Mk2 2dr Project Car (1.8t swap)

[Weeman]

Update: 18/10/2021

Coolant mount change over today. Forgot to weld this in before I painted the bay. Remove the mk2 mount by just cold chiselling the spot welds to break them. Treated the rust and applied some paint over the bare patch. Took the VR6 coolant mount off and tidied it up. Put some rivnuts in the strut tower and just mounted it on! Allows me to mount the radiator fan control unit too. Just gotta get me a new bottle now coz this one yuck.

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[HaydEn]

Lovely work!


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[Weeman]

Lovely work!


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Cheers mate

Also need some help with my radiator setup. If I remember correctly you have done this swap before, what radiator did you run and what radiator half cross member did you use? My VR6 one is quite tight after I trimmed back the housing so I've been looking into aftermarket VR6 one with slimline fans as my best option at this stage.

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[sports racer]

Good to see the progress.

[ozgti]

I'm going to use an ebay special
Alloy rad with 2 fans for I think $210. I have just the rad, but I bent the bottom of the rad when it fell off the jack.

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[HaydEn]

Cheers mate

Also need some help with my radiator setup. If I remember correctly you have done this swap before, what radiator did you run and what radiator half cross member did you use? My VR6 one is quite tight after I trimmed back the housing so I've been looking into aftermarket VR6 one with slimline fans as my best option at this stage.

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Used a cheap alloy MK3 VR6 radiator. It wasn’t fully secured and only bolted into place via the bottom provisions.


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[Weeman]

I'm going to use an ebay special
Alloy rad with 2 fans for I think $210. I have just the rad, but I bent the bottom of the rad when it fell off the jack.

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I think I will too

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[ozgti]

2 ROW Aluminum Radiator + FAN for Volkswagen VW Golf MK3 GTI VR6 1994-1998 MT | eBay

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[Weeman]

2 ROW Aluminum Radiator + FAN for Volkswagen VW Golf MK3 GTI VR6 1994-1998 MT | eBay

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Thanks!

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[Weeman]

Update: 21/10/2021

Fiddled around a bit today, got the vacuum tank out of the VR6 and also the cruise control pump and took advantage of my free space in the raintray as the ECU is now mounted in the cabin.

Re-addressed my steering joint... I cut up a mk2 one as I didn't realise the top spline was the same, put the little notch in then fitted it the same way the mk3 one works. Such an easy method and so much more stronger. Quite happy with this not having to have any welds in it.

I tell ya what this engine isn't far from going back in now.

Cheers,
Thomas

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[Weeman]

Update: 24/10/2021

Engine in, out, in, out, in, out, in. Hopefully for good. Downpipe was in the way, then I cut the rear mount down 20mm to get the engine to sit flatter and also gave better clearance for the crank pulley, I think its all good now. Wiring getting plugged back in and everything has seemed to go to plan!

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[guile]

nice work mate, well done. lovely build thread, keep up the updates please...

[Weeman]

nice work mate, well done. lovely build thread, keep up the updates please...

Absolutely!

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[Weeman]

Update: 29/10/2021

So I've been working on the radiator and got it to fit! I used the original VR6 shroud so I can keep the fans and cut it down heapsss. The shroud includes headlight housings so got rid of all that. I made some straps (which I'm quite proud of to be honest) and then bolted them into the cross member and the front grille piece thing, whatever its called. It allows me to keep the AC condensor as well! I'm low on budget at the moment so I won't be able to purchase new condensor or radiator at this stage. I also mounted the little AC tank off the chassis rail.

As I didn't use the radiator half cross member, I chopped off the ends and then mounted those in on the top of the cross member, just to give that added stiffness.

We are going down to the in-laws this weekend so I'll be pressing in my new wheel bearings cause the mk2 ones aren't actually correct for the mk3 VR6 knuckles as there was a slight wobble... I'll also be grabbing my power steering resorvoir from the parts car and that basically makes me finished in the engine bay? (once I plug everything in) If I pull myself together, I could bleed my clutch and brakes and the other things, do an oil change and put in some coolant, then I could possibly turn it over??? Very very keeeen!

Cheers

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[Weeman]

Fresh

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