Project Fox, During the last two months, the. Part Ill Hella, Neuspeed. and VOO wire the Fox for light

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Project Fox, Part Ill Hella, Neuspeed and VOO wire the Fox for light By Les Bldrawn During the last two months, the performance of Project Fox has not only continued to impress the magazine staff but

2 Project Fox, Part Ill Hella, Neuspeed and VOO wire the Fox for light By Les Bldrawn During the last two months, the performance of Project Fox has not only continued to impress the magazine staff but a number of avid readers as well. At several of our photo shoots and road tests, more than a few individuals have had the opportunity to pilot our little Brazilian roadburner through canyons and country roads while we record information or hang out the window searching for the perfect shot. Comments range from slight grins and "What kind of car did you say this is?" to "What the hell did you do to this thing?" This is encouraging, as these are the same individuals who drive cars ranging from warmed-over GTis to highlymodified 944 turbos. Not bad reactions for a Volkswagen "economy car." Our springs and shocks from Suspension Techniques continue to help us flatten the corners, while the Fittipaldi Fittistar Monolithic wheels and BF Goodrich Comp T/As give us versatile, road-gripping stability. Add radically-improved braking from vented front rotors and braided stain- 48/VW & PORSCHE less steel/teflon brake lines from Automotive Performance Systems, and we've taken our Fox light years from its stock performance. What about the power end of things? Recently, we've turned our attention to Project Fox's motor, working on upgrades to help both the torque curve and the horsepower. Automotive Performance Systems and Autotech have been big players along our path to higher performance. We'll be offering complete coverage of our step-by-step engine mods next issue. If you recall our August '89 issue, our "Four Door Flog" took place at Lake Arrowhead in Southern California. We like to utilize that particular secluded mountain hideaway because the sur rounding roadways are perfect for automotive testing. However, the mere act of getting there occasionally proves to be a challenge. The trip up the mountain is usually undertaken at g-provoking speeds in the late hours of the night. The road to the top, Highway 18, lacks street lights, so every blind corner is an adventure. And the frequent fogs that roll in can slow progress to a snail's pace. What we needed was better lighting. We went to the parts bin of Hella, an industry leader in lighting technology, on our quest to illuminate the Fox through dark passages. Automotive Performance Systems carries an entire line of quality Hella products and fitted us with a set of Hella 200mm H-4 Euro pean headlamps. The H-4 conversions transform the stock headlights, mount ing in the stock headlight buckets without requiring any adapters. This same sort of conversion can be used on any VW or Porsche using the familar round 7 in. headlights. The HAs use separate halogen bulbs and lens/reflector assemblies. We used more powerful 90/100 watt bulbs in place of the stock 55-watt bulbs that come with the lights. The stock halogen bulbs of the Hella lights put out about 20 percent more light-our higher wattage bulbs probably increase efficiency by nearly 40 percent. Instead of cutting the darkness with a popsicle stick, we now have straight razors. The difference is astounding. Installation is easy, requiring a mere 15 minutes and a Phillips-head screwdriver. The Hella units are a direct replacement for the stock lights and utilize the existing wiring connectors. The bright, clear halogen bulb is ready to be installed and comes complete

Hella 200mm H-4 European Headlamps and Hella 181 Fog Lights supply an estimated 40 percent more light. with a sleeve that allows installation without contamination from damaging finger oils.

3 Hella 200mm H-4 European Headlamps and Hella 181 Fog Lights supply an estimated 40 percent more light. with a sleeve that allows installation without contamination from damaging finger oils. On Project Fox, high and low beam on each side are on a separate fuse, which means that no relays are needed, even for the more powerful, optional 100-watt bulbs. If you have a U.S. -made GTI, 1985 to 1988, with only two fuses, a relay may be neccessa ry. The most difficult part of our Fox H-4 conversion was adjusting the headlights following installation. If your own lights are properly adjusted, you probably won't have to adjust the Hella H-4 conversions. On the other hand, remember that the H-4s have a sharp focus and a poorly aimed beam can be irritating to fellow drivers. Since we had lowered Project Fox and the Suspension Techniques SportPak gave our car a jaunty rake, we needed to have our lights properly aligned. APS is one of the few shops in the United States that has a trick Hella aiming unit designed specifically for use with Euro-headlights. The aimer simulates the beam's throw on the open road and allows a skilled techni cian to make a complete adjustment in less than five minutes. It's one of the special services that APS offers that really sets them apart If you don't have access to a Euro-headlight aimer, APS suggests that getting a good approximate aim for your newly installed H-4s is not all that difficult: Position your H-4-equipped car facing a similar-sized vehicle at about 50 yards. With the low beams on, turn the Phill ips -head height adjusting screw so the top edge of the beam falls just a hair below the oncoming windshield. Unfortunately, no matter how bright and correctly aimed H-4s are (or any other headlights, for that matter), driving into a dense fog can leave one helpless. No set of foglights is a substitute for good judgment in a fog bank with low visibility, but a set of good quality fog lights can be a good step in the right direction. We chose a pair of rectangular Hella 181 fogs on as a complement for our new Euro H4 set-up. We mounted the Hella 181s close to the ground. Their precision lens design and accurate cutoff help eliminate glare and do a better job of illuminating the road under adverse road conditions. Just as important, we like the way the Hella 181s look, contributing an aggressive " rally" appearance. Installation of the lights themselves is really a matter of aesthetics. For optimum performance we mounted the Continued on page 102 Hella steering wheel and VDO gauges grace our Fox's cockpit. APS now markets the gauge plate to fill that void just above the ashtray. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1989/49

