Hi all, i'm sure some of you have kept tags on my previous thread, thought i'd start a new one with all the before and after pics etc now that its nearly complete, no need to read all the old stuff about wether to buy the front conversion or not in the first thread-so here goes...

bought the following parts to start with;-

Replica gti front end conversion-to fit standard golf mk5 without replacing slam panel, this includes fog grills, lower grill, number plate holder,and main front grill www.vagen.vg

oem gti side skirts www.volkswagen.co.uk

oem gti rear lower valance with towbar cover www.volkswagen.co.uk

oem gti front grill emblem, and rear boot gti letters http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320174595566&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=011 

i bought these bits, was very impressed with the front conversion, used a guide already online for removing the front bumper http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=20807 this guide is very accurate, and it is very easy to follow and do, pretty much the same when installing the conversion on, accept the 4 main screws at the front behind the grill arent needed to install it, i just cable tied a few front points to make me feel better, one problem was where the 2 screws fit the top of the bumper and grill i had to hacksaw off 2 bits that were stopping these screws from fitting-i can pic and describe if needed

also had to use my original vw badge on the front grill as this wasnt supplied with conversion

when changing the rear bumper its a case of removing the arch and underneath screws like the front bumper, then working your way around the clips from the arch all the way around-i used a fork handle to prize open the clips whilst pulling the bumper!!,

******problems installing new rear valance*****

when trying to simply clip on the new valance, once you get by the number plate area there is a big gap behind the top part of the bumper which means no hardiness to push on it to get clips to connect-had to take out rear lights, and whole of back bumper piece, then put together with rear valance, and then put it all back together!!!!!

removing the handles for spraying was pretty easy also used an online guide for this - http://uk-mkivs.net/forums/p/181523/1188207.aspx this guide is also very accurate and easy to follow/do, i did however put cable ties on the wire pulley parts to open doors as i had to use the car for a few days whilst handles were being sprayed and didnt want to lose the wires in the door!-this is perfectly safe and locking etc still works.

I pretty much waited for all the parts, then had the rear valance & side skirts smoothed down, and spryaed with the handles and front end too, the car looks awesome now, also bought some oem R32 18inch rims whilst waiting for parts which really made the car look good even with standard bodykit!!,

all i'm gonna do now is buy & install some foglights, buy a tdi 170ps backbox to fit the twin rear silencers, and buy door mouldings, get them smoothed down and sprayed, should be pretty much complete then

(oh, and gonna get a removable towbar fitted too!!!!

any questions i'd be more than happy to help

nice job there mate. i nice exhaust just to finnish it off.

paddy

Looking really nice mate  

 yeah, as soon as i got some cash free again, gonna get the door strips done, side skirts fitted, and new exhaust, oh-and fog lights

should be sweet then!?

 thanx btw!

 not sure if i should remove the golf lettering on the back and put the gti lettering in its place though like normal gti's!?!?!?!?!

i quite like having "golf" on there¬?

i like them de bagged but if you like the golf on there then leave it there  

 yeah i'm not sure-bit gutted as had i checked before sticking on the gti letters i prob would have just had "gti" on the left and that was it!!

 looking nice matey. think the wheels would look nice in a similar colour, i.e a bit darker

 took me ages to decide on what alloys, i do like the gti mozas in polished chrome etc but didnt get them in the end throgh fear of kerbing them and not being able to refurb them too easy, stuck with the r32 alloys as i can refurb these myself if i do any damage, as far as colour goes, i dont really like dark alloys! think the darkest i'd go would be shadow chrome maybe!?

Looks really nice, i would leave all the badges off, having the golf badge and the GTI badge in the wrong place tells people straight away its not a GTI, as its not i wouldnt have them at all, be proud of what it is, not what the badge says it is. Great job

 thanks, think i might just stick some r-line fog grills in, with the r-line grill emblem and rear "R" i think it would take better shape than trying to be a gti!

looks really good mate,a  great improvement to orginal.. dunno about the badges.. looks nice but i would probily take them off, but its your car!

but top job

 thanks chris, think i'm defo gettin my mind made up for me and prob gonna just have some nice r-line badges on there!?!?!?!?!

 that does look mint do you have a link to where you got the bumper from ?? does the splitter on the bottom seperate ?? what fog lights do you use ?? will the standard gt tdi ones fit ??

regards stuart

oh ye your car looks the mutts

 thanx stuart, i like the look too, cant wait to get some r-line grills and badges on there!

the bumper is from www.vagen.vg i'd recommend this company to anyone-i came across the item on ebay, they answered loads of questions i threw at them and kept me posted the whole time

only question i didnt ask was if the splitter could be changed, and unfortunately it cant, it is all one cast piece, not clipped on like on standard gti's, although i'm pretty sure any decent bodyshop could make a new one fit, i might be investigating this to see if i can somehow get an abt splitter on there, but really depends on cash, i still have to buy the exhaust £166, fog lights (gti-not sure if gt-tdi will fit!?!?!?) £100, door strips £50, smooth and spray door strips £50, r line badges £20, r-line fog grills £?????, and a mobile chip reapair done across the car for the small scrathes and chips-prob around £200.....yeah-maybe i'll forget the splitter- think i'll be happy enough when all the rest is done!!!

i do fancy projector headlights, and gti multi-function steering wheel too tho!!

and i'm still undecided on whether to get it remapped!?!?!?!? (£350)

 cheers mate

emailed the dude via ebay .. he replied within couple of hours

saying gt fogs will be fine

so bumpered ordered tonight

just to decide on what for rear

thanks again stuarty

 i'd definitely recommend the rear i just did, it doesnt just look a million times better than the horrible black textured valance, it make the car loo so much lower and wider, its the best true mod ive seen,

brilliant write up with pics myhopper, been keeping tabs on this conversion from the start. im wanting to do the same with the front end conversion, from www.vagen.vg

just wondering apart from the replacement front, what tools and bits/bobs will i need to collect to complete the job

any help greatly appreciated!

cars looking mean now btw

 thanx, the only tools i had, was a torx screw set, think i used T20, T25, T27 & T30, i used a straight screwdriver for them to hold in which was about 7 inches long, but i also needed athe same to hold the bits but which went in half as the screws under the front/rear were quite low coz i did it on the drive-either this or a ratchet would do, a junior hacksaw to cut off 2 small pieces that stopped the top of the grill fitting properly-no biggy tho!, some cable ties to cable tie the front of the bumper-just for piece of mind, and a fork to pricze open the clips on the rear valance

cant hink of anything else off hand, will post if i do,

****be sure to look at the guide links-they are very good and accurate****