1.6 16v Bora on a budget

[b5Avant]

regarding the drive shafts, i remember reading somewhere about using either V5 or one of the variants in the Mk4 range drive shafts as they were slimmer and did not rub

A picture-less update today. Its the third week of lockdown here in the UK, and last week Thursday, the car started to jerk a lot when pulling away and changing gear. Then, on the way to get it looked over, it got very bad, to the point of the engine and gearbox vibrating so hard it popped out of gear every right hander.
Now I've had a slight rub of the driveshaft on the passenger side ever since I got it on the last threads, but this seemed ridiculous. At a friends garage, it was revealed that one of the gearbox mount bolts had snapped in the gearbox, and the other three were finger tight. Good news was, we wouldn't have to drop the gearbox to drill it out and retap it. Bad news is, finances didn't allow for me to do the job, as I'd rather raise the engine while we're there. So we tightened the unsnapped two bolts, loctited them, and I'm currently doing my best to be as gentle as possible on my commutes while I try getting another mode of transport sorted.

That is all. Stay safe.

[gruz]

A picture-less update today. Its the third week of lockdown here in the UK, and last week Thursday, the car started to jerk a lot when pulling away and changing gear. Then, on the way to get it looked over, it got very bad, to the point of the engine and gearbox vibrating so hard it popped out of gear every right hander.
Now I've had a slight rub of the driveshaft on the passenger side ever since I got it on the last threads, but this seemed ridiculous. At a friends garage, it was revealed that one of the gearbox mount bolts had snapped in the gearbox, and the other three were finger tight. Good news was, we wouldn't have to drop the gearbox to drill it out and retap it. Bad news is, finances didn't allow for me to do the job, as I'd rather raise the engine while we're there. So we tightened the unsnapped two bolts, loctited them, and I'm currently doing my best to be as gentle as possible on my commutes while I try getting another mode of transport sorted.

That is all. Stay safe.

[gruz]

With coronavirus shutting down the UK, its all been a bit slow for the Bora. I'm considered an essential worker (work in sales in a motor factor), so I've been enjoying empty roads with half the commute time with the country on lockdown.

When my car was off the road a few months ago due to insurance reasons, I changed the speakers for some Pioneer units. I left the Kenwood head unit that came with the car, but as time went on, I started developing more of a hatred for it day by day. The remote wire to the sub didn't function, leaving me with a dead battery a few times, it automatically answered phone calls which was really annoying, and finally, as well as the source spazzing out when you plug a phone in to charge, it wasn't secure in the dash. From the audio side of things, it just didn't sound good. There was no option to put bass through the sub. It distorted the speakers at volumes even a stock system could take.

So I, quite literally, pulled the plug. A friend of mine had a basically new Sony DSX-A410BT laying about which he pulled out from his written off 9N. The Kenwood and Sony had different connectors, which I only realised after cutting an unknown wire, meaning I had no music until I got a connector.

After a 2 day wait for a correct connector from ebay, I was back up and running!





And I'm happy to report that its a world of a difference, sounds much better, and actually fits flush.



So now I've got a Sony head unit, Pioneer speakers, and an Alpine subwoofer. Very multicultural!

When it comes to the rest of the car, I haven't cleaned it for a while now, but I'm looking to do a bodge wheel respray, because I can't afford a proper job. Few cans of silver paint and primer should do it. Just anything to get rid of the white, which I've decided doesn't suit the car. And I still haven't lowered the back.



While I was at work, I also got the garage next door to rewire my passenger side headlight connector which had melted. It works, but still sometimes doesn't work, which is odd. But that's a mystery for another day!
So for now, enjoy a picture of me giving a big thumbs next to a dent in the wing! (excuse the shirt hat trouser combo)




Stay safe!

[gruz]

At the time of writing this, the whole Coronavirus stuff is happening, so I've been more focused on getting toilet paper for the last week, instead of making my car look cool.

However, since the last update, I have fixed and ruined and fixed again some things.

