# Project "Orange Crush" - done



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

*Project "Orange Crush" - UPDATE*

Before: 











After:


----------



## Seano (Jan 2, 2003)

Fair to say that the After is a definite improvement on the Before...nicely done!


----------



## bigfatgeek (Feb 5, 2005)

Nice! As an owner of a Reflex Silver EV MV, I do like the change.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

It sure makes it easier to spot in the parking lot :laugh:


----------



## VW_Enthu1 (Oct 23, 2004)

If you woulda' told me beforehand that you were going to go orange along with the other changes, I would have said you were nuts. 

And I would have been wrong. 

Nice job. Looks cool. The silver EV's _can be _pretty dull...:beer:


----------



## a1junkie (Apr 26, 2000)

Love it! I'll definitely know which EV is you when we pass around town. I'll be the guy frantically waving in the maroon Weekender with Audi wheels.


----------



## meinvwauto (Jan 3, 2013)

a1junkie said:


> Love it! I'll definitely know which EV is you when we pass around town. I'll be the guy frantically waving in the maroon Weekender with Audi wheels.


 *Love it*...wanna paint my 2002 EVC mellow yellow... but how much would such a job cost? Who did yours? 

cheers..


----------



## scram1 (May 27, 2013)

*Shweet!*

Very nice looking EV. OK, so where do I get the spoiler for the tailgate and those rails for the roof? If you don't mind, please.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Spoiler was from ebay.co.uk 

The roof rails are actually bed rails for pick-up trucks  
I just had to mount them in the gutter with a rubber standoff. 

The side rails , I made those myself since no one would ship them from overseas :screwy:


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

meinvwauto said:


> *Love it*...wanna paint my 2002 EVC mellow yellow... but how much would such a job cost? Who did yours?
> 
> cheers..


 $1500 for the orange 

I painted the black grills, roof, and the wheels myself.


----------



## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

osuidoc said:


> $1500 for the orange


 Good to know. My '93 needs serious help paint-wise and was wondering what a decent (doesn't need to be concours quality) paint job would cost.


----------



## tiiger (Nov 29, 2004)

Love it. 

I'd like to see it with the original wheels, though. 

(Or other silver ones.) Not a big fan of black ones, as I never feel like I can tell where the wheel ends and the tire begins.


----------



## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

tiiger said:


> Love it.
> 
> I'd like to see it with the original wheels, though.
> 
> (Or other silver ones.) Not a big fan of black ones, as I never feel like I can tell where the wheel ends and the tire begins.


Agreed. I don't care for black rims at all. Take a nice rim that is styled deliberately and once it's black you can't really see the spoke styling and lose the visual detail.:screwy:

And black steelies just make a car look like a broke-ass 70s hoopdy that lost all its hubcaps.

Love everything else about the van though including the black grilles.:thumbup:


----------



## rcxworks (Sep 11, 2010)

been trying to get a set of side rails myself and found the same issue. no one will send them to the states.
that van is amazing, i dig the black wheels on the orange. it goes with the smoked turns, side rails and roof rails.


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

"The side rails , I made those myself since no one would ship them from overseas" :screwy:

What would be the chance of rcxworks and myself talking you into making two more sets of the side rails???:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Won't be making any of the siderails again but

I used this as a reference... 

http://www.weetjewel.com/sidebars.htm

Its not in English but the images at the bottom have all the necessary dimensions. I mitered the corners instead of using the curved ends as in the drawings. Just use stainless steel so they will last.

Send to pdf's to a local welder and see what they can do for you :thumbup:

Its probably my favorite mod for the EV by far.


----------



## vwsurf (Jan 30, 2006)

Van looks very good.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

Just saw this for the first time last night -- what an amazing van. :thumbup:

Probably everyone has seen lots of heavily styled vans from the T4.co.uk group -- but I haven't see as much as I thought I would on the Vortex. Wow - I'm floored at how sweet this looks. Fresh paint and all the little touches really make this look like a totally new van. I think this one of the lasting appeals of the T4 -- it can have so many looks -- from domestic minivan to adventure wagon to a tuner's tricked out family ride. This is an awesome example of T4 greatness.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Thanks for the comments. While the final choices of colors and styling isn't for everyone, It over-exceeded my expectations when it was done and I can't imagine having to someday find a replacement.

The uk site was definitely inspirational when deciding on what to do and I spent a lot of time on that T4 site before I even bought mine. Some of the customizations they do over there are so over the top that just painting mine magma orange didn't seem that brave 

Going to start looking for winter tires soon though since last winter was a little sketchy with all seasons I was running but she still got us to where we needed. 

Not trying this again without dedicated winter rubber...


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

osuidoc said:


> The uk site was definitely inspirational when deciding on what to do and I spent a lot of time on that T4 site before I even bought mine. Some of the customizations they do over there are so over the top that just painting mine magma orange didn't seem that brave


Totally agree -- but I would say your van really looks first class. :thumbup:

Hope you don't mind, but I may need to copy some of this look.


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Love this look... pm sent to osuidoc


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

filmshoot said:


> Love this look... pm sent to osuidoc


I believe he sold it for cheap after the trans failed.


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

2.5 questions for him.

1. Where to buy roof spoiler that flips upwards like that
2. Where to buy those roof rails? .5- did he carry heavy cargo and did those rails hold?


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

I should have asked him what tires he was running so I could check the load rating... i like those rims but want heavy load rated tires


----------



## rcxworks (Sep 11, 2010)

*roof spoiler*

You can get the roof spoiler from German eBay.


----------



## rcxworks (Sep 11, 2010)

*roof rails*

in a previous conversation the roof rails he used are actually from a pick up truck. Same ones used on the truck bed and if i remember correctly he used rubber spacers cut on an angle so they sat parallel with the roof line.


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Yes true but which brand?


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

UPDATE !

So my mechanic / friend has spent the past 6 months trying to get through his backlog of work and last week called me to say he was ready and able to close the deal on the van. I hadn't bothered him about not buying/paying for the van yet as I think deep down I haven't wanted to admit it was actually going to be sold. I've been carrying the title in my wallet for months and seeing it on occasion was heartbreaking. 

Him: "I am ready now, so are you still sure you want to sell this van ? I can still offer to fix it if you'd like." 

Me: "I just don't know about throwing five grand at the van to get it fixed."

Him: "Why don't you look for a cheap Eurovan that has a good transmission but some other problem. Might save you a lot of money."

Me: "I suppose its worth a look. I'll let you know after the weekend."


Quick search on craigslist and no more than 8hrs prior, wouldn't you know it, someone local posted a 2003 Eurovan for sale with electrical problems for super cheap.

Worked out a deal and not 48 hours later, the new potential "donor" van is parked right next to the Orange Crush. 

Like two patients in the hospital room waiting for a transplant 

:laugh:

I'll update the thread once I know more.
:wave:


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

This is the best news I've heard all day. :beer:


----------



## 12get12 (Feb 13, 2008)

osuidoc said:


> $1500 for the orange
> 
> I painted the black grills, roof, and the wheels myself.


Wow, that's cheap. I doubt I can find someone to paint my van for that price here in California.

I'm glad you kept your Van. I'm in similar situation with my Previa where my headgasket went and the cost to have it fix is 2-3k. Now that I have a Eurovan to play with, I'm leaning towards parting it out.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Initial testing shows a cam sensor on bank 2 is bad. Starting there Monday.

We were able to drive the donor van as long as we kept the rpms up and its transmission is working just fine :thumbup:

Now the new decision .... If the donor van has a relatively simple repair , then it doesn't make sense to pull two transmissions and put the good one in the orange van. Would be much easier to just take off all of my custom bits from the orange van and put them on the new silver one. Lowering springs, wheels and tires, custom rails, and front and rear spoilers are all much easier to swap. 

Might then be time to go with a new color choice on the silver van. Orange has been fun but now thinking that maybe a mocha brown would look amazing with the black accents. Will decide on that later but for now I know that I will be having an almost complete eurovan that I can part out between the OEM parts being replaced off of the silver one and the remaining OEM parts on the orange one. 

Anyone need a VR6 motor for cheap ?


----------



## Xtremjeepn (Jan 9, 2005)

osuidoc said:


> Initial testing shows a cam sensor on bank 2 is bad. Starting there Monday.
> 
> We were able to drive the donor van as long as we kept the rpms up and its transmission is working just fine :thumbup:




Sounds like a stuck oil screen in the cam adjuster, not the sensor.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Well the donor van is running great now. Good transmission too, thank god :thumbup:

So plans are now to take off the custom parts from project Orange Crush for this new van and part out the rest.

Look around your EV's guys ... any little thing you have been wanting to replace? 
The interior parts are the grey color and mechanically, only the transmission is bad.


Will update as the next project begins.


----------



## marshy (Aug 7, 2012)

osuidoc said:


> Well the donor van is running great now. Good transmission too, thank god :thumbup:
> 
> So plans are now to take off the custom parts from project Orange Crush for this new van and part out the rest.
> 
> ...


How is the condition of your A-pillar trim? While having the headliner repaired, some A-hole upholstery novice decided to use a power drill for the screws on mine and cracked both sides at the windshield curtain snaps. I would be interested in the trim forward of the B-pillar, including the top passenger grab handle. Let me know if you'd be willing to ship them to 78109 and a price. Thanks!


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

I've had a rough week. 

Received a text message from the mechanic who tells me that overnight, someone stole the Audi wheels off of my van :banghead:




*He then sends me this picture and man does it sting *


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Hella shady!!! Sorry for your loss man


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

So this entire week on my days off I have been at the shop removing parts for many of the members here as well as for eBay. 

The orange van is pretty much stripped now... Just the interior seats left and the motor 

The shop had a security camera system set up and I have the entire theft on video. Have a detective looking to see if any departments recognize the guys and unfortunately the brake lights were too bright and bleached out the license plate number. If nothing comes of the detectives research I do have a patient who is a local news reporter who may show the video for a weekly Crimestoppers segment they have locally. 

Anyone spot 19" OEM peelers with nearly new Kinforest 245/40/19's on them for sale, please give me a shout 


_Screen shot from the video_


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

I would suggest giving them an opportunity to return the rims and tires ... without repercussions. These fools have gotta know that these are hot hot hot...and are going to get caught caught caught otherwise


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

osuidoc said:


>


Man -- this makes me sad to see this.

Love this van -- what are you going to do with the shell?


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

The shell goes with the buyer of the motor at this point. 

I need to hurry and start working on my new EV project so I can begin to heal


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

osuidoc said:


> The shell goes with the buyer of the motor at this point.
> 
> I need to hurry and start working on my new EV project so I can begin to heal


I know mentioned the cost of your paint job before -- and it was astounding like cheap for the results. Is the paint job done inside the door jambs and areas as well? Can you show some pics of that?


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Jambs were done for that price and I know, that was a great deal


----------



## Xtremjeepn (Jan 9, 2005)

I might be interested in the shell if it's fairly complete.

Not worried about the engine or interior so much


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Well this is how it sits now 

Bumpers and lights are all out, sold many of the parts from the silver EV so had to salvage them. The silver one is looking rough now with different colored bits.

Metal and glass will remain with the shell. Interior has been stripped and many parts sold off and my newer rotors and pads were removed too.

I just yesterday bought some wheels for it so it can be rolled or towed after I get them put on this weekend.


----------



## pan-d-man (May 23, 2006)

You still have the shell for sale? How much? I have been kicking around the idea of building/restoring one of these. I am a huge fan of orange cars too. Let me know...


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Asking $1500 for the shell.

Oh, and the motor comes with it too :thumbup:


----------



## Xtremjeepn (Jan 9, 2005)

osuidoc said:


> Asking $1500 for the shell.
> 
> Oh, and the motor comes with it too :thumbup:


 Thanks. 

Unfortunately there are too many complete vans with mechanical issues out there for about the same price. 

Without all the orange bits I'd be a little worried about the cost of having new parts painted and matching properly.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Exactly, which is why I am pretty much selling the motor and basically throwing in the shell. If it didn't have a motor, I would give the shell for free as long as someone came to get it.


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

osuidoc said:


> Asking $1500 for the shell.
> 
> Oh, and the motor comes with it too :thumbup:


It's like buying the paint -- and everything underneath.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Motor out today :thumbup:

Sadly, the shell is being scraped Monday 

My mechanic seems to enjoy this at least 




































Last shot before she is gone ... Many good times we had, your donor parts will be put to good use, I promise :beer:


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

Would you sell the stop for the sliding door 701843311A (it's the beefy rubber piece on the inner panel) if it is available of course? Also interested in the A/C relay 701959141B.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

pm'd


----------



## Fantobacon (Jun 18, 2014)

damn it man!!!

so f'd about the wheels! i hate that

finally got my audi a6 wheels on inspired by your orange van

i'm worried about the wheels on mine being taken as well


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Gonna feel a little strange driving this next EV project home :facepalm:


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

osuidoc said:


> Gonna feel a little strange driving this next EV project home :facepalm:


Actually - I think that looks pretty darn good. Better than a lot of "nostalgic" driven two-tone paint jobs.

Your lights and grill setup is so great - love that look. I would just paint that side door silver -- and paint the top black -- and its good to go (honestly). :thumbup:


----------



## Fantobacon (Jun 18, 2014)

VW did a Harlequin style Polo that I know of..maybe Jettas too where all the panels are different colors


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Fantobacon said:


> damn it man!!!
> 
> so f'd about the wheels! i hate that
> 
> ...



Thanks man 

Problem was that at first search when I originally got the wheels it was hassle as I needed to find locking lug _bolts_ and then I even needed _extended_ ones :banghead:

You can bet I will have a set for the new shoes


----------



## Fantobacon (Jun 18, 2014)

so which wheels locks are good?

i have the same issue going on..got wheels..no wheel locks yet


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Fantobacon said:


> so which wheels locks are good?
> 
> I have the same issue going on..got wheels..no wheel locks yet


Good question. I haven't decided on which particular locks to get yet since wheels won't be going on for a couple more months. Haven't had the time to research it yet.

If I find a quality set I will post it up, you do the same :thumbup:


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

I have RAD wheel locks with ball seat shanks for both my S6 and the wife's Allroad. 










Had them keyed alike which is very convenient because this has given me a spare key socket. Will be getting the 3rd set for the Eurovan.

BTW, the door stop is already here. That was quick. Thanks a lot, man!


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Ohhh nooo!!! The imageshack photos from post 1 by op have expired!! No more photos of the orange crush in her prime or the sidebar mod... Osuidoc. Please update with photobucket acct

....inscribed with just a thumb


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

That's strange, the photos still show on the thread for me.

Can anyone else confirm they are missing ? 


BTW - BIG UPDATE COMING !:thumbup:

The "new" van is almost done and will be posting pictures soon and ..... Its EPIC !!! 


_
Just a taste - VW Pure Grey color, Euro lights, black roof, grills, rails, and also completely refinished black Porsche Lobster Fork wheels!_


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

osuidoc said:


> _
> Just a taste - VW Pure Grey color, Euro lights, black roof, grills, rails, and also completely refinished black Porsche Lobster Fork wheels!_


Teasing us now!


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Hey what diameter was your siderails? Did u get 2-3/8" like weetjewel did?

