cobblers Posted June 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 Wooo! Done!It fit in lovely, I've tidied garage out and had a bath. Time for a brew methinks!Started first time though so I'm worried - Always jinxes it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Started first time though so I'm worried - Always jinxes it!I was right! Despite torquing the driveshaft bolts up to VW spec (40nm) the NSF shaft came free of the gearbox flange, leaving me stranded in the middle pof the dual carraigway all day (waiting for the frankly absolutely bloody useless RAC)Got it dragged back home (At a cost of £100 for 2 miles, despite me having relay cover. "Specialist tow because its lowered" even though the truck that came was the normal truck and scraped the bumper to bits. RAC expect a letter from my solicitor soon!)The shaft coming off made a little bit of a mess of the drive flange, and when I went to remove the flange to clean it up I found a small taper bushing inside the box to be cracked. Bugger.Luckily, a mate came through with a spare box off a polo, and I swapped the flange over - Hopefully crisis averted. It drives again now!Had a gearbox oil incident though, which resulted in this:2 bottles of washing up liquid and 90 minutes sweeping. Came up like new I've gone and bought these:But they are 13x7.5s and 13x10. Too wide at back, too narrow on the front, and the front need spacers to clear the calipers.I split 2 of the wheels and did some swapping about - swapped the inner dishes front and rear, and changed the rears from sandwich mount to front mount (Instead of going "rear dish|centre|front dish" its "rear dish|front dish|center) to lose me half an inch of poke and width, which will make fitting 195/45/13s less terrible.It also bulks the fronts out to 13x8, et29. 20/25mm spacer will be perfect, with 175/50s.Normally:Now:Front left to right:Original 109J8j7.5jAs you can see they need some spit and polish - I'm going to paint the centres (perhaps Cream, maybe body colour, maybe anthracite) and repolish the lips. Might get a pair of new lips for the rears - 2.5 or 3 inchers rather than the 3.5s that are on (and give me 35mm of poke vs the 10mm I have now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunderland Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Wheels are so smart mate, going to look spot on where they get papped on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombuttigieg Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Impressive stuff! I like the new wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philplop Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Nice wheels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamD Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 i love reading this thread, it's possibly the most random one on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vworks41 Posted July 3, 2009 Report Share Posted July 3, 2009 Wheels will look yum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jowey Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 This is one of my favorite threads.you're a true have a go hero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 (edited) This is one of my favorite threads.you're a true have a go hero.haha, I don't really have a plan - If I get an idea I'll give it a try, if it doesn't work out then nevermind. It's a hobby, not a job I mixed some paint up at work (50% Lada Biege, 50% PM01 Green pearl) for the centres, and gave one of the wheels a going over. Also gave the dish 10 minutes with the Autosol.Turned out OK:Apologies for the piss poor iPhone pics!The green pearl hasn't really come through as much as I wanted, but its a nice subtle tint when the sun hits it. A few coats of lacquer should bring it out a little more.I've got 1/4 a can of green which I'll try out on one of the others later on today, and some anthracite. See which I prefer! Edited July 6, 2009 by cobblers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jowey Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 very nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_Stokes Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 You Going To Sell Your Borbets? x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 You Going To Sell Your Borbets? xPerhaps - Need to sort something else out first thought. If I put my 13s on I need to make sure it drives at that height before shifting the borbets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombuttigieg Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Really cool wheels! and the hint of green is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_Stokes Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Perhaps - Need to sort something else out first thought. If I put my 13s on I need to make sure it drives at that height before shifting the borbets. Well keep me posted .. il subscribeee and keep uptodate...car looks mint man.. its coming along nicelyyy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Green Giant Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 I bought 1 185/35/17 to try for size (interestingly mytyres don't seem to have charged me for it, but when I got it fitted after the usual "you'll be bringing me a bloody motorbike tyre to fit next" pisstaking I get from the tyre place, it turns out they can get them in cheaper and quicker than mytyres, £58+vat)Im still in love with these! i want this!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Im still in love with these! i want this!!!!!I sometimes wish I could have got them on, but I think they would have suited a "normal" coloured car a bit better - On a white one they would look ace. Mine being rediculous colour needs some odd aftermarket wheels imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Green Giant Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 i think they looked amazing on your car! shame you would have had to drill the hubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) Another amusing change of plan!Took it for an MOT today, I was expecting a few issues, namely emissions, rear springs falling out when jacked up and a hole in the back box.It failed on a few things:Emissions - Miles out. Lambda 1.36 (lolz) and CO too high"Rear Exhaust box major leak""Insufficient reserve travel in handbrake""NSF wheel fouling arch""OS headlamp aim too far right"Not so bad. My silicon sealant and cable ties held the back springs in The wheels didn't catch before, but I hit a MASSIVE bump on the way to the test which made it catch and bend the arch lip down so that it rubbed really bad.Some surgery was performed:I was going to make an arch roller out of some plate and a VW jack, and bought a chunk of delrin to use as the "roller" but it looked like it would fit nicely in the arch gap, so I just wedged it in the arch gap and rolled the car back and forwards half a dozen times.Worked PERFECTLY. Inner lip is folded at 45 degrees, and the outer lip where it is usually flat has a nice flare to it. Slight paint cracking under the arch, but no worse than when I had the rears professionally done. 100% recommended!I bought a new cat, and removed the old one to find half the matrix fired out of its arse:No wonder the CO was high. It's been running on an oil burning engine for thousands of miles, so its generally shafted anyway.The handbrake is perfectly fine - locks the wheels up in the dry at any speed at 5 clicks - It's adjusted actually tighter than Elsa recommends (so that you can just turn the wheel by hand at 4 clicks)Nevertheless, I pulled some cable through on the adjusters, and now its as tight as it can go without binding.I adjusted the headlight a bit myself, but they will do it in the restest properlyAs for the backbox, well, the entire system was buggered really. I've got a bloke on the way for the Split rims, and the money is going towards a custom stainless cat back exhaust (booked in at 10:30) and then the restest straight after I've got an "Interesting" idea for the tailpipe, which I'm sure will be quite marmite, but it will hopefully look a lot better than most of the tailpipes I see on 1.4s lupos, hanging right down under the back bumper like a old mans ball sack out of some short shorts! The bloke at exhaustsuk said he "admired my imagination" which is his polite way of saying "What a crap idea" and they make some right barry rubbish up.I've decided to keep the Borbets, they just look right. Pictures really don't do them justice.So yeah, as I've done 200 times already, complete change of plan on a whim. but meh. It's only money (and time!) Edited July 23, 2009 by cobblers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Green Giant Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 looking forward to the updates! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 (edited) I have this:When quoted they thought it would take 2 hours..... It took 7, so I got my moneys worth I'd say!More pics tomorrow after the retest. Which it better bloody well pass! Edited July 26, 2009 by cobblers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Oh, and the Arosa clusters are coming off. Lost interest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jowey Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 ahaha that exhuast is going to be crazy.Will it not melt the bumper ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers Posted July 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 ahaha that exhuast is going to be crazy.Will it not melt the bumper ?It hasn't yet, although it's still early days. Done about 90 miles.There is a good 5mm clearance around it, and lets be honest - a 1.4s is no fire breathing monster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jowey Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 (edited) a 1.4s is no fire breathing monster!I disagree ! I hope it leaves a nice black stain up the bumper though.It looks cool, different, mad etc.I like this car and i like your attitude. Edited July 26, 2009 by Jowey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little rich Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 ha cant wait to see the egg sauce!, top work on the arch rolling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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