1.6 16v Bora on a budget

[gruz]

It has certainly been a while since my last post, but thats mostly because not much has changed. Terrible quality picture alert.



Fogs are something I've been looking into for a while, and when a guy on the owners club messaged me saying he had a set laying about, I had to grab them. Now Boras don't come with bumper fogs, so most of the kits online are Chinese ones, they aren't terribly cheap and the wiring kits are stupid. However, seeing as I got the new kit unopened for half the price it was going for on eBay, I'm not complaining. When I first put them on, I wasn't too keen the sense of security, but so far they haven't fallen out. I haven't wired them in yet either, as I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep them, but I'm getting round to it soon. Got the loom and the switch, just need the willpower.

The dented wing and scuffed bumper were annoying me from the day the Bora touched the ground. Wings are hard to come by, as all of the ones available are either rusty, expensive, far away or the wrong colour. Fortunately, a breakers yard 140 miles away had a 1.8 ST in Reflex silver, with a rust free wing, and a scuff free bumper with only one paint chip. I picked up a grille while I was there too, and didn't pay too much. Win win!



New arms were also put on while the car was having the front end fitted. I decided against TT arms, as I'm not keeping the car long term, but if I was I'd go for the whole TT/R32 hub and arm setup. I attempted to solve knocking while cornering with another new driveshaft, but I think its just binding of sorts.

But that concludes the Bora update. I dropped the rear more and am in desperate need of centering plates. But after I sort that out, I think I'm just gonna enjoy the car as it is, and stop putting money into it.
Thanks for reading.

[Freddye]

Very cool, the wheels and fitment suits the car very well

[laBeef]

Car is looking fresh. I've always liked these Boras(Jettas). They have a great design - but the lack of reliability always kept me away

[gruz]

I very rarely clean my car, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because I don't have anywhere at home to clean it. So usually I take it to the local tesco jetwash, and use the finest foamy brush thing. If I had immaculate paintwork I'd probably care for it, but its everything but.

However, on Sunday morning I gave the Bora a good scrub and a few wipes of trim dressing on the plastics, and took it to a cars and coffee type thing where I got stuck on some tree root things and nearly crashed into a E38. Nice.



Then later on in the evening I took it to a slightly less sophisticated meet- the monthly CCK meet at Beaconsfield Services, just off the M40. Got to park up next to a fellow Bora owner in the form of Rohens bagged 1.9 TDi, personally one of the best Boras in England purely because of the attention to detail- check it out on insta - @rohen.h




(excuse the awful quality)



The mighty 1.6 16v has also made it to 120,000 miles, which means I've driven it around 7,000 miles. I would say it has been a pleasure, but to be completely honest with you, until perhaps recently, I've never been completely happy with it, whether its how it sat, wheels, driving experience, electrical issues etc. Its certainly cost me more than I thought it would, and although the whole build has certainly been very budget, I still spend more than I would've liked to. But that goes for most builds, right? Right?

Anyway, with the IDF plates ordered, its all slowly coming together to be the perfect little daily.

Thanks for reading.

[gruz]

Very cool, the wheels and fitment suits the car very well

Thank you! Personally I'd want to space the front out more more, to match the rear, but I already have some rubbing issues on slow speed full lock.

Car is looking fresh. I've always liked these Boras(Jettas). They have a great design - but the lack of reliability always kept me away

Thanks! In terms of this particular car, the only issue I've had is the engine mount giving in, and driveshaft going; and it sounds like one of the drive belt rollers are on their way. But apart from that, and the engine light you see above being a faulty lambda sensor, its mint

[laBeef]

Thank you! Personally I'd want to space the front out more more, to match the rear, but I already have some rubbing issues on slow speed full lock.



Thanks! In terms of this particular car, the only issue I've had is the engine mount giving in, and driveshaft going; and it sounds like one of the drive belt rollers are on their way. But apart from that, and the engine light you see above being a faulty lambda sensor, its mint

Haha... Fair point. That check engine light just means the cars running lol.

[gruz]

Last weekend I managed to sort out a thing thats been bothering me since I lowered my car- the traditional MK4 non centered rear wheel thingy. IDF plates went on, and to be honest, once we figured out all the niggly bits from the passenger side, the drivers side was a doddle.


hey look, its me! i'm 19, live in south london and sell car parts for a living.

The thing is, IDF plates also drop the rear end an inch or two, which meant I was tucking. Good news, you'd think, right? Wrong. Lots of rubbing. Poor Pirellis.



