It is time to part with our faithful ‘77 Rabbit that has served as a great entry into amateur motorsports over the last 7+ years. We’ve done numerous track days at Portland International Raceway (where the Indy cars used to race), autocrosses, and several runs at the Larison Rock Hillclimb. Unfortunately the car has been sitting for a couple seasons and just isn’t being used anymore with other projects in the stable. It’s time for a new owner.

This car was built by a professional Volkswagen mechanic who was working at Independent Auto Werks (Bug Werks) here in Corvallis at the time. Together we carefully pieced together all the proven parts for this MK1 platform:

- Engine is an MK2 2.0L bottom end with 1.8L 16 valve head. This combination is well documented to provide an immediate 15hp gain over the base 2.0L 16v configuration for 155hp total. At around 1850lbs it really scoots! We opted for the simpler CIS-E fuel injection as it’s easier to work with than the later Motronic setups. While the motor has seen action over the years, it still provides lots of power. It is still fitted with stock cams to maintain reliability and driveability to and from the track.

- Exhaust is optimized with a dual outlet manifold for reliability, then routed to a Techtonics race downpipe and on to a matching Techtonics exhaust with Magnaflow muffler. Yes it’s noisy but not in a ricey way. Very distinctive tuned 4 cylinder VW water-cooled sound.

- Engine is coupled to a lightweight VW Motorsports flywheel and Sachs clutch combo which allows the motor spin up with ease. Power is sent through an 84 GTi close ratio transmission. The transmission makes some noise on deceleration but has since we built the car some 7+ years ago. I expect it’ll be fine for limited track usage as there is no issue finding or using all the gears, but may require a rebuild at some point considering.

- Suspension is simple but well sorted. An H&R Cup Kit consists of matched springs and shocks (non-adjustable) for a mild drop and more sporting ride. Front upper and lower stress bars are fitted along with a rear strut tower brace. Also a heavy duty rear sway bar is fitted. All bushings were refreshed when fitted. The ride is very flat but not harsh. This combination helps to dial out a lot of the understeer and cornering is easily controlled with gentle throttle response.

- Brakes are upgraded discs up front from an MK2 GTi and we retained the drums in the back. We had originally fitted rear discs as well but had issues with lockup in the back due to the light weight. Willwood proportioning valves are installed for fine tuning.

- Two sets of wheels are included. The car is currently riding on “snowflake” GTi rims with mismatched tires to get you to and from the track. Also included are aftermarket alloys with used road racing slicks. Available for separate negotiation are some very rare, period correct Intra 14x6 German alloys that replicate the look of early Porsche 928 rims. The Intra rims would be perfect if you’re considering this car for a GTi restoration.

- Interior is stripped and focused on only what is needed for track work. An early Passat steering wheel is fitted for better feel and textured race pedals are in place. A Sparco Pro 2000 race fixed back bucket is fitted for the driver and a generic aftermarket seat is in place for the instructor. Both seats have 4 point Schroth harnesses. The stock dash is removed and a custom console is fitted with gauges to monitor oil, water, charging, and revs. The heater core is still intact but it blocked off at the moment. Can be reactivated to warm the interior on cold mornings. Rear defroster works as does instrument lighting. Most carpet and sound deadening is removed, so it’s very loud inside the car and you hear every creak, rattle, bang, and bump. But with a helmet on it’s just part of the experience.

- The exterior is a decent 5 footer. In honesty it’s a poor Maaco paint job that was applied before we acquired the car, but it can be made to look decent as seen in the photos. There are lots of chips, dings, dimples, and yes surface rust. I have tried to capture the worst of it in the photos. This car is not ready for the show circuit but plenty presentable as you make your entry into amateur motorsports. Features GTi fender flares and aftermarket replica European bumpers. All lights work. Headlights are European H4’s with city lights in the park position. Color matched GTi airdam is also fitted.

The good: This car is very well sorted and should clear inspection for autocross, trackday or hillclimb. A simple tuneup should be applied but runs fine with no stumbling and tracks straight. To be used for road racing or rally you’ll need additional safety equipment like a rollbar or cage, fuel cell, window netting, fire suppression, etc… But even after sitting for a few seasons it is running well with just a new battery and a full tank of gas. I also put new tags on the car today so it’s registered until 2013. I drove the car in a spirited manner this afternoon and it made me wish I had space to put it on jack stands and come back to it someday.

The bad: It does have some surface rust on a 5 foot paint job and a couple holes in the floor boards. But for what it was built for it’s ready for more action with just minor TLC. After a thorough once over, I wouldn’t hesitate to drive up to Portland, track it, and drive back like we have numerous times over the past several years.

