Pommie Fat Low Cabrio

**itsbazza** · 22-03-2008, 07:48 AM

Bit of a background about myself, im 30 and have always been into my motors. I spent 8 months travelling aound your amazing country 5 years ago and want to come back one day. Hence i thought i would lookup the VW scene over in Australia.

Here's a bit of a project thread for my Mk1 GTI Karmann Cabrio. Just interested to see what you all think over in Australia. I'm lovin' the VW modding scene you have over there and the sublte differences to how we do it in England.

It all started may 2005 when for some reason i came up with the idea of buying a cheap convertible for the summer. Just a cheap ****box to runabout in and thats it. So the searching started for a Mk1 cabrio. I had a look at a couple, including a really dodgy one in Basingstoke, Hampshire, that had 17's (couldn't steer it!) and half the wiring hanging outa the dash and he still wanted £2K for it, muppet. Anyway the urge just to get one was getting the better of me so when i found this one and i managed to batter the guy from £800 down to £450 (approx $1k aus) i though i couldn't go wrong. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Despite it having 4 flat tyres, had no MOT (your equivelent to Rego) on it for at least 3 years and he hadn't run it up for months i STILL embarked on driving it the 11 miles home. 2 near death experiences later, NO BLOODY BRAKES virtually and i had already fallen in love with it. That was it, here started the plan to do it all up, starting with a rebuild on the engine and then on to the bodywork.

Heres some pics a couple of days after i had got it and given it its only wash ive eva treated it too.

Engine was v messy and seemed to have loadsa bits missing, split or broken.

So after a couple of days i started realising that perhaps this wasn't the bargain i originally thought it was going to be. Apart from all the brakes needing to be replaced i'd found a split CV boot, rust in probably all the usual areas (see pics) a completely split and knackerd steering rack gaiter, no rev counter and most of the other dials working intermitantly, needed all new tyres as rotten and the list continues......

Grot

... more grot!

Next stage was to start fixing a few of these problems, starting with the fact that it was puffing out abit of smoke, i was reliably informed that this was probably the valve stem seals so a strip down and clean up of the engine insued. See pics. I reground in all the valves, a job i hadn't done for a while, painted the block and generally spent hours and hours getting all the crap off the entire engine bay that had built up over the almost 20 years. Replaced various hoses that had split, fitted a new earth strap which straight away sorted out all the dodgey dials, they work now! Also decided to fit a K&N filter and a fast road cam (Kent Cams) which i got from, the now no-longer, Auto Technic Southampton. Anyway i forget how many bits i had to source, including a metal water pipe which even had my local main VW dealership stumped, as to what it was. It even had a VW part code on it and they still couldn't find it for ages.

Engine in need of hours of cleaning and tidying up.

1.8 head looking all clean and shiney.

**itsbazza** · 22-03-2008, 07:51 AM

Engine then got all put back together and i fitted my Miltek exhaust system (don't ask me about this one, was not happy with Miltek or Big Boys Toys from whom i bought it, would never use either again). It was then time to start on the bodywork. Wide arches were the first thing to do. Cut off the old ones and bought new arches and wings to extend them. Also weld in a new filler neck surround.

By this stage i had 2 sets of wheels in mind. Both ones i had bought at scrap yards cheap.

Audi A3's as per above and these tasty Merc AMG's but i am still struggling to work out a way to get them on without having to replace all the hubs with 5 stud ones. Have now polished them all up and the look mint. Just want to get them on the car!

**itsbazza** · 22-03-2008, 07:51 AM

A mixture of more pics, not all in order.

Below, exhaust fitted, but not liking the so called subtle tail pipe. Looks like a big bean can.

Rear arch welded on.

Smoothing has begun.

**itsbazza** · 22-03-2008, 07:52 AM

Now by this stage, about a year ago i finally had the car in a garage at my new house. Not alot had been done for ages so heres a little update.

I polished up the outer edges of the A3 rims, with the centres either black or the same colour as the car they should look alright.

Work being done on the other arch.

Next i bought some ATS Classics, my first ever ebay baragin! With spacers they fit quite nice but with the coilies its sooo low. :wacko:

**itsbazza** · 22-03-2008, 07:53 AM

...and this is how it was last summer. I know its slow progress but i have a job thats long hours and i also DJ most weekends hence little time, but i'm getting the urge to get it on the road now!

ATS or A3's

Been out in the garage the last couple of weekends and the bodywork is almost done now. Next on list is to strip down the engine again and replace the piston rings as i'm losing compression in one of the cylinders.

**GoLfMan** · 22-03-2008, 08:12 AM

awesome progress mate its looking the goods!!!
i love the look of the A3's on there and are wondering if you used adaptors to get the 5 stud pattern to fit on the mk1?

great stuff mate, keep it coming love ya work.... but get rid of the milo tin mate

**itsbazza** · 22-03-2008, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by GoLfMan

awesome progress mate its looking the goods!!!
i love the look of the A3's on there and are wondering if you used adaptors to get the 5 stud pattern to fit on the mk1?

great stuff mate, keep it coming love ya work.... but get rid of the milo tin mate

Cheers mate.

I am using 4x100 to 5x100 adapters to get the A3's on the car. Got my dad to mill down the front ones abit to get them under the already extended arches.

...and the milo tin has already gone mate. I'm going for a hidden diesel style look instead with the cut out put back in and all smoothed over.

**WABIT** · 22-03-2008, 09:00 AM

love the clean look mate and those guards!!! ohh man i love them.....

by the look of it all your not going to be running bumpers, shuld be interesting how that will look once finished... love the build keep us updated mate

wabit