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General Information => General => Topic started by: rabbit82 on February 17, 2012, 05:13:08 pm
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Well, I've been working on this thing for a while now and have about everything fixed, major that is. I put new cv axles on, wheel bearings front and back, rebuilt struts all four (that's another topic), brakes, adjusted shifter linkage(PITA) for perfect results, cleaned injectors, new glow plugs, timing belt, water pump, and many little things. Then when it was good to go it took me a while to get used to driving it on the interstate. Used to my truck, what a change!! But now that I finally cleaned the inside good and got the radio working I think I have passed the "can't take the ride" stage. The interior is in actually very nice condition for its age, but the orange tan is not much to work with for a new paint job.
Now, to get to the topic. The PO had started on this but never finished it. He installed a really good low mileage motor, diesel of course, and painted it. The paint job is good but I have to be honest, I hate the color. I don't want to paint it so this is where you guys can help. What can I do to spruce this ride up a bit. I have read where you can drill out the bumper shocks and bring them in closer to the body, easy enough. Would a black stripe on the lower section of the body look good? The strip of chrome about mid way up the side is all chrome, looks cheesy. Best to do away with that? I don't know, what would your suggestions be? I am on a budget to, so keep that in mind.
I have read up on some of the alloy rims that will fit. I am curious though as to going to a larger size rim and tire, would that effect gpm or power?
That's enough for now, let me here your opinions.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/b81d11e3.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/01-2.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/04.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/03-1.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/02-2.jpg)
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GIVE ME MY CAR BACK!!!
lol, kidding.. nice lookin car tho, but it needs more low, and some tweels..
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and, rather than destroy your bumper shocks, you can simply install 84 rabbit bumper brackets. they are ALOT SHORTER (bumper sits about 1" away from the body) than the standard bounce away bumper shocks..
i believe all the 84-later small bumper cabbys had these brackets
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How do I get more low? And what would that do to the ride? I have had a hard enough time getting used to it as is.
Not to get this off my main topic but I put the oil filled shocks, Monroe I think, all the way around. I thought it would make it ride a little better but it is so tight now :o . Of course the ones I took out had nothing left. There wasn't even any oil left anywhere, all dried up. you could turn the shock upside down and the top part would drop without pulling on it at all. Talk about getting your moneys worth!
I aint no youngin either so comfort trumps looks ;D
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I think I have a tan shift boot about...
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I think I have a tan shift boot about...
Ha! so you noticed did you? What, did the blue give it away? I'll take you up on the boot.
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I heart how clean it is. I hate the color, but damn its so clean I wouldnt mess with it. As for your wheels, I would try and find some "snowflakes" for it or some corrado steelies. They are a 14 inch wheel and go with a taller tire. It will fill up the wheel well without having to lower it, and give you a much better ride.
Sweet ass Rabbit man.
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Ha! so you noticed did you? What, did the blue give it away? I'll take you up on the boot.
Yeah, it just kinda jumps right out at ya.. I'll look tomorrow and see if the one I have is any good..
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I am with Dieselbalz on the change out of the wheels to snowflakes and up the tire size. Not necessarily the width but the sidewall measure. The 14 inch versus 13 inch just fills that gap much better. Here is my ride before I was able to get some real rims on it. These are the regular 13 inchers after we painted them up.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/DSCN7236.jpg)
Hearing from all the "experts" here on the forum, yes even mister snowflake hater himself. I found a set for 80 bucks on Craigslist. Didn't even need much cleaning. And this is the look now.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/WithSnowflakes.jpg)
As for the paint change out. I would work with what you have as it is in such great shape. Change can be subtle, like a decal or portion of a panel painted. Notice the half and half look I went for. That is somewhat on purpose as I wanted two colors but I didn't want to have to buy two quarts of one color and one of the other and have lots of extra of each when I was done.
I would take the picture of the car in to a paint shop, a digital version and see if they can use their software to show you what different colors might look like on it. Currently it is flat, You don't like the chrome strip? Man I would take that in an instant. There are so many light to heavy metal flake paints out there now I bet you could find something on a color wheel at the paint store that complemented that tan color.
No 8 V I am not talking cameo here, Sheesz.
I have seen some reddish, gold and that tan color schemes and that looks good to my old eyes.
I can relate very well to the comfort factor of the ride. My larger wheels do turn a tad slower than those little 13 inchers so there is about a 20% drop in RPM. That just means I get to go faster mph for the old RPM values.
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I LUV snowflakes and have 2 sets. One is bead blasted and looks just like aluminum and the other looks like the rabbit above. If you are going for low the ride quality will be compromised unless it is a high dollar setup...even then from what i have heard it is not good. If you stay at stock height I like the bilstein brand, at least you won't be doing the job every 2 years. KYB seems stiff and the Sachs seem to last about 2 years for me.
I have bilstein touring and bilstein sports and from what I have read I will be going with Bilstein HD for my next round.
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Rabbit82, Howdy neighbor.
What part of NC are you from ?
I'm near the state zoo.
Your Rabbit is in super good condition.
Unbelievable the padded dash is still in that shape.
