It’s difficult to do justice to such a complex topic in just a few paragraphs but suffice to say the world’s truly your oyster when it comes to Mk2 underbonnet tuning shenanigans…
From reworked cylinder heads to bike carbs, throttle bodies and full blown engine transplants, there’s no shortage of options available to transform the humble Mk2 into a super quick M3 worrier.
For those without much cash to spend, having an original GTi’s K-Jetronic engine tuned by an expert can work wonders. From there, a flowed, skimmed and ported cylinder head will unleash good potential – especially when combined with a high lift cam from the likes of Piper, with up to 20 extra bhp being possible. A similarly inexpensive option is to fit a race manifold and a bigger bore tuned stainless exhaust and this could release a further 8-10bhp. Bike carbs on a Mk2 sound menacing but they’re a fiddle to adjust and you’ll need a custom manifold made, an electric fuel pump and regulator – and it will drink the juice. If you’re going the carb route, stick with Webers.
Just a few hundred pounds will allow you to increase capacity to 2.0-litres, courtesy of a Corrado/Passat 9A 16v bottom end which is a simple upgrade on the K-Jetronic cars because you can use the original head and wiring. Alternatively, the Audi 3A bubble block is the perfect upgrade for 8v units, it being the same height (so no rubbing issues) as the original VW lump, although you really need the assistance of a specialist to help make it all work.
Throttle body blare is seriously seductive, and you’ll find at least another 20bhp from your Mk2 after fitting them, but that awesome holler comes at a cost because the Jenvey kit costs £1400, you’ll need an aftermarket ECU such as an Emerald along with a load of other complex gubbins. The best benefit is to be had if you combine them with a trick head and high compression pistons.
Once you’ve made the mods you want, why not tidy up your bay with a set of Samco hoses and replace the original engine mounts with uprated items to reduce movement and make your Mk2 feel a whole lot tighter…
Happy tuning!
Ian
The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage
Hola estoy asiendo lo de los biker carbs la chispa de la bujía como la sacan no miro distribuidor y me disen que con el distribuidor original perderá hps a altas revoluciones como puedo buscar ese kit le tiene ese 16v es lo unico que me falta
Hola, Mario.
Desafortunadamente, no tenemos el kit. Sentimos no poder ayudarte con eso.