Any VW motorsport people out there?

[gtimk5]

Hey members, anyone compete in motorsport in their watercoolers?
Got any good stories to tell or pictures of their cars in competition?
I don't want to bore you with any more of my "happy snaps" at the moment. Surely someone has had a play out there. Come on, whose going to start the ball rolling? Doesn't have to be full on professional competition.

[worm]

Im currently preping my car for track days. As its also a everyday car it wont be anything to "out there".
Being winter now, progress is slow... its only an 8V too, so nothing to extreme, just for a bit of fun

[gtimk5]

Good on ya Worm! Thats the way to start. I ran a second nand 1.6 Passat notor in "Gunter" for the first 18 months and concentrated on sorting myself and the chassis out. Had an absolute ball out there. Probably enjoyed myself more as I hadn't outlaid too much money and because of that people did'nt expect too much. Still got reasonable results and class wins in the hillclimbs.
Hey mate, its better and safer to do it under controlled conditions rather than on the road. Look forward to see how you go eventually, you might even shock yourself! Cheers!

[gotrice]

Yeah I have been to the race track and am joining the local hill climb club just for a bit of fun. I only got into VW's coz they are cheep fun.

[Roscoe]

I have done a few sprints in my Mk2. It is great on the track and handles really well but it lacks top end speed. New motor is on the way. There are a couple of pictures from Sandown at http://www.rossbuckinghammotorsport.co.uk/golfracingphotos_136807.html

[gtimk5]

Yeah Gotrice, hillclimbs are a lot of fun, you have to on the ball right from the start. I really enjoyed them tho I was always worried about not having heat in the tyres, still, got some great results. Mount Bulla would be an awesome event to do..
Hey Roscoe, thats a great looking early Mk2 you've got. You running competition tyres in the shots? Always want more power mate! Especially at Sandown I reckon!

[Roscoe]

Yes I am running Yokohama 032R tyres. It hangs on really well but I can only pull about 0.8G under brakes before the back wheels start to lock up, too much weight transfer. The brakes are standard but the discs are cross drilled and it has braided hoses. I use EBC Yellow on the track and Pagid fast road pads for the road. A big improvement over standard. It also has Powerflex bushes G-Max springs and dampers, and camber brackets. I'm just building a new engine and am thinking about putting a cage etc in it but I also want to build a clubman sports car so am a bit un-decided about what to do!

[evorobin]

Rare lockup at the Island

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/

[gtimk5]

Thats a great photo evorobin, always looks tricky, that downhill section from Lukey heights. Is it very steep? Geez, its loaded up there!
Roscoe, a cage certainly tightens the body a lot, makes a big difference, but the extra weight does mean that you do need extra power. My cage weighed 60-70 Kgs and that was a pretty basic job. Stick with the Golf mate, at least you will stay dry!!

[bitza]

I've been racing watercooled VW for the last 20 years. Started with a mate in his Passat TS and me in a 1300 passat 2 door with about a 90hp 1600, with 1300 gear ratios. racing more fun when you are mixing it with some one you know and can trust, and are closely matched. Moved to Racing in state level modified production car catagory along, with the 6 hour relay race that the Alfa and Mini clubs use to run each year down here. Then moved onto a purpose built stripped down Golf (road registered, but a trailer queen) with 186 hp (still have the engine in a road car todayl). Ran out of money, and sponsorship was very thin on the ground, so sold the car. Now have my old race motor in a street car 1976 swallow tail, that very occasionally gets raced in club events (Volkswagen Club of Victoria). Hasn't been raced for over 2 years now. The engine is actually for sale, its a 1860cc now, and sports a formula 2 head, JE pistons etc etc. This car has been handed to my 13 year old, we are replacing the race engine with a good torquey freshly rebuilt stocker 1600 to teach him how to drive in motorkanas. (I love building fast engines, I build them for others to fund my projects).

Currently, building a Mk 1 Scirocco to enjoy and club race on occasions. Not very active in the club racing scene at the moment, no time. Not sure what engine it will end up with at this time, 8V, 16V, big displacement natural aspirated, turbo or supercharged, the choices are endless, these days.

Will post pictures once I've scanned them, along with some of my old times at Calder,Winton, Phillip Island, etc, if I can find them.

[Bug_racer]

Well I'll just put in my motorsport achievements in this group

I started my motorsport career back in 2003 when I was asked to join the VW race team . In 2004 I was employed full time working on both the r32's .
This ended at the end of 2004 due to funding cuts/politics ??? I still work part time on the race cars prepping them for quick spurts around the track and car shows .

Ive also taken the 2005 Gene Berg trophy for fastest VAG car

In 2006 helped build up a Golf gti mk5 which won its first and only round
Car resides at barloworld VW

I am yet to finish Audi and Seat but these should be interesting cars to race , will be posting times shortly of these 2 cars 1/4 mile times

[gtimk5]

So whats the deal with the Barloworld GTI? Is it for sale, I have heard rumours. Bloody shame cause the car ran well at Wakefield. Looked great! Certainly had it going hard.

[Bug_racer]

My ANDRA book has finally arrived
Not really a story , but the opening page of a nice long book

[gtimk5]

Good on you Seb. Maybe you will have some stories tgo tell in the future.
Look forward to hearing about em.:)

[Roscoe]

I remember doing some testing a Mk2 GTI in England in 1986, it belonged to VW Motorsport and was in Production Touring Car spec, then in 1987 I got to drive a 16 Valve on the track which also belonged to them. I think the 16 Valve was a very new thing then, from memory the Scirocco was first with the 16V. They were impressive cars at the time but I never got to race them.

I have also raced Formula Ford, Mini Miglia (UK), Production Touring Cars, British GT, VLN (German Endurance Championship), Nurburgring 24 Hour, Bathurst 24 Hour. I would love to race a Diesel Golf here in Australia... just because they think front wheel drive and diesel is so wrong!

Take a look at www.rossbuckinghammotorsport.co.uk

[gtimk5]

Geez! Thats interesting Roscoe. You could certainly teach a fair few of us a thing or two. Great webpage. Nurburgring must be awesome, would love to go there. 24 hour would be a real test for everyone and everything. Are you planning to do the hillclimb championship next year? You must have a lot of stories to tell.
Cheers to you, Andrew:)

[86gti]

I remember doing some testing a Mk2 GTI in England in 1986, it belonged to VW Motorsport and was in Production Touring Car spec, then in 1987 I got to drive a 16 Valve on the track which also belonged to them. I think the 16 Valve was a very new thing then, from memory the Scirocco was first with the 16V. They were impressive cars at the time but I never got to race them.

I have also raced Formula Ford, Mini Miglia (UK), Production Touring Cars, British GT, VLN (German Endurance Championship), Nurburgring 24 Hour, Bathurst 24 Hour. I would love to race a Diesel Golf here in Australia... just because they think front wheel drive and diesel is so wrong!

Take a look at www.rossbuckinghammotorsport.co.uk


Thats Awesome!!!! I would kill tohave a few laps around the Nurburgring.....
closest i get is on play station with Gran Turismo in my MK1 Golf or my R32..:D

[Roscoe]

Hey 86gti, the Nurburgring is even more fun in the dark!

[Dave R32]

I try and do a few track days a year in my R32 just for fun.

The car is far capable than me so I go nowhere near the limit but its huge fun and I am usually grinning from ear to ear for a few weeks after.

I am also co-driving another R32 in this years QLD round of the Dutton Rally...........should be a blast I think. Look for the Waxit.com.au entered car. (should be near the bottom of the list....)

Cheers
Dave.

[gtimk5]

Hi Dave, wouldn,t be the same R32 that ran in Targe Tas a couple of years ago? Tidy car. Have fun mate, Andrew :)

[golfnutracing]

I am competing in the WA state rally championship, we are euqal leading the under 2ltr class (1 event to go), against a very hot escort that is driven by a past state champion who has been rallying since before i was born.

http://members.iinet.com.au/~wo1fpac/golf/stagewin.JPG
http://members.iinet.com.au/~wo1fpac/golf/Rally/forest9.JPG
http://members.iinet.com.au/~wo1fpac/golf/Rally/forest8.JPG
http://members.iinet.com.au/~wo1fpac/golf/Rally/060520-0472-jvv-ARC.jpg

[Valver.]

GREAT pics!! Last one is "on it" well and truly :D

[mikinoz]

navigators are only there to balance the car as ballast.

I really like the rally aspect of the golf. good work!

[brackie]

Unreal pics. Where were they taken?

[gtimk5]

Thats fantastic! Looks great golfnutracing. I am working with channel10 on the ARC round this weekend. Cheers :) :)

[Dave R32]

Hi Dave, wouldn,t be the same R32 that ran in Targe Tas a couple of years ago? Tidy car. Have fun mate, Andrew :)

Nope that wasnt us.

This year's Dutton rally is our first competitive event, all other motorsport stuff has been club level.

Cheers
Dave.

[gtimk5]

Recorded The Duttons off TV saturday. Looks like a great fun event. Would love to have a go at that one. Very similar to an event we had down here a few years ago. Was really good fun and very sociable. You didn't have to have the most powerful car out there, just a bit of skill. I got a better result in my black Mk2 GTI than in my Mk1. Have lots of fun, watch out for Glen Ridge, he would be the biggest sh..stirer around! (and very funny too!) :)

[golfnutracing]

The 1st pic was at the Darling 200 in Jarrahdale, last rally for 05 and that was the last stage which we managed to win, and the last 3 were at the forest rally in busselton (ARC event), that last pic is awesome except for the fact i look possessed!!