Those aren't my fav colors either - i have a 82 Truck with same colors.
That interior was about the most popular color in 81 82. What were they thinking huh ? Black should have been only choice.
You won't usually find too many Diesel Rabbits with the bright trim around windows. And i have never seen one with bright body side moldings before.
I had a picture of one your color that looks really good - but can't locate it right now. Probably on my other crashed computer.
But it had 14" SnowFlakes, the black fender arch trims, the rocker panels and adjacent lower heels of fenders were semi-gloss black. And it had black body side moldings. Was a Real Good looking car - especially for that color.
Yours sorta looks like a Nun would be driving it. :D haha
Lots of mk1 Jettas, some Rabbits, and all GTI's had the fender arch trims - if you do any Jyarding take a cordless drill in case you find some. They also reproduce them now too.
The body side moldings would be a shame to deface/paint them.
Probably a lot of guys with dark colored cars would like to have them.
But you can Zinc prime and paint them semiblack - or source some replacements.
A 4-button steering wheel will give the interior more upbeat character.
GTI's , Quantums, Jetta GL's and some others used those - up through about 86 or so.
A guy on NCDubs has/had a good set of SnowFlakes for sale.
They are usually 150-200 set for good condition.
Not very much besides VW alloys will fit our cars.
Don't get fooled into Honda, Mazda and other 4x100x14. The center hub hole is too small for ours. Unless you have a good friend who can bore them.
Some really older Audi/BMW wheels will fit.
And aftermarket Uni-Lugs, but most of those look really cheap'ish.
SnowFlakes and Castelletes are about the only ones i think look good/right at all on Mk1's to be honest. Otherwise just find some full disc VW hubcaps or keep what you have and paint the rims silver or body color.
Monroe sensa-trac gas charged struts would have been a much better ride.
I have them on the front of my 81 HD-TD Truck and really like them.
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Not very much besides VW alloys will fit our cars.
Don't get fooled into Honda, Mazda and other 4x100x14. The center hub hole is too small for ours. Unless you have a good friend who can bore them.
Some really older Audi/BMW wheels will fit.
And aftermarket Uni-Lugs, but most of those look really cheap'ish.
I disagree on the import wheels, most that I know of have 73mm centerbores and are lugcentric while bmw and vw have 57.1mm cb and are hubcentric so you if you found a set that you actually liked the center bore difference can be easily overcome with a set of hubcentric rings. Also keep an eye on offset depending on the donor vehicle it may or may not be compatible.
As far as cleaning up the car I think you should paint the side molding and window trim black or swap for stock black units, get some flairs, get some flag mirrors and call it a day. I don't mind the beige though for some reason. I think it'd be a good idea to respray all the trim and grill etc to set off the beige a bit, I think the trim black from duplicolor is the best match for vw's which is nice because it's a lot cheaper than SEM which matches bmw trim perfectly.
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Baron VonZeppelin, I'm in Drexel NC, about 30 minutes west of Hickory and 1 hour east of Asheville.
As far as the side chrome moldings, they are an after market stick on. I didn't put them on either. The window trims are original though, but the windshield and hatch glass trim is in poor shape.
I would love to see some pictures of the car you are talking about. I'll have to do some digging on the net to find some pics for some ideas.
I was impressed with the interior also. The front seats have some tears in them but nothing a good set of seat covers won't cure. They at least look better than the crazy seat covers that was on them. The dash is perfect, no cracks at all.
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I am with Dieselbalz on the change out of the wheels to snowflakes and up the tire size. Not necessarily the width but the sidewall measure.
I really like those snowflakes, and the car looks great. What size tire did you go with? What's up with the flare trim around the wheel wells and rockers? That is a nice clean look.
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As far as cleaning up the car I think you should paint the side molding and window trim black or swap for stock black units, get some flairs, get some flag mirrors and call it a day. I don't mind the beige though for some reason. I think it'd be a good idea to respray all the trim and grill etc to set off the beige a bit, I think the trim black from duplicolor is the best match for vw's which is nice because it's a lot cheaper than SEM which matches bmw trim perfectly.
What flairs are you referring to? What are flag mirrors?
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Rabbit82
The tire size in the pictures _ 185 60R 14 At that point in time I had just purchased the Snowflakes and took the tires off some steelies I purchased earlier in the summer. Since the picture I have chewed through two of them and so I replaced them with 185 70R 14 tires in the rear. I will add a picture here later tomorrow of that look. I will capture the same side of the car for comparison. They fill the wheel well even more to the point that when I am fully loaded they can rub if I hit a sharp bump going over 35 mph. I know that from last trip north. Very unnerving, am I going to tear a tire or two off this thing?
