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My 1984 Rabbit GTI build thread: Haldex + 2.1L + GTX3584RS + Methanol

166K views 683 replies 62 participants last post by  vr6 3.0 
#1 · (Edited)
After carefully researching and collecting parts for almost 4 years, I finally contacted Bill Schimmel (spturbo) about doing a Haldex conversion into my Mk1. I have known Bill since 2009 when he did my first BT install into my MK4 daily driver (currently 2.1L + GTX2867R + E85). That car is an absolute blast to drive especially with my built 02J G-Force transmission. However, there is one thing missing - traction.

That is why I decided to purchase an 02C transmission 4 years ago from a 1993/94 Passat syncro wagon (Canada only). My original intention was to find an R32 rear floor pan and drivetrain and install into my MK4 daily driver along with the necessary components to make it work (FEX center differential, etc). However, I couldn't bring myself to cutting up such a nice car. Fast forward to last January when I jumped on the opportunity to purchase a 1984 Rabbit GTI from a fellow vortexer in Lancaster, PA. The car is almost perfect for being more than 3 decades old. After seeing the Boba Motoring MK1 video, I decided that I want to build an American version of that car using the MK1 Rabbit GTI built right here in Pennsylvania ('Merica man. LOL). So, it will retain the square headlight and DOT front and back bumpers.

I decided to weigh my MK1 Rabbit GTI on an industrial scale last week before the project started (see below). Even with all the American-only extra parts, it still only weighed 1,980 lbs! That included the spare tire and tools which I forgot to remove from the trunk. Those weighed 17.2 kg's or about 38 lbs. I also plan to use a lightweight Lithium battery same as in my MK4 daily driver. Removing the spare tire, tools and heavy OEM battery brings my weight down to about 1,900 lbs.



With the added Haldex drivetrain, bigger brakes, roll cage etc. I am hoping to come in less than 1000 kg's or 2200 lbs. That is about 1,200 lbs. lighter than an MK4 R32 or MK1 Audi TT quattro. I will try to post more details about all the parts I collected along with some graphs and analysis. I will also try to post some progress pictures as the donor Audi TT quattro is already at Bill's shop in Warminster. Please feel free to comment here as your feedback will help guide this project.

EDIT: Build details

ENGINE

BOTTOM END
Audi TT 225 engine block
Eurospec 4340 billet 95.5mm crankshaft
IE Tuscan connecting rods
IE Ultimate Crankshaft Girdle Kit
IE Dowel Pin Kit for TDI Crank
IE Billet Timing Belt Drive Gear
Fluidampr Crank Pulley
Mahle PowerPak+ 9:1 CR pistons
Mahle Race Main Bearing Set
ARP Hardware

CYLINDER HEAD
AEB largeport head
Ferrea Complete Valvetrain Kit (valves, springs, seats, Ti retainers)
Catcams 3660 Intake/Exhaust camshafts with adjustable sprocket
PPT Adjustable Camshaft gear
PPT Manual Timing Belt Kit with Gates Racing belt
SEM largeport intake manifold
Custom short-runner unequal length divided exhaust manifold (Pat @ Pitt Soundworks).
Dorman VVT solenoid
ARP Hardware

DRIVETRAIN

TRANSMISSION ("Kleiner Felsenbrecher")
02C transmission/B3 Passat G60 Syncro
AP Tuning (G-Force Transmission) race gearset
CTN 3.157 final drive
Clutch Masters FX725 ultra light clutch and flywheel kit
Clutch Masters hydraulic throwout bearing for 02J/02A

DIFFERENTIALS/COUPLINGS
Peloquin 02C limited slip differential
FEX angle drive/Typ 1U Škoda Octavia
Haldex rear center coupling/Audi TT 225
Peloquin R32 rear differential

BRAKES/SUSPENSION

FRONT
Stock MK1 lower control arm and spindle
Epytec 5x100 hub for MK1 spindle M14x1.5
Epytec Porsche brake adapters
Porsche 986 Boxter 4 piston front brakes
Eurospec 280mm vented slotted 5x100 Corrado rotors
Front Coilovers
Just Engineering Lower Control Arms
H&R 22mm front Anti-sway bar

REAR
Syncro beam and 191 trailing arms/B3 Passat G60 Syncro
Dutchbuild Haldex Kit
5x100 hub for B3 Passat G60 Syncro M12x1.5
VW Mk4 rear calipers
239mm vented slotted 5x100 rotors

TUNING
Ignitron ECU
Ignitron EGT Amplifiers (x2)
Eurowise Plug and Play Engine Harness for 1.8T
BOSCH 4 Bar MAP sensor.
 
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#7 · (Edited)
#9 ·
LOL. Thanks. I'm leaving the hardest part of this project to Bill Schimmel. He will have to work out the Haldex install and other chassis details. He is also doing the engine build which I was originally going to do myself. However, I decided to have him do it because he already built my 2.1L stroker on my MK4 daily driver and that's been bullet proof. This new engine will also be a 2.1L stroker but will spin to 8500 to 9000 RPMs with largeport AEB head. So, it's critical that the engine is built right. I would hate to make a **rookie** mistake which could be very costly.
 
#10 ·
Amazing!

Will you be using the 02M from the TT or using the 02C you have? I am going back and forth for my build. The 02C is tempting because the weight savings and mounting situation vs the 02M, but even the built 02C I'm looking at with the 6-speed Gemini gear kit is supposed to be rated at 600BHP, which seems limiting vs an 02M with steel shift forks.

Just curious what you're using since I think you said you were hoping for 4-digit power?

Thanks,
Isaac
 
#12 · (Edited)
Amazing!

Will you be using the 02M from the TT or using the 02C you have? I am going back and forth for my build. The 02C is tempting because the weight savings and mounting situation vs the 02M, but even the built 02C I'm looking at with the 6-speed Gemini gear kit is supposed to be rated at 600BHP, which seems limiting vs an 02M with steel shift forks.

Just curious what you're using since I think you said you were hoping for 4-digit power?

Thanks,Isaac
I will be using the 02C which has the AP Tuning (G-Force Transmission) race gearset mated to a FEX angle drive that was sourced from a Škoda Octavia. The 02C is also reinforced with a lower pinion girdle and a 5th gear cuff making it a four speed. Although the 02M is inherently stronger due to shorter input/output shafts, it is also heavier as you pointed out and there are less options in the United States as far a choosing a taller final drive.

A taller final drive is necessary as HP increases and gives the transmission longer "legs". In contrast, I was able to source a 3.157 (60/19) final drive from an 02A diesel transmission (CTN/CHU code) in the US for $250.00. Below is a chart comparing my 02C with a stock 02M and a stock 020 (2H) "close ratio" transmission found on my 1984 Rabbit GTI. Each transmission uses the same 205/45R16 tire with 23.3 inch diameter which is what I plan on using in my MK1 setup.


As you can see, it only takes me 3 gear shifts to reach 177.5 MPH at the top of fourth gear at 8500 RPMs. Whereas the 02M with stock 3.94 final drive takes 4 shifts (5 gears) and still doesn't achieve the same top speed. Also, the 02M is more likely to spin tires in first and second gear *all things being equal* due to lower overall gearing. You will also notice that the 6-speed 02M is virtually identical to the 020 "close ratio" transmission from the 1984 Rabbit GTI when using the same tire size.

There are taller final drives available for the 02M but those are more difficult to obtain. Below is a chart someone put together of the different options. As you can see, these are sourced from the Bora and Sharan (diesel), which are not sold in the US.



Even if you were to obtain the tallest final drive (3.238) found on the Bora, the gearing still falls short of the 02C. I'm still almost 20 MPH faster at the top of third gear (141.2 v. 123.6 MPH). See below.



Typically guys will put a larger diameter tire on the car to compensate for lack of final drive. This helps a little. Below is the same 02C setup with the same 23.3 inch diameter tire compared to the 02M with stock 3.94 final drive but with 25 inch diameter 225/45R17 tires.

