It Begins: The S3 1.8T into my '85 Mk2 GTI

[GOLFBALLS]

Looks good Wade,

Hope you took plenty pics before disassembly bud... .

Yeah took a few mainly of the abomination that my tuner made of the wiring. The rest is fine. I've pulled apart and put back together 3 mk2's in the last 5 years!!

[geoff_gti]

Catching up on a few pages worth of updates -

Finally, it's all legal.


For anyone looking at doing this, its not as daunting as it seems.
Step 1: Download 'Application to modify passenger vehicle' form from DoT website & fill it out & send it back.
Step 2: wait for them to send you an approval pending an engineer's report. (they may ask for more info on some of your planned mods).
Step 3: Finish all your work. Like, actually finish it. Properly.
Step 4: Take it to a certified engineer to look over. Give them a copy of your application form and as much spec info on the car prior, as well as after the mods. (weigh bridge receipt, height, track, decibel reading of exhaust, speedo check, brake test, etc). They'll then take photos and using the info you provide write up their report and send it of to DoT. Usually, if there's anything they aren't satisfied with they'll just tell you to fix it up and come back.
Step 5: Wait for the final approval in the mail from DoT. Once it's arrived, book the car in to a certified licensing inspector ('pits') to check it over and give you your piece of paper!!

On step 5, i would highly recommend using a private vehicle inspector. The transport dept ones are generally arseholes.

Then you'll just need to take it in to get the details changed for your rego papers!

You're welcome

Yay you are finally a certified nutter!!

That new paintwork looks fantastic, can't wait to see it all back together. So weird seeing it in pieces or on the wheels with no engine.

Hope you get the misfire sorted with all this at the same time. I've had a weird misfire issue a few times intermittently which we'd talked about last time. Steve H said it could be a faulty thermo sensor just sending a dud reading back when we did the last service, rather than coilpacks etc which had been my first thought. It's only done it twice since then, although now it will prob go off again tomorrow. Wonder if you might have something like that as well as possible wiring loom doom ???

Full credit to you mate for sticking with it!!

[geoff_gti]

You said this 4 years ago, I've been working my way through your thread and was going to thank you for documenting it all.
You haven't hidden much from what I can tell, and understanding the costs of some components (like the qpeng gear) definitely helps those of us pondering this sort of thing.

I'm not at the end of the thread yet, but am hoping there's a cost breakdown / summary of what worked / didn't work written up somewhere over the next 4 years worth of posts.

Heard you've got yourself a Mk2 project now as well Martin! Might see you bombin around the bogan streets of South Perth (where's Steve L when you need him to make a dig, right??? haha)

[GOLFBALLS]

Progress is slow as i don't have free access to the car at the moment.

Got all the headlining, visors, door seals etc in. No pics though.

...The string technique worked a treat getting in the windscreen...




tail lights...



One door nearly done..





Beautiful shiny new roof mouldings






Also scored some fake BBS caps for my fake BBS wheels ;-P




It's slowly starting to look like a car again

[tinto]

Phwoar nice!
Where did you source all your new seals and the roof moulding?
What a difference putting new ones in makes to the pop / contrast.

Geoff - a work in progress for sure

[GOLFBALLS]

Phwoar nice!
Where did you source all your new seals and the roof moulding?
What a difference putting new ones in makes to the pop / contrast.

Geoff - a work in progress for sure

They're actually all 2nd hand so far. Just a rag and some windex to clean them up. The roof mouldings came off that silver one i wrecked earlier this year. It only had 80,000k's on it so all the rubbers were really nice! I just got lucky man.


You have a mk2 in the pipeline? Details. We want details.

[roccodingo]

Looking great there Wade. coming along nicely mate

[Antonvs]

Yeah looking very nice Wade, need to see it before I leave to Queensland!

[geoff_gti]

wait what - holiday or moving for work??

[rutti]

Looking really good! Seeing this makes me itch for a respray too!


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[tinto]

Where does a chap start looking for a 1.8T + Gbox (or a VR6 engine & box for that matter) in Perth?
I'm searching online, but realise that this is the sort of thing that is possibly sitting on a palette at a wrecker rather than written up and photographed.

Yours came from a wrecked S3, is that right Wade? is the gearbox from that too - just disconnect the rear shaft or something?
Not sure my wife (or neighbours for that matter) would be too pleased if I skull-dragged a wreck onto the front lawn, so I think I need to keep it a fairly compact arrangement.

[rutti]

Tinto, check gumtree perth, there's a mk4 gti being wrecked at maddington few days ago.

[tinto]

I must be blind or searching on the wrong terms - thanks for the tip Rutti!

[GOLFBALLS]

Yep just call some wreckers.
Perth Spare Parts have one. Call Alex on 9451 1444. They're in Beckenham. Tell them i referred you.

I personally wouldn't go the VR6 route. Too old, unreliable, complex and heavy.

I also used the Corrado 16v gearbox. Have a look back towards the beginning of this thread its all there.

Or, go to the QPEng website. There's a whole guide there which is a great start. Otherwise, a standard mk2 box will be good up to 160hp..

[roccodingo]

Come see me, 2 x 1.8T engines, O2J and O2M trans sitting in the shed Also the source of Wade's O2A trans.