Btw the photos are back up thx!


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Just measured my rails and they 2" diameter. 

Completed project almost ready. 

Some pics from the past ...


BEFORE










READY FOR PAINT



















READY FOR CLEAR



















Here you can get an idea of the final color with the clear on the bumpers. It VW Pure Grey.










The wheels are mounted already but they were all complete crap when I got them.

BEFORE










AFTER MUCH WORK READY FOR SPRAY



















LOCAL machinist putting some tweaks to the adapters I had made from the UK, Needed to shave about 4mm for the fronts to work










Had to grind and trim the bump stop / shock mounts to get rid of the occasional hard "hit" that would jar your soul. They do this too in the UK and seemed to do the trick.










Can see the before and after difference, the "lip" is where the torsion bar would impact the mount when you are lowered quite a bit and hit a decent pot hole.



















:thumbup:


Soon I will create a dedicated thread to show the entire project. I am pretty happy with how it came out


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

Awesome. Did you paint the van yourself? Did you spraypaint the wheels or did you powdercoat them? How did you fill those nasty gouges?

The suspension bits might become weakened after grinding. Those ribs were cast in there for rigidity.


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

Colour looks good from here! I can't wait to see this! opcorn:


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Thx for the updates!!! I never knew about the need to grind the mounts... I hope I didn't lower my van down far enough to warrant doing this extra work.

...tapped out with just a thumb


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

KBATTPO said:


> Awesome. Did you paint the van yourself? Did you spraypaint the wheels or did you powdercoat them? How did you fill those nasty gouges?


Painted everything myself 

For the wheels, I had to sand down the high spots and fill the low ones with glazing putty. Then primed, block sanded, primed and sanded again and finally sprayed base coat / clear coat. Powdercoat in my opinion is not a good idea for alloy wheels since they bake the wheels in the process. Also, much easier to touch up anything if needed now. Always thought that powdercoat leaves a thin and shallow appearance to the gloss. With base coat / clear you get the deep wet look which I prefer.

Wet sanded the van today. Finish buff and polish in the next couple days and will be almost done


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

You do house calls?  I have a light crack in the rear bumper of the S6 and my paint is a b!tch to match: its the 3-step Magnolia Pearleffekt a.k.a. "Pearl White".

Seriously though, I already managed to paint the front bumper with rattle cans to the result that I would rate as B+, so the next step would be to do body panels. I read some rave reviews about electric HVLP setups (or something like that) and folks indeed achieved remarkable results in their own garages. The hood on the van is badly pitted, I have a nasty "X" keyed on the rear gate but most importantly the rocker panel is damaged and is beginning to rust which looks like a consequence of the previous owner's neglecting to use the proper lifting points on this heavy bus.

I was hoping powder coating the wheels would eliminate peeling. I had some disappointing results with painting the wheels. Perhaps I didn't prep them properly, tho...


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

KBATTPO said:


> I read some rave reviews about electric HVLP setups (or something like that) and folks indeed achieved remarkable results in their own garages.


I purchased and used an HVLP gun from Harbor Freight and automotive paint from the local body shop supply. Respirator and decent weather (not too hot or too cold) and you can achieve some pretty impressive results. Even better if you have the time to wet sand and polish your work afterwards :thumbup:

The problem with rattle can paint isn't so much the challenge to get a flat finish as it is the problem that it never "cures". You could get gasoline or spray brake parts cleaner on your work and immediately all of the paint will melt and lift. ( I learned that years ago:banghead: ) Not the case with the 2k auto body paint.


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

An interesting observation. I have a limited experience with rattle can painting and am generally pleased with the result, but then again I am aware of the destructive effect that esters (brake fluid) have on paint so I cover everything with rags and have a bucketful of water on hand every time I bleed the brakes.

