Notchback VR6
Last month, we introduced a slightly more unusual garage project to you. Air-cooled enthusiasts may be excited to see this classic '65 Notchback being brought back to life. Aaron Simon from West Virginia is using modern VW parts to rebuild a co-worker's old parts-car. His original plan was to use a 2.8-liter VR6 with air-cooled running gear, but he ran into obstacles with the suspension, brakes and transmission. To remedy the situation, he's created a mid-engine design utilizing the firewall and part of the floor from a '94 Passat. He then fabricated frame rails using 2x3'' tubing to tie the front and rear subframes together. An eight-point rollcage strengthens the chassis thanks to Rolling Chassis in NY.
The front brakes use upgraded Passat parts utilizing 11'' Brembo rotors and OE calipers. For the rear, Mk4 337 calipers were fitted on custom mounts. It also has a Corrado master cylinder and booster, plus braided lines. Weitec XS struts and springs were then fitted all round.
With rolling chassis complete, the body has taken shape. Aaron fabricated a 3'' widebody using Mk2 Golf fenders up front. The rears are a combination of three different fenders to create the desired effect. The final finish is satin black paint from Summit Racing.
Stay tuned for a full feature soon.
Martin Mk4
Justin Martin is going for broke - literally! His '01 VW Jetta 1.8T has been in the making for six years. But it's nearing completion as his hard-earned money turns into parts for the big-turbo project. "The car will be tuned to 400hp on the dyno once the clutch is bedded-in. This is only the beginning, however. I have much more in mind, such as liquid CO2 cooling, water/meth injection, plasma ignition and rebuilt turbo experimentation," he explained. When all is said and done, Justin is shooting for 600-750hp range.
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1996 Notchback VR6, 2001 VW Jetta 1.8T, and 1988 Fox Wagon - Garage Projects
As of now, the 1.8T is from an '04 GTI, fitted with Integrated Engineering rods. For power, a Garrett GT2871R turbo is mated to an ATP manifold. Finishing the package is a 2.5'' downpipe, ATP intake, Frozen Boost air-to-water intercooler, Spec stage 3+ clutch and ECS Tuning pulleys. Justin is waiting on software, injectors and stronger axles. Once he has these we hope to see the initial dyno numbers.
Fox Racer
Most people's first VW is usually a Golf or Jetta. Not for Joseph Machado from Florida, though. His first VW is this '88 Fox Wagon. "I want to keep the car as original as possible to have a clean look," he told us.
That doesn't mean it won't have power: his goal is 400hp from a 2.slow ABA 8v with forged crank and rods plus Ross Racing pistons to lower the compression to 8:1. The motor will be secured with ARP hardware, then boosted with a Garrett T3/T4 57-trim turbo on a Kinetic manifold. Fueling will be via a Walbro fuel pump and 440cc injectors. He's planning to use a 3'' downpipe and exhaust to expel spent gases.
As for the pretty bits, he's updated the exterior with shaved lights and antenna, Mk3 handles, smoked tail lights and a black repaint. He's also built his own coilovers and sourced old school 16'' TSW wheels.
Contact: to be included on this page, email details of your vehicle to: eurotuner@sorc.com