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Hofmiester

Ron's Blackberry VR6 - A11 VRX - Getting her back on the road

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Oh mate, that would have been good to see it. I just work in Gateshead by the Baltic.

I think I am wrong, I'm thinking of the V5 which is a VR5 engine with I think 2.4 or 2.5L, it was in the early mk4 golfs

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Yet another box of parts arrived from Germany today, mostly original trim clips in various shapes and sizes.

 

gupa2yha.jpg

 

also a radiator top elbow which is the last part I needed before refurbish the coolant system. Luckily the car is fitted with a new radiator but the rest is old stuff soon to be replaced.

 

I managed to get a throttle stop and pretty much all the carpet clips and door panel retainers. I'm lining all the mating surfaces with felt to help reduce the rattles and squeaks.

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Got my car back from MB motorsport yesterday, had most of the coolant system replaced including thermostat and all plastic housings, sensors etc

Only bit not changed was the radiator (was new in 2011) and hoses as look to be in good nick (although will likely go samco later)

 

The car now warms up as it should to half way and the temp doesn't drop right off when on the motorway like it did.

 

Strangely also seems to be ticking over much better too which is an odd side effect.

 

Still, another couple of hundred quid lighter now :( but on the plus side, checked the oil after 3 months and it hasn't used a drop! So plenty of life left in the bottom end and the head was brand new at 105k

 

---------- Post added at 10:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 AM ----------

 

Just finished polishing up the indicators I bought from Stonejag. Used 3000 grit wet paper and then resin polish.....have come up pretty well

 

8usy2ahy.jpg

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Man, I am on a role today..... Also managed to fit Dave16v excellent repair bracket for the loose centre console, what a superb mod! I also lined all the mating parts with felt and it is rock solid now.

 

aneda3ap.jpg

 

This then led to me finally being able to put the interior back together bar the throttle pedal stop and footrest which should be coming from another member and day now.

 

Tidied the wiring

 

urebahyv.jpg

 

Got everything back together and feeling very solid with all new clips, brackets and lined mating faces with felt. Shame it was too dark to get a decent pic

 

5aqynuse.jpg

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lookin spot on. gonna have to have a look sometime mate, need to do a few interior jobs myself.

 

when i said the car was just round the corner the other day it was at mickies gettin drop links and brake pipes done... small world and that.

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lookin spot on. gonna have to have a look sometime mate, need to do a few interior jobs myself.

 

when i said the car was just round the corner the other day it was at mickies gettin drop links and brake pipes done... small world and that.

 

Yeah, he said he'd had one in with an engine swap, guessed it may well be yours as he said it was a light blue/purple colour.

 

The bracket for the centre console is superb, great work Dave!

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great job on the indicators. Just a suggestion, you may want to put somepadding between the cable ties and looms as there may be a risk of the ties cutting through the insulation after a while.

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Just a suggestion, you may want to put somepadding between the cable ties and looms as there may be a risk of the ties cutting through the insulation after a while.

 

You are right, the secret is not to tighten them so they create any friction on the cables. When you look inside the dash, there are loads of original cable holders that are directly clasping the loom but they are *just* holding it and not squeezing. The cable ties I've put in are just holding them in place without being tight enough to rub.

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Just picked up a set of BBS Montreal II wheels last night, should be more in keeping with my OEM+ theme.

Also, while I do love the TT comps I think the ride on 17"s is a bit on the harsh side......maybe I am getting old :)

 

Should look somthing like this one when they are on:

 

http://the-corrado.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=29034&d=1296921855

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They look good. I think there are several other Mk4 OE wheels that would work well on a Corrado that are rarely used..

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Cheers, it was a bit of a random purchase....I saw them on ebay and just thought they would work with my OEM+ goal. They are made by BBS and look factory, not overly modern so they dont look out of place with the cars age, not overly bling etc

 

Looking forward to getting some tyres on them.

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That's a good look, I didn't think it would be but they seem to suit a corrado better than the mk4 :)

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So the BBS Montreal wheels I bought on eBay looked great in the pics, no corrosion or curbing on the faces, however once they arrived I realised the backs of the wheels had about 2mm of caked on crap....not a good sign!

 

After spending and hour soaking them in AG wheel cleaner and scrubbing them down, I revealed a lot of corrosion that was right up to the edges of the backs of the spokes.

 

I had a choice to make here, leave them and in 6 months that corrosion would have spread to the front......or rattle can re-spray the backs but in the past I have found that doesn't last if they are corroded, plus I'm a busy guy so time is an issue......or bite the bullet and get them refurbed even though the face looks fine :(

 

I've wanted to give Bettablast powder coaters a go for a while, they are based in Shiremore Newcastle and have some lovely work on their website http://www.bettablast.co.uk

This seemed like a good opportunity and I so i went for it,picked the wheel up today.

 

3a9ehy4e.jpg

u6ezeha4.jpg

7enyjaja.jpg

 

Need a coat of wax yet but some really deep sparkle

ehu9u8a4.jpg

 

Powder coat should be a lot more durable than the original paint, plus they have been dipped in zinc undercoat first to ensure they last for many many years

Edited by Hofmiester

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Cheers mate, will be running the rears with some 15mm spacers to get them flush with the arches. They feel very light compared to the TT comps

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Indicators look top mate!

 

Did you polish them by hand?

 

Yep, took a bit of time but they came up nice. Started with 2000 grit, then 2500, 3000 and then finished with AG super resin polish, which I have found to be excellent on clear plastics

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Warning, dirty car pictures below!

 

Managed to get the wheels on today, even though the powder coat should be super durable, I have given them two coats of carnauba wax first.

 

Rears are using 15mm spacers to help fill the arches.

 

[ATTACH]71889[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]71890[/ATTACH]

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Wheels really pop in the light, and no you can never put enough wax on them. They repell dirt a treat from then on. What's next ?

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Cheers, the powder coat has some really deep sparkle, never had wheels done in this way before and I'm impressed. Looking for other things to get coated now ;)

 

What's next...well I am not 100% happy with the condition of the paint on the wings, there are a lot if fine chips. Plus the bonnet I bought is not quite the same colour and so next big job will be front end respray but it can wait.

 

Next DIY will be stripping the door cards and fitting all new clips and trims as they rattle badly.

 

---------- Post added at 8:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 8:30 AM ----------

 

Also bought a set of 288 calipers and carriers as the brakes feel crap compared to Mk2 octy VRS

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Today I swapped out the cone filter attached to the MAF and put the standard airbox back on to see what it would be like. I'm going for the OEM+ look and so wasn't keen of the filter hanging there.

 

Impressions are very good, I removed the snorkel to the front panel to get a bit more sound and it is just perfect, I get the roar but it isn't stupid like before.

 

The most unexpected thing is how much smooth the car runs. I did also give the MAF connectors a blast with contact cleaner but overall the idle is now smooth, no lumps like before and when you plant the loud pedal, it seems to pull better.

 

Definitely wont be going back to that cone filter!

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Lucky me today, went to fit the chip I bought from another member and when I opened the ECU I found this cheeky little logo :)

 

[ATTACH]72046[/ATTACH]

 

That explains a lot as it seems rapid compared to others I've driven. Another odd one is looking through the history there is a Vw dealer receipt for a brand new head, fitted and there is a note at the bottom. "Assembled with customer supplied cams, notable difference to originals" not sure what that could mean?

Edited by Hofmiester

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