6,000 miles in the 84 GTI (in ten days). No, it isn't geared for that.

"BlythBros." (blythbros)
01/31/2014 at 08:38 • Filed to: None

From Graham, BlythBro #2 on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I decided that I wanted to go for a substantial roadtrip. I settled on taking a 318is, but figured I'd sell mine and buy one in better mechanical condition. After a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I wound up with a car that needed the drive shaft to be balanced, had less AC than the seller implied, and needed 4 new tires. Normally these would be simple enough fixes, but I wasn't able to get the car ready in time for the trip. So, I decided to take my 1984 Rabbit GTI and every tool I own.

I had just driven my GTI, 'the Git', to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on Dunlop Z1 Star Specs (and demolished them), and during the first 50 miles of my road trip, I realized that their ability to, um, not kill me while driving through a rainstorm was limited. So, I rerouted to Peoria, IL, where my friend !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! would let us stay in his apartment so that I could get some tires mounted in the morning.

After getting the tires mounted in Peoria (and resisting the temptation to spend hours in Harbor Freight), we started for Seattle, and didn't rest until we made it there.

Once underway, there were only two instances of undesired shutdowns. The first was the result of water dripping down the windshield onto the cowl, and through the old seal onto the fuse box. All of the relays take on water when this happens, but the first to go was the fuel pump relay. After an hour of troubleshooting, we figured this out, and were able to make a jumper to get power to the fuel pump. Later on, I bought a switch to make the start-up process quicker and more fun.

The second issue was my unskilled interpretation of the fuel gauge. Luckily, we were 2 miles from the gas station in Brandon, IA when the car sputtered to a halt, and even more fortuitously, I had packed a skateboard, which made the descent from the Interstate into the town a breeze. I'm surprised that my girlfriend didn't have me drop her off at the nearest airport at this point.

After that calibration exercise, we made it to Minnesota, where the sun began to set. That state is so green that I can see Al and Tipper Gore settling down there, if they ever get back together. And I really hope they do, because the love story at the beginning of An Inconvenient Truth is the segment that everyone can agree upon.

Getting back to the drive, South Dakota took up the whole night of driving, during which I took a sleeping shift, so I have no idea what happened there. Here's my best guess: We drove straight for hundreds of miles. I woke up in the Black Hills area and took over driving again. With my girlfriend asleep, the GTI managed to hit 104 on a downhill section.

A quick note on food: I had chicken-fried steak in Illinois for my meal of the day. As in, I ate that in the morning and let the fat burn for the rest of the day. I ended up doing the same thing in Wyoming. I'm not a fan of food-strategy or dieting in general, but I liked the lump-in-the-stomach energy delivery that it provided.

The mountainous ascents in Montana and Idaho were the next major obstacle, though the GTI made quick work of them. Having recently driven my 318is at altitude, I would say that the GTI felt less anemic. Passing power remained adequate and it wasn't a strain to maintain our typical hot hatch driving style.

After crossing the flat plain of eastern Washington, the dark descent into Seattle was particularly perilous. I-90 seemed to spiral endlessly to sea level, challenging my fatigued brain along its tortuous path. Heavy traffic arranged in 3-4 lanes made for an adrenaline-soaked final stint.

Making our way out of Seattle, we spent an entire day courting Mt. Rainier. Following a quick oil change in the Autozone parking lot, I gave the GTI a proper workout through the breathtaking surroundings, driving at 9/10s for 200+ miles. That drive alone justified the trip. When traveling so far from home, the front wheel drive comes to be an advantage, as it makes the driver really work to get the ass-end of the car out. And really, once the car starts to get sideways, the odds of returning home in one piece suffer drastically. The GTI simply excels at safely guiding its occupants through punishing drives.

The route we took along the Oregon Coast was scenic, with a more relaxing drive in store. And, the GTI's tall greenhouse and sunroof made for some excellent touring. The cloth seats remained cool and dry, the vent windows maintained a great cabin temperature in the absence of AC, and the foam seat cushions made up for any harshness in the suspension.

After visiting Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, and Portland, we started to make our way back to Indiana along the Columbia River, eventually arriving at Boise. Two long days through Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois culminated in our arrival back in Indiana.

We were mostly lucky to make it so far with so few problems. That being said, there is something to be said of taking a simple car, investing the time and money into maintaining it and developing intimate mechanical knowledge of it, then hoping for the best.

Original post !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

For more stories about life with our 84 GTI, 88 911, 87 2.3-16, Alfa Milano Verde, Alfa 164LS, e30s, and more, check out the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . We promise not to be too bitter. Sort of.