This car is perfect for someone who is looking to get into local amateur racing or a GTi restoration project. Please email me for more information or to arrange for a look in person. Here are links to my personal blog with stories about how we used the car (note the time stamps):

• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2005/03/audi-club-track-days-at-pir/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2005/07/larison-rock-2005/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2006/03/cascade-sports-car-club-track-day-summary/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2006/03/portland-bmw-club-track-day-recap/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/1977-volkswagen-rabbit-track-day-car/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2007/04/eescc-auto-x-april-07-dusting-off-the-track-rabbit/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2007/07/countdown-to-larison-rock-hillclimb/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2007/07/larison-rock-day-1-report/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2007/10/our-track-rabbit-in-grassroots-motorsports/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2008/04/a-late-start-to-the-2008-season/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2008/07/2008-eescc-larison-rock-hillclimb-two-new-personal-bests/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2008/09/paul-and-i-return-to-pir-after-a-2-year-hiatus/
• http://www.dancrouchblog.com/2009/07/larison-rock-2009-day-1-report/

Please email me if interested in more information or a closer look at the car. I am asking $2350 obo and the Intra wheels mentioned are available at additional cost. With a full price offer I’ll include a used but legal autocross helmet, magnetic numbers, and the fire extinguisher. I’d love to see this car find a home that will appreciate it and the time spent putting it together. Thanks for looking.

dc

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Long story short, it has been my day. I tied my fastest time up the hill today -- although Paul is right behind me with his best time ever at the 'rock and is only 6 tenths behind me with a matching 2:13! But best of all, I just won the 50-50 raffle drawing for $310! The other $310 goes to the Oakridge Volunteer Fire Department, who did a amazing job today, on the 4th of July, but especially considering the kick ass job they did responding to a Ford Focus that met a Douglas fir at speed. The driver walked away and even attended the pizza dinner afterwards!

In other news, Ed's time still stands even though we we're wearing slicks on the car now. But we have one day left and we both feel confident now that we've felt the incredible difference between street and race tires.

And of course no Rabbit Track Day car post would be complete without a huge shout out to Paul Breen who built the most solid and reliable vehicle we could've wished for with the budget we started out with 6 years ago. Thank you Paul!

Here is my 2009 Larison Rock Hillclimb gallery so far:

Check out Paul's post on his blog as well.

dc

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Suddenly it seems like an eternity ago (see, there it is again), but years ago our trip began by suiting up for our 2 day trip to the bay area from Corvallis, Oregon. Looking back, I was hardly prepared for such a trip, but that naive and youthful nature is what makes the trip even more special to remember.

{Note: time stamp on photos is incorrect.}

When we arrived for Thursday evening practice, tent camping inside the racetrack hadn't opened yet. We were pointed to another track campground called '40 acres'. Turns out this was only a mowed field that served as overflow parking for the NASCAR event to accommodate the 100k+ fans that turn out for their biggest weekend of the year at Sears Point. Or in other words, no services, including honey buckets. We were the only fans to show up that early and had the entire field to ourselves in fact. All the other early fans stayed in Sonoma a few minutes away. Needless to say, our budget working pizza jobs didn't accommodate such luxury. It was actually just us and our tiny tent, and a half rack of Coors Light, whom we later decided had sponsored our camping weekend. Amazing the creativity of 21 year olds with a marker and a stack of beer cans!

Best I can recollect, we made the trip in 1995 when Sears Point legend Miguel Duhamel was still the man to beat at that track. Upcoming stars that year included Ben Bostrom, Nicky Haden, and my favorite, Australian Anthony Gobert. Here's a pic with Doug Polen, Miguel Duhamel, and a very young Nicky Haden. In the very back it might be Eric Bostrom. Either the Superbike or SuperSport class. Hard to know without notes and help from the internet. I tried though. If you can help, please comment below!

That shot was taken from the campground when campsites were still located in the middle of the track in the carousel complex. You would literally wake to the sound of the street sweeper and then the first run group at 8:00AM every morning. Ready or not, here come 30-50 high strung motorcycles, all screaming around the back of your head. Talk about a wake up call! I distinctly remember wishing I hadn't smoked so many cigarettes the night before!

