Upgrade Path for my 1984 GT

[jameshbond007]

This is probably old ground for a lot of you, but, what would the options be for my old coupe ?

I don't want to change her colour or add silly 'go-faster' stripes. All I want is better handling, improved performance, and my Mrs. not to want to wear a balaclava when she's sitting in it.

[pimpdriver]

what engine is it?

2.1 5 pot?

[jameshbond007]

2.0 5 pot

[missfire]

2 sides of the fence as far as i have seen on here.. the ''20VT anything with wheels'' camp..and the one i think my thoughts align with, the ''keep it factory'' camp.

i would.. with no offence intended at all, put original refurbed wheels and an original steering wheel back on it and just keep it dry and keep the rust at bay. these cars will be the ones worth more in the long run, i think.



there is no doubt a 'middle camp' somewhere also!

[jameshbond007]

Originally Posted by missfire

2 sides of the fence as far as i have seen on here.. the ''20VT anything with wheels'' camp..and the one i think my thoughts align with, the ''keep it factory'' camp.

i would.. with no offence intended at all, put original refurbed wheels and an original steering wheel back on it and just keep it dry and keep the rust at bay. these cars will be the ones worth more in the long run, i think.



there is no doubt a 'middle camp' somewhere also!

I've kept the original wheels with a view to re-furbishment. I've also kept the original steering wheel as the MOMO can move on if it has to but the original is so huge, it wouldn't look out of place on the Titanic (my Son came out with that one). I guess I'm from the middle camp you mentioned but I appreciate the input and am not offended.

[missfire]

performance and handling is all good to me! could well even be justified as improving safety!

i read it wrong, i thought you were on the road to something like this...



there will be plenty of little squeaks that will do it good i'm sure

i should have written 'keep it period' not 'keep it factory' i suppose..

[Isimmo]

To upgrade a JS 1994cc GT.... Hmmm, there's a question?... Budget or Bank rolled?....

Suspension wise, I wouldn't (IMHO) lower it to the floor, 25mm max, (assuming your using it for 'on road/track' use)... Then uprate the Anti-roll bar and bushes, brakes next, then if you're feeling flush, power, but with the JS (and it's possibly, IMHO, one of the best 5 pots) it's a fiscal cliff face because its all expensive mechnical tuning for little/marginal gain... At best you'll get maybe 170bhp after a full rebuild and gasflow/cam etc... Alternatively, as suggested, the answer lies in a re-engineered engine bay. But then, the cost has to be weighed up against the grip available with a 2WD...

[jameshbond007]

Can you point me in the direction of anyone local to me ?

[missfire]

Originally Posted by jameshbond007

Can you point me in the direction of anyone local to me ?

i'm pretty young and stupid and pretty new to this but i think the answer to your question can only be answered with another question. to do what? i tell customers the same thing with construction work, as the not so crazy man above suggested.

1. budget
2. specification
3. find someone capable of doing the job right.

in that order, will do you proud, in the long run.

any garage will fit suspension and braking upgrades i'd imagine if you can perhaps help them to find some of the parts (on here is a good place for that!)

some of the 'readers restos'/'readers rides' threads will give you a few ideas i'm sure!

personally, i'd travel some considerable distance to have certain jobs done by people who know their stuff.

[jameshbond007]

Originally Posted by Isimmo

To upgrade a JS 1994cc GT.... Hmmm, there's a question?... Budget or Bank rolled?....

Suspension wise, I wouldn't (IMHO) lower it to the floor, 25mm max, (assuming your using it for 'on road/track' use)... Then uprate the Anti-roll bar and bushes, brakes next, then if you're feeling flush, power, but with the JS (and it's possibly, IMHO, one of the best 5 pots) it's a fiscal cliff face because its all expensive mechnical tuning for little/marginal gain... At best you'll get maybe 170bhp after a full rebuild and gasflow/cam etc... Alternatively, as suggested, the answer lies in a re-engineered engine bay. But then, the cost has to be weighed up against the grip available with a 2WD...

Any changes have to be on a budget unfortunately. A lottery win would make a monumental difference but then I'd probably go out and buy myself a UR Quattro and forget all about my old GT.

So far, she's had the following:

Stainless Steel exhaust (Scorpion) bought on ebay - a bit boy racer but cheaper than the replacement non-stainless unit that was required imminently.

The 13" original alloys have been replaced with 15" jobs bought on ebay from the same donor vehicle. They seem to knock my geometry out a little as I keep scrubbing tyre inners and my local 'tame' mechanic insists that the tracking is as good as he can get it.

A went to the website of Optimex in Germany and bought:

Artikel: Performance Kit
Car: Audi 80, 5-Zylinder, inkl. Diesel, konische VA-Feder, incl. GT-Coupé 81
Year: 78-86
Achslast VA/HA: 840/770
lowering: 40/30
Part NR: 2004

Powerflex bushes are now present in most areas. I can't get the correct ones for the anti-roll bar so I'm driving without it at the moment. Any that I've ordered are the wrong type and my tame mechanic has the same problem. Even without the anti-roll bar, she's handling much better than with the original sloppy rolling about suspension.

The MOMO steering wheel was another ebay purchase. It replaced the huge diameter original.

Did I mention the K&N air filter ?

I've kept my original alloys (5 off) and the old steering wheel - just in case !

At 156,000 miles, she's never going to be worth much. I bought her for £500 five years ago as a run-about when my Octavia VRS got stolen. I'd always wanted a coupe or a quattro but it was never an option for me. I'd had a VW Passat with the 2.0 5 pot engine in the past so I knew what I was buying.

Any simple tweaks or help with my bushes problem would be appreciated greatly. Long term, I really need to deal with the rust that's creeping in - wheel arches !!!!!