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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/17/23 12:14 p.m.
feature_image

No, this wild-looking VW isn’t some custom SEMA job, it’s actually a rare version of the Golf that was never officially offered here in the United States, the Rallye Golf.

Fitted from the factory with a supercharged 1.8-liter engine and an all-wheel-drive system–plus a genuine five-speed manual–this Golf is largely stock aside from a set of 16-inch BBS wheels, a …

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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/17/23 12:15 p.m.

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

ChrisTropea
ChrisTropea Associate Editor
8/17/23 12:22 p.m.

I need this car. 

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter)
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/17/23 12:27 p.m.
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

aw614
aw614 HalfDork
8/17/23 12:29 p.m.
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The stock G60 motor is the issue lol. 

I've always wondered what happened to the US spec press Golf Rallye from back in the day. I've seen someone selling US Spec Rallye headlights over on VWVortex years ago. Apparently there were 2 or 3 that were made for US spec. This magazine review from 89 was one of those cars. 

http://www.a2resource.com/brochures/1989/gtirallye/gtirallye.html

 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
8/17/23 1:25 p.m.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

By “horrible” you mean “rad AF,” right? 

Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter)
Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
8/17/23 1:46 p.m.
aw614 said:
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The stock G60 motor is the issue lol. 

Definitely not helping! Even replacing the charger, the engine is a pretty low compression, low flowing.. I don't have enough adjectives. Have worked on procharged and lysholm ones but the best are engine swapped. Then you get to replace the transmission and the rear diff when it explodes. At least VW made lots of awd parts cars laugh

buzzboy
buzzboy SuperDork
8/17/23 1:48 p.m.

I love this so much. Everything. The wheels, the G-ladder, the color.

Wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

matthewmcl
matthewmcl Dork
8/17/23 1:55 p.m.

158 hp from forced induction 1.8 does not seem like a lot, but the first 6 years of the 1.8t were only 150, right? 14 years after we first got the G60 in the US, VW finally had the 20V 1.8t making more power for production options?

camopaint0707
camopaint0707 Reader
8/17/23 1:59 p.m.

oh that's beautiful

matthewmcl
matthewmcl Dork
8/17/23 2:10 p.m.

Since this is already more money than I have to play with, I have to assume in another 4 days it will get much worse. I would totally daily that. Not with those wheels, mind you, but still.

Hmmmm. Might have to watch that one. Better not, but...

I don't see mention of a charger rebuild, though. That is a big "if" since missing a rebuild makes shrapnel.

 

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/17/23 2:56 p.m.
buzzboy said:

I love this so much. Everything. The wheels, the G-ladder, the color.

Wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

I think this more accurately describes how I feel about this car.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter)
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/17/23 3:25 p.m.
David S. Wallens said:
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

By “horrible” you mean “rad AF,” right? 

No, I'm pretty much mean "the worst feature of the car". But I could be wrong.

preach
preach GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
8/17/23 5:15 p.m.

Awesome car. VW sucks at wheels.

Duke
Duke MegaDork
8/17/23 5:17 p.m.
David S. Wallens said:
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

By “horrible” you mean “rad AF,” right? 

No, I'm pretty sure he meant horrible.  They were undoubtedly expensive, but look like cheap wheelcovers from the discount auto parts store accessories aisle.

 

Indy - Guy
Indy - Guy UltimaDork
8/17/23 5:38 p.m.
Duke said:
David S. Wallens said:
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

By “horrible” you mean “rad AF,” right? 

No, I'm pretty sure he meant horrible.  They were undoubtedly expensive, but look like cheap wheelcovers from the discount auto parts store accessories aisle.

 

Yep. Those wheels are F'n UGLY

rustomatic
rustomatic HalfDork
8/17/23 6:10 p.m.

The box flares.  Yes.  All of it.

VolvoHeretic
VolvoHeretic GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/17/23 6:21 p.m.

More box flares sung to the tune of More Cowbell. laugh

84FSP
84FSP UberDork
8/17/23 6:46 p.m.

This has been on my import list since way before they were legal to import.  They were 6-10k for years and are now 30k plus.  Such cool beasts!

chandler
chandler MegaDork
8/17/23 9:09 p.m.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
David S. Wallens said:
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
Colin Wood said:

There's just so much right with this–the flares, the color, the powertrain–what's not to love?

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

By “horrible” you mean “rad AF,” right? 

No, I'm pretty much mean "the worst feature of the car". But I could be wrong.

The problem is to fit them they had to build a crappy spec; the face should be sandwich mount or even reverse or even even on the front of a huge lip and then they would look great. The face sticking out from the lips like that looks stupid.

 

Otherwise? Yes. To all of it.

stuart in mn
stuart in mn MegaDork
8/17/23 9:21 p.m.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

The wheels are berkeleying horrible.

I'm a big fan of BBS mesh wheels, but the offset on those makes them look really weird.

Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter)
Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
8/18/23 9:36 a.m.
matthewmcl said:

158 hp from forced induction 1.8 does not seem like a lot, but the first 6 years of the 1.8t were only 150, right? 14 years after we first got the G60 in the US, VW finally had the 20V 1.8t making more power for production options?

Due to the power curve the 1.8t definitely feels a lot faster.

matthewmcl
matthewmcl Dork
8/18/23 9:37 a.m.
chandler said:

The problem is to fit them they had to build a crappy spec;

I don't think so. Perfectly normal BBS mesh wheels have been going on VWs for decades. Somebody went to extra effort to build those abominations on purpose.

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
8/18/23 10:18 a.m.

Sweet cars.  The G60 motor is hard to set up, even when fairly new most shops didn't know what to do.  With some bolt ons it's not hard to get the motor to 200+hp.  None of the rallye golfs had AC, the front mount intercooler is where the AC condenser would be.  These are stupidly expensive cars now...

chandler
chandler MegaDork
8/18/23 2:22 p.m.
matthewmcl said:
chandler said:

The problem is to fit them they had to build a crappy spec;

I don't think so. Perfectly normal BBS mesh wheels have been going on VWs for decades. Somebody went to extra effort to build those abominations on purpose.

To fit THOSE centers they had to, they could have built some from a smaller back pad set so they didn't look ridiculous instead.

 

Imagine what they could have looked like (not BBS but you get the idea)

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