DISCUSSION (38)

505Turbeaux > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 08:44

Oh man it has been 15 years since I took a hell of a road trip in a Rabbit of any ilk. Good on you

AeroEagle333 > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 08:49

Very cool article. Your girlfriend is a keeper for putting up with a trip like that.

The Ghost of Oppo > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 09:00

Tip of the hat to you sir

JACU - I've got bonifides. > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 09:01

"...of water dripping down the windshield onto the cowl, and through the old seal onto the fuse box. All of the relays take on water when this happens, but the first to go was the fuel pump relay..."

I found it amazing that VW let this issue rock along for over a decade. The earliest Golf/Rabbits and Sciroccos with K-Jetronic had these issues too. I totally disassembled and rebuilt the fusebox in my Scirocco, then weathersealed it just because it was so difficult to get a windshield in the car sealed well enough not to leak.

Edit: I just realized that I read about an epic road trip in a great little car, and all I had to add was some bitching and moaning about something that through your Oppo ingenuity solved with no hassle and allowed you to continue on your way. I apologize and thank you for your post.

ttyymmnn > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 09:10

A quick note on food: I had chicken-fried steak in Illinois for my meal of the day.

Here in Texas, CFS is considered a breakfast staple. As you say, it'll stick to your ribs for quite a long time. And if you ever come this way, look up the chicken-fried chicken.

I'm envious. What a fantastic trip. The first car I ever drove was an '83 Rabbit. I lusted after the GTI. Thanks for sharing the article.

UserNotFound > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 09:10

Good read. I've driven very close to both of those routes before with the Baja team. The southern one from Baltimore to Portland (except through Nebraska and Wyoming, not Kansas and Colorado) and the northern on from Baltimore to Seattle (except through Chicago and basically I-90 to Seattle). (I flew back both times). I would love to drive across the country again, it's an awesome experience.

The drive to Portland was done with four people, two in a box truck and two in a rental car. We stopped twice. The drive to Seattle was done with three people in a box truck. We set up a laptop on the dash, turned on season 4 of Top Gear, and drove straight to Seattle. My favorite part was when we entered South Dakota and the GPS indicated that our next turn would be in 618 miles.

Merkatroid > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 09:43

Great article, thanks for sharing.

liquid_popcorn > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 10:17

Amazing story. Definitely makes me want to do that this summer/fall...waiting to pick up an old 635csi. Too easy in my MK6 GTI. Hah.

BlythBros. > ttyymmnn
01/31/2014 at 11:33

I'm completely serious too - in the 30 or so hours it took to get to Seattle, all I ate were two servings of CFS. I live in the part of Indiana that thinks it's in the South, so I have all sorts of exposure to the goldmine of fat that is the CFS. Love the acronym, btw.

I've still never driven the regular Rabbit - would like to at some point.

BlythBros. > JACU - I've got bonifides.
01/31/2014 at 11:35

Nice catch, Mr. Bitterbottom!

Seriously, the fusebox issue sucks. Too the point where I feel guilty everytime I drive the car in the rain. I'm planning on sealing the box once I get around to a nice mechanical recondition of the car this spring. Turns out that having two Alfa engines to rebuild will make your VW feel very reliable.

BlythBros. > UserNotFound
01/31/2014 at 11:38

Man, I would have loved to do a drive like that with my Formula SAE team. Super points for watching Top Gear on the drive.

Box truck would be nice because you could climb over the back and into the cargo hold (like in fast 4) and defecate there.

ttyymmnn > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 11:39

As a 16-year-old kid, it was a blast. I learned to drive the 4-speed and have rowed ever since. It certainly wasn't the fastest thing on the road, but it was peppy, handled well, but was forgiving to a young driver. And, back in '84, you could drive all night on $5 of gas. I graduated from the Rabbit to an '88 Fox wagon, then to my current '01 Golf. It's getting ready to turn 191k on the odometer.

BlythBros. > liquid_popcorn
01/31/2014 at 11:40

An M30 would be a nice choice for a long trip like that. Maybe L6 swap the interior for extra comfort and style. Leather dashes really come into their own on long trips!...

BlythBros. > The Ghost of Oppo
01/31/2014 at 11:40

Thanks! What kind of hat?

BlythBros. > AeroEagle333
01/31/2014 at 11:42

No shit, she is! Like I said, she drove through SD during the night. She designs air intakes for a living, btw.

BeaterGT > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 11:48

Can't wait to read this after work, the map of your route looks pretty fun.

liquid_popcorn > BlythBros.
01/31/2014 at 14:05

Haha, I'll keep it in mind! Have to buy the wife a new car first before I can get a project, so it may have to wait a while depending on what I can find.