So, after some raising, plastic cutting and driving around the local park with people in the back, I can proudly say it still rubs, but only with people in the back, or under compression. The rear adjusters are nearly halfway up, but they made like a few mm difference haha. Could be worse I guess. Would prefer the tuck to be even front and rear, but front is at its max. The sill is level though. Either way, thanks to @kuba.fwcz for helping.



Toe is questionable on passenger side too. Same shim and washer setup, yet a noticeable difference. Maybe its had a fight with a kerb in its lifetime...

In other news, I've joined the official VW Owners Club! A leak has emerged from the Bora! Not sure where its coming from, but its not directly under the sump. Its sort of behind it. Not sure whats leaking either, but its not water or fuel, must be oil. Could be worse.



Either way, this development has convinced me to raise my engine, and because this is a budget build, I am unfortunately going to have to wait till the end of the month. But with MOT only a couple months away, tyres rubbing under compression due to soft springs and my FKs horribly leaking, this may turn into a slighty less budget build quicker than we may think...



But here is a picture by a closed down VW showroom, and a photo dump of me and my girlfriend gathering a table and chairs over the weekend.









Thanks for reading!

[Jrs85]

What size wheels you got ? In 2013 I had mad lowered MK4 GOLF I was running 18" silly streched 9.5J wheels on rear it was rubbing every time when there were more than one person in car. On front I had 8.5J it was okey only notch wasnt done and it rubbed driveshaft against frame. Affter 3 broken driveshafts I sold it. End of story

[gruz]

What size wheels you got ? In 2013 I had mad lowered MK4 GOLF I was running 18" silly streched 9.5J wheels on rear it was rubbing every time when there were more than one person in car. On front I had 8.5J it was okey only notch wasnt done and it rubbed driveshaft against frame. Affter 3 broken driveshafts I sold it. End of story

18x8, notched frame and arb delete

[gruz]

I would absolutely love to be telling you lot how I've ordered loads of new parts. Unfortunately, I am not. This thing desperately needs new front shocks. I would wait till I get a whole new set of coilovers, however, they're aren't cheap and I haven't got the money for them yet. A used set of fronts will have to do temporarily, and to pass it through the MOT in November. Just a shame I cannot find any locally.

Engine raisers and extended ball joints are on the to do list too- I would be ordering them on Wednesday, but with some insurance difficulties arising (again), I may have to wait till next month while I spend a few quid on essentially just making it legal to have on the road.

But here, here's a few pictures of the Bora in action. Couldn't ask for a better daily.









If only it was a TDi :/

[Jrs85]

Want to give you some ideas to make your car visualy interesting. Maybe some of them are on your list already.

1.Bora conversion to BOLF

4fbc9acs-960.jpg
2fbc9acs-960.jpg


2.GLI US lights, smoked or clear

Screenshot_20200928_141128_com.android.chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20200928_141140_com.ebay.mobile.jpg


3.GLI or Anni bumper lip
Screenshot_20200928_141320_com.ebay.mobile.jpg

4.Front full straight bumper rubstrip without number plate part and US style side markers.

5.Metal pressed plates

6.Rear US boot for square plate

[gruz]

Want to give you some ideas to make your car visualy interesting. Maybe some of them are on your list already.

1.Bora conversion to BOLF

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21603[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21604[/ATTACH]

I did consider this - however after much consideration, I decided that I prefer the squarer front end of the Bora.

2.GLI US lights, smoked or clear

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21605[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21606[/ATTACH]

On the lookout for rear lights at the moment - but those "candy cane" lights are very common, and I don't think they'll suit the silver. Probably going to end up going all red on the rears by tinting the indicator and reverse parts.

3.GLI or Anni bumper lip
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21607[/ATTACH]

Wouldn't last 20 yards haha. I used to have a paint matched standard valance but got roughed up quickly. On the lookout for a 4motion valance, they are slighty bulkier but don't hang as low.

4.Front full straight bumper rubstrip without number plate part and US style side markers.

This is happening as soon as I pull my finger out

5.Metal pressed plates

Although not as bad as the dogshit "4D" plates, I don't think they look that tidy on UK plates.

6.Rear US boot for square plate

Very rare - one of my fellow Bora owners came across one and his was pretty beat up, with loads of work needed. With the budget of this car, I don't think I can justify a US bootlid haha

However, thanks for the suggestions!

[gruz]

Quick update!

Good news! I have sourced some of the finest German engineering in the form of temporary coilovers. Unfortunately, no wants to sell me just fronts, and if they do, they're 200+ miles away.
Fortunately, this fine set of coilovers are only 40 miles away, and are costing me £100.

What brand, you may ask?

