The Mk2 GTI 16v was the pinnacle of engineering in its day. More powerful than the standard Golf, the 1.8 featured a revised camshaft, higher compression ratio and modified fuel injection to provide 123hp and 120 lb/ft of torque. Add stiffer suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, a larger fuel tank and close-ratio five-speed transmission and you have yourself a fun car for the street and track. Of course, we're imagining ourselves in the late '80s when 8sec was quick for zero to 60.
Fast forward 15 years and we remember the Mk2 GTI as a classic. Despite its monumental status, a stock one would be overwhelmed on a road course today. The lasting image of the little hatchback would be a shrinking figure in the rearview mirror of turbocharged 4WD cars.
Old school VW enthusiasts are aware of this predicament and many have rejuvenated Mk2s to battle today's motors. One tuner that continuously strives in this area is Kinetic Motorsport from Surrey, BC, Canada. With the leadership and creativity of Shawn van Neer, the company has skyrocketed from its founding in late '02. Since his days at Momentum Motorsports, Shawn's been a respected turbocharger specialist on the scene. His technical expertise has lately branched out to include the domestic and Japanese import communities as well. However, we'll forgive him that because exposure to the import market has sparked an interest in building cars for Time Attack runs.
Far from betraying his VW brethren, his forte remains turbocharged Mk2 Golfs, and when he happened to be provided with an '88 GTI 16v owned by Erwin Debruin of Neepawa, Manitoba, Shawn dove into the rickety chassis to build a track warrior.
Before going to work, Shawn did a little homework to see how much power was needed to outperform competitors in its class. He decided forced induction was necessary and the factory engine was insufficient. Although the 1.8 was reliable and nimble, it didn't possess sufficient power potential. So he pulled the motor and dropped in a 2.0 ABA block from a Mk3.
The advantages of the ABA were bigger displacement and cost efficiency, and the OE-style swap didn't require special building. The block came with an 8v head, which was changed to a ported and polished 16v head from the old 1.8. This lowered the compression in anticipation of forced induction.
The factory valves received a custom grind before Schrick cams were installed to control them. The head was then secured with stronger bolts from ARP, but the head gasket is a stock 2.0 part. Building a boosted Mk2 entails the need for high performance pistons, so Shawn acquired a set of Wiseco forged pistons with 8.9:1 compression.
Jenvey individual throttle bodies allow equal cylinder displacement of fuel and air. The throttle bodies also permit more aggressive timing and leaner fuel rates at lower rpm ranges. And to improve air intake, Jenvey provided a reshaped intake manifold while Kinetic Motorsport built and designed the intake plenum.
Shawn then initiated plans for the Kinetic Motorsport turbocharger kit. It would be based on the factory TDO5 turbo from the Mitsubishi/Eagle Talon, which would be the equivalent of a Garret GT30 -12 once it had been modified.