[brackie]

The 1st pic was at the Darling 200 in Jarrahdale, last rally for 05 and that was the last stage which we managed to win, and the last 3 were at the forest rally in busselton (ARC event), that last pic is awesome except for the fact i look possessed!!
You're making me miss WA :(
I guess with the winter you've had dust would be more prevalent than mud ;)
Great to see a Golf out there.

[Dave R32]

The Dutton Rally was a blast.

We finished 21st as a team
Al (driver) was 28th out of 65
I was 21st out of 53

The R32
http://i5.pbase.com/o4/59/246159/1/64765211.MxDESsyb.Car64022.jpg

Guy Harding's TT
http://i5.pbase.com/o4/59/246159/1/64764953.Y5hUWUn2.Car74045.jpg

More info and pics at
http://duttonrally.com/dutton_content.html

Cheers
Dave.

[gtimk5]

Thats great! Bet it was fun. R32 looks great too. Well done :) :)

[blackgti1.8]

The Duttons looks like a lot of fun, from what I saw on the TV.
Love the R32 too - looks great. I've promised myself one of those one day;)

I did 5 or 6 years of club motorsport in the mid-80's to the early nineties, before mortgage, family and other things put a stop to it:(

A lot of it was in a '79 GLS MK1 - balanced engine, big cam, side-draft Dellorto, headers, bilstein suspension.... It was only an 8V 1600, but went reasonably well. Would take 7,000 rpm all day with no problems. Tough as nails. It was my daily driver for 11 years - used to thrash the living daylights out of it on the weekend, and drive it to work on the Monday!
(I was younger then , ok?)

It did motorkanas, Khanacross, dirt circuits, main circuits, hillclimbs.
A number of the venues have unfortunately now disappeared - Amaroo Park (main & dirt dircuit, hillclimb), Silverdale hillclimb.
Some are still around (Oran Park, Dapto hillclimb).
Dapto is fun, but you need bulk horsepower.

Haven't ever managed to try Eastern Creek, or Wakefield Park (in a Golf at least). I did manage 6 laps around Wakefield two or three years ago in one of those Auscar things they have down there. Fun, but there's an instructor in front of you in another car, so you don't go too fast...

Unfortunately, the Golf met an untimely end just before I was planning to sell it:(

Some other time, I'll fess up to the 'other' (76) MkI golf that I used (and still have) back then...

I would enourage anyone out there to post their VW motorsport exploits - it's great to see Golf's being 'driven with spirit', although I can under why many people wouldn't risk a car they they've spent a lot of building up.
Even low-level motorsport like 'Khanas can take a tool on the car, if you're trying hard.

[Bluerex]

So where the bloody hell are Darcy and Trevor????
Come on guys, help out here! JR still has my car in bits and I am getting withdrawal symptoms (BAD).
So how about a little from the Gumboot and Blue Flog action archives?????

C :-) ;-)

Rusty??? Nothing from u either???

[Bluerex]

Here is a a pic from our last rally 1976 mk1 1600 8v balanced and blueprinted minor headwork twin 40 delortos magna ignition 4w discs close ratio 5 speed and female driver unfortunately 100 meters after this photo our car found a tree stump so the car has been at the beaters getting repaired its ready to go again but no events till october its a pretty bullet proof set up and sits on 6500 all night suspension is bilstein tyres are yokohama and its a heap of fun for little cost(unless you hit stumps)

http://xs306.xs.to/xs306/06360/06NightmovesBarson1.jpg (http://xs.to)

Posted on behalf of Trevor

C

[gtimk5]

Hey! Another great pic! Great looking car, bet its a lot of fun. Sorry to hear about the stump, hopefully it will be back on form in no time. Is she a potential forum member? Bet she has a few stories to tell, watercooler wise?:) Andrew

[Blue Flog]

I think the tree that claimed Trevor's car got the Blue Flog also. We made it out of the section but only managed to get to the Cane Cutters Cordial earlier than what was planned. Still at JR's waiting for me to get some time to put it back together

[Golf Loon]

Good to see a 5 door going hard :)

[ontarv]

gotta love a 4/5 door in the thick
of it , i'm turning green now ###

[gtimk5]

In the very early days I competed in a couple of 2 door golfs but my fastest lap times back thereere set with a 4/5 door.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/09/CCI00005-1.jpg

[gtimk5]

That was a great car too. Had Bilstiens ect. but had to get rid of it before the daughter was born cause of the harsh ride. Kept the wifes 80 model petrol one

[Bluerex]