The driveshaft was rubbing hard on the anti roll bar, so I, being ill, spent a Saturday afternoon cutting it out with a friend. Unlike usual tradition, it actually went rather smooth, and in an hour or so, the anti roll bar was gone. While I was there, I also wound down the coilovers, and there's a couple threads left. I still have the collars on too.
So now that the ARB was gone, you'd think I'd be enjoying a rub free experience? Wrong.
The thicker drivers side driveshaft decided to rub on the chassis, just driving in a straight line was bad, but not as bad as the ARB.
However, the Sunday after was the day when I was meant to go up to Telford for Ultimate Dubs. I didn't know I was gonna go until two weeks prior, so I didn't apply to any spots or stands. So myself, my girlfriend and two friends hopped in the Bora, filled the tank, and rubbed our way up to Telford. And by the time we got back, the drivers side shaft didn't rub anymore, and the passenger side knocks on slight right turns.



I recently changed my workplace too, which doesn't have a company van for me to use to get to work, so I've been dailying the Bora. So far so good!
I also want to lower the rear, however with the pandemic going down, I'm not sure when that's gonna happen.

[gruz]

wheels look great on there. very neat

Cheers man. Still not sure on the white.


Quick update, I lowered the drivers side front more. Good news is, its even now. Bad news, driveshaft rubs hard on ARB, just as I thought it would. Looks like I'll be spending saturday night cutting out the anti roll bar!

[Miroteknik]

wheels look great on there. very neat

[gruz]

This is now my second attempt at writing something on this forum about my car. I had started a 206 thread, but I almost immediately forgot about it. I did only have it for around 5 months anyway, stuck some coilovers on it, GTI interior and wheels and called it a day.

So here is the replacement, which I've had since October. A 2004 Volkswagen Bora 1.6 16v Highline in Reflex Silver. Had around 113k when I got it. Some electrical gremlins, scratch here and there, and only a month of MOT left. Had FK coilovers fitted, the trader who sold me it didn't know much about it. Also had drilled and grooved front discs, which was odd for a 105 hp 1.6.






The interior is lovely, no rips, and apart from the A pillar fabric peeling off, and broken armrest cover thing, its immaculate. Came with a Kenwood head unit. Cruise control, heated leathers, electric windows and mirrors all work too! The number plate lights and boot handle didn't work, but redoing the broken boot loom fixed that.




After a thousand miles, and an MOT, it was time to set myself a deadline of Ultimate Dubs in March to get it looking presentable.

First on the list was speakers. I had put the Alpine sub from the 206 in the boot, but the speakers were letting it down. So a set of 4 Pioneer TSA1670F's were purchased, and replaced the standard ones. However, the Kenwood unit doesn't offer a lot of settings, including a subwoofer option, so bass is still pumped through speakers. Thing is, because of my funny wiring, I don't even keep it connecting on in town journeys, because the Pioneers are rather good. It's only on motorway journeys where you need a sub, because the 5 speed 16v with a leaky exhaust is deathening at 70.






Onto the suspension. It came with FK coilovers, with helpers and adjusters still on. So I got myself some powerflex front top mounts, binned the helper spring, and immediately enjoyed listening to metal on metal grinding. The driveshaft was rubbing on the anti roll bar. I haven't quite decided if I'm binning it completely, or getting a JOM ARB for 60 quid (which apparently gives you 100mm of clearance!).

Onto wheels, I got myself some 18x8j VW wheels off a Beetle of sorts for 70 quid, which didn't fit on the front. A pair of 20mm spacers fixed that. 225/40s were rubbing on the wing, so a pair of 205/40s fixed that too. I'm not sure on the white, but sandblasting is expensive, so for now, it'll do.








So armed with an arch roller, an angle grinder and some motivation, I will be attacking the front of my car this week, to get it as low as I can in time for Dubs. How hard can it be?
Excuse me for the lack of detail and dreary-ness!