Ratty Rescue: Little Red Rocket (Someday)

Our latest pathetic pile is a well worn Jetta that once put down some serious power. It’s looking for one of our faithful readers to help restore it to its former glory.

The prevalence of turbocharged four-cylinder engines in modern cars is astounding. There was a time not too long ago when the only way to get big power was by adding cylinders. For the third generation Jetta, VW added their all-new narrow-angle VR6 engine to the sedan. The addition of two cylinders put the car in the sports sedan category. This little Jetta nipped at the heels of much more expensive German models and was considered an entry-level BMW.

The enhancements aren’t limited to what’s in the engine bay. The GLX trim level added full leather interior, premium stereo, power everything, and a sunroof. The six-cylinder models are distinguished by their body color trim, rear spoiler, GLX-specific badging, chunky 16” BBS wheels, and a few other bits. Subtle, but effective.

8c08d5aa-26a3-48b3-a3aa-dcd6a6cedbe0

The souped-up sedan was well received by the media. Reviewers praised the torquey 2.8-liter engine, They especially liked the throaty growl that came from the engine bay. Suspension upgrades helped the car feel planted in corners, but the big engine added weight to the nose of the car.

This 1998 Jetta GLX has seen better days. Like any car with nearly 200,000 miles, the body has its share of scratches and dings. But there are cars out there with a quarter of the miles this Jetta has that are in much worse condition. The door trim is sagging; nothing a little 3M trim tape can’t fix. The interior is pretty rough, but salvageable. It needs a good cleaning to start. The driver’s sport seat has some split seams and leather wear. But like many of our Ratty Rescue candidates, it’s a complete car.

So if you’re looking for a project, and you crave the down-low torque a four-cylinder engine can’t replicate, this could be the car for you. Check out the listing on copart.com. The car is in Flint Michigan, there have been no bids.

The post Ratty Rescue: Little Red Rocket (Someday) appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2yN9xEs
via IFTTT

Comments

Project SportWagen: Going Stage 2 with APR

When we last left you, the humble little SportWagen was fresh from the development process with our friends at AWE Tuning, sporting a new downpipe, exhaust and intake, allowing things to breathe a bit easier. The car sounded great, but there was no getting around the fact that our wagon was still quite, well, slow. While we realize that nothing we do to the Golf SportWagen at this point will make it a race car, we still felt compelled to do something . To put it bluntly, we had a fever, and the only cure was more power. Flash forward a few hours, and we found ourselves at Waterfest, staring down APR’s palatial spread and the numerous tuned vehicles surrounding it. Earlier in the year, APR had hinted to us that their 1.8 TSI files would be quite impressive, and based on what they were able to do with the 2.0 TSI found in the new GTI and our time in their Golf R, we knew it’d be worth the wait. So with this in mind, we lined our G...

Volkswagen’s Gone to California with Grand California Camper

Volkswagen is bringing the California XXL concept to production. It will debut at the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon as the Grand California. It’s set to be based on the medium wheelbase Crafter van. That’s the company’s full-size commercial van, larger than the T6 Transporter based California. The high roof means room for adults to stand up, though it won’t get the concept’s extended length. The Grand California offers a full wet bathroom. It’s not exactly spacious, though, measuring in at around 31.5 x 33-inches. A toilet, shower, and sink are all crammed into that space, but at least there are motion sensor lights to stop you from reaching for a switch. Standard, the Grand California it comes with berths for two adults. Space for two children is optional, but they’ll be stuck in a berth amove the driver’s area. The kitchen offers a sink, stove, and two fridges. The front seats swivel to add seating space when the RV is parked. It’s also got solar panels, an integrated satellite dish,...

Volkswagen Group Records Best Ever First-Half-of-Year Sales

With 5.5 million vehicles in customer hands after the first six months of 2018, the Volkswagen Group is seeing the best performance of its history. Group deliveries increased significantly in all core regions,” said Fred Kappler, head of sales for the Group. “Our core brands recorded strong growth in the first half year.” For the year-to-date, all of Volkswagen’s brands had sales bumps. MAN, SEAT, and Skoda led the sales charge with performances 24%, 17% and 11% better than the previous year. The big sellers, too, had strong sales periods, with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Audi, and Volkswagen sales rising 3.5%, 4.5% and 6.3% respectively. That last figure is particularly good new for the board, since Volkswagen alone sold more than 3 million vehicles in the first half of 2018. As Kappler stated, the numbers are equally good when you break sales down by region. Brazil and Russia were the most improved markets (22% and 20%, respectively), while strong sales in Europe and China (u...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog