With the success of the rear end, it was time to tackle the crusty rear arches (or just one of them for now) again this was meant to be a “quick” job, lick of paint on the lower half and be done… I eneded up painting the full rear quarter and lower door. First job assess the situation Not too bad, but definitely needed some work. No going back now… Got it full welded in making sure not to get too much heat in and warp it. Made sure the arches still sat nicely. To secure the inner to the outer I drilled holes all the way along the front edge, this will be getting covered with the GTI arches so I’m not fused if they don’t come out perfectly level. The inner lip as then seamsealed, painted and undercoated to prevent any water getting between the panels. For the inner arch I totally got rid of the lip and brought both inner and otter arch out to the same level as the plastic covers. This just future proofs the arches in case I do get bigger/wider wheels at any point. Previously I’d welded tabs on the inner arch to secure the covers with cable ties, but the arches never sat exactly how I wanted them to. So to overcome that Ive welded some captive nuts on the lower lips. This means I can now secure the arch with some really nice little M8 flanged bolts. With the arch in the body work could take shape. I had to weld in another little patch under the rear quarter window seal. At this point my concern was how was I going to paint up to the roof gutter? I know they are a massive pain and never look right when they have been off, mine are perfectly straight so I didn’t want to touch them. Theres more updates to come so I’ll share my little pikey tip with you in the next update!
Nice work, I've been there before with the paint wrinkling when i painted my Scirocco for the first time, very frustrating but educational at the same time. Looking forward to more updates
Looks bloody amazing. What caused the paint wrinkle then? I've been swotting up on youtube vids as well. Are you using a paint gun and compressor - do you mind sharing the spec ? Cheers Matt
Hi Matt, it was because i laid the base on too heavy too thick, without a heated space, the solvents couldn't escape, which caused the reaction. The trick is to dust on a coat, go back over just using the air from the gun, another dust and then get a few medium coats on, seemed to work best for me. This is the kit I bought: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Air-Comp...869262?hash=item233e95f0ce:g:vGMAAOSwmNlZY7Fb I bought a kit from them that included a little bit more, including another 10m hose to reduce moisture and some basic paint supplies like mixing tubs, filters etc.
Another lengthy update, apologies. So back to the painting, what’s the little dodgy tip for painting up to a roof scuttle I hear you cry, the answer is an old USB cable with the ends cut off. Once stuffed under the seal it pushes right back and pulls the lip of the seal right up, meaning you can paint underneath it, then remove the cable once its all done and dry. This paint wasn’t without its problems, one of which was the room I had, some areas I physically couldn’t fit the spray gun into the correct position. I again had some funny reactions with the primer. But I sussed out what was going on. It was reacting on every area I’ve painted with cans, which makes sense as the primer must be reactivating the solvents in the old paint. That meant a quick flat down and dust back over with primer. At this stage, I spent quite a lot of time with a block and some 600 paper, making sure everything was as flat as possible and any low/high spots taking care of. Here I came across another issue, where I’d welded the patch under the rear quarter window seal I’d got too much heat into it and warped the metal. This meant every pass with the block the panel would spring in and out (a little bit like a coke can, if you push opposite sides) After some reading up I’d found an old hot rod thread online. They suggested getting the area really hot then rapid cooling to reform the metal back to shape. So I set to with the heat gun, got the area extremely hot then a blast with the air line, and “ping” it went right back to shape! And solid as a rock when sanding the old tricks always work the best! So now I could get onto base coat. And then onto clear. Here are the results. Straight from the gun very happy with that. I found the process much like painting with cans, prep is key. And its best to get the clear coat on with full paint flow, full fan, and nice and thick to give the best results. I did get a fairly hefty run in the lower panel, but this was sorted with a razor blade and some wet and dry. I did have a moment of panic. Once the paint was dry I have these little dots in the paint surface. I had a feeling this might be solvent ‘pop’ again. But luckily it was just overspray – if you look at the pictures above out of the gun you will see how hazy the garage is, I painted with the door shut to reduce dust and had no means of extraction, which meant the overspray was just landing on the fresh paint. Once the paint was left for 3 days to fully cure It was easily rectified with the flatting and polishing process Then the car could be put back together, along with some new red stripe vinyl which I design and produce to factory specs. And that’s the paint complete! Bloody stressful process! Very glad its over (for now) Theres plenty more that needs painting…
Whilst I was finishing the painting, I’d booked a track day at Anglesey Circuit. I’ve done it once before in a mates car but never in the Golf. This gave me something to aim for and also a deadline to get everything done and checked over! With a list as long as my arm, I tackled them all one by one. First up was the bonnet release, after having the cage put it, it meant having the cable loose with a keyring on the end as a bonnet pull. But it was a 2 handed job, one to hold the cable and one to hold the keyring. So I made up a little bracket with a captive nut, welded that to the cage and P clipped the cable to the bracket. Perfect! Works a charm. Next up I refitted all the interior, glass, passenger seat, harnesses etc. Next up was to find and sort out where a nasty leak was coming from the exhaust. It was so bad that having the windows cracked made you feel sick. What I thought might be a cracked manifold turned out to be a failed joint just after the manifold. That was sealed up along with a new donut gasket. Next up was to change my tyres. The Nankang