Really nothing exciting up to this point to report, so you'll get the short version.
August 2014
As mentioned, transmission went at Burke so we swapped the complete diff to another transmission that I had laying around (hmmmm, since a 2010 tree incident). Put the transmission back in the car and I noticed there was a clunking noise when rotating the wheels; decided that there were issues and not to try it out.
Purchased another 6-speed online and brought everything over to (new website address!:
http://www.sixstarmotorsvt.com) Six Star Motors in Colchester, Vermont. Same building as Libra Racing (John Buffum)/home of Super Chicken.
Charlie identified that some of the teeth on the diff were damaged so he swapped the good diff ring gear from the "new" transmission to the diff and put it all back together.
In case you don't know what a transmission looks like.
This is the "new" transmission. Same gear ratios that I had before.
September 2014
Jetta flex pipe went again. World famous vwJodi did a quick weld to get the car back on the road.
Purchase some shifter bushings and shift mounts from [url]
http://www.42DraftDesigns.com;[/url] both for the transmission end of things. Will install in January 2015. Plus, purchased "VAG Connector Removal Tool" for $15 from
http://www.ECSTuning.com to make it easier to take VW plugs apart.... Rabbit Farmer approved!
November 2014
Jetta needed new headlights. I polished them the year prior (or so); decided it was time to replace them. Did not want to spend the long dollar at
http://www.ECSTuning.com (almost $300), so I got a set from an ebay vendor. This picture (with new light over the old) is the ebay special with clear directionals that require amber bulbs.
Now... imagine that they are the absolute worst possible quality available... these are from DT Moto. They do not make the lights, just sell them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131185073888?it ... 60&vxp=mtr
Nothing was right about the lights.
* The bulbs type, per the instructions, did not work... unsure what bulbs would actually work
* The internal plastic hosing where the lights are mounted was not tight, therefore, it moved a lot (would cause a lot of flicking lights)
* Best yet, the retainers for the main lights would require so much pressure to lock in the light that the metal ring would pop off the plastic housing. Looking at the housing afterwards with the light bulb removed, the connector that holds in the light in would be 1.5" below the back of the bulb.
So, I contacted them and they gave me a full refund with zero issues within 24 hours... and was told to keep the lights. So, complete headlight assembles with new lights (all of them) for sale for the price of the brand new bulbs I purchased for them.
Ended up at ECSTuning and purchased GLI smoked lights (Hella brand) with amber directionals and fog lights (nice addition!)
Purchased nice wiring harness to run the fog lights.... easy to install.
Installed...
December 2014
Jumped into refreshing the Golf for the 2015 season.
* New harnesses
* Revisit the camber plates
* Get rid of the nylon fuel lines (especially sitting next to the glowing turbo)
* Figure out why bolts on turbo keep backing out
* Revisit heat shield on firewall
* Clunk in driver's side axle or transmission.... grrrrrr.
* Fix broken pipe for wastegate; guessing it has something to do with engine moving at Okemo when dogbone gave up the ghost.
* Go through engine; rehone cylinders, check seals, gaskets, etc.
Car is current down
http://www.KalesCustom.com in Colchester, VT for the camber plates, fuel lines, firewall, turbo, and wastegate.
I am going down there tomorrow to install the engine at his shop so he can replace the waste gate piping... needs everything in place to fabricate.
So, why the early jump on the Golf this year? Normally I start in late Jan to early Feb.... well, I have the drive to get the Scirocco together for next season.
I think I will use the 1.8T as everything is already fabricated for that engine. Complete engine rebuild,
http://www.VEMS.us stand-alone engine management system, send out suspension for rebuild, complete body work and paint (vwJodi), cage update by KalesCustom, etc. etc. etc. etc. Big project, but looking at getting this on the road, track, and hills.