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Car is SOLD!!!
Want to get good gas mileage, but don’t want an uncool prius or boring stock diesel? I have the answer; buy my 97 GTI with a TDI swap on RS’s, Recaro’s, an awesome stereo and a ton of maintenance work done to it.
1997 GTI VR6 chassis w/ 1998 Jetta TDI Engine, Transmission, Fueltank, Gauge Cluster, Black leather interior, VR6 Suspension and Brakes, a true GTD built by Vortex's own MKIII and Sons. I bought the car from him 10/2009, my wife and I flew out to Pa and drove it home to Ca. It took 7 days with 7 hours of driving each day and it was an awesome trip.
The car has always run great, I've taken it on countless road trips, it's always been reliable and great on gas. This is my daily driver, it eats up the abuse and has never skipped a beat. I consistently average 42mpg; I call it buy one tank get one free, because you get about 550 miles on one fill-up (13 gallons). Car is registered as a diesel and is smog exempt in California. All diesels 1998 and earlier are smog except in Ca.
I get lots of looks and compliments, black and gold is a classic/awesome color combo. Car has a nice stance without being too low to be drivable. I drive it to SF once a month (900 miles round trip) and to downtown LA all the time without any issues.
Below is a list of parts and maintenance services that I've completed since I bought it. I have a big folder full of receipts with everything I've purchased and had done to it. I really love this car, but am thinking of getting something bigger - still diesel though
Everything maintenance wise on this car has been done, its ready to be driven for many, many miles. Car is located in Southern California, but I am willing to drive the car to you and fly home. I love road trips, lets do this!
Engine/Maintenance upgrades
220K Miles on Engine, runs like a champ
Mobil Delvac Diesel oil changed every 5k miles
Rocket Chip Tune - boosts about 18psi peak but holds at 12psi
New K&N Panel Air Filter
New OEM Sachs VR6 clutch
New OEM Timing belt kit
New OEM Motor mounts - all 3
New Fuel Filter
New Water Pump
New Thermostat
New Valve Cover Gasket
New Bosch Alternator
New Interstate Battery
Replaced Diesel Injection pump
Replaced entire steering rack
Replaced Window motors and regulators for both Driver/Passenger
Replaced Transmission fluid
Replaced all wheel bearings
Replaced all cooling system hoses and flushed radiator
MK3.5 Cabin Air Filter
JOM Hood Struts
New OEM radiator bubble reservoir
New power steering reservoir
New A/C Compressor
New Receiver/Dryer
Fresh charged AC works great
Recent steam clean of engine top/bottom
Interior
New Recaro Sport Seats - Black Artista/Nardo material - has leg extension and lumbar air adjustment. Most comfortable seats I've ever sat in.
Recaro Sliders, Wedge Engineering Brackets
Mint Puffy Leather door panels
Mint Jetta Leather Rear Seats with Tilt Headrests
Old School Hella/Momo wood steering wheel (never seen another one of these)
Momo matching wood shift knob
New matching Black Leather Yellow stitched shift boot
Mint OEM Yellow DE floor mats
Mint OEM Yellow stitched E-Brake handle
Freshly powedercoated ABT Dead pedal
New OEM 20th Anniversary GTI Pedals (matches ABT dead pedal perfect)
OEM style Billet door lock pulls
Euro Upper Glove box
Euro Lower Glove box
42 Draft Designs gauge pod w/VDO boost gauge
Orange MK4 Cluster needles to match boost gauge
Push button Engine start (thought it was cheesy at first, but now I really love it!)
OEM Chrome door handles
OEM Chrome seat belt rods
OEM Chrome E-brake handle (button)
OEM stickerless Black sunvisors
OEM Black Oh $h!t grab handles
Black painted pillars/sunroof switches
Black Suede Headliner
Black Carpeted wood trunk floor
OEM Monster Mats
Lloyd Luxe Black carpet floor mats
Airbag and CEL lights disabled in Gauge Cluster
Exterior
E-code smoked headlights
OEM Vento grill
OEM Black VW Emblems front and rear
OEM Euro VR6 front lip
Mint OEM N/A front lip (currently off the car)
Stuby Fuba antenna
Mint Hella Color Magic All Red Taillights
Hella smoked turn signals for N/A bumper
Hella smoked side marker lights
Votex Long Fog lights w/ yellow Laminex and Kanye Shades
Votex Black roof rack bars w/keys
Dual Stainless Steel turn down exhaust tips
New 32% window tint on all windows
New windshield, and rear hatch glass
Black Billet wiper delete plug
Black Billet hatch spoiler hole plugs
GTI 20th Badge
Suspension
Weitec Coilovers - made by KW, they go low and ride good
Neuspeed chrome upper strut tie bar
Eurosport rear strut tie bar
New front control arms with TT bushings
All suspension and swaybar bushings replaced
Camber kit, car is aligned very nicely, perfect tire wear
New Adams Rotors drilled/slotted with new pads front and rear
Wheels
BBS RS 5x130 Porsche fitment re-drilled to 5x100
Original BBS Gold finish, looks great, lips still have wet polished look
Front: 16x7 et22 - 1" lips and gold bolts
Rear: 16x8 et11 - 2" lips and gold bolts
Hoffman 1/4 Height Center Caps
Black/Gold logo BBS Caps
Falken 912 205/40/16 all around
Custom machined hubrings and hub/wheel centric spacers
H&R Wheel bolts
Wheels ride super smooth, zero steering wheel shake/wobble
BBS Cap removal tool
Stereo/Alarm
Alpine iDA-X305S Headunit with built in Pandora support
USB/iPod connector in lower glove box
Aux-in connector behind front cup holders
Both audio cables are long enough to be re-routed if desired
Front doors and Dash: 6.5" Hertz ESK165 2-way Component
Back panels: 6.5" Hertz ECX165 2-way
JL Audio XD600/6 Digital Amp - 75W x 6 channels @ 4 ohms
Amp is powering all speakers and sub
Stinger Capacitor - 1 Farad Pro - mounted with Amp under rear seat
JL 12w3 DVC Sub Woofer
JL PowerWedge Sealed box
Dynamat on doors and trunk area
JL Amp Bass gain knob mounted in dash next to door unlock/lock switch, looks very clean and works great for quick Bass adjustment
System sounds amazing, very clear and precise with lots of lows, mids and highs.
Clifford Alarm System with Keyless Entry and Ignition Kill
Bads:
Paint is OK, but not perfect. Always looks great in pics and even up close until you start really looking. Small spider cracking on bumpers, roof is fading, hood has several small dents. There is a small rust spot on the passenger rear window, and rust on passenger rocker. Very stable though, can still jack the car on that side from the rocker without any issues. Rockers look clean, plastic skirts look good and are 100% intact. Hatch key pop doesn't work. Have to open hatch by using the center console button. That's it.
Old For Sale thread
I bought the car in Oct 2009 for $6,000
GTD For Sale Thread
$$$ I've spent since ownership - $13,000
Recaros - $2,000
Stereo/Alarm - $3,000
BBS RS's - $2,000
Clutch, Timing Belt, Diesel injector pump, Steering Rack, Brakes, Window Motors - $4,000
Misc interior/exterior - $2,000
***Updated new parts list installed Feb 2013***
Boost Pressure Valve
EGR Vacuum Solenoid
Oil Pan
Oil Pan gasket
Fresh oil change
OEM ECU - had some intermittent issues with the ECU so we replaced the entire ECU with a stock one. I think the rocket chip is OK and could be reinstalled in the new ECU, but I haven't tried yet. I have never ran the stock tune, and it feels just as good, if not better now. Doesn't boost as high, but holds boost better (solid 12psi still), pulls in the upper RPM harder, and is smoother over all.
Car is SOLD!!!
Price for everything: $8,500
I'm in no rush, if you need to wait until after you get your tax return back, sell a kidney or something, let me know. I am interested in trades, especially for late model diesels or other VW/Audi's.
Older but cool pic, still have these smoked tail's if you prefer
Money shots of the wheels (old tires in this pic)
These are the seats
***Updated - fresh engine pics***
Brand new diesel injection pump and alternator
Strut tower bar, manifold
Surface rust on passenger side rear window
Close up
Want to get good gas mileage, but don’t want an uncool prius or boring stock diesel? I have the answer; buy my 97 GTI with a TDI swap on RS’s, Recaro’s, an awesome stereo and a ton of maintenance work done to it.
