# 1979 Scirocco 225Q



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Edit 02/13/2022, just in case this first page creates the impression that it all ends with two junked cars, I added a picture of the result: 2600lbs, 6-speed Haldex/Quattro, APR tune 277hp/100 Octane, ABS brakes and traction control:









Next up: use all the leftovers to build a 3300lb, 4-speed, FWD TT with 70 hp 

Here's where this first post used to start:

"Okey Dokey, start with one of these:









Remove the ugly part, until you're left with this:





Then get one of these:









And remove everything you don't need:









And position the one over the other:









All jokes aside, this is the result of 6 months of planning and execution by multiple parties, all of whom get a hearty thanks and a pat on the back for their efforts. The TT is a 2003 with an APR tune good for 263 hp and 265 ft.lbs of torque on premium gas. The car needed a bunch of work and suffered the effects of Midwest winters, but the parts I need are solid 👍. The Scirocco is a 1979 that is also severely spent, but is serviceable for our purposes.

The plan is to nibble metal bit by bit until the shell rests in the proper position, but it's easy to tell even from the one pic how well things line up. Once the two are welded together, I'll cut off the huge TT rocker panels and add Rabbit arches that are a bit wider, plus recontoured rockers/side skirts to reinforce the resulting hybrid and visually tie the arches together. The wheels need to be 16" to clear the TT brakes and they need to be just right width and offset to clear the suspension, not stick out too far, and not be too flat and uninteresting. This is what I've settled on for now:









The car will be black with dark windows and no chrome. All black; lots of block sanding...

Enjoy, or flame away _dons Nomex fire suit"_


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## stubjr (Feb 10, 2009)

You are brave but look like you got the chops to make it happen! Look forward to watching the progress


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## aarron (Aug 11, 2013)

Definitely sub'd to this thread. Can't wait to see the progress.


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## jimmyspirits (Feb 5, 2013)

Guess this is what retirement will do to you!!
You’re the man E!! Best of luck and looking forward to a driving video one day. 


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Hurray!


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## vw16v88 (Oct 4, 2002)

Looking forward to seeing this! 

-Jeff


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Scirocco's like it on top.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

So awesome! Can't wait to see the progress!


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## jimmyspirits (Feb 5, 2013)

Butcher said:


> Scirocco's like it on top.


Lol!!. Nice one Mark!


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

Sub'd ; legend in the making, right here


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The million unknowns make this project an interesting challenge but also create some angst; hopefully things will work out. I made enough noise in the neighborhood over the past few days that I thought a quiet Sunday would be considerate, so I just dismantled the wood rigs I used to hoist the body into position, and generally cleaned things up so we can move about the garage.

As far as progress goes, I didn't do any more cutting, but I think you'll all get a kick out of these pics: I made a little measuring probe that happens to be 11" tall because the body happens to be sitting 11" over the chassis. Get a load of all the measurements that are exactly 11":

Front of the door sill:









Back of the door sill:








(The Scirocco steel will all be removed below the sill line)

Scirocco cowl to TT fender mount line:









Top of Scirocco frame rail to top of TT frame rail:








(The Scirocco frame rail will be removed)

Top of Scirocco frame rail to top of TT frame rail:








(The probe is not down on the frame rail. It's on the pinch weld, so it looks like I'll need to fill in the upper 1/2" of the bumper hole )

Outline of the TT frame rail section that needs to be removed:


























Note that the upper shock bolt will remain accessible *phew*

Filler pipe assembly fits into the Scirocco wheelwell:








The easiest solution to the awkward orientation of the filler cap is to swap a mk2 filler door into the mk1's quarter panel and access the TT cap as-is. That does bum me out because I like the quirky mk1 layout.

Perfect alignment of the steering column bracket:








The tiny bit of red sticking out is the rear edge of the TT rain tray.

Scirocco rain tray to TT rain tray:








Frikking amazing!

And finally, overall view of the wheel base and offset:








A 7" wide rim with et 45 will fit under a Rabbit arch (they're 1.5" wider) welded to the Scirocco arch, at which point I can also tweak the TT's 1" longer wheelbase by welding the Rabbit arches slightly askew.

That's all for today, I hope you're all as excited as I am.


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## Adabert (Sep 15, 2010)

Wow, congrats, Mr. Chassin. I've never met you in person but remember seeing your Scirocco and GTI at least once at the Midwest Treffen shows back when I lived in Chicagoland. 

You are off to a great start! I'm sure you'll be successful. :beer:


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## California 16v (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad this thread is here :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

... Looking forward to seeing more updates of this hybrid 😊


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

Awesome Project - Good luck!


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

I always, always wanted to do this myself... nice work!

It would be interesting to see if you could use the Mk1 TT fuel filler cover dealie in the passenger side rear fenderwell in the stock position. Make it so #1.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

That's a cool project! 

You have the skills and the time to bring this to reality. :thumbup: :beer:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Words of encouragement are a welcome thing, thank you.

Yesterday I got the shell down from 11" up to 8.5 inches but it didn't look much different at the end of the day, so no pic.

Today I got the shell to within 2" of where it'll end up, and it looks a _lot_ better . BTW, not to complain or anything, but saying "I need the move the shell a bit" is much easier said than done because a lot of metal inevitably needs to be chewed off and all of the TT's systems need to be protected in the process.

Last Saturday:









Now:









Here's how I handled the back:








I just cut off the rear panel and frame rails, which allows easier adjustment of the shell's position, and when the time comes, it'll be a fairly straightforward process to trim the TT's frame rails to accept the Scirocco rear valence. Removing the panel worked out OK because it needs a surprising amount of rehab, easier off the car.

In the second pic one can readily judge the monstrosity that is a TT door sill. That all has to go but I need to wait until the the whole thing is strong enough. Craig (Shrttrackr) was here and mentioned that he has some 3/16" wall rectangle chromoly tubing from a previous roll-cage project that might make a nice replacement and nicely tie together the front and rear Rabbit arches.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

This is just so awesome I can't stand it! My mind has wandered in this direction many, many times but it's a true commitment to do a proper body swap. The work needed to get this done is massive and a testament to your typical all-in attitude.

Here in CA we would have to take a swap like this to BAR (Bureau of Automotive repair) to get the "swap" inspected and smog approved as if it is an Audi TT since it is a later model year engine and would require everything to be factory stock including direction/placement of the intake etc. I have no idea how they would handle inspecting a body swap but I'd love to see the look on the techs face as you pull up in your "Audi TT"!:laugh::thumbup::thumbup::beer:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

As of today, the shell only needs to come down 1/2" further and move forward 3/4" .

Good news: with weight on the rear suspension, the ride height looks like it'll be pretty close, which is reassuring because I set the height of the body to clear the engine; everything else needs to follow and the rear geometry has limited potential for change.

Not that it matters for me in Illinois, but the car shouldn't have any problem passing emissions anywhere, even in California; all of the TT's systems are on line and the car can be serviced as a normal TT (except the body, of course).

Today's pic:








In spite of the fact that the Scirocco A-pillar sits inboard of the TT's A-pillar, the flat panel that connects the TT A-pillar to the strut tower is very close to the same point on the Scirocco A-pillar, so the panel can be joined later to the Scirocco A-pillar to hold the car together and still have access to the Scirocco fender mount bolts.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

If you kept the entire TT rocker panel, you could make it like a Rieger body kit! :laugh:


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

I'm happy to see a proper build thread on Vortex again  
And you, sir, are the most proper one to do so. Thank you, and your skills, as you are very enjoyable to read upon, and Chassin's craftsmanship is the best out there IMHO :thumbup:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks but let's not lay it on_ too_ thick 

Today I gotta take a break because, um, 55 is in fact _not_ the new 40; it's... just... 55.

This is indeed a massive project, and I need to avoid even _thinking_ about the number of times things will be dissassembled and reassembled, and just keep plodding forward at a steady pace.

I'll post new pics only when there's obvious progress.


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## 01 (Sep 9, 2009)

I’m excited to see where this goes!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ooof. OK, the shell is in its final spot:









Cowl alignment:









Steering column bracket alignment:









Access to the rain tray:









Wheel well position:








(The shock tower will be cut out and smoothed)

The rear shock upper bolt will need to be boxed out for better access:









Alignment of the quarter panel skin to the TT inner rocker:








The rectangle tubing which will replace the TT rocker assembly will be welded to the quarter skin and the TT inner rocker to tie the cars together.

The filler assembly is being pushed forward so I'll need to enlarge the cavity2"-3":









And lastly, a teaser for this weekend's work:


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## keirnbug (Aug 29, 2017)

Ammen, meeh.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Now we're getting somewhere!

Last night I went back to the garage to verify seat fitment, and I left satisfied:









And today, after years of wondering, I finally confirmed that a TT's viscera can be squeezed under mk1 Scirocco skin :








The vertical bracing for the front end is impinging on the air dam but you get the idea. The upper strut bar will need to be remade 1/2" to 1" lower, but other than that everything looks great, even the strut mount height and locations. The hood is propped on a 2x4 scrap resting on the intake. The radiator overflow cap is the highest item and it looked like it'd hit, but it's 1/2" below the hood skin.

In this pic you can see why the front end needs to be a removable veneer, which is how the TT was built:








The only OEM piece I'm using is the very top of the radiator support. Everything else will be small square steel tube stock anchored to the steel bumper rebar. That'll include a reinforcing frame for the entire periphery of the air dam, the upper several inches of which need to be discreetly cut away for air flow. The TT's front end bits were screwed to a fiber-reinforced plastic frame, but I can't mold that and besides, it looked kinda flimsy.

Wheelbase is spot on:








The air dam (Kamei?) is deeper than the OEM "S" piece, but I think that will suit the more prominent Rabbit arches and rectangular-section rocker panels than I have planned.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

So much awesome!
:thumbup:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir; one of my goals is to make sure you feel like your shell went to a good cause.

Today's job: mount the upper radiator support to tie the fenders together and finalize the front end layout.

Here is the hood fully supported in the proper location without wood scraps:








I was prepared to use hood scoops to clear prominent items, but I'm happy to see that I can do without. Ignore the silver markings o n the air dam. That's what would need to be cut out to position it in the stock location. My plan is to position it 2" forward (at the rear lip of the bumper rebar) and only remove the upper 3" of the air dam where it will be discreet, to allow air ingress to the lower radiator and the intercoolers.

Here is the general layout of the engine bay:








Obviously there's a lot of tidying to do but everything already looks pretty normal. The gaps at the front corners between the Scirocco and TT fender wells will be pretty straightforward to fill in.

I need to find four Rabbit arches and I need to order the wheels and tires. At that point I can put the car's weight down on the suspension and determine the best position for the arches. After that, with everything laid out, I can strip the car and do all of the metal work.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Four outer and two inner Rabbit arches are on the way from Rhode Island, and four of these 16x7.5 5x100 et+45 rims are coming from overseas:









ETA for the rims is 60 days (we'll see...), and I can't position the arches accurately without seeing exactly how the rims fit with the car's full weight on them. Konig warned that the 16's won't fit over the brakes, but I gambled it because the TT's 17's have plenty of clearance.

2 months is a long time to sit, so I thought it would be prudent to start the car and let it warm up:





Astute observers will note that there are no warning lights of any kind . This is an important milestone because it provides reassurance that the messy and violent process of swapping the bodies did not adversely affect any of the TT's systems. The sound is unpleasant because there is only the middle muffler. There isn't a lot of room for a rear muffler so that'll be one of the many challenges I need to address.

The project is lurching away from "is it even possible?" towards "yes, just don't ufck up".

Updates as they present :wave:


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

It is a satisfying feeling double and triple testing things and there are not warning lights/starting issues. Certainly like the pros you see on TV that seem to screw up everything just before the commercial break.

But it's ok, you can tell us that the warning bulbs were removed, we'll understand.


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## jimmyspirits (Feb 5, 2013)

Awesome. Should eventually throw a code with no gas cap LOL. Reminds me of the terminator. 


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Should be OK, I kept the entire TT gas cap and filler pipe assembly, and I just received a mk2 gas door setup to make it all work.

Next up is position the front bumper rebar, onto which the front end will be built up.


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## Shrttrackr (Oct 13, 2004)

chop, chop... looks like you're slacking since i was there last week. :laugh:

nice work so far. i'll have to stop by with a lawn chair so i can watch progress in person from a safe distance.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

IF you have a beer in your hand, then you can leave the mask off. :beer:


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## Fein1 (Mar 8, 2002)

Eric,

Its been too long, but I am glad to see you are the same madman you always were!

C


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## Smooremin (Jan 11, 2006)

OMG so in.


Hope to be able to see this in the flesh some day soon :heart:


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## PainKiller (Oct 3, 2007)




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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

PainKiller said:


>


Hopefully you mean that in a good way 

Yesterday I got a bunch of steel, and today I can start to work out how to mount the front bumper rebar. A friend is bending small chromoly tubing as a backing and mounting frame for the air dam.

First things first: make sure the body is absolutely square, which it is.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Bumper mounts are done and perfectly square:








Ignore the lop-sided radiator, it's just hanging there.

They're made of three pieces of folded 1/8" steel and where they meet, the thing is 3/8" thick:








I need the mounts strong because the entire front end will be built on them and the bumper rebar. The TT's rebar was mounted directly to the frame rails so I don't think this setup is overbuilt.

Another view:








I won't weld them fully until I like the final layout.

I have a grille coming at which point I can work out the area between the rebar and the hood. The air dam is being worked on so that's on hold till I get it back.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Radiator supports today. They need to hold the radiator securely without protruding past the front of the core (space is limited), and they need to incorporate soft mounts.

Here's the layout:








The brackets will all get pleasing outlines, full welds and a nice finish when the time comes; for now the goal is proper fitment.

Full mount:








The rubber is an exhaust hanger. I'm using four but even two are enough to comfortably hold the weight of the radiator.

Bracket without hanger:








The hangers aren't fully retained by the pegs but they can't move because they're pinched between the bracket and the core. When the bracket is unbolted, the pieces just slip off.


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## PainKiller (Oct 3, 2007)

echassin said:


> Hopefully you mean that in a good way
> .


yes sir ! subscribed !!!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The headlight bezels are steel and bolting them up means the front end is finally supporting its own weight:








The inner head lamps won't clear the radiator but the inners from a Cabby (the ones that are affixed to the grill) will do nicely; I just need to _find_ a set, easier said than done...

The hood is hinged and clears everything nicely with decent fit considering the nature of things:



























Next is to fit the verticals that reinforce the hood latch, to keep the hood from flying up on the highway and the keep things rigid when slamming the hood shut.


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## Iroczgirl (Feb 17, 2007)

I wonder if the Scirocco TV headlights would fit.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

All along I envisioned four rounds so I confess I never even thought of that; good idea for a back-up plan.

It looks like the car in the pic has Rabbit arches welded to it. Imagine that with rectangle tubing side skirts that project out about an inch, a Kamei (?) air dam, and normal ride height/offset, and that's the look I'm going for.

Today's task was to make the verticals that locate and reinforce the hood latch:








The side pieces are screwed to the upper tin for now so that I can take it all apart later to tidy the tin, de-crust it, etc...

Side view:








The new verticals follow the outline of the old tin, but they are close enough to the radiator now that for any front end fender-bender, I'll likely need to figure in the cost of a new radiator...

Underneath, the bracket that holds it all to the bumper rebar:









Finally, a video of the hood latch in action, with some sophisticated strength testing:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

One of the problems with the turbo/AWD/subframe thing is that the engine can't be readily pulled from the top or bottom without basically taking the whole car apart, so the idea was to duplicate the TT's removable front end. The last piece of that puzzle is to have the upper radiator support in sections held together with facing flanges:


















The first picture betrays the fact that the radiator support tin is even thinner than a body panel and I didn't realize it until I burned a hole...

There are two bolts on each side accessed from above, and a third accessed from below, for a total of six, so it's all quite sturdy:








As with all the other home made bits, these flanges will be contoured, boxed in, and fully welded during the rotisserie phase of the project.

Tomorrow I'll start hacking at the TT's rear frame rails to fit the Scirocco's rear valence panel and rear bumper rebar.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Today I lopped off the TT's large buttocks:

Before:









After:









I'll need to figure something out for the spare tire area:








Obviously a spare tire is not an option. 

There's stuff bolted to the underside of the spare tire hump, hopefully I can work out a flat floor and move the underneath stuff to the side enough to squeeze in a muffler:









The sheet metal to be tidied is really not too bad considering what's going on:









Tomorrow I'll fab up 1/8" steel pads that will support the rear bumper rebar and essentially duplicate the front setup.

Four Rabbit outer and two inner arches arrived:









I was expecting a bunch of huge boxes, but it all stacks neatly. Sadly I can't even play with fitting them until the wheels arrive from Neverland.


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## aventari (Jul 25, 2000)

This is amazing, good job so far


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

If ever I get to it, I might just steal a few ideas from you, but I was looking more at doing fab work on the Mk1 frame to adopt TT components... I still have all whats needed; I just need to retire to get my act together


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm sitting here sipping my morning coffee and brain-building your car: IMO the main advantage of your way is that the body could stay correct. I admit I'm worried about the final appearance of my approach, something like "that's _not_ what Mr. Giugiaro intended!". Hopefully I end up comfortably somewhere between OEM and Rieger.

I'm not sure how you'd handle the fuel tank/drive shaft relationship; a fuel cell in the trunk would be the obvious choice. Also, and I don't know if this applies for earlier TTs, but the AWD in 2003 is more than a rear transfer case: it needs the wheel speed sensors, the ABS brakes and the yaw stability sensor to be working. I read somewhere that the rear end can be locked to get around the electronics, but there were concerns about excessive strain on some components.

The main advantage of my approach is that it amounts to replacing steel without damaging any native systems.

Edit: today's job was to box in the rear frame rails and make the base brackets that will support the bumper brackets:









The box sections are 1/8" steel that will be fully welded later. This took a while because the plates need to be square in all dimensions. They have 3 bolts welded in; the bottom ones are longer to ease initial fitment of the bumper without worrying about chipping any paint.

The base bumper brackets are also 1/8" steel and they have 90 degree folds in them so that the rest of the brackets have plenty of weld. Tomorrow I'll finish the rear bumper.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> I'll need to figure something out for the spare tire area:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great work so far, Eric

I don't know about the TT, but on VW Phaetons, that area has the EVAP cannister and the Leak Detection Pump (LDP) is bolted to the outside of the spare tire well. On the Phaeton, the plastic hoses for the EVAP system and the LDP are pre-formed and attach under there. They aren't even flexible. 

I paid around $2,000.0 all in to repair my LDP system on one of my Phaetons. The LDP itself doesn't help emissions, it just checks the EVAP system for leaks. It does turn on the Check Engine Light (CEL) if it's damaged which is why I spent time and money buying hoses and an LDP and trying to repair it by myself. I could have repaired it by myself in the end but I had the VW dealer finish the job. (Lack of space and a lift was the determining factor and the labor cost was trivial after I'd just spent $1,200.00 for the last set of hoses.)


I have no doubt you could move the LDP and EVAP system if that's what's under there, but be aware that if the EVAP system or LDP is damaged, the CEL will come on. 

You can somewhat determine why the CEL is illuminated via VCDS. 

Phaetons have a flat trunk floor thanks to a cover (it's like a Scirocco trunk floor cover on steroids). Maybe there is a similar trunk floor cover for the TT that you could modify. 

-OE


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

After reading your post and having a closer look at the underfloor, I think the best approach would be to leave the OEM setup and have a custom muffler made to fit: low profile, 90 degree inlet, 90 outlet on the same end to exit in the stock location. I have a friend who is a very skilled welder/fabricator and while I try not to lean on him too much, he always comes through in stellar fashion.

Today I'm just tidying up last week's work. First, the bumper skins anchor to the side panels and they are not height adjustable, so the rebars need to be at the correct height for the skins to sit right:

















I did anchor the rebars a bit closer to the body to reduce the bumpers' bulk.

Rear skin to assess overall appearance, looks OK:








The Scirocco shell needs some rust repairs prior to welding it to the TT, so the rear panel is just taped on for now.

This is what I'm envisioning for the slimmer rocker panels:








The new rockers will be folded 1/8" steel and the Rabbit arches will tie into the top flat surface.

BTW, I don't have a frame table or lazers, so here's how I'm keeping everything straight:

















The level detects errors of 1/16", which is better tolerance than a Westmoreland GTI (I checked...). I just made sure the TT was perfectly level before I started cutting it up, now I just need to keep it that way. The plumb line points to center markings taped to the floor that are based on the TT's suspension points.


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

You started this thread on my 46th birthday. This is one of 6 reasons why I should be paying attention. 