Autophile412 - what's the world got in store? > BlythBros.
02/03/2014 at 12:46

I couldn't help but notice that a couple of you guys are from PA. Good site btw.

BlythBros. > Autophile412 - what's the world got in store?
02/03/2014 at 13:41

Thanks! Yep, we're all from PA and 2/3 of live there - York and State College.

Manuel Lopes > BlythBros.
02/06/2014 at 18:14

Great Road Trip mate!

i did a few times the road from Lisbon to Barcelona, over 1200 kms in about 10 hours with just breaks for refils and coffee in a GTI MK2 from 1989 and what i recall is that my back hurted like hell after that

BlythBros. > Manuel Lopes
02/06/2014 at 19:30

Thanks!! Ha, the MK1 seats actually feel GREAT! That car is so stiff that the only suspension it has is the seats haha.

I'd love to do a trip like yours in the EU. In time...

greenagain > BlythBros.
02/06/2014 at 20:13

I pounded on mine for nearly 200,000 miles.
Even though it was built in Pennsylvania it had a German fuel gauge. "Vee said it vas empty!"
The radio antenna may leak too.

BlythBros. > greenagain
02/06/2014 at 21:12

Hell yes!

Chappie > BlythBros.
02/06/2014 at 21:21

Road tripping a Mk1 or Mk2 VW is a fantastic experience, forever and always. I loved taking my mk2 GLI down the shore with me on weekends. Get on the road at 6, get off the AC expressway and take some of the more scenic back roads to the shore towns (Avalon was my personal favorite, but usually always went to AC for the free beaches) get in town a little before 8 and spend all day on the beach/boardwalk. Those are magical memories.

gmctavish needs more space > BlythBros.
02/06/2014 at 22:01

You kept the westy front end and snowflakes! You're my favourite now, that GTI looks wonderful. As someone who owns an E30 and wants a MK1 VW, could I ask your opinion on how they are to drive? I know E30s are better on paper, but I've wanted a GTI forever, either identical to yours, or in black. It's just so hard to find an unmolested example, like bimmers. Mine certainly isn't unmolested, although I'm trying to change that…...

theseeker411 > liquid_popcorn
02/06/2014 at 23:33

Funny, I have a Mk6 TDI with a DSG and a 5 speed swapped e24 L6. No leather dash though, it was replaced under warranty by the original owner. I would definitely get either an L6 or a late 635 with the rear a/c and rear center console fridge. The rear a/c makes a huge difference in keeping the car cool.

I'm currently attempting to make my L6 road worthy enough for an extended road trip. Need to refresh all of the front end suspension bushings, get it aligned, and get some new tires.

BlythBros. > gmctavish needs more space
02/06/2014 at 23:35

I think the Euro models look much better, but I'd never change my Westy! Which e30 do you own? I had a 318is, which people somewhat mistakenly bill as being more tossable, but it wasn't really tossable at all. Easy to drive fast, yes, but not nimble. The GTI is more involving, more satisfying, more communicative, and more composed when driven hard. MK1 parts are cheap and easy to buy, but since they are mostly aftermarket reproductions, expect to replace them more often.

Why stick with the e30? Well, e30 build quality is much better, and the interiors and body construction are far superior to the MK1. The interiors are a bit more durable on e30s, and the bodies don't leak or rust quite as easily. You can't really park a MK1 outside and expect it to last. e30s take that a bit better. Also, M20 and any 6-cyl BMW sound soooo good, which you probably know. GTI actually sounds decent, especially with a simple sporty muffler. Overrun is delicious too!

TLDR: import an e30 touring, or import a german GTI with its 110hp.

Fuck it. Import a 205 GTi.

gmctavish needs more space > BlythBros.
02/06/2014 at 23:48

I have an 86 325, an eta with no 'e' on the end, not sure why. It's a four door arctic blue with houndstooth interior, on blown shocks and cut h&r race springs. Bit of a beater, but I know how a proper E30 should drive from my friends minty mint 318is. That's interesting that the GTI is more involving and tossable, I mean I thought the 318 aaas, but my eta is heavier, and my other car even more, so I haven't had any experience with something as light as a mk1. GTIs can sound pretty great. My shop teacher in high school had a beater mk1 with a bigger intake and no muffler, it sounded like the devil. But thanks for the comparison! I'm looking for fun to drive and good on gas, so a MK1 seems even better than an E30 for that, although I do like the RWD.....

whatthefu... > BlythBros.
02/07/2014 at 01:00

I miss my GTI-up!!

