My 02 Jetta Wagon Build

[V6MustangFTW]

Hello all. Ive been a longtime lurker on the site but never really posted. Decided I'd try starting a thread on my most recent purchase. Its an 02 Volkswagen Jetta wagon with an auto transmission, 210,000 miles on the body and supposedly around 135,000 on the 2.0 engine. At the moment the only mod it has is lowering springs from the previous owner. Goal is to get as much MPG as possible as its going to be my new daily as well as being used for delivering. I'll try to update when I have time as I get some tank numbers and work on mods.

[Cd]

Welcome !
Looking forward to your build.

Does the car have a roofrack ?
That's an easy 1 - 3 mpg right there if you remove it.
They are usually made to come off easily, and any holes that may be there can be plugged with automotive grommets, and sealed with a dab of clear caulking. .

[freebeard]

Would you spend more than you save for the bragging rights, or is it driven by ROI?

[V6MustangFTW]

Cd- it doesnt have crossbars but it does have rails. I may look into removing them as i want to remove the antenna as well, just scared its gonna look bald without them lol.
Freebeard- im trying to keep this as a budget build for the sake of ROI, but me being me im sure I'll end up spending some if it gets me some good numbers.

[V6MustangFTW]

Also, I'd like to run through at least one tank so I have some sort of baseline before I do any real mods. I believe epa ratings are 22/29. I'll try to figure out how to upload pics today as well. Im having weird issues with my scangauge since i swapped it over from my truck. The screen was blank at first, and when i got it to work it functioned as it should, then the next time i drove it it was showing i was getting 1200 average mpg. Is this just because i havent calibrated it yet, or could this be some sort of electrical gremlin since it doesnt have the original engine? Just please dont tell me my scangauge is dying lol

[ECO-AKJ]

Some of the things that don't cost much:

Air up the tires to max sidewall or slightly below

Get an OBD adapter that will pair with your phone and download the Torque app or Dash Command.

Then you can look at rpm vs speed in top gear and keep the vehicle in the highest gear and the lowest speed possible.

Test to see if engine goes to idle when you put it in neutral at speed, if so, then that should help (note to rev match when going back to "D")

If you drive to where the transmission won't shift into overdrive due to speed and load, turn off the overdrive if possible, that will allow the torque converter to lock in direct (like the old days when you take a truck out of overdrive when towing)

Hope this helps, I did this with a 2005 Ford Focus Auto and consistently got 38-40MPG on a vehicle rated 29MPG highway

[V6MustangFTW]

Hopefully these pictures upload correctly...
Edit: it worked! As you can see she sits pretty low, and I'm already thinking of how to cover the holes in the bumper where the fog light blanks should be.

[freebeard]

I'm already thinking of how to cover the holes in the bumper...

Sharkmouth or chrome Dagmars?

[V6MustangFTW]

Had to google that one... never knew thats what those bumpers were called looks like I could get the oem covers for cheap, but I think I can get creative with some sheetmetal and rivets for free since I already have those laying around.
Also, what do the aero experts here think of that lower lip? Can I take it off, or maybe replace it with something with a bit more clearance? It was already broken and zip tied together when I got the car and it keeps scraping on certain driveways because of how low the car sits.

[freebeard]

Low is relative. I had to raise my Superbeetle to 3 1/2" at the tow hook to clear bunp strips.

Air dams point downward and restrict air under the car. Splitters point forward and provide downforce.

Drifter's stitch: