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Tag: MK2

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Friday Fail? 1989 Volkswagen Jetta Coupe VR6

Friday Fail? 1989 Volkswagen Jetta Coupe VR6

Published July 10, 2015 by Nate

$_57
In the past, I’ve used the Friday Fail to examine some pretty awful ads and terrible aesthetic choices. With today’s column, however, I’d like to put it to our readers to decide if this is a full-on fail, or if there is some merit to this Jetta. I happen to really dig the 2-door Jettas as both Mk1s and Mk2s, cutting a similar cropped 3-box style to the E30 coupes (compare these to their four-door brethren and then try to wrap your field of vision around a 4-series… who’s failing now?) This one has some choice Dublover retrofits like a VR6, outstanding Porsche D90 wheels, and a clean Trophy interior. The body modifications, however, are where the fail starts to seep in. I don’t hate how the Mk2 Big Bumpers look on it, or rather how they could look on it if fully modified to fit, but their slight sag makes my linear-loving brain blow gaskets. The rear bumper is the worst, which brings us to the next fail: if you’re going to give such great detail about what you’ve added to the car, CAN’T YOU TAKE MORE THAN TWO PICTURES?! At least SHOW us how that saggy butt really looks so we can start to picture how to fix it.

$6,500 isn’t bad for a mostly cool-looking Jetta Coupe with a VR6 and Porsche wheels. But having two pictures is the domain of $850 OBO “NEDS WRK AC BROKN” eBay specials. So, is it a big Fail this Friday, or just in need of a serious in-person investigation?

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1991 Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6

1991 Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6

Published June 20, 2015 by Paul

Every now and then, you come across a car that reminds you of your youth. This 1991 Volkswagen Jetta GLI with a VR6 heart transplant puts me squarely back at the end of high school and beginning of college. It was around that time that I was running a 1998 GTI 2.0 and VR6 engine swaps into earlier A1 and A2 chassis Volkswagens were just catching on. While some of my classmates turned towards the Japanese tuning scene, I was firmly entrenched on the German side of things. I didn’t do a lot of modifications to my GTI, but I enjoyed going to shows and races alike with my friends in the Vee Dub circles.

Time moves on, and a few Mercedes-Benzes later, I’m back into a (half) German hatchback, a MINI Cooper S. I still have a hankering for an A2 GTI or Jetta, though. I can’t put a finger on it, but there’s some reason I like the A2 series better than the original. This Jetta GLI for sale in Ohio is modified just enough to sate the youthful enthusiast still inside of me.

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1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Published May 30, 2015 by Nate

$_57 (6)

The Jetta GLI has always been a object of desire for me. While the GLI really gained fame with the Mk2 generation, it was a final-year offering on the excellent first-gen sedan, bringing most of the GTI goodies to the 3-box setup. This red example has been with the same owner for the last 15 years and is looking pretty darn good on BBS 3-piece rims with what look to be like-new Euro bumpers and front lip. The interior also looks outstanding for being over 30 years old, but a few blemishes inside and out keep this from being a perfect package. A small rust spot, mismatched tires, and paint issues on the roof are all fixable but indicate the projects will continue.

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1990 Volkswagen Golf GL Euro-Spec with 34,000 Miles

1990 Volkswagen Golf GL Euro-Spec with 34,000 Miles

Published May 27, 2015 by Carter

I wonder when the Mk.2 market is really going to blow up. For some time, it’s been the A1 models and Sciroccos that have really drawn the big money. Of course, on the other side the Mk.2 market is bookended by the Corrado market, which has always been quite hot. But the 1985-1992 Golf was a very popular platform; I had one, my friends had them, and we drove them hard and turned them up. They were European style on the cheap, versatile and economic hatches that were fun to drive, reasonably reliable and just different enough from the norm to make you feel special. But today, 23 years after the Mk.2 left U.S. shores, there are precious few left in good original shape. I don’t think that the Golf was ever intended to be a collector car, mind you – but then, neither was the original Mk.1 Golf, and those have certainly proven their staying power. However, in Europe, the Mk.2 crowd is – if anything – much stronger than it was in the U.S., and since Volkswagen sold more of the later models in Europe and they’re now becoming import legal, it seems appropriately time that these models start sneaking over to these shores, primed to take advantage of a surging 1980s market:

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1987 Volkswagen GTi 16V with 60,000 Miles

1987 Volkswagen GTi 16V with 60,000 Miles

Published May 25, 2015 by Carter

1987 saw some serious upgrades for the original “Hot Hatch” GTi. Externally, you’d have to be a seriously devoted Volkswagen fan to pick them all out. The body and trim remained effectively the same as they had been in 1985 and 1986, but new “Teardrop” alloys replaced the leftover “Snowflake” (also known as “Avus”) and “Bottlecap” (also known as “Montreal”) wheels that had adorned the earlier models. Squint closely at the front, and a new deeper chin spoiler sat under the bumper with two brake ducts. The GTi sported a new spiky hairdo as well, with a new roof-mounted Fuba antenna which would become signature for the model going forward. But the change that enthusiasts really liked was under the hood, where eight more valves made their appearance on the venerable 1.8 mill that had powered the GTi. That new motor was announced on every side of the car with new “16V” badges adorning the front, rear and side trim. Horsepower increase was relatively modest – about 13 more horsepower over the high-compression 8V that the car ran in 1985 and 1986. But the letters DOHC were magical pixie dust for wannabe racers in the 1980s, and the entered you into the coolest club out there – Club Twin Cam. Everything sprouted Twin Cams in the 1980s, but it brought the GTi up a notch in performance to compete with the new crop of Hot Hatches it had helped to sprout. 0-60 was now achieved in under 8 seconds – a serious feat for an economy car at that time. The new 16V GTis would be available – as before – in only four colors; Diamond Silver Metallic, Dark Blue Mica, signature Tornado Red or my favorite, Red Pearl Mica (LE3P) that this low mileage example is shown in:

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