Turbo Diesel Cabriolet Project (with head porting pics)

**GLDoldcoot** · 19-03-2013, 08:16 PM

I like the Wheels Aydan. Next time you feel like cleaning some suspension parts, Ive got lots here you can practice on. I cant get 'em as clean as you!

**gldgti** · 19-03-2013, 08:33 PM

I keep telling you to buy a pressure cleaner!!!

**gldgti** · 22-09-2013, 09:06 PM

This weekend the cabby got some more love - of the dynamat kind!

I bought the 36sq foot kit (~$185) and we used 7 and a bit of the 9 sheets.

Areas covered:

> Boot floor
> body panels adjacent to the back seat (outer skin and the inner skin)
> under the back seat
> front door skins and door inner panels
> parts of the raintray
> parts of the firewall (engine bay side)
> underneath the bonnet

This, I have to say, is about the best money and time i think ive ever spent on the car. It has totally changed the feel of the car. The doors now shut with a nice thud. Concrete roads now sound only marginally louder than tarmac ones. Bass is HUGE, and all the other frequencies are so much easier to hear - I had to completely change the EQ setup to make it sound reasonable, there was so much sound energy being lost and drowned out by road noise before.

If I was to recommend just one mod for a mk1, this has got to be it.

The basic methodology involved a lot of finger tapping. Basically, find the most resonant parts of a panel, and lay the dynamat on there first.

I found you dont need 100% coverage to make a big difference. Ofcourse, the more you put on, the better it will be, but its nice to think about it and get the best bang for buck, and add less weight if possible.

I found with most areas, there comes a point when you know that you've acheived a significant amound of damping just by the sound of tapping your finger on the panel in various places. You will notice huge differences before and after.

Concentrate of large flat areas first, and then selectively apply around them until you are happy. I guess if cost and weight are not major factors, just put it everywhere.

either way, the car now feels much newer and nicer than before.

Also note, we didnt do any on the floors or inside the firewall low down, because in a cabby this is already thickly (about half and inch) treated from the factory. In a normal mk1 however, you would need to do these areas aswell for good results (probably the roof would be good aswell).

**Dub Toffee** · 23-09-2013, 06:37 AM

thats a really good mod mate, nice one

**EwenHayton** · 27-09-2013, 10:48 PM

Do you think if i got one i could stash my children underneth it???

That was meant to quote the wind diverter thing you have lol

**gldgti** · 30-09-2013, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by EwenHayton

Do you think if i got one i could stash my children underneth it???

That was meant to quote the wind diverter thing you have lol

Yes, it easily conceals toddlers, picnic baskets, or even an rpg launcher

**gldgti** · 30-09-2013, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Anna Dawson

This is going to be a great share.That engine was slow .

? I'm confused.

**gldgti** · 10-05-2014, 10:07 PM

So for the past week I have been building a new downpipe in preparation for todays turboswap. I built the downpipe a little at a time, for about 10 minutes every evening before I left work. This is not the downpipe build method I would recommend unless you like a challenge, but the good news is that today, the turbo swap went without a hitch and the downpipe is the best I've ever made.

I decided to do it in 2 peices for ease of fitment/removal. It also features fully floating flanges so you can get it all to sit just so, and it all seals without gaskets

So, last weekend I pulled the GT-15 out (which by now must have more than 300k km on it) as it was leaking oil from the centre housing, and swapped in the T3 which is a much larger turbo. Unfortunately no pics yet - tomorrow maybe.

The swap was a pretty involved affair, as I have had to fit a new intake manifold (PD160 from the van configuration TDI engines) as the T3 is mounted 'high' rather than low. I have had to re-do all the intercooler piping, intake piping, moved the airbox to the other side of the engine bay, fit a new diesll clutch cable rather than a petrol one for clearance, moved the fuel filter to other side of engine bay and relocate the washer bottle aswell... plus the above downpipe. I also took the opportunity while the manifolds were off to do some more dyna-mat on the firewall directly behind the engine.

Good news is that the culmination of all my efforts has come together nicely and the car is now much sweeter (or you might say meaner). The fit on the new exhaust has decreased NVH by a LOT, which is a blessing as the rear view mirror was just a bit too vibratey before. Also, the engine is now totally devoid of instant boost and clutch burning torque.....however, it is a LOT faster overall. The GT-15 was very much a 'one hit wonder' setup, a big lump of torque at the low end and stifling restriction up top.

The T3 just makes pleasingly loud spooling noises at low rpm, and wakes up from about 2500rpm onwards until you are screaming along at silly speeds with a grin from ear to ear.

I honestly wonder what made me put the GT15 in the car in the first place.

Anyway, the setup is now certifiably funsome, and especially good if you like to make a cloud of smoke followed by a quick getaway.

Hopefully I'll post a vid tomorrow or something