Adi's PB powered mk2 golf GL #2 + GTI daily

Its about time I did one on mk2 golf #10

Copied from another forum so probably makes no sense but here goes...

Anyone remember this?




Then a few months later it looked like this running a digifart on a 4+E with rear discs, GTI interior and working MFA




Fast forward a year and a mk2 GTD/mk1 cabby and I've just got another PB converted GL, a 90 spec this time. Can't be bothered to explain what I've done so far so I'l let the pics do the talking. when I got it



Then I dropped it




Then I cleaned it and took out the tintz innit




Finally drilled and tapped the drilled out bolts on the centre caps, so they're now fitted making the car look a million times better. I've swapped the badged grilled for a debadged item, fitted rainbows, fitted the dishy suede steering wheel, osram nightbreakers with LED sidelights, new top rad hose, new heater panel that actually lights up, fixed the central locking and cleaned it









I hadn't posted a pic of the PB lump, so here it is, needs some dressing and cleaning, however I'm not sure I'l bother as I really want an ABF in there...



And lastly a little discovery I made today when I realised I've lost my autosol, so I found a replacement product to clean my tailpipes in Hobrite and a scourer! It took literally 2 mins to scrub the black crap loose, then rinsed off with warm water, this is the result!



well pleased with that! Next up will be wheels and new brakes, but thats after my next purchase of another NS125R for cheap commuting to work

Are you going to change the big bumpers or by side skirts etc to match the big bumpers?

Nope, its not a GTI so I won't make it look like one. The big bumpers and arch trims are all standard 90 spec GL stuff, its meant to look how it does

Heater matrix time...




The latter pic is where I'm up to, and my knuckles are SCRAPED! Not bad time though, got where I am now in just over 2 hours, I reckon I'd have it done in just over 2 hours

Oh, and it would also appear my car has had a replacement scuttle panel welded in! Result 8-)

Bit of an update on my golf. Still got it, still using/abusing daily, and still putting up with it!

So, after the heater matrix fiasco, a few days later it started steaming the windscreen up again slightly, as you can imagine I was far from impressed. Then very soon after it over heated in traffic due to a now duff radiator fan, which caused the plastic coolant flange on the side of the head to distort and no longer keep water in my engine. So I replaced the flange, saw it was leak free, then although I hate using the stuff I stuck some radweld in it and touch wood so far I have no more steamy windows, lots of heat, and NO water leaks! Also in this time I changed a CV joint, but typically I now need one in the other side.

Still in need of a rad fan, but keeping out of traffic Otherwise all has been good, it does desperately need some discs/pads all round for the upcoming MOT though.

In cosmetic news, I got myself some flyeye kit. Can't recommend it enough, cost me just over a fiver posted for enough to do my headlights (and still have a bit left) and come with a posh scalpel, a nice little applicator tool and a letter stating they're vosa approved in case of a jobsworth copper! Have a pic




Also jetwashed my engine bay a few weeks ago, its actually nice to do work on it without getting covered in all manner of crap!

OK so a small update, just spunked about 100squids on all new brakes. Went on the direct gov site and checked the MOT history, and was a little bit annoyed to find it had an advisory last year on pitted/rusty/worn discs/pads all round, and they haven't been changed since, bare in mind the MOT is due in about a month! So here is my collection fresh from ebay...



So I need to get these on and bedded in nicely before the MOT. Could also do with selling this before spending anymore on it...



Next update will probably be next month after the MOT, depending on whether its good news or not...

Bit of a premature update. I've almost lost mojo with this and almost considered just buying a cheap driver shell and breaking this, but I'm soldiering on. As soon as I got the car in the air I discovered this...



Yes thats a very rotten subframe, right next to a wishbone mount. Very safe. NOT.
So I carried on and started on the rear brakes. 1st one was the drivers side rear, which I was already aware of it having a stuck handbrake that didn't work. 1st disaster was me trying to wind the bearing into the disc with the hub nut. Bad idea. I stripped a few threads off the nut. Poo. Luckily I managed to bash the bearing in with a hammer and socket, and there was enough thread left on the nut to tighten it to my satisfaction, plus theres the split pin for good measure, so I'm just about happy with that. So onto the other side. I lost my 8mm allen key socket, so removed the other side carrier with a torx bit which was ok, but the passenger side didn't appreciate this. And rounded them off. Double poo. So I moved onto the fronts which went smoothly, apart from ebay sent me the fat pads for solid disc equipped cars, so the pads don't fit. I stuck the new discs on with the just about usable old pads until I get hold of the correct ones next week.

Anyways back to the stuck off handbrake on one rear caliper. I managed to sort of free it off, but it now works but sticks on and won't return. I've moved the return spring round a bit to no avail. Poo again. So a new caliper will be required. As I've left it I now have new discs on front with old pads, and one new rear disc and pads. Not ideal, but its drivable again until I can sort it all out ready for the MOT.

Have some useless pics of my rear brakes.



Thats the old passenger side rear, with the dead carrier bolts.



And thats the new rear set up with the none working handbrake.

Now I'm off to sulk/kick the crap out of my car.

Not really high on the priorities right now but I fitted a GTI splitter because I got sick of ripping the bumper off on kerbs in car parks, and I got stickers that only people in the know will understand

So today I got the subframe fixed. To remind you all this is the mess I started with



I ground out as much of the rot as possible (its a really difficult place to get a grinder into!), then I made up a repair piece and bent it to shape. It looked like this



Then I welded it in a flush as possible, the welds don't look so good at the bottom, but thats because I ran to welds to ensure I had good penetration in both the subframe and the repair patch. It looked like this



I then gave it a few coats of zinc primer, then re-assembled the suspension. I'l brush on some paint at a later date. Its all good now apart from the knackered wishbone bushes I discovered but at least its flexing there and not in my subframe!

So some stuff has happened. MOT time was creeping up fast and I was running out of time and funds so I bought this



Was a proper bargain, £270 with a few months TnT just needing a starter motor and a good clean. £30 and a trip to a local scrapyard later and a vovlo 460 diesel motor was aquired and a few hours of much swearing and black hands followed resulting in a perfectly usable daily. Working air con, FSH and a proper nokia bluetooth hands free kit were welcome bonuses. Anyways this is what happened after with the golf...



Parked up in my garage, the same garage in which the mk1 golf cabby and last mk2 golf GL "GTI" conversions happened incidentally. Then it was dumped on axle stands while the teardrops are up for sale to release some cash and some other "no longer required" parts were removed last friday morning (as part of my 1st wedding anniversary weekend off!)

Well quite a bit of stripping of the donor car has happened today, mainly because pikeys found where my garage was and have seen the donor car outside my garage, and in case they come and nick the donor, I want to make sure I have what I need.

First of all I had a look through the history of the donor, nearly a FSH, tax discs back to 1997 and this...



Who would pay that for a mk3 golf? haha. I had some difficulties in removing the rolling mk3 front end, as some numpty had snapped a bolt, tack the half of a bolt on, and run a crap bit of weld between the subframe and chassis!! This is what happens when you attack it for an hour with a lump hammer and a chisel



Then I dragged the running gear out



Then pulled the widetrack rear beam out



Then dragged the mk3 out the way with the trusty laguna and ended up with this



Made room under the mk2 front and ended up with a big pile of golf crap



This is the mk2 bay before I took the old 1.8 GTI downpipe off



Then me and a mate moved the mk3 stuff in



Stripped this rats nest out the mk3



Thought it was a good time to call it a night, cover up the mk3 and put it all away



Nest up, removing the mk2 loom, and bay cleaning!

Been down the garage today, to see to the mess left by all the weld on the subframe mount. This is what I was greeted with



Buzz buzz, grind grind



Then a coat of zinc primer. Its not pretty but it'l do

Awesome work. Keep it up

Now the man-flu is going away slowly I've done a bit on it, got all the mk3 running gear bolted up in place, steering UJ on rack, flexis screwed to calipers, etc



Then I decided I would stick some wheels on the back of it and push it out, theres no way I can do the wiring in the garage.



Was really nice to see it out in the light again after nearly 2 months. Definately need smaller tyres but I've already sorted something for that. 280s look disappointingly small behind these wheels, but never mind, these are the only 5x100 wheels I have at the mo.
Have some pointless pics

Had a go on the golf today, a pics say a thousand words so...

Off came the mk2 GTI rear axle



Lined up the mk3 axle



I had previously swapped a few brake lines over, greased them up and swapped the calipers to some good ones I bought a while back with braided hoses



Came across a slight problem here, the bias valve on the mk3 beam is about 7 inches further back! No biggie I'l just extend the brake pipes



Came across an even bigger problem here! I snapped a bolt that fixes the beam to the chassis. Any tips on how to rectify this without taking the beam back off?



Feeling a bit down at this point I finished up, stuck some wheels on and stood back to admire my work




Then having a bit of time left I attacked some boring wiring jobs. First up, remove the dash. Deja Vu sets in here, seen all this before so many times...



As you can see here I've swapped the loom for the clocks and swapped the stalks over from the mk3. Just got to fish out the MFA loom from the donor and plug that it. Question of the day.... What are these 2 anonymous plugs for that come off the 2 blue fusebox plugs for the mk3 clocks?

Done a bit more today. Took the digifant engine harness out



Here's the 2 mk2 looms and the single mk3 loom (its small as a lot of it is attached to the engine and just joins this loom with a big round plug next to the dizzy)



Mk3 loom in and plugged in



We have some life...



However when I turn the ignition on the ISV cracks and the fuel pump primes. But it won't turn over and I get no ignition lights on the clocks. Probably caused by some of these anonymous plugs that don't seem to go anywhere...?

I'm proud to introduce my new daily




She's a fairly original 8v GTI, had a lot spent on it, only changes are rainbow seats and spax adjustables. I've been a little bit naughty and stolen the early mk3 steering wheel, osram nightbreaker bulbs, and gearknob from the GL. Also got an amazing classic policy from footman james, 288quid fully comp with breakdown cover and overseas cover! Nearly fell off my chair!

Hi Adi not been on here for a while , dont suppose that you have a drivers side rear caliper for a gti in your garage ?? mine works on foot brake but not on hand brake

I did have 4 spare rear calipers, but sold them not so long ago!