Despite the fact Project GTI is running at seven-eighths its potential, I have been driving the bloody hell out of it. When I thought its ownership was in jeopardy, I drove it like a man trying to out-run Armageddon. If the end was coming, we'd go down in flames, together. And it seems the harder I drive it, the healthier it becomes. Things that were once broken are starting to work-the MFA computer, the dome light, the horn-it's all coming back to life.
But that last one-eighth was keeping the GTI from realizing its true potential-once again, we found ourselves at VW Specialties where guru Ron Wood placed the VW on the diagnostic machine. If Ron couldn't fix this, I would resort to drastic measures like a TEC II engine management/injection system. Damn the cost, this sumbitch was gonna work (see sidebar).
VW Specialties found the problem-a bum knock sensor box that was wreaking all sorts of electrical havoc. The car came back 100 percent, and now I've got the screamer I always wanted. Each shift is announced by the 7200-rpm rev limiter, and the Autotech Power Module is making sure the engine is well fed.
Although initial testing of the big Wilwood brakes yielded less bite than expected, they are damn near fade-proof. I've had them so hot they could have caused grass fires, but they continued to work. I am also pleased with the Monaco seats-they offer excellent support for high-g activity and remain comfortable during long, tedious hauls. And then, of course, there's the sound. Project GTI trumpets its arrival with a sporting arrogance, and while it annoys the old lady down the street, my kids love it.
Scott Oldham, the new editor of sister publication Sport Compact Car, is a different story. A classic example of Jersey-boy breeding (born, circumcised and handed the keys to his F-body of choice), Oldham's in the habit of cruising to work in an immaculate '76 Firebird, a 2-ton dinosaur with a never-ending Bob Seger cassette on the stereo. He laughs at my buzzy shitbox while I point out the hideousness of the golden chicken sticker on his shaker hood.
Old cars are so cool.
P.S: I'd also like to thank Don Alan at Chapman Mobile Service Center (714/532-2330). Don spent hours fine-tuning Project GTI so it would pass the California smog test. The first station we visited declined work on the VW because of its age.
No Bosch Bull
Opinions about Bosch K-Jetronic and KE-Jetronic CIS engine management systems are like armpits. Everybody has 'em, and most of them stink. Some people will tell you that a Volkswagen equipped with your run of the mill K-Jetronic, say a 1984 Rabbit GTI, does not have the ability to support more than 140 to 150 bhp. Others will tell you that same system is capable of supporting 200 bhp. And when it comes to KE-Jetronic, the opinions vary at least as widely.
My opinion? Well, it probably stinks as much if not more than everyone else's, but you're going to get it. I think either one of the systems, properly modified and tuned, is capable of supporting at least 200 bhp. I base this not on any engineering data but on real-world applications I've seen. I'm not saying the stock system in the '84 GTI will run that, but with some tricks that I've seen used, it's totally possible. I've seen many, and I'm sure there are more that I haven't seen, but they've run the gamut from something as simple as using (on a KE-Jetronic) a "Power Module" from one of the VW tuners which, at full throttle, fools the engine management to run a little richer, all the way to a system I saw proposed with two K-Jetronic systems "siamesed" together. In addition to these two, there are many measures that can be tried in between.