4WD (syncro) conversion (UPDATE: 20/02/05)

[PhatVR6 0]

New pics!

 

 

I sheeted the car up with (fire retardent) blankets to stop the windows getting wrecked from the grinding sparks.

 

 

Take a good long look at the boot floor, this is the last time you'll see it in there!

 

 

This is just the bulk of the floor roughly cut out, keeping away from the chassis legs. just to get the bulk of the material out so I can actualy stand up in the car and trim away at the edges. It looks like a lot of work, but belive me, it took 15 mins, and there is still another day's work in there before I can even think about fitting the syncro one.

 

 

Had a bit of bother with this, the reinforced sections as found on the later and all VR6 shells. it's 3mm thick plate, and tough as hell to cut. but once removed, ther'es just the stock early corrado/mk2 golf type floor behind it

 

 

Got the right hand one to tackle tomorrow, it looks like it's going to be a bitch to do.

[20v turbo 0]

its coming on keep up the good work 8)

[Storm 0]

Looks scary Paul. Going to be great to see this pulled off. Defo going to make a 2005 show to see this car!!! :-P

[biggerbigben 0]

looking good phat, when you get round to fitting the new floorpan you will need to bend one corner to get it in, there is no other way unfortunatly. Keep going, it will soon be 4wd!

[20v turbo 0]

looking good phat, when you get round to fitting the new floorpan you will need to bend one corner to get it in, there is no other way unfortunatly. Keep going, it will soon be 4wd!

what do you mean ben???

[PhatVR6 0]

I think he means that the syncro floorpan physically won't fit in the car! I think I can get around that though. it won't fit throught the tailgate, but I reckon if I get it through sideways and open both doors I can swig it around and then slide it though up over the rear turrets.

 

More pics, and these are the last unfortunately, as I've dropped my digicam and it doesn't work anymore! I'll try and borrow one.

 

The old floor is just about out now. this reinforced sections were an absoulte swine to remove. I wore out my grinder and used 10 cutting discs over the last 2 days getting it all out.

 

 

 

I've actually got all the floor out now, the front and rear edges are both prepped up, and the OS chassis leg is marked out ready to be cut down, and drilled through ready for plug welding (as I haven't got a spot welder).

 

I've noticed that on the corrado there is a stiffening rib int he rear chassis leg, that the mk2 doesn't have, so I'm going to have to unpick this from the inside of the chassis leg (drill out the spot welds) so I can slide the new panel in between them, you'll see what I meant when I post up some new pics tomorrow.

 

If you're wondering what the hole in the OS inner arch is, it's for the breather pipe on the top of the fuel tank. I'll have to weld this up and cut a new one higher up for the syncro tank.

 

So, sorry I can't show you any more up to date pics from today's work, as it was just about done as far as removal is concerned, but I'll do my best to loan a camera to take some more pics.

 

By tomorrow night it should be all cut to shape and I will be able to get the new side panels welded in too.

[CoxyLaad 0]

Fear not for I am at almost exactly the same point and I am packing a fully loaded digi camera :wink:

 

As you can see I am a couple of hours behind phatty but I am getting there. Nearly set fire to my car this afternoon too, which was nice.

 

Notice the difference between the early and late spec boot floors.

 

and as phat says there is some serious internal reinforcement of those rear chassis legs.

 

More pics to follow tomorrow

[biggerbigben 0]

Awesome! Keep up the good work boys....

[biggerbigben 0]

what do you mean ben???

 

Well in order to get the new floorpan to fit inside the back of the car you have to bend the corner up slightly to get it in. As long as you can bend it back in the same position it will be unnoticable to the eye. You will see what I mean when you try and fit it.

[Gman 0]

Can you not just put it in from the underside. ???

 

G

[TajMan 0]

Alright, besides shipping to the U.S., about how much would it cost one of you in Europe to gather the parts for an AWD conversion with a tranny that will mount to the G60 motor? I am capable of the work to install, and I might be willing to pay the shipping cost depending on the cost of parts.