My experience with paint from a professional automotive supply house was a disaster. The colour was a mile away. OTOH the rattle can paint from automotivetouchup.com was almost spot on and I was dealing with the colour that was notoriously difficult to match. Here's the story with lots of pix:
http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/310715.phtml

I'd like to do the rear bumper now, and at least two sets of wheels need repainting. I am leaning towards the HVLP setup. Your experience with the one from HF is encouraging because I'd rather not invest much in the uncertain result.


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

I thought you were going to do a mocha color for some reason.... Nice work tho!!
Ohhh btw... I just noticed you used flatbar instead of round bar on your siderails like weetjewel did... I think flat would make it sit more flush... Nice choice!

...tapped out with just a thumb


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Done !











I sure do miss the Orange Crush but damn this one came out pretty cool as well :thumbup:


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)




----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)




----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

This little detail... is a decal I designed and had my sister-in-law cut out from vinyl on one of her "machines" for me. Matte finish and subtle, perfect


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

Wow. It's soooooooooo good man. :thumbup:

Did you do the black roof again (doesn't look like it from here)?


----------



## digginthevan (Sep 15, 2005)

Dammmmmmmmmn.

Well done. Wow, I miss our van now.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Yep, I did paint the roof black again with this van as well. 

I haven't decided on whether or not to put the roof rails on again. 
I think it looks a little sleeker without them but then again kinda tough with them... so not sure yet


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

Speechless... Man, you have taste. And you did this all by yourself, with a HF HVLP gun? In a garage/barn or outside?

Can you tell me more about the angel eyes? HID or Halogen?


----------



## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Beautiful. Nice work. Love the color - looks like Cement Grey, or the Audi Aviator Grey.


----------



## Xtremjeepn (Jan 9, 2005)

Looks good!

I've considered using a similar color just darker.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

KBATTPO said:


> Speechless... Man, you have taste. And you did this all by yourself, with a HF HVLP gun? In a garage/barn or outside?
> 
> Can you tell me more about the angel eyes? HID or Halogen?


Kinda crazy when you spell it out but _yes_, I did do it all on my own, and in my driveway no less :screwy: 

My wife is pretty cool with my ongoing projects by now and just lets me do my thing 

The headlights are the same that ECS used to offer but no longer stock. 
I ordered them and the rear tail lights from Ebay.co.uk.  Like here 
They are not HID though but do have good quality glass and the stock halogen bulbs are a direct fit. 
Gives the EV an updated look since the front glass doesn't have the facets to focus the beams and instead is flush like newer model cars.
I wasn't sure at first when I ordered them but after painting the center grill and metal surround in gloss black to blend the headlights I am very happy with how they turned out.


----------



## jjvincent (Dec 8, 2003)

Back in the day, we repainted my friends VW Dasher (that crappy brown) and then his Audi Fox (Porsche Alpine White) with a 10 gallon compressor and a spray gun (this was back when there were no Harbor Freight so everything came from wherever we could find it). We got the paint from an Automotive paint shop (back when those were still around). The Dasher needed plenty of work with the buffing wheel) because it went on too dry (lots of orange peel). The Fox worked out like a champ. We even did the uber kewl thing back then and blacked out all of the chrome on the car, color matched the aluminum bumpers, painted the Audi rings white and painted a Kamei spoiler (back when you had to call a place to order something). Side skirts were aluminum siding that were coated with 3M rubberized undercoating and then painted. We had the Audi snowflake wheels that we sandblasted and then painted them the same time as the car. Top it off we made it a "GTI" version by buying sheet film and cutting it by hand.

Good Lord, it was a ton of work but back in high school and we looked completely out of place as compared to all of the jacked up Camaros out cruising.


----------



## Itsamoto (May 1, 2014)

I will trade you two Eurovans for this van!


----------



## bigfatgeek (Feb 5, 2005)

Fantastic, great job!


----------



## max asst (Mar 19, 2001)

*beautiful*

Beautiful job. Treat the exhaust with high-temp black spray paint. I put that s*** on things under the van to make them disappear. Sano.