Ahh the not so normal flare to the bottom of the car. Do a google on Zender body kit. It was an add on deal that was and still is available. Prepare to pay or find a deal. I found a guy looking to get it out of his garage and he even threw in the European bumpers to sweeten the deal. I think I did him the bigger favor getting him space in the garage. These kits were screwed or pop riveted to the body. I was going to do that but my son talked me into affixing them with fiberglass and then using close to a gallon of body putty to smooth them out. Here are a couple in process pictures.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/IMG_0159.jpg)
It took us two full days to get the curves to blend in the way we did and my hands were killing me. After the first coat of primer I was thankful he made his case so convincing. It really does add to the look. Not quite as plain jane, driven by a nun look.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/IMG_0204.jpg)
The Zender nose is very different from this one. I picked it up off Craigslist for 10 bucks. Just lately I saw one for 70. Same part. It secures with screws along the front and you have to put three in on each side. I used the plastic pop in style inserts and some stainless screws. The European bumpers hide the side screws
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/DSCN1666.jpg)
So add on kits might be something you might want to look into if you can do bodywork and paint them up. Flare the wheel wells and paint them black up to the first line up the door. That is a good cut line all the way down the body. Easy to tape off above that.
Have you seen those decals that say Diesel Rabbit on them. I think they are on MK1Autohaus.com
He has flare kits too: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Cabriolet-Clipper-Stone-Gaurd-Kit-Matte-Black-NEW-/320157634818?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4a8ae1d102
Here is a multistripe decal that would do you just fine. Dressed up black tie affair.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Rabbit-Rally-Stripe-Kit-Hatch-Included-BLACK-2-4Dr-/320001807043?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item4a819812c3
Have fun with it. You likely can spend from 100 to 1000 doing what ever. Just take my sons advice. If your going to spend the time you better make it right.
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Nice find on the Zender kit. Some people would kill for those! Looking forward to seeing the build continue.
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I keep my eye open for them now and would even buy one just to make sure someone here gets it.
Most of my work is done on the outside with the exception of the chrome stripping that has to go back into the rubber window seals. ECU was selling it for like half off about two months ago so I got enough to do the rear windows and the hatch. But I have to wait till the weather gets warmer so I can install it with ease. Might have to go to the guys that did my windshield and see what kind of tool they use to spread that rubber gasket and insert this flexible strip.
I have nearly finished the interior as well but I have held off on the new carpet install until I went through the winter with new wing windows. I found a set of those on some Cabby doors and bought em just for the screw on hinges. Posted that pictorial here some place. Did a headliner and insulated the roof with foam camping pads and glued the headliner material to the foam with spray on adhesive. I found that Jo Ann fabrics carries the same headliner material at a reasonable cost and they generally stock the gray and brown colors.
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Not very much besides VW alloys will fit our cars.
Don't get fooled into Honda, Mazda and other 4x100x14. The center hub hole is too small for ours. Unless you have a good friend who can bore them.
Some really older Audi/BMW wheels will fit.
And aftermarket Uni-Lugs, but most of those look really cheap'ish.
I disagree on the import wheels, most that I know of have 73mm centerbores and are lugcentric while bmw and vw have 57.1mm cb and are hubcentric so you if you found a set that you actually liked the center bore difference can be easily overcome with a set of hubcentric rings. Also keep an eye on offset depending on the donor vehicle it may or may not be compatible.
Do you know which ones/makes have the 73mm C.bore with 4x100x14" ?
I've tried Mazda and Honda - and both were too small on C.bore.
And i've never heard of hubcentric rings - guess i'm too old. lol
How much do they cost for a set of 4 ?
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I am on 185/70's. I am also in a Mk2 Jetta. But it should still be fine for your Rabbit.
That Zender kit is sweet.
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Nice work on the trim kit, I would love to have that look but if I went that far I would change the color of the car. I'm not wanting to spend that much just yet. I'll be looking for some cheaper upgrades.
I searched high and low last night on CL for some rims. The teardrop rims are plentiful but I don't really like them. I'll keep looking.
I haven't checked yet but it looks like I can remove the bumper guards (or whatever they are called) from the bumpers to clean it up a little. I have a bunch of cheap wide electrical tape that I thought about using on the rockers and around the fenders for a test, just to see what it would look like before I do anything. NO, I wouldn't be leaving it on, just for testing.
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I look forward to the mock up pics. I would just go with new plastic on the fender wells. Cheap and looks great.
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Take a good look at the front tires compared to the rears 60R versus 70R on the back. Both on 14 inch rims
Stock tire is 155 80R 13 and stands about as high as the front I think. I use it as my spare.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/IMG-20120219-00109.jpg)
A little closer please.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/IMG-20120219-00111.jpg)
And the back, very tight
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/IMG-20120219-00110.jpg)
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I am on 185/70's. I am also in a Mk2 Jetta. But it should still be fine for your Rabbit.
That Zender kit is sweet.
185/70s are too big for a mk2, and WAY TOO BIG for a mk1..
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Please Explain to me how the ones on the rear wheels seem to be going around in circles just as they should? I am not sure they would work on the front given the steering and up and down motions combined.
DAS
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I have zero issues ROR. No rubbing, great ride, and they even handle when I toss it around a little. At 13 seconds into that video I posted of the Eco on the user ride wall shows what it looks like on stock wheels with stock suspension. A ok. They also look great on that Rabbit soooo whaddya talking bout meng?
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Another delirious moment from our favorite West side guy?