[h100vw 0]

Alright, besides shipping to the U.S., about how much would it cost one of you in Europe to gather the parts for an AWD conversion with a tranny that will mount to the G60 motor? I am capable of the work to install, and I might be willing to pay the shipping cost depending on the cost of parts.

 

You would be better finding a syncro Passat in Canada and getting that IMO. You would have evrything you need except the propshaft. With loads of leftovers to sell and recoup some outlay.

 

Ask on http://www.vwvortex.com

 

Gavin

[biggerbigben 0]

Can you not just put it in from the underside. ???

 

G

 

not really..

[biggerbigben 0]

Alright, besides shipping to the U.S., about how much would it cost one of you in Europe to gather the parts for an AWD conversion with a tranny that will mount to the G60 motor? I am capable of the work to install, and I might be willing to pay the shipping cost depending on the cost of parts.

 

you need to import a syncro golf or passat somehow as you will have all the parts on those cars, apart from the passat's 3rd part of the prop shaft will be too long, but you could get a rallye or golf syncro one fairly easily...

[Guest]

SWEET. wish i could do this. would cost ££££ to get someone to do it for you, so cool your doing it yourselfs

[CoxyLaad 0]

Progress report

I am now in a position to have a look at fitting the syncro boot floor in position. I still have a bit of trimming of the chassis legs to do but I want to get an idea of what its like. you are right it wont fit straight in, I am waiting for me mate to come round and help me lift it into position.

[CoxyLaad 0]

wow - its a total nightmare trying to get that panel in place.

 

I think I am going to have to unpick the box section sides undernieth it..... :(

[PhatVR6 0]

the corrado is 1340mm wide inside. the syncro boot panel is 1380mm........needs 20mm trimming off each side. or rather, trim off 10mm, and fold up 10mm for a new lip.

 

I've got both vertoical panels in now, need to borrow a camera to take new pics before I drop the main panel over it and hide it all. don't worry, I'm another night off that I reckon so I'll make sure I get a pic first.

 

cosy, hours behind, LOL! you're only kidding yourself there matey! ;-)

[CoxyLaad 0]

who you callin cosy?! ya gimp!

 

lol

 

how many hours is a few then?

[biggerbigben 0]

thought you guys might have trouble putting the floor in... at least you have found a way around it... well done...

[PhatVR6 0]

cosy? lol! near enough!

 

Ben, got any pics of the rear corenrs of your floor?

[biggerbigben 0]

cosy? lol! near enough!

 

Ben, got any pics of the rear corenrs of your floor?

 

Mate I do at home but I'm london at the moment on a borrowed PC. sorry...

[PhatVR6 0]

I've borrowed a camera! more pics

 

this is the OS panel welded in to the reprofiled chassis leg.

 

and again on the NS leg

 

and here's the panel in the car.

 

and here's the nice snug fit inside the car, note how much higer the floor sits

 

here a pic from under the car, note theres no x-member in there yet

 

It was swine to fit this panel, it's too wide and too long. I had to cut about 15mm off the whole back edge and rear corners. Just done roughly for now so I can find the shape, I'll take the panel out and dress up the corners properly before I wled it in

 

 

and the other side

 

so, now that I know it fits I can tidy up the edges and rill them ready for the plug welds. I also have to tckaly the fuel tank breather section, for which I'll have to make a new part as I can't find it listed on ETKA.

 

should get the x-member in this weekend too.

[20v turbo 0]

very good work there paul looks good :D ,so why do you have to reprofile the chassis leg??,is it because the fuel tank sits higher up.

[PhatVR6 0]

The chassis leg needs cutting to the same shape as the new side panels. Then drilling through so that you can plug weld the chassis leg to the new side panel, the weld the chassis leg stiffener to the inside of the new side panels.

 

You can clearly see the line where the panels overlap in that first pic on this page. The new side penls goes behind the reshaped chassis leg. so much so that it actually sits on the bottom of the inside edge of it. Not so on the NS though, that side is only profiled slightly in the middle by about 5mm.