Here are some more shots of us that weekend:

There are many more memories from that trip, like the massive Cycle World group ride that rode more like a GP race and resulted in Editor Edwards getting a fat ticket! But really it serves as a reminder that sweet road trips have been few and far between since graduating college. I'm going to have to make some changes to tour more often, on two wheels or four. A great memory awaits that won't be experienced from the couch.

dc

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This year my buddy Paul joined me for the weekend event. After loading up the Rabbit at the Sports Car Shop after work on Friday, we hustled our way down Highway 58 and pulled into the (now-outrageously-priced $348 for two days!) Best Western in Oakridge. We swallowed the price because the A/C does work, it also serves as race headquarters for the event, and the internet was reliable enough for us to lose all our sit-n-go's on Pokerstars. After flying through tech that evening, we did a couple of reconnaissance laps up the course and settled in at Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant for a really nice dinner and some cervezas. We were off to a good start already!

The next morning we dragged our asses out to the track by 7AM to be in time for the track walk/school at 7:30. Instructed by Brad Moffit, he reminded us of all the proper lines, areas of concern, and tips for success. As usual he did a great job, though we would be lucky to remember only a few tidbits as we returned to the pits. Realizing we hadn't used the car at all in a long time (in fact I haven't driven it all since the last Larison Hillclimb), the butterflies and anxiety started to mount. The forecast for the day was mid 90's and when standing in the morning sun, you knew it was going to be a hot one. We enjoyed the cool morning shadows knowing the afternoon was going to be a killer.

I was up first in run group 2 of 4 and I made a leisurely run up as I got familiar with the car and the course again. The car was loose and I noted that downshifting to 2nd in tight corners was really working much better than lifting and pressing on uphill in 3rd at low revs and no torque. After Paul's run, he was in agreement. Our afternoon runs both showed improvement with the hotter temperatures really helping the tires and utilizing the 2nd gear redlining method in tight corners.

Day 1 was concluded with pizza and probably several gallons of Coors Light, going with the "light beer rehydration" theory after the hot afternoon. We drank a few with Derek who was pitted right in front of us on the hill. He campaigns a white 4 door 72 Datsun 510 out of San Francisco. Great looking car with a lot of cool mods like retrofitted MegaSquirt fuel injection on the L18, full cage, and gun metal grey alloys on both the race and road wheels. Cool Canadian guy with some impressive credentials including two trips to the Targa Newfoundland (!) and track time at Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, and Sears Point to name a few. Nice to meet you Derek, and hope to meet up next time we're in the Bay Area.

With our times still well short of Ed's best run last year, Day 2 started with a more serious tone. At least it did for me. While I really wanted to improve over my run the day before, what I really wanted was to beat my personal best time at Larison Rock of 2 minutes 14 seconds (and change). And it would be extra sweet if I could beat Ed's best time, the best time ever in our Rabbit at Larison, of 2 minutes 11 seconds.

Paul was up first and posted a 2 minute 17 second run to match my best of the previous day. Fueling up on RedBull, I was ready to lay waste to the track feeling confident and juiced. After what felt like a good run, I actually ended up 3 tenths slower than the previous day. And I was bummed out big time. Having been beat by Ed the previous year at his first time at the hill, for my 3rd visit, I still had a bad taste in my mouth. I mean, he's my close friend and all, but I'll be damned if that wasn't still leaving me with a rash!

Then Paul made his afternoon run after lunch, and came back in with a 2 minute 16 second run. I was really stoked for him for a while. Until it dawned on me that I may not have the goods to do any better and be bested two years in a row. As we melted back in the pits on a day that felt even hotter than the day previous, I decided to keep a good attitude at the event I look so forward to each year. I figured why not try a few changes and see how things go. No sunglasses (which had been working well for Paul), and only use 2nd gear for the two most uphill and tight corners, 6 and 8. Having reviewed the video for Ed's best run last year, this method seemed to work for him.

Ed's best 2007 run:

After waiting on the grid for what seemed like an eternity (the most overused cliche in all of automotive writing), I made my run. And it was going really well through the first 7 of 14 corners on the track. I knew I was doing well and it really put me at ease. As I entered the long and fast turn 9 from the uphill climb of turn 8, I had just finished a rather bright sun-in-the-face ascent. I entered the darkness of the forest and my eyes took a second to adjust. The narrow road section of the "forever corner" number 9 was a touch scary and I was going faster than I ever had through here. My fastest radar speed out of 9 the day before was 70 miles per hour, and as I blew past the radar complex and slid through the bend towards 10, I knew I was going to post a really good time. I handled the last few corners before the finish and arrived at the top of the course shaking very badly with a huge adrenaline rush. Turning around to park at the top, the upper grid marshal greeted me with my time written on a yellow sticky. I accepted it from him without looking and remarked, "Tell me it's 136 [seconds] or better". He grinned and said, "you did alot better than that!" I looked down and saw a new best time ever at the hill for me at 133, nearly 4 seconds better than my best the whole weekend, and I was really, really stoked!

