1998 VW Jetta GLX
If you've ever owned or driven a Volkswagen in the last 15 years, you must be familiar with the 2.8 liter VR6 12v engine. Introduced in '92 with the Corrado and Passat, it was the first six-cylinder engine for FWD VWs thanks to its transverse arrangement.
The sound of the 172hp, 177 lb-ft staggered-six was music to the ears, especially with theaddition of a performance exhaust. Fast-forward to '94 and the motor was offered across the VW roster, including the Golf and Jetta. As its popularity grew, tuners dissected the narrow-angled motor to create a diverse range of upgrades, enabling more than 300whp to be obtained using either a supercharger or turbocharger.
Over a decade-and-a-half later, the 12v motor is still prevalent among enthusiasts. Gentlemen like Jeff Whittington have built multiple examples, blown and boosted, but he favors a turbo in his hardcore Euro-styled '98 Jetta.
The 25-year old from central Pennsylvania makes a living as an inventory coordinator for an online automotive reseller. But when he's not plugging away on the computer, he's wrenching on Volkswagens. In fact, he had VW in his veins since before he could drive.
"I got into the whole scene when I was 15," Jeff began. "My grandpa had a VW pickup and had always been into air-cooleds. My dad was also into Veedubs and took me to get my first car, a '89 Jetta Coupe."
Most teenagers might make time after school to tinker with their cars, but Jeff was so in love that he amalgamated his Jetta into the school curriculum. "In Central PA, in order to graduate high school, you have to work on a project from freshman until you're a senior. So what I did was rebuild everything on my Mk2. Stripped it down, painted it, rebuilt the motor and put Euro bumpers on it, then documented everything with photos for my class project." Not bad for a homework assignment.
Jeff overhauled the Kinetic...
Jeff overhauled the Kinetic stage 3 turbo kit to give 410whp thrust from his VR6
Once Jeff finished his school project, the VW addiction worsened. Ten years later, he's owned 15 of them. This Mk3 Jetta being his most recent and extravagant.
"The Mk3 has taken more time than any other project," Jeff continued. "My last car was a supercharged Mk3 GTI VR6. I did a fair amount of work and it was super clean. But it was kinda you're typical Mk3 GTI with Keskin wheels, coilovers, boser hood, etc."
Unfulfilled, Jeff searched for his next specimen. He wasn't about to give up on the VR6 engine, and located a slightly modified Jetta. "The car needed a lot of work. It was like some guy had a lot of money but went about it all wrong. To me, it's about fit 'n finish."
The battered VR6 had a Kinetic stage 3 turbo but the kit apparently looked like a seventh grader had installed it. So Jeff tore through the motor and re-did everything.
Starting with the plumbing, he ran braided oil lines, wiring, intercooler piping, silicone hoses and electrics. While he was at it, he ported 'n polished the head, changed to C2 Motorsport software and installed a T3/T4 80-trim turbo with Tial 42mm wastegate. ARP head studs and bolts along with a C2 head gasket spacer ensured the motor would survive the additional boost.
Matched with the factory five-speed manual, Jeff also added a Peloquin limited-slip to help with traction.
"When I drove my supercharged GTI VR6, the power was linear," he explained. "But with the Jetta turbo, power was more abrupt. The power didn't come on until 4500rpm, but it pulls until 7000rpm. In my opinion, the drivability is better with the turbo. And since I re-did everything, it's never let me down and idles perfectly. My goal was to have a car that makes big power but drives like an everyday car."
Jeff's quest was validated by a trip to the dyno, which measured 410whp and 358 lb-ft.
Once the need for speed was buckled down, he proceeded to improve the appearance, starting with the wheels. And yes, you guessed it; the wheels are the ever-so-popular BBS RS - a set he purchased secondhand from Melissa Welsh (et 9/08).