Amazing how the endoskeletons of these two vehicles appear to be meant for each other. 

nice work so far


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Go get yourself a digital level. Even a basic one will do 1/10 of a degree. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-10-in-Multi-Function-Standard-Digital-Level-THD9403/205999357

AND it beeps when it's level, so you can scream MAKE THE NOISE at it! 

For context on that last comment, you need to watch a (very long) series of YouTube videos called Project Binky. Two British guys are doing a drivetrain swap from a Toyota Celica GT-Four Turbo AWD into a 1980 Austin Mini. These guys are quite good fabricators, and they just love making brackets for everything. My favorite video series by far.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Happy belated birthday Mike :wave:

Tim, I've been watching Project Binky too, very impressive; all I can say is "I wish!" Ref. digital level: pfft, analog FTW . 

I've been pondering headlight options given the limited depth available. Most 5.75" headlights, standard or otherwise, are about 3" deep, so I can't use them for the inners. I did find these, 1.5" deep so they will fit entirely in the grille:








I would have preferred something OEM-ish, but with the all-black theme I'm planning, maybe four of these could look OK in a sinister kind of way. I couldn't find anything else slim enough, but other options/ideas are welcome.

Also, I've been eye-balling the arches and they're not going to be easy... The fenders need a lot of metal work already so I'll practice on them so I don't take any risks with the unibody.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Again Eric absolutely loving this and your attention to detail! The end results will be stunning and I think your sills will look very nice from your example and not detract from the mk1ness of your Scirocco. On the level (and plumb) topic it had just occurred to me that cement slabs are often sloped for water drainage. Maybe not on a garage slab since it is indoors and even if so it may not matter because of how short your car is but just thought I would throw it out there. I'd bet you already took this into consideration when you put her up on the jack stands.:thumbup:

Binky is the best and would love to see such a video production from you!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

My garage floor is indeed sloped for drainage but I accounted for that (mostly...). I'm careful when measuring anything to use several methods (bubble level, plumb line, tape measure).

Today I spent time weighing the heaviest components that are still off the car, so I can estimate stance whenever I need to. Several observations:

1) One spouse sitting on the gas tank does a pretty good job.
2) Some of the weights might be surprising: carpet and interior trim=45lbs (more than I thought), seat=45 lbs (less than I thought).
3) With the car's weight off the jackstands, the car does not deform to any degree even weakened and with Petra sitting in it. What's left of the rockers and the tunnel are apparently pretty strong. This means I can weigh the car down to position the arches before stripping the car for metal work. That saves a dissassembly/reassembly cycle :thumbup:

Edit: for any hoarders who might see this, I'm starting to hunt for things that I don't have, or that I can't rehab:

Rear bumper skin
Hockey sticks
Quarter window seals
Windshield seal
Front turns
Inner and outer window scrapers
Driver door glass
Front seat belts
Driver's side outside door handle


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

My garage floor is also sloped so I have to take that into account when checking fluids. 

It might be a good invention to make a ramp that could make a car level in a garage. 

Are those headlights available in both inner and outer versions?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Most of what I've done so far needs to be level side-to-side so I know the car isn't twisted, but if I need to level something front to back, I could shim the level on the door sill until the bubble is centered.

The LED lights I posted only seem to come as "outers", I think they're intended for motorcycles. IDK exactly how I'd wire them, but I'm sure I can get them to light. Not the biggest challenge to deal with, but also not optimal; other suggestions welcome...


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Most of what I've done so far needs to be level side-to-side so I know the car isn't twisted, but if I need to level something front to back, I could shim the level on the door sill until the bubble is centered.
> 
> The LED lights I posted only seem to come as "outers", I think they're intended for motorcycles. IDK exactly how I'd wire them, but I'm sure I can get them to light. Not the biggest challenge to deal with, but also not optimal; other suggestions welcome...


I was looking for inners but couldn't find any. Either they didn't say how deep they were or were too deep. I even checked out Daniel Stern Lighting but his lights didn't have depth specifications. 

If you wanted to use driving lights for the inners, it seems like I remember seeing some that were shallow. 

Of course, that's not from measuring them or even seeing them in person. I just remember them on the front of 911 rally cars in magazines. I don't know what diameter they were either but auxiliary lights come in many different sizes. 

The inner Euro lights for the Scirocco 2 are supposedly Driving lights (or fog lights depending on version).

The Golf GTI inners might be shallow. I think they are supposedly driving lights. I don't know what the diameter is but they are smaller than the 7" outers. 

I have another idea, but it involves much more work. 

Good luck. 

-OE


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I've inquired with sellers and most of what's available is about 3" deep, even Cabby/GTI inners.

You have another idea but you think it might be too much work ?

Just curious as to what the downside(s) would be to run a quad setup with four identical outers. For the inners, I could wire two of the spades and leave the 3rd one blank, and decide based on trial and error?


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> I've inquired with sellers and most of what's available is about 3" deep, even Cabby/GTI inners.
> 
> You have another idea but you think it might be too much work ?
> 
> Just curious as to what the downside(s) would be to run a quad setup with four identical outers. For the inners, I could wire two of the spades and leave the 3rd one blank, and decide based on trial and error?



I don't know if there is a real reason you can't use 4 outer headlights. I don't know if there is a regulation or something. It seems that headlight manufactures and car manufacturers could save money by only making one kind of headlight per size. I don't think outers will fit in inner buckets and vice-versa. As I recall, they are keyed differently. You will need 4 outer buckets. 

I got upgraded headlights for my Ford. "Whiter" lights. I think they were Sylvania. They were the same size as stock outers that would go in the North American Scirocco 2 or the top on my '77 Ford. Anyhow, my Ford would pop those brighter bulbs like crazy. Only the low beam filaments would pop because that was the filament I was using at the time. I don't know what it was but it would pop both at once. They weren't cheap either compared to OEM replacements. I would have to drive with my high beams on. I got used to pulling the plug on the top bulbs and drove with the bottom high beams only just so I wouldn't have all 4 lights on at once. I eventually got smart and went back to yellowish OEM style headlights and it never popped the headlights again. 



I was thinking you could extend the front like the Ford Torino Talladega or Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II. 

You could also extend the front and make it look stock to the untrained eye. Scirocco people would wonder if the front was always that long but you'd have to park next to a stock '79 to really tell.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The air dam will be about 2" forward and the grille about 3/8" forward but I'm happy the sheet metal stayed put (except the arches).

For the headlights I posted above, I'm pondering some chrome Mylar on the black plastic and some of these plastic covers:








That might look a bit better.

Tomorrow I'll work on the upper strut bar to clear the hood.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The upper strut bar in its original form sat too high to clear the Scirocco hood's inner frame:









Today's task was to cut the bar up into its individual bits and reassemble them as low as possible:








I still had to notch the hood frame in three spots, but those will be easy to box in.

With the final shape of the bar verified, it's strong enough to come out for gussets additional reinforcements, which is tomorrow's job:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

At the end of yesterday's work, the strut bar cleared the hood and had its basic shape, but it had no structural integrity:









So I spend today making it rigid:


















The strut flanges have been gusseted and I remade the firewall brackets out of thicker 1/8" steel. I probably overdid it but the strut doesn't act directly into the shock towers which isn't really Kosher, so I figure more steel is better than less.

As per protocol, the whole thing will be given pleasing contours and will be smoothed before paint. Admittedly my welds are less like "stack of dimes" and more like "pile of popcorn" . They _are_ strong though.


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## Brixy (May 30, 2014)

*WOW*

Eric you are always an inspiration. Nothing phases you and your knowledge is inspiring. Keeping a close eye on this and hope that Covid gets under control so I can see it and you at Cincy 2021! Either you wife is very understanding and supportive or is one in a million to agree to another project.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

I think your welds look great.

I could neve weld anything unless I could spot weld it.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Petra and the boys often help out, and they've accompanied me many of my adventures even though this isn't their thing. There are other great people too: 

I have a fastidious neighbor who garages the 16Vs when I need space;

I have a skilled friend who is a welder. He'll check my work and he has all kinds of tools and materials. He's reinforcing the air dam with chromoly tubing so the part is structural;

Petra's brother was a machinist and also helps with materials and tools, plus he's the size of two people which is useful;

And lastly: I often get parts I need on line, but just as often *poof!* they just appear from other enthusiasts. Sometimes they're shipped, sometimes they're hand delivered by road, or by plane, sometimes from nearby, sometimes from afar, and often in exchange for nothing more than a hearty "thanks!". 

Cincy 2021 is only 8 months away, so I won't be there with this car. The wheels aren't even being promised till December. Only then can I position the arches, strip the car to a bare shell, get it onto the tiptisserie/shore up the structure, have the whole thing acid dipped/epoxy primed, do the rust repairs, body work/block sanding/black paint, cavity wax, and then I finally get to start refurbishing all the bits that bolt to the shell to make it a whole car again (some of which are unfamiliar to me given the cars modernity).


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I spent some time grinding some of the welds on the modified brace:









My goal was to create the illusion it was always this way, i.e.: made of two stamped flanges and two firewall braces welded to a bent bar. I'm happy with the passenger side, it looks like the flange is a single stamped piece:









I might revisit the driver side:








Astute observers will note that the end of the bar wouldn't be that wide even if it were smashed completely flat.

I also spent some time planning the headlights. The outers mount like on any mk1 Scirocco, and I think I can gain the space needed to use the stock Scirocco inners.

Next tasks:

Omit the bulky plastic inner headlight connector and use individual female spades, plus bend the bulb's spades flush with the glass
Remake the inner part of the headlight bracket so it doesn't interfere with the radiator, and clearance the headlight bucket as needed
Mount all four headlights 3/4" proud
Rehang the radiator 3/8" aft (the hoses and shroud will accommodate this)
Minimize the resulting bug-eyed appearance by adding 3/8" spacers to the grille mounting tabs. The grille would line up flush with the turn signals but still sit aft of the hood lip.

These are small worries to be thinking about now, but I wanna keep moving forward while I wait for the wheels.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Okey Dokey, I finished everything on yesterday's to-do list and I think things turned out well!

The overall appearance:


















The lights protrude 5/8" beyond stock but I'm hoping with the grille protruding 3/8" it'll visually split the difference and it won't be too obvious.

Here's how it all comes together:

















The headlight adjusters all work, and everything is just tack-welded in case I need to change something. The A/C hose/dryer will be deleted when the time comes, and the radiator is now back 3/8" and doesn't touch anything even if I man-handle it.

I need to take a break to let some cuts heal, plus I got hit in the eye with a bit of grinding debris in spite of reading glasses _and_ goggles :screwy: *sigh*


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

It looks great! 

I was disappointed when my new '82 Scirocco didn't have headlight adjusters like my '78 did. 

Are you going to eliminate the A/C? 

I wanted to buy a face shield earlier this year to work on my Ford brakes but couldn't find any. 

First thing that happened is I got an eyeful of dirt when I was trying to back off the right rear shoes to take the drum off.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I have a face shield but I can't wear a canister respirator with it. I tasted metal when I used a regular mask. I have a full face shield respirator but I use that for painting. I could get another one but I honestly thought the goggles were good enough. I think a particle went through a gap in the foam at the bridge of my nose.

The car won't have A/C, nor much else...

I've been looking at the headlights some more at it looks like I can judiciously trim things and get them within 1/4" of stock


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

Thanks E: I now come back almost everyday to Vortex, to see the evolution, and process : I haven't done that in years :thumbup:


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Great progress!

I couldn't live without A/C.

I spent a week in Aurora, IL one summer night in '82 and it had both kinds of weather, hot _and _humid. 

I was looking for a cheap plastic face shield at Autozone, Lowe's and Wal-Mart but none of them had any. 

That was when early worriers were hoarding everything.


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

fredybender said:


> Thanks E: I now come back almost everyday to Vortex, to see the evolution, and process : I haven't done that in years :thumbup:


Ha! Me too. 

Thanks Eric ..... unlike Fred, I have no real clue what I’m looking at. But, I like where it’s going.


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

fredybender said:


> Thanks E: I now come back almost everyday to Vortex, to see the evolution, and process : I haven't done that in years :thumbup:





Michael Bee said:


> Ha! Me too.
> 
> Thanks Eric ..... unlike Fred, I have no real clue what I’m looking at. But, I like where it’s going.


Me three !! Been lurking on a daily basis ( almost ) and amazed at how fast your getting it together Eric. 

When your at the point of needing Mk1 tin let me know as I may likely have the right part ready to go :thumbup:

As for the Foreign Body in the eye, yeah, the critters blast there way in. Many a time I have been under the care of a doc or ER medico getting grinding garbage taken out of an eye with them fully disbelieving the fact i was wearing double eye protection...  Hope you already got it scraped or burred out, nothing worse than the stuff rusting in your eye for a couple days..


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Looks better than the LED version.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I agree, and I got the lights to within 1/4" of stock (using only my other eye...) with some more trimming so I'll space the grille out 1/8" or maybe not at all.

Ref. eye, we'll see (gnuk gnuk, _get it_ ?): It still feels like there's something in there and Petra thinks she can see a fleck right on the pupil. I have an ophthalmologist appointment this morning and hopefully it ends up being no big deal. I suppose I coulda called him on the weekend but I wanted to avoid that.

Does his bill count in the total tally for the car ?


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Butcher said:


> Looks better than the LED version.


Are We There Yet? LED Projectors For The Sealed Beam Crowd.


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## ubiquitoussmokey (Mar 23, 2007)

*ditto!*

Me FOUR!! This thread makes me happy that vortex still has a little life left in it. :thumbup:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Sorry to delay the excitement but I'm definitely on hold for a bit.

The eye doctor pulled out a shard of steel that went through the cornea right in the center of the pupil, and now the hole is infected because I waited the weekend (which is why everything is blurry). I have to put antibiotic drops in every 1/2 hour including all night. 

Harumph . 

Back at it as soon as able...


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

echassin said:


> Sorry to delay the excitement but I'm definitely on hold for a bit.
> 
> The eye doctor pulled out a shard of steel that went through the cornea right in the center of the pupil, and now the hole is infected because I waited the weekend (which is why everything is blurry). I have to put antibiotic drops in every 1/2 hour including all night.
> 
> ...


Oh man, that's torture! Hope it mends really soon!


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

**



echassin said:


> Sorry to delay the excitement but I'm definitely on hold for a bit.
> 
> The eye doctor pulled out a shard of steel that went through the cornea right in the center of the pupil, and now the hole is infected because I waited the weekend (which is why everything is blurry). I have to put antibiotic drops in every 1/2 hour including all night.
> 
> ...


I feel for you Eric, metal in eyes has got to be one of my least favorite injuries. Hope it heals well without the rust rings becoming apparent. I am sure you have a good nurse looking after your best interests close by :thumbup::thumbup:


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Sorry to delay the excitement but I'm definitely on hold for a bit.
> 
> The eye doctor pulled out a shard of steel that went through the cornea right in the center of the pupil, and now the hole is infected because I waited the weekend (which is why everything is blurry). I have to put antibiotic drops in every 1/2 hour including all night.
> 
> ...


I'm keeping you in my thoughts.


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

Well you do need your eye(s). 

I read your description and plenty of Lucio Fulci movies popped into my mind. ‘Opera’ has a cringe worthy scene for sure. 

I’ll say... heal well! Not heal quick because... again, you need your eye(s)


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## ubiquitoussmokey (Mar 23, 2007)

*Dang!*



echassin said:


> Sorry to delay the excitement but I'm definitely on hold for a bit.
> 
> The eye doctor pulled out a shard of steel that went through the cornea right in the center of the pupil, and now the hole is infected because I waited the weekend (which is why everything is blurry). I have to put antibiotic drops in every 1/2 hour including all night.
> 
> ...


Feel better, brother. We'll be here when you get back.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the kind words,

I know this was my own doing, and there's worse out there, and I have the other eye, and I'll accept whatever outcome, etc, etc... but WTF? That day I was grinding, I did notice something tap me but that's it. I figured it bounced off the eyelashes, so I just fixed the the foam on the goggles and continued working.

When it started to hurt the next day, I had Petra look and everything seemed fine, so we figured the eye was just irritated from ambient grinding dust, which I've felt before. We only put two and two together the day after that when I woke up and couldn't see at all, and the pupil had gone gray. Lesson learned: I shoulda gone as soon as it started to hurt .


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## jimmyspirits (Feb 5, 2013)

God speed my friend. Car’s not going anywhere. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

jimmyspirits said:


> Car’s not going anywhere.


Not at _this_ rate, lol.

I got decent sleep last night so I was able to do some light stuff today, namely lighting (get it?). The goals: 

1) Determine the optimal length of each wire so after I redo the harnesses on the garage floor they'll drop right into the painted shell without any surprises, and...
2) ...Make sure the TT's bulb warning system isn't too picky about what bulbs are being used.

Thankfully everything works well plus the headlights are now darn close to where they belong, so mounting the grille won't be a problem:





Bonus picture of the reverse lights because I forgot to video them, mainly so nobody thinks I forgot to wire them up :









Anyhoo, not too bad for a one-eyed hack, IMO.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Great progress Eric!

-OE


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Not to wish you any more bad luck, but if you had a peg leg to match your eye patch, you would fit in most automotive dealership service departments. I suspect with your age, you could easily be the Shop Foreman, Arrrrrggg. After 24 years of the one I was at, it was more like the Black Pearl vs a service dept.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

This is off-topic but I wonder whether a service department is unique. For years I worked under a so-called "managing partner" that sounds a lot like what you describe.

More wiring today.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

More electrical work today; the goal is to have well-fitting harnesses before taking them out of the shell to avoid unknowns during re-assembly. First things first, remove everything that I or the police don't care about:









95% of the pile is out of the cabin and rear of the car, since the stuff in the engine bay is mostly necessary. I unwrapped everything partly because useless stuff was included with critical stuff, but also because the original harness wrappings included anchors everywhere to hold them to the body, and they no longer apply. The original wrapping is felt impregnated with ACME glue, which if you are unfamiliar, is this stuff:





To remove it, you need to be really meticulous not to damage important wires, but you also need to swear a lot, like this: "[email protected]#$%^&*!!!". It's a tricky balance because one's temper needs to express itself freely but the hands need to stay steady.

But now that it's off, I have to admit it seems like a good product and apparently it dampens rattles and buzzes nicely, so I ordered a bunch of it to re-wrap the final layout. 

The cabin and rear of the car now:









All that remains is the rear end lighting, the fuel pump/sending unit, the wheel speed sensors, the Haldex controller, and the power locks ECU (which if absent triggers the immobilizer). The third brake light needs to be hooked up and the windshield washer fluid sensor and the hood latch sensor wire pinouts will need to be jumped behind the relay panel to avoid alerts. BTW, the filler pipe is grounded with a wire that doesn't seem to have any electrical purpose that I can discern. Any explanations?

The eye feels fine, acuity isn't great but definitely better.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> BTW, the filler pipe is grounded with a wire that doesn't seem to have any electrical purpose that I can discern. Any explanations?
> 
> The eye feels fine, acuity isn't great but definitely better.


Great progress as always.

That's good news about your eye. 

As far as the ground wire, I would guess it's for static discharge. Kind of important around fuel. 

-OE


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Are you using this or a similar product?










https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/cloth-webbed-adhesive-tape-5m/d422s25a2/


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The stuff I ordered looks similar to what you posted, akin to hockey tape but with heavy-duty glue and heat resistant, and hopefully thicker and more like felt.

Interestingly, Audi used the whole range depending on location: lowly electrical tape, hockey-type tape (which is crumbling), the felt tape, that plastic shrink tubing the Mk1 VWs have, Home-Depot-style corrugated plastic loom, molded plastic tubing, and molded rubber tubing.

Audi's execution is "meh". Under the carpet there are bundles of +12V wiring that aren't wrapped at all, and at the other extreme, in the rain tray there's a bundle of wiring wrapped completely and tightly _with the windshield washer fluid hose_, which in turn is made up of several pieces of spliced tubing! :screwy:

I'll wrap it all neatly and add protective plastic looms and anchors as I see fit, similar to what I did in the Stepchild but hopefully without any buzzing and rattles...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

echassin said:


> BTW, the filler pipe is grounded with a wire that doesn't seem to have any electrical purpose that I can discern. Any explanations?


Static electricity. I'm assuming that pipe has plastic on it too.

That's one place you really do not want to get shocked as you open the gas cap.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That must be it. The filler pipe assembly is all-plastic and it's a molded extension of the tank itself (which is why I can't readily modify it to accommodate the mk1 filler cap setup). I guess the plastic increases the static risk? I hope that wasn't discovered the hard way...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

https://www.api.org/oil-and-natural-gas/consumer-information/consumer-resources/staying-safe-pump

There are plenty of warnings at the pumps in my area. Not certain if they are Federal, State, or CYA laws that require the owners to post the warnings. I guess if it happened to one person, it could happen to more. 

If it did happen, I guess you would look like Freddy Krueger as a pirate.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> That must be it. The filler pipe assembly is all-plastic and it's a molded extension of the tank itself (which is why I can't readily modify it to accommodate the mk1 filler cap setup). I guess the plastic increases the static risk? I hope that wasn't discovered the hard way...


Plastic is very bad for static. (Or good if you want to generate or retain a static charge.)

We had a chart comparing different materials and their static generating properties in our USAF ESD training materials but I can't find it online. 


I did find this though:











We also had to watch a video of a rocket exploding on the launch pad in our annual USAF ESD training. That was blamed on static. I don't know if plastic was involved.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Keeping busy until the wheels, air dam and other bits arrive, at which point I can resume on the body. In the mean time, the harness wrap arrived and it's nice stuff. It's in between the felt stuff I removed and what we know as cloth tape, and it uses the same ACME cartoon glue I've grown to love and hate. I could only wrap up to the firewall where things are too tight to continue until the car comes apart, but the result so far is very satisfying.

Trunk area:








This is tail lights, license plate lights, Haldex controller, and 3rd brake light/power lock ECU (the last two avoid warning lights)

Passenger gas tank area:








This is rear passenger wheel speed sensor and fuel pump/sending unit.

Driver gas tank area:








This is the rear harness and the driver rear wheel speed sensor.

Passenger and driver foot wells:

















I'll delete the clumps of cut wires back to the relay pinouts as soon as I get access back there.

The remaining small harnesses are a pleasant contrast to the massive pile of wiring that was there before. I know this isn't for everyone, but the wiring I took out is of zero importance to me; it's stuff like interior lighting, radio, various warnings like seat belt/handbrake, and all the electricals in the seats and doors. None of it adds a thing to the driving pleasure and it's crap I have to contend with even when it's all working, and which will be a major PIA when it isn't working.

As an aside, check out this vise my brother-in-law got me (the red one, the grey one is a standard vise for reference):








It weighs exactly 100 pounds! It has Morgan Milwaukee cast into it, and if the location is in fact just an appropriation and the thing was made, um, "elsewhere", I think I'd rather not know...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Harbor Freight has stuff named Pittsburgh and Chicago.

Without a doubt, a good vise is worth double what they charge.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Butcher said:


> Harbor Freight has stuff named Pittsburgh and Chicago.
> 
> Without a doubt, a good vise is worth double what they charge.


Just eyeing the vise, it looks massively overbuilt like old American stuff sometimes was. I did a search and it looks like they are made in the U.S. and they're still available: https://www.gshields.com/morgan-milwaukee-combo-pipe-vise-5in-swivel-288/

As for the price... 

In order to take full advantage of it I have some concrete anchors that'll take 1/2" bolts; I'll mount it on the step in the garage and remove it to the side when not in use.

Tomorrow's car plan is to relocate the leak detection pump from the passenger front wheel well to the front engine bay corner. The harness will reach as-is but I'll need to redo the lines. They're buried pretty deep so that'll be a job, but I want to do it before disassembling the car to be sure I don't cause a CEL that might be hard to trace later.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Leak Detection Pump relocation, as promised. I hope everyone will be able to contain their excitement; I realize nothing fascinates like emissions system work. If, in addition, it saves the lives of millions of innocent children, well that's just gravy.

The problem:








The pump with associated air filter canister and related hoses used to fit nicely in the TT's bulbous front passenger wheel well. Not anymore given the car's newly graceful lines.

Not to worry, the space that used to contain the TT's huge headlight assemblies is now available:








Interestingly, this cavity is next to the rest of the emissions crap, so this is an improvement. Having the pump in the wheel well made it look like Audi jerry-rigged any location they could find.

With the harness re-routed and the hoses reconfigured as needed, the pump rests comfortably in its new position:








A bracket will hold the pump as soon as there's sheet metal there to which said bracket can be affixed. There's still a huge gap between the Scirocco and TT inner fender well tin and you can see through to the garage floor.

I ran the engine till warm to confirm no CEL. Hopefully I ran it long enough, I don't know how fast it'll throw a code for this type of thing. I should scan the OBD to be sure there's nothing pending.

Things I learned today:
1) Those quick-connect hose fittings are actually pretty nice.
2) The plastic lines are a pain to re-route. I ended up heating them with wire stuffed inside to keep the hoses from collapsing, The result does the job but I'm happy there are sleeves over the hoses to disguise their current appearance...
3) The engine runs without the main charge pipe installed, but badly. It took me an oddly long time to diagnose the really loud hissing sound and realize the pipe was under the car :facepalm:. Thankfully the rag I had stuffed into the turbo outlet just got blown out, not sucked in...
4) The radiator appears to be large enough that the car will idle indefinitely without heating up enough to trigger the fans. I wanted to confirm they work but finally got tired of waiting, after all it's time for lunch.

Tomorrow I think I'll work on making space for the filler pipe assembly.

Edit: I scanned the OBD; nothing stored and nothing pending


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Wow, awesome project! I decided to start ignoring facebook to focus on vortex, and this thread certainly seals the deal.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, having ridden in your mid-engine VR6 beast, I realized I need to up my game 

Welcome back to The Nuthouse :wave:

No real work planned on the car today; I forgot I have an optho follow-up that splits the day awkwardly. Hopefully it's decent news and simple patience will prevail, everything is still pretty blurry in the poked eye...


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

echassin said:


> No real work planned on the car today; I forgot I have an optho follow-up that splits the day awkwardly. Hopefully it's decent news and simple patience will prevail, everything is still pretty blurry in the poked eye...


Good luck E sending positive thoughts your way for full and quick recovery!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir. Overall it was good enough news: the hole finally closed and although the eye will never be 20/20 again, the doc was able to do the "which is better, number one or number two" thing for a while and I got to 20/25. Basically I'll need to decide if I wanna get glasses. The other eye is still 20/20 so I may skip it, unless I fail a driver's license renewal or something like that.

I felt pretty upbeat so I got to grinding on the car as soon as I got home . The goal today was to make room in the passenger wheel well for the huge filler pipe assembly. Recall that it is one piece molded as part of the gas tank and incorporates emissions components so it cannot readily be modified.

I only had to move the tin rearward about 2 inches:








Duct tape for now because cutting and welding near the gas tank/filler pipe didn't seem like something I should be doing willy-nilly. The layout is clear and I'll finalize it during the project's rotisserie phase.

Now this is really something:








Tantalizingly close! Sadly, rewelding the pipe's inlet at an angle doesn't seem possible, but maybe I can skp the mk2 filler door/flap and use something like this:








AFAIK this thing is a little too big, I'd like it to fit entirely within the 4" Mk1 recess with a little trimming. If anyone knows of something like that, preferably black, please pick up one of the white courtesy phones.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Slow start on the car today because we stayed up late watching the election, and then we raked leaves so the Subdivision Nazis don't show up.

I ended up compromising on the fuel filler: honoring the unique mk1 filler cap in a satisfactory manner just wasn't coming to me so I went with the mk2 fuel door.

"Before":









"After":


















Nothing's welded yet, to avoid blowing up the neighborhood and so I can fully access the inner skin to finish fabricating around the TT's bulkier filler pipe. For now the fuel door assembly/tin is squeezed between the quarter panel skin and the inner wheel well metal, and it was much quicker to say that than it was to do it...

Over all it's not what I really wanted, but this is the only way I could think of to make it look plausibly OEM. If you have a brilliant idea that would have preserved the mk1 setup, please keep it to yourself so I don't end up all "AAAARRRGH!!!" and "[email protected]#$%^&*!!!" and stuff.

The mk2 rubber boot that closes the gap between the filler pipe and the quarter panel doesn't fit at all, so I still need to address that.

Adios.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

I'm thinking that the filler door on a black car will basically disappear resulting in a nice smooth uninterrupted panel!
Looks great!:thumbup:


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Eric, this is farking awesome. Can't wait to see it in person. 
Sadly, due to the Rona, I'm not going to be out your way any time soon (all in-person training is still cancelled, for the forseeable future.)


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

It's more aerodynamic too


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ted: I hope so. The finished project won't fool anyone who knows these cars, so what's one modification more or less if it gets the job done (if I tell myself that enough times I'll believe it)

Today's task: figure out a rubber boot to duplicate the essence of the mk2 setup. The easiest approach is to fabricate something out of rubber sheet, since I don't have experience molding things. I used the now well-established technique of repeatedly cutting cardboard templates, interspersed with swearing, like this: "@#$%^&*!!!". While undignified, I've decided that's fine as long as I don't start throwing things.

I have a garbage can full of scraps, but the result looks good:








It's two main pieces: the flat base which stretches around the filler pipe, and the "cylinder" which closes the gap. The main pieces will be cut from 1/16" neoprene rubber sheet, using the cardboard templates as a guide. Where the cylinder joins the base there'll be tabs held with rubberized CA (Superglue). Where the boot joins the quarter panel I'll glue two circles of of 1/8 neoprene hose with stiff wire inside. They'll be 1/16" apart and squeeze the sheet metal to hold everything firm (maybe I didn't explain that well enough).

BTW, the entry into the filler pipe is at an awkward angle because even though the filler pipe is not rigid and can be tweaked for straighter access, I'm worried that the main section of the pipe will rub the tire. Just another reason these wheels need to get here pronto.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

BennyB said:


> It's more aerodynamic too


Maybe _that_ part of the car will be aerodynamic, but the rest won't. That's OK, doesn't matter because horsepowerz


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

cuppie said:


> Eric, this is farking awesome. Can't wait to see it in person.
> Sadly, due to the Rona, I'm not going to be out your way any time soon (all in-person training is still cancelled, for the forseeable future.)


Thank you, and I hear ya. I'm trying to be patient, thankful, etc... but it's hard...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Check out a VW pickup. I would send you a picture of mine but it's at a clients house. I looked at it, and the lid does cover the gas nozzle and it's at an angle like yours. If you need a picture, I can link one later.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Does the Caddy have a rubber boot that you think might fit? If so, a pic would be great whenever you get yours back.

I'm currently on a detour because the GTI started doing the right turn starvation thing, and after I got the tank out, the car turned into a "while I'm here..." project...


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Today the rubber bits and glue arrived, so I was able to make the filler pipe boot. It's layers of neoprene rubber sheet and the thing is retained by neoprene rubber tubing with steel wire inside to keep things stiff. The glue is rubberized superglue and it's strong enough that I had to cut where I needed to fix stuff to avoid tearing the rubber :thumbup:. I built up the rubber layers on the cardboard model after filling it with spray foam to keep things rigid.

Front side:








The dangling tube is to let any gas spillage drain away, the fumes from which, sadly, will kill millions of innocent children.

Back side:








The back is two layers of rubber sheet that sandwich tabs extending from the main section. The two juxtaposed hoops of rubber tubing pinch the steel opening in the quarter panel to retain the boot. When I know how close I can get the pipe to the new wheels (if they ever arrive...) I'll make a steel bracket to hold the filler pipe firmly, but even as-is it's pretty good.

Installed:









The tubing retainer setup:









Lots of fuel system work going on, I also have the tank out of the GTI for repairs


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

AFAIK my new wheels are still in the form of Aluminum ore, way off in Neverland, so I went ahead and bracketed up the filler pipe. I used a TT wheel/tire to verify clearance to the filler pipe. The TT's wheels are wider but have less offset, so the back spacing is about the same. Also, the TT ran 225 tires and I'm using smaller diameter 195's, so that'll help.

I also got a little extra tire clearance by raising the filler pipe inlet as high as I could and still have a straight shot with a gas station nozzle. If Heaven Forbid there's tire interference, I'm not sure what more I could reasonably do except add spacers. I want to avoid that because the idea is to narrow the track, not widen it. Raising the filler door higher in the quarter panel is out of the question because it starts to look wrong.

The result:



























The location was awkward and dangerous so I just tack-welded the bracket. I'll gusset it, weld it pretty, add seam sealer, etc... during the rotisserie phase of the project.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Eric, 

I'm sure the fuel filler will work great with the wheels when they are solidified and shipped.

When you get the wheels you could make the wheel openings like they were in the olden days. From before there was so much space around the tires. You are still planning to use the rabbit flares, right?

If you look at Tri-5 Chevys, the tops of the rear tires were not visible at stock height and the front tires only had a little space around them. 

The tops of the front and rear tire on the Jaguar E-Type were above the wheel openings. Most cars from the 50s and 60s were similar. 

I don't know why car designers started putting space above the tires but it sure helped the aftermarket.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref: Rabbit arches, yes the plan is to use them and that's the main hold-up at this point: I want to weigh the car down on the new wheels, verify good stance, and tack weld the arches in the optimal position before taking the car apart for metal/body work.


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## Brixy (May 30, 2014)

Hey Eric. Hope all is well. Missing you posting your updates. Hope your silence isn’t related to your eye injury or the wicked covid numbers south of our border.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Sorry, Ted checked in also, thanks for that. I'm still waiting on the wheels then things should move along. No ETA, sadly.

COVID: we're laying low; so far so good, but what a mess...

The eye is healed but it went from 20/20 to 20/70 because the hole was on the pupil. It feels fine but the scar is opaque and it's big enough that it seems like I'm always wearing dirty glasses. That's taking some getting-used-to... I got goggles that are still vented, but the edge is rubber that seals against the face completely and the vents face rearward. Hopefully I don't get sloppy and I'll always wear them even for quicky jobs.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Well, first off, sorry to hear about the eye injury. What a pain in the...cornea? Is there any chance once fully healed that some laser shaping could fix the damage?

I'm grateful that I didn't realize this thread had started so that I was able to enjoy many many days of your hard work while sitting my ass on a couch the day after Thanksgiving geeking out on car stuff! It's like binge watching Netflix but better! It is like the old Vortex days and it's starting to kick my butt back into working on the Green Bean.

Hope you, Petra and the boys had a great Thanksgiving!




TheTimob said:


> For context on that last comment, you need to watch a (very long) series of YouTube videos called Project Binky. Two British guys are doing a drivetrain swap from a Toyota Celica GT-Four Turbo AWD into a 1980 Austin Mini. These guys are quite good fabricators, and they just love making brackets for everything. My favorite video series by far.


Bless you for linking this, Timob! I've been recently watching a lot of the Aussie series Mighty Car Mods, which is always entertaining, but these two are hilarious!


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

+1 on healing your eye ASAP doc, and happy turkey Day to you and your family.



scirocco*joe said:


> ... and it's starting to kick my butt back into working on the Green Bean.


Happy Turkey Day to you my Internet friend, and the well wishes are extended to your family. What work are you planning for on the Green Bean?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref: Thanksgiving; burp! It was good. Odd given the year, but still good. I hope everyone else's was similar or better.

Ref: the eye, no Lasik. The scar is opaque and scatters light, but glasses will help if I don't get used to it. 

Ref: Project Binky, that car is waaaay better than I'm shooting for. That car will have HVAC and all kinds of nice things. I expect this project to be much more like the automotive equivalent of a Crotch Rocket (motorcycle, you perverts). I want it to be nice but simple as possible.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

LT1M21Stingray said:


> Happy Turkey Day to you my Internet friend, and the well wishes are extended to your family. What work are you planning for on the Green Bean?


Thanks, Marc! I'd say the same to you, but I'm like a month late, eh?

I have never diagnosed the no-start issue that cropped up last year, was going to start things up with COVID hit, and everything went sideways. Now I need to diagnose that issue and actually build up the Heron head (still). 



echassin said:


> Ref: the eye, no Lasik. The scar is opaque and scatters light, but glasses will help if I don't get used to it.


Bummer. Hoping those glasses help!


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## azwireguy (Jun 27, 2014)

echassin said:


> Okey Dokey, start with one of these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Uncle Hal has an old tt and lots of rocco's. He measured it up and said this was possible. F'in a bro I miss my rocco but thank you for making dreams happ.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hal is the one who gave me the idea, I remember the post from about 10 years ago; I think his approach is the better way because all of the TT's electronic systems are retained and the car will be easily serviced using a TT shop manual. Heck it might even be 50 state legal, although I'm admittedly less concerned with that.

I'm being told that the wheels have arrived in the U.S. but supposedly FedEx is hung up. I'm holding out for them in spite of my nagging suspicion that they don't even exist, because I haven't found anything else comparable.

It looks like I'll have a grill soon; I'll try to get the chromoly reinforced air dam back too, then I can make some progress on the front end, even without the wheels.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm not sure how we went from no tracking numbers yesterday to today, but* THEY'RE HERE!!! *(sorry for yelling)

Quickie-mounting them with two lug bolts was encouraging: diameter clears all the calipers comfortably, the outer face of the rear calipers juuuuust touches the inner face of the wheel spokes. Options are a 2mm spacer or machine 2mm off the calipers' outer claws. I'm favoring the latter _dons flame suit_. The front brake line bracket just touches inner rim and that will be easily ground down (the bracket, not the rim ). The filler pipe looks like it'll be OK and all other suspension parts clear by at least 1/4".

The wider Rabbit arches seem like they'll do the job. The final result won't tuck and I may need to roll the front arches, but I'm cautiously optimistic that it'll all look plausibly OEM.

I debated 205 tires but went with 195's to minimize fitment risks (I'll have a mild stretch). I hope to have the known clearance issues resolved when they arrive and then I can start fitting the arches. In the mean time:









In the excitement to get moving on the project again I also retrieved the air dam with its preliminary reinforcements done:








The lower bar is bolted using two mounting holes that were already present in the lower lip. The bars will be bracketed to each other, the bumper rebar and the fenders, this is as far as we could get until I work out final fitment. The top 3" of plastic will be removed for air ingress and the result will have about the same surface area as the lower inlets on the TT's original bumper skin. The reinforcements are stainless so they won't need to be painted. Also, the welds make me ashamed to ever post any of mine again...


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alrighty, I spent the day getting the wheels to clear, taping the arches repeatedly, and planning the air dam. The wheel clearance was no problem, 3mm off the front brake line brackets with a cutoff wheel, and 2mm off the rear caliper claws with a grinding wheel (which is now ruined because the caliper is aluminum...). There's Duct Tape on the caliper to be sure I didn't scratch anything, but there's good clearance. I won't tack weld the arches till I have the tires on for final judgement.

Rear wheel with suspension compressed and Rabbit arch taped on:


















Front wheel with suspension compressed, Rabbit arch taped on, and air dam propped up:


















Obviously everything needs a lot of massaging but at this point all major obstacles and uncertainties have been reasonably well addressed


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

Going to be awesome


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

I HAVE WITNESSED GREATNESS!! 

Awesome progress!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I've been a butcher most of my life, you have my approval of grinding the calipers. I've been there before. If you do it right, the caliper/bracket will look like it came from the factory that way. 

They are a sexy set of wheels.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

TheTimob said:


> I HAVE WITNESSED GREATNESS!!
> 
> Awesome progress!


Could not agree more.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, thank you all, and if you thought yesterday's post was great, get a load of this last piece of the front end:








The thing is bolted askew but trust me, it's straight.

The air dam bolts to the frame:








(I still have to cut away the top 3" of the air dam for the lower air intake)

The ends just need to be worked out once I have the tires and can tweak the arches:









This isn't my work, I could never do this. The guy makes all those huge pipes, flanges, and manifolds for the pharmaceutical and food giants, and there are all kinds of rules that mandate his skill. He seems to like doing my silly projects so hey, who am I to refuse him? It looks like the welds were polished but I watched and all they got was a light acid rinse to remove the blue color. I had him _not_ rinse the weld on end of the top pipe above (I trimmed the part past it for the intercooler) to show how nice the raw welds are. The frame is pharmaceutical grade stainless and it'll look like this forever. He even ran gas through the inside of the pipe to keep the welds pure.

Interestingly, when I was there today, I saw two crates of what looked like hundreds of giant brake rotors, and they seemed really out of place since I know he does mostly piping. It turns out they're Merkava spring perches. Never heard of that? Not to worry, I hadn't either: Merkava - Wikipedia

How he gets all these connections, I have no idea.

Anyhoo, toodaloo till next time.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I forgot this awesome pic before I bolted it to the car:








I know I've mentioned this before in other threads but it came up again today and it always makes for an amusing anecdote: Petra said (and this is always a surprise to me no matter how many times I hear it) that the spot there where the frame is sitting is a so-called "countertop" and is in a so-called "kitchen".


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Since it's made of pharmatical steel, tell her it's a "pill stacker". 

FYI, I have a 9A short block in my kitchen right now.


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Only the best parts are temporarily allowed on the kitchen counter


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

I have 3mm wheel spacers in stock if you need them Eric


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks, I have to say I'm glad I won't need spacers because I went through some hassle to get as much offset as possible (to keep the car as narrow as possible), yet still have a dished looking wheel, which is my preference.

Here's the front brake line bracket now:








Lowering it may be possible but is by no means obvious, so I took a little off the top.

Here's the rear caliper now:








It still looks plenty beefy IMO. When the car is apart, this'll get milled and coarse sand-blasted to make it all look OEM. New pads are thicker so I'll need to revisit this at some point. I'm not ruling out machining down pads that are guaranteed asbestos-free. Knowing that they'd need to be replaced more often, I could do a bunch of 'em so the next schmuck who has to deal with the car has them ready to use.

I spent the rest of today's car time tweaking the front end. First up was ensuring the frame is mounted straight:









Then I cut off the upper 3" of the air dam for adequate air flow:








In this pic you can also see why the deeper Kamei air dam is better; the lower edge lines up nicely with all the underneath TT stuff.

This is how much surface area a 225q's lower intakes add up to:








I'm cautiously optimistic that I have enough.

This is what the admittedly large gap looks like on normal viewing of the front:









I'll need to figure something out for the corner:








Initially I kept the plastic in front of the intercooler but it was oddly contoured to fit around the prominent mk1 Scirocco fender/core support junction. By the time I got clearance for the intercooler, the area looked like a$$, so I just cut it all off. I promise I'll make it nice.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

(double post)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Today's task was to work out the outer contour of the lower air intake. The goal is to add plastic to the outer surface of the Kamei. That affords precious intercooler clearance and gives plenty of surface for a strong glue joint. A sheet of 1/8" black ABS is not inexpensive so I started with scrap plywood.

New intake contour:








Intercooler clearance isn't abundant but it should be adequate.

Following the Kamei's lines yields edges that are easily filled in and contoured with fiberglass filler:








The side fasteners will be placed high to keep them discreet.

Holding a Rabbit arch to the car reassures me that the rear edge of the air dam won't be a challenge:









The time to tear this pig apart and stick it on the rotisserie is near.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> Holding a Rabbit arch to the car reassures me that the rear edge of the air dam won't be a challenge:
> View attachment 56887
> 
> 
> The time to tear this pig apart and stick it on the rotisserie is near.


Look at that sweetness!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm really starting to think this thing is going to come together pretty well. The tires and conical lug bolts came today, and I got one tire mounted to check fitment. Not bad:








16" is a bit bigger than I would normally go on a mk1 Scirocco, but it's what I needed to clear the front TT calipers so that's that.

195 tires on a 7.5" wide rim yields some stretch as expected, but acceptable IMO:








It looks like I could go to 205 without any downside. The valve stem is pretty long...

The tweaked filler pipe has plenty of room _phew_:









I used my tire mounting gizmo and it does fine on a 45 series tire:








I verified first by removing and remounting one of the TT's 40 series tires. If you're highly intelligent, as I am, and you enjoy doing the same task several times to gain valuable experience, I recommend you drill the bolt anchors for the tire machine into the concrete floor... ...precisely where the car will sit while it's in pieces.

I had to drill more anchors into available floor space , so I only did one tire today before I got pooped.

Here's a little tool I made to pull the valve stems into position:








It's a nail drilled through a metal valve stem cap.

You just yank on the bent over nail tip with a Vice Grip:









Once I get the other three tires mounted and I figure a way to brace the floor, I can let the car down full weight, position the arches, and finally get the thing torn down for metal work.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Sweet! 
You definitely bought the wrong valves for those wheels, though, sir. They do come in shorter lengths....


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I like my cars to be a unique blend of clever and dumba$$ .

I had a snack and felt well-fortified so I mounted the other three tires (with matching valves...). Front arch:









I think I'll take a break till after Christmas, which BTW I hope is good for everyone given the times.


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## DOCorrado (Jun 6, 2020)

This is such an awesome build! I love watching it take shape, nice work and keep the posts coming!
Merry Christmas!  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir, and Merry Christmas everyone.

I have some simple bracing worked out for the shell, hopefully I'll get that done tomorrow and lower the thing onto its wheels for the first time since last Spring.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I hope folks had a reasonable day yesterday given current events. We laid low and made a nice dinner, opened some little nick-nacks, etc...

Today was a big day for the project: the car is on its wheels full weight and it didn't fold in two! 

I welded a bunch of little braces in strategic areas, in such a way that I can cut them off easily to dissassemble the shell for rust repairs, and I avoided fuel lines, electrical harnesses, and anything else I'd have to repair later.

The lowering process took about an hour. I kept an eye on a bunch of reference marks I made all over the shell, and I let the car down fractionally so if the body failed, it wouldn't fall more than about 1/2". I still have supports all over under the car as a precaution but they're not touching anything. 

All is well and here's where I'm at with a rear arch taped on:








There's a spacer under the rear spring that if omitted will lower the rear a bit more, so I think this is pretty good for now.

The front looks great IMO:









Obviously I'll put on lot more duct tape everywhere before painting the car.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Looks good!


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## Brixy (May 30, 2014)

Eric you never cease to amaze. Hope you don’t mess up the first time you go to fill the tank as you have labeled the side marker bulb hole as “fill”. Ha ha.


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

So much win here; Inspiration, creativity, dedication, and mostly stupidity (and I love that the best  ) Check for rivet holes...lol


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I know you're just joshing, but seriously: "a man's got to know his limitations". I've learned the hard way the kinds of things I overlook, so I've done many walk-arounds with a Sharpie trying to predict them. The car is covered with reminders and reference marks, only a fraction of which are visible in the pictures: delete these wires, _keep_ these wires, yaw sensor this side up, ground this, make sure this is plugged in before cranking, align this here, etc... 

I made the problem worse because in the effort to eliminate ASAP all the unknowns about the car's layout, I skipped many things. Examples: I wanted the car on its feet ASAP so I didn't balance the tires, the bumper brackets I made don't have tow hooks yet, there are still many wires still to be deleted, etc...

I also don't have the TT memorized yet so I'll need to label everything when I take the car apart so I can put it all back together. I've Googled many numbers to figure out what things even do (i.e. the yaw sensor).

As for the reminders in the pics: the shell is made from several cars and only some of the panels ever had those upper trim rivet holes, and some have been filled in badly. The TT harness does not have any provision for side markers so the easiest solution is to remember to fill in the holes. 

Today's jobs: 1) Preliminarily trim the Rabbit arches and mark the car's new wheel base on the shell for when the wheels are absent (during the rotisserie phase), and 2) Break the axle nuts loose while the car's weight is still on the ground.


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## Rays-Rocco (Aug 10, 2002)

fredybender said:


> So much win here; Inspiration, creativity, dedication, and mostly stupidity (and I love that the best  ) Check for rivet holes...lol


I agree on the “mostly stupidity”
ruining 2 classics 
You can’t fix STUPID! 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's hard to sit down with one's morning coffee and discover a post like that. I know my vision for this car gets mixed reviews but IMO this is uncalled for, especially since things are proceeding as well as anyone could hope.

Beyond the disappointing reality that some gripes never fade, is the end result here not readily apparent? I mean, at this point I don't see how the project could possibly fail, barring some unforeseen permanent disability.

Anyways, moving on: first thing today is to order the rocker panels from the same factory that provided the steel. This is the profile I posted earlier:








The place has a huge machine that'll cut and fold the rockers out of 1/8" steel plate. Even though they'll be smaller than the TT's rocker panels, they'll be much stronger than a Scirocco's.

Second order of business is to start tearing the car down; today I'll remove and store the body panels, bumpers and front end.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

"We always go too far for people going nowhere" - PF

I can't wait to see the end result. 👍


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I confess I spent the day sour, but nice comments here and in my PMs were very helpful, thank you.

This morning I dropped off the specs for the rocker panels, and I discovered that radii can easily be included, so that the cross sectional profile will be much more OEM-plausible, as opposed to a piece of folded metal that is obviously an add-on.

Then I took the body apart. This was the first test of the disassembly procedure, which went well and could be done by someone who's never seen the car before since it's all built in layers.

The "kit":









And the rest:








Not that anyone would do it, but the car could theoretically be driven as-is (I'd have to put a seat in it and hook up the steering shaft). The temptation is there because the thing looks like a little race car sitting there like that.

This will be the last day the car runs for a while, tomorrow I'll start stripping the shell for metal work.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

This thread. Love seeing the updates. very excited to see the new rockers sections installed.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir; the rockers are being made in an active factory so they need to wait till there's a lull.

Today begins the process of dismantling a car that is still unfamiliar. The plan is to label everything and store major systems whole to minimize later confusion.

The general order: intake/charge setup, cooling system, emissions plumbing, front subframe/engine/gearbox/suspension, rear subframe/Haldex/suspension, center shaft/exhaust, fuel tank/lines, pedal cluster/braking system/steering rack, and finally the electrical harnesses. I think I can store most of this in the basement shop, but the larger assemblies will get pushed into corners of the garage and covered. My neighbor saw how cramped things were getting even last Spring, she took one of the mk2's, and she's offered to take the other one if needed.

These projects are often "it's not what you know, it's who you know...", something that is obvious even to the casual observer but it never hurts to periodically acknowledge it.

BTW, the HVAC/AC and power steering will be deleted and the only thing the serpentine belt will run is the alternator. I can already see that the [shorter] belt will route nicely, which makes things easier.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Why no basic A/C. Even in the PNW, it's nice to have A/C to keep the defrost working top notch and to keep you cool in the few hot days we have.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Butcher said:


> Why no basic A/C?


For the same reasons as everyone else who deletes the A/C . I'll do the same as my mk2: it'll look like it was never there (as opposed to cutting the pipes at the firewall and leaving the wiring).

Today's task was to remove the entire air intake/charge tract. It was slow work because being a Midwest car, the fasteners were all frozen, broken, missing, hacked, etc..., all of which will be rectified in time. Also a pile of brackets and fasteners is not a good idea when things are apart for more than a day, so I cleaned it all up and reassembled it for storage:









Daily pic of current status:








Things are already opening up and looking a lot more accessible.

Tomorrow I'll start on the cooling system, same approach.


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## Scirocco16 (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok, but just a counterpoint on the A/C... Most deletes happen on older cars without a "modern" A/C system like a TT, right? 

But I live in Kansas, so a car without good climate control is miserable most of the time. 

I've been watching this build with interest, very cool!!!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Sips morning coffee_

You guys are thinking of a different project. I'm using a zero-options mk1 GTI as the build standard. It could be miserable if it's your regular car and even then I'd disagree. I stopped driving mine to work only a few years back and that was to preserve the car as it becomes more collectible. I switched to the 16V and now I'm thinking I can do better, so here we are.

In addition to Ray's comment and opinions regarding the A/C delete, I perceive a deafening silence as the project proceeds. That's fine but we might as well review the other TT features I'm omitting, after which folks can either comment or avert their eyes: airbags, radio, interior lights, power steering, horns, security system, wipers/washers front and rear (I'll wear the flame suit as I weld in the mono-wiper hole), heat/defoggers, outside temperature sensor, headlight washers, locking hood latch, power locks, gas door release, sound deadening, spare tire/tools, heated seats, fog lights, power windows, power mirrors, and sway bars (pending test drives).

What I'm left with is an AWD mk1 Scirocco with traction control and 265 ft.llbs of torque. Anything else just gets in my way.

Today I'll take out the cooling system, but there will be slight detours past a hissing toilet and a snow-covered driveway...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

It's your build and we are all watching. The only right way is your way, the rest are just opinions on what we would do. I'm always curious how people get to their decision, that is why I wanted to know.

I for certain would not spend that kind of time/money and only drive it on special days. I would drive it everyday or at least most days. That's why options like seat heaters and A/C would be a must. There are so many ways to up the power to take on the extra weight. I do understand the more you have the more it breaks.

But then again, people would wonder why I still do not have a dash in the POS after 9 years. Hey, it works for me. About a year ago, a homeless guy slid a dollar into the slightly open passengers window. He told me he thought I needed it more than him.


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## Scirocco16 (Feb 4, 2012)

Butcher said:


> The only right way is your way, the rest are just opinions on what we would do


Agreed, and I think the deafening silence is just the status quo on the vortex these days... at least the Scirocco forums.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well OK then, thanks!

Today's task was to get the cooling system out and reassemble it whole in the shop:








Same as everyday: don't leave a pile of little pieces that would be a mystery later, note broken/hacked/missing fasteners, wrestle stubborn bits, etc...

Current status:








It's slow work, but I can finally see the path that the engine and gearbox will take out the front. I imagine that having anything done to a TT would cost a friggen fortune in labor. There's just so much stuff crammed into a small space that very little of it is readily accessible, and it looks like many things could easily be damaged wrangling too aggressively.

Interestingly, while I don't have things memorized like on our other, the general layout still reeks of an early watercooled VW.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Eric awesome job I love this build so much and am happy you continue to post here. AFAIAC LOUD APPLAUSE FROM ME!!!

Having recently done my clutch R&R on our 06 Mini Cooper S (14-16 hours book time and the reason the PO gave up on it) and rebuilding the front body on my sons Mk7 GTI I agree this is why modern cars are stupid expensive to repair. That plus so many things are made of plastic that self destruct with a certain number of heat cycles just adds to the joy. 

I like that you are simplifying (A/C delete) where you can along the way so that you can focus on the driving experience with less of the maintenance experience!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the comments; it puts some much needed wind in the sails. In addition to the points you made, keeping things as simple as possible maximizes the chances I'll have a successful outcome. I think some of these crazier projects die because folks bite off more than they can chew, and I want to avoid that.

Petra and I got back from our afternoon constitutional and we found two care packages on our doorstep from Ted aka The Enabler:








We have here a nice grille, which means I can finalize the headlight layout, door sills, seat belts, and a variety of hockey sticks, trim bits, and door handles to choose from.

I only worried about getting a shell at first because I didn't even know if the project was possible, but now that I'm more optimistic, I need to secure the bits that turn a shell into a usable car. Years back I'd mentioned using a spent but complete mk1 Scirocco but I was sternly warned/threatened against it. I won't mention any names but his first initial is Daun.

Tomorrow will be mainly tidying up the engine bay, deleting the PS and A/C, maybe start cataloging and removing the mess that is the emissions system. Recall that my desire for simplicity is being challenged by the ECU. I need to keep the ECU obviously but the thing is one demanding son-of-a-beotch and won't let anything slide, not even removing the 3rd brake light (which you will note was not on the delete list, harumph). BTW, one more thing I forgot that _is_ on the delete list: navigation.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

I'm glad that surface is being used as intended!


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> BTW, one more thing I forgot that _is_ on the delete list: navigation.


How about the parking brake?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_sips morning coffee_

Well, it depends: if we're calling it a _parking_ brake I might delete it, but if we're calling it the _emergency _brake, I'll keep it . Inside joke: when I had my mk2 on the rotisserie and was about to weld up the e-brake cable holes, I was rebuked with such force that I have PTSD and all cars I build henceforth will have an e-brake.

Yesterday I had to research a few things for today, and as they say "you learn something every day!":

First, I noticed there's a sensor on the PS pump and I worried that the ECU wants to see the pump. It turns out it's just a pressure sensor that adjusts idle speed when turning the steering wheel at a stand-still. Another feature that IMO is over-the-top, and it can be deleted along with the rest of the PS.

Second, how to remove the serpentine belt wasn't immediately obvious to me, all I knew is that a crow bar was not correct. A Youtube search revealed that to loosen it, you just pull on the top part of the casting with a spanner and _voila! _Nice.

Short day in the garage today; we're gonna stay home tonight for New Year's Eve, but we'll try to make something of it. We're planning shrimp and crab legs for dinner, then popcorn and Pulp Fiction for Movie Night.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Removing the P/S, oh the humanity!

If you think your close to being over your head, I think you reached that bar and have been nudging it daily.

Vanagon's used a pressure sensitive switch for their power steering/idle issue. VW Cabriolet/Scirocco also did but mostly used it with the salt/pepper solenoids [RPM sensitive, not pressure]. Much simpler back then but it has always been a problem that at full lock, PS can cause the engine to stall. More so now because the newer engines can idle great at 500rpm.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Butcher said:


> . Much simpler back then but it has always been a problem that at full lock, PS can cause the engine to stall. More so now because the newer engines can idle great at 500rpm.


That happens on my '77 Ford (351W) all the time. There is a hard right turn onto the main street and I have to make sure it's not on full lock or it will stall right as I get out in traffic. I thought it was just me or I needed to budget $$$ to fix it. 

My Scirocco will groan at full lock but it never stalled. It just power steered into the curb until I got used to it. Ouch.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Butcher said:


> you're close to being over your head


Intentionally quoted out of context to seek reassurance that this is not the prevailing opinion... Seriously, in my other build threads there are many examples of astute observers catching mistakes, for which I'm very grateful. I'd like for that continue (the help, not the mistakes...). And as for learning, I'm hip with that; today I had to research serpentine belt nomenclature, since I can't just order a belt by stating the car model.

Today I got the leak detection system out, plus the PS and A/C deleted back to the firewall:








There's more behind the engine but better to wait for easier access. There were a few hemorrhages to deal with, but overall not too bad.

The LDP setup stored for later:









I also measured for the shorter serpentine belt. It's early to worry about that but since I'm buying everything on-line and it'll take a few attempts to get a usable length, I might as well start now.

Tomorrow I'll start unhooking things from the engine/gearbox to get that out. I replaced a broken downpipe last Spring so at least I know the exhaust bolts will come free. Anything that rests comfortably on the engine will stay to minimize piles of little parts.

Here's to 2021 _raises glass_


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## 81type53s (Sep 19, 2016)

echassin said:


> Intentionally quoted out of context to seek reassurance that this is not the prevailing opinion... Seriously, in my other build threads there are many examples of astute observers catching mistakes, for which I'm very grateful. I'd like for that continue (the help, not the mistakes...). And as for learning, I'm hip with that; today I had to research serpentine belt nomenclature, since I can't just order a belt by stating the car model.
> 
> Today I got the leak detection system out, plus the PS and A/C deleted back to the firewall:
> View attachment 59413
> ...


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## 81type53s (Sep 19, 2016)

Been lurking this. Outstanding as is everything you've done! That GTI comes up for sale LMK.Pay top dollar. Chris


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

echassin said:


> Here's to 2021 _raises glass_


keep on brother. been lurking this myself.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I just a guess, but like many other, you look at a project and wonder if you are over your head. Many keep pushing forward [thus the bar] and a few more weeks go by and the same question comes up. As some point, the elephant is half eaten and soon you get to the point that it's all down hill.

I'm sorry if you thought I was a slam, on the contrary, it's just an acknowledgement of a huge undertaking on a hunch it just might work. So far, you're tackling everything coming your way and with a bunch more work, you'll get it done.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

I will say this after becoming an unwilling, unplanned audit tt restorer.. removing the things you are will be cheaper in the long run. Your challenge will be getting a tune that deletes all the things you want to remove. The newer cars are computers that drive. And the haldex will need to see the e-brake switch, and the steering angle sensor. I have no idea how you get around the cluster being the gateway for the communication of the ecu, assuming your using the scirocco cluster? I love this project and love seeing the updates.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Here's hoping for a good 2021! I need to take it easy today for no particular reason _burp_, so I'll just sit at the keyboard... 

@ Carl and Chris: Hi! Thanks for checking in!

@ Mark, I completely understood your post, I shouldn't have misquoted it. 

Ref. the car: I didn't start this thread until I'd done about 6 months of ground work on the TT to lay out a plan based on slow removal of TT bits followed by analysis of any resulting problems. That was all posted piece-meal in the Chit Chat thread and gives the false impression in this thread's first post that I whacked off the TT body willy-nilly. That is not the case; every system that the TT's ECU needs is on-line, including the steering position sensor, yaw sensor, wheel speed sensors, ignition switch impedance ring (I'm not sure the name), power locks module (just the module), emissions, exterior lighting, etc... The only exceptions are: the air bag warning light, which is an LED on the speedo's micro circuit board that I couldn't delete, so it's covered under the speedo's fascia and doesn't show; the e-brake switch, which is "open" with the e-brake off and is deleted; and the hood latch switch, which is "closed" with the hood shut so the wires are jumped.

The TT instrument panel will stay and I've already confirmed that it looks completely normal with the car running. I'm using the TT steering column and I retained the stalks with cruise control switches (they program the APR tune). I suppose the cruise control still works but that's of no consequence to me.

I'll make it all look nice when I make the dash, which will be similar to the scratch-built dash in my mk2:








This is not a re-covered mk2 dash, see here for the technique: Meet my red-headed stepchild!

BTW, one more thing I deleted: the steering wheel tilt mechanism; it's huge, heavy and cumbersome. I kept the TT steering tube and I'll mount it like a Scirocco tube. The Scirocco brackets are still there and they fit nicely against the TT firewall/rain tray. The TT steering wheel is already modified so there's a VW emblem in place of the Audi logo.

Till next time _wave_


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

Well thought out. I look forward to more updates🍿


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Oof.

The engine is ready to come out, probably tomorrow. I got everything unhooked to free it up but it took two days because everything's packed tightly and filthy. There's broken or frozen fasteners, labels to make, etc...

Center CV is flinging grease, you can see where the heat shield is clean, and then where it's filthy:









Driver front outer CV is flinging grease:









Frozen/broken lower engine mount bolt:








(Thankfully the forward bolts came out so I can deal with this when I redo the subframe)

Broken air pump hose fitting Jerry-rigged with silicone:









Other broken air pump hose fitting just crammed on:









Engine bay harness is a tangled rat's nest:








I'll rewrap this mess while I delete un-used wires. VW/Audi hasn't learned a ufcking thing in 40 years and if you've ever had the pleasure of working on a Toyota, you know what I mean...

Added bonus, a front sway bar link is just plain absent:









The previous owner was driving around in this heap, throwing emissions codes, until finally the down pipe flex section broke. It was really loud and he finally threw in the towel. I know it's tough to watch a car that has a decent re-paint and nice seats getting cut up, but trust me: anything from the Midwest that is approaching 20 years old is completely spent, and it's all owners can do to keep up. Even if they do (which is rare) it's still all rotten underneath. To bring one back to even half-way decent is an expensive labor of love that is commonly delegated ("someone needs to save this beauty!!!"), but there aren't enough volunteers and the cars end up junked. I'm not saying I "saved" this one, but I didn't ruin a nice one, and it still wasn't cheap.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have an open engine bay.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

The rust can be completely amazing, and the broken bolts costly. Like next level...I went the labor of insanity route... Completely understand the level of pain even your route will cause. It seems like everything is over complicated, expensive, and one time use. Not to mention no longer available even if you chose to bite the bullet and try to purchase them new. The struggle is real man...


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Did I read that you're _restoring_ a TT? If so, you get kudos for sure. Holy Cow, based on what I've seen, that would definitely be a challenge.

Last night I had some down time so I pulled the engine forward just a little be able to disconnect the last of the wiring behind it and pull the center shaft out enough to easily reach its fasteners:









Somebody snuck in while I was working and she definitely wanted to sit on one of the other [clean] cars:








Seriously, she's a sweety, but a few months ago I found her sleeping on the gorgeous TT seats downstairs in the shop... right next to some new claw marks in the leather. Harumph.

Anyways, today I got the engine out with a bounty of other parts:









These things look unsightly when they first come out, so I started straight away the process of making it all look better...
.
.
.
... aaaaand done:









Here's where the bay is at:








I got the rest of the HVAC and PS deleted; I can't imagine repairing any of that stuff would be possible with the engine in position.

The rest of the day was spent attending to this broken engine mount bolt:








To those of you who live in dry climates where you spin off all fasteners with your fingers, I have this simple message: Ufck You.

But after an hour of drilling, lubing, wiggling, prying, heating, rinse, lather, repeat, one ends up here:









With a usable dogbone:








It helps when doing this kind of work to swear during some of the more tedious steps, like this: "[email protected]#$%WTF?^&*!!!" Also, I don't espouse it, but I understand it also helps to have available for throwing VW/Audi special tool #1370, aka BFH (hammer).

There's still a lot to take off the car to get it down to bare metal, and I hesitate to jinx myself and say that the rest of it is a slide into home plate, so I _won't_ say it (but it is).


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> To those of you who live in dry climates where you spin off all fasteners with your fingers, I have this simple message: Ufck You.


Yeah, well, I avoid buying and working on rust buckets.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

In the PNW, it's damp, as in really damp. We're expecting to have a 20 day run of rain [maybe a breather on Thursday]. No rust here so I guess I do not have to f off. We do not get baked or frozen much, pretty much perfect but we do have Inslee if anyone wants him.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Butcher said:


> In the PNW, it's damp, as in really damp. We're expecting to have a 20 day run of rain [maybe a breather on Thursday]. No rust here so I guess I do not have to f off. We do not get baked or frozen much, pretty much perfect but we do have Inslee if anyone wants him.


My Scirocco lived in Bremerton from 1992 - 2013 or so. 

It was garaged. No rust as far as I can tell. (I haven't peeled off the body kit looking for rust.) A little bit of white discoloration on the valve cover and manifold and fuel banjo bolts but that's about it. Even the battery clamps are original and corrosion-free.

I visited my Scirocco annually when I was on vacation. While visiting it, I hung out with my family since they lived in the house that was attached to the garage.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I visited my Scirocco annually when I was on vacation. While visiting it, I hung out with my family since they lived in the house that was attached to the garage.


 I lol'd 

First things first, the shorter serpentine belt arrived and I'll be darned, it's perfect:








Usually when I do an accessory delete, it takes a few tries to get the belt just right; hopefully this is a good omen for the rest of the build. I have to say, the minimalism of that short belt running one item really appeals to me, and is how I want the rest of the car.

Then I got back to tearing everything down for metal work. Here's today's bounty of parts:








Complete front and rear subframe assemblies, the rest of the center shaft with heat shield, and the shifter assembly.

That's all for heavy stuff, and given the amount of Advil I'm taking, that's a good thing... Here's where the shell is at now:

















The four rear subframe bolts were really scary; I used every trick I know to get them to crack free without breaking anything. These pics really show how grotesque the rockers are, and what a challenge it will be to give them a pleasing outline.

As I was lowering the front end, I did break one wheel speed sensor connector that I forgot to unhook; it gave itself away with a quiet "snap" and it took me a minute to find out what it was. Hopefully it won't be too hard to source another one.

Next items in order: gas tank and lines, ABS pump/brake booster/brake lines, pedal cluster, electrical system, firewall (it's bolted in as a separate plate, I've never seen that before), and the shell is bare.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

I found this video of the final part of the production line of a newer generation TT. It's really quite something that they show this much detail in a modern factory - normally they're so secret. There's a TON of stuff you get glimpses of in here. Measuring panel gaps in final QC, both robotic and human. You see all kinds of specialized fixtures just for doing one specific task. Notice how they put the engine in and the front on in only minutes. When you wonder why the car is designed the way that it is - this is the reason. It is designed to be assembled in the most insane German engineering dream way possible, with very few limitations.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)




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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

I use "restore" loosely. Only because I have had to touch almost everything on the car. The progress looks great! The abs sensor plug housing is readily available via the dealer or pull a parts. It's the same for all the vag stuff of that generation. They often are broken or fragile due to their location. Bad design...Why can't germans figure that one out? You can unpin the wires and replace it in 5 min if you have the pin tools, which are relatively inexpensive. The Schwaben kit even had the two sizes of round pin tools for our early cars.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

The requirements to keep a car on the road in German are so difficult/costly, it's just best to buy a new one. Making a car last forever reduces the amount you will sell in the future. There are plenty more reasons why the Germans do not want to invest money on cars that can be rebuilt. Times are different. 

If I was living in the rust belt, I certainly would not want to be a mechanic. Any simple job here would take a week there.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That pic of the broken rear subframe bolt is going to give me nightmares until I know I can get the major assemblies apart for refurbishment...

@Tim: I recall a picture of the Osnabruck plant and there was a stack of freshly stamped quarter panels sitting on the dirty floor just leaning up against something else. How times have changed! Having seen the TT video, I can now see why there are so many useless appearing holes in the floor pan with rubber covers in them: they must be jig mounts or robot grab points (I'll fill them in with steel).

@Mark: I agree, cars are pretty durable but they also give the impression of being disposable. I hope I'm successfully reassuring skeptics that both cars I'm using had one foot in the crusher. BTW, I hope the quantity of posts isn't too tedious; I need them as a timeline and road map back to a whole car (like a trail of bread crumbs)

First thing today was to drain the two sides of the tank through the two top covers, using an old fuel pump/battery. After that, the hose fittings and fasteners came off nicely and I got the fuel system out whole:









I'll take out the underside fuel lines at the same time I remove the brake lines, but other than that, the underside is bare:









Next items for removal are the ABS pump, booster/MC and pedal assemblies.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> _Sips morning coffee_


_Sips afternoon coffee_

Ahhh, what a lovely way to take a break in the afternoon. 

Today is my first day back "in the office" and I wasn't really looking forward to it, but I have been keeping up a tradition of an afternoon coffee break. I do love me an afternoon brew. Thanks for the fine craftsmanship to go along with it.

Re: Ray's comment - ufck him. Comments like like are like ahssoles, we all have them and they all stink. IMHO, the only opinion you need to listen to is your own. We'll do our best to point out all of your errors in advance of reassembly, but the quality is definitely not guaranteed and returns are not accepted! 

Having driven my Dad's pristine 03 TT 225Q, I can say that this is an honorable undertaking and having seen the work you've put into the rest of your cars, I know you've been doing your homework. Carry on!



echassin said:


> You guys are thinking of a different project. I'm using a zero-options mk1 GTI as the build standard. It could be miserable if it's your regular car and even then I'd disagree. I stopped driving mine to work only a few years back and that was to preserve the car as it becomes more collectible. I switched to the 16V and now I'm thinking I can do better, so here we are.


My favorite line - "...even then I'd disagree."



echassin said:


> In addition to Ray's comment and opinions regarding the A/C delete, I perceive a deafening silence as the project proceeds. That's fine but we might as well review the other TT features I'm omitting, after which folks can either comment or avert their eyes: airbags, radio, interior lights, power steering, horns, security system, wipers/washers front and rear (I'll wear the flame suit as I weld in the mono-wiper hole), heat/defoggers, outside temperature sensor, headlight washers, locking hood latch, power locks, gas door release, sound deadening, spare tire/tools, heated seats, fog lights, power windows, power mirrors, and sway bars (pending test drives).
> 
> What I'm left with is an AWD mk1 Scirocco with traction control and 265 ft.llbs of torque. Anything else just gets in my way.


So, my feedback, unwarranted and un-warranteed, is as such:

Interior lights - even in the dimly-lit confines of the Mk1, I have been very appreciative (even if very occasionally) of that one little light. Not worth it to you?

No horns - given the diminutive size of this car, I do think a horn is an absolute necessity. The number of times I've nearly had someone smash into me while they change lanes in their gargantuan SUV, only to have my LOUD double horns snap them back to reality is quite astounding. 

Everything else? Go with God, my friend!



echassin said:


> Thanks for the comments; it puts some much needed wind in the sails. In addition to the points you made, keeping things as simple as possible maximizes the chances I'll have a successful outcome. I think some of these crazier projects die because folks bite off more than they can chew, and I want to avoid that.
> 
> Petra and I got back from our afternoon constitutional and we found two care packages on our doorstep from Ted aka The Enabler.


Jesus, happily married, retired, great Dad and owner of multiple Mk1s and you still have to rub it in our faces about your midday dalliances with Petra? Sheesh...



Thanks for the awesome recaps - really enjoying this build!


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

scirocco*joe said:


> No horns


Hello My good Internet friend. My horn has been dead on my Scirocco for the last 20 years or so. Horn Schmorn...


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

echassin said:


> I lol'd
> 
> First things first, the shorter serpentine belt arrived and I'll be darned, it's perfect:
> View attachment 60239
> ...


I just have to say - the belt setup makes me SO HAPPY! I didn't know that a 1.8T could be simplified to this degree and it is freaking brilliant!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe: don't lay it on too thick, an-, wait, you know a constitutional is just a _walk_, right? 

@Timbo:Agreed; at first I didn't like the bulky tensioner and wanted to delete that too, but changing the belt literally takes 30 seconds and the tension will always be perfect. Now I love the thing.

@Marc: I don't wanna search to quote it, but the same discussion came up in the Stepchild build and my response was _exactly_ the same as yours: horns schmorns! I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the wipers; maybe I did a good job hiding that in the list. I'll be ready: "wipers schmipers!". There's nothing quite as satisfying as a well-composed retort.

No work today, I gotta heal some aches...


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> @Joe: don't lay it on too thick, an-, wait, you know a constitutional is just a _walk_, right?


Constitutional? I thought you said consummational! 

😂🤣



echassin said:


> @Marc: I don't wanna search to quote it, but the same discussion came up in the Stepchild build and my response was _exactly_ the same as yours: horns schmorns! I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the wipers; maybe I did a good job hiding that in the list. I'll be ready: "wipers schmipers!". There's nothing quite as satisfying as a well-composed retort.


Well, given your aversion to drive any of your cars in the rain, I thought this was more of the same. Plus, a good coat of rain-x (or even regular clay bar cleaning) can allow for plenty of water beading and runoff. 

Carry on!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

"Carry on!"

Yessir. After some Advil I felt pretty good soooooo,

MC, clutch cylinder, ABS pump, pedals:








Boy, it took _way_ longer to do it than to type it! The main obstacle was a plastic clip that holds the booster push rod to the brake pedal. It's a sturdy nylon snap-in affair and I had to stare at it and manipulate it for a while before realizing it needs to be sacrificed to remove everything. Easy availability of the clip on EBay from numerous sellers seems to corroborate that. Thanks Audi, _gives finger_

At that point the firewall is mostly cleared inside and out:

















You can see that the firewall is a separate piece of tin that is bolted in; I've not seen that before and I assume it has to do with ease of manufacturing.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

Sorry for the night mares induced by my misery. I wont show you the video of the front wheel bearing falling out of the front knuckle I refurbished. Your car is definitely cleaner than mine started out.
Yeah, that clip on the clutch rod is the devil. Shared with all the mk4's.
They started the bolt in firewall back with the mk3 chassis. I'm sure manufacturing ease and also right hand/left hand drive versatility.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

I thought the morning constitutional was when you sat on the throne and did your business and hopefully had some paperwork afterwards if you could find any rolls that hadn't been hoarded by others. 

As far as the horn, the only time mine have been used in 30 years is when they were honked to pass inspection. 

Ignore the detractors. Yours is the only opinion that matters. 

-OE


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## vwdaun (Oct 7, 2001)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> Ignore the detractors. Yours is the only opinion that matters.


This. And realistically, in the 19 years that the detracting individual has been on the 'tex, just about everything he posts is negative.

While I'm not super active on here these days, I have been lurking and watching the progress. I, for one, agree with the majority - looking forward to seeing the finished product.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Sips morning coffee_ Hi guys! _wave_ Thanks for checking in!

What a day yesterday... Ref.: mobbing of the Capitol, as a Frenchman, the Bastille comes to mind: Storming of the Bastille - Wikipedia. Also, our suburban paper showed a CCTV screen capture of a person casing a local home in broad daylight and holding a large hand gun. Having all of our societal ills so poignantly illustrated is a tough thing to process objectively. @Daun: in the same vein, 19 years is a long time to nurture one's anger no matter what the perceived slight(s). I confess I'm prone to doing that and hopefully this will all serve as a good teaching moment... Wait, _now_ I'm suddenly reminded of this movie scene: 




Off topic a bit, but hey, it's my thread, Back to the matter at hand, today will continue the easy slide into Home Plate ref.: bare shell ready for metal work. Fuel and brake lines, firewall, electrical system out.

I think I'll anchor the entire electrical system to a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the general layout of the car so that I can move it around without straining or damaging it, and use the board as a jig to index where all the fasteners go during the deleting/rewrapping process.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> I think I'll anchor the entire electrical system to a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the general layout of the car so that I can move it around without straining or damaging it, and use the board as a jig to index where all the fasteners go during the deleting/rewrapping process.


Plywood idea is brilliant! 

You've also re-inspired me to start up my Scirocco troubleshooting. I've always been somewhat unhappy with my fuse and relay panel and have suspected it might be a problem area. I found a NOS one on eBay for a reasonable price, so I pulled the trigger! I also got a couple of those wheel jack caster combos to better move it around in the garage since it is not under its own power. 

Thanks, Eric!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref.: plywood, necessity is the mother of invention; I can't very well decipher this mess as-is:








This is everything except the engine harnesses, and there are two of those:

















(The upper one in the second pic is the positive distribution harness/alternator/starter)

Fuel and brake lines, and various shields:









Which leaves me with a completely bare shell:



























For today's little gripe about how cars are not made to be serviced, I give you exhibit "A", the hole in the firewall that is too small to pass the harness if it needs to be replaced.








This is a slot in the driver side firewall insert that already contains the main harness when the factory bolts the firewall into the shell. To free the harness, you need to remove the firewall except that there's a generous bead of urethane contained in a deep stamped channel so it cannot be cut.

The harness was tantalizingly close to fitting through the original hole, but not without excessive force, and to take such risks was out of the question, so I enlarged the hole. I'll have to fix it with the firewall out, and it'll need to be torched out (melt the urethane). Thanks Audi _gives finger_

It took about a week to get from a running car to a bare shell, and with only a few repairs to do. Not too bad.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Years ago I had to replace a wiring harness on a S Class under an extended warranty issue. Mercedes was trying to total the car. I did get it back on the road. $18k. The harness is layed out before anything is installed and is not really designed to be replaced. I'm not surprised with your troubles.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Butcher said:


> Years ago I had to replace a wiring harness on a S Class under an extended warranty issue. Mercedes was trying to total the car. I did get it back on the road. $18k. The harness is layed out before anything is installed and is not really designed to be replaced. I'm not surprised with your troubles.





echassin said:


> The harness was tantalizingly close to fitting through the original hole, but not without excessive force, and to take such risks was out of the question, so I enlarged the hole. I'll have to fix it with the firewall out, and it'll need to be torched out (melt the urethane). Thanks Audi _gives finger_


Eric,
Kind of OT but it reminds me of the high cost of harnesses. If the TT harness needs to be replaced a used one may have to come from Germany. 

It sounds like you took all precautions to get it out intact (unlike American junk yards - see rant below).

Are you using pin extractors and saving everything until you are finished?

I have had to buy new harnesses before. They are very expensive. The Phaeton main harness was over $20K last I looked but I think it's NLA now. The trunk harness is about $500.00 and is a high failure item what with it being full of wires that move and bend. For some reason, people think that wires should be able to bend and move forever. Not even military systems have wiring that can bend indefinitely, but I digress...

American junk yards almost always cut harnesses to get them out of cars and will literally cut the harness at the switch so they can give you a $15.00 wire housing (connector) and cut a $1K harness to save that "valuable" connector.

One guy on the Phaeton forum could probably use a new engine harness but the only one available on eBay has been cut like a side of beef. It's split in half and the halves were cut where they couldn't be bothered to wait a day until other stuff was out of the way. He needs the whole living steer not a side. The harness is completely useless except as scrap and maybe not even good for that. It's not even good as a source for connectors because the seller wants too much for each side of harness. If you have the car, you have the connectors. Even if some of yours are bad, you can get the part numbers right from the connectors themselves and buy them new. If you are building a hot rod with the engine you also need an entire harness, not cut up sections.

German eBay sellers will usually sell you a whole used harness, even a main harness.

End of rant.

-OE


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## 81type53s (Sep 19, 2016)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> Eric,
> Kind of OT but it reminds me of the high cost of harnesses. If the TT harness needs to be replaced a used one may have to come from Germany.
> 
> It sounds like you took all precautions to get it out intact (unlike American junk yards - see rant below).
> ...


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## 81type53s (Sep 19, 2016)

Kudos on organization and tidiness all of the time!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

18k, 20k... wow, that's just gouging; not cool. One of the reasons I got a whole running car was to avoid the high cost of hunting stuff piecemeal.

I'm working on the body harness because it's the one that has the most deletions to do, and the sheer number of tiny wires in the garbage can is scary. I'm referring to the schematics to avoid causing harm but there's no way to know if I ufcked up till the car is reassembled.

The two backup plans if there are major problems: 1) Another body harness that I run intact with tons of open connectors taunting me. I already know that would work but I wouldn't do that because 2) the immobilizer and/or the AWD control would be the only challenges, and both can be overcome in the aftermarket as would be done in a true Haldex mk1 swap.

The engine bay harnesses are like what we're used to so I'm not worried about those.

@OE: usually I take the pin out or at least I cut the wire short against the connector. Occasionally I cut a wire in the harness and tape off the end; usually that's if I need to unravel an entire fat loom for one lousy wire, or if a "Y" in the harness is glued and I can't get past it without undue risk. The stock harness is full of crimped connections and wires doubling back on themselves, so what I'm doing is no worse IMO.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

$18k charged to Mercedes. 80 hours of logistical night mare [Every harness in the world was built wrong], 3 engineers sent to the dealership so I can show them what is wrong [pictures were not good enough], eventually me butchering the original harness to the new harness, etc. Gouging? I think I walked away with straight time, not my regular 150-160% efficiency. I know who's paycheck was low those weeks.

One other thing, would you really want a technician to replace your body harness on a newer car? Do you think it would be put together again with the love and dedication that they would on their own personal car? I know what goes on in the back, I certainly would not. 

Wiring is really not that difficult. Certainly not like people make it out to be. There is just so much of it. You keep working one by one and when you are done, it will work. Rust repair and body work is the hard stuff.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Oof. Lunch break.

I hope you didn't take my comment badly, I know your time/effort/skill is probably undercompensated as is common in many industries where the real money is being made by those who dirty their hands the least... I figured you meant the customer had to pay 18k to get the harness that you then had to install.

"You keep working one by one and when you are done, it will work." Mark, from your mouth to God's ears...


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Butcher said:


> Wiring is really not that difficult. Certainly not like people make it out to be. There is just so much of it. You keep working one by one and when you are done, it will work. Rust repair and body work is the hard stuff.


Quoted for truth.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> View attachment 60884


At first glance, I was like: Why is the shell two colors? Hum, ok, I will go make some more coffee. I need it.

But it tells us on how good the mating of the two shells has been done so far. This is great!


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

I personally will unpin anything I need to. Never cut wires. Also as an aside the proper terminals, seals, and housings are available to recrimp new wire ends on just about anything via Mouser or DigiKey. TE connectivity or AMP junior power timer connectors. They also have all the mk1/S1 terminals. The bigger problem I have found is correct wire size with correct color markings. I have found some wiring so I can usually muddle thru even if I have to up size a wire gauge.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

hasnfefr said:


> I personally will unpin anything I need to. Never cut wires. Also as an aside the proper terminals, seals, and housings are available to recrimp new wire ends on just about anything via Mouser or DigiKey. TE connectivity or AMP junior power timer connectors. They also have all the mk1/S1 terminals. The bigger problem I have found is correct wire size with correct color markings. I have found some wiring so I can usually muddle thru even if I have to up size a wire gauge.


Slightly off topic for Eric's thread, but I used this source for a lot of wiring color combos. 


https://4rcustomswire.com/


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

tuiterwyk said:


> Slightly off topic for Eric's thread, but I used this source for a lot of wiring color combos.


Ted, I'm trying to_ subtract_ wires, not _add_ them 



hasnfefr said:


> Never cut wires.


Never say never :








I sure am using the "" emoticon a lot these days...



LT1M21Stingray said:


> At first glance, I was like: Why is the shell two colors? Hum, ok, I will go make some more coffee. I need it.
> 
> But it tells us on how good the mating of the two shells has been done so far. This is great!


Thanks and yes, so far that has been the most satisfying part of the project.

So here's the result of two full days, four rolls of heavy-duty loom tape, and ten aching fingers:








I mean sure, it's no 1959 Beetle, but this is _much_ more manageable. As originally made it could hardly be moved without straining it. Now it can be gently rolled up on top of the relay panels and stored in a small pile.

Of course if the car won't start I already know who I'm gonna blame:








I had to repair two small wires that were looped around themselves right under the tape. I cut them by accident struggling with the wrap, which I've mentioned before is held with Acme Cartoon Glue. Still, overall the process went well. I don't have many wires in the garbage that I couldn't explain, and for the rest I need to trust that they were already stumps last time the car ran, ergo safe to delete.

As soon as the driveway is dry I'll drag the shell outside and sandblast the rust in the Scirocco's cowl so I can assess how much of it needs to be cut out. Ted gave me a nice big patch panel  (I'm trying to use other emoticons so I seem like a balanced individual).

I also need to get the steel to begin mating the two cars. Oh, and welding gas, that isht goes _fast_.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Sips coffee_

Well, based on this morning's news the world is going to isht even worse than before . That might be because last week I consciously thought that it _wouldn't_ get any worse, which must've been a jinx and I apologize for that.

The car plan has to go out of order for a while: I can't mate the two shells yet because the undersides of the Scirocco's cowl and A-pillars need to be blasted, but the TT's rain tray tin blocks access. I could take the more common approach and just replace the soft steel, then rust-convert the rest, but I prefer a rust-free result as much as possible. Therefore I need to brace/remove the entire Scirocco shell and turn it on its side for full exposure. Large-scale blasting makes an awful mess and needs to happen outside but the driveway is a wet mess, so I'm a little stuck.

In order to keep things moving, I got a bunch of brushes and I'll start to scrape off oil and grime. That'll minimize grinding and blasting residue getting stuck everywhere and I need things de-greased in the long run anyways for the color change to black.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

"Never say never :"
Ha ha ha ha, I love it!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Today's result:








There's a few holes I'll fill in but that's it.

Tomorrow I'll do the front wheel wells, next day the bottom.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

So shiny and clean!


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Butcher said:


> Wiring is really not that difficult. Certainly not like people make it out to be. There is just so much of it. You keep working one by one and when you are done, it will work. Rust repair and body work is the hard stuff.


It's the easiest part for me because it's what I did at work.

Eric, you are taking the right approach.

At work we did continuity checks on brand new harnesses going into brand new systems. We would stick a positive probe in one end and a negative probe in the other end and twist and move the harness to make sure it kept continuity in all possible situations.. Trust but verify.

With VW harnesses, I use VW terminal made by Wurth so I don't spread the female terminals. I use sewing needles as probes for the smaller female terminals in more modern VWs.

-OE


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I didn't do many continuity checks, maybe I should do more...

As promised, front wheel wells:

















Not exciting? Tough, they took all day so I'm posting 'em! In that vein, I'd like to say that none of us (me included) are doing future restorers any favors when we soak the layers of dirt in our wheel wells with black spray-on undercoating... I redid all the labelling as I went so I know which holes and studs to delete and which ones to keep.

Tomorrow I'll start on the bottom.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

Rubberized undercoat is the devil. I agree with your statement. I can at least emulsify asphalt based undercoating. My 62 ghia I a nightmare because of it.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Bottom:








I spent most of the time under the bay because further back it's just road grime and it should rinse off easily with the car on its side.

In anticipation of separating the two cars for rust work, I refined the rear frame rails which were a bit, ah... rough...

Before:









After:









Other side before:









After:









Pic of the whole shell just because it's cool sitting there like that:









Tomorrow's plan: bring the other 16V to my neighbor's house, brace the Scirocco shell, and separate the two cars to begin cowl rust repairs.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

looking great!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

OK, big day today! The car is separated again to begin metal work. First thing was to bring the other 16V over to my neighbor's house. She's a Saint but also one of my many enabler's...

In anticipation, I did a few things to make life easier when the two cars are mated again. First issue is the Scirocco's cowl doesn't quite reach the TT's rain tray structure:









Template:








The reason I did this now is that the new extended metal here will also replace the rusty cowl metal underneath, one piece, all the way back to the A-pillar. Leaving it long here would make re-seating the body a challenge. This way it'll drop in and be ready to weld.

Next, more jack stands because, well, more jack stands:








This is to make sure the TT half stays aligned as I crawl all over it with my post-Holiday bulk...

Then I braced the Scirocco shell so it stays aligned as it gets moved around, tilted, cut, etc...:


















The car had a bunch of these little temporary brackets holding everything straight:









One knows things are OK when the brackets are cut, yet they stay aligned:








When I mate the two cars again, I'll weld these as-is to re-set the body's position and then I'll cut them off once the cars are permanently mated.

With all the brackets cut, the body is free:








At first I was wondering how I was going to attach my tiptisserie to the shell, but it turns out the thing is very light weight and sits comfortably as-is. Petra and I got the body off just the two of us.

No tiptissery needed, the thing can be tilted up no problem with one hand:








One can already see in this pic why I need the shell up like this, the cowl is really rusty and this is the only way to get full access.

Not just the parts one cuts out to stop a windshield leak, it's _all_ rusty:








This will get cut open, blasted, and repaired. The cardboard template I pictured earlier will be the forward extension of new flat tin welded lateral to the hood hinge and tied into the A-pillar.

Turns out I can only attach 10 pictures to a post, so to be continued in the next post:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

To continue:

The other corner of the cowl isn't as bad:









And finally, the general layout of the garage now:








Very manageable. Under the sheets is the engine/gearbox, front and rear suspension and fuel tank, all complete assemblies to minimize mess and later confusion, and covered to keep debris from the metal work away. Don't worry about Marlene's open hood, she's OK; she's just getting a trickle charge.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

There's so much metal work to do that it doesn't matter what order I go in, I can just pick a spot and start working. 

I could have mated the two cars as they were but I want a decent looking result. For example, the rear frame rails were fine, but still a little crude:








There are still remnants of the TT's wheel well, un-needed brackets, tar paper sound deadening, large access holes, and thick Schutz coating.

This is a day's work:








Everything silver used to be inside the trunk, but now it will be in the wheel well. The brackets and TT wheel well remnants had to be removed along with any finishes that would contaminate welds. Cutting things off left open seams which weakened everything a lot, so that and filling holes took a lot of cleaning and welding.

I'll do the other rail tomorrow and if I have time, I'll box in the new rear bumper mounts (they're still just tacked in):


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Eric, this is amazing! I haven't been on here in ages it seems, and this is what I am greeted with checking in. I love it. Over the years, I have wondered what it would be like to do this with a Scirocco and a MkV GTI, but just theoretically. Leave it to you to be the person that is actually combining two cars.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

crazyaboutrocs said:


> Eric, this is amazing! I haven't been on here in ages it seems, and this is what I am greeted with checking in. I love it. Over the years, I have wondered what it would be like to do this with a Scirocco and a MkV GTI, but just theoretically. Leave it to you to be the person that is actually combining two cars.


Amen, John!


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

What a true craftsmen; looks like you were going for a meniscus surgery, saw some sort of ISCT/ ACL/ DAC stuff when within the beast, and is dealing with all that's thrown at you with poise, analysis, and true craftsmanship. You sir, are inspirational, as I have had a TT frame, and a donor Mk1 Rocco for the last 10 years, but you beat me to it  (BTW just threw those medical acronyms to look like I was knowing a few things about them, but I don't  )


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Eric, what are you using to remove the body shutz when needed?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

crazyaboutrocs said:


> I haven't been on here in ages


_wave_ I noticed that. Joined Darth Zuckerberg, have you? Edit: sorry I missed your question; the Schutz comes off in no time with one of these twisted wire wheels on the angle grinder: 2 CALHAWK 4-1/2" KNOTTED WIRE BRUSH WHEELS 5/8"-11 THREADS 4.5" ANGLE GRINDERS 91044262677 | eBay. You just need to wear full coverage because the wire bits are nasty if they hit you.

Thanks for the supportive comments, today I did the other rear frame rail:









I also welded up the rear bumper mounts, and while quite strong, the welds are so hideous that I can't post a pic until they're blasted clean and covered with seam sealer, which BTW is a tactic I noticed VW/Audi uses plenty, so I don't feel _too_ bad about it. They cover gaps as big as 3/8".


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

Well, well. I have occasionally - ahem, very occasionally - perused this forum, and it has been kind of dead. So, despite the fact that this was the first forum I ever joined, and subscribed to like it was crack, it has been awhile. Then I click on it out of curiosity, and Sir Eric is starting a Scirocco project of epic proportion, with all of the detail, expertise, humor that I have missed for years.

Subscribed to this. And so good to see all of the old names...ginster, daun, Timob, sciroccojoe......

In the immortal words of Mr. Berra - it's deja vu all over again!

Oh - and my 81S project, after many years is still in progress. I have a bet that if it is not running my April - I have to sell it!

Last - I was "OorsciroccO" for years, but somehow lost it when the Vortex did some platform change.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Welcome back, Craig! 

Since we're all having a good craic, it seems appropriate to also have a good Craig!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hi Craig, welcome back! These past few weeks folks have been coming back which is great to see. Ref: 81S, Craig, I have the image of your freshly painted Cirrus grey shell in my mind and realized that it was almost 10 years ago. You better have some parts bolted to it by now, Mister (and post pics).

Over here, things will move quickly as soon as the driveway dries out and I can blast. Conceptually there are four areas to weld in order to fully mate the cars: rear frame rails/rear wheel wells, cowl/upper front frame rails, A-pillars/front wheel wells, and the rocker panels/B-pillar/sills. Before doing that I needed to expose any areas that won't be accessible later, namely the rear corners and the cowl corners.

Rear corner before:








The vertical tin is not needed because the TT has it and it's already contoured to access the rear shock bolt:









Removing the duplicate layer will eliminate the possibility of moisture problems:









The other side looks scarier than it is, it needs to be clearanced for the bulky TT filler pipe assembly:








I have the tin plus Rabbit inner arches to go with the larger Rabbit outer arches, so this area will fill in quickly.

Next up the cowl corners. Before:

















Screwdriver is pointing out abundant seam sealer substituting for quality fitment...

After exposure for blasting:


















And with the 18 gauge upper piece of the frame rail reconstructions, to be welded in as soon as I can get outside to blast everything clean:


















10 pics limit, so to be continued...


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

...aaaand continued, other side:

















The old tin had one MIG weld to the A-pillar and that's it. This new tin is thicker gauge and it's larger. It will be welded to A-pillar, the hood hinge mount and the firewall, plus it's just the upper piece of a box assembly that will project back from the TT upper frame rail into the Scirocco A-pillar. The upper A-pillar fender bolt landing will be covered in the process, a small price to pay IMO.

There's plenty of metal tidying to do while waiting for the driveway to dry; it probably won't be photogenic, we'll see. Till then adios _salutes_


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I just got another 80 pounds of coal slag but I'm still waiting for the sleet to dry up so I can drag the car outside for blasting.

I get alerts whenever the thread gets "liked" and those make for a good day thaaaankyouverymuch, plus Vortex just awarded me a bunch of "points" for attaining a threshold (25 IIRC), maybe a large check will be forthcoming?

I spent the last two days cleaning the rubber undercoating off of the the rear wheel wheels and rear frame rails:

















Maybe we could draft a petition to make the use of undercoating as Wheel-Well-Back-To-Black a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Here's how the massive TT rocker panels are made:









There are four layers of 18 gauge steel that essentially make up three "tubes", and cutting off the outer two layers still leaves a "tube" that is beefier than a Mk1 Scirocco assembly. Obviously with AWD and huge torque, more steel is better, hence the 1/8" steel rockers I'm having made. They'll be welded to the outer surface of the second layer counting from the top of the picture. As I look at things, it'll be easier to clean up the A and B pillar areas and weld the top edge of new rockers before mating the cars, so I'll trim down the TT rockers now instead of after the mating as was originally planned. The car is very light now and it's supported by 8 jack stands so I don't think anything will move.

The last remnants of the TT A-pillars can also come off now:








I hope things apparent from the pictures. The flat sorta-triangular panel will stay and it lines up nicely with a similar panel that I cut off the Scirocco when I discarded the front half of the unibody. It just needs to be extended a bit. At the very top of the picture is the TT upper frame rail which is much beefier than the thin lip on a Scirocco. That rail will tie into the Scirocco A-pillar nicely at the expense of one fender bolt hole at the top of the A-pillar.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Whenever anyone says "Do work, son!" I am going to refer them to this thread.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

[/QUOTE]


echassin said:


> _wave_ I noticed that. Joined Darth Zuckerberg, have you? Edit: sorry I missed your question; the Schutz comes off in no time with one of these twisted wire wheels on the angle grinder: 2 CALHAWK 4-1/2" KNOTTED WIRE BRUSH WHEELS 5/8"-11 THREADS 4.5" ANGLE GRINDERS 91044262677 | eBay. You just need to wear full coverage because the wire bits are nasty if they hit you.


Yeah, Darth Zuckerberg, other stuff, work, life, and losing motivation for a bit. 
I've used those wire wheels too. Yeah, definitely have to watch out for those suckers. Have you tried a needle scaler? I have yet too, but a guy I know uses one to remove undercoating and he loves the thing.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I saw a video once of a needle scaler but forgot about them until you mentioned it. I know they work well on anything hard that can be chipped but IDK about gooey stuff. There's also the issue of power tool access, sometimes even a toothbrush is a tight fit.

On the car, there's only so much I can do with the crappy weather, plus the boys are schooling at home so I can't make a bunch of noise cutting. I spent today cleaning the inner panels on the right side. The large amount of welding and the color change to black mandate that every surface be cleaned and it's really tedious. I don't want to have the thing caustic dipped so brushes and elbow grease it is:








I scrubbed off the contact glue that held the upholstery and the wax/Cosmoline from the inside of the panels. I didn't sweat the arches because they're getting replaced.

Edit: here's how I'm handling the rear shock towers:








I don't need the upper perches because of the way the TT's springs are laid out, but there was an easy opportunity to stiffen up the rear so I'll take advantage of it. The upper gusset will tie into a steel bar that follows the top edge of the rear seat to the other side, so the result won't be visually obtrusive. The hatch cover will be hinged on the cross bar, so I won't need to source two of those ridiculous little clips.

I'll start cleaning the left side tomorrow, here's how it starts:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, the driveway is finally dry but it's windy, so no blasting yet. 

Left side devoid of anything gooey:









This is the first I've really looked at the roof skin, it has the usual insulation and glue mess on it:









The glue is hard from sun heat and there's some rust, both of which will mostly sand off. There are also a few dents, but thankfully none of them go "boink":









I got the shielding gas refilled and I'm ordering the various gauges of steel needed to mate the cars and finish the metal work.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

I'm still laughing over here at the "work stand" for the shell......


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

cuppie said:


> I'm still laughing over here at the "work stand" for the shell......


When your a hard core restorer, ya sleep on the floor. The car gets the bed! 

Get your rest E, we're waiting on the next update.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Sips morning coffee_ 

Ah yes, that mattress has seen some good times ("that's what she said!"):








I want to lean the Scirocco shell up for cleaning and blasting but there's no convenient place to a rotisserie. I've seen folks use old tires but I haven't kept any and this works OK.

The plan today is to cut off the TT rockers and A-pillars but I'll wait till the boys are up (they've been keeping some weird hours...), so I passed the time drawing out the steps as I currently see them (be kind, I don't know how to do one of those neat computer animations).

Stock TT "3 tubes" rocker setup, all 18 gauge steel:









After today's anticipated cuts:








Down to "1 tube" but this is still beefier than a Mk1 Scirocco setup because the "tube" encloses the same volume and the steel is thicker.

After welding the beefy new rockers I'm having made out of .125" steel, back up to "2 tubes":









After initial mating of the two cars:









After final metal work:








Back to "3 tubes" that are set inboard to narrow the car as much as possible. The loss of volume enclosed by the "tubes" weakens the structure some, hence the thicker gauge steel, plus it'll all be seam welded, not spot welded. The gorgeous TT seats fit without modification and the TT carpet fits with minimal modification.

See y'all later _wave_


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alright! That wasn't as nasty a job as I thought it would be:








At long last the car doesn't have that way-too-wide look.

Here's a better look at the triangular panel and upper frame rail that will tie in nicely with the Scirocco's A-pillar:









Here's a look at the side layout, which betrays that my drawings are conceptual only, not truly accurate:








The horizontal piece with the four holes in it will remain, so the final rocker assembly will be taller than I'd like. It's one of the compromises I'm making to increase the chances of success, but I'll try to disguise it. As tempting as it is to think that it could be cut off to improve the car's lines, it's two layers of 18 gauge and it's strong. It's the forward projection of the rear swing-arm housing (the boxed section on the left of the photo) and it ties the housing to the front of the car. It really can't be removed without totally changing the rear suspension geometry, which I want to avoid (that was part of the reason for doing a body swap in the first place).


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Have you found any interesting "deposits" inside the frames of either of these cars?

When I cut up my first 84 Scirocco - I found a 1983 penny from Guernsey inside the right firewall area, where the control arm juts out. I have no idea why some assembly line worker in Osnabrück would have put that in there, and what the significance was, but it was freaking cool.


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## first_rocc (Apr 9, 2005)

TheTimob said:


> When I cut up my first 84 Scirocco - I found a 1983 penny from Guernsey inside the right firewall area, where the control arm juts out. I have no idea why some assembly line worker in Osnabrück would have put that in there, and what the significance was, but it was freaking cool.


My dad worked for Studebaker before and after WW2. He said that at times when the union was at odds with management over something, that random bolts, nuts, or washers ended up inside body panels. Tough to find those rattles!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The only thing I found in the rockers was an M8 bolt that I fumbled while removing the TT's doors . I've heard rumors of beer cans in some of the Westmoreland GTIs, but that may just be Urban Myth; what I can attest to is that my GTI has seam sealer flung all over it _except_ along the seams, and I can't help but think that low morale had something to do with it.

I was all set to blast today but the driveway is covered with snow again...

I spent the morning removing the contact cement that holds the interior textiles and rubber seals to all the window openings:

















The upper lip of the hatch seal landing is rusted through, but it's one layer of steel so it'll be easy to reconstruct.

Next I drilled 92 spot welds that held the rockers to the rest of the car:

















It's one thing to lop of the rockers, it's another thing entirely to get all the retained lips off. It needs to be done because there's no point in seam welding to a joint that is itself spot-welded.

As with all new skills, it started badly but once I got the hang of it, I moved along pretty quick. I opted for spot-weld cutters, rather than the traditional bits I've seen that wear out fast. I had to drill a pilot hole for each weld, but the cutter goes through in only 2-3 seconds and the first one is still sharp.

I'm not sure why the inner rocker panel isn't just a single vertical piece of tin that goes front to back. It's a bunch of separate bits that aren't connected. I'm tempted to fill it all in but I think there might be a reason they did it this way, IDK. I compromised by incorporating a 2" vertical section in the 0.125 rockers I'm having bent, so it should all be plenty strong when it's welded.

Tomorrow I'll clean out all the cavity wax.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Tomorrow I'll clean out all the cavity wax.


Why not keep it? 

Classic Jaguar uses it to keep their restorations rust free as long as possible. The Jaguar factory didn't have any rust proofing. That's why they rusted away and you can't trust a repainted Jag without photographs of the restoration. 

The cavity wax Classic Jaguar uses can be welded through.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Hey e, can I ask a favor? Could you post a time and cost accumulation with Your updates? While I don't expect this to become the $6M Scirocco rebuild, it would be nice to know how close you come. It would give me a greater appreciation of you effort to create the first SciroTTo.

Keep up the good work!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Someone's got to ask, Where did you find the Oompa Loompa's? I swear, every picture, the place is fairly picked up. I really need to get a few as long as they work nights and are quiet.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mark: Mentally, messes overwhelm me easily so I budget 1/2 hour every day to clean up. As for storage, my neighbor has the two 16Vs, large subassemblies are covered in a corner, and I have a shop in the basement with all the other subassemblies:









I don't budget any time selling or storing un-needed items, which has burned me: Daun has repeatedly bailed me out with little more than a quietly judgmental gaze... If you're wondering what I did with the rest of the TT, nobody asked for anything and it won't hurt to remind everyone of my standing policy: if it looks like I'm not using something, come pick it up or ask me to put it aside, it's free. Otherwise it goes in the garbage.

@ OE: The OEM wax is thick, but it runs all over in the heat of welding, and it contaminates the welds/catches fire. Also, the factory coverage is spotty and all the new metal will need protection; I'll wax all vulnerable cavities and areas after paint. I haven't decided on the brand, but something like this: 



.

@Ed: I'll include the time/money budget at the bottom of each post. Some folks think that's unsavory, but I don't mind. I've been loosely tallying anyways:

Cost: TT, Scirocco, downpipe, wheels/tires, Rabbit arches/inner wells, steel, rockers, cutoff wheels, tape, tarps, cleaners, blast media, special tools, shielding gas, welding wire, wiring supplies, etc... total $6600. Body work supplies will be about $1000 (filler, primer, paint, solvents/additives, sandpaper, tape/paper, etc...) and mechanical rehab about $5000 (brake parts, timing belt/pump, control arms, hoses, etc...). Total budget $15000 to allow for surprises, body seals, parts I'm still missing, etc... That seems low but I already have lots of tools and I started with a running TT. I'm also the constant recipient of "care packages", i.e.: things often just show up when I need them. Things like the airdam frame need mentioning and are difficult to price, it falls into the "who you know" category and there's a lot of that when you get into your 50's. Also, and this is not meant as a slam, Money's-No-Object is out of the question, success includes some measure of cost-effectiveness (i.e.: I'll use filler on the body, not lead). Lastly, I'm not including the cost of salvaging my left eye...

Time: I work from after breakfast till mid afternoon with a lunch break, so let's say 4-5 hours a day. Some days are longer, some days I do nothing. Guesstimating unproductive stretches, I've worked on the project 200 days, so 1000 hours.

We'll start the Doomsday Clock today at $6600 and 1000 hours.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

A-pillar and rocker landing areas are ready to receive new metal:

















I'll grind off the finishes only where the welds will be and only when the time comes. I'm fortunate the the rocker panel rot was confined to the parts I cut off. The rest didn't get hit with salt spray so it's as good as new.

Doomsday Clock: $6600 and 1003 hours.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

I know it is kind of thankless work to clean the inside of those sills, but DAMN they look pretty. 



Appreciation for work well done, even if will end up hidden.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> The only thing I found in the rockers was an M8 bolt that I fumbled while removing the TT's doors .


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Finding the bolt and nothing else (rot) felt like Victory.

Today I started scrubbing the bottom. I was gonna do it with the car on its side but I have to go out of order due to inclement weather (snowy driveway --> no blasting --> no welding --> weak structure --> no tilting). I got the back half cleaned, exposing some surface rust to blast, around the spring perches and some of the brackets:








In this view you can really see how widely set the rear swing arm housings are. To fit that under a mk1 Scirocco one either widens the Scirocco as I'm doing, or one narrows the rear suspension, which requires a deeper understanding of suspension geometry than I have. Also, I've decided my rear bumper mount welds don't look so bad, so I did not avoid photographing them today.

Just before the color conversion to black, I'll blast/repair any damaged Schutz coating and mist the bottom with Schutz-colored paint like I did on our 16Vs:








It's relatively easy to do and it produces a pleasing and durable result.

From now on I'll just list the cost/time tallies in lone numeric form. Anyone who doesn't see this explanation will wonder WTH the two numbers are at the bottom of every post .

6600/1007


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Myum yum yum:









I just picked them up and they fit great. Most of the TT's lower pinch weld will get trimmed off to minimize the overall height of the rocker panel, which is still excessive.

Or is it? I couldn't help taping one of them up to Marlene to get a sense of the final look:








You have to image the wider Rabbit arches that will tie into the top of the rocker panels (I didn't want to risk paint scratches), but overall I like it!


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Not excessive, your new wheels are larger than Marlene's 
so your lower clearance should be at least an inch higher?


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Is anyone else amazed that Eric would put a piece of raw steel that close to Marlene's pristine paintjob?

Seriously, those look great!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe: I was careful. Very careful. _Very_ careful. Extra-eeeemly careful.

@Ed: The ride height will indeed be about 1" higher (old pic taken during fitting of panel gaps):








Ref. ride height: the wheels/tires are 2" smaller diameter than a TT's setup so that actually _lowers_ the chassis about 1". This TT also has an H&R kit on it which lowers the chassis another 1 1/2". On the flip side, the Rabbit arches sit 1" higher because of the way they fit best and that gives the illusion of raising the ride height. Also, I took about 1000 pounds off the car which raises the chassis by an unknown amount, especially in back. With all the parameters in play, I couldn't predict how the car would sit so I just verified things by weighing down the trial-fitted car.

BTW, I'm omitting the sway bars on the first go-around of the build because I don't know how the car will handle with all these changes. I know that a GTI oversteers without its front sway bar (usually done to clear a bigger exhaust), so my hope is that I can tweak this car's handling by adding in one or the other of the sway bars as needed. If not, I'll need to enlist actual expertise...

Today I cleaned the rest of the bottom:








Pretty good shape overall. The far side frame rail in the picture had been improperly jacked and was -- jacked. I gave it the bidnez.

I called the National Weather Service to order up a string of warm/dry days so I can blast/weld but it turns out, and I'm sure this will be a surprise to all of you as much as it was to me, they only _report_ the weather, they don't actually _change_ it. Harumph.

6600/1012


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

I thought you said u were an old man working alone.. Yesterday the car was in sections and today its back together. Very impressive for 6 hrs of work. Me thinks you have a couple of gearage elves helpen ya.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

echassin said:


> Ref. ride height: the wheels/tires are 2" smaller diameter than a TT's setup so that actually _lowers_ the chassis about 1".


I was also surprised that anything got that close to Marlene.
Either way, great progress!
While you wait for your weather order to be delivered.....
Was there discussion about programming to correct the speedometer for the smaller diameter?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed, that pic is from when I was verifying how everything would sit; sadly the cars are still separate (but clean!):









@Ted: I did some ground work before starting a thread, and I just sprinkled posts about it in the ChitChat thread; that was to allow the project to disappear quietly in the event of failure . I should try to incorporate all of that work here.

Ref. speedo: the wheels/tires are 10% smaller overall, so at 60 mph, the speedo would have shown 66mph. I did not want to affect the traction control program, so all the wheel speed sensors, vehicle speed sensor, etc... had to stay as-is. When I had the speedo apart to delete the airbag warning light, I noticed that the needle is driven by a stepper motor and it stays where you leave it. I placed the needle at 66mph, pried it off without moving the motor, and pressed it back on showing 60. Here's the result:








The large dot at zero is just a mark; there is no pin to hold the needle against a passive spring like on mechanical speedos. On my speedo the needle used to rest a little above zero, now it just sits a little below (the cardboard template is for a piece of 1/16" black textured ABS plastic, because I don't want a rounded instrument pod like the TT's in a car that is all sharp angles). My approach will get mixed reviews just based on principle, plus it'll be a little off at slow and high speeds.

Edit: today I started to lay out the A and B pillar foundations that will be welded 1/8" steel plates. Cardboard templates first:

















(The big square tube is an alignment jig)

There's plenty of space between the rear seat edge and the Scirocco's inner panel to fit plates that'll reinforce the B-pillars:








The notch in the seat edge was for a steel tube that tied the TT B-pillar to the floor, and I'd like to weld up something similar once the cars are mated.

BTW, the TT rockers and the rockers I hade made are obviously not structurally identical, but I was amused to find that they both weigh exactly 19 pounds:

















I just chose 1/8" thick plate as a gut-guess but I think that's really funny.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The right side rocker panel fit nicely. I beveled the edges it's fullly welded top and bottom; I hope it's as strong as it looks:


















I trimmed off the TT's lower pinch weld so it's flush with the lower edge of the new rocker panel. The result will look the same as when I taped it to Marlene except that the rear swing arm will peak out (akin to a drag bar on a muscle car).

Tomorrow I'll do the other side and Sunday I'll fab up and weld the A and B pillar plates.

6600/1016


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Other side welded:

















You can see evidence of flames even after all that cleaning... I still need to box off the ends, put in drains, tweak the welds, etc... but this is a strong flat foundation onto which I can build the rest.

Tomorrow I'll start on the A and B pillar plates.

6600/1020


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## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

That sign in your garage is nice. That means you let me park in your garage when my wife and me are coming back to the states for the second time? 😁👍


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Absolutely, we get Scirocco visitors now and then and you can come too! I got that sign for Petra as an ode to our on-going French/German rivalry, but I'm sure she'd let you borrow it.

We had to move a bunch of snow today, and then I was kinda tired, so I only got one A-pillar base done. Before:








The area is open because in order for Audi to make a TT look like a grotesquely mis-shapen egg, they had to make the base of the A-pillar really broad (curved). I can't have that because of course a mk1 Scirocco is entirely made of deliciously straight bends.

After removing extra metal and tweaking the template:









After tacking in a piece of steel (I went with 20 gauge, it's the same thickness as the inner sill):








The jig is to make sure everything stays flat, and pardon the popcorn.

After fully welding:

















I took lots of pictures to make it seem like I did more than I did.

Edit: this piece of steel is one of _many_ that are needed to fully mate the two cars. I did make out a conservative schedule while thinking about this project and doing one bit like this daily gets the shell done in a few months:








If I assume the weather stays wet till Spring, and can't blast till then, I think it ends up ready for paint around Labor Day, something like that. Then of course I still have to rehab the drivetrain, make the dash and center console, assemble it all and inevitably debug the result. So, no ETA on this thing, we'll just plug along and see when it plays out.

6600/1023


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Progressing amazingly fast Eric, So far all your pre-planning looks to be paying off. 

Did the sills need to be 3 mm thick ? that is a large slab of metal for a lightweight car. Have been showing your handicraft off to a few locals that are assessing the AWD concept into a Mk1 platform, hopefully your end result will convince them to go the TT route. 

Keep at it Mr, following from afar


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Edit: @ Grant: This is Amurika, we always build everything too beefy  . Once the cars are mated I'll be adding even more metal to triangulate these rockers into the rear frame rails and the upper front frame rails (along the top of the fenders). I do _not_ want this thing to come apart.

Other side:








(When the time comes, I'll need an access hole to fill the resulting cavity with wax.)

It's tedious because the pieces have to be completely flat, and the result needs to be strong without stress risers that could cause cracks:









Next is B-pillars, same idea.

6625 (grinding supplies)/1026


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

What happens if you choose too small? Certainly you would not want to do it again. Around these parts, bigger is better. Nothing that a few more psi boost couldn't hide.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

My rockers weigh the same as the TT's so there's no weight penalty, and after all the deletions the car shouldn't weigh more than a loaded mk1 VW. With AWD and 265 ft.lbs of torque, acceleration should be fantastic, and hopefully I'll avert structural failures. That being said, 3mm (11 gauge) _is_ awfully thick, maybe I should've used 2mm (14 gauge).

Today I started on the B-pillars. There are two initial problems to address: First, the Scirocco's outer quarter skin will be fillet-welded to the inner edge of my new rocker, and it doesn't align fully because a mk1's rocker bows in as it projects rearward. Note the gap that develops between the ruler and Marlene's quarter panel as you move aft:








I think I'll be able to pull that straight after cutting the inner arch, but I want to be prepared in case I can't.

The other issue is the top of the rear swing arm housing:








It's two layers of 20 gauge, and because of the TT's [hideous] curves, the top of the housing moves upwards as you move aft. I violated both layers of the housing at the rear edge, which weakens it some:









Both problems are solved by welding in a flat plate: I can live with the quarter skin's bow by allowing the fillet weld to migrate beyond the rocker edge; and I can weld the rear edge of swing arm housing to the underside of the plate and box in the end of the rocker at the same time I extend the inner arches.

Right side, tweaked template:









Steel plate tacked in with the alignment jig:









Fully welded:









And dressed:









Other side next, 6625/1029.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Other B-pillar base is done:









Now that the A and B pillar plates are done, I have a perfectly level base on which to build the rest:








I'll box in the open ends and round off the sharp corners at the same time I build the inner sills (after the cars are mated).

The new rockers are perfectly level:








(The bubble level is on the far side of the car and is parallel to the near side)

Today's work went a little quicker so I removed un-needed brackets all over the car, and I started to lay out the A-pillar joints:








You say you can't make heads or tails from the picture? That's OK, neither can I . It amounts to reinforcing the Scirocco's flimsy A-pillar with a vertical strip of 11 gauge "L" bar, and using that as the base onto which the TT's triangular wheel well panel is welded. Like everything else so far: not quite as strong as the TT was, but a lot stronger than a Scirocco is.

6625/1032


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I did the passenger side A-pillar today, hopefully things will be clearer. The idea is to have a solid anchoring spot for this vertical tin on the TT:









That tin projects poorly onto the Scirocco's A-pillar:








A TT actually gets wider at the bottom, which emphasizes it's squashed cockroach appearance, but that can be accommodated: The upper fender hole will be covered by the TT's upper frame rail and is of no consequence. The middle hole is usable as-is, and the lower hole needs to be lateralized 1/4".

The goal was to make the mating joint easy to weld and also seize any opportunity to strengthen the Scirocco's A-pillar. I added in a section of 1/8" angle iron the top of which will anchor to the upper frame rail and cowl , and the lower section of which will tie into the reinforced rocker panel/sill:








In this picture I've already moved the door hinge structure onto the angle iron, and next is to weld the inner skin to the angle iron so any forces are transferred as directly as possible to that inner skin and the door sill/rocker assembly.

Here is the result:


















I can't weld the top until I can blast everything there, but here's the general layout:








The piece I'm holding will get welded in and the area tidied up before mating the cars, and it will tie into the TT's upper frame rail and to the Scirocco's hood hinge bracket. The rest will get boxed in where that upper fender hole is sitting. The rain tray where I made those ugly cuts will get tidied up and closed off after the cars are mated, while I'm reinforcing the steering column brackets.

Other side tomorrow, 6625/1036


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## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Nice work, Can’t wait to grab a libation and read the entire thread this weekend. The next step is circa 2060 and the conversion to hover car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Next logical step would be to mate a Karmann Ghia and a Tesla Roadster.

Other A-pillar done:









The snow just keeps falling so no blasting for the foreseeable future. I'll find something to work on tomorrow, maybe start stripping Schutz off the rear valence skin so it can be welded later.

6625/1040


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Great progress!



echassin said:


> Next logical step would be to mate a Karmann Ghia and a Tesla Roadster.


Funny you should mention that: New EV skateboard to power future classics | Hagerty Media


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I guess it's a matter of time before an electrified 427 Cobra beats the original in every way including cost, and I'm not sure what to think of that. We went through a similar transition with RC planes years ago, violent opposition included.

Here at my Skunkworks, progress has been limited by snow:








Petra informs me that a Winter Wonderland is a beautiful thing, but I would've preferred that Whoever's-In-Charge check my schedule before bestowing such a gift. And for those of you who never have to deal with this...

I did start on the rear skin, which was laden with rust and Schutz coating on both sides, and it still had bits of other tin attached to it:








This is one of many rough parts that I hesitate to bother with, but after a while it shows enough potential to warrant the effort.

First grind off all the Schutz coating to expose all the layers of steel that are spot-welded:









Then cut all the spot welds:


















And tidy up the panel till it looks like something usable:








(With some additional work, obviously)

Here's how the panel fits:








The two cars' bumper mounts don't match up perfectly so that'll get filled in at the same time I fit the panel and box everything in. I also need to add a reinforcement lip along the bottom edge because the TT's trunk floor sits higher (above the Haldex unit), and the lower edge of the valence will hang free in the bottom airstream. I may deepen the valence an inch or so with that lip to make the AWD bits less prominent.

Overall the panel cleaned up better than I thought it would.

6625/1044


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Even more snow, _grumble_, but some enforced down-time is OK. I can go over embarrassing welds and rehab parts.

I'll start including anything more than a little cut in the project tally (it's not morbid if I'm doing it to myself, right?). A spark flew into my right ear canal while laying on my side welding on the the rocker; imagine a loud sizzling sound and some flailing around. Thankfully it cooled off before boring in too far, but there sure are a lot of interesting ways to get hurt... So: one ear, one eye, plus I drove the stump of a broken a drill bit into by wrist when I first got the car. I knew I was pushing too hard but I did it anyways, and now I have a suspicious scar.

6625/1048


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Yeah, you really should put in ear plugs when you're doing "laying down overhead" welding, sir.  
Slag in the ear is no f'ing joke.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

The way I see it, a suit of armor sounds practical.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That may be true, lol. Even with goggles, helmet, etc... the sparks seem to find their way in.

I'm rehabbing all the little parts one by one till the weather breaks and it's not photogenic. It took 3 hours to clean the glue, paint, and rust off of the hatch glass rubber and one door seal. They do look and feel great, and with the cost of new seals that don't ever fit quite right, that's a good thing. I do need to source a windshield seal, the two quarter glass seals, and the four window scrapers. 

6625/1051


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

More parts rehab: grille, window regulators, door hardware. The "good" pile has a fair number of parts on it so it feels like progress:

















Some of this stuff still needs final fitment and paint but at least I know I have it and it's serviceable.

Good news, Ted found me a[n] NOS windshield gasket! N. O. S. ! Usually I avoid buying things till I actually need them, but for something like this I made an exception and jumped on it.

More parts rehab to follow. Hoooraaayy... 

6715/1055


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Shifter mechanism, center drive shaft(s), heat shields:








I'll blast/touch up the drive shafts when the weather's better. A lot of what I thought was flung grease on the heat shields was actually Cosmoline smeared on the fasteners, AFAIK to limit galvanic corrosion between the steel fasteners and the aluminum shields. I could use plastic fasteners like I did on our 16Vs, but I'll use metal fasteners on this car and re-apply the Cosmoline [neatly].

I mangled the fasteners getting them off but I found some on EBay:








I got a set of 10, and it naturally figures that I need 11 .

6725/1060


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> 68594[/ATTACH]
> I got a set of 10, and it naturally figures that I need 11 .
> 
> 6725/1060


Eric, 
I had to buy some for a MkIV Jetta thing I'm doing for someone and have extras. If these will work for you, pm me your address and I'll send a few. 





Amazon.com: Rexka 30pcs Radiator Support & Splash Shield Push On Retainer Compatible with Audi VW N90-796-501 N90-796-502: Automotive


Buy Rexka 30pcs Radiator Support & Splash Shield Push On Retainer Compatible with Audi VW N90-796-501 N90-796-502: Clips - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



smile.amazon.com


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

There's a few clips that I didn't damage, so I'm good, thanks for the offer. I just thought it was funny that a set falls short by only one. It's the same as the Paint Rule, namely that any can will cover 95% of any project, so one always ends up with a second can that dries and gets wasted.

More electrical harnesses de-grimed; the positive distribution bus (labelling mis-spelled ) :









The ECU harness:









The looms that sat in front of the engine block were oil-soaked so I had to open them up, but neither of these harnesses needed wiring deletions like the body harness. The rain tray connections have a plastic /rubber cover that sits right where the left side Scirocco hood hinge ends up, so during body panel fitment I had to cut a recess. I blocked off the resulting hole with leftover neoprene rubber and flexible cyanoacrylate that I had for the gas door boot:








I thought about having my boy print me a better looking cover, but this one is glued to the harness and it's not obvious how to get it off without causing more harm than good.

Here's how the hinge sits when the hood is closed:








Not that you would, but the patch is really flexible and you can collapse it without damage. Regarding the harnesses in general, I'd prefer that all the looms be the same instead of such a hodge-podge, maybe I'll get some of that mesh stuff someday and cover it all.

6725/1063


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Today's bounty of rehabbed parts:








ABS pump, brake booster, coolant reservoir, O2 sensor harness cover, leak detection system cover, brake/gas pedal with bracket, MC and reservoir, clutch pedal and cylinder. Some of these need touchup paint but they're otherwise ready to go.

Body plugs with all paint, Schutz, and wax removed:









I decided to replace my rusty fuel tank straps and these four body plugs that are caked in tenacious Schutz:








Everyone has a different algorithm for repair vs replacement, heck I'm not even sure what mine is; but the amount of work to rehab this stuff vs the cost of NOS replacements was a no-brainer. I'll hang onto these till I have the new ones in hand, just in case the order falls through.

6825/1069


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

With Spring supposedly around the corner, it was -4F last night in addition to more snow, so the only way to make any progress is to continue on all the little parts.

These plastic covers fit inside the rear swing arm housings to keep the rocker cavities dry:








They deformed a lot over the years, so it was necessary to either soften them with a heat gun or use a prybar to extract them. I opted for the prybar knowing that after breaking the covers, I'd just get new ones. When you're in a situation like this, you should never waste precious time verifying parts availability first, that way you gain valuable experience working with fiberglass.

Since I was already doing plastic repairs, I patched some cracks in the door sill trim strips and hit them with the heat gun to straighten them:









The arm rest plastic-chrome was flaking but the stuff came off easily and left a nice base to paint black, in keeping with the all-black theme of the car:


















You can remove those trim pieces by drilling out the rivets that hold the mounting brackets, and simply omit the rivets and put large washers over the lot when assembling:









I'm not installing the stock dash but I will use the vents; the levers were broken and the foam seals dried out, as is common:









Fixed up with bits from my various "I might need that someday" drawers:









This'll do:










BTW, speaking of dash vents: the car won't have HVAC but I'll make a simple manifold for the rain tray intake that'll feed two hoses into the vents for fresh air. That brings up the issue of the layout for the dash and a center console. The center console will obviously be fitted to the TT floor and shifter box, but it will also hold the vents and the hazard/traction control switches, plus a cubby hole (instead of a glovebox). The dash itself needs a pod to accommodate the smaller TT instrument panel and nothing else. That's an opportunity for something more streamlined than a mk1 Scirocco interior, something like this:








Just vast expanses of straightness with minimal visual intrusions, as is always my preference.

6825/1074


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

I'm sure you covered this before, but would really like to understand your post nomenclature, ie:
6825 / 1074


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Great progress Eric, I will love to see this next time I can travel abroad after the world returns to some level of sanity.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@fred: the original goal was to create curiosity and incentivize reading back through the thread, but now that seems kinda jerkish so I'll just tell you: it's dollars and hours. Some folks might think such tallying is unsavory, but we decided it's OK.

@Grant: Yeah. Just-- yeah.

Ref car: the polar weather just keeps on comin', so I'm running out of things I can do in the warmth of the basement that aren't too dirty.

Airbox with fasteners repaired so it seals properly, brake lines, battery tray and lower charge pipe both with un-needed bracket removed:









Interestingly, and I've never seen this before: the power steering fluid must've been prone to overheating because Audi took steps to keep it cool. Now, you may be imagining a small oil cooler spliced into one of the lines, but by now you know to be suspicious when I bring something up with sarcastic overtones... So yeah: Audi ran about 20 feet of convoluted hard line back and forth under the front of the car held with various cheesy brackets and the whole thing rusted into a leaking dangly mess. Niiiice .

Also, and I took the following picture of the intake snorkel for this high-powered turbocharged machine with obvious judgment towards anyone who installs a so-called "cold air intake", which usually consists of a sewer-sized pipe drawing hot air directly from the engine bay:








You are seeing things correctly: the snorkel is tiny, and it's not because a bigger one would have been too expensive.

Like everything else, most of today's parts need light blasting and touch-up paint. I still have some parts to clean, Schutz to remove from the fenders and I could start on the larger drivetrain subassemblies while waiting for bodywork weather, but honestly I don't feel like being in the cold garage if I can help it, so I'll see you all in the Spring (hopefully just a few weeks...) 🖐

6825/1077


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Power steering coolers are actually quite common, especially on Ze German Cars. And, yes, it is, quite often, a loop or two in the return pipe. 

Would this plumber's nightmare-looking thing be it?
Power Steering Cooler Q798MS for TT Quattro 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 | eBay 

That fresh-air tube looks hilariously small. The inlet on my Passat (same engine, just the 180hp version) is, ah, significantly larger than that.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That web link shows part of it; there's more along both frame rails, the firewall and the subframe. Replacing some parts of it would probably be impossible with the engine in the bay.

Is something in the rack at risk because of its proximity to the downpipe? If so, I may need more shielding on the rack because I'm deleting the PS and therefore won't have the cooling benefit of flowing fluid.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Is that the second snorkle to the air filter housing? Usually a small one is used so if the lower [main] one is sucking in large amounts of water, the air will come from the secondary one. Mostly used for the idiots that think they can drive thru a puddle only to find out it's more of a lake. Having the secondary one prevents this water from being sucked up and the pick up is usually a bit higher [above the water level].


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Amazingly no, it's the only inlet:








It's funny you should mention another hole: while cleaning the airbox and staring right at it, I repeatedly caught myself looking for "the other intake". It's like i just can't believe it.

What's especially weird is that Chris' Passat has the 180hp engine and has a larger opening, plus the MAF manifold on my airbox also has a larger opening. I know a design error is unlikely, but it sure is tempting to enlarge the inlet.


----------



## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

Look inside. I´m pretty sure it´s so small because of a resonator that should keep the noise down. Most of the time modern cars are designed to be quiet and just comfortable and with low fuel costs...not for making the most power.

For power throw that ugly thing out, put in an airbox and a real big cold air intake and combine it with the biggest intercooler you can fit. And of course...a bigger/better turbo.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'll keep a snorkel to draw fresh air from the wheel well, but if the only downside of a bigger one is more intake noise, I could easily live with that. Of course, the power-to-weight of this thing is already more than enough for me so I may not bother.

I cleaned up the rest of the intake tract pressure side but the big news of the day is this:








That's a genuine NOS windshield seal, ladies and gentlemen! It got coiled up and put on a shelf 40-45 years ago when I was in high school, so it wasn't immediately obvious that it would fit. Thankfully it was still buttery soft and my patience with it was well-rewarded. I'll be fully content only after I get the glass in safely, but this is a step in the right direction.

My original plan was to use the metal glass surrounds, blacked out "S" style but looking at the seal today, the slot in the rubber is so discreet that I'll likely just omit the trim pieces.

6825/1079


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Is there such a thing as too much power to weight ratio? I do believe that driveability trumps [can I say trump anymore] max horsepower. Not to interested in waiting for boost to come in at full steam at 5k. Massaging the internals to make the airflow more efficient is not that bad of an idea.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The house is warm, thankfully, but work is still limited to indoor jobs that are relatively quiet and clean, even though they're not my main priority. Today's parts: the front turns, door cards and the rear equivalent (unsure what they're called):








I gave the turns a good cleaning and polish, and they came out pretty nice. The door card back-boards are warped and broken, so I'll cut new MDF pieces and re-glue the rest to them. The rears had the usual lifting of the vinyl in the concavity of the armrest, in this case extreme enough to be an eyesore, so I'll heat them while re-gluing. As you can see, the cat generally likes company.

She's also moderately naughty. "Where's Waldo?":









6825/1082


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Cat: "Ooh, look at this tunnel to explore! So cool! Thanks for the tunnel, Dad!"


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## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

Have you checked if she makes car noises when she´s in there? 😁👍

Or she wants to be the Cat-aliysator.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm not sure. I've got my thinking cat on but maybe I should do a cat scan.

It's paw-ssible that this weather will go on fur-ever but I'm purr-fectly happy to keep busy making cat jokes, in fact I'm feline purr-ty good about it. It's not Scirocco-related purr se, but don't be a sourpuss about it; this isn't the fur-ari forums so we can go off topic for a meow-ment. It's not like we haven't done that be-fur. Besides, it's entirely claw-sible that we'll have nothing else to do fur a while so we might as well make the meowst of it.

I hope you don't all think I'm not litter-ate, I'm just kitten around. If some of these puns look fur-miliar, I was fur-tunate to find them on-line; paw-don me for lifting them but trying to do this on my own would have been a cat-astrophe and some of them are purr-ty hiss-terical. 

Don't fur-get: cats are your fur-end. Zoe is Petra's BFF fur-ever, she's got a funny purr-sonality.

Baboom. I'll be here all week.


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## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

👍 👍 👍


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

Hmm, must be a new symptom of Covid-19 Lock Downs.
Cat-Talk Fever?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Stir-crazy fur sure.

Radiator and associated parts:








I kept the hoses assembled to avoid later confusion, and I'm not normally a fan of plastic but it was nice to avoid blasting a rusty steel shroud (Fan, get it?). BTW, the fans run smooth and are OEM so I'll keep them, and the radiator has no leaks or streaking and is also OEM so I'll run it too. The after-run coolant pump runs haltingly so a new Bosch unit is on order; twice the price as aftermarket so hope it's actually better...

I had to get medieval on some of the fasteners and that resulted in a few hours atonement (repairs), but with some light refinishing this stuff is ready to go.

6900/1085


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

There's some melting going on outside so hopefully I can re-start on the body soon. In the meantime, seat belts:









Astute observers will note that one of the buckles is missing a little slot. That's because, as we now know, I like to save precious time by overlooking pesky details. In this case, I kept the Scirocco seat belts to bolt on the Scirocco shell (that's really smart), and I kept the TT sockets that came on the TT seats (that's also really smart). Heck, it's so obvious that a 35 year span will produce no fitment issues that to think otherwise wouldn't even merit consideration .

It's only when one discovers the error that one might note that there is no market for used buckles. Thankfully, my boy's Passat had 3 belts in the back, which was clearly excessive. I unceremoniously cut off the middle buckle and was then pleased to find that it does fit a TT socket. I used it as a template to cut another buckle, which of course gained me valuable experience cutting myself on shards of 1/8" thick steel.

6900/1088


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's too breezy for blasting, but the driveway _is_ finally drying. I sorted how to set the shell upright to blast areas that will be shut when the cars are mated, mainly the underside of the cowl and inside the A-pillars. The door sills are thankfully healthy:

















Basically a dress-rehearsal. Hopefully we don't get more snow as soon as the wind stops.

While I was doing that the postman brought goodies:








At some point it's just stubborn to spend many hours on stuff that can be replaced; or I'm getting lazy.

6900/1089


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Maybe you should start keeping track of bodily injuries related to this project as a running total too!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thankfully most of it is niggly cuts and bruises, maybe a normal part of being active? The ear ended up being no-harm-no-foul, so that leaves only the blurry eye, which is just part of the deal from now on. I hope that's it, no list...

I spent today with a straight edge and machining blocks to trim all the mating surfaces on the Scirocco flat. That's so when I lay the body on the foundations I previously welded to the TT, the whole thing will sit correctly.

6900/1091


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## MashXP (Aug 26, 2020)

Wow


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks (assuming you mean that in a good way)

I finally got the underside of the cowl and the inside of the A-pillars blasted:












































There's a fair amount of daylight coming through, but that can all be fixed later from up top. The goal today was to make sure I didn't block access to rust when I mate the cars.

I did have time to start on the outside but I didn't get far because I dropped the blasting nozzle and broke the casting (harumph):








I ordered another nozzle and I can blast all the outside rust later.

I have some bits to weld to the cowl, then the cars finally come together!

6920/1094


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Eric, what kind of setup are you using for the blasting?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Big compressor, coal slag, blasting nozzle, and head-to-toe protection. I'm disappointed that I broke the nozzle yesterday because the shell was still wide open and didn't retain much media. Moving forward I'll need to cover things to avoid filling cavities .

I've had the TT almost a year and today was a big milestone; I welded in the cowl extensions and positioned the body for what I hope will be the last time:

















Even just sitting there with no welds, everything lines up really well. The reference points lined up easily so the panel gaps should be the same as they were during the trial phase.

The layout for the A-pillars should be apparent now, and one can easily imagine the TT's upper frame rail extended back onto the Scirocco's A-pillar:









Here's a cowl extension:








It's not welded to the outer skin yet due to pending rust repairs.

It is fully welded underneath. This is the view inside the rain tray; the extension ties the A-pillar, the rain tray, the hood hinge, the frame rail, and the cowl together:








The gaps will get filled while I box in the upper frame rail and mate the rain trays.

Reasonable time-line estimate, barring unforeseen curveballs: fully mate the cars, hang the doors and fenders, fill in the big gaps (fuel filler area, rain tray, front fender wells), make the steering column brackets, position the Rabbit arches (and rear inner arches), and fix all the window channels. After that we're back to normal restoration procedure: paint the basic shell hopefully this Fall, rehab and install everything over the winter, first start by Spring 2022, paint the remainder of the body panels, make the dash and center console, start on the [huge] punch list Fall 2022; Cincy 2023?

More Dremel bits on order, 6920/1097


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You probably already mentioned this, but everyone knows me, I'm lazy. Which VIN do your register this under? What about insurance?

In my state, the older VIN would be easier. You could license it as a collector vehicle and pay a messily $75 for a lifetime plate and no year fees. If there was a real issue for me, I would just install the transport plates I have and hope that I would not get pulled over. There would still be the insurance issue.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'll use the Scirocco VIN. Anyone in authority won't recognize the TT underneath and they'll just see a resto-mod Scirocco.

It's all welding for the foreseeable future; today I mated both of the TT's inner wheel wells to the Scirocco A-pillars and to the new rocker panels, and I finished one of the TT's upper frame rails:








There's very little metal here on a stock mk1, so this is massively stronger.

6920/1101


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

big milestone.. nice to see. It's sometimes hard to commit to those no-turn-back moments


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Awesome progress! That A-pillar to frame rail section looks really strong!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Tim: I hope you're right...

@ben: agreed; I found this picture of the TT from last Spring which was the initial plunge:









Today I did the other upper frame rail and the outer sills:









One of the tedious things to deal with is before making a satisfying part, I often need to make an annoying filler piece first to make up for one of the many inevitable gaps between the two cars:








Without this, water would splash up into the cabin.

Outer door sills done:









Here's how the base of the A-pillars came together:








I dressed the weld on the left of the picture and then got tired...

I couldn't resist bolting on a door just to see how the rockers look:









More MIG wire on order, 6940/1105


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

More great progress! Not sure I can wait 2 years for a finished product!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ted: Cincy 2023 is in the absence of curveballs Sir...

Work continues on the door sills. Based on the cross-section drawing from a few pages back, this is where I'm at:








The door seal flanges are unsupported and they flex easily.

This is the goal:









First step is to remove the Scirocco's inner sills; "remove" means "cut more spot welds" (hooraaaay):









After:








The duct tape is to keep carp out of the floor cavities. It's hard to see in the pic but the TT floor sits deep. With the new straight/vertical inner sills, the cabin is 2-3 inches wider and 1-2 inches taller than a stock mk1.

Tomorrow: cardboard templates and inner sill panels.

6940/1109

P.S.: Vortex has bestowed another trophy for reaching a milestone of "Likes", for which I am grateful. Hopefully one day I'll get to see the trophies.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> I couldn't resist bolting on a door just to see how the rockers look:
> View attachment 73037
> 
> 
> More MIG wire on order, 6940/1105


This might be the most satisfying picture of the build so far. It mates up so well!

Serious kudos for getting to this point, Eric!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

A lot like Zwifting. I would love to spend all the drops on real stuff, not virtual stuff.

But if you need a virtual trophy, this one is for you 🏆 Not into trophies? How about a medal? 🥇 Want more? Beer always works for me. 🍺 Be careful, it's really cold.

Keep up the work and the updates.


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

echassin said:


> @Ted: Cincy 2023 is in the absence of curveballs Sir...
> 
> Work continues on the door sills. Based on the cross-section drawing from a few pages back, this is where I'm at:
> View attachment 73089
> ...


I hate it when I get carp on the floor.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Holy Carp! That is one _ugly_ fish!

@Joe: Having the door fit well in all dimensions was a heckuva relief. Measurements are good but seeing it come together is better.

@Mark: the virtual part is what's funny; IMO a trophy is made of real metal. But it is nice that there's an algorithm to acknowledge certain things. Also, I Wiki'd Zwift to see what it is, but I didn't see why "drops"?

Today started with a template to make the inner sills, and as usual, repetition is the key. Thankfully, cardboard and cuss-words are both free, and after using lots of both, I got this:









Trace onto 22 gauge steel, cut it out, strip the weld line, tack the piece in, weld it up, done:








Well, not "done"; I still have to do the other side...

Here's the final appearance of the A-pillar where it meets the rocker assembly:








The front edge of today's piece is tied into that 1/8" L bar that I welded to the front face of the A-pillar a few pages back. It all looks _really_ strong.

Carpet trial along the new sill; a little trimming and it fits surprisingly well even plopped in with no glue:









I'll do the other sill tomorrow.

6940/1113


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Drops are the sweat you put into a ride. The more/harder you ride, the 'drops' you get. You use those drops to buy stuff. In the end, it's all virtual. It's funny how hard you will work to get recognized. With Zwift, I've got a lot of useless/worthless stuff. The good thing, all this virtual stuff does not take up much space.

So you get recognized in doing all this work. Trust me, I for certain can see it's not a walk in the park. What do you get? A virtual trophy. Yes, you get to drive this in the end. You will certainly get this funny feeling that few will understand and a virtual trophy in a virtual showcase in the end.









How Zwift’s “Drops” Currency Works


Learn more about how Drops are calculated, and how to get a lot of ’em.




zwiftinsider.com


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

So if 1 zwift = a penny, how many zwifts for a a drop of blood? E, your a virtual millionaire! Keep up the good work. Put a seat on that carpet and enjoy a cold 1.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yeah. You should see my hands; nothing awful, but many small cuts in various stages of healing, mainly from grabbing raw steel edges.

Other sill done:








I didn't do as good a job cleaning on this side so I ended up blasting some nasty looking welds through tar paper residue or wax. I also had a few flames to blow out; one was inside the sill and was persistent enough that I had to blow it out with the air hose through the hole near the middle of the picture. Apparently MIG welding is more forgiving than TIG on old or dirty metal; for that I'm grateful even though I'm trying not to abuse that characteristic.

I need more shielding gas; this'll be the third tank and I'm on my third roll of wire. It might seem like a lot but I'm seam welding everything, no plug or stitch welds.

Next is mating the inner quarters, and after that the rear wheel wells.

6940/1116


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## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

You have my full respect for this build and all the engineering that goes into this. But pleeeease don´t get me wrong for my critique now because I don´t mean it in a bad way.

Please learn how to weld! 

I´m looking at this for some while and think...it´s such a great build. But these welds are not nice at all. Again, I don´t want to diss your amazing work. But I think it would be so much better with cleaner welds. Try more power and a little bit less rod on your welder....take your time. Should make nicer welds.  👍
Otherwise I really think it´s a great project and I highly respect all your craftsmanship that goes into it. 👍


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I don't mind constructive criticism. I'm inconsistent for sure, some welds I think are OK:









And some probably need to be redone:









Since you seem concerned, I'll take a break and have the welder who made the air dam frame inspect the car, rectify the worst of it, and tutor me some.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> Since you seem concerned, I'll take a break and have the welder who made the air dam frame inspect the car, rectify the worst of it, and tutor me some.


Nothing wrong with some tutoring, that's for sure. I'm not welder either Eric, and I think your not so great welds are quite a bit better than I would have done. What are you running for a welder anyway?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's a Miller 140 Amp MIG with a tank of Argon/CO2:








I used 0.030" wire on the 11 gauge bumper brackets and rockers, and I'm using 0.024" wire on the rest of the shell (22 and 20 gauge steel).

My neighbor brought more shielding gas and the welder who made the air dam frame also came by. Neither saw anything unsafe and given the thin steel, I really need to continue with single welds and keep moving around the panel to avoid too much heat, and that adds to the uneven appearance of the final seam. Based on my level of expertise and some of the awkward welding positions, they thought I'm doing OK. I did bump the power a little and try wee slower wire speed, and that did produce flatter welds. Hopefully that will mean less grinding moving forward.