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:
Paul was one of the organizers behind this year's Euros in the Valley car show. Naturally I had to attend and I was really surprised with the great turnout. Here are my personal favs from the show:
Check out the uber rare Zender fan covers! I'm going to have to go back to the VW&Porsche archive to see if I can find an original ad for these. I hear the rims underneath are just as impressive.
Darren's sweet e30 325ic, which has been brought back from the dead, literally! Great job man!
Back from the dead, I'm wrapping up a little vacation to Georgia to see my buddy FastEddieGTi for his birthday. Having just ate an enormous steakhouse burger from the Vortex in Atlanta (kick ass burgers!), I have some downtime to catch up on some blogging chores while my food digests!
Low Miles 1988 BMW M6 For Sale in Montana - $22.5k sounds like a pretty good deal with this kind of mileage, and documented maintenance and upgrades. And the blue on gray with the M5 rims… Yum!
2001 Porsche Carrera Cabrio - Too Cheap to be True? - So why the skeptism? 996’s of any variation start in the high teens, and those have at least twice the mileage of this car. But heaven forbid this is the real deal… well I just can’t believe it is, but it’s fun to imagine.
A Pair of Ducati 900SS Superlight’s For Sale - These are pretty rare bikes and I think it’s an interesting opportunity for a prospective buyer to consider a well worn example or the museum piece.
1993 Ducati 888 SPO: Yep Another One!! - With a $10888 asking (clever), this is one of the more expensive triple eights to be listed on this blog. While most Ducatisti will agree this where they should be, I think this seller may have a long wait before finding a buyer considering what other examples here in the states have been going for.
Two More Titled MC 21 NSR250 Honda’s For Sale in California - Judging from the pictures alone, I like the Rothmans replica better from the point of aesthetics alone. For around five grand, neither one seems like that bad a deal considering they both have titles!
Is This The Cheapest Alpina For Sale in the U.S.? 1984 BMW Alpina 2.8 B6 For Sale - Now I’m sure “Big Ron” is a reputable guy and all, but I don’t expect this car to be a real B6 considering it’s condition and thorough listing on Craigslist. But if it is a Euro car, and it looks like it could be, and it has Alpina pieces, it’s probably worth that much in parts anyway. Could actually be a really cool basis for a project car. And heaven forbid it’s a real Alpina… It’s probably the cheapest Alpina for sale in the country.
1994 Honda CB400 Super Four - Now granted that’s 47,845 miles and no title. But with all the 2 strokes that have been showing up with titles, surely it can’t be that hard to pull off. This would be such a cool in-town commuter bike!
1990 Ducati 851 Loaded With Expensive Upgrades - It’s sacrilege to even suggest it, but parting this bike could probably turn a tidy profit. Of course that would be a shame because this bike looks so well sorted, and for $5k it’d be a real pleasure to the ride balls off of it!
1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 For Sale in New Mexico - I’m having a tough time trying to decide between a Boxster and a 964. My thinking lately is that there are far more Boxsters than 964’s, and that 964 prices might be more stable over the next couple years as a result.
4 Special Edition Ducati Race Replicas For Sale Right Now - I’m really not knowledgable about the values of these bikes. But they are obviously collector examples that will command some premium in the market. Which one would you pick as best value?
1991 Honda NSR250 MC21 For Sale in Vegas Baby - These are getting cheap enough that it’s getting harder and harder to make excuses about why there isn’t one in my garage. Obviously with the sheer numbers of 2 strokes listed on this site, you know I’m a fan. Talk me out of a gray market 2 stroke… or can you at these prices?
2001 M Coupe For Sale in Virginia - 27k miles and an asking of $24k? What could possibly be wrong with this car? I like all the modifications, but they do tend to devalue a car in the eyes of enthusiast buyers. And it also has that terrible two tone interior, red and black leather. But at this price, I’d consider it a bargain purchase and have the leather dyed!
