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Tolucophoto 1.8T

264K views 2K replies 183 participants last post by  tolucophoto 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
*tolucophoto build thread*

Links to mods

Stubby aerial
Smoked LED indicators (halfway down post)
Depo projectors + HIDs (halfway down post)
Sharan badge (halfway down post)
HotTuning coilovers
Whiteline front ARB

Recaro leather interior
Dewipered
Show plates
Cold air feed
Leather arm rest
K&N 57i (custom pipework)
Toyo Snowprox (winters)
GTI 3 spoke wheel
Custom cat-back exhaust
Glass wiper plug
4motion rear valance
US rear lights
Rear upper strut brace
Rotiform NUEs (9.5Js all round)
Rotiform NUEs (staggered)
Mud flaps removed
New HIDs
Colour coding (sort of)
Studio photos
Leather handbrake
Black sunvisors
Black interior lights/ sensors/ handles
Black rooflining 1
Black rooflining 2
Black rooflining 3
LED interior
New rear discs
Anni front splitter
Painted brake callipers
Black seatbelt caps
Black vanity mirror lights
S3 upper and lower braces
Rear camber
Polished Rotiform NUEs
Polished show plates
Plate holders
Bora vents
New heater dials
S3 coolant cover
Black sunglasses holder
TT style pedals
T111 UCO
Polybushed drop links
New GTI 3 spoke steering wheel
Wrapping centre console
Re-wrapping front badge
NUEs fully polished
Sharan rear brake return clips

Polished oil dipstick handle
GTI grille badge

RAMAIR Jetstream XL induction kit

New headlight protectors

FK AK Street coilovers

Polybush top mounts

R32/S3/TT wishbone bushes

1.8T engine + mods
1.8T engine
Sachs clutch/ G60 Flywheel

RTech supersize TIP
3" MAF

AUM Looms
Forge 007p
Milltek 3" downpipe / sports cat
Boost gauge
Passat clocks
Polished inlet manifold
Coilpack loom conduit
Injector loom conduit
Polished 007p
Painted rocker and throttle body
New injector seats
Fitting 288mm brakes
Forge coolant hose kit
Braided fuel hoses
1.8T lambdas
Turbo heat shield
Vac hose


Lower engine cover

New sump

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Thought I'd start a build thread as I've had my Golf 2 years now and I've finally started to do some proper mods to it.
This thread isn't going to be anything ground breaking, but as I'm a photographer, I love taking photos and want somewhere to post them!

Starting at the beginning… (sorry for the life story!)
*2003*
I started learning to drive when I was 17 and my parents gave me my first car as a Christmas present that year.
It was a beast! 1993 L-reg Citroen AX Jive 1.0 in white. [H]
Fitted a headunit with a sub and amp and spent the next few years deafening myself.
When I went to University I didn't have anywhere to keep it, so unfortunately it had to go.

*2009*
After I finished Uni I was on the look out for a new car.
Living in the centre of Leeds, I knew insurance was pretty steep, so I was on the look out for a 1.4.
I'd always liked Mk4s but didn't think I'd be able to afford one.
Eventually found one in great condition for a decent price on eBay 5 minutes from my mate's house (who is a VW fanatic).
He went to view it and agreed it was perfect so a few days later, and £3000 down, I picked it up.
2003 black pearl on 77,000.
BuildThread01-1.jpg
BuildThread01-2.jpg


I had just got a new job working in a photography studio, but the pay wasn't great and the frequency of work was even worse.
My original plan was to keep the 1.4 for a year, save up and upgrade to a more powerful Mk5 Golf. So I decided not to spend too much on it….
(Never works out the way you hope!)

My first mod was to fit the single din headunit, sub and amp from my AX.
I began looking on the Internet for guides on how to dismantle interior parts and run the wires through the firewall.
I stumbled upon a really helpful website called UK-MKIVs.net [:D]
Followed a guide and got the cabling sorted.
Decided I didn't want to screw the amp to the back of the seat like in my old car, so I decided to hide it under the boot liner inside the spare wheel.
The amp is only small so I bought some MDF and cut it to size, painted it black, mounted the amp to it and wired it all up.
Pretty happy with the result! Nice and tidy.
BuildThread02-1.jpg


BuildThread02-2.jpg

Its designed so that if I need to get the spare out, the MDF board just lifts out of the way.

I also fitted a black aluminium tax disc holder.

A month after owning the car, I moved to a house with a drive and garage.
A few weeks later, the car was on the drive overnight while I was clearing the garage when some scumbag broke in. [:mad:]
They smashed the passenger front window and stole the front panel off my CD player, but not the player itself!
This was the first time anyone on the street had had any trouble like this and the police said they think they were targeting Golfs in the area.

So this meant some new window glass and a new headunit. [:(] (And I park in the garage every night now!)
I replaced the headunit with a Kenwood KDC-W7544U.
You can control an iPod from the display, and most importantly, the colours can be matched almost perfectly to the dash!
BuildThread03-1.jpg


BuildThread03-2.jpg


The week after the break in, my bad luck continued. Exiting a roundabout near my house, a car changed into my lane and side swiped me. [:mad:]
Dented the driver's door and ripped my mirror cover off.
BuildThread04-3.jpg


Driver was an 88-year-old man. He could barely walk, and said it was his fault.
To cut a long story short, he then denied liability. [facepalm]
My insurance company, Direct Line, tried to mess me around encouraging me to pay my excess, even though I had a witness.
Many phone calls and 9 MONTHS later, I get a letter saying he's admitted liability. Wouldn't use Direct Line again even if it were free!
New door skin, mirror case and re-sprayed (including my front bumper for some reason??) and it was all back to normal.
During the repair I had a '59 Vauxhall Astra 1.6. It was dreadful. [:O]

I fitted a rear aero wiper, as my old one was pathetic!
 
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#677 ·
[quote user="cnkh"]It looks like a top finish on them
are you pleased with the results ?[/quote]


Yeah they look just how I'd hoped.
'A' has had the second coat and looks good. Just need a final coat on 'B' and 'C' and then I'll have to attempt the headliner over the weekend
.
Really hope I don't run out of ink as it will take a few days to get another bottle, unless I can get any in town.
 
#682 ·
[quote user="shammy"]Looks great bud


Whats it like to touch?[/quote]

Cheers Sham. Feels just like the original material. Not 100% dry yet though so I'll have to see when it is.
Going to leave them all overnight and the day while I'm at work and see tomorrow evening.

Not sure what to do about headliner. I've got about 1/3 bottle left after 2 coats of pillars and the spray bottle losing loads.
That may be enough but I don't want to start it and run out half way thru.
I might just order another bottle and hopefully it will arrive Saturday then I'll def have enough.
Wanted to do headliner tonight but it's too dark now.
 
#685 ·
[quote user="Timepillow"]They look good mate, wish I had used a spray bottle now, I might not have wasted so such ink then haha![/quote]
Cheers
I'm really pleased with the results.
Tbh mate I would have expected your gun to be more eco with the ink. This one over-sprayed and dribbled most of it on the floor.
Didn't help that I did B, C and trim in the dark!

[quote user="mbgti01"]looks mint :) have you a link to the spray bottle ?[/quote]

This is the one I used: LINK
But tbh I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe mine was just a faulty one, but it didn't seem to work as well with the ink.
Maybe one that was a little more expensive would have been better.

[quote user="B4DVW"]I used valeters carpet dye on mine, 3 coats put on with a painters primer gun. Used 2.5ltrs from a 5ltr bottle.[/quote]
Mine so far works out at 2 coats, 700ml of 1L.

[quote user="bigjim-85"]That looks like a much better finish than when people spray them[/quote]
Thanks. Yeah I would have never sprayed it.
Mainly as I'm not too well practiced with spray paint, but also I wanted the OEM feel. Didn't want to lose the texture and make it feel rough.

[quote user="Stuart_tate41"]Looks like a good finish nice and even [/quote]
Thanks. I'm quite impressed how easy it was. Got 2 coats done on all the pillars now so I'll see what they look like in the morning.
 
#688 ·
Had a look at the pillars this morning. A pillars are perfect, but B and C could do with another coat.
I've only got 1/4 bottle left now, so I'm going to order another litre and hopefully it will arrive Sat so I can finish it over the weekend.
I'm going to finish the pillars today, but not going to attempt the headliner until I have the other bottle as I know the headliner is more absorbant so will probably need more coats.
 
#690 ·
Yeah proper happy with the result.
This is the ink I bought. LINK. However I haven't tested it's waterproof-ness.
If you're planning to do your whole interior, I've now bought 2 Litres in total, so I'd advise buying at least 1.5L (they sell it in 500ml and 1L) but cheaper overall to buy 2x 1Ls.
 
#693 ·
3rd and final coat on B + C pillars.


They look lighter because they are wet.
I think 2 coats would have done if I'd left them to fully dry after the first coat, or not done the second coat in the dark


While waiting for them to dry I test fitted my A pillars.
Old vs new:


Old:


New:


Photo quality is pretty poor as it was going dark, so I'll do some better ones tomorrow.
They look quite grey with the poor iPhone flash, but they are much darker in real life (see the Old vs new photo above).

Should have attacked the seals today while it's been dry, but I'd forgotten about them.
I'll do them at the weekend.
 
#698 ·
[quote user="madman"]The ink is looking good...what do you use to apply it? garden sprayer?[/quote]

Yeah just a cheap pressure spray bottle. I posted a photo of it on the page before.
Think I got a broken one though as it loses pressure. I can hear it hissing. My other one holds it fine.
Ended up using it as a stream anyway as on spray it went at about 150 degrees, so just wasted loads.

This is the process I found gave the best results. (I'm not ghostly pale, I'm wearing gloves):
VIDEO


[quote user="hursty88mcfc"]looking nice mate, you still going pod?[/quote]

Cheers. Yeah I'll be there. Will definitely be done by then.
Hope I can get hold of the last few plastic bits too.
If you fancy those painted handles I'll bring them along, and can fit them for you too if you want.

If anyone is going Spring Fest and wants a closer look at the finish/ feel etc just come find me.
 
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