Looks like it sits pretty tall. Any way to raise the wheels a bit? 
Our $500 Volkswagen Fox now had a Jetta engine, so it was time to test it before entering in its first race, The 24 hours of Lemons at Barber Motorsports Park. We knew the car still needed some sorting before it could participate in an endurance race, but we needed to make sure that the engine swap worked as expected. We know that the engine worked fine in the Jetta; did the modified cooling system, wiring and remote oil filter setup work properly? Plus, we needed to see if the car was comfortable to drive.
With the car running and driving under its own power for the first time, we loaded it up and took a trip to The Florida International Rally and Motorsports Park to get in some shakedown laps. This test was also a good opportunity for Jesse Spiker to get comfortable in the car on track before his first race. That’s one of this project’s big goals: introduce someone new to the sport.
J.G. Pasterjak drove the first laps and found a few issues that needed to be addressed but, for the most part, our Volkswagen Fox performed well. It was surprisingly quick and handled rather well, giving us a nice confidence boost.
However, we did find some things that needed to be fixed. After getting black flagged for creating a smoke screen, we determined that the PCV system was sucking oil into the intake during extended high-rpm cornering. A catch can will be an easy fix for that. The tall steering column and low seat were something we thought would be an issue, and on track we confirmed that. The wheel needs to be lowered so our drivers can have a clear view of the track without looking through the spokes.
We’ve got a tight schedule before the first race, but we have a comprehensive checklist of needs and wants before that event. With a few late nights and efficient work, we’ll be successfully on track.
Looks like it sits pretty tall. Any way to raise the wheels a bit?
Just remember that PCV catch tank needs to be a regular check during pit stops.
hobiercr said:Looks like it sits pretty tall. Any way to raise the wheels a bit?
It rides a little high, but it handles awesome. At this point, so close to a race, I told them not to change a thing, but go back to the track when they had time to do some proper A/B testing with some spring swaps.
So, the steering wheel is that high, huh?
Was there a tilt column that was salvaged from the Jetta parts car?
David S. Wallens said:So, the steering wheel is that high, huh?
Editorial Director, Grassroots Motorsports & Classic Motorsports
I was actually looking through it for most of the testing laps. Jesse sat on a balled up sweater and had some space over the top. But, yeah, it's very F1.
Safety third.
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