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Golf MK3 16V - The Bottomless Moneypit

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  • We picked up pip in January, we spent a couple months saving up some money to start the build though…

    A couple months ago work started and we made some real progress, I’m just gonna do a photo dump so you can see …

    First on the list was sorting out that awful red badge on the front. I also sourced some original tail lights and front indicators in favour of the blacked out smoked ones that the previous owner had fitted.

    Much better!



    Then there was a bit of welding that needed sorting on the floor in the back, for some unbeknownst reason there was a big figure 8 hole that somebody had cut out. A friend of mine sorted that for us (as I still can’t weld ) and then we started lining the van with insulation and building our framework .















    The idea is that we’ll have a little bulkhead with a door to separate our living area from the cab, the worktop is going to continue almost all the way to the back of the van, but there’s going to be a big full height cupboard there too.

    Round about this point we had a huge scare, I was reaching up behind the dashboard to try and sort a small issue with the heater vents, basically they were stuck on hot constantly (not great in the summer )…

    Anyways, as I reached up something fell, I looked and it turned out to be a cigarette lighter that somebody had previously wired in and then just tucked behind the dash. Literally as I touched it, it sparked on something and smoke started billowing out from behind the dashboard. I was proper scared. Cut a long story short, the thing set on fire and I managed to save it by running to the back and disconnecting the battery live.

    After investigating it a bit further I found that the live wires had just been twisted together and left bare behind the METAL dashboard. Yes, the van has a metal dashboard. Even worse was the fact that the absolute idiot that wired it in had earthed it to said dashboard.

    If it had rattled around and short circuited itself whilst I was out and about driving, and not at my unit, it genuinely would have burnt to the ground.

    I ended up removing the dash and going through all of the rats nest of dodgy wiring to make it safe, I had a general tidy up too.

    Bad!



    Anyway, once that was done, we started work on the conversion side…

    I carried on making the bed frame, this needed to be on two pivots; one, to allow the back to lift, so that we can access the engine bay still, and two, because the front needed to lift up as I was planning on putting chest storage underneath it .





    I got it to this stage about a month ago and then broke my ankle skateboarding like an idiot .

    After a few weeks of sitting on my arse feeling sorry for myself I decided it was time to get outside, so I hobbled outside and started on the van again from where I left off… I’m off work for a little while yet as I’m still in a pot on my foot.

    This was yesterday .









    Bed frame is basically done, I’m gonna do some more today so not sure what that’ll be.

    Also a couple weeks ago, my mate brought his MX5 over and took me for a spin, he bought it in January too, crashed it two days later and has basically rebuilt it and in the meantime put coil overs and wheels on too. Proper proud of him haha!

    As you can see, it’s pretty dirt nasty low .





    That just about finishes it.

    A side note, sometime a couple months ago I hit my daily MK3 estate with the lowering stick even more and fitted some 80mm drop plates to the rear, anyone who knows these cars will know it’s pretty difficult to get the back end down so these are a good solution. A lad local to me makes them so if anyone wants some get in touch and I’ll put you in touch .

    I fitted some 16” Renault Megane steels too at the same time to complete the look. I’ve also made my own USDM style front indicators.









    Now THAT is pretty much it haha.

    PS. I sold my mountain bike last year and was planning on buying another this year. Anyway, Dee asked me if I’d rather buy that, or we both go halves on putting the Camper on Hydro so we can get it decked… You already know what my answer was . So once the conversion is complete in the back, that’s the next thing we’ll be saving for!

    See you sooooon

    Comment


    • Great read as always. Keep us informed!

      Comment


      • Originally posted by Firstcarlife View Post
        Great read as always. Keep us informed!
        Thanks bud, appreciate that!

        Nothing much in the way of updates at the moment other than I sold my daily and bought a newer (still ancient), more comfortable daily. Not got many plans for this, probably just going to tidy it up and give it a little bit of OEM+ treatment, (factory tints, facelift parts, genuine S6 grill potentially...). It's an S-Line 3.0 TDI Quattro, it's got above average mileage but there's nothing majorly wrong with it at all. Goes rather well for it's size too .



        Also, did a few other bits to the GTI, its currently back in storage now as the day the MOT ran out, the clutch went on the way to work too. lol (it was also my first day back at my old job so the stress was real haha!

        I bought some Blue, Hella Magic Colour rear lights, then decided that I didn't really like them on it so I sold them. Kinda regretting it now though haha. Ooops!







        The car is currently sat on a set of staggered Porsche 928 wheels that I borrowed off my mate, ran it through the summer like that and that's pretty much it, gonna fit all new brake lines in the coming months hopefully, and replace the clutch. Most likely will end up popping a G60 flywheel in too as they are much lighter than standard and they're a good, cheap little upgrade. I also bought some new control arms, but I'm waiting until I buy new coilovers so I can do all the jobs at once really.











        LASTLY, I got some original Votex roof bars for an absolute steal. Debating whether I should run them or not? I really like them, what do you guys think?





        Cheers for reading .
        Last edited by Benjaholic; 02-15-2022, 01:37 AM.

        Comment


        • love that you kept your car. i have never lasted this long in keeping a car lol. youve had quite a few good looking cars man. so is OEM+ like a really big thing in the UK? i follow candyshowroom and alot of the cars they post are oem+, its interesting and a very clean look.

          Instagram: @half_lung

          Comment


          • That GTI has such a '2009 era stance look'. I dig it man

            Comment


            • def keep the roof racks

              Comment


              • Originally posted by scweet14 View Post
                love that you kept your car. i have never lasted this long in keeping a car lol. youve had quite a few good looking cars man. so is OEM+ like a really big thing in the UK? i follow candyshowroom and alot of the cars they post are oem+, its interesting and a very clean look.
                Cheers mate! Yeah OEM+ is pretty big in the UK, I think we're just not very adventurous to be honest haha!

                Originally posted by darth_thanos View Post
                That GTI has such a '2009 era stance look'. I dig it man
                Thanks dude, I appreciate that! Just gotta dial in my fitment and then I'll be happy with it

                Originally posted by darth_thanos View Post
                def keep the roof racks
                My thoughts entirely

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