Slippys chrome bits looks like a build thread starting!!!!!

Stripped the black center console out during the week in preparation for the new cream / beige one I had picked up from Germany.
As I was going to fit VDO gauges in the new console, I did not want to start cutting out the dash for the switch panel so removed the ash tray and lighter panel and moved the window button/roof button panel from the old console up to where the ash tray was, the fit was just slightly loose so got some silicon hose and fitted short pieces over the fixing lugs on the button panel this gave a nice snug and tight fit.
When the new console arrived gave it a quick wash, and then tried it out, spot on not an exact match to the leather but not very far off.
The new oil pressure sender also arrived so got the polishing gear out and gave it the once over. Just waiting for the VDO gauges to arrive oil pressure, oil temp and volts, white faced from an Audi, should look the part. I have done the VDO gauge fit before on my 89 MK2 8V GTI I don't foresee any major problems, however for this fit I plan to fit an extra new oil temp sender so I will get the oil temp at the dash and the VDO gauge.     

VDO gauges arrived so stripped them from the Audi holder and tried them out very nice, they came with the wiring loom so, will get them wired up over the next few days.
Will need to fit an extra temperature sender on the oil cooler to run the gauge, should be straight forward as there is an extra blanking cap on the top of oil cooler.
Also looking out for chrome bezels for them LOL.

Got the new VDO gauges wired up and working just have to fit the oil pressure sender tomorrow, they have a nice red glow in the dark.
Also picked up 2 sets of genuine VW metal chrome door pull surrounds and pulls, had been searching a while to find them, then 2 sets came up at once, took a bit of tweaking to get them to fit with out catching, I had to file out a small groove on the pull handle mounts but they work fine now.

 

Got the VDO oil pressure sender fitted this morning, so now all the gauges are working. Took a spin down to Oxford Island for the air cooled show.
The first photo shows the gauges at the cold start figures 3 bar pressure the second shows after the 40 min drive with everything at a normal running temperature 1 bar pressure.
Only one problem now the oil warning light in the dash came on at warm idle, put this down to the new sender so when I got home I removed the blanking cap on the oil cooler and refitted the old oil pressure sender and wired it up, tired the car again at hot idle no warning light. I had wanted to use the spare fitting on the oil cooler for an extra temperature sender, so I would have the dash temp read out  and VDO gauge temperature showing.
May change the oil to something heaver which will keep the pressure up. But still happy with results.

Back to the chrome and polish.
Had painted the vacuum sender black but thought I would give a clean down and polish, came up ok.



Back to the VDO gauges wanting to keep the chrome look I had searched for chrome bezels, but could only find ones for TIM gauges, not wanting to waste spending cash on something that may not fit I have been on the look out for some way to make my own, Blue Peter eat your heart out LOL.
So sitting in the office this week I spied an empty coke can, so thinking aluminium and polish I checked out the base and what do you know a perfect alloy bezel looking me in the face so measured it up and not far off the 53mm VDO gauge size.
A quick hunt and I had 4 cans.
Got home and used a pair of very sharp pointed scissors to cut the base off each can, then carefully trimmed back the access to the point on the base where the bezel edge would start. I then put the multi tool in the vice and using a small grinding stone ground  the edge down to as near a circle as I could get.
I then changed the grinding stone for a very fine cutting disc and very very carefully cut out the centre of the base. Warning if you try this, the base gets very hot and the edges are sharp.
Once the centre was out I put the grinding stone back in and took off all the rough edges.
I also used a small needle file and very fine sand paper to get the final size. Tried it on the gauge and almost perfect.
Got the polishing wheel out and gave it the once over bloody hell came up like a mirror finish could not believe it!!!
Put the alloy bezel onto a flat piece of wood and gave it a good final polish with a soft cloth.
Tried the final fit, spot on then two small spots of silicon on the in side edge top and bottom, stuck them in place, brilliant who's a clever boy I thought!!!
Made two more and very well please with  the result.
There you go if you want mirror chrome bezels for your VDO gauges just get 3 coke cans and a way you go.
Let me know how you get on if you make your own ( I hold the patent for slippys VDO  mirror alloy bezels) feel free to use LOL.

Haha i like the coke cans. Brillaint.
Would say top work but lol.

Nah realy good work mate.

Lol that's genius, tho prefere the black lol

that brilliant!!!

slippy is ther anything you wouldn't chrome???

Not to many shiny bits about at the moment, but managed to find a few bits.
Alloy jack and chrome handle for a Porsche gave it the polishing treatment.
Chrome gear box end cap will fit this the next time I do a gear oil change.
New chrome grill VW badge.
Watching a few other bits so will see how they go bidding wise.

 

Cleaning around the engine getting ready for the car show on Saturday I checked out a small ongoing coolant leak at the top of the radiator where the pipe feeds to the header tank, gave the hose clip a tweak and the bl++dy thing broke off.
Contacted Euro car parts on Wednesday who said they had a new radiator in stock slipped out of work and went to pick it up, opened the box before paying and it was the wrong one AHHHHHHHH. So ordered the right one up and got it today along with a new thermo switch to be on the safe side.
Got them home drained the coolant and stripped the old radiator out fitted the new thermo switch and fitted the chrome radiator cowl back on, gave the front panel a brush of waxoil before refitting and even managed to slip on a shiny bit, some stainless braided hose cover LOL. Fired her up and let her sit until she heated up fan came on and no leaks just need to give her a run.



 

Shiny bits scarce on the ground but picked up a boot catch this week from LMR.
Also got chrome door locks and handles but did not fit so sent back, still looking LOL

 

Picked up a set of VW mk1 metal chrome handles but when they arrived they turned out to be modded from a set of MK2 inner parts so would not fit my car, so sent them back.
Picked up a set of 2ND hand  polished stainless steel armour door plates nice easy wee fix after a quick polish up.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh chrome the hunt goes on LOL

Things have been quite over the past few weeks chrome wise, its like waiting for a bus nothing for ages then a whole lot come together.
First after 2 wrong sets of chrome handles one delivered damaged  and one set adapted from mk2 handles, got a full refund on both sets.
I picked up a set of new ones and a nice easy fit.
Then got a set of chrome door locks from Nordic-chrome in Germany fantastic finish as usual.
Also got a chrome fuel filter mount from Germany and after a 2 year search finally picked up a cream leather hand brake handle cover to match the rest of the car, again from Germany, it came from a classic line cabby same finish as the UK Rivage, it just needed a clean and came up OK.
New discs also for the big brake conversion, black diamond 256mm cross drilled and grooved.
New stainless hex screws and washers for the front wings.
Now to introduce a new member to the gang, his name is Hans Bear and he is looking forward to getting out to all the great VW days with big blue bear, Dan and Slippy8v.








BEFORE

AFTER

Been on the chrome hunt again German E-Bay as usual chrome fuel filter bracket, chome water pulley, chrome hand brake and chrome brake fluid cover when I up grade to the 16v setup.

are the handles the plastic jobbies?

yup tried to get metal let down twice with duff ones so got plastic,not to bad a finish,and the right price to.

looking classy mate cant even imagine the time an money u have put in there…. respect + 1

No chrome this time but its always the small bits that can be the hardest to get.
Have been looking for the correct 2 screws to fit the plastic seat rail covers and also the 2 small plastic covers for the rear seat mount, picked up both bits today and got them fitted.

Picked up a chrome oil temperature sender on German E-Bay, will fit this into the top of the oil cooler as there is a spare blanked off hole in it. This will now give me the oil temp in the dash and on the VDO gauge.

looks well what do you use for the polish ?