Project Soot Rocket

[EWAustin]

Quick! Somebody photochop Snoopy into Ham's Rabbit!!!

[hamradio]

Little update-
Put injection pump most of the way (still need to put some more bolts in) in the car. Still need to find a key for the shaft of the injection pump (either get it from the dealer or make one or whatever). Next I'll put the timing belt back on, connect coolant hoses again, fill with coolant. Then run it.

[VeeDubMe]

threads you would start....

at least find some bewbs to motor-boat in...

built for comfort or built for speed?...

[hamradio]

can you put scirocco sway bars straight onto a rabbit, or is there a little welding or drilling holes involved?

how 'bout a k bar?

As long as I have the parts around, should I swap over the rear beam and everything to put discs in back on my rabbit (with prop valves and all)? I've heard things about the rears still locking up easily with discs and prop valves, though.

Is doing all this stuff to improve braking/handling worth it on a slow car like a diesel? The only more powerful engine this car will ever get a is a 1.6 or 1.9 turbodiesel.

[ShowCar]

The only more powerful engine this car will ever get a is a 1.6 or 1.9 turbodiesel.

There you go again, using words like ever and never. Haven't you learned ham?

Looking forward to seeing some progress when it warms up!

[bagpipe goatee]

The sways will go on. For the k-bar, you will need to drill two holes, but do it. You definitely need that part stiffened if you go with stiffer suspension than stock.

I wouldn't swap to rear discs on that car. Or at least not those rear discs. You have to get newer calipers (newer= off a newer car, not newer= rebuilt) if you ever hope of using your ebrake again. I got mine from California, they've never seen a winter and work great. They rust and blah blah blah. I'd stay with drums unless something's wrong with them.

My reason for changing them: Needed two new wheel cylinders, new shoes, new hardware. Or a complete setup from a junkyard for less. I like being able to see when my brakes need replacement without dealing with wheel bearings, too.

I wouldn't swap unless you're in a similar situation. On a rabbit, they don't really make a difference at all. Only in heatsoak, and the rear brakes so little, that you'd only notice when slowing down from really high speeds. Higher than your rabbit can get to.

[OptimusGlen]

honestly theres very little reason to swap from drums to disks in the back. Thinking about how much work it is and how you drive your cars, don't do it.

[hamradio]

Ok. No discs it is, then! They do, however, have a bitchin factor of about 8/10.

Will keep the sways, and the k bar. I'll make an upper strut bar someday.

I'd put a 16v in a rabbit, but it wouldn't be this car. Why? It'd be a pain in the ass to diesel-gas. If I do it, I'd get an already gas car. Plus, I'd put a 16v in a 2 door rabbit fo sho. I know, 2 more doors haul 2 more whores, but 16v and 2 door just kinda go together, IMO. I start getting into this, get thinking, want to keep my 16v and build some fun car, but then I realize, I need a practical and reliable car, and I already have a fun car, haha. I'm thinking either a vr passat, 2.0 golf, or passat with a 1.6td for a daily driver.

So, here's what I've got planned for my car as of now-
throw turbo manifolds and a k24 or t3 on my NA diesel, run about 8 or 9 psi until I blow it up or I blow my clutch

after that blows up, put in a real 1.6 turbodiesel (I'll only need the block and head, anyway, as I'll already have the other bits)

2" scirocco 16v stainless exhaust (because I have it laying around and it's free), 2" downpipe from the turbo, and a little something to go from downpipe-catback (because of no cat)

boge progas struts, because apparently they handle a 1" drop nicely
h&r race springs or neuspeed sports or something similar

maybe, maybe (don't know how it will look) pick up some new tails from a junkyard and tint the amber parts red to see how it looks

possibly tinted or clear corners

mk3 14" steelies

a little rust fixing with paintscratch.com

either remove the molding, as it's old and faded and bad looking, or replace it with new stuff

This will get kicked into high gear (or is that E? ) when I'm done parting the rocco. It is going to be pretty nice, as I'll have little spares here and there to help out the rabbit.

here's my inspiration, I know I've posted it before. I'll run bumpers, though I do kind of want a small duckbill.

[bagpipe goatee]

I like your plan, mostly.

Can you TIG? The exhaust on the 84.5+ german made a1's is a little different because of the gas tank redesign (bigger tank, smaller spare, two fuel pumps). I'm not sure how much different it is.

Also, good running diesel motors are getting harder to find. I'd keep it stock until you find a td, then sell this one.
But maybe you just wanna blow it up, I understand that.

you have a TD IP?

[hamradio]

yeah, I can tig aluminum alright, never tried stainless, however. I'm working on pulling it just to look at my purty exhaust.

I'd suppose I *could* keep it na until I find a td.

no td ip. I was hoping for that to come on whatever I buy.

[hamradio]

sway bar time! I'll do it after I get my car running again. I need to replace the control arms (rusty in the middle), so why not replace them with the ones with sway bar brackets from my rocco? The rocco ones are in nice shape. I'll do a front sway bar, rear sway bar on the beam, and K bar. If I do a rear upper strut bar and front upper strut bar, will that be too much? I thought kris only ran a k bar and a rear upper strut bar or something to that effect, but no front bar for understeer reasons or something like that. I'm not looking for great handling, I wouldn't know what it would feel like, but I want enhanced go kart feel.

And next, exhaust questions.

I have a 2" stainless catback from the rocco. Right now, the car has a full stock 1.5" exhaust. First off, will it be obnoxious with cheapo 8v headers and 2" exhaust with one straight through muffler? I ran it with an open downpipe for a little while, and it was a quite too loud for my taste. Although, the sound was right under me, so maybe that's why it was so loud.

Maybe the car will get a turbo. Turbos seem to knock noise down a lot on a diesel.

[VeeDubMe]

Git 'r Done!

[hamradio]

Progress! Put the IP in, injectors in, glowplugs in, slipped the t belt over the gears, still need to time the engine, find my t belt tensioner, put the IP lines in, put the downpipe on.

Going to make a 2" downpipe to go along with the rocco exhaust, too.

Lowering it for the pic, haha. The front end drops about 1.5" when I put my weight on it. Once again, looking like I'm 12 in the pic. I'd like it maybe a little lower than this on some 14's. (probably mk3 steelies or castlettes or similar)



Interior full of parts-








I could post bigger pics, if anyone wants. It intend on deleting the catch tank and getting an old rocco radiator with the cap built in. At some point, I'm going to add another tank in back in the spare tire well, and do heated lines and such, for running biod in colder months, and maybe veg oil if I really want.

[tobin999]

so close!

the bay looks clean

[hamradio]

Thank you! I am trying to clean the bay to dirt-less levels! I went crazy for a week in january, with a nylon brush and a spray bottle of simple green, on the bay. And I've pressure washed it with hot water and simple green several times. When the clutch goes, I'll drop the engine, paint the block the original green, and go crazy with more cleaning.