AR1’s had held up well, but were showing signs of wear. I debated about another set of AR1’s but went back to the NS2R instead. Although the AR1 have superior dry grip the wet grip level is shocking! I’d even say almost dangerous, especially for road use. My last set of NS2Rs were incredible, had a crazy wear rate (4 track days, 2 ring trips and 5000 road miles, and still sold them with 2.5mm of tread) The NS2Rs also have a B rating in the wet and I’m told they use them as a controlled wet weather tyre in a few race series. My cousin kindly swapped them over for me. Once they were on I continued my checks and noticed my brake pads to be almost out of pad. A quick call the Larkspeed in Leeds and a new set was sent over for the next day! Possibly the best service I’ve had from any parts place! I Stuck with the Ferrodo DS2500 pads, which have been fantastic over the years. In fact this is the first time changing the front pads since doing track days all those years ago! That probably is around 7/8 track days and possible around 10,000 road miles. I gave the caliper and hubs a lick of paint while I was there. When I reinstalled the caliper and carrier, I noticed the 2 carrier bolts were different, one was m12x 1.5mm allen head the other was M12x1.75 Hex head. When I converted to G60 brake I used all the hardwear that came with them and never thought to check. You can see above another problem was that the bolts only used half the thread in the hub, NOT ideal! A quick trip over to Ripon Engineering and they lads sorted me out with some M12x1.75x35mm 12.9 high tensile bolts. This meant tapping the hub out to M12x1.75. The benefit here is using a beefier bolt and also getting full use of the thread inside the hub. Win win. Much better! While I was there I installed new track rod ends and new anti roll bar links from Moog. Super good quality these! I think that will do for today! More to update coming – Anglesey Trackday, some ups some down, but mostly ups!! Stay tuned
great result on the bodywork I've painted black before and its a very unforgiving colour you must be very pleased with the finished article,
Outstanding efforts. A lot of work and time but you've now mastered the skills to keep that mk2 on the road forever. Impressive results.
Thanks chaps! After a wash the Golf was all ready for Anglesey. We had a bit of weekend planned, Saturday was karting at Teeside with 16 other lads, and Sunday was the trackday. Teeside was brilliant, 20min Quali and 40min Race, started dry and finish wet which got interesting! But managed to bag me 1st place after a hellish battle for the last 20 mins of racing. Anglesey is 3.5 hours drive each way, so we headed up on Saturday night and stayed over at a mates on the island. Loaded up with tools, spares and over night bags The car drove really well, I always forget how good it is. my daily is a silky smooth e36, but this trumps it by far! We sat at 85 most of the way and it was effortless, well ahead of its time. Got some photos and better photos of the rear quarter whilst grabbing some V-Power Lovely spot! The next day we were really lucky and woke up to a clear day which was not forecast. The day was organised by Track Obsession, I have to say they did a bloody excellent job! Free bottle water for drivers, free photography to name but a few touches! After the sighting lap I got myself out, this is the first time on track since fitting the seats and harnesses and instantly I was smiling ear to ear. Christ it goes well! You really cant simulate on the road how fast you can actually drive on track, and it blows me away every time! On the next few sessions I took some mates out, its always fun taking people out and seeing their reactions! One of my favourite pictures from the event! Top tripod! I was finding I was locking up the rear inside wheel on heavy braking zones, so it may be time for a proper bias valve. Sorry for the photo spam! The only issue I had all day was the dreaded 3rd gear getting stuck AGAIN!... I changed the box after the ring, albeit another second hand one, this happened right at the end of the day and luckily we managed to pop it back out! So I could drive the 3.5 hours home. I’m told its to do with a poor design on the 3rd gear hub, where the keys pop out and then you cant release the gear. So I’m at a dilemma stage, do I get the box rebuilt. I’ve called a few places and a local place is very familiar with 020 boxes and he was confident he could rebuild it for a ball park £200. Which isn’t bad at all! Having said that, now might be the time to upgrade to an 02A? get one with a cable clutch so I don’t have to convert to hydraulic. The maybe send that for a rebuild. Ratio wise, if I got for a mk3 GTI box (CDA), I’d have to get a 4.9 final drive to get the gearing the same as I have now – which I’d definitely want. ... So whats next…? Well, I’m going to enjoy the car as it is for a month or so until the weather turns. I’ve also just a day ago bought a new engine! 16v, 12v, 20v, 24v!?... nope… Although the long term plan is to go ABF on ITB, realistically that wont happen for a while, as funds wont allow for a proper set up. So I’ve managed to find a pretty rare engine, which I’ve not seen for sale for a good 3 or 4 years- An Audi 80 2.0 3A block. And I’ll use my PB head. With my box issues I don’t fancy taking another box out with the engine in, I think I’d rather drop the lot out. So it just seemed to make sense to drop a 2.0 bottom end in while I was there. For those who don’t know the 3A is perfect for 2.0 conversion as it’s the “bubble block” so the same height as the 1.8, meaning my 4 branch will fit properly. You might have guessed by now, I do love the little 8v! I haven't touched the bottom end at all, since I've had the car (13 years!) its been so reliable! Not many 30 odd year old cars could drive that far, do 150miles on track of HARD driving, then drive home. Top work VW, top work! This will give me the perfect opportunity over the winter to tart the bay up, paint the engine, brackets and bits and bobs. I may also do some head work, and depending what the block is like, drop in some new bearings and piston rings. Lets see, but should be a fun project! To finish here’s an onboard from Anglesey. I start to pick up a decent pace as I’m trying to keep up with a K24 Accord Type R (240bhp) I seem to do well in the corners and brakes, but he inevitably pulls away on the straights. You’ll see the 3rd gear get stuck which ultimately ends the session! Lots of fun!
