Okay, i figured now that i'm mostly done with patching, servicing, bodging and breaking bits on my car, i can move onto the more serious business of getting it built up to my needs...
So the story begins in 2008...
Was looking at pretty much anything with either a solid 1.8T, or a PD130 engine. When an '01 GT-TDI with reasonable mileage, and a bible of history came up locally for some reasonable wodge, i jumped into my poorly Mk3 and went to scout the car out...(it was something like 1am when i found the car on AutoTrader, so i thought i'd go and check to see if it were there, and if so, get up at 6am to go and try it out. This being a work day and all).
Cue turning up at work at 9am, in a shiny, indigo blue GT-TDI...
Pretty decent list of toys as standard. Cruise control, heated sports interior (though not Recaro for some reason), Arm-rest, washer-jets, sunroof, Monty2s, and full electric everything except folding windows.
Ended up spending the first month or so getting money back out the dealer due to a hole in the exhaust, bust wiper motor on the rear, and a heated seat that wouldn't shut off. Oh, and i also had the dreaded 'limp-mode' caused by the injector loom...Finally got down to business, and got myself some nice pressed plates from Dubmeister, as well as affix some all-important go-faster stickers!
Shortly after this, i discovered that my boot had slowly been transformed into a water-feature due to the two lower vents under the rear bumpers leaking. Steep and scary learning form the forums, led to my Sunday afternoon being spent like this:
Nothing quite like dropping the bumper on the first car you've owned that actually looked better clean than dirty...
Then over christmas, i managed to warp a Monty2 on a chunk of ice falling off the back of an artic on the motorway in France, which forced me to look at changing wheels sooner rather than later (i needed 2 new tyres on the wheels that weren't bent outta shape). Nothing quite like a quick motorway blast to make your car look like crap...
So where am i now...
Well, i've scored a set of Ronal TTs off a guy on here, which i've coated in some reasonable quality 225/45/17s, and i've recently gone and had a turbo-bacl Milltek 4-mo, non-res system fitted by the wonderful staff at AmD.
Went around the car, and swapped all the failing 501s and strip bulbs with LEDs to sharpen it up a little at night, and subsequently discovered that the door position sensor in the lock module is on the blink, causing my interior lights to not work, and to occasionally forget to turn my lights out.
I've also just fitted the mk5 aero-rear wiper assembly on, having seen it on Usher80's PD, and loving how much cleaner it looks.
Plans for future...
- Got a set of Hofele lower intakes on order, along with a shim to get more/cooler air directed to the intercooler, as well as as a second feed to the bottom of the airbox.
- Super-secret-advertising-system
- Suspension, having replaced the top-mounts; i've commited a sin against the VW community, and taken the car back to full-standard ride height. Now i know how the car should feel, i can get an idea on what i want/need out of it. So planning for a 20-30mm drop, plus rear ARB.
- Electrical toys and gubbins...
- Fit the 2nd de-lock kit, side-repeaters, light-strips, and hopefully a new auto-dimming mirror!
So the story begins in 2008...
Was looking at pretty much anything with either a solid 1.8T, or a PD130 engine. When an '01 GT-TDI with reasonable mileage, and a bible of history came up locally for some reasonable wodge, i jumped into my poorly Mk3 and went to scout the car out...(it was something like 1am when i found the car on AutoTrader, so i thought i'd go and check to see if it were there, and if so, get up at 6am to go and try it out. This being a work day and all).
Cue turning up at work at 9am, in a shiny, indigo blue GT-TDI...
Pretty decent list of toys as standard. Cruise control, heated sports interior (though not Recaro for some reason), Arm-rest, washer-jets, sunroof, Monty2s, and full electric everything except folding windows.
Ended up spending the first month or so getting money back out the dealer due to a hole in the exhaust, bust wiper motor on the rear, and a heated seat that wouldn't shut off. Oh, and i also had the dreaded 'limp-mode' caused by the injector loom...Finally got down to business, and got myself some nice pressed plates from Dubmeister, as well as affix some all-important go-faster stickers!
Shortly after this, i discovered that my boot had slowly been transformed into a water-feature due to the two lower vents under the rear bumpers leaking. Steep and scary learning form the forums, led to my Sunday afternoon being spent like this:
Nothing quite like dropping the bumper on the first car you've owned that actually looked better clean than dirty...
Then over christmas, i managed to warp a Monty2 on a chunk of ice falling off the back of an artic on the motorway in France, which forced me to look at changing wheels sooner rather than later (i needed 2 new tyres on the wheels that weren't bent outta shape). Nothing quite like a quick motorway blast to make your car look like crap...
So where am i now...
Well, i've scored a set of Ronal TTs off a guy on here, which i've coated in some reasonable quality 225/45/17s, and i've recently gone and had a turbo-bacl Milltek 4-mo, non-res system fitted by the wonderful staff at AmD.
Went around the car, and swapped all the failing 501s and strip bulbs with LEDs to sharpen it up a little at night, and subsequently discovered that the door position sensor in the lock module is on the blink, causing my interior lights to not work, and to occasionally forget to turn my lights out.
I've also just fitted the mk5 aero-rear wiper assembly on, having seen it on Usher80's PD, and loving how much cleaner it looks.
Plans for future...
- Got a set of Hofele lower intakes on order, along with a shim to get more/cooler air directed to the intercooler, as well as as a second feed to the bottom of the airbox.
- Super-secret-advertising-system
- Suspension, having replaced the top-mounts; i've commited a sin against the VW community, and taken the car back to full-standard ride height. Now i know how the car should feel, i can get an idea on what i want/need out of it. So planning for a 20-30mm drop, plus rear ARB.
- Electrical toys and gubbins...
- Fit the 2nd de-lock kit, side-repeaters, light-strips, and hopefully a new auto-dimming mirror!