JimEmery > JACU - I've got bonifides.
02/07/2014 at 01:44

My 1978 German-built Rabbit had the same problem.

krwalsh > BlythBros.
02/07/2014 at 01:57

My father and my uncle both bought new black 1984 GTIs within a month or so of each other. When my older brother turned 16 in '87 my dad sold his GTI so my brother wouldn't drive it. Two years later I turned 16 and bought my uncle's GTI from him. It was black with the blue interior. I loved that car. My uncle once saw me at a family get together and said he'd seen me driving it back in the forest preserves with my 3 friends in the car, rounding a corner with the inside rear wheel picked up off the ground, I wasn't going to deny it. I left for college, my younger brother got the car, then back to my older brother when he returned from college, and it was beaten to death.

Two years later I was graduating college and needed a car. I found another 84 GTI, white this time, blue interior and a sunroof. That car was as awesome as the first one. If I could find an 83 or 84 GTI that wasn't thrashed, I'd buy it right now.

Land-Rover Matt > BlythBros.
02/07/2014 at 07:09

I drove my MK2 8valve from UK to Andalucia and back, one of many vehicles I've done that trip in.

That GTi was a naughty car, it tempted me to do silly things on the wide open roads of Spain.

liquid_popcorn > theseeker411
02/07/2014 at 08:42

Nice! What year did the rear A/C start? Also, what the hell, a fridge? I had no idea, haha.

rotundapig > BlythBros.
02/07/2014 at 09:00

I also have a '84 GTi that I bought in NC for $1k. Obviously, it wasn't in as good a shape as yours, but once I made the brakes work, it was a great car to drive. After a few months with the car in NC, I moved to Colorado, where the speed limit between home and work is 75 and my commute ranges from 8,200 ft to 6,500 ft.

Although I bet a cross country trip on two lane roads would be great, since this thing was my DD, I had no choice but to drop in a 1.8t and a diesel o2a transmission. That was easily the best $2500 ever spent on a $1k car.

I love your photos. It's great to see a stock example in such good condition that's still being driven. I often contemplate giving up saving for a newer GTi and springing for one of the mint MK1s that occasionally pop up on BaT.

If you make it out to Colorado, you ought to take it up Pike's Peak. It should just barely be able to make it to the top.

Hunsbergring > gmctavish needs more space
02/07/2014 at 11:00

I'll field this one—I had a MK1 GTI during my university days which I eventually gave up in favour of an AE86. In turn, I gave up the AE86 for an E30 (325e) and a DA Integra. Then added another E30 (318is) after I retired the Integra. My tasting notes are as follows:

The GTI is hilarious—like a puppy that can't think about anything other than chasing a frisbee. It's important to note off the bat that a GTI is a rather different beast than other MK1s due to its tighter suspension, quicker steering, shorter gearing and bear-hug Recaros. It makes a non-GTI MK1 feel squishy and lazy (though they're still fun in ways that modern cars simply can't replicate). GTI steering is the best I've ever experienced in any car anywhere. Dynamics are forgiving but nervous enough to be very engaging. Short gearing means road trips are trying (3500rpm at 60mph), but you've always got (adequte) power under all circumstances.

E30s just feel more "grown up." They're built much more solidly than VWs, with more relaxed steering and suspension settings (and gearing, even with the comparitively short 4.10 rear end in the 318is). They're better distance cars, but less forgiving on loose surfaces or unknown roads due to RWD. The GTI is the car that I will always credit with making me a rally-road murderer, but I did eventually move on to the AE86 to begin my RWD Jedi training.

Hunsbergring > BlythBros.
02/07/2014 at 11:04

Great article. Those pics make me miss my MK1 GTI so bad I could cry...

mk1gti > BlythBros.
02/07/2014 at 12:40

My mk1gti was one of my favorite cars I've ever owned despite being in such poor shape when I got it. Cut springs to lower it, a bent sports steering wheel, swiss-cheesed airbox. . . The previous owner had really screwed it up pretty bad. But I straightened all that out and for the three years I had it I've never grinned more when getting into a car... Even with the engine buzzing at 7000rpm due to short gearing... Someday I'm getting another one, just because...

theseeker411 > liquid_popcorn
02/07/2014 at 13:30

87 was the start of the L6. You can tell immediately because non rear A/C e24s don't have a big center arm rest.

It's more an a/c cooled cooler than a fridge, but yes it's there. I guess the idea was to keep your wine and cheese chilled in it while out for a Sunday drive.

E24s make for wonderful highway bombers. A healthy M30 will average roughly mid 20 MPGs. Though if you pack a lot of stuff and you like carving corners, I'd suggest an e28 535is. E24s weigh about 400 lbs more than the e28, and the 5ers have a lot more back seat and trunk space.

But dammit the 6ers look good.