Some pics of Darcy in action
http://xs307.xs.to/xs307/06401/06ChallengeOConn3.jpg (http://xs.to)

http://xs207.xs.to/xs207/06401/06ChallengeOConn2.jpg (http://xs.to)

Posted on behalf of the Blue Flog

C :)

[gtimk5]

Great shots. Good to see a Golf getting down and dirty! :)

[Golfboy666GTI]

Hey Guys, here is my MK1 GTI Track day car:

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/11/TrackDayTauposweeper-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/11/SSpass-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/11/MyGolftrackcorner-1.jpg

and my Fathers Mk1 GTI Classic Race/Targa car:

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/11/dad-1.jpg

[gtimk5]

Fantastic pics there. The targa car looks great. Thats a very tidy 2 door you have. Good onya! :)

[Golfboy666GTI]

Fantastic pics there. The targa car looks great. Thats a very tidy 2 door you have. Good onya! :)

Yeah its all good fun :)

[vwrallycar]

does this count..... it is watercooled !!

[gtimk5]

That'd be a lot of fun with the 1.8 in it. Does it overhang by much? :o

[Golf Loon]

Yeah, show us a pic of the motor install.

[vwrallycar]

no its fits into the original body work perfectly

[fourbtoo]

Bought first Golf in 1976. Turbocharged it in 1980 (6 psi, different carb, custom made inlet and exhaust manifolds, sachs clutch, 2.5 inch system - very rad for the times) together with fitting gold 3 piece racing rims and a recaro racing seat. This car was entered in motorkhanas, autocrosses and sprints for nearly 4 years and hardly ever missed a beat.

Then went to Europe. Back in '87. bought a clapped out Mk 1Golf and fitted bone rattling bilstein racing suspension with lowered springs. Car looked mean but standard 1600cc motor died an unnatural and slow death. The body fell apart as well. . .

Bought an ex-demo Golf Mk11 GTi in '91 which was extensively campaigned in motorkhanas (Club as well as State level) and sprints. A good car but 1800cc 8v motor lacked punch.

Bought a Mk111 Golf in late '95 (Metallic green) and again this car saw a lot of action both on the track and on the dirt (Sprints, hillclimbs, motorkhanas and autocrosses)

To be continued. . .(MkIV stories to come)

[GoLfMan]

welcome mate, a rich history you have there, have you got some photos?

[luke_how]

Bought first Golf in 1976. Turbocharged it in 1980 (6 psi, different carb, custom made inlet and exhaust manifolds, sachs clutch, 2.5 inch system - very rad for the times) together with fitting gold 3 piece racing rims and a recaro racing seat. This car was entered in motorkhanas, autocrosses and sprints for nearly 4 years and hardly ever missed a beat.

Then went to Europe. Back in '87. bought a clapped out Mk 1Golf and fitted bone rattling bilstein racing suspension with lowered springs. Car looked mean but standard 1600cc motor died an unnatural and slow death. The body fell apart as well. . .

Bought an ex-demo Golf Mk11 GTi in '91 which was extensively campaigned in motorkhanas (Club as well as State level) and sprints. A good car but 1800cc 8v motor lacked punch.

Bought a Mk111 Golf in late '95 (Metallic green) and again this car saw a lot of action both on the track and on the dirt (Sprints, hillclimbs, motorkhanas and autocrosses)

To be continued. . .(MkIV stories to come)
FIGJAM!!! :)

[fourbtoo]

I've been competing since '83 in all kinds of Golfs bar the mark5 - it's not a shape I can live with.

Mk1's have included a turbocharged '76, various '76-'78 models with heavily reworked suspensions but standard donks and the current mount - a 2 door '77 model with an Audi 1800cc 8v head and block and mechanical fuel injection.

There's been a '91 (Aussie model) 1800cc 8v GTi which handled well but lacked grunt (But was very frugal on petrol consumption). And then a '95 2000cc 8v Mk3 with lowered koni/eibach suspension and a remus exhaust - this car handled dirt events really easily as well as being faster than a 5litre auto ss commodore around Winton.

Early '99 saw the purchase of a Mk4 1800cc 20v 4 door which soon featured a chip, K & N filter, koni suspension, lowered uprated springs and a remus exhaust. This car went really hard for an 1800 unit and handled extremely well. It even managed to stay ahead of Honda S2000's and a (worked) Porsche 944 around Winton.

And finally, in April 2004, I succumbed to all wheel drive in the form of a silver R32 which really redefined speed for me and dropped my lap times considerably around Winton, Calder, Phillip Island and Sandown. This car also came second or third in FFCC 2005 speed championship. If anybody wants to buy this very straight, one owner unit then send me an e-mail.

[Water Boy]

Hay there, sounds like you have had a few cars...

What have beeen your best lap times at Phillip Isalnd, Sandown, Winton and Calder, it would be good if you could share them with us...

Cheers :)