Rabbit Farmer's various VW Projects

[Rabbit Farmer]

http://www.usrallyteam.com/index.php?ma ... cPath=1_68

According to USRT, pump + 50/50 water/meth is equiveant to 100+ octane.

I believe that I can do 300wHP without race fuel (I will have race fuel standing by just in case I have different options than what I think I have now)

[walterclark]

With the right bits that engine will do well over 300WHP on pump gas (93) without the water/meth. The APR Stage III+ kit claims this for the B5 Audi and MKIV Golf 1.8T. WITH the addition of the water/meth I would think near 400 would be possible...Just imagine the torque steer.

[Rabbit Farmer]

I was at 350wHP last summer.... I do not recall having to fight the steering wheel at all. Pretty easy to drive the car.

Unsure what I will end up with. I just know I don't want to be married to race fuel especially for a long event (i.e. track) where I would have to buy (ack!) and transport 25 gallons of fuel.

[Rabbit Farmer]

Since the Golf is still over at KalesCustom (he will give me an update on Friday), I have been working on the Cabriolet.

I determined that the speedometer cable broke and needed to be replaced. Since it was a custom setup, I sent the broken cable to http://www.speedometersolutions.com/; $65 later there was a new cable on its way to me. Should be here some time this week. Sweet.

Broken cable...




I was able to mount the VEMS ECU in the stock location. I fabricated a bracket... "fabricated" means took some flat aluminum stock and made various bends in it and drilled a hole... that holds the ECU into the stock bracket. Came out pretty good, IMHO.

I brought the car down to Jason at VEMS.us to take a look at a few magical things (magic = electrical) and hook up the tachometer to VEMS. It would be great to drive this car with a working speedometer and a working tach. Zero out of two at the moment.... thank the Apple and Blackberry gods for "speedometer apps".

Turns out the tachometer does not work on the cluster. Darn. I tried another cluster where the tach and speedometer does work, but all the other lights and other tidbits don't work as it was a different model than expected. Selling that cluster if interested (the one that works) and looking to replace the full cluster or just the tach for the one that doesn't work.

Original cluster that I need to replace the tach:


Note bolt pattern around the tach and orientation of the tach...


Tach I picked up locally thinking that I could use it... speedometer and tachometer both work. (this is the one for sale!)




Not a lot to report on the Golf.

I ordered a braided line for the oil pressure gauge since I did not want a plastic hose with pressurized oil in the cockpit. Again... picked it up from Jegs. Fittings are -4.



Every package that Jegs sends me (regardless how little I order), it always seems to have a hat in it. I gave away about 4 of them so far and still have 4.... I did notice that they were trying to sell them for $6 each per the sticker on the brim. Riiiiiigggghhhhtttttt.



I have had so much positive experience with Autometer in the past.

One sales person (per my recollection... if I was a betting man, I would not bet on my memory) at Autometer told me to get a certain oxygen sensor to replace the one that failed from running leaded race fuel. Turns out that sensor was wrong so they sent me one for free. Sweet.

After replacing the sensor, the wide band A/F gauge was still not working so I sent it in to be checked out. They were not sure what was wrong (it could have been shorted) so they sent me a new one for free. Sweet!

And the trend continues...

As I mentioned earlier... I cut the studs off the fuel pressure gauge to make it fit into the A-pillar pod. Now I needed the studs to mount it on the flat dash panel. I sent the gauge into Autometer with a request for new studs (they are pressed in) and a new plastic mounting ring (black part in the image below). $12 and 7 days later I had my gauge in hand with new studs, new thumb screws, and a new plastic mounting ring. Sweet!!! Love this company!



PS - Even the Earth is bi-polar.

[KevinGale]

I have that yellow hat problem too! At least Summit sends black hats. I Keep looking for the check box that says don't send me a hat or catalog and take six dollars off off my order price.

[Rabbit Farmer]

I have that yellow hat problem too! At least Summit sends black hats. I Keep looking for the check box that says don't send me a hat or catalog and take six dollars off off my order price.

Hmmm.... perhaps it is time to order from Summit.

[Mopar 151]

Drew and I came up with a good idea while on a project a couple years back - swap the hats back, or opt out for sections of "conspicuity" (reflective) tape - like you see on commercial trailers. The stuff ain't cheap - an 18" piece would be a fair trade for a hat. And, because the red is a transparent over-paint of the reflective base, it would be easy to reverse out a logo in the red section, and print the same logo in red on the silver.



If you have an open car trailer painted a dark color, or the ever-popular rust/primer/paint combo, you need some of this stuff!

[Rabbit Farmer]

I put some of that on my black open trailer. You're right... not cheap.

[Rabbit Farmer]

Not a lot to share. The Mt. Ascutney #1 Hillclimb was a great time. Weather was perfect.

Because the Golf was not ready, I drove the 2004 1.8T Jetta (100% stock with the exception of Bilstein Sport struts/shocks... yes, even the springs are stock) and the 2001 Daewoo Lanos.

First event with the new shed on wheels.


The Jetta that both Julie (wifey) and I drove.


Would you believe that is it factory sponsored? Would you believe it has 650 wHP? Do you think Elvis is still alive?


Me getting ready to be slammed into the back of the seat with incredible acceleration during one of the runs.


Incredible fast video of the Daewoo in action (I did say fast video, not fast car).


Back to the Golf.... where is it? Well, how about this fancy header from KalesCustom.com?


And how about an error made by the machine shop that he brought it to to level out the flange? Guess he won't be going there again.





Expect some really nice pictures of the turbo/header soon. Getting closer.

Next hillclimb (http://www.hillclimb.org) is Burke.... unsure if I am driving the Jetta, the Daewoo, or a lawn chair. We will see.

Steve

[Mopar 151w2]

that flange can be repaired, at least functionally, by welding in the "scar" and remachining the surface. Warpage can be minimized by immersing most of the header in water, and welding in small sections. The surface only needs to be good where the gasket seals - it may be possible to do it with a good file. Mill setup will be a little involved, but do-able.
IMHO, this would likely hold in a NA application, but with 15+ psi of backpressure, I would''nt be sure.....