The 02M definitely has its merits. I will probably keep the 02M from the Audi TT 225 Roadster as a backup in case the 02C fails. However, the AP Tuning G-Force race gearset has proven itself to be very strong on the race track. Joel Brown's 2.1L corrado ran in the 8's with the identical AP Tuning gearset in a FWD chassis (see below).



And he was putting out 1075 HP (934 WHP) which is more than I will be able to achieve with my GTX3584RS setup. Below I reposted his setup from Lugnuts Tuning website.

 
#14 ·
I'd rather be stronger than lighter, especially in the great box department.

Why in the Hell are you running 205 or planning on it??? 225 or more, then again. I'm a road course guy who loves grip.

Not saying go berg cup wide to fit, but, why go so far with everything....to just drop the ball on contact patch, which is crucial for grip. Especially with 500+whp.

Serious inquires. [emoji481]
 
#15 · (Edited)
Yeah, yeah. I know. The 205/45R16's are only 8.1 inches wide. No worries though. I want to keep the MK1 sleeper for now with the exception of the 16 inch rims and roll bar. Notice, I said roll bar not roll cage. It will be a killer street setup for now until I can thoroughly test and tune this setup. After that, I can put on wider tires using spacers and custom wheel arches if traction becomes an issue. Contact patch is very important no doubt.

By comparison, the Boba Motoring MK1 uses 205/40R17's which are also only 8.1 inches wide. The 17 inch wheels looks too big IMO on an MK1 not to mention his obnoxiously wide rear Haldex track. It's as if he didn't bother to narrow down the Haldex subframe to fit the MK1 chassis. I plan to narrow down the Haldex unit by 165mm (about 6.5) inches which will bring the rear wheels back to stock wheel track.



Also, he uses an 02M transmission with shorter gearing. That is probably a better fit for the GTX4202R since that turbo has a much narrower powerband than the GTX3584RS on 2.0L.

FYI you'll be happy to know that Bill Schimmel convinced me to use Ferrea exhaust valves instead of the Supertech Inconel's. Since I bought 2 sets of the Supertech's, I will put one is my MK4 daily driver and sell the other set.
 
#16 ·
Good.I'm very much up to speed in boba's cars. I'm still gathering parts for the 4 motion swap. But I'll be tying it into my cage and rear end modifications.

Stoked to see the end result. Remember, everything is important!
 
#17 ·
Nice. I didn't know you were going AWD. Converting an MK1 to Haldex is no easy task. You should consider stroking out your motor one of these days as I think you are still stock.
 
#18 ·
I have an engine I'm building on the side, cage and independent suspension are far more important right now...and more affordable lol.

But Yesssssss 2008cc 10:1
 
#19 ·
I can see why suspension is more important ATM after reading your recent post in the "Official Track Day..." thread. You should stick with the voice to text, as I was wondering why there were so few spelling mistakes in that post. LOL.
 
#24 · (Edited)
BTW if anyone needs parts from the donor Audi TT 225 quattro Roadster then please PM me. I already have an inquiry for the front bumper. I only need the Haldex subframe, tunnel, engine block and driveshaft for myself. Everything else can be parted out for cheap. Here are a few pictures I took over the summer. She is a real looker!





I purchased from a guy in NJ. He put some nice aftermarket parts on. It only needed a new fuel pump to run. Too bad she had to be sacrificed!
 
#31 ·
Yeah, I really struggled with the decision to use this Audi TT 225 quattro Roadster as a donor car. I found other wrecked Audi TT's for sale in the 2000 to 2500 range. But I decided to pay up a little more for this one since it had no collision damage. In fact, it was perfect other than needing a fuel pump. Since I needed the Haldex drivetrain and engine block, I decided not to consider a donor car with either front or rear damage. I didn't realize this particular TT was rare. I wish I would have taken some pictures with the top down. It looked stunning. I had several people over the summer stop by wanting to buy the car. I probably could have flipped it and made a few thousand dollars. However, that would leave me without a Haldex drivetrain and engine block, which is what I'm really after.