The only issue I had a couple weeks ago was with 2950 lbs of vehicle and goods piled inside. Rubbed on some of the bumps going over the bridge expansion joints. But remember I run a Zender kit and that adds a lip inside the normal wheel well. And that is what the tires were buzzing on not the stock part.
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That reminds me. Last week I brought home about 150 pounds of chicken feed/pineshavings/feed block and that was stuffed in there with my existing kicker ten, amp, tool box and ratchet set. The rear tires were actually slighty tucked under the wheel arch. I should of taken a pic. Even with all that, not a rub once.
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Rabbit82, i forgot about teardrops.
I think they would look good with black insets, on your Rabbit.
And they are usually the cheapest 14" VW Alloy to source.
Believe a SnowFlake center cap will work on them also.
A set of Flakes as clean and bright as ORC found would fetch 250-300.
80 is completely untypical unless they are quite rough.
In 5 years have found 4 sets - 2 sets were full silver paint like from later model Cabriolets - 2 sets were decent driver quality early model type (good to restore later on).
That picture i mentioned has to be on the crashed box.
Searched through everything on this box.
But here is a Truck with the wheel arch trims, black rockers, black side moldings that might help.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2n00x95.jpg)
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Do you know which ones/makes have the 73mm C.bore with 4x100x14" ?
I've tried Mazda and Honda - and both were too small on C.bore.
And i've never heard of hubcentric rings - guess i'm too old. lol
How much do they cost for a set of 4 ?
I guess I was thinking of older toyota or datsun wheels. I looked around a bit and it looks like honda and mazda are 56.1 cb, nissan are 66.? didn't look at domestics but easy enough to research junkyard/craigslist wheel set.
Hubcentric rings go between $15-30 for a set of 4. This place has every conceivable size and I think the current euro/usd exchange rate might be favorable.
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A set of Flakes as clean and bright as ORC found would fetch 250-300.
80 is completely untypical unless they are quite rough.
In 5 years have found 4 sets - 2 sets were full silver paint like from later model Cabriolets - 2 sets were decent driver quality early model type (good to restore later on).
You wanna sell a set of the "driver quality" wheels?
As far as the fender flares, everyone was saying MK1autohaus had them. The only place I could find this dealer was on ebay, is this the correct dealer I am loooking for? If so, they don't have them. Said they may have some later in the year. Any other places to look?
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Mk1 is an Ebay site so you are "there" not in stock? What the heck? That other guy with the tan car got to them first.
I picked up a set of Riken 13 wheels with tires about a month ago for my summer tires. Price, Killed me to pay it but 25 a rim with a tire on it. Am going to yank the fat 185s off of it and go to the 155 80R 13 if I can find them. Discount Tire Direct only has the 165s and up. In fact if you go to that website they show what would be an up one size or two size jump that will still work on the car you are querying on. They had free shipping going on most tires, not sure about their rims.
The snowflakes are my winter snow tires so they are about to come off. Going back to the mileage makers. Whhooo for 50 MPG at 65 MPH.
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You wanna sell a set of the "driver quality" wheels?
As far as the fender flares, ...Any other places to look?
One set is on my 81 TDTruck, other set i'm gonna do up fancy.
Sold one set of the Silvers, might would sell this other set too.
Can let you know - they are tenative in a possible trade right now.
They came factory painted Silver on 85 (and think 86 too maybe further) on GTi, and the mid-later 80's Cabriolet. Some even came White. But these aren't an afterproduct paint job that will flake/peel/bubble.
They'd look best on Silver car, or dark color car, as-is.
Or the insets could be painted - or the fins could be sanded down to natural.
etc ... etc
The best benefit (in most opinions) is Flakes are ultra ultra light weight.
None other is really even close per faktry.
Prothe might have the flares - but don't buy his mechanical or maintenence stuff before getting opinions from some of us on here.
http://www.hansdieselparts.com/
http://www.dieselvw.com/
Or these places might
http://www.rsjparts.com/catalog/
http://www.jbugs.com/category/1087.html
http://www.duckyimports.com/servlet/StoreFront
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Sorry, I missed a lot of this discussion, but I know Saturn rims fit our cars. I have some 14" steelies on my pickup and bought some 15", but haven't tried them on. Some had alloys.
Still looking for some decent snowflakes around here... I have some 13" manhole covers- I thought these were the lightest alloys?
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Prothe might have the flares - but don't buy his mechanical or maintenence stuff before getting opinions from some of us on here.
http://www.hansdieselparts.com/
http://www.dieselvw.com/
Or these places might
http://www.rsjparts.com/catalog/
http://www.jbugs.com/category/1087.html
http://www.duckyimports.com/servlet/StoreFront
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The only site you sent me that have these is http://www.duckyimports.com/servlet/StoreFront at a price of $325 for four. WOW! I guess I will stay with what I have if they are that much. I was thinking they would be around $100 for four. I'll just hang around and wait for a deal on a used set or something.
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I need to slow down a minute and find out exactly what I am getting into with the larger wheels and tires.
1)How much will my mpg suffer?
