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Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ

385K views 143 replies 99 participants last post by  YJSAABMAN 
#1 ·
Ok, I'm paving the way for us to have a FAQ sticky. Anyone with info please post!!
Basics: There is no such thing as a mk4 cabrio, its called a Mk3.5. this started in '99


Modified by Cabrio1.8T at 4:10 PM 10-14-2003
 
#2 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Cabrio1.8T)

Sounds like a good idea! Let's give it a try. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
 
#3 ·
How to replace the outer skin of a 1980-1993 vw cabriolet. Stolen off the tex.

how to replace the outer skin of a 1980-1993 vw cabriolet.
- with the top closed and the windows open, remove your back seat, parcel shelf, and empty your trunk.
- remove the rear glass: clean and lubricate the seal, make sure no points are sticking, remove the wires for the defroster, find a helper, and from the inside of the car gently push the glass out of it's seal, using as much surface area of your hand at a time as possible.
- remove the staples that hold the outer skin to the window frame with a screwdriver.
- remove the trim pieces / snap receptacles at the C pillars.
- from under the parcel shelf side panels, detach the headliner by bending the sharp tabs down and breaking the contact cement's adhesive grip.
- remove the 13mm bolt that holds on the mount for the gas shock on each side.
- using a 10mm wrench and a suitable back up wrench (a small "ignition wrench" worked for me) make the rear tension cable loose.
- carefully peel the outer skin from the rear perimeter of the car so as not to bend the cable or scratch your paint.
- remove the rear tension cable from the top carefully if you wish to save it for reuse.
- open the top partially such that the section that contacts the windshield points straight up.
- carefully remove the rubber window seals from their channels, minding the phillips screw at the A pillar on the front seals.
- find the phillips screws that hold on the seal mounting channels and remove them.
- drill out the rivet on each side that holds the vinyl strap from the top to the frame behind the roll bar.
- if applicable, drill out the rivets that hold on the outer skin at the bottom of the C pillar.
- remove the bar and side pieces that hold the outer skin to the frame where it contacts the windshield.
- remove the outer skin from the frame: it is glued at the C and A pillars and along the front bar with contact cement.
- remove the side tension cables from their receptacles at the A and C pillars.
- inspect your insulation pad and decide if you want to replace it. if the fabric on top has deteriorated, fix it.
- check, clean and lubricate the entire mechanism. fix rust spots on the body and top frame.
- install new side side tension cables into the new outer skin. if there are springs on your C pillars between the frame and the cable, the new cables should measure 94cm. if there are no springs, the new cables should measure 106cm. check the length as the dealer supplied cables i purchased were the wrong length. initially i purchased the 106cm cables, which actually measured 102 and 103mm long. i shortened them to 94cm as they were not returnable.
*the dealers' electronic parts catalogue, ETKA, has an error - it specifies the long cable for all cars up to mid 1993, whereas my 1987 and 1988 examples use the short cable. be sure to order the correct cable for your car.*
- close the top but don't close the latches, let it float a few cm open.
- drape the new skin over the frame and tuck the mechanism in the front "pocket" of the skin.
- align things as best you can.
- insert the rear tension cable's ends into the top and into the car. don't forget those fabric loops for the boot cover hooks, if applicable.
- if you have an EZ-ON stayfast canvas top, trim the excess material from underneath the rolled bead. it is not trimmed from the factory to fit in the rear channel.
- get some clamps of various kinds and begin trying to coax the cable into place. the top will have to be clamped to the car body in order to hold the cable in it's channel while loose.
- using the backup wrench and the 10mm, tighten the cable a little at a time while adjusting the top alignment. use the stitches at the C pillars as reference points.
- tap the cable into the channel as you tighten it with a soft piece of wood and a rubber mallet, working from the middle toward each side in sections. installing this cable should be a slow, patient, calculated process.
- re-attach the gas shock mounts with their 13mm bolts.
- attach the side cables at the A and C pillars: make sure the grommet the cable runs through at the C pillar is not going to chafe the cable, turn it using an easy-out or replace it if you must.
- adjust the pocket at the front as best you can, trimming material as necessary for an unobstructed fit.
- glue the front pocket to the frame at the bottom, apply the cement to the plastic former and 1cm of the headliner inside. do not use spray glue, most upholstery shops will supply a good quality product if you ask. 3M super 77 will not stand up to temperature changes so avoid it.
- punch holes where the screws for the metal bar and side pieces attach at the front using a hole puch and hammer.
- install the bar and side pieces with their phillips screws, working from the middle out.
- glue the flaps at the A pillars but do not trim the excess.
- with the top partially open apply glue to the C pillars and the corresponding area of the skin, then close the top and attach these lines with as much tension and accuracy as you can apply.
- feed the new vinyl straps through the insulation pad and rivet them to the frame.
- clean the seal channels and apply 0.5cm x 3cm closed cell weatherstrip foam to their backsides. punch holes for the screws.
- install the seal channels and rubber seals: a blunt flathead screwdriver and a small amount of strategically placed lubricant can help. don't forget the screws at the A pillars.
- trim the excess material at the A and C pillars from beside the seals on the inside.
- close and latch the top and cut an X for the rear window, ending your cuts approximately 2cm from the corners.
- trim as necessary and clamp the skin to the rear frame with C clamps and spring clamps, adjusting alignment as you go. leave a minimum of 5cm to pull all around, and slice the corners as necessary. you will need at least 15 clamps to do this correctly.
- fasten the fabric with stainless 3/8' (5mm) staples on the bottom lateral, then the top lateral, then each side, and then finally the corners: as many clamps as can fit in one area at a time should be used, and constantly adjusted for tension and alignment.
- using a hammer and appropriate anvil, ensure the staples are tight.
- clean your window seal as best you can.
- clean your window as best you can, and then put the window in the frame.
- wrap a length of nylon twine or a suitably strong rope of about 3mm thickness around the inside channel of the seal and place the glass and seal onto the car.
- have a helper push the glass into the car as you seat the seal using a blunt flathead screwdriver and the rope. the rope pulls out of the seal and places the lip onto the flange neatly.
- reinstall the trim / snap receptacles at the C pillars, trimming the skin as necessary. ensure the rubber seals they clamp down are aligned.
- wash your car.
- take a break.
- clean up your garage.
- go drive around and show off.
 
#4 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Cabrio1.8T)

cabriolet production history in north america
79 to 84 rabbit convertible a1 platform
85 to 93 cabriolet a1 platform
95 to ? cabrio a3 platform
there was no a2 cabriolets / cabrios or convertibles
"clipper kit" is the body kit offered in cabriolet from 88 to 93, it consist of bumpers, fender flares, side skirts.
rabbit convertibles and cabriolets had 1.7 and 1.8 engines only, they were never offered/available with 1.6 or 2.0 or 16v (at least in the us)
they we cis injection until 89, 90 models had digifant II.
cabrios had 2.0 engines
IM me or e-mail me if corrections or additions are needed to this, since this faq is starting let's try to keep it nice. clean and organized, thanks!


Modified by stevelangford at 10:02 PM 10-14-2003


Modified by stevelangford at 2:40 PM 10-15-2003
 
#5 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Cabrio1.8T)

Despite the reputation they have earned, they are not chick cars.
Most of the Cabriolets (before 92?) came with the JH engine, the same big-valve, solid lifter motor that powered the original Rabbit GTI's
To this day these "cute" little cars will eat most new hatchbacks in the 1/4 mile, even with the added weight of the roll bar and chassis reinforcement.
EDIT: checked my Bently and he's right, after 88 they are 2H Digifant engines with hydraulic cam followers, but big valves none the less.
And as far as the 1/4 mile thing goes, I've whooped a '99 Civic as well as almost every hatchback built in the '80s (but that probably has something to do with the other drivers abilities too)
just my $.02


Modified by Spinyfrog at 5:45 PM 10-16-2003
 
#7 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (dubdaze68)

Quote, originally posted by dubdaze68 »
My '87 has a hydraulic head...but I think it was a mid-year change...
Crooked Euros--'cause we said so....

IIRC and I think I do as of 1984 All Cabbys have Hydrolic lifters. They made the change when the GTi changed. They also recieved the leaky and pointless oil cooler/ oil filter combo that year. At least according to the Owners Manual Collection I have,The 87 does not mention valve adjustments but the 1983 book does.
I have owned an 83, 84 and 87 the 83 was the only one with out hydro.
 
#8 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Lunitixx)

Engine Code: JH (1985-1987)
Cam Followers: Mechanical
Engine Code: JH (from 1988)
Cam Followers: Hydraulic
Both has 40mm intake valves and 33mm exhaust valves.
Straight from the Bentley, if nobody believes me I will personall scan the table in and post the picture. Its section 3-23 and under Engine for those who have the book



Modified by Fst'N'Frs at 12:53 AM 10-19-2003
 
#9 ·
Quote, originally posted by Spinyfrog »
For those of you who haven't done this yet or don't fully understand the mod I decided to take pictures while I was swapping linkages so I could create a little "how-to".
Here's a MK2 Throttlebody on the left and a MK1 on the right, notice the size difference!

Step 1 - Remove the screws holding the butterflies into the shaft, twist the shaft against the springs and push the metal disc out through the "In" side of the TB (as in the side that faces the airbox.)

Step 2 - Dissasemble your Throttlebody linkage, you may as well leave the one set of springs (shown on left) on the shaft, otherwise you'll wind up losing them. Here's an Exploded pic.

Then dissasemble the MK1 linkage (you'll need to put this on the MK2 body)

Notice the spacing of the holes in the larger butterfly and the shafts? You'll need the smaller shaft from the MK2 for everything to fit, and the longer one from the MK1.

then Reassemble the MK1 linkage on the MK2 throttlebody in the same order you remove it in. Heres a pic of the finished one on the left and a stock MK2 TB on the right, If you look carefully you can see the primary butterfly on the finished one is actually the brass one from the MK1, apparently its about 1/100" thinner that the one from the MK2, so while they are the same diameter the Mk2 didn't fit in the shaft from the MK1 linkage.

The tricky part is getting the butterlflies back in after its mostly reassembled, just don't tighten down the 11mm nuts on the ends of the shafts till they butterflies open and close smoothly (keep in mind that the longer shaft from the MK1 is almost too short to fit properly, the nut on the end of mine is just barely threaded on.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
 
#10 ·
Re: (bunnytrigger81)

go get the rear beam from a passat 1.8.
You will need to remove the brake setup from the passatt beam, howver they bolt in well to the rabbit, cabriolet beam.
litterally bolts RIGHT IN. Use RED threadlocker on the four studs from spindle to beam.
and the brake cables come from a Scirrocco 16v as I recall.
I will never own a car with rear drums again. EVER.
I am a happy driver now.
my issue is anyone know where I can find porterfield, or Ferodo pads for my ride?
 
#11 ·
Re: (bunnytrigger81)

go get the rear beam from a passat 1.8.
You will need to remove the brake setup from the passatt beam, howver they bolt in well to the rabbit, cabriolet beam.
litterally bolts RIGHT IN. Use RED threadlocker on the four studs from spindle to beam.
I paid 80.00 for a good condition setup, with good rotors.
10.00 ea rotor to get surfaced at Schucks auto supply.
40.00 for PBR metalmasters (yea I wanted ferodo, or porters)
new bearings 5.00 ea X4=20.00
new grease =5.00 (top of the line)
new rubber grease caps = 3.50 ea =7.00
new metal grease hubs 4.00 ea =8.00
and the brake cables come from a Scirrocco 16v (as I recall) =15.00 ea
this conversion was the BEST i have ever done, and its amazing.
I will never own a car with rear drums again. EVER.
I am a happy driver now.
my issue is anyone know where I can find porterfield, or Ferodo pads - or even a Ceramic composite brakepad..... front and back.???
TIRED of washin rims.....
 
#12 ·
Dash and Instrument Cluster Removal

How to take the dash out and the instrument cluster on a 1990-1993 cabriolet:
Dash:
(1) Take out the two screws on top of the hole the instrument cluster sits in.
(2) Take out the two trim pieces around the switches on each side of the wheel
and one screw from behind each one.
(3) Pull the heater control knobs off the face of the heater controls and then the
pull the face off the control now take out the screw in lower right hand corner.
(4) Pull out the radio and there is one screw on the top of the radio opening.
(5) Now pull the dash off and over the steering wheel.
Cluster:
(6) If you are pulling out the instrument cluster before you do anything past this
point reach around the instrument cluster and VERY CAREFULLY unplug the
speedo cable from the sensor it has a big clip on it that holds it in place and
should be covered in a wax seal to prove it wasn't tempered with.
(7) Once you have unplugged the speedo now you can take out the two screws
that hold the cluster in (one on each side you'll see them) now pull the top of
the cluster down (it rotates on two knobs on the bottom)
(8) their are two harness plugged into the back of cluster you can now unplug and
finally it's out.
(9) Don't turn the ignition on with the instrument cluster out, I did this and now I have two annoying LED's on in my cluster constantly reminding me that it's better to experiment on someone else's car then work on your own when you've learned the proper way to do any work on your car.



Modified by Nrcabby at 10:26 PM 11-20-2003
 
#13 ·
Switched power for after market radio/amp

switched power in an A1 or A2 for an aftermarket radio is the Black and Yellow wire going to the back of the defroster switch.
Switched power for an amp in your a3 or a4 can be found on the bolt labeled 75X directly behind your fuse box under the dash.


Modified by Nrcabby at 12:31 AM 3-31-2004
 
#15 ·
Adjusting Air/Fuel mixture

That simplifies the procedure. Here it is. This is for NON-Lambda systems.
0. Ideally you should pull the injectors and run the fuel pump. While the pump is running adjust the air flow plate with the 3mm Allen wrench (clockwise/rich) until the injector starts to leak. Back off until it stops. This sets you to the very rich side of your adjustment scale without having the injectors leak on you. This step can be skipped if you're very sure you are on the rich side of the adjustment range. Reinstall the injectors. Put everything back to normal.
1. Warm up the engine until the fan has run twice.
2. Begin adjusting the airplate a 1/16th of a turn counterclockwise at a time. This is slowly leaning out the mixture. At some point (and it may be a while) the idle will start to drop. If not sure blip the throttle a small bit to restablish an idle point. When you belive you've seen the idle drop then adjust in the opposite direction to richen the mixture. The idel should now rise. Repeat the adjustment to verify that youare at the "Lean Idle Drop" (offical phrase). Set to just a bit richer than the drop point. That will have you set about as accurately as you can get without acutally using a tail pipe sniffer to verify it.
3. Remove the friggin' Allen wrench. It won't hurt anything but it'll reduce your rev range when the wrench hits the hood and won't rise anymore (Don't ask how I know this.)
4. There is no step 4.
The O2 sensor on a Lamda system will compensate for any changes you make with the airflow plate which is why it should be disconnected on a Lambda system. The O2 sensor changes the duty cycle of the frequency valve to adjust fuel pressure to the injectors and therefore the "richness" of the mixture.
A bad O2 sensor will throw off the mixture severely. Disconnecting the O2 sensor will only return your CIS to exactly what it was when Bosch first designed it. Before emmisions and gas mileage was a huge concern. Many disconnect it so it doesn't mess with their settings. To adust the airflow plate rich or lean affects the entire airflow/rev range. So a" richer" setting here means richer thruout the powerband. Ditto with lean settings.
Anytime you change system pressure thru a new pump install, filter change, injectors, fuel distributor etc. the mixture adjustment should be repeated.

Courtesy Of Moljinar
 
#16 ·
Maintenance Items....Oil dino vs synth, changes, filters, cold starts and Coolant

This may seem like a moot point to some of you
but after after speaking with some friends one an engineer for GM, the other a master mechanic about maintance issues. I thought some of the informed bable should be passed on.
this may, at least, be helpful to some and possibly interesting/educational to many
Oil why change it?
Oil has to be changed because the antiwear additives become depleted. The oil becomes full of impurities such as gasoline, ZDP concentration, water and other byproducts of combustion as well as some insoluble contaminates such as soot also high temperatures oxidize oil.
Oil life deterioration caused by a variety of operating conditions i.e. engine revolutions, time, operating temperatures of the oil, time of soaks & time of run intervals ect.
No simple oil change recommendation can be tailored to an individuals driving schedule and habits only a computer algorithm or oil monitor in the engine controller found in many new cars can do this.

With that in mind 3 months or 3000 miles may not be all that necessary at least the oil co's want you to follow this. So if your car driven only few miles and its oil is clean after 3000 miles hold off a few more miles keep in mind to check it at fill ups and monitor level & condition. Regardless of how few miles driven in a year (some car are used for flossing it seems) change oil at least annually...more often if you start the car often as heating up and cooling will cause condinsation in the crankcase and contaminants metioned above.
So you may ask, just what is the 3 month 3000mile mileage period based on anyway? Professionals base it on a car thats used 12,000 miles a year. With this in mind an oil change four times yearly is reasonable
Synth or Dino Oil?
if you have a new engine want to try it go for the syth. But an engine that leaks it will leak more profusely with synth. If you haven't used syth in your motor it will most likely leek as... Sythetic motor oil has a smaller/compact molecular structure so it will find a way out of an old engine more easyly. there is little real world gains to justify spend'n $6 plus a quart for syth motor oil on a street motor marketing has made many think its worth the $! ...but if it makes you feel beter, walk taller, whatever, its your money it certainly cant do harm
Regular petro oil from the Jurastic age Dino's is just fine...some posts I've seen state that brand x is made with parafin oil or other nonsense I haven't seen any proof in Society of Automotive Engineer archives to validate thier claims so this is just silly. Oil is refined by only a few companies and their are standards that have to be met so it is basically the same but "higher milage" blends have more anti-wear additives that are advantageous for obvious reasons I use on all my cars regardless of milage
Oil...What about cold starts?
As far as cold starting is concerned…if the oil gets to minus 20 overnight and sits for 12 hours it will be thick. But if it sits as minus 20 for 48 hours it will get a lot thicker and cause problems with cold starting. Since most people in cold areas are starting their engines every 8-10 hours the viscosity increase of the oil due to time is negligible. An oil heater isn’t required a block heater helps more as it cuts the friction on the cylinder walls by keeping the warm and aids in fuel atomization by keeping the combustion chambers warm which is more important anyway.
What About Coolant Changes
Radiator service does not require a flush or cleaners. Just drain the radiator at the petcock at the bottom of the radiator tank, refill with fresh 50/50 coolant and distilled water. You are just trying to get a fresh charge of coolant in the system to replenish the corrosion inhibitors in the coolant. No need to introduce tap water for flushing as coolinf system should be filled with mineral free water and dont use any sort of caustic cleaners that cannot be thoroughly removed. Just drain and refill with 50/50 (premixed or mix youself with mineral free DI water) least every 2-3years or 30K miles. The coolants corrosion inhibitors deplete around this time frequency and need replacement so do it, only takes a few minutes. If not replaced frequently internal engine corrosion can/will result...including head gasket (and intake gasket) failure. The steel core of the gaskets can and will rot out from the inside out
Spark Plugs
Not that spark plugs add any realworld performance gains in a street engine
An informed suggestion is to use dual platinum spark plugs as
these have a pad of platium on the tip of center electrode and the ground electrode the platinum will never wear so the growth of spark gap will not vary over time.
so they should/will last as long as your car. perhaps 30K removal for cleaning if needed
Hope this is/was interesting…and helpful.


Modified by A1 Cabriolet at 8:45 PM 8-2-2004


Modified by A1 Cabriolet at 7:45 PM 11-8-2004
 
#117 ·
This may seem like a moot point to some of you <br>but after after speaking with some friends one an engineer for GM, the other a master mechanic about maintance issues. I thought some of the informed bable should be passed on.<br>this may, at least, be helpful to some and possibly interesting/educational to many<p><B>Oil why change it?</B><br>Oil has to be changed because the antiwear additives become depleted. The oil becomes full of impurities such as gasoline, ZDP concentration, water and other byproducts of combustion as well as some insoluble contaminates such as soot also high temperatures oxidize oil. <p>Oil life deterioration caused by a variety of operating conditions i.e. engine revolutions, time, operating temperatures of the oil, time of soaks & time of run intervals ect. <p>No simple oil change recommendation can be tailored to an individuals driving schedule and habits only a computer algorithm or oil monitor in the engine controller found in many new cars can do this.<br> <br>With that in mind 3 months or 3000 miles may not be all that necessary at least the oil co's want you to follow this. So if your car driven only few miles and its oil is clean after 3000 miles hold off a few more miles keep in mind to check it at fill ups and monitor level & condition. Regardless of how few miles driven in a year (some car are used for flossing it seems) change oil at least annually...more often if you start the car often as heating up and cooling will cause condinsation in the crankcase and contaminants metioned above.<p>So you may ask, just what is the 3 month 3000mile mileage period based on anyway? Professionals base it on a car thats used 12,000 miles a year. With this in mind an oil change four times yearly is reasonable<p><B>Synth or Dino Oil?</B><br>if you have a new engine want to try it go for the syth. But an engine that leaks it will leak more profusely with synth. If you haven't used syth in your motor it will most likely leek as... Sythetic motor oil has a smaller/compact molecular structure so it will find a way out of an old engine more easyly. there is little real world gains to justify spend'n $6 plus a quart for syth motor oil on a street motor marketing has made many think its worth the $! ...but if it makes you feel beter, walk taller, whatever, its your money it certainly cant do harm<p>Regular petro oil from the Jurastic age Dino's is just fine...some posts I've seen state that brand x is made with parafin oil or other nonsense I haven't seen any proof in Society of Automotive Engineer archives to validate thier claims so this is just silly. Oil is refined by only a few companies and their are standards that have to be met so it is basically the same but "higher milage" blends have more anti-wear additives that are advantageous for obvious reasons I use on all my cars regardless of milage<p><B>Oil...What about cold starts?</B><br>As far as cold starting is concerned…if the oil gets to minus 20 overnight and sits for 12 hours it will be thick. But if it sits as minus 20 for 48 hours it will get a lot thicker and cause problems with cold starting. Since most people in cold areas are starting their engines every 8-10 hours the viscosity increase of the oil due to time is negligible. An oil heater isn’t required a block heater helps more as it cuts the friction on the cylinder walls by keeping the warm and aids in fuel atomization by keeping the combustion chambers warm which is more important anyway.<p><B>What About Coolant Changes</B><p>Radiator service does not require a flush or cleaners. Just drain the radiator at the petcock at the bottom of the radiator tank, refill with fresh 50/50 coolant and distilled water. You are just trying to get a fresh charge of coolant in the system to replenish the corrosion inhibitors in the coolant. No need to introduce tap water for flushing as coolinf system should be filled with mineral free water and dont use any sort of caustic cleaners that cannot be thoroughly removed. Just drain and refill with 50/50 (premixed or mix youself with mineral free DI water) least every 2-3years or 30K miles. The coolants corrosion inhibitors deplete around this time frequency and need replacement so do it, only takes a few minutes. If not replaced frequently internal engine corrosion can/will result...including head gasket (and intake gasket) failure. The steel core of the gaskets can and will rot out from the inside out<p><B>Spark Plugs</B><br>Not that spark plugs add any realworld performance gains in a street engine<br>An informed suggestion is to use dual platinum spark plugs as<br>these have a pad of platium on the tip of center electrode and the ground electrode the platinum will never wear so the growth of spark gap will not vary over time.<br>so they should/will last as long as your car. perhaps 30K removal for cleaning if needed<p>Hope this is/was interesting…and helpful. <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/wink.gif" BORDER="0"> <p><br><i>Modified by A1 Cabriolet at 8:45 PM 8-2-2004</i><BR><BR>
<i>Modified by A1 Cabriolet at 7:45 PM 11-8-2004</i>

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
#17 ·
Front 280mm (11") Corrado Brakes and 16v rear disks

OK so you what to stop on a dime as the saying goes. There are a number of items you need...
22mm Master Cylinder (since your doing rears as well)
the G60 caliper (& carrier of course)
4-M10x35 bolts
4 M10x16 cap screws
4M10 split washers
to mount the front G60 requires a specially manufactured / machined adapter to fit.
The adapters to make this fit an A1/MK1 are specialty items that you MUST have!
The companies who sell the conversion kits to do this wont sell you just the bracket!
There were some guys in the vortex machining these some time past but your on your own in this respect search these out and you can get wrenching
I will, when I have time machine these F.S., should or if there is a demand
the brake rotors, calipers ect are just OEM G60 VW pieces
If you go to hardware store to get bolts ect get grade 8 or better dont use "just any ole"
hardware as these are brake components and you and the general publics safety lies in the balance.
oh and the front splash gaurds need to be trimmed fit allow for the new calipers ect
The choice in alloys in doing this conversion is very important as you need minimum diameter of 15"
but equally inportant is the inner webbing of the particular wheel design you are planning to use must clear the new calipers.
The rear disks are best done using the set up from a 16v car like a 'rocco
rotors
stub axles
splash shield
e-brake cables
brake lines
ect
use the bolts/washers from your drum set for new stub axles
I would suggest (from experience) using a proportioning valve to adjust brake bias
without this brake lockup is eminent in hard/quick panic stops causing loss of control
This was by no means a complete list or instructional so do your homework before you start wrenching on you car
 
#18 ·
Power Top Conversion (MkIII Cabrio)

Ok, we need some MKIII stuff in here... So, I am in the process of doing a Power Top converion on my 95 Cabrio.
Just bought a 99 cloth Cabrio Power Top, and will be installing it shortly... I'll post back some pics, etc. of the swap (should be very straight forward).
Just so people know, it appears that all tops are the same on the MKIII Cabrio's from 1995 to 2001, and even later (except that VW has had problems with the MKIV Cabrio tops). I guess the rear windows have been falling out on the MKIV cars, and VW has been giving the owners brand new top mechanisms that would fit 1997 to 2000 cars.
More to come....
 
#19 ·
GUIDE: How to chip your ECU

This Guide will provide you with instructions on how to open your ECU and change the Eprom.
So, here we go.....
Locate your ECU on the driver's side of the car.



I assume you already have your ECU out of the car. It should look something like this.

or this....

This Guide is for the BOSCH ECU but the procedure is
similar for the KEN as well.
Removing the cover is pretty easy. 4 screws on the aluminum heatsink.....

and another 3 on the back where the plug goes.....

Once the cover is out you should have something like this inside.


Remove the white Protective film.

Carefully undo the two screws and remove the 2 plastic black covers by lifting them with a plyer.


Now you have a clear view of the ECU.
BOSCH ECU

KEN ECU

It has 2 chips on it. You want to change the one which is located on the base of the ECU.....
KEN ECU

BOSCH ECU

There is a black protective cover on the chip. Remove this and you have access to the original VW chip

IMPORTANT!!!!!!! NOTE THE WAY THE CHIP
IS INSTALLED. THERE IS A LITTLE NOTCH
ON ONE SIDE. MAKE SURE YOU NOTE IT!!!!

Remove the chip be lifting it at the same time from both sides. Be careful not to bend the legs as you might want to put it back in.


Once the chip is out you can put in the new one.

In my case I had the choice of two chips..... One is the Digifast2 Chip sold to me by somebody on the the vortex.
The other was an unknown chip bought from German Ebay claiming it produces 10hp.......hmm yeah! sure!
As you can probably guess I went with the DIgifast2 chip.

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK THE DIRECTION OF THE CHIP
BEFORE YOU PRESS IT IN. IN MY CASE THERE WAS A
LITTLE NOTCH ON THE BASE OF THE CHIP AS YOU CAN
SEE FROM THE PHOTO.


Put back the protective black cover on the chip
Put everything back together and you have yourself a chipped ECU.


Modified by Black_cabbie at 9:20 PM 6-16-2004
 
#20 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Cabrio1.8T)

This is a new thing to me and what I have been able to find out in the various websites there is no Mk 3.5
What happend in 1999 that cars with manufacture date 7-99 are 1999 models and cars with the date 8-99 and later are 2000 models which is a bit confusing but as far as I am concered they are all Mk IV (4) models.
To call any Mk 3.5 just adds more confusion.
 
#21 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Cabrio1.8T)

From what I have fouind out about the different models trough various VW websites there is and never has been a Mk3.5 this just ads to the confusion.
What happened in 1999 at least with the Cabrios is that cars with a built date to 7-99 were sold as 1999 models and cars with a built date of 8-99 and later were sold and registered as 2000 models.
It is a bit confusing this is why the parts department wants to know the built date as there is a lot of difference between the early and later 1999's inside, outside and in mechanical spec's.
If you want to get some pictures of this go to eBay and look at some of the pictures of various 1999 models.
The first difference you notice is the steering wheel and airbag.
 
#22 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Dutchconnection)

yeah that's a point of confusion for MKIII cabby owners
as I understand it it's MKIII with a newer looking front end
and updated looking interior parts like the dimpled dash/ interior panels, guage cluster.....but it's not based on the MKIV
chassis.
I'm useless when it comes to build dates and such
but maybe some of the newer cabby owners can
"fill in the blanks" here for everyone to learn the
subtle differences.
 
#23 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (exboy99)

I am not sure what the difference is between the MkIII and MkIV
chassis but like I mentioned before early 1999 and later 1999(2000)
models are very different and as far as the chassis goes the later 1999(2000) have disc brakes all around and I would think this would be the
MkIV chassis.
Maybe somebody can shed some information on this.
 
#24 ·
Re: Official Cabrio/Cabriolet FAQ (Dutchconnection)

Quote, originally posted by Dutchconnection »
I am not sure what the difference is between the MkIII and MkIV
chassis but like I mentioned before early 1999 and later 1999(2000)
models are very different and as far as the chassis goes the later 1999(2000) have disc brakes all around and I would think this would be the
MkIV chassis.
Maybe somebody can shed some information on this.

Nope. 199.5 and up cabby is on a Mk3 frame with Mk4 front and rear pieces. There technically are no Mk2 or Mk 4 cabrio/lets.
 
#25 ·
How to change your glovebox lid

Guide on how to remove your old broken Glove Box.
When I got my car it had this.....

GOLF GTI!!!!! yeah Right!
So I decided it was time to go and get a cleaner look....
So I took it off. First I removed the right air duct.

In order to remove the air duct you need to carefully put the scredriver between the dash and the duct and lift the brackets that hold it in place.
Make sure you don't brake the duct or leave marks on the dashboard.
Once the duct is removed you should be able to see the spring that holds the glove box lid.

Undo the 4 bolts that hold the lid.

The lift the glovebox with the spring from the dashboard, just enough to get the spring out of its location on the inside of the dashboard.
Now twist the spring in order to remove it from the lid. Pull the lid straight up without the spring attached and you have this in your hands.



This photo is actually of the glove box lid I am about to install but you get the idea.

So now its time to change the lock of the lid to match the rest of the locks on the car.
Turn it over and you should see this.

With a small screwdriver remove the little plastic guide.


Now carefully put the screwdriver as you see in the photo and completely pull the plastic guide.

Now press the two release buttons on the lock like you do when you want to open the lid.

AND PULL IT OUT!

The installation of the new lock and the glove box lid is on the car is the complete opposite of what you've seen....
I think you can go ahead and do the rest!
ENJOY THE FINISHED RESULT....



Modified by Black_cabbie at 9:22 PM 6-16-2004
 
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