New owner, new project.. 1.8gti..

been a while since any updates..

lack of disposable funds usually dictates modifying activity.

Someone backed in to me!



its not fatal, and is something im capable of sorting, so the insurance money may have contributed to something slightly more fun..




one look at the hoopty backyard fanimold made me feel sad..

 
then this happened!







BOOM.

 having gone to so much effort to get  hold of a stock exhaust mani im contemplating a 4-1 Ashely. anyone have any advice on performance mani's?

Very nice indeed mate. How much did that set you back?

smudger said

Very nice indeed mate. How much did that set you back?

to be fair pal, im not entirely sure.   its part of a full price..

its in at the moment having the carbs fitted, 4-2 ashely manifold, all the gaskets replaced, verinier pulley and piper cams belt..





heres some pics from the garage, one of the guys tried his rs's on..





and unfortunately, having seen these, i new i had to sort out some orange splits.

these came up on the ebay..



i actually missed the end of the auction, but they went un-sold, a couple of emails and a trip to bristol..



they came with no bolts but not a big issue gonna get some of these.



they did need a bit of work, Sooo..












got my polish on..



they didnt come with center caps but i had some landrover ones that fit!  



hipster pictures..



in other news, found this and fell in love..



got in touch with a guy..



its getting cut at the moment, in translucent vinyl, and the 80's fade should compliment the Zender spoiler!



picked up a kamei scoop as bellow!



just need the little blighter back now, it has been nearly 8 weeks..  

You have been busy spending   

When are you getting it back?

Looking good Nick!

Glad to see my knob went to a good home

James_W said

You have been busy spending   

When are you getting it back?

Tell me about it, I keep finding things and thinking "it/that/they're pretty rare. If I don't but it immediately I may never get another chance!" Spending what little money I have, when in reality parts come up quite regularly!  

In hindsight I should have waited a couple of months and taken it off the road over winter, you live and learn.

Spoke to the garage today, and the adjusted manifolds back and he's rebuilding the engine, just have to get a fuel regulator, should be running next week. 

Nosmonkey said

Looking good Nick!

Glad to see my knob went to a good home

Yeah, the little blighters not fit yet. It will be tho . 

Afternoon ladies and gents..

Just renewd my membership, after a year out, sorry..

It does mean I have a MAAHOOSIVE update lined up, ignore the first bit, it's going to have to be a copy and paste extravaganza.. 

Finally managed to bag my self a lock up so thought it about time to throw up a little progress thread. My names Nick from the from over the pound in soggy England. I had a short thread about my old van.





























This, however, was still a work van. And running low with a back full of gear was tedious, to say the least.









After beaching it on the gate stop of a very expensive house and having to get the grounds keeper to help jack it up and board the wheels I got the dog with it a sold it for something far more practical.









Anyway, I digress.









I've wanted a mk1 golf for years, I ally found my self in a position to buy this bad boy. To be fair it was the first car I looked at, it ticked all the boxes. Dry stored, rare colour and when the guy put the key in it and it started first turn I had to have it.




It started life as a 1.1 hatch and the guy before the guy I bought it off put the running gear from a gti, 1.8dx injection.














I was going to take it down the s1 route, chrome bumpers, brown leather & tweed interior.














So sourced a brown dash, made a stealth enclosure for the head unit and drilled a blank plate to except the chrome vdo gauges.









As per usually I had a last minute change if heart, it's not an early series1 so why pretend it is?! It's actually one of the last cars to roll of the production line at the beginning of '83 so settled on a more period direction the 80's!




Sourced a Zender spoiler.









And a Kamei scoop..














Mate bought a mk1 Jetta.














Stayed like this for 8months or so until a mate that owns a garage  suggested a bike carb conversion.









 




Bolted on a 4-1 Ashely mani, vernier pulley and up rated belt.









At that to the already fitted fast road cam and the rr read out looked like this.









Whilst it was in the garage a mate tried his wheels on for size.









Which lead me to my wheel choice..




Wanted something different and found these for a ton on eGay.









Polished.









But really should have done some fitment research.














A little digging revealed they're actually 1972 Shelby permacasts, pretty rare over here anyway. So I'll have to hold on to them. 




So onwards with the wheel search. 









Another eGay find, needed a bit of work and bolts.




So this














Plus this









And this









Equals this









Then add these.









And done!













Fitment check? Needs work.









Which brings us up to the start of this year. Lock up secured and tear down begins. The previous owner had one side painted, the wrong green. It was hard to tell, but once I noticed it may well have been red.









Arches off.














Stone chip off.









And replaced









It seems to have had a front end knock.




Rolled the arches and size up the spats.









Sorted out the only rust spot!









And filled the panel joins.









Delt with a rusty blemish on the scuttle.














Welded up the ariel hole.









Delt with some high spots



















Welded and filled the boot catch









A mate popped down with his new wheels.



















Mega lolz at the stretch. #DEATHTRAP #blowoutonthemotorway.









Bought the old girl a little crimbo prezzy.














Not bad for £150.




This lead to a idea, the 80's for me conjure images of big hair and bright colours. 




This bright!



















Cool Christmas gift from the wife.









On the main reason the girls been ripped down, the paint. 




This is about £100 worth of eBay bits.









This is a frame of plumbing pipe and fixings.









Plastic dust sheet.



















Make shift spray booth y'all!









Mixed.









Filtered..









And good to go.









This is where I lost pics of the perfect paint job and start spouting on about how good I am with a gun. 😔




Not quite, this was the very first time I'd used a spray gun, I've used 100's of cans in the past but never a gun. When we were filling it I thought I looked a bit thin but cracked on none the less.














Epic fail! 




However we realised the primer in the tin wasn't mixed properly. I shook it but clearly not enough. But the second shoot was a lot better.









Guide coat revealed quite a difference in the condition between the wings.



















After wildly underestimating the amount of paint I'd need got some proper gear..









And after the mishap with the quality of mixing made a mixer for the drill..









The second attempt went well.





























And that's where we are now, was going to head down today but didn't, true story. Just have to wait till the end of the month now to buy some colour.




PEACE.

Saw a rainbow a work today! 









It was still an utterly sh*t day. 😩




The mrs is working late, so I did what every reliable husband would do. Drove an hour to the lock up and painted a bit more of my car..









Rubbed out the first attempt/fail on the bonnet..














Re painted, much bettererererrr..









Managed to hit up the inside..
























Colour next!! 




PEACE!

Guide coat today!









Did it's job quite well!









I'm really trying to keep the filler down to a minimum, but if it ain't straight it ain't straight! 😔









"Take off the bumper clips!"









"Use a sharp pointy tool in a tight space you can't see!"









😫




Oh well, lesson learned. You're not a real man till you've fashioned a plaster from electrical tape and blue roll..









Managed to start laying down some colour, although it's not green and it's not on the car. 😕

Thanks again..




A bit of Sunday afternoon shopping.














Going to have to think of something innovative to show/house/mount the pressed plates.

Acquired a mk2 front bumper, in sh*t state! Perfect for the task at hand..









Cut the bumper recess out.









Offered it up.









It's not going to be as straight forward as I first thought. Shapes completely different. Ran out of time and didn't really accomplish much. 




How on earth are you meant to remove the bumper iron?!




And just cos I can, here's the brake shields..

Managed to get a quick couple o hours in at the unit..









And the girls back in too one solid colour again. Yay for me..



















Hopefully going to get some colour down at the weekend, if everything goes to plan.. 😊

Excuse me if it gets a bit confused.. 

Big day!









How ever started finishing of some body parts with a final bit of highbuild.














On to the body shell, gave it a flat off then a proper good clean..














Just take note of the blazing sunshine and distinct lack if agricultural machinery. 




Weren't messing about today, got mixing up and got the flip on with it.