I plan on going down to spturbo in Warminster, PA tomorrow to check on the progress. I will try to take a video or at least some pictures.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Front brakes and suspension:



Epytec 5x100 hub for MK1 spindle
Epytec Porsche brake adapters
Porsche 986 Boxter 4 piston front brakes
Corrado 280mm vented slotted 4/5x100 brakes.

Front control arms from SCCH:

 
#37 · (Edited)
Bill just purchased a syncro beam with trailing arms from a local guy about 10 minutes from me. It is already adapted to accept a Haldex differential. That should save some time and money on the install. It will also be a direct install into the MK1 chassis with only some minor fabrication (2 bolt to 3 bolt mount, etc.). The syncro beam will widen the rear track about 50mm (1 inch on each side). I decided it's not worth it to shorten the beam to get back to stock track width. It will be sanded/blasted and powdercoated before final installation.

 
#39 · (Edited)
Thanks, man.

After doing a little more research on the 02M, I came across a thread with this spreadsheet.



You will notice that there are a few 02M transmission codes with a 2.955 final drive (FSM, FJW, GUC, JNF, JSA, KDW, KPC). Plugging that into my spreadsheet, gives me the following results.



As you can see, the 02M with 2.955 final drive is almost identical to my built 02C. I managed to find an 02M on ebay.co.uk with the 2.955 final drive for a decent price. It is from a 2003/4 Seat Ibiza Cupra 1.9L 160bhp 4 cylinder TDI (GUC code). I purchased the transmission and am waiting on the seller to send me a final invoice with a shipping quote. The ring and pinion from that transmission will be used in my Audi TT 02M donor transmission as a backup in case my 02C fails. Since I now have a backup option for the transmission, I plan on running the 02C "balls out".

 
#40 · (Edited)
The Seat Ibiza Cupra gearbox with the 2.955 final drive is on its way! It is being shipped from Barnsley (South Yorkshire), UK. The ebay.co.uk seller originally posted the auction as local pickup only. However, I contacted him and he was willing to package and ship to the USA. Below is a comparison of the FFE Racing 02M 6-speed Dog box gearset with 3.94 final drive (FZQ) versus my 02J AP Tuning Race gearset with 3.389 final drive (EGR) in my MK4 versus my 02C AP Tuning Race gearset with 3.157 final drive (CTN) going into my MK1. All of these are on 225/45R17 25 inch diameter tires.



Notice how fourth gear on the FFE gearset is slighly lower than third gear on the 02J and 02C gearboxes at 8500 RPMs. You can alway install a taller final drive for the FFE gearbox such as the 3.238 from the ERF box (see below) but that would put first gear up much taller and still make second, third and fourth gear shorter in comparison to the other gearsets. No doubt the FFE gearset with the taller first gear is setup for quick bursts of speed off the starting line.



Below is a comparison of my 02C gearbox going into my 1984 MK1 Rabbit GTI but with 205/45R16 23.3 inch tires versus my 02J gearbox in my 2002 MK4 Golf GTI with 225/45R17 25 inch tires. Both of these have the AP Tuning (G-Force Transmission) race gearset. Notice how the 02C and 02J are identical. One has 23.3 inch tires but with 3.157 final drive and the other has 25 inch tires but with 3.389 final drive.



Needless to say, I am very familiar with the gearing going into my MK1 as I have been driving my MK4 around with the AP Tuning gearset for several years now. The only difference is that the MK1 will be about 800 lbs. lighter.
 
#573 ·
The Seat Ibiza Cupra gearbox with the 2.955 final drive is on its way! It is being shipped from Barnsley (South Yorkshire), UK. The ebay.co.uk seller originally posted the auction as local pickup only. However, I contacted him and he was willing to package and ship to the USA. Below is a comparison of the FFE Racing 02M 6-speed Dog box gearset with 3.94 final drive (FZQ) versus my 02J AP Tuning Race gearset with 3.389 final drive (EGR) in my MK4 versus my 02C AP Tuning Race gearset with 3.157 final drive (CTN) going into my MK1. All of these are on 225/45R17 25 inch diameter tires.



