I think I'm gonna get a '91 GTI from my brother. Its a 5-speed with an ABA Swap. I know GTI's are known for their handling, anything I should look at in particular? Or are they pretty decent DD's?
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May 12, 2010 12:33 a.m. dansxr2 Reader
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May 12, 2010 12:43 a.m. Travis_K Dork
Vws are fun, but while I know they can function 100% correctly, because I have seen examples of all systems functioning properly on various examples, it never seems to occur on the same car. As far as driving them, well the shifter linkage is horrible, and hard to rebuild, and they could really use more caster than you can get without adjustable top mounts, other than that they aren't bad.
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May 12, 2010 9:12 a.m. TJ Dork
Did you move back to West Virginia? Or was WV just a VW typo? Where in WV?
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May 12, 2010 9:29 a.m. John Brown SuperDork
Change your location Dan-O, you still have that Florida stank on you ;)
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May 12, 2010 9:37 a.m. teamdixonracing Dork
Travis_K wrote:
Vws are fun, but while I know they can function 100% correctly, because I have seen examples of all systems functioning properly on various examples, it never seems to occur on the same car. As far as driving them, well the shifter linkage is horrible, and hard to rebuild, and they could really use more caster than you can get without adjustable top mounts, other than that they aren't bad.
+1 on the shifter. The shifting felt vague to me. I replaced all the bushings then couldn't get the thing adjusted so the gears were where they should be for shifting.
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May 12, 2010 10:20 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork
didn;t the later Vdubs have a heavier weighted shifter to help with the vague feel?
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May 12, 2010 11:50 a.m. dansxr2 Reader
i agree on the sloppy feel to the shifter. it does seem to have pretty good power though. Plus its pretty cheap too! I'll post pics of it later.
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May 12, 2010 12:22 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork
cheap is good.. and I thnk vdubs if that vintage are pretty reliable too
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May 12, 2010 1:15 p.m. Travis_K Dork
I think the biggest issue with the vw rod shifters is they are too complicated, and if the bushings are even slightly worn, it doesnt go into all the gears anymore. My sister has a Mk2 jetta, and it has turned into a 4 speed. Since it needs a new clutch anyway, we will just fix it then. lol
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May 12, 2010 2:58 p.m. ratghia Reader
On my 1984 GTI I just replaced the shift linkage with the ball and plastic cup to ones with heim joints using a USRT shift kit. It only took about 3 hours to install and made the shifting much better. It also replaces all the bushings with delrin so that they last longer.
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May 12, 2010 5:34 p.m. dansxr2 Reader
TJ, I live in the very center of the state in a small town called Sutton.
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May 12, 2010 10:09 p.m. TJ Dork
dansxr2 wrote:
TJ, I live in the very center of the state in a small town called Sutton.
I've been through there. I grew up in Parkersburg - not too far away.
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May 13, 2010 2:01 a.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork
dansxr2 wrote:
I think I'm gonna get a '91 GTI from my brother. Its a 5-speed with an ABA Swap. I know GTI's are known for their handling, anything I should look at in particular? Or are they pretty decent DD's?
Unless done well, the ABA swap will give you a taste of the electrical gremlins every post-92 VW has. Otherwise, the A2's getting pretty old...check the rear spring seats (if the rear is lower than the front, and it ain't an old SCCA IT car, they're shot). Mine (original 8v, they're bulletproof) was a DD since 1992 until I hit some debris on the Interstate a couple of months ago. It's a "big bumper" car, and the trim pieces (front bumper cover, etc.) are getting hard to find. Only reason I'm thinking of retiring it is because my commute's so long, and I know this won't be the last time I have to do this. The Polo better get here quick, or I'm buying a Honda Fit.
If you take the plunge, look for NOS parts to fix it...lots of the "new" parts for A2s are Cheap Chinese S (BMW E36), because VW's still making them in China.
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May 13, 2010 10:01 a.m. twolittlebroncos New Reader
The ABA/16v turbo is a popular motor these days and can make decent power with minimal investment.
Heater cores fail often on these cars and they are a pain to change (especially if the car has a/c).
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May 13, 2010 10:27 a.m. dansxr2 Reader
Any VW ppl here have a pinout for for the coolant temp sensor? The plug on the car is a 2 pin and the sensor is 4.
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May 14, 2010 12:31 a.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork
dansxr2 wrote:
Any VW ppl here have a pinout for for the coolant temp sensor? The plug on the car is a 2 pin and the sensor is 4.
Don't know off the top of my head, since I haven't done it, but found a DIY for the conversion over on Vortex. Here's hoping there's a post in that thread that can help.
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May 16, 2010 7:15 p.m. dansxr2 Reader
So here's a pic of it. The car seems to run well and i repaired a fuel leak today. The engine runs well but has more than its share of quirks thanks to my brothers wiring. Eventually I'll track down an ABA harness and finish the engine wiring as per OEM.
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May 18, 2010 6:27 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork
Sweet! I love A2s. Mine's been the best car I ever had.
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May 18, 2010 7:42 p.m. dansxr2 Reader
I was i had kept the corrado here in WV until now... My brother just bought a '91 Passat GL with a 5spd trans for $350 with a bad head, but has a cracked cylinder too... That'd been me a 5 speed swap....Grrrr...
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May 19, 2010 7:59 a.m. Paul_VR6 Reader
There's two coolant temp sensors on the ABA, there's a 4pin for the ECU and gauge, the other is an coolant switch for the AC system or the fans or some other stupid BS that I leave out on most swaps.