Thank you mate! https://www.competitionsupplies.com...Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=campaign1 the rails were similar to these but cant remember where I bought them from, I know Demon tweaks and a few others stock them I think the important thing is that they are made from CDS so they have no seams
I went out for the last raz of the year on Sunday morning. Car felt brilliant! There's been some more progress on engine front... I've actually sold the 2.0 3A block! One of my mates has just bought a mk2 with a very well set up ABF, he took me down the road and within a mile I'd decided I need to just bite the bullet and go down the ABF route. Luckily for me he is going for a 24v so I'll buy the ABF off him. So that should be my winter project, tarting up the new engine, and sorting my engine bay out. The ABF is currently running KJET but I'm absolutely dead certain on going for a set of Jenvey ITBs. I've dreamt about them for long enough, so its happening! Lots of things to work out and alot of saving up to do!
Looking well , but I am confused as to where the baby seat will go with all the scaffolding in the back ....
Still with it and going strong after all these years - fantastic commitment and dedication an absolute credit to you
Thanks guys! Couple of updates, I'd book Blyton park but it got cancelled due to lockdown number 2. I've managed to rebook it for this Sunday and thankful its still going ahead! I sent my gearbox off to Stephen A Brear Gearboxes, in Leeds. For a check/rebuild. Over the phone, Dave was fantastic, he knew exactly which gearbox I was talking about and swiftly turned it around! He called once the box was stripped to say it was in fantastic condition, and he couldn't actually find a problem with 3rd... The keys on the hub were still in place, and everything was in order. I was hoping he would find a problem, but never the less he swapped the 3rd gear hub and keys for peace of mind - cleaned the syncros, built the box back up with new seals etc. Dave recommended that I remove the short shifter I've made, as it might just be this causing trouble. Although the problem in Germany was before I'd made the short shifter. For now I'm keeping it as is because the whole driving position has been tailored for me and at this stage would be a pain to change. If the box shits itself, it shits itself... I've decided to go for an 02A once I get the ABF built up. Hopefully it survives Blyton... Cant recommend Dave enough, extremely cheap and a turn around in less than a week! http://www.stephenbreargearboxes.co.uk/ I've got the box back in now, but havent tested yet. If you watched my Anglesey video, you might notice a humming noise when cornering hard left, I decided to replace all the wheels bearings for peace of mind. Once the hubs were off it was easy to hear it was OSF with the issue, and you could also see a build up of grease around the back. I'd bought some SKF bearings for the front. Then stripped them all down, and rebuilt with Redline CV-2 high temp grease, this should hopefully give them some future protection. I started on the rear bearings last night, just got one side done. Same grease, this time with FAG bearings. While the front hubs were off I decided to add as much caster as I could onto the top mounts. I measure a 20mm increase at the mount, no idea what that is in degrees. But it's off for an alignment this Friday I did plan to go for a test drive yesterday, but the car died on my drive and wouldnt restart. I track it down to no spark, then to a dodgy connection at the coil. Its the wire that feeds the hall sender, so the rev counter didnt jump while cranking. While I was there I went over the bay and cut off any shoddy connectors a redid them. Gave it a wash the other day, nice to see the light of day! Fingers crossed for Blyton
Thought I'd update this after Blyton, which seems like a long time ago now! The trackday went well with no hiccups, which was brilliant! The gearbox behaved itself, so I can only assume Anglesey was just due to absolutely ragging its arse for a 45min track session (usually only do 20 mins at a time) On the day I was joined by a few mates, one in a Clio 182, a 306 gti, Clio 200 and an E46 330i touring. We were faced with a wet morning which was very very interesting to say the least! but god was it fun! So much fun that I decided to edit one of my videos as a "Tokyo Drift" spoof.. more on that later! Here with a dab of oppo Here are some laps from a damp track, with a dry line just starting to come through And this one I had some fun with I've not touched the car since, apart from the odd wash, its now SORNd until we see some better weather Hopefully I can get some more track stuff booked once lockdown restrictions are lifted!
