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4982 progress

25K views 145 replies 17 participants last post by  707Stang 
#1 ·
Figured I’d put all of the goings on with this whippersnapper in one place.

Picked this thing up Aug 2015, had about 68k on it. When I bought it it had Tein springs and some busted OZ superleggeras. That crap came off and back to stock.
Other than some maintenance it was in pretty good shape. I have since replaced the rear brakes, had the rear axle seals replaced, crank seal replaced, drive belt, plugs, coils, t stat with all the fixins, new crack pipe, and re booted the LF axle.


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#2 · (Edited)
Additional work that has been done: swapped my tired OE wheels with Detroits, got a golf ball shift knob, had the headlights front bumper and windshield replaced, also replaced the headlight switch with a Euro switch.

Currently I in the process of stockpiling: front and rear shocks (KONI), front pads and rotors (Tarox F2000), RSB (H&R) front and rear sway bar links, strut mounts and bearings and all the hardware needed and an MIB 2 with the required harnesses....

Here are some pics of her:



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#4 ·
Got the replacement struts in 2 days much better shape than before.

Today the pile of parts got a little bigger. I’ll get better pics when I unbox them. Also ordered most of the rest of the parts. Front and rear links, dash cubby, front strut install kit and H&R RSB.

Here’s a teaser....


Also, Matt at Alfa9supply in Colorado was just awesome in getting my brakes from overseas.

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#6 ·
I got all the parts in yesterday. Tomorrow morning work begins! Which means little sleep for me tonight. Since I get off early AM. I’m stoked though. Electric tool batteries are charged, two sets of 3T jack stands are ready, just gotta get the compressor out and rip!


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#8 ·
So. I just put on well over 400 miles on the car yesterday. And I gotta say, the special actives are unreal. Where my tires would slap on concrete paved roads they just soak up the bumps and dips. They do have some limitations as does any analog strut/shock mainly harsh cracks and transitions in the road. But for those of us with back pain it’s been great! Normally the drive I took yesterday would jack me up before. Last night, I was tired sure, but no where near where I was before, and that’s considering I was up till midnight with the install.

The Tarox brakes are pretty nice, there is some noise/vibrations but I somewhat expected it, having EBC on my GTI.

The HR RSB performance is too early to tell.




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#11 · (Edited)
My rear shocks were so worn out one still has not come back up and the other took over 5 mins to fully extend, the front struts weren’t much better the struts come back up very slowly but only half way. And one of my strut bearings fell apart when I took the strut off.
Tomorrow I’ve got to get the tires balanced due to hitting a ridiculous train track crossing. And I also need an align due to the same

And yes. I’m aware I didn’t paint the front struts, it was so cold when I was doin the work the paint wasn’t really sticking.


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#12 ·
Alignment was done and boy was it out. Now it drives so much better.

Had a couple nuts not tight all the way, a quick visit from my 3/8 impact sorted it out.

Next chance I get I need to take her in to get a few things looked at, rear seals are leaking again, front diff is leaking, pulley bearings are shot and I THINK the steering rack is worn, there is a noticeable clunk if you wiggle the steering wheel left and right, in the air or on the ground. I gotta verify it’s not the ball joints or outer tie rods.

Surprisingly tho, my chains are good. Checked MVBs about 6k ago and the timing was <1 degree


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#15 ·
Well, since we have a move coming up I decided to to take her in and get a few things addressed. Front and rear leaking axle seals, noisy t-chains on start up and faulty serp belt idlers/tensioner. I’m on my 3rd belt in 48k miles.


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#19 ·
I had these from factory on my MKVI and loveed them. I had to replace one after a chuck hole but still have it, needing to be straightened. If you ever decide to sell these, let me know. I'd love to have a second set. My MKVI was Candy White as well. I love white cars! If I had found a decent white R, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. My United Grey was just too good to pass up. :)
 
#18 ·
Thanks! I’ve thought about going with the 17’s but I think the overall look of the car would be off...

It is a lot of belts but I suppose that due to the unfavorable results I have had at the current shop, I may just end up piecing together a set of pulleys and tensioner and do the work myself. Or.. I can take it to a friend’s shop in south sac once I move back and get a second opinion. The current shop fixated on a possible noise once in a blue moon and totally dismissed that I’ve rated so many belts. So when the service contract inspector came out these noobs tried to duplicate the noise instead of showing actual failures like hella grease coming from the back of the lower idler or the ridge on the tensioner.... ugh. So as it stands now, I have not had my car for a month on thanksgiving. At least I’ve had a loaner in the mean time


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#23 ·
Replaced the timing chain tensioner over the weekend, the old one seemed to have given up the ghost.

I have also started seriously considering trading it in. I can’t even tell you how much $ has been put into this thing in 50k miles. Just last year alone has been $3-4000. So I’m kinda over it. The waiting “of how much is this going to cost me?” is getting a bit tedious.

I’m looking at a mk6 gti at the moment. We’ll see how that turns out.


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#24 ·
An Mk6 GTI will cost you the amount for the car, which is most likely more than keeping your current car maintained for several years, plus it will need most of the same maintenance you are already doing. And in the end, you have a GTI instead of an R32.
 
#32 ·
Yea, it sucks. I mean it’s like a love/hate deal with it. When it’s clean it’s a hell of a head turner, imo. I love driving it and generally tossing it around and enjoying all work I just put in it. But, then I think of the possibility that the chain guides are likely on the way out if not totally shot. And the drive belt tensioner and idlers are for sure shot, and how much it’s going to cost to get them done. And the windshield broke again in transit from CO.
But then I went car shopping this weekend and f-me man. Car shopping has turned worse. I don’t play games and like bull****, but some of these folks do. So I walk.


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#33 ·
Update!
So, thanks Mike for the assist!

I threw in a new lower idler as mine was toast. And I replaced the bolt on the front cover that I know is killing my belt. Well, after replacing the bolt it turned it it’s not it. After some careful inspection I looked at my crank pulley and I’m pretty certain it’s too far back into the block. So, can any of you folks post any pics of your crank/pulley alignment? Here’s what I’ve got going on.

In the last pic you can see the culprit bolt sitting a hair away from the belt. It’s all the way in I cleared the bolt hole and still the same result.




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#34 ·
Took the amp and sub out today. After a recent trip to San Francisco I decided enough is enough when the sub decided it didn’t want to be in the enclosure anymore when we were sitting at a light, scared the crap out of us. Haha.


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#35 ·
An update!

Well, did the oil change, fresh Total 5w-40 and an OEM filter.

Replaced the drivers door window since it was not blue I’m getting the car re-tinted and I need to remove the craptastic Llumar garbage and having one non-blue glass would drive my A.R. Into overdrive.

Got some Karthoums put on, not REALLY digging the look, plus they rub with my hard turns. So, I’m looking for some good Detroits.

Found out my RF sub is shot.

Oh! I replaced the fluid in the front diff, I’ve never done it 60k [emoji15] and I sincerely doubt it’s ever been done in 127k. Draining it and filling it was easy. Getting the stupid fill plug out was not. It decided to seize to the box, so the 5mm Allen stripped, as did the T30, wiped the bit and the plug. Chisels didn’t work, the steel is FAR too soft for that. Heat and penetrating oil may have helped. Ultimately I ended up jamming a P2 phillips bit on a 1/4” extension hammering it in and putting some Tq on the ratchet whilst hammering the hell out of the back of the ratchet for about 2-3 mins and finally..... Clink! Out it came. That one damn plug cost me 2+ hours and a trip to a local parts supplier. Plus I had to take the wheel off, RF lower fender liner and axle shield to get just enough clearance.

Here’s a pic.




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#36 ·
Finished taking off the rest of the tint over the weekend, easy peasy, plastic and straight ammonia on a hot day took care if that real quick. It’s weird seeing the car naked... haha.

Drained and filled the rear diff, super easy, it too was nasty, but not as bad the front, I think it may have been drained when I had the rear axle seals replaced. I also made a new parts supplier contact which is unbelievably awesome.
Washed it and cleaned the inside out, adjusted the front windows, from my work the other day I left them ever so slightly out of spec.
Had a buzzing noise in the blower at low speeds, turned out to be a leaf. Also got a new pollen filter, found that guy super dirty yesterday. I’ll throw that in this week.


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#37 · (Edited)
Got some tint put on over the weekend, 12% in the back and 20% in the front. Tint devil down in San Diego hooked it up proper. It’s so much cooler inside than before. I’ll get some pics soon after I wash her...

Fixin to hit 130k so I gotta start hoarding parts and fluids for the 40k coming up in 10k miles. Since I’ve now got a good hookup I’m not dreading it this time around. Haha

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