Cali the Jetta

So Jason came by last night and checked stuff out, he is coming BACK tonight to wire up the standalone… So that should be done tonight… There are a bunch of little things I need to do as well that I am sure I am forgetting, but it is coming along. Dylan and I stopped by the new garage last night and grabbed the alternator bracket, leaving only BIG thing left being the swapping of the gears on the distributor. Oh, and tuning it. The exhaust needs to visit an exhaust shop to get tweaked and aligned as well…but I think we are really getting there.

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Things Done:
-Run the fuel supply and return line to the rail (Rail has lines on it, rail is in, hoses need to connect to the supply/return hard lines)
-Finish hooking up the exhaust (ALMOST done!)
-Reinstall the rear beam (ALMOST done!)
-Get a Vacuum T Connector for the Charcoal Canister (got!)

Could Do Tonight:
-Run the vacuum lines
-Run the breather lines
-Connect the lower front valance
-Wire the megasquirt
-Tighten the plugs
-Reinstall the charcoal canister (mostly done)
-Swap the fuel filter
-Install sensors

Things To Do
-Swap the distributor gear
-Fill trans with oil
-Fill engine with oil
-Fill coolant
-Install Serpentine Belt

Things To Buy/Get
-Get a digi ignition module
-Coolant
-Oil
-Transmission Fluid
-Air Filter: 2.75 inch hose, get a 2.75 inch cone filter, 2.75 inch pipe to connect the 2
-Sort out the Alternator, need the bracket, steal Kieran’s
-Get an electric fan and a relay for it

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-Air Filter: 2.75 inch hose, get a 2.75 inch cone filter, 2.75 inch pipe to connect the 2
-Sort out the Alternator
-Wire the megasquirt
-Finish hooking up the exhaust
-Reinstall the rear beam
-Run the vacuum lines
-Run the breather lines
-Connect the lower front valance
-Get an electric fan and a relay for it
-Get a digi ignition module
-Run the fuel supply and return line to the rail
-Swap the fuel filter
-Tighten the plugs
-Reinstall the charcoal canister
-Install sensors
-Fill trans with oil
-Fill engine with oil
-Swap the distributor gear
-Fill coolant
……

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Engine is in…

Word…. the rest of the pics…

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Big thanks to scott and dylan for helping me out all weekend. We got a lot done. hopefully we will drop the engine in tonight!

all the pics are here….

More updates soon

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We made more progress… the steering rack and tie rods are on the subframe now. I need to center everything, but it is getting there. So the subframe is nearly done. I need to put on the motor mounts and that is it for that. Then we can put the engine in. I need to set the timing belt and accessory belts, get the intake and exhaust manifolds on, and then the motor can go in the car. Then set up all the cooling stuff, hoses, etc. Then get the timing and distributor set, wire it all up, set the ECU up with a starting map, and fire it up and start tuning. Tune it while I drive it over to Al’s to get it aligned. Then I should be ready to autox it. I may see about getting it on the dyno at Al’s to tune it, depending on how ready it is when I get there. I would like to have a few hundred miles on it before I hit the autox.

The possible light at the end of the tunnel is my wife and son are going out of town for the week leading into the saturday autox, so I can spend a number of the nights at the garage, and I may take off the friday before the autox to get over to Al’s. We’ll see, but I would LOVE to get it running. It would so rule.

I ordered a few more parts today that I am finding I need. I don’t have everything lined up yet, but I am getting there.

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Two Jetta work days have passed since the last post. Last week we put the head on. The short block is now a long block!

More pics can be seen here. So that was nice.

Today I finished cleaning the subframe/k-frame and we started getting that together. We put the A Arms/Control Arms in as well as mounted the front sway bar. We did poly bushings for the sway bar bracket and sway bar end links. I cleaned up the stock sway bar, but got new end links. I have stock bushings in the Control Arms, although the the bushings and the arms are brand new. We also put on new ball joints.

I need to clean up the steering rack, put on the new tie rods and boots as well as put on the poly steering rack bushings. Old rack, new tie rods and ends, new boots, new poly bushings. I also got new motor mounts (stock non hydraulic mount on the passenger side and a diesel transmission mount on the driver side) to go on. Once those are all in, the subframe will be ready to go back in and support the engine.

It is nice to see progress being made. Needless to say thanks to Dylan for helping out. I really feel the project is moving along now. Also thanks to kieran, as it was his poly kit that I raided to get some of the pieces I didn’t have.

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So about 1/2 of my parts were delivered today, and I ordered up the Megasquirt ECU and wiring harness from Protocar.net as well…

Word.

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In this post I mentioned the plans I had then… and I figured now would be a good time to check in and see how those are going…

Missing Linkz
I think I am buying the set off dylan’s car
ITBs off a GSXR
purchased… will eventually be installed
Megasquirt
need to buy. THIS could be something someone could get me for my birthday, but it is kinda expensive for a gift at ~$300… I am likely going to buy the MegaSquirt I v3.0 ECU Assembled and the MegaSquirt v2.2/3.0 12′ Wiring Harness.
Some stock spark with knock (CIS with Knock, Digi2?)
I am thinking I will start with a 4 window distributor (not sure off what model) and add an EDIS system down the road. I want to get used to tuning it one step at a time. So… I need to talk to some people to get that worked out, but that is not going to be a big deal.
replace the rear shocks
I may just get regualr KYBs for $40 each or whatever to keep it working. Then maybe get something later that is better
perhaps get the bilstiens rebuilt
Dylan is pushing for this. I say yes, but that will wait until I have fewer other things going on.
finish the 2.0 ABA bottom
done
finish the 8v counterflow head
essentially done. Need to assemble it, but that is not a big deal
miata rims
gone. will need to find other rims. Although I bet there is a set dylan has that I could borrow just to keep the car rolling until I figure out what rims I want…
badgeless quad round grill
still want but haven’t got. Cheapest place I have found so far is here at $71 on sale (FK Badgeless Grill – Black, MK II Golf/Jetta – Quad round). I may have to pick that one up.
upper grill spoiler
got it
GLI rear trunk lip (maybe)
have the lip, not sure I want to install it. Will be decided if/when I paint.
mk2 golf/gti roof spoiler with brake light (if I can figure out the install)
got the lip, not sure how to install it. Will likely happen if/when I paint.

So overall, I am not too far from those initial goals. score.

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So over the weekend, my parents had mentioned that they wanted to get me something to help with the project for my birthday, which isn’t too far off. So I started thinking about what things were still outstanding.

In this post I mentioned a couple things that were still open ended…
front seats
Done, as the recaros have come in, so that is taken care of…
steering wheel
still outstanding… not sure what I am going to do there… I would like a smaller, round steering wheel, horn button in the middle, likely 3 spokes. I have found one on ebay that I like and is ending very soon… we shall see…
brakes
I will be stepping up to 10.3’s from the mk3 jetta/golf. I would like 11.1’s, but it would limit rim choices and would cost more, and I am not sure I need them. I will be swapping to disc brakes in the rear as well. So I will need calipers all around, brake lines, 22mm master, and rotors. I don’t like to mess around with brakes.
exhaust
Taking the one off kieran’s coupe. Not sure what it is, but it doesn’t have a beer can on it, so I can’t complain!
paint
hmmmm…. the issue here is large. I would like to paint the car. Before I paint the car however, I am going to get the body issues fixed up. SO it seems that the next step for this one is to start collecting body parts to make this happen. Like a set of big doors. And fenders. and a hood. So… still up in the air here, I defiantly want to get the car running well first. And even then, we have given serious thought to painting it ourselves. Time will tell on this one…

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