Fixed Height Column Mod - Parts List?

[Jim 1]

Just had an email from my parts guy. He said "funnily enough just had a call from VW to cancel the back order as the top part of the cowling has gone obsolete - but the bottom half is here if you want it)".

 

Drat and double drat :(

[davidwort 0]

bottom half has the screw fixing holes that break, if you can get one new I would, chances are a second hand bottom part will be cracked.

[herisites 0]

Nice! So I'll just wait for my call from the dealer now then :brickwall:

[Jim Bowen 1]

would it be a hard thing to make in say fibreglass or carbon fibre?

[herisites 0]

Just had my call literally straight after I typed my last reply :lol: :lol:

 

Yep, unavailable! Wounder! :help:

[Jim 1]

So WTF do we do now. Rarely ever see 8v's being broken for parts! :(

[herisites 0]

Yep, rarer than a rare thing on rares day! :roll:

 

Well, the big issue (not the magazine sold by tramps!) with the adjustable trim not fitting is the ignition barrel is in a different position, it sits closer in on the fixed column. Other than that I think it could fit fine, you'd just be left with a hole where the height adjuster lever was!

 

The barrel is just held in a bracket on the fixed column which I've circled on the attached pic of the 2 columns. You can clearly see the adjustable barrel sits further out than the fixed one.

[Dan_Storm 0]

I picked up my fixed upper and lower cowling from VW last week. No idea if it actually fits yet, but it looks like the correct part.

 

FYI, 535 953 515B / 535 953 516B show as obsolete in VW's system. Parts 535 953 515B 01C / 535 953 516B 01C (with the 01C) show as back order - at least they did last week.

[herisites 0]

I picked up my fixed upper and lower cowling from VW last week. No idea if it actually fits yet, but it looks like the correct part.

 

FYI, 535 953 515B / 535 953 516B show as obsolete in VW's system. Parts 535 953 515B 01C / 535 953 516B 01C (with the 01C) show as back order - at least they did last week.

 

Cool, well I need to go in tomorrow anyway and get my refund for the obsolete early upper trim so I'll ask him and see what it says on his system. Strange though as the 01C is just the colour code :scratch:

[herisites 0]

I went VW today to get my refund today for the early upper trim. I felt quite privileged as the parts guy let me go in the back to use one of the computers to dig out the part numbers as I'd forgotten them, all these mechanics etc were walking past me thinking WTF?? :lol:

 

Anyway, the early upper trim is indeed now showing in the system as obsolete as of yesterday! :bad-words:

 

Checked the late trim again with the 01C on the end and was still showing as obsolete, in fact just giving the part numbers without 01C doesn't work, you need the 01C to complete the part number. I think you were just very lucky Dan_Storm and your local had them hidden away somewhere.

 

So we are now officially stuck :( I have half a piece of trim on my column now and can't possibly get the next half. So our only hope now really is to find a late 8v with fixed column breaking :pale: or an early valver with fixed column breaking :|

[Jim 1]

Either that or someone with a late fixed height column would be willing to lend us the bits of trim and I could re-approach the plastic cloning / remanufacture people I was originally going to use to turn the window rollers...

 

I'm sure we could get 5-10 orders as there's at least 5 of us on here talking about doing this mod at the moment... not sure how much it would cost though.

[herisites 0]

That would be awesome if we could get some made! :notworthy:

[Jim Bowen 1]

i'm pretty much set on doing this mod when i fit a rack, so will be interested in the cowlings

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The only way I see this being feasible and cost effective is by making plaster moulds of the original cowlings, and then replicating them in glass fibre, or carbon fibre if you're a Mr Scene flash git :D

[herisites 0]

The only way I see this being feasible and cost effective is by making plaster moulds of the original cowlings, and then replicating them in glass fibre, or carbon fibre if you're a Mr Scene flash git :D

 

Or ham? :shrug:

[Jim 1]

Very positive initial response from the company. Would need a fairly extended loan of a cowling set though for them to work from.

 

Initially some detailed photographs and some measurements would allow them to work out feasibility, etc...

 

Don't spose anyone has a set lying around do they...? :(

[herisites 0]

Kev's the only person I know with the late trim? I'm sure he won't mind driving around with a bare column for a while :lol: I'm having to :lol:

[Jim Bowen 1]

not keen on having a ham cowling tbh :gag:

[Jim 1]

Wondering if David Wort would mind... he says he's SORN'd his 8v at the moment and I think that has a fixed height column.........

 

David? Puh puh puh puh pleeeeease? :)

[davidwort 0]

you're hoping :)

no plans to break the 8v, I'm just about to start working on it!

[Jim 1]

The parts wouldn't be sacrificial - they'd only need to be loaned so that they could replicate them. If I could get a cast iron guarantee from the company that they wouldn't be damaged, would you be willing to loan them? I know it's a big ask but I don't know who else has an 8v with fixed height column :(

[krnau 0]

why would one do this mod?? I've fixed height one and I'd like to have adjustable :nono:

[Jim 1]

Explained the reason a few pages back. There is a universal joint in the column which can go "sloppy" with age causing wandering / vague handling. Eliminating it by using the fixed height column is a great cure for it. And if, like me, you have the column in a fairly neutral position anyway you won't lose anything by ditching the adjustable column.

[krnau 0]

Explained the reason a few pages back. There is a universal joint in the column which can go "sloppy" with age causing wandering / vague handling. Eliminating it by using the fixed height column is a great cure for it. And if, like me, you have the column in a fairly neutral position anyway you won't lose anything by ditching the adjustable column.

thanks!

[Dr. Robotnik 0]

I feel silly asking and it may have been said before, but can you get a replacement adjustable column from the dealers or somewhere? Then nothing else would need to be fiddled with, ideally.