JOMs.

Oh yeah, Bora is going full budget.


However, I am a bit torn on what to do with top mounts- the Powerflex ones I have now are doing fine, have covered around 4k miles. I am unsure on the whole reusing thing. Blagging another set under warranty is an option. Returning them and buying the -10mm version is an option too. Getting OE top mounts is also, you guessed it, an option. Help!

I shall venture to the North East to pick them up this weekend, and will be hopefully slapping them on ASAP!

Thanks for reading

[gruz]

A few weeks ago, I told you guys that I'll be paying £100 for a set of JOM coilovers to replace the leaky FKs on the Bora. That was the case, up until midday on that day, where I received a second chance offer email for a £150 set of APs I was bidding on. However, I didn't want to spend any more than that original £100 quid planned, so I thought I'd chance it and ask if he'd take £100.
And he did! And as an added bonus, he was 25 minutes away from where I work. So after a Saturdays half day of work, I picked up my top mounts, and then the coilovers. Managed to get the top mounts under warranty too, so a few quid saved there.
Armed with my mid range coilovers, new bearings, another set of Powerflex top mounts and a friend with his toolbox, we managed to borrow a ramp in a garage nearby (working in a motor factor has its advantages), and got cracking.



I didn't realise how shot the front FKs were. Could play them like an accordion. The spring and top mount were covered in black oil. The only thing I kept from them are the front springs so I'd have a set to experiment with.
Aside from taking 5 minutes to free the passengers side from the hub and struggling to angle the drivers side rear top mount bolt against the filler neck, it all went very smoothly. We tidied up the APs a bit, set them up all the way down on the front (didn't touch the rears), slapped it all together and dropped it down. Now I'll be honest- I wasn't expecting much in the first place. But there was a very considerable gain in height. Which disappointed me, obviously, because it meant I'd have to cock about with shorter springs. But it was nice that it wasn't the shock that was halting lows like it did on the FKs.





I took it on a spirited drive a few days later, and it made me realise how much I missed having a car high enough to drive without stressing about bottoming out, bashing subframe, cracking sump etc. It also handled really well, considering it has no ARB, and the driveshaft binding knocking thing has gone. But on the other hand, I think I'd rather sit nice and low, because it's slow and has no racing potential.
At the time of writing it's been a few weeks since installation, and it's settled a bit in height. Better, but not low enough.



Here are some shots I got with @t.a_visuals before the AP coilovers - didn’t have time to clean it because it was very last min.






If I could get it sitting at that level again I’ll be a happy man.

But unfortunately, life has, once again, caught up to me, and the Bora is gonna have to take a backseat for a couple months. With Christmas round the corner, along with other things that have come up recently, I’ve decided to not order shorter springs, and put the car back to a much more OEM style while I get bits sorted for comfort. I’ll keep the thread updated if I do anything!

Thanks for reading x

[gruz]

Last update I said Bora was going to take a back seat. Well, I thought so too, but one morning last week, when I was on my way to work, this little Christmas tree came early!



Turns out the ABS and TC lights came on because I had somehow managed to rub through my abs sensor wiring. TPS wanted 62 quid for another loom, but a breaker (same one who I got my valance from) still had the same Bora laying about, and after a quick check on part numbers, they were the same! 15 quid and a trip to a trusted garage later, Bora had no more ABS or TC lights and a fresh MOT.

Now the engine light is a different story. It's been on/off for the last 10 months or so, and it was to do with the second lambda sensor/leaky exhaust/leaky flexi. Few months ago I had the leak welded, and then the flexi decided to properly rip open too. So last Friday I had the flexi and second lambda changed, but due to it being a VW, it was still throwing the light! I’m still unsure what it may be, but it hasn’t come on since Wednesday, so hopefully it's sorted itself out!



In other news, Boras gone winter daily mode, sitting on a local vaggers standard wheels until I find a cheap set. Believe it or not, the rear is fully wound up, but the idf plates still cause it to tuck a bit of tread. The 9 spokes are been divorced from the tyres, and I will be getting round to repainting them over winter, as I did a bit of a cheap job the first time.



I’ve also had a few bits coded, like bleep on lock, needle sweep, miles to empty, windows on key, as well as removing the brake pad warning (these pads have no sensors). A bigger subwoofer is also going in, as the Alpine no longer satisfies, and I’ve got hold of a pop rivet gun to redo the speakers because they rattle and it's very annoying.

But that concludes this update- I’ve been oddly enjoying driving a motor that doesn't scrape on anything, but, of course, it's not the life I want to live. 2021, we go low again!

Thanks for reading.