1997 GTI VR6 chassis w/ 1998 Jetta TDI Engine, Transmission, Fueltank, Gauge Cluster, Black leather interior, VR6 Suspension and Brakes, a true GTD built by Vortex's own MKIII and Sons. I bought the car from him 10/2009, my wife and I flew out to Pa and drove it home to Ca. It took 7 days with 7 hours of driving each day and it was an awesome trip.
The car has always run great, I've taken it on countless road trips, it's always been reliable and great on gas. This is my daily driver, it eats up the abuse and has never skipped a beat. I consistently average 42mpg; I call it buy one tank get one free, because you get about 550 miles on one fill-up (13 gallons). Car is registered as a diesel and is smog exempt in California. All diesels 1998 and earlier are smog except in Ca.
I get lots of looks and compliments, black and gold is a classic/awesome color combo. Car has a nice stance without being too low to be drivable. I drive it to SF once a month (900 miles round trip) and to downtown LA all the time without any issues.
Below is a list of parts and maintenance services that I've completed since I bought it. I have a big folder full of receipts with everything I've purchased and had done to it. I really love this car, but am thinking of getting something bigger - still diesel though
Everything maintenance wise on this car has been done, its ready to be driven for many, many miles. Car is located in Southern California, but I am willing to drive the car to you and fly home. I love road trips, lets do this!
Engine/Maintenance upgrades
220K Miles on Engine, runs like a champ
Mobil Delvac Diesel oil changed every 5k miles
Rocket Chip Tune - boosts about 18psi peak but holds at 12psi
New K&N Panel Air Filter
New OEM Sachs VR6 clutch
New OEM Timing belt kit
New OEM Motor mounts - all 3
New Fuel Filter
New Water Pump
New Thermostat
New Valve Cover Gasket
New Bosch Alternator
New Interstate Battery
Replaced Diesel Injection pump
Replaced entire steering rack
Replaced Window motors and regulators for both Driver/Passenger
Replaced Transmission fluid
Replaced all wheel bearings
Replaced all cooling system hoses and flushed radiator
MK3.5 Cabin Air Filter
JOM Hood Struts
New OEM radiator bubble reservoir
New power steering reservoir
New A/C Compressor
New Receiver/Dryer
Fresh charged AC works great
Recent steam clean of engine top/bottom
Interior
New Recaro Sport Seats - Black Artista/Nardo material - has leg extension and lumbar air adjustment. Most comfortable seats I've ever sat in.
Recaro Sliders, Wedge Engineering Brackets
Mint Puffy Leather door panels
Mint Jetta Leather Rear Seats with Tilt Headrests
Old School Hella/Momo wood steering wheel (never seen another one of these)
Momo matching wood shift knob
New matching Black Leather Yellow stitched shift boot
Mint OEM Yellow DE floor mats
Mint OEM Yellow stitched E-Brake handle
Freshly powedercoated ABT Dead pedal
New OEM 20th Anniversary GTI Pedals (matches ABT dead pedal perfect)
OEM style Billet door lock pulls
Euro Upper Glove box
Euro Lower Glove box
42 Draft Designs gauge pod w/VDO boost gauge
Orange MK4 Cluster needles to match boost gauge
Push button Engine start (thought it was cheesy at first, but now I really love it!)