Project Fox, Part III The VDO oil pressure sending unit and tee adapter are used along with the stock oil senders so that the slick factory dynamic '-1 oil pressure warning system still functions.

4 Project Fox, Part III The VDO oil pressure sending unit and tee adapter are used along with the stock oil senders so that the slick factory dynamic '-1 oil pressure warning system still functions. A 6-pin, 8-amp rated Molex connector Like functions wired into a "loom." The outer brackets are flared to clip onto the console. lights low for reduced glare, chosing a spot on Project Fox about eight inches aft from the outside of the bumper parking lights. This location gave us a good visual appearance, with a sharply staggered effect from the headlights at the outside, parking lights in the mid die, and fogs on the inside. The best tip about the wiring installation is one we reiterate every issue: Be neat. Be simple. Do it the factory way when possible. First step was physical installation of the lights. After we chose our mounting location, the spot was marked, center-punched and a small " pilot hole" drilled for the mounting bolt hole. Next, the hole was drilled with the correct 7,4 6 -in. bit. Using a small pilot drill is a good tip, as it allows for a quicker, neater hole. After drilling through th~ steel framework of the bumper, we filed away the plastic surrounding the hole so the base of the Hella fog lights would mate directly to the steel of the bumper. The " hot" power lines were then fed through the exisiting sealed grommets to the bulb. We terminated the other end of the hot wire at a Hella relay. Not drilling any new holes in the firewall means fewer sealing problems and avoidance of future corrosion. Wherever possible, utilize existing tubing to cover exposed lines. You 'll also want to purchase a bunch of tie wraps to help keep your installation tidy and clean. APS sells the Hella 181 Fog lights as a kit, complete with all required mounting hardware, wiring and relays. And a complete Hella kit is about as complete as things come. We had a few changes to make, however. We upgraded to a slick Hella fused relay with an ATC-style fuse, the same type used in all the stock Fox fuses (all U.S. VWs si nce 1980 or so have these fuses, which help m inimize damage in case of a short. A good relay also improves lighting by minimizing the voltage drop caused by a long wiring run. After connecting the wires to the relay, we ran the color-coded wires through the existi ng grommeted holes in the firewall and wired to the switch we had chosen. The 181 kit comes complete Wiring the fog switch is as follows (all numbers are marked on the back of the switch): Terminal31 is the ground wire; 58b is the dash hot wire (gray with a blue stripe); 75H is the switched on power (hot while the ignition switch is on) while 75h will be the power going to the relay itself. Choosing the correct " hot" line from the dash is a matter of personal.preference. We think it's a good idea to choose a " key-on" power source. That way, accidentally leaving the fog lights on won't drain the battery. with a " universal" switch, but on a car like Project Fox we wanted a switch that more closely matched our interior. As we go to press, neither VW nor the aftermarket have any accessory switches available to match the Fox stock dash console switches. In lieu of the correct factory replacement, we used a rear defroster switch (VW Part No ). The unit fits just under the rear defroster switch on the right side of the console.

PROJECT FOX Hella supplied a distinctive finishing touch on Project Fox by supplying one of their newest offerings, the Hella "Speed" steering wheel.