Notice how fourth gear on the FFE gearset is slighly lower than third gear on the 02J and 02C gearboxes at 8500 RPMs. You can alway install a taller final drive for the FFE gearbox such as the 3.238 from the ERF box (see below) but that would put first gear up much taller and still make second, third and fourth gear shorter in comparison to the other gearsets. No doubt the FFE gearset with the taller first gear is setup for quick bursts of speed off the starting line.



Below is a comparison of my 02C gearbox going into my 1984 MK1 Rabbit GTI but with 205/45R16 23.3 inch tires versus my 02J gearbox in my 2002 MK4 Golf GTI with 225/45R17 25 inch tires. Both of these have the AP Tuning (G-Force Transmission) race gearset. Notice how the 02C and 02J are identical. One has 23.3 inch tires but with 3.157 final drive and the other has 25 inch tires but with 3.389 final drive.



Needless to say, I am very familiar with the gearing going into my MK1 as I have been driving my MK4 around with the AP Tuning gearset for several years now. The only difference is that the MK1 will be about 800 lbs. lighter.
Excellent spreads. Thorough detail.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#42 · (Edited)
:thumbup:. I must have lucked out finding the Seat Ibiza Cupra TDI gearbox. Those are not very common as I think they were only made in 2003/04. I contacted SQS Racing and they only sell the 2.955 final drive in combination with their gearset. He said it's possible to order one new for 900 to 1000 EUR. That's just for the ring and pinion. I paid 325 GBP for the entire gearbox plus 350 GBP for shipping from the UK.
 
#43 · (Edited)
#45 ·
Subscribed to this. Looking forward to seeing more updates


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#46 · (Edited)
I contacted Bill on Monday to get a part number on the syncro trailing arms. Apparently, they made two versions of the syncro rear suspension. The earlier version (PN: 191_) uses a 68.07mm bearing and a 39mm hub as found on MK2 Golf Syncros in Europe which had drum brakes and early Passat G60 syncros in Canada which had disc brakes. The later version (PN: 357_) uses a 72mm bearing and a 40mm hub and can more easily be converted to a 5 lug wheel using an MK3 VR6 5x100 front hub.



The 5x100 format will give me more wheel options for this project. The front wheels were easy to convert to 5x100 because Epytec (German company) makes a nice conversion hub which uses the factory bearing and is a direct replacement. The rear wheels are more difficult to convert to 5x100 with the earlier version (68.07mm) trailing arm since it uses an odd size bearing only used on VW Fox and Quantum cars. However, I lucked out when I found these for sale on ebay Germany (shipped from Zielona Góra, Poland):

Radnabe 5x100 4x100 VW Golf 2 Syncro hintere Naben 39 mm 823407615a




So, now that I have the wheel bearings and hubs figured out, I went ahead and purchased some drilled and slotted rotors for the rear wheels. I decided to keep the factory Passat G60 Syncro 239mm disc brakes in the rear since those are interchangable with Mk1/MK2 Golf front brakes. In fact, they are the same part number. So, that gives me 239mm x 10mm (9.4 inch) brakes in the rear and 280mm x 20mm (11 inch) vented brakes in the front. Not a bad brake bias, eh? I can always use a proportioning valve to fine tune my brake bias. BTW, here's a very nice 'white paper' by Stoptech entitled,"Brake Bias and Performance: Why Brake Balance Matters" http://stoptech.com/technical-suppo...ias-and-performance-why-brake-balance-matters

Unfortunately, I could not find 5x100 conversion rotors for the rear like I did for the front. The fronts use Eurospec 280mm 5x100 Corrado rotors I bought off-the-shelf. The rears will have to be custom machined. I stopped by my local machine shop yesterday and asked if he could drill out the rotors to 5x100. He initially said 'No' since he had no way of determining the centerlines for the holes. However, I told him I would supply a 5x100 hub which will attach to the rotor and provide an exact centerline for the new set of holes. He seemed to be more comfortable with that.