OEM Chrome door handles
OEM Chrome seat belt rods
OEM Chrome E-brake handle (button)
OEM stickerless Black sunvisors
OEM Black Oh $h!t grab handles
Black painted pillars/sunroof switches
Black Suede Headliner
Black Carpeted wood trunk floor
OEM Monster Mats
Lloyd Luxe Black carpet floor mats
Airbag and CEL lights disabled in Gauge Cluster
Exterior
E-code smoked headlights
OEM Vento grill
OEM Black VW Emblems front and rear
OEM Euro VR6 front lip
Mint OEM N/A front lip (currently off the car)
Stuby Fuba antenna
Mint Hella Color Magic All Red Taillights
Hella smoked turn signals for N/A bumper
Hella smoked side marker lights
Votex Long Fog lights w/ yellow Laminex and Kanye Shades
Votex Black roof rack bars w/keys
Dual Stainless Steel turn down exhaust tips
New 32% window tint on all windows
New windshield, and rear hatch glass
Black Billet wiper delete plug
Black Billet hatch spoiler hole plugs
GTI 20th Badge
Suspension
Weitec Coilovers - made by KW, they go low and ride good
Neuspeed chrome upper strut tie bar
Eurosport rear strut tie bar
New front control arms with TT bushings
All suspension and swaybar bushings replaced
Camber kit, car is aligned very nicely, perfect tire wear
New Adams Rotors drilled/slotted with new pads front and rear
Wheels
BBS RS 5x130 Porsche fitment re-drilled to 5x100
Original BBS Gold finish, looks great, lips still have wet polished look
Front: 16x7 et22 - 1" lips and gold bolts
Rear: 16x8 et11 - 2" lips and gold bolts
Hoffman 1/4 Height Center Caps
Black/Gold logo BBS Caps
Falken 912 205/40/16 all around
Custom machined hubrings and hub/wheel centric spacers
H&R Wheel bolts
Wheels ride super smooth, zero steering wheel shake/wobble
BBS Cap removal tool
Stereo/Alarm
Alpine iDA-X305S Headunit with built in Pandora support
USB/iPod connector in lower glove box
Aux-in connector behind front cup holders
Both audio cables are long enough to be re-routed if desired
Front doors and Dash: 6.5" Hertz ESK165 2-way Component
Back panels: 6.5" Hertz ECX165 2-way
JL Audio XD600/6 Digital Amp - 75W x 6 channels @ 4 ohms
Amp is powering all speakers and sub
Stinger Capacitor - 1 Farad Pro - mounted with Amp under rear seat
JL 12w3 DVC Sub Woofer
JL PowerWedge Sealed box
Dynamat on doors and trunk area
JL Amp Bass gain knob mounted in dash next to door unlock/lock switch, looks very clean and works great for quick Bass adjustment
System sounds amazing, very clear and precise with lots of lows, mids and highs.
Clifford Alarm System with Keyless Entry and Ignition Kill
Bads:
Paint is OK, but not perfect. Always looks great in pics and even up close until you start really looking. Small spider cracking on bumpers, roof is fading, hood has several small dents. There is a small rust spot on the passenger rear window, and rust on passenger rocker. Very stable though, can still jack the car on that side from the rocker without any issues. Rockers look clean, plastic skirts look good and are 100% intact. Hatch key pop doesn't work. Have to open hatch by using the center console button. That's it.
Old For Sale thread
I bought the car in Oct 2009 for $6,000
GTD For Sale Thread
$$$ I've spent since ownership - $13,000
Recaros - $2,000
Stereo/Alarm - $3,000
BBS RS's - $2,000
Clutch, Timing Belt, Diesel injector pump, Steering Rack, Brakes, Window Motors - $4,000
Misc interior/exterior - $2,000
***Updated new parts list installed Feb 2013***
Boost Pressure Valve
EGR Vacuum Solenoid
Oil Pan
Oil Pan gasket
Fresh oil change
OEM ECU - had some intermittent issues with the ECU so we replaced the entire ECU with a stock one. I think the rocket chip is OK and could be reinstalled in the new ECU, but I haven't tried yet. I have never ran the stock tune, and it feels just as good, if not better now. Doesn't boost as high, but holds boost better (solid 12psi still), pulls in the upper RPM harder, and is smoother over all.
Car is SOLD!!!
Price for everything: $8,500
I'm in no rush, if you need to wait until after you get your tax return back, sell a kidney or something, let me know. I am interested in trades, especially for late model diesels or other VW/Audi's.
Older but cool pic, still have these smoked tail's if you prefer
Money shots of the wheels (old tires in this pic)
These are the seats
***Updated - fresh engine pics***
Brand new diesel injection pump and alternator
Strut tower bar, manifold
Surface rust on passenger side rear window
Close up
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