5 PROJECT FOX Hella supplied a distinctive finishing touch on Project Fox by supplying one of their newest offerings, the Hella "Speed" steering wheel. Not many people know that Hella offers an excellent selection of top-notch steering wheels, but this beautiful leather-wrapped, three-spoke wheel should change that. The thick wheel fits the hand nicely and the quality leather is a big step up from the Brazilian plastic wheel it replaces. The Speed wheel is qne of the new generation of "designer wheels" and features black leather with gray and blue accents, matching the car's interior color scheme perfectly. Anatomically designed, the wheel is slightly smaller than stock at 133f4-in. across. The slight rise in steering effort is hardly noticeable. Volkswagen Fox stock gauges don't exactly overwhelm the driver with information. Our Fox GL was rigged with strictly the basics. After we got started with our engine modifications, we thought it might be a good idea to stay more closely in touch with the pulse of our Fox. Having put on some 20,000 hard miles, we noticed the only use for the slot just over the ashtray and under the radio was in accumulating gum wrappers, tissues, and miscellaneous junk, rendering it useful only as a "garbage bin." Aaron Neuman at APS suggested filling the space with some quality gauges. Leafing through the VDO catalog, we came upon the VDO Night Design series, and it quickly became our favorite. VDO gauges have been a consistent, even ubiquitous choice for our project cars. Why? VDO has proven itself as a top-notch performer, good enough that the factory chooses VDO gauges for both German and Brazilian cars. We removed the "garbage bin" and were gratified to find that the space was perfect for instrumentation with ample depth, height, width and visibility. The unusual3.5x7-in. dimension of our removed bin required a bit of research and development on Aaron's part-but he's no stranger to development work. Most of APS's extensive R&D is directed by Aaron, and he came up with a winner here. The finished Fox gauge panel is a trick little number with the quality and finish we've come to expect from APS. The new mounting plate is wrinklepowder coated to match the Stock Fox center console. Aaron mounted three VDO Night Design gauges (oil.pressure, oil temperature and volt meter) in the face plate by utilizing the standard VDO mounting clamps on the guages. By the way, this gauge panel and package is now a part of the Neuspeed catalog. Best of all, what would normaiiy oe a time-consuming custom fabrication is now available as a standard piece offered by APS. With the plate holding the gauges in place but still out of the console, it's time to wire the units. Think simple, think neat. Plan ahead; leave enough wire so that similar functions can be integrated into a wiring " loom." In other words, run a single power wire, a single ground, and a single instrument light wire. APS offers a wiring kit from VDO (Part No ), which includes color-coded wiring to match the German (and Brazilian) originals: brown for grounds, red for power, green for gauge sending units, gray with a red stripe for illumination, and the assorted terminals required for installation. Aaron recommends using a wire from any dash lighting source (gray/blue) for the gauge lighting, as the gauge lights will then automatically dim when you adjust the lighting. The radio and air conditioning both offer close-by sources for dimmable illumination. We used the same gray/blue wire as for our fog light installation. The ignition hot wire behind the fuse box should be used as a source of swit ched power, while we chose a ground wire from the ashtray light. Finding a power source is a system of trial and error. It might be a good time to invest in a "trouble-light," with a probe to discover whether or not a wire is hot. On most Volkswagens, the wires that are red with a black stripe are switched on with the ignition, but check with your trouble light or ohmmeter to be sure. The VDO voltmeter (Part. No ) was easiest to install, requiring only connections to 12V + (red with a black stripe for key-on power), ground 12V- (brown on most all Volkswagens since 1949) and the blue/gray illumination wire. Although we all normally consider an automotive electrical system to be 12 volt, expect your voltmeter to read a bit higher than 13V as a properly running alternator charges the system at 13.8 volts. Night readings will probably be a bit lower, particularly with add-on lighting like ours. Rest content: The alternator on a VW is just fine, even with added lights. Continued on page 106 PROJECT FOX If the voltage drops below about 12 volts, something is probably wrong. APS supplies the VDO oil pressure gauge (VDO Part No for the 150 psi unit) with both the sender (VDO Part No ) and a teeadapter (VDO Part No ) that allows Volkswagen's trick stock dynamic oil pressure (DOP) warning system to remain functional (That's the rpm and pressure sensitive not-so-idiot light on the dash.) Both stock senders must be in place for the DOP unit to work, so be sure and use the tee. The installation is easy; but remember to be neat and do it correctly the first time. The VDO Night Design oil temperature gauge (Part No ; 300F) requires a separate sending unit. Lack of a suitable location on the Fox motor means that we were forced to use an oil drain type sending unit. VDO Part No replaces the stock oil pan drain plug. Installation is as simple as changing your oil, but you'll want to make sure your engine is cool before exchanging the drain plug. There's nothing quite like hot oil on bare skin. Aaron was extremely meticulous with the installation, being careful to utilize existing ducts and holes. To install the panel into the console, loosen the outermost gauge brackets and flare the outside retainer clips to hold onto the console. Rig the remaining 6-pin connector and hook the unit up. Our newly completed " loom" containing the ground wire, hot wire, lighting wire and sender wires-was then funnelled into shrink wrap terminated with a slick 6-pin Molex connector rated at 5 amps. Aaron rounded up the Molex connector from a local electronics supply store (also a good source for shrinkwrap). The plug-in connector allows the entire panel and gauge unit to be easily removed for servicing. As usual, we close with fervent enthusiasm for our Project Fox. Automotive Performance Systems, Autotech, Neuspeed, Starr Motorsports and several other fine aftermarket companies are busy developing new components that will work to turn this good car into a great car. ~

The numerous m iles of twisty

New Hella Body Kit & Neuspeed components Equal one Fine vw The numerous m iles of twisty canyon and mountain roadways that traverse their way across southern California's terrain are the perfect test beds