2)How much power will I loose?
3)How much power will I loose going up hills on the interstate cruising at 65?
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I need to slow down a minute and find out exactly what I am getting into with the larger wheels and tires.
1)How much will my mpg suffer?
2)How much power will I loose?
3)How much power will I loose going up hills on the interstate cruising at 65?
From one who has done the change in the last few months I can't say that you will suffer much from mileage decrease. I was running 165 70R 13s and swapped to 185 60R/ 70R 14s and I see about 2 mpg less on the newer tires. But I attribute the loss to increased width, more aggressive tread (they are snow tires) and the fact that it is cold now.
Power is a function of RPM for me. So as the engine does turn a little slower I find I needed to twist the power/smoke screw in by about an eight of a turn. Another reason why I may have lots MPG.
Cruising at 65 I don't see any loss of power, I notice that if I run less power screw in that I need to downshift to 4th for some of the extended hills but I hardly notice a loss of power at all.
If you go to the http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html and put in the sizes you are looking at you will see there may be a very small difference between them
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Those at Ducky must have been NOS.
Those flares were being repopped for like 125-150 set .....i think.
Guess most have sold out for right now.
You can have 14" wheels with a shorter tire height than a 13" - depending on tire sizes.
A larger tire height will gain you some on overall MPG.
A heavier rim will reduce you "some" in town and on acceleration, but probably work in favor on open roads and smoother ride.
Most go to 14" either for a potential taller tire height - or because the wheel they like happens to be 14" - or because they need 6" wide for wider tires.
Used 14" tires are easier to find than used 13"s too ... these days.
Have only seen one design of 13" VW alloy i thought looked good.
They didn't make many 13" alloys.
Some of the 13" full disc VW hubcaps look nice.
Not sporty - just nice/clean/civilized
Find something you like the look of and run with it.
You won't notice much if hardly any difference between 13 and 14.
15 16 17 22 24 it starts getting different.
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OK, here is a test with the black stripes and faux flares. I used some cheap wide electrical tape that I had on hand. I did one test with the rockers blacked in and one without the rockers blacked in. I also blacked in the chrome body molding and the part of the grille that you see from the side. I am going to see what it looks like without the flares tomorrow. Gotta be something you can do with this paint scheme?
What colors would go with the tan interior? I am about to the point of painting the whole car. Of course there is one thing that is more important at the moment, that is another thread.
I have to be honest, I hate it. Looks like s....t. I am thinking of just painting it up Desert Storm camo and be done ::)
However, I did drill out the bumper shocks and push them in, looks much cleaner without that overbite. I drilled a pilot hole and used some galvanized self tapping screws that I had on hand to hold them in place. I like the look.
without rockers
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/22.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/11-1.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/33.jpg)
with rockers
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/3-1.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/2-1.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/1-2.jpg)
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The wheels being black is just killing everything.
And the tiny short tires.
Do them Silver like factory, or body color.
Too wide on the body black treatment.
Do just the lower rockers, and the flairs.
Its not really ugly if you get it right.
Teardrops with black tears would look good with it.
I think the guy with the Flakes on NCdubs was in Charlotte or Greenville.
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The really wide stripe is overkill. You should try going just on the lower rocker and the flares. The chrome wheels come close to what I think you should have. But there needs to more blink on those rims. Alloys would do it. The Rabbit I had was trimmed out with black trim like you created but I had to remove it and in doing so destroyed it. I was going to just paint that depression black but now I will it alone and just get some trim tape and do that up.
What you have started does look less like a nunmobile. The cameo colors would make it more red neck than a daily driver. But I did get a chuckle out of the suggestion.
Keep working on it. It is on the right track.
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if you do stripes.. do gti style ones... or maybe that dot matrex style.. kinda full in color up by the crease line to a thineed out fade by the rocker..
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Man it looks so much better w/o those wheels ... lol
Try it like this maybe.
And do the door handle pockets and inner door posts with the tape.
Gets more Euro and less fuddy-duddy.
Hard to do this stuff with a mouse.
The door posts were done like that on early Mk2
The door handle pockets - i think were Volvo
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2hnrn69.jpg)
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I like the one with all the black. If you had it up front too under the bumper/body line and some nice old snowflakes, it would look good to me.
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A heavier rim will reduce you "some" in town and on acceleration, but probably work in favor on open roads and smoother ride.
I'm certainly not a physicist but I don't believe this to be true. I believe reducing unsprung weight is always positive from both performance and efficiency standpoints.
And as far as the flairs are concerned I've found a few sets in the junkyard for around $15-25 a set. I'm not sure how common mkI are in junkyards in your neck of the woods but might be worth considering.
I like the tape mock ups, I think if you had a set of 14-15" alloys it would look great.
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What if you use that interior color to spice up the outside? And If you did the wheels in Alloys or painted with lighter color or silver in the area now done in black..
Try and find a single color for Chrome on Paint. I think it is a multicolor overlay. Sorry could get it without spending hours on it.
