My ‘98 Jetta TDI
Why Is My TDI Special?
It Doesn’t LOOK Special…

Externally, the car
appears nearly stock.
Less Is More…
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Externally, the car
appears nearly stock.
All modifications and
“goodies” are
beneath the skin.
It Blends In…


This allows me to
blend in while in
traffic or parked
downtown…
It is also less likely
to attract thieves,
vandals, or police.
But What About INSIDE?
Melt the Hours Away…

I made it a point to
make the car
enjoyable to drive.
For My Listening Pleasure…

I installed a Pioneer
CD/MP3 player (w/16GB flash drive) and I
can stream music from
the Internet through
my smartphone. I have
seemingly endless music
available during long
road trips.
Communications Suite…

I also installed my
two-way radio suite,
which includes a VHF
ham radio, a VHF/UHF
ham radio, and an “allmode” HF/VHF/UHF
ham radio.
Communications Suite…
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The VHF/UHF ham
radio is a tiny
discontinued Yaesu
FT-90R mobile radio.
I operate at 10-watts
to avoid heat-related
issues. Ten watts is
sufficient since I use
this radio for local
contacts.
Communications Suite…

The remote mounted
display fits perfectly
in the “ashtray.”
Communications Suite…

The crown jewel of my
setup is the Yaesu FT857D. It operates on
HF, VHF, and UHF
Amateur Radio bands at
up to 100-watts. It also
operates in all modes,
including AM, FM, CW,
SSB, and digital modes.
Communications Suite…

Like the FT-90R, the
FT-857D has a remotemountable control panel.
I made a mounting tab
that allowed me to put
the quick release
bracket on the front of
the ashtray. The
position of both radios is
nearly perfect.
Communications Suite…

The rest of the FT857D is mounted in the
trunk. A bonding strap
along with the antenna
wire conduit runs
between the trunk lid
and trunk. The factory
trim piece covers the
underside of the trunk
lid.
Communications Suite…

My “antenna farm”
includes VHF/UHF
antennas for the FT90R (APRS) and FT857D; plus the ATAS120A Active Tuning
Antenna System for
7-54 MHz (not
pictured).
Quickly Removed…

Knowing how easily
this stuff can be
stolen, my design
includes the ability for
all equipment to
disappear in about 10
seconds.
Almost…

One thing I cannot
“stow” is my gauge
panel. Wanting a
“better” gauge panel, I
fabricated this plate
to hold my EGT and
Boost gauges along
with my Scan Gauge II
and water-injection
status lights.
ScanGauge II

The Scan Gauge II plugs into
the OBD port and displays:
MPGs, Fuel Rate, Battery
Voltage, Coolant Temp,
Intake Air Temp, Engine RPM,
Speed, Manifold Pressure,
Engine Load, and Throttle
Position. It also performs
the following trip functions:
Max Speed, Avg Speed, Max
Coolant Temp, Max RPM,
Driving Time, Driving
Distance, Fuel Used, Trip
MPG, Tank MPG, Distance to
Empty, Time to Empty, and
Fuel to Empty.
Navigation…

I was never a fan of
navigation aids until I
started driving in
Washington DC. Now I’m
convinced they’re a great
part of driving; if not to
get you where you’re
going, then to find things
when away from a
computer or the Yellow
Pages. This is a Garmin
nuvi 1300LMT.
Hidden Stuff…
This is the equipment that’s hidden from sight: APRS position
encoder, 300W voltage inverter, FT-90R “brain,” 200W subwoofer
amp, ground block, fuse block, relay panel, and remote fuse box.
Where Did You Have the
Electronics Work Done?
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I installed all aftermarket electronics
equipment myself at home.
I was once an electronics technician in the
Coast Guard; so it was easy.
Besides, the best way to get exactly what you
want is to do it yourself…
And save the money that could’ve been spent on
a hack job for something else… like suspension
and turbo upgrades! ;-)
Any Mechanical Mods?
Any Mechanical Mods?

Yes… But you
wouldn’t know by
looking… ;-)
Look, Ma… No Exhaust!

I performed a
“mufflerectomy” by
replacing the catback with a 2.5-inch
straight pipe…
Look, Ma… No Exhaust!

I eventually went with
a resonator so the car
would pass visual
inspections. It’s “just
enough” to look like a
muffler without
inhibiting flow. 
New Injectors…

I also added a set of
PowerPlus 502
Performance Injection
Nozzles by Fratelli
Bosio.
New Engine Programming…
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Custom reprogramming
transformed the TDI’s
driving experience.
New Engine Programming…
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My older TDI features a
socketed ECU that makes
switching programs a snap.
Testing various programs
is easy, too.
New Engine Programming…

Chip tuning offers
the most dramatic
performance
upgrade. With all
mods combined, I
last measured 136hp and 263-lb/ft at
the wheels. That’s
50-whp and 105lb/ft over stock.
Water Injection…

I installed a watermethanol injection
system by Snow
Performance. The
purpose of injecting
water into the intake
is to reduce charged
air intake
temperatures to
maintain power.
Water Injection…

In my case, I inject
water-only since my
SCCA class prohibits
methanol injection. I
also do not believe
injecting methanol is
healthy to a small
diesel engine in the
long run.
Water Injection…

Water injection is
essentially “chemical
intercooling.” This is
attractive on my A3
platform where
installing a large
FMIC requires cutting
the front rebar
(undesirable for
handling and illegal
for SCCA events).
European Intake…

My final performance
modification was the
installation of an
intake manifold from
a European Passat PD130. The gain/effect
is small. But it’s good
to know I have an
improved part. ;-)
Suspension Upgrade…
Suspension Upgrade…
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
I upgraded the
suspension system
with a Ground Control
coilover system with
adjustable height.
The kit features
Bilstein HD struts and
Eibach Spec springs
(430#F/340#R).
Suspension Upgrade…

I maintained the oneinch drop given by my
former Shine Racing
Service (SRS) kit and
kept the SRS rear
swaybar. I like the
way it hides in the
torsion beam; and it
works great!
Suspension Upgrade…

Handling is tight and
precise; but not
rough. The car is
fairly neutral with a
hint of oversteer at
the limit (just the
opposite of my SRS
kit).
Smoking Tires = Lost Speed…

However, I put down
more than enough
torque to spin the
inside wheel during
aggressive cornering.
Extra Traction!

So I installed a Peloquin
torque-biasing
differential during a
Sachs VR6 clutch
upgrade.
Extra Traction!

Now ALL torque goes
to the ground!
Miscellaneous Mods…

Since I travel a lot, I
added a 1 1/4” hitch
receiver.
Miscellaneous Mods…
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It’s very handy for
carrying bulky items,
excess cargo,
bicycles…
Miscellaneous Mods…
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…and even towing an occasional load…
Miscellaneous Mods…
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Finally, I added a
set of 15x7.5”
ACT/Ronal LS alloy
wheels.
I have two sets: one
with 205/50R15
(summer/street) and
one with 225/45R15
(autocross).
Anything Cosmetic?
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My current plan is to leave the car’s external
appearance basically stock.
This will make it an unlikely “sleeper”
and perhaps allow me to continue showing the
car in mild show classes.
Besides, it’s what’s inside that counts.
Isn’t That What We’re
Taught As Children?
VISIT
at StealthTDI.com