Bora R32 Build Thread

[beale187]

Also, installed these OEM B5 Passat smoked indicators.

Part No: 3B0 949 117 C



They look good on the silver R32 but get a bit lost on my black Bora.

[sports racer]

Always good to see the little changes you're doing.

By 2060 it should be perfect.

[beale187]

So ways back in May 2021 (from memory) VW discontinued manufacturing A LOT of parts for MKIV's, so anything MKIV specific would be no longer available new from them.

When I got a sniff of it I immediately begun hunting for somewhere I could source a US spec Centre Console as my usual OEM spots were all out of stock due to being NLA (No Longer Available). Unfortunately that led me to ECS Tuning in the states who were hoarding all the US Consoles.

The only thing I couldn't find was a new forward section of the console - i wanted new to match the US section.

So I begun re-furbing the old one to remove the soft touch.
Tried WD40, metho, thinners, heat gun none seemed to really work.



In terms of removing the soft touch, the top section was easy as it's smooth. But the textured bits were a b*tch.

The only thing that did work well was an old clay bar I had or just using my fingers. Friction was the key.



Once the soft touch was gone I hit it with some wax and grease remover which made the plastic haze.


With it all prepped it was ready for paint. Went to the paint shop and picked up some bumper trim paint (for plastics) and coloured matched it to the OEM plastic.



Needless to say was very happy with the result.


The match in finish is almost identical to OEM. This pic shows the comparison between the re-furbed front console to the NEW OEM US spec console I ordered.


With that ****ty job out of the way it was time to get Australia's most expensive cup holder installed in the car.



So the biggest sticking point when installing these into our cars here is the handbrake. RHD cars the handbrake angle to the right, LHD cars (Like the US) the handbrake is closer to the driver.

You can get around this a few different ways.
1. Bend the RHD handbrake to make it fit (I wasn't keen on bending my R32 handbrake)
2. Drill out the handbrake bracket to mimic the US one as indicated in this random pic I found. Top is RHD, bottom is LHD. Black is the body studs the bracket mounts too, white is current holes and the red indicates area's that need to be trimmed/drilled.


3. And lastly, burn more money and just buy a LHD handbrake. This is the way I went

Cleaned up the LHD handbrake


I won't put all the steps involved in installing it. But to give you a comparison as to the angle of the handbrake LHD v RHD.

This is RHD stock in my R32.


This is LHD installed in the Bora. Note how far to the handbrake is pointing to the left.


If you wish to do this, you'll need the following parts. 2QL denotes Black colour.

Rear Centre Console - Part Number: 1J0863323AC 2QL
Rear Cup Holder - Part Number: 1J0862533H 2QL
Rear Cup Holder Bracket - Part Number: 1J0 858033C 2QL
Cover Cap (e.g. fuel button trim) - Part Number: 1J0862292 2QL
Centre Console Storage Tray (Armrest delete) - Part Number: 1J0 858 373C 2QL
LHD Brushed Aluminium Handbrake - Part Number: 1J0711303AC 4J4 (4J4 denotes brushed aluminium)

[nick94571]

quite amazing the dedication and effort.
From your pictures it looks like youve removed the centre storage area that hangs over the handbreak. How do you go about doing that?

[beale187]

quite amazing the dedication and effort.
From your pictures it looks like youve removed the centre storage area that hangs over the handbreak. How do you go about doing that?

Thanks mate, much appreciated. Look up "armrest delete mkiv" and you'll find what you are looking for, been a long time since I had a armrest always found them pretty useless (or broken)