TWO Tone is the way to go I think with the Black under carriage. Edit: Added some snowflakes for ya. Had to find the right tools to cut and combine pictures. Photobucket had them, just had to figure them out.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/Mockitup-1.jpg)
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I like the two tone idea but that goes against what I am trying to do, get a little better look on a low budget. If I did all of that work it wouldn't take much more to repaint the whole car.
Baron VonZeppelin , you're right. I need new wheels. Here is a quick touch up on the wheels. Just an idea of what it might look like. Also, I looked on ncdubs and couldn't find the snow flakes you mentioned. Of course it was late and I had family here all day. I'll look again tonight.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/FotoFlexer_Photo.jpg)
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Actually it is a three toned idea now that I look at it. You would be adding a second complementary color and the black. And yeah that might be getting away from the what can I do cheaply here to spruce up the plain old wrapper look.
Maybe just put that caramel colored candy wrapper around the middle section. What are those things Ricolas? They seem to favor the tan, white and green combination.
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That's pretty cool looking ORCoaster . I spent an hour today trying to figure out how to do that very same thing. I'll have to go back to photobucket and see how it works.
I found a set of these wheels with tires for $150 today. Tires are about 1/2 tread or a little less. How do you think these would look?
http://www.ecstuning.com/ES1884177/
I am also having another issue GPM related, I'll make another post for that. You guys have been great with helping out a noobie.
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I like those 7 spoke 14" wheels.
Have 2 sets of them, but think they fit better with body of Mk2 and Mk3.
They can use the small SnowFlake center caps - but supposed to have a cap that conceals/covers the whole center section. With the small centers and the center hub section done black they'd look pretty sporty.
I had a set on one of my trucks while it was just sitting parked waiting for attention. Will post a pic after while of it like that and you can get an idea.
They are on my White 89 Jetta now - with some full size center caps.
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Rabbit82 in photobucket the more on the editing the photo will take you to a screen that has a series of tabs on it. You want the Geek one on the end. You build a collage with one picture being the car and the other pictures you add. I had to play with the opacity choice to try and get the size right. I actually spent a good amount of time editing a picture of the wheels so that I would just have the wheel. I had taken that picture a bit ago for some other wheel discussion, or was it tires to large for the wheel well.
No matter that site is just about all a guy needs to do this kind of combine and looking at what this would look like on that car. But you are right it really soaks the time. But for a good cause.
Later DAS
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I'll try to get a pic of these on my Jetta with the full covers on them, tomorrow.
(http://i43.tinypic.com/351thlh.jpg)
(http://i40.tinypic.com/x2s3o7.jpg)
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Wow, super duper camper shell there buddy.
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I thought all the vets had seen this thing before.
Ultra Rarity, probably worth more than the truck.
Can do about anything with that shell covering the back.
I'm crazy about it.
They followed the Grateful Dead all across the country many times.
Only 1,071,xxx miles on it. lol
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I like the contrast, Old school diesel pulling spaceship looking backpack. Who made the canopy? Maybe they still have the mold.
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81 Truck with HD suspension package.
Shell was installed when Truck was new.
We had a thread a couple years ago about camper shells.
Guy in Texas has one similar, but with less windows.
I posted pics of distributor decal and manufacturer ID tag back then.
1 or 2 tried to look them up.
VIPER TRI-GLAS Industries Daleville, Alabama
Sold/Installed by Frye Camping Center Inc Fayetville NC
The metal tag inside with more info i can look at tomorrow
can't find that pic - but part number listed on it is like VW-03
I've called it Battleship Galactica looking too
Will paint the whole truck White eventually.
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Rabbit82... Poked at CL just now. Look but no crying
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/pts/2874519151.html
I swear I need to open a used car parts exchange here.
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I wanted to mention the Dupli-Color vinyl and fabric paint. It's good for updating those "what were people thinking" colors to something more modern. NAPA carries it (or at least can). I've had good results using it on plastic trim pieces and OK results on fabric, but for small stuff it's fine. It makes carpet (on speaker boxes, for example) kind of matted with paint but I've been able to get it back with a good cleaning and scrubbing with a brush after painting. Clean the parts really well before painting. I wouldn't attempt anything big like a dash where imperfections are visible (don't Cabriolet dashboards fit) but I know people who have.
(http://www.duplicolor.com/images/big/big_vinyl.jpg)
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Thanks for the picture bagacalai. That is what I remember my son using on some vinyl on his Jet Ski. Side boards or something. Yeah, specific for the application not a normal metal or wood paint. Going to go buy some gray and try those sunvisors. Fastest and probably best way to do my task. They are in really good shape, just don't like red in the gray car.
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I have zero issues ROR. No rubbing, great ride, and they even handle when I toss it around a little. At 13 seconds into that video I posted of the Eco on the user ride wall shows what it looks like on stock wheels with stock suspension. A ok. They also look great on that Rabbit soooo whaddya talking bout meng?
i CUT a 185/70 on my fenders while on a mk2.. and it looked LIFTED with them on it.. i had stock suspension, and it was ROLLIN HIGH.. i have pics of it somewhere.
heres a shot of the 185/70s and enkeis on my mk1.. look at how high it is.. it doesnt show it super good, but its atleast 2 beer cans from the ground to the pinch welds..