----------



## bigfatgeek (Feb 5, 2005)

BTW, did you paint the door jambs as well? I am so envious of how nice this van looks.


----------



## swimrr (Jan 8, 2009)

Fantastic job, looks amazing. I vote for a DIY painting thread!


----------



## B5.5 4EVER (Jun 11, 2009)

Awesome:heart:


----------



## Krutonvw (Jun 13, 2004)

Awesome job. Love it.


----------



## myhotrs4 (Jul 9, 2007)

This van is so perfect . A total inspiration !


----------



## myhotrs4 (Jul 9, 2007)

*Drive way paint job king*

For real. Ethan is still tripping over how good this paint looks in person. You are the master of driveway paint jobs. Brilliant.


----------



## KBATTPO (Jan 15, 2001)

osuidoc said:


> The headlights are the same that ECS used to offer but no longer stock.
> I ordered them and the rear tail lights from Ebay.co.uk.  Like here
> They are not HID though but do have good quality glass and the stock halogen bulbs are a direct fit.
> Gives the EV an updated look since the front glass doesn't have the facets to focus the beams and instead is flush like newer model cars.
> I wasn't sure at first when I ordered them but after painting the center grill and metal surround in gloss black to blend the headlights I am very happy with how they turned out.


Did you replace the 2-position US spec headlight switch with the 3-position Euro spec one? I am anxious to get one and to finally have the proper OFF-PARK-LOW light order.

Also, I would really like to replace the OE VW stalk switch that can only turn on either the Lows or the Highs with the one similar to what Audi uses where you can turn on the Lows in one position and Lows + Highs in the second position, and yet flash the Highs if you pull it towards you momentarily. I mostly drive Audis and occasionally drive the Eurovan when there is a need to haul stuff and I find its Low-High stalk switch rather annoying.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

KBATTPO said:


> Did you replace the 2-position US spec headlight switch with the 3-position Euro spec one? I am anxious to get one and to finally have the proper OFF-PARK-LOW light order.
> 
> Also, I would really like to replace the OE VW stalk switch that can only turn on either the Lows or the Highs with the one similar to what Audi uses where you can turn on the Lows in one position and Lows + Highs in the second position, and yet flash the Highs if you pull it towards you momentarily. I mostly drive Audis and occasionally drive the Eurovan when there is a need to haul stuff and I find its Low-High stalk switch rather annoying.


I am still using the OE headlight switch with the new headlights.
I really didn't want the "angel eyes" function of the headlights so I did not power the leads for them. 

I found it easiest to just pull the #94 fuse (found behind the panel under the climate control) to eliminate the day-time running lights function.

In this way, with the factory switch and without #94 I can now have the following options...

#1 all lights off
#2 low beams only
#3 low beams and fog lights
#4 high beams only (with pulling the stalk)

As for the hi/low stalk, I too would love the option of having both highs and lows on simultaneously so let me know if you ever find a work around :thumbup:


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

myhotrs4 said:


> For real. Ethan is still tripping over how good this paint looks in person. You are the master of driveway paint jobs. Brilliant.


Thanks Tim !

And you know, I tried to make it a bit of a surprise again because Ethan was with you ...

I remembered the look on his face when he first saw the orange one and couldn't wait to see his reaction again this time :laugh:


You should really make a thread about your shorty EV, too.
That think is so awesome :thumbup:


----------



## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

osuidoc said:


> As for the hi/low stalk, I too would love the option of having both highs and lows on simultaneously so let me know if you ever find a work around :thumbup:


Highs and lows together are not a stalk change. It's jumpering two connections in the relay panel under the dash.

It's the reverse-C clip here (the more zig-zaggy one has to do with enabling foglamps (some vans w/o fogs still inexplicably have that there), although some vans may use a relay in this position rather than the zig-zag jumper):









You can mimic it with a wire, here:









And here:









If you van has fogs from the factory *and* uses a relay in this position, you will have to use the reverse-C solution in order to cram the foglamp relay back in there, or you'll need to ditch the relay and use both clip-based jumpers to retain fogs and to have highs and lows on together.

