My GTI Cabrio - Snowy. :)

Right then, been on this forum for a while (been more of a lurker really!) and been meaning to post up my cabby for aaages but never seemed to have time…

So here we go, the tale of me and my mate 'Snowy'!  (Sorry, I always choose stupid names for my cars!)

I bought my F-plate GTI cabrio of a fellow member of the VAG club I help run (Newport Edition) for a good price early in April 2008, after running into a slight(!) debt problem and having to sell my Fabia vRS.  I'd previously had a string of VW's - several mk2 Golf GTI's and a mk3 Polo G40, but had always wanted a mk1 cabrio and now was the time…  

Here he is as I bought him.  Pretty tidy but just needed a little bit of tlc and a little modernising:-



It was already lowered on Koni adjustables, had full leather interior, newish roof and was pretty damn clean all round, even the original wax was (and still is) in place around the scuttle area and around all hinges.  The headliner was a bit manky but I just put that to the back of my mind…  The main thing that needed to go was the 4-lamp grille, I hate those things!  

After collecting the car a few days later I was lucky enough to be able to store it at my local VAG dealership (friends own it) until I managed to sell the Fabia, that took about 2-3 weeks iirc:-



So after a few weeks of not seeing Snowy I sold the Fabia and got to pick him up.    I drove it for about 4 days (in poor weather!) then dropped it off at Gwent VW for a cat 1 alarm to be fitted, and they also threw on a spanking new set of ATS Cups for me while it was in their care…  When I got it back it was looking a lot nicer (sorry, car not clean in these pics!):-











The MFA wasn't working 100% (was flickering and coming and going, but a bit of fuse pulling sorted that, although I think the fuse pulling confused it a little…  Isn't this supposed to be average speed???:-


(Fastest Golf in the world!!)


Feeling well happy with the result of the new rims and stereo, plus getting the MFA working properly, I then set about installing a new ipod-only Alpine stereo with bluetooth handsfree built in (dodgy pic sorry!):-



It works really well and even though it's the bottom of the ipod-only range, I love it.  Had to go for the bottom of the range model as I wanted the green illumination!

The next few days we had some decent sun so I just enjoyed the car (in between work interrupting my fun!).

I'd now been driving the car about a week and was desperate to change the front grille.  I'd purchased an early style single headlamp grille and was planning on fitting it that weekend…

Friday came and I was itching to change the grille, but the car had other ideas…  It wanted to teach me a lesson for not changing it sooner.  On the way to work on the Friday morning I modded the front grille (and a few panels) in a whole new way…:-





Good job I hated the 4-lamp grille really!  The accident happened at J28 of the M4 in Newport during the morning rush hour - a 4x4 in front was at the roundabout and pulled off, I looked quickly and thought 'I'll make that too' and floored it, looked forward, BANG!  He'd stopped.  Needless to say I was in disbelief, I'd always wanted a mk1 cabrio and after driving it for only about a week I'd smashed it up!  Luckily the chap I hit was a doctor and was fed up of people claiming for whiplash etc. so that was good, he just wanted to have his car repaired, although my car was so low and his so high I had almost driven underneath it!

The car was taken into Spiteri's garage in Caerleon (near Newport) as it is a friend-of-a-friend's place and nothing happened for weeks, I was so nervous about it being written off.  Luckily the boys in the garage said they'd not let it be written off and would force the insurance company to agree to a contract repair.  I was given a VW Fox as a courtesy car (God, they're bad cars!).  This day was the start of the good 7 weeks weather we had April/May last year.  Typical!

Sure enough, after about 4 weeks Highway Insurance (horrible bunch!) called Spiteri's and said get the car ready, they were collecting it that day as it was going to be written off!  Thankfully the boys in Spiteri's were true to their word and told them nicely to 'go away' and the car was going nowhere.  About 2 more weeks passed and finally a contract repair price was agreed, I got hold of a 2nd hand bonnet off a Newport Edition member, handed them the new grille and lights I already had, and a pattern slam panel was ordered up:-





Finally, something was being done!  I was getting seriously fed up of the damn VW Fox and was almost in tears every time I saw a cabrio going round with the roof down…

I was bored of doing nothing while the car was in the spray shop, so decided I'd make Snowy a bit more 'scene' with some all-red rears.  Basically I bought some M3 crystals and used Lamin-x film to cover the clear part of the light:-



I was hoping I'd have the car back for Bristol Volksfest during June, but it wasn't to be.  I was gutted…  The weather was awesome too that weekend!

Finally, a few days later my mate Gaz heard from Spiteri's (I'd missed their calls due to being in work) and they said the car was going to be ready that Thursday, the day before Inters!

Luckily a few days later that day came and at 2pm, Snowy and I were finally reunited!  My mate Gaz and I spent hours and hours tidying the car up, new grille badge, changing the light clusters, giving it a damn good clean, grinding a little off the rear arches (they were catching the tyres slightly - et20).  We both work at Inters so had to be up and out early on the Friday to getup there, so that afternoon was the only chance we had to sort the car.  Luckily it all turned out well, and here was the result:-












The next few months I just enjoyed the show season (well, the boozing!) and just had fun.