(http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww28/Dubsmoke/P1000430.jpg)
and DESTROYED the other 2 on my mk1.. any time i hit a decent bump, the fender would cut the sidewall.. sucks when you are going around a corner, and you hit a bump, and slice the sidewall right out of your tire.. makes for an interesting ride!
they WERE however, on 14x6 (maybe 14x7 even) enkei 92s, with more offset than factory.. and i keep forgetting about that part of the equation.. being that 'flakes are super narrow, and not offset at all, i could see them fitting better..
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Snowflakes are a 6" wheel, 38mm offset.
Buddies got 14" Enkei's on his CX hatch. they are also a 6" wheel.
(http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/9954/aaalh.jpg)
Also fwiw, all enkeis are in the 35-45mm offest range. So either 3mm more towards the strut, or 7mm out from a snowflake.
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16x7 42mm offset fit up front of a 2" lowered mk1. I never tried the rears.
205/50/16 tires.
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Snowflakes are a 6" wheel, 38mm offset.
Buddies got 14" Enkei's on his CX hatch. they are also a 6" wheel.
(http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/9954/aaalh.jpg)
Also fwiw, all enkeis are in the 35-45mm offest range. So either 3mm more towards the strut, or 7mm out from a snowflake.
mine are 7mm out from the flakes.. i believe mine are ET35s (35mm positive offset)
those are the exact wheel i have, but there not gold, i have the black faced ones, thank god..
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I painted the rims and got wild with the tape again. I am showing several layers progressing from nothing to all out. I used the ideas presented here. I have my favorite but am interested in other opinions.
I have to say, the painted rims look so much better than the black. I may have found a set of snow flakes, waiting to hear from the guy.
Plain Jane
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/nothing.jpg)
All out, even the raingutters are blacked
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/raingutterblacked1.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/raingutterblacked.jpg)
No raingutters
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/doorpost.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/doorpost1.jpg)
No door post
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/doorhandle.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/doorhandle1.jpg)
No door handles blacked
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/bottomandside.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/bottomandside1.jpg)
No black on sides trim
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/sidechrome.jpg)
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Got er looking kinda spiffy there bud. I put my dime on black on door handles, over fenders, down the trim and along the bottom. Nix may on the rain gutters, door jambs. I think less is more on this one. Like hot sauce on eggs. Not too much just enough to spice them up a bit.
Only other thing I was thinking is that space between the back door and hatch has possibilities. Maybe some thick lines trending to thin ones, with a stop at the bottom of the window line not to body line. Do a thick black with a thin tan, then reduce the thick by 25% and increase the tan. So it inverts over the length of the space. If I have the energy tonight I might play with Photobucket and throw it up on the screen if it looks anything worth doing.
Spent much of the day sanding drywall and the ole back is complaining about it.
Did I just say old?
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Man you just did what I hate most in the world, drywall. Hanging it, muding it, sanding it. I hate every aspect of it. Paint would be second and they kinda go hand it hand.
Little sad right now, Duke just lost to Carasomebody. Anywho, I'm with you except I'm on the fence about the door handles. Could go either way. I thought I would throw it all out there with the rain-gutters. The rim paint was a pita. I bought what looked like a nice silver/gray but it ended up being a redneck chrome color. I found some satin metallic nickel that looked pretty good (better in person than pics). Hope I won't have to live with it to long but much better than black.
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All the pics look good now.
Even plain jane perked up.
Those black rims were killing it.
The door posts would go better if you didn't have bright trim around glass.
Door handle pockets might catch more when/if you get diff wheels.
Things are definitely looking up on the exterior.
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Yeah I say nix on the door jambs, handles, gutters I like a clean simple look. The flares and bottom rockers get my vote. Those new painted wheels of yours totally sold me on the simple. That realllllly changed the look of that sweet sweet Rabbit. Although I still hate the color, it is soooo clean that it would be nere blasphemous to clutter it up with a bunch of black spattered about.
Just my opinion. You do what you wanna do and puts a smile on your face when you look at it.
@ROR. Its gotta be the offset. It seems to be the only variable. I do love those Enkeis of yours. Think I would just roll the fenders.
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Got me a front spoiler this weekend. I still need the flares and rocker piece. Will other models fit or are these Rabbit specific?
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/PICT3083.jpg)
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Hey, I put one of those on my Rabbit! Cost me more for the hardware, plastic inserts and stainless screws ($14) then it did for the air dam ($10).
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/DSCN1666.jpg)
I liked the look until I found the Zender kit and European bumpers for a c-note.
And now you know "MY LOOK"
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/NewFuelly.jpg)
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ORCoaster , that is sweet.
What plastic inserts do you speek of? I was just going to use screws to hold it underneath with large washers.
What did the bumpers come from? and what models have the black fender flares and rockers that I am looking for?
By the way, this was a freebie! Actually I bought it but my sister picked it up for me and wouldn't let me pay her back. Gotta love big sis! She's full of surprises. Now I just need to have her pick up a sweet low mileage original owner Rabbit for me ;D
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I went to the hardware store where they have those million drawers of things you have no idea where they go of what they do. But this time I knew what I wanted to find. In the box with the stainless screws that hold on a license plate there are the plastic or are they nylon parts that the screw goes into.
You drill a hole, 5/16 I think and push the nylon insert into the round hole. It is bigger so it grabs the edges of the metal. Working the pointed screw into the hole and turn it slowly. That cause the nylon to bite even more and once your threads get cut into that piece you can really crank on it to make it hold. I found the three big holes did ok with the license plate screws and for all the others I went with another size down that only needed a 3/8 inch hole or less. Be sure to paint any holes you make, don't want rust coming in on you.
Getting the Air Dam up and marked was a bearcat. I think I moved cardboard boxes and boards around for the better part of an hour until I go it set just right and was able to mark the flange holes with a black marker. I did need a lot of work with the 1/4 inch ratchet and a Phillips screwdriver point to get them to go in.
My big sis thinks I am nuts for driving this thing. But then she never did think as logical as I do.
Does this help?
If I had to do it again I would look for hex head screws and pre-thread them then put the air dam up to them in place.
I do get a few comments on the car. Ranges from WT hell is that bra on there for to, that is sweet. I works for me so far. I dropped a set of gray GTI seats in it a couple of weeks ago. I have a third that I sit on here in the apartment.
Still haven't had time to do the carpet or the wing window as it was pouring all weekend here.
Edit:
Didn't answer all the questions. The bumpers came with the Zender kit I picked up off Craigslist. Those were not quite direct replacement. They might have been if I didn't do the kit but the bumpers rubbed some on the fiberglass so I had to enlarge a couple holes to get them to install farther out from the body. Nothing that a grinder or dremel couldn't do easily but with a file a real pain.
Here is a better Idea of what the kit looked like, the car too, before paint. BP. I used small self tapping screws to get the kit on initially but then did a fiberglass and body filler to secure it and blend the line from metal fender to fiber flares.
And yes the neighborhood hated to see this thing parked on the street this way. They gave me the most thumbs up when I brought it home in it's present two tone look.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/DSCN1675.jpg)
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/DSCN1670.jpg)
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/Paint%20and%20custom%20work/DSCN1673.jpg)
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Pretty sure the flares were 81-84.
And also pretty sure Rabbit and Jetta are same.
2 door and 4 door
For the rockers - you have to paint them black.
Heck man just run the tape job and save the time and money.
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Got me some snow flakes yesterday. I don't have them in my possession yet, my father-in-law picked them up for me, but should have them next weekend.
What size lug bolts do I need for them?
Anyone have a set for sale? I'll post in the wanted section.
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I was able to use the same bolts that were holding the black metal rims on. I didn't see where the thickness of the rim was much different than what I already had going. I think I get plenty of bite with the old ones. I have to thread them in quite a ways before they start tightening down.
You aren't thinking of putting spacers on to move the wheels out are you?
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I go the new flakes on with 185-70-14 all the way around. I've been running them for about 2 or 3 months now. No tire rubbing at all, rides much better and gets my butt off the road a good bit.
Some loss in power on take off and pulling long grades, have to give it more pedal. Seems to have affected the mpg a little. (I can't check the mileage. I found out why I was getting such poor mileage before. I caught the odometer skipping and not working at all for miles and then it would kick back in. I know the fix just haven't taken the time to fix it.) But estimating how far I drive to work and beating around I should be getting atleast 45 mpg.
I also put the front air dam on. Now to find a set of flares. I'm going to do the tape thing again and see what it looks like with these wheels.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/PICT3290.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f136/scroungemaniac/PICT3291.jpg)
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I forgot to ask. If you look at the first pics I posted in this link of the interior you will see a really nice dash. Since that post the dash is turning black, there is a large patch on the pass. side about the size of your hand. What causes this and can it be reversed somehow?
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I've got the same problem on my brown dash, where parts are turning a darker brown. Only fix I think is to do vinyl spray. Not the answer you want to hear I'm sure, but the only one I know.
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I would start looking for some nice chrome or rubber and chrome mud flaps. I run the wider tires like that in the winter and it really throws the crap down the side of the car. I think I ended up just getting the standard black ones for my car. I had to raise the rearend to off set the weight of the second fuel tank that rides across the rear of the trunk.
but looking better. I still think a black portion to the line on the lower third would do nicely.
DAS
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GIVE ME MY CAR BACK!!!
lol, kidding.. nice lookin car tho, but it needs more low, and some tweels..
Low looks nice as a novelty...not for me. I'm all for wheels, but lowering takes away the Rabbit's ability to surprise people with it's off-road capabilit...and places the oil pan in grave danger :-\
Besides, I love being able to change oil without a jack 8)
To each his own though...
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I can't go the lowered route either. In fact, when I raised the rear springs I remembered that 1970's look that must be me. High in back, wider wheels back and low nose and spoiler. Perhaps I am trying to make my VW look like the older Road Runners.
just an ider.