The last items to figure out are the rear calipers, caliper carriers and dust shield. The original calipers found on the B3 Passat G60 Syncro use steel calipers and carriers which are not meant for high-performance. One popular upgrade is to use an MK4 aluminum rear calipers which fit directly into the original steel carriers on the syncro. Eurospec sells a nice conversion kit:



The syncro steel caliper carriers are hard to find. I found a seller on ebay Germany (shipped from Italy):

BDA228 SUPPORTO PINZA FRENO TRW

 
#47 ·
I just stumble on this and great move to use the syncro rear end. welcome to the vw mk1 awd club!! if you have questions let me know, can you send me a link for the rear carrier has mine are rusted out. I have narrowed my rear synco beam by 65 mm because other wise 7'' wide wheels sit flush with the arches. the only issue with that its it make less room on the left side of the haldex to access it. I would also advise you to had toe and camber modifications to the mounting point of the trailing arms for better alignment options. I was able to use the mk1 rear suspension by modifying the mounting point on the trailing arms other wise you need to raise the shock tower.
 
#49 · (Edited)
I just stumble on this and great move to use the syncro rear end. welcome to the vw mk1 awd club!! if you have questions let me know, can you send me a link for the rear carrier has mine are rusted out. I have narrowed my rear synco beam by 65 mm because other wise 7'' wide wheels sit flush with the arches. the only issue with that its it make less room on the left side of the haldex to access it. I would also advise you to had toe and camber modifications to the mounting point of the trailing arms for better alignment options. I was able to use the mk1 rear suspension by modifying the mounting point on the trailing arms other wise you need to raise the shock tower.
Thanks for the great advice. As far as the caliper carriers, I just got email notification that my order from Italy was cancelled.

ricambigenny said:
Gentile cliente,
Ci dispiace comunicarle che, purtroppo, di seguito ad un aggiornamento della giacenza di magazzino, sono state aggiornate tutte le voci del magazzino per errore, quindi tutto ciò per dirle che purtroppo non abbiamo il ricambio da lei acquistato, ci scusiamo e speriamo nella sua comprensione,
Intanto abbiamo provveduto al rimborso,
Cordiali saluti.

---------

Dear client,
We are sorry to tell you that, after a refresh of the stock list of parts in the shop, for error all the list got refreshed , then, unlucky the part you need isn't avaible, we are really sorry about it, we hope you understand,
In the meanwhile we have sended the refund,
Cordially.

Cordiali Saluti.
Luigi Guarino
Customer Support
Ricambi Auto Genny

Assistenza Clienti:
0810603270 - 0810480651
Cellulare personale/Whatsapp:
+393913930248
Lun-Ven: 09:00AM -19:00PM
That's the second vendor who advertised the caliper carriers and then cancelled due to them not being available. So, at this point, I am going to assume that these are not available at all. I also had to cancel my order for the Eurospec MK4 rear caliper conversion kit since that does not include any caliper carriers. I will probably buy a complete MK4 rear caliper and carrier kit such as the one that ECS Tuning sells and then try to adapt the MK4 carriers to the rear trailing arms. That will probably require drilling new mounting holes on the trialing arms and possible spacers. Not sure.

I'm glad you chimed in here because I came across a lot of your posts while researching this project. How did you narrow your rear syncro beam? Do you have pictures or a post I can check out? I'm also interested in seeing how you modified the mounting points on the trailing arms. That seems a lot easier than raising the shock tower.

EDIT: I just found your build thread. I'm going to check that out again.

my build thread, .:Rabbit...with Haldex

EDIT: Holy crap. That's a legitimate build. I actually sent Bill Schimmel links and pictures of your build and a Dutch Build project last week. He commented how nice it must be to have a rotisserie. Unfortunately, since Bill doesn't have a rotisserie, he is going to have to get under the chassis and work vertically to do all the chassis mods to the tunnel and rear end. :mad:
 
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