LJ

Poxy cameras! So far so good, but it's so enticing to open her up on those long "Roman road" straights! I know where they all hide, so I just slow down accordingly :-) Nope not Honda. I work for a now small company called Lucent, that used to be AT&T, and will soon become Alcatel Lucent. I just spend my day hacking software.

I get 30mpg out of my cam'd G60 going between Gloucester and Swindon, and that's with typical duel-carriage way :-) speeds and then town traffic at each end. I can only compare mod'd G60 with a standard VR6 that I drove, but I found the VR6 to be more relaxed when not in the mood but can turn nutty when needed. .... arse, I don't want to say it, but for 60 work miles a day look at VR6's first.

On the Mk1 A3 TDI I had, you unscrew the round back plate on the back of the headlamp and then access through there. Pull the plug off (not easy), and then undo the metal clip (that's a bugger to get back on). It's not great on space, but do'able. Hopefully the Mk4 Golf is similar. Oddly, mate at work asked the same question about the Mk4 today. He also thought part of the bumper had to be removed! That's just plain stupid if it has to be done that way....

Now if that EcoRacer has the VAG 170PS diesel, it'd be utterly bonkers. It's not a bad shape.

Bling'd Minging Blandness

There was a guy on the Vortex forum building a turbo'd VR6 RWD beast. Major hackery for the rear suspension ... looked good for straight line stuff.

Hmmm. I bet it's a heavy beast, as standard Passat is 1600Kg+. So 300bhp would only be 188bhp/ton at best :-( Definety would sound the part though!! I'm biased, I'd go with the Mazda6 MPS, 2.3l 4pot turbo and 4x4 - looked good on track when on Top Gear and not too bad on price.

I'm liking the idea of this ... A Mk2, with a tweeked 1.9TDI engine. Looks very well done. http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/114138.htm I bet it shifts, once it's rolling ...

They were very good in their day. M3 good. ... perhaps cheaper to track a BMW 325i or 318is as parts would be easier to get as not such a rare beast??

In my diesel barge I do a 66+ mile round trip, between Gloucester and Swindon. Averages around 1hr each way. Mixture of fast dual carriageway, and grid lock'd town/city traffic. Some dodgy back lanes if the A417/A419 is clogged up.

I used to enjoy it 10yrs ago, but now the roads are just too busy. The work commute I *hate*, though half term does make it less of a chore. Very rarely do I geta good driving experience :-( ... track days are my only hope.

That's a quality car mag' looking photo. Absolutely superb!!!

I'm 35 and so far I've owned, sort of ordered: 1977 Pug 104 1986 Cavalier 1.6L 4spd hatchback 1991 Nova GTE 1992 Corrado G60 (Dragon green) + 1991 Polo GT Then the missus came along: 1992 Corrado G60 (Dragon green) + Pug 306 1.4L ...I now regret the next step. 2001 A3 1.8T Sport 3dr + Pug 306 1.4L 2001 A3 1.8T Sport 3dr + 2003 Porsche Boxter 2.7L 2003 A3 1.9TDI 130 + 2003 Porsche Boxter 2.7L 2003 A3 1.9TDI 130 + 2004 BMW 320Cd M Sport 2003 A3 1.9TDI 130 + 2004 BMW 320Cd M Sport + 1992 Corrado G60 (Metallic black) 2003 A3 1.9TDI 130 + 1992 Corrado G60 (Metallic black) + 2005 Mazda-6 Sport diesel (company car) 1992 Corrado G60 (Metallic black) + 2005 Mazda-6 Sport diesel (company car) + 2005 Saab 1.8t Cab' (Hirsch'd) 1992 Corrado G60 (Metallic black) + 2005 Mazda-6 Sport diesel (company car) + 2005 Saab 1.8t Cab' (Hirsch'd) + 1991 Corrado G60 Inca blue The black G60 I found out has a bent chassis .. so I'm breaking it. The Inca G60, is smart and I'm never letting it go.

It's not just call centres that get off-shored, it's High Tech jobs as well now :-(

Good choice! My missus had problems insuring her 9-3 1.8t Hirsch'd Cab'. Went with Chris Knott in the end as all other insurers treated it as modified, even though it's Saab approved and fitted! Enjoy the "night panel" switch and the speedo' where the speed graduations go from wide to close spacing for inscreasing speed. Just neat touches :-)

Corrado G60 - my proper fun car, garaged. Monday to Friday 65mile hack to and from work car - Mazda-6 Sport (diesel)

Alfa looks the part, but if you can get a Hirsch'd Saab then it's the better long distance motor. Plus the 9-3 handles quite well. Not sure if you can choose this car, but what about the Mazda-6 143PS diesel? Image wise not great, but it's a very good drive. My wife has a 55 plate Mazda-6 2ltr diesel Sport (143PS) company car. Not so efficent on the diesel compared to Honda or BMW diesels, but it handles Oh so well for a barge and the engine is up there with Honda and BMW. Plus it's not an Audi or BMW - which are the new Mondeo. I drive it the majority of the time, and it eats the twisty back roads better than other drivers expect :-) Just as well the company pays for the tyres! Passat looks nice but it's heavy, and you'd want the 170PS diesel at least.

Not good :-( I can recommend Motorama, on the Wroughton road out of Swindon from J16. He's repaired a few cars my wife "modified", and he did a top job for little money. Swindon Audi recommended him at the time for non-insurance work.

I you can afford it, buy a Porsche! .. .any Porsche. If you can't, sell an organ (or two) if need be. Porsche's are fantastic - barring the Porsche money earner, the Cayenne. I ran a Boxster 2.7l 228bhp 53' plate for a while, and it was bloomin' good! Has to be taken over 5k rpm for it to go properly, and the red line was soooo addictive. Handling was sablime. Even did a drive to southern France and back in it. Happy Days. Mind, that car is gone and I now drive a 2ltr diesel family barge ... but I also have the G60 :-)

Sorry to resurrect a long dead thread, but the power of The Search could only find this. Rear brake caliper retractor/rewind tool ... my local Halfords sells a "Laser" badged one, but it doesn't mention working with VWs, only Pugs etc. Anyone know if it actually does? I need to wind back the Mk4 rears for new pads. Then I'll be able to see if the new discs and bearings I fitted work... LJ

Based on that AE photo, my G60 has nothing to worry about for a long while! When it appears, no doubt it'll probably be a very competent car. Go round bends well enough due to hordes of electronics and a whizzy multi-link suspensions. Dull as dish water though in every other respect.

If my Goldfish memory is holding up.. There was one attaching the wing to the sill. One where I had to open the door out to gain access, near the top. Removed the liner, and there's one right at the back about a third of the way up. Could be hiding amongst a ton of underseal, mine was.

I sooooo want one of these on my car! The recorded flow data looks blinkin' good. Henny, how's the BVH changed the delivery of the engine in your car?

Furk'z, Sorry to hear about the Pikey attack. Pikey scum that thieve cars ... I wont say what evil stuff I'd like to happen to them! Get some F'off security on that door ASAP! As I hope their not persistant feckers. Result of the car being seen in PVW????

That looks like a very nice and honest VR. Try it with the standard airbox with the K&N panel fitted, you should find the engine torquier.... Some good roads around that part of the country :-)