Technical data sheet, for those that don't know what they look like. I didn't.









Pulled a bit if a wrongun to start with, long and short if it on of the guys I share the unit with broke the pressure gauge in the 1.3 gun, tit I know, so I had to change the air cap and nozzle over but neglected to change the pin..









Dickheads..




Got on with the tack coat, and my heart sank. Well off the colour I was after. Very nearly through it all in.









Luckily had a bro with me to tell me to stop been a girl and get in with it..














And that's when we had to shut the door, this little sausage decided to start doing shuttle runs past the front door, kicking up a right shi*t  fest of dust.









This, as you see is the result of farmer joes rampage.









DUST! Anyone? Luckily it looked as tho I may have been dry enough to polish out.




Anyway.



















This is as far as my confidence takes me. The finish is far from high gloss, I think I may have been too timid with it?









What is people's advice to wet sanding and polishing?
Is this a finish that polish up with megs 105/205 ect? 




Or should I bash out the 2.5k wet and dry? 




Any advice will be much appreciated.




PEACE!

Basically, I failed with the first £180- worth of paint. 




I thought I'd go back and give it a wet sand and polish to see if I could make it come good. I couldn't. 




I went to the paint shop the other day to pick up some more paint, showed the guy the finish and he said it was the moisture in the air and no amount of polishing would sort it out. It's nice to have a reason, but it would have been nice to get a good finish. 




So in the mean time thought if attack some other jobs..




Had the polisher out, so hit the rear clusters.














Also managed to move on the rear bumper fabrication.









You're gonna have to use a bit if imagination from here on in..









Plastic welded in place.









Heated up a metal bar and softened the plastic to mold a bulb holder.














Plugged in and wired up.









Heckblende turned up and taped in place.









Got carried away with resting stuff in place. Enter my faithful assistant.









Started the timber work in the back, what a flipping ball ache!! 














Also built up the rear axel..









Haters gonna berate!

Take two..




No damp.









No tractor









It's not show perfect, but it was never going to be. 




Before.









After.









Never be the type to pay some one to wash my car. 




Stonechipped. 














Changed a light bulb









Grow up..




Had a drink to celebrate.

Took the front end apart, found the wish bones mounts where polybushed, result. 




Bought some arb polybushes and went to rip the hubs apart, tried to pull the bearings out and the bearings gushed on the floor. :facepalm:




Got home and ordered new front wheels assembles. 









Started the rear beam build.









Also fitted the heckblende properly. Ignore the boot paint, needs re doing.









Also tried to fit the camber shims?!









Couldnt make any sense of this, I'm not looking for "mad camber, yo!" But I do want a noticeable amount, anyone now hear I should be shooting for? 

Progress has been worryingly slow. I've been flooded out of my lock up, no damage anywhere, but three of the four access roads have been closed, leaving the forth chaos.









Although I managed to get there to day. And had a less than productive day.




 I went with the best intentions of finishing the underside and only managed to build one corner.














Fitted half the strut brace.









Because race car.




Offered up the read spat.









Pretty poor effort all in all. 

After yesterday's poor effort I needed to build up my morel. 




Before I ripped it down it looked as tho I may have some fitment issues up front.




Went through idea after idea, re drill hubs, re drill wheels, shorten wish bones, machine the back of the wheel. 




Then tried face mounting them.









Quite possibly pulled them in too far.














At least it's a solution. The mrs bought the bolts for my 30th, she'd go spare if I didn't use them.




Bit more progress with the rear bumper.









Bit if a lump on the right, and needs another fill, prime the re texture.





















 

Managed to sort out some little bits this week.




Refilled, smoothed and re texturised  the modded bumper.









Well chuffed with the out come.









Fitted some washer jets. For the heck of it.









Rubbed of the gash GTI writing on the heckblende.









Polished up.









And offered up.









Fitted the rear assembly.
(Poop pic.)














Fitted drivers side assembly, anti roll bar and lower strut brace.









Still need to fettle the fitment.