BMW 2002 with Dual Webers, 5 speed, LSD, and Genuine Alpina Wheels - For the asking price, and the pile of rare parts that come with it, this could be a great little driver, a potential fixer-upper, or maybe even a weekend racer project. In any case, it’ll be a load of fun!
1984 Volkswagen GTI For Sale: Clean, Original, and Affordable - As a long time MK1 and MK2 VW fan, I’d have to say it’s been since high school since I saw a Rabbit GTi this clean and original. While $4500 may seem like a lot to some, good luck finding one this nice for less.
Honda CBR900RR - 14 Good Looking Example For Sale Right Now! - Turns out the soon-to-be-classic Honda CBR900RR isn't that rare right now and it was easy to find numerous examples of clean and unmolested bikes. Strike now while they're still affordable and available!
1995 BMW 540i M-sport Dinan V8 6-speed blk/blk For Sale - These have always appealed because the S38 is such an expensive motor to maintain and eventually rebuild. You get all the e34 suspension, looks, and wheels but with the simpler and meatier V8 to match.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's picks. If you have a car you'd like me to keep a look out for, just leave a comment below and I'll be happy to look out for you!
After our second session, the ear-to-ear grin that was covering my face reminded me how much fun track days are. I can't believe I found excuses for the last 2 years not to go for one reason or another. But I know now that I have to make this happen more often!
In addition to it's recent tune up, and race gas flowing through her veins, our MK1 Rabbit/Golf track car also saw her first ever action on real racing slicks. This lightly used set of Hoosier slicks were generously provided by the Sports Car Shop, and gave us a whole new level of satisfaction in the Rabbit. It was totally subtle at first. I didn't notice a sure difference until I was out in the second session by myself after being approved for solo runs. The track was warming up nicely as the sun moved more overhead. Suddenly I was having trouble reaching for gears because I was reaching to downshift from 3rd to 2nd, but kept finding the car in 4th. It immediately dawned on me that I was a full gear higher through corners 4 to 7! And then it was on as we both experienced the never ending grip and predictability that slick tires provide at temperature.
I've bragged before about chasing down S4's in the hands of less skilled drivers, but now, the Rabbit can hang with just about anything with less than 250hp in the tight corners of PIR. That's no lie as we both enjoyed a day of dicing it up with a Lotus Exige S, 95 BMW e36 M3 (OMFG, there were two there, same year, color and wheels as my old one!), Mazda RX-7 FD3S, and other very respectable company.
I certainly want to thank Sport Car Shop again as the addition of the slicks made a huge difference and made our day. And of course no Track Rabbit post would be complete without a big thank you to Paul for building a budget conscious, bullet-proof-start-every-time-drive-to-and-from-the-track, car that still amazes year after year. Where will the Rabbit lead us next?
Check out the complete gallery slideshow below. Some sweet cars for this event including an e39 M5, multiple Evo's and STi's (hi Mike!), a beautiful white s2000, and even a brand new R35 Nissan Skyline GT-R!
I can't believe it, but Ed is selling his award-winning GTi 2.0T. This car practically has it's own fan club on VWVortex. And yes, those are 19" Maybach wheels filling the arches! A unique and powerful look. Read more about Ed's GTi for sale on VWVortex:
quote from Vortex listing:
She has been a great car- no issues to speak of. All maintenance performed on time and with OEM or better parts (Oil changed every 5k with either Elf or Pentosin). My recent marriage has caused me to take a look at my priorities a bit, and unfortunately the GTI might not be best suited for my future plans.
I am including all of my modifications that I have done over the years, as well as all of the original parts I still have. Most of these parts were sourced through Hillside Imports of Portland, OR as well as much of the maintenance was performed there as well. I have receipts for everything (I think) which will be included in the sale. Please review the list of included items below.
There are many unique items on this vehicle that you won’t find on all the other vehicles you see out there. You can get a great car to just drive, or as a great platform to begin any additional projects.
I got my first drive in his car right after he had the Revo engine management software installed, and to say I was impressed was putting it lightly. Ed continued to tastefully upgrade his car using many European-market only specific parts that are difficult and costly to obtain. Parts that aren't OEM are of only the best quality and execution. And if you weren't already liking the sound of things, Ed is an obsessive compulsive automotive detailer. I would estimate he has probably two grand worth of Griot's product in his garage at all times. And the GTi is always kept immaculate and polished as a result.
Obviously I'm doing my best to promote a close friends car. But it's all true, and for $23k someone is going to get a well built, respected, show quality car.
They're not just crawling out of the wood work, they're taking over! I can't believe how many super low mileage cars of this era have sprouted up this week. Continuing that trend is this incredible low mile and perfectly stock (and more importantly unmolested) 1984 Rabbit GTi that Bring A Trailer has exclusive:
A bunch of whining kids start piling on about how high the prices are on these cars in both threads. While the prices are potentially record setting, I have actively been on the lookout for a clean MK2 GTi or GLi and examples of decent quality often have asking prices of $5k+. The fact that these are FAR nicer than the decent one's I've seen, they should command a significantly higher asking. And while the kids would love to own these, the kids that grew up with these cars can see the value and can actually afford to buy them. I doubt they'll sell overnight, but an enthusiast or a creative investor will eventually step up.
At $20k CAD, that's nearly $20k US (Gotta love the shit U.S. exchange rate right now ) Given this cars rarity and seemingly great condition, it's got to be close to worth that. Granted, you'd have to be the biggest MK2 Golf fanboi of all time, but I can see it.
Facing the spring home improvements I've mentioned a couple of times, we decided to sell our Audi Allroad that was hardly being driven (Take good care of her Tim!) Suddenly our 1986 Volkswagen Golf 'dog car' is getting full time duty -- and her flaws are a bit more apparent than they used to be. Here's a picture with the recent suspension upgrade and Corrado wheels:
We decided we should really stretch just a touch further and seek out a GTi model. For starters, all of the bits I'd upgrade to on a Golf are already installed on a GTi, like bucket seats, sway bars, close ratio transmission, performance tune motor, alloy wheels, etc... Unfortunately 4 door Golf GTi's (like this one) were never imported to the U.S. But the 60/40 split folding seat does come in both 2 and 4 door configurations -- so we can still get Super Sam into the back of course!
But it's been several years since I've kept up with GTi values, and I've been surprised at just how difficult it is now to find a clean original. Here's a couple on the VWVortex that appear to be of the quality I'm looking for, but are unfortunately nowhere near where I live:
My wife is really eager to get a nicer example now that the Audi is gone, so I'm on the lookout on Craigslist and local enthusiast forums for GTi's. If you know of one in Western Oregon, let me know!
How about a 1992 vintage Top Gear episode featuring tips on buying a used GTi (skip to 18:45 for this segment, or hang out for the whole episode with a Porsche 968 and Jaguar XJS review!):
1993 Honda NSR250 MC21 SE For Sale
Low Miles 1988 BMW M6 For Sale in Montana
1985 Yamaha RZ500 For Sale in San Diego
2001 Porsche Carrera Cabrio - Too Cheap to be True?
A Pair of Ducati 900SS Superlight’s For Sale
1993 Ducati 888 SPO: Yep Another One!!
Two More Titled MC 21 NSR250 Honda’s For Sale in California
Is This The Cheapest Alpina For Sale in the U.S.? 1984 BMW Alpina 2.8 B6 For Sale
1994 Honda CB400 Super Four
1990 Ducati 851 Loaded With Expensive Upgrades
1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 For Sale in New Mexico
4 Special Edition Ducati Race Replicas For Sale Right Now
1991 Honda NSR250 MC21 For Sale in Vegas Baby
2001 M Coupe For Sale in Virginia
1991 Suzuki RGV 250 VJ22 For Sale in California
BMW 2002 with Dual Webers, 5 speed, LSD, and Genuine Alpina Wheels
1984 Volkswagen GTI For Sale: Clean, Original, and Affordable
) Given this cars rarity and seemingly great condition, it's got to be close to worth that. Granted, you'd have to be the biggest MK2 Golf fanboi of all time, but I can see it.