Got a nice shot of the car on one of the few decent weekends we had last summer(!) at a mate's house during a party (Yes, I'm a sad loser and vacated the party to take a sneaky photo of my car!).  Looks like it could be abroad!:-



Next step was to tart the interior up slightly, I'd bought a lovely new Newton Commercial carpet set for a bargain price at Inters so got that fitted (stupidly I put the mats in too so they're in the way!):-







It actually sits a little better now after several months settling, but is 100% better than the scrappy carpet that was in there before.

I then realised the pedals were shockingly bad against the now tidy interior, so out with the hacksaw and in with the Audi TT pedal covers:-


Much better!

This was nearing the end of the summer so just enjoyed what little good weather we had and prepared for the annual Newport Edition trip - the Nurburgring!  The cabby performed flawlessly all trip and we had the roof down for ALL of the trip, and I mean ALL of it! (roof put up at night for security - too many brits over there!):-

Adenau square:-


Outside the guest house (our hotel was fully booked the 1st night!):-


Lining up to go on the track, showing the official my number plate (as I don't run a front plate).  This pic is from the Ring-Cam:-


Another Ring-Cam pic, that BMW looks scared!  :-


Various Nurburgring shots:-











And one final one from the top Nurburgring car park (by the Gr?ne H?lle cafe):-



The above shot is pretty much how the car looks now and was taken in October.

Recent jobs were just to make it through the winter - the car did that perfectly, although it's weird having to adjust to a car that likes to freeze it's own doors shut, and also has icy cold leather, as well as heaters that take 30 mins to warm up - apparently I need a winter thermostat for that last one, but I found gloves and my snowboard gear was a quicker fix!

I've also recently changed the manky white headliner that was stained for a black item I purchased at BVF last year, was a bit of a pain to fit as I decided to do it with the outer skin in place but only took a few hours.  Most of the guides I read online about it said to take photos af the headliner as you remove it so you know how to refit yours…  that wasn't an option as mine wasn't properly fitted as I found out upon removing it.  The black one looks great now though, even though it usually hidden by the boot cover!

Another job was to recolour the black leather due to some scratches and cracks (I hadn't cared for them well).  I purchased a furniture clinic kit that worked wonders, very pleased with the results!

Next task is to restore and fit the chrome grille surrounds I have, will leave that for a few weeks.  Also need to spray the black grille badge chrome as the original chrome paint wore off (cheap pattern badge!).  Or if anyone has an early style metal grille badge they don't want, let me know!

Finally, and this is a big thing, I think I'm going to save up for a 1.8T conversion, although that's going to be a long way off!  Main thing at the moment (especially with the weather we've been having) is - Roof down, sun up, shades on, tunes up!

Cheers for reading peeps, hope I haven't bored you!

Nick

Car looks great love the smoothness of the front bumper.

Cheers dude.    It's a bit risky running no front plate but I do it for the look!  Running no front plate since last June now, it's scandalous really!  

Only just noticed your in Newport, you go to any of the Newport Edition Meets?  Would like to see this one.

nice cab!

would like to put mine on a set of ATS cups, looks lovely

What the Newport edition meets?

I'm only in bristol and work in Chepstow so would love to come along to the next meet

Cheers dude.  

I actually help run Newport Edition guys, so I'm usually at all the meets and shows

If you're interested - www.newportedition.com

Aww, don't go on there that much but fancy going to a few of the meets again.  When is the next one?

They're the first Sunday of each month at Rodney Parade, 7pm onwards.

Hello buddy Always loved white cabbys!! looks really good fella!
just a question,
when you tinted your m3 crystals did you cover the lot or just the clear?
If you just did the clear does it leave a noticable ridge at the edge of the film?
Oh and I take it your reverse lights show red now?
just checking cos I like full red but dont know about red reverse lights.
May go with smoke yet?
Cheers dude!

didn't like white….til i saw this.

stunning work, only a few wee mods and what a difference.

Mind telling me where you got the grille? Want the same one for my resto cab in black (we can do a black and white photoshoot when I'm done, I plan to make my cab a bit like yours, only black.)

Peace.

WOW if i can get 1 half as nice as this ill be thrilled really nice car mate

Nice motor. Looks very similar to mine  I need to do a similar amount of tidying and tweaking.

I've been lurking around on the NE sie now and again.  Haven't signed up yet but may be worth a look for me.  I think one of my cars old owners is/was a pretty active member.

Sorry for slow reply guys, been a busy bee.

@ cubed - Cheers dude.  I just covered the clear part of the lights.  There is a slight ridge at the edge of the film but when on the car u simply can't notice it.    And yeah, the reverse lights are red, but that's fine.  

@ WeeTony - Thanks man, white is the future!      I got the grille and surrounds from ebay, was about ?18 or so I think.  Get searching for early mk1 grilles and you'll find one in no time.  

@ bigbez - Cheers dude.  

@ neo283 - Thanks dude.  Get yourself down to a few of the NE meets if you can.  

Hi Mate, Superb Motor. You done a A1 job!!

I'm after some advice please.

I have a Mk1 cabriolet like yours. I'm also running ATS Cups ET28 but on the original standard suspension. My wheels are rubbing, the tyres catch on the front and back arches. Mainly when I corner to fast or hit bumps or carry any passengers.

What can I do to eliminate the wheels hitting the arches? Will upgrading the suspension or fitting coilovers help stiffen it up so there's less travel.

Any advice is appreciated.

sell the ats cups to me that will cure most of the problems..i love thoes rims

Lovely car mate. Love the tt pedal covers, think I might copy you there was it much of a job? What year was the tt?