I would not recommend highs and lows together with headlamp bulbs that are not separate for highs and lows. Illuminating both the high and low filaments in one bulb is too hot and will shorten bulb life drastically. I would only attempt this if you retrofit aftermarket lamps into your T4 where the highs and lows are separate bulbs in a quad-lamp setup.


----------



## VW_Enthu1 (Oct 23, 2004)

There is nobody on this planet that dislikes gray cars more than me...but I had never seen THAT gray before. I keep looking at this. D*mn that looks nice. Great job. 

My wife hates gray too but she says the same thing - she loves it.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

VW_Enthu1 said:


> There is nobody on this planet that dislikes gray cars more than me...but I had never seen THAT gray before. I keep looking at this. D*mn that looks nice. Great job.
> 
> My wife hates gray too but she says the same thing - she loves it.


... your inability to resist being a fan of something you would typically dislike is one of the best compliments ever :thumbup:

thanks


----------



## CachauBantAst (Mar 24, 2014)

WOW!


----------



## volcomvw (Dec 26, 2001)

Really digging the look of the duckbill lip spoiler. This is the same one from the mk3 correct? Great work.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

Yes, it is from the MK3.



Word on the street is that this is about to be for sale


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

I got one for sale too if needed

Inscribed with just two thumbs...


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

and.... sad day, but time for a change. 

The van is officially for sale 

Hope the next owner will enjoy the ride as much as I have :beer:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Volkswagen-EuroVan-GLS-/201866865170?hash=item2f0033ea12:g:6H4AAOSwuxFY1sD4&vxp=mtr


----------



## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Glws... Someone buy this! It's stylish and made by a world class designer!

Inscribed with just two thumbs...


----------



## jjvincent (Dec 8, 2003)

> -The van has a check engine light on along with a rough idle. Always has since I bought it. I had it looked over when I originally bought the van 2 years ago and the codes from the van reported a bad cam position sensors. Replaced it and the light still remained on. The idle is rough, kind of a misfire flutter, but above 1200rpm it runs perfectly. No problems when driving at all.


 Just in case you are trying to fix it. Cam position error and misfire = timing chain/rails need to be replaced. Quite typical of the 24V VR6.


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

jjvincent said:


> Just in case you are trying to fix it. Cam position error and misfire = timing chain/rails need to be replaced. Quite typical of the 24V VR6.


Or, could it be a piece of the screen stuck in one of the VVT solenoids?


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

osuidoc said:


> and.... sad day, but time for a change.
> 
> The van is officially for sale
> 
> ...



Awesome color!!! :thumbup::thumbup:

Is that rear spoiler still available?


----------



## jjvincent (Dec 8, 2003)

> Or, could it be a piece of the screen stuck in one of the VVT solenoids?


 When there's a guide rail issue, the base cam timing is retarded and cylinder pressure is reduced. The crank position sensor will see the variation of the speed of the crank between each power stroke. Thus the weakest cylinders start to misfire and causes the engine to run rough and then misfire codes showing up along with cam timing requested not matching actual. When the solenoids are suck, it just throws a code that the requested cam timing does not match the actual but misfire normally does not happen. You can just track the cam actual vs the requested in VAG-COM and you can get your answer pretty quick.


----------



## osuidoc (Aug 19, 2004)

vwbugstuff said:


> Awesome color!!! :thumbup::thumbup:
> 
> Is that rear spoiler still available?


I purchased it online from a company overseas that shipped it to me. I think it was under $100 total shipped and came primered ready for paint. It was fiberglass so very light but also mine needed a little shaping and fitting to sit perfectly flush but not a big deal for the price.

Here is the link: UNQ Shop


----------