While I'm still really excited and proud of my new time, I need to give props to Ed as his time stands by nearly two seconds! Paul and I both left the hill that day thinking there wasn't much left with the car we have in the current configuration. But I guess there's at least two seconds before we make excuses like that. Nice job my man! And as a side note, let me also add congratulations on your wedding this weekend

So before anyone goes thinking that we're made of the Right Stuff, there were many more notable entries for the weekend. Including Sonny, who is always a top contender for the fastest time of the weekend, who posted a new personal fast time of 1 minute 49 seconds. One of the coolest dudes at the hill and almost always the fastest too. His good friend Dave Kipperman was back as well with a new Z concoction with a 364 all-alluminum v8 and massive flare and body work special (pitcured below). And the hill is dominated with a field of probably 40% A1 and A2 Volkswagens. Hard core one's like Ty's Red GTi and Brad's 300+hp Scirroco. They both made sub 2 minute times look like common place -- and they're not. These guys have balls of steel and the right machinery to match their skills.

After a year out of the car, my first impression was that Paul really did a nice job over the winter freshening up of the car. Hard to believe our project car has seen nothing but basic maintenance over the last 6+ years and some severe beatings in the process. It's a true testament to Paul's abilities and decisions in the build. Thanks again for the best "arrive and drive" car I could have ever imagined!

And a big thumbs up to Emerald Empire Sports Car Club for another well run, safe, and really fun event. I can't wait to go again next year!

dc

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The Rabbit has been neglected, there is no denying it. Besides a couple of track day appearances and a respectable showing at Larison Rock 2007 with Dan and Ed sharing the driver’s seat the Bunny has spent the majority of it’s life sitting, clearly this is wrong.

The primary reasons for the cobwebs on the 16V are the usual suspects, time and money, or more accurately, lack thereof. I am committed to making a serious effort this year to be more involved with the resurrection, maintenance, and use (flogging) of the Rabbit. When Dan returns from Germany, (and he better be on the lookout for cool VW stuff while he’s there), this project should get fully back on track.

There are several reasons why 2008 is destined to be the year of the Rabbit. First, I am fortunate to work at a shop where race days are considered holidays. Both my employers are avid and skilled racers themselves and I have access to both their knowledge and equipment . One of my co-workers is a veteran crew chief with experience and winning seasons with both Porsche and Honda’s factory race teams on his extensive resume. It would be a wasted opportunity not to take advantage of the support and skills of these men. The second reason why this year is special is that Portland International Raceway has finally been given the attention it so needed with a complete repaving and renovation! Reports from the track so far have been outstanding, several turns were modified and surface quality is tremendously improved, I can’t wait to try it out for myself. Lastly I am lucky to live in Eugene Oregon, home of the Emerald Empire Sports Car Club. This club is one of the oldest and most active autocross clubs in the Northwest. Their events have always been safe, well-managed, efficient, and above all fun! We must try to make it to as many autocrosses as we can this year.

So this is it, the beginning of another motorsports season. The first step down this long road begins here, in Dan’s driveway, where the Rabbit has spent the winter. Dan was good enough to remove the moss from the exterior and the mold from the interior prior to my drive to Eugene. (is that Febreze I smell?)

The first order of business is diagnostic. Ed complained of an intermittent running problem that left him stranded a time of two. I experienced a minor, possibly related, issue while drag racing at Woodburn last June. There is now a noticeable miss under acceleration and I suspect it is ignition related however the fuel system is suspect as well. A full tune-up and fuel pressure testing is on the schedule for this Sunday, hopefully the cause can be found and repaired.

An unexpected bonus last week was a set of new shoes for the Bunny. My boss Joe has upgraded his Duetto to 15” wheels for 2008 which meant he had a set of almost-new 14” Hoosier R6 take-offs, these were heat-cycled by the Tire Rack prior to install then used for the final weekend of the 2007 season, basically brand new tires just broken in. This is a big deal for us since neither Dan nor I have ever driven on race slicks. Everyone we’ve spoken to swears they change the entire dynamic of the car and should turn the Rabbit into a true track machine. Looks like it’s time to say Auf Wiedersehen to our venerable Falkin Azenis and Hello to these bad boys!

Well that's it for now. I will add updates as progress continues. Check back often for write-ups by both Dan and myself of the various events we visit this season. This is going to be a good year!

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