Tllis APS·Preooell Jella Is A Real Allenlion Geller!

Tllis APS·Preooell Jella Is a Real Allenlion Geller!
JJt:Bf'UIIB!
by DG Leadbetter
W
hen you are one of the industry leaders in the high-performance aftermarket parts business, what sort of test vehicle would
you want? Some ratty old parts chaser
that needs to be fumigated before you
get in? Well, when you're Automotive
Performance Systems Inc. (or Neuspeed, for those in the know), you do
what any other dyed-in-the-wool speed
freak would do . .. get a 1987 16-valve
Jetta II!
The '87 four-door Jetta II was the
perfect base to use as a testing ground
for all of APS' performance parts. APS
owner Bill Newman and his son Aarron, pioneered this potent proving
ground, over-seeing every step in the
development of Neuspeed equipment
before being mass-produced for the pub-
lie. But enough about the company,'
let's take an in-depth look at this
liquid-cooled street screamer.
Just looking at this second generation ground-pounder, one would be led
to think it would be more at home on
the open stretches of the Autobahn,
than the side streets of Southern California . Before the white paint was applied, there were some minor modifications needed. All of the exterior
emblems and stock side lights were
removed and the holes filled and prepped for paint. The body kit for this
stylish ride is a Rella unit with fog
lights in the fro11t spoiler. All of the
components (fender flares, side skirts
and rear bumper skirts) were colormatched to the exterior paint by Anaheim Hills Auto Body. A new front
grille was in order, so the stock component was trashed in favor of a custom unit outfitted with Rella Euro
headlights. 'Ibpping off this wild Jetta
LEFT - Oh sure, It may look like a stock 16-V
powerplant, but lurking within is a modified
engine.
is a Kamei rear spoiler, all of which
is painted in blinding white enamel.
A more aggressive stance for the '87
Jetta was obtained from a complete set
ofNeuspeed progressive rate lowering
springs. With the body dropped, a new
set of tires and wheels were on the
agenda. Yokohama AVS Dry radial tires
(195/50/15s) were mounted on 15x7inch BBS forged aluminum wheels. Of
course, the rims were painted to match
the rest of this pure white 16-V!
Lowered progressive springs weren't
the only handling modifications on the
APS Jetta. A set of heavy-duty Neuspeed sway bars were incorporated into
the chassis (25mm in the front and a
massive 28mm out back), as well · as
upper strut ti:e-bar, rear strut tie-bar
and Bilstein shock absorbers at all
four corners. Helping out in the front
braking department is a Neuspeed Big
Brake disc conversion, with 11-inch
rotors and Repco brake pads.
The 16-V engine was plenty fast in
its stock configuration, but why leave
well enough alone? The folks at APS
decided to add a Euro camshaft with
a better flowing Gillet exhaust system.
'Ib insure better cooling, a Neuspeed
5-quart aluminum oil.,pan was installed, as well as a 180-degree fan switch.
'Ib further enhance the cooling capabilities of the 16-V, a multi-pass oil
cooler was installed utilizing Earl's
fittings and stainless steel braided
hose. The only modification to the
transaxle was the addition of a short
shift kit that gives the operator a
50% reduction in shifter travel.
Moving inward, one finds an interior
that's just as stylish as the rest of the
vehicle. All the creature comforts (including stock-from-the-factory Recaro
sport seats) can be found in a glance;
steering wheel, custom center console
outfitted with an array of VDO Night
Design gauges, VW Motorsport shift
knob and boot, Neuspeed floor mats,
Auto Look aluminum pedal covers and
a killer sound system. A Blaupunkt
Tucson AM/FM stereo cassette deck
was utilized along with matching graphic EQ and two 60 watt amps. All
this empties into eight (count 'em)
speakers throughout the vehicle.
This "test vehicle" gives you the best
of both worlds, comfort, speed and
superb handling capabilities. The next
time you purchase one of APS' performance products for your Jetta, you can
be assured that it was put through the
paces on this white wonder.
~
VW TRENDS/NOVEMBER 1989 tJ7
AUTOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS, INC.
3300 Corte Malpaso • Camarillo, CA 93012
805.388.71 71 tel • 805.388.0030 fax • [email protected]
WWW.NEUSPEED.COM