD, in the end, has a higher potential than FWD. Its is simple as that. FWD can be made to compete with performance based RWD cars, but it costs a lot more money to make a FWD car as fast as a similarly equipped RWD car.

[Blitanicle99]

oh and ill trade you a miata for it? lol

Nah, I actually dig this car alot. Most of my family minus my dad (who is from Muscle shoals Alabama, yes the same town from the song "Sweet home alabama) is very german. So its quite appropiate that if I was to have a car, it be a german car.


Otherwise, pics will be up tomorrow. I left my little sd card converter to micro sd in Statesboro...

Oh oh oh. And...
Its got Eibach springs, the Raze R74 15" wheels with Falken 615 uhp tires, dynomax muffler. Badass air horns, cd player with infinity speakers, pep boys fog lights complete with color changing LEDs (Lol) and my favorite and first modifaction.... Hurst T hand shifter.

[CosmoLTW]

Nah, I actually dig this car alot. Most of my family minus my dad (who is from Muscle shoals Alabama, yes the same town from the song "Sweet home alabama) is very german. So its quite appropiate that if I was to have a car, it be a german car.


Otherwise, pics will be up tomorrow. I left my little sd card converter to micro sd in Statesboro...

Oh oh oh. And...
Its got Eibach springs, the Raze R74 15" wheels with Falken 615 uhp tires, dynomax muffler. Badass air horns, cd player with infinity speakers, pep boys fog lights complete with color changing LEDs (Lol) and my favorite and first modifaction.... Hurst T hand shifter.

Wow, Travis. I wouldn't let you weld a T handle into my German car, so you bought an entire car to spite me? Lol I can't wait to see this thing honestly. Mountain run?

[CosmoLTW]

Btw, you updated your sig pretty quickly there bud

[Blitanicle99]

Wow, Travis. I wouldn't let you weld a T handle into my German car, so you bought an entire car to spite me? Lol I can't wait to see this thing honestly. Mountain run?

Haha ya you caught me. Oh you will soon. I dont have emissions either... (yay for being old) so cats are definately coming off. And Nick Foster says he can show me how to build me a cheapo intake with the direct port injection...

[SNOOPy00]

congrats on the purchase....

inspiration!

[Blitanicle99]

Dang those things are low. My car is low enough! I already scrape everything...

But, maybe some yellar headlight thingys lol

[CosmoLTW]

Haha ya you caught me. Oh you will soon. I dont have emissions either... (yay for being old) so cats are definately coming off. And Nick Foster says he can show me how to build me a cheapo intake with the direct port injection...

Haha well good luck with it man. Just for ****s and giggles, what's the hp in that thing?

[Blitanicle99]

A raging 139 hp. Isnt that more than andrews car? lol

[integraguy06]

A raging 139 hp. Isnt that more than andrews car? lol

if my car was bone stock yes by 9

[Blitanicle99]

So right now youve probably got me by a few. Once I gut the cats and an intake Ill be ahead of ya ha

[integraguy06]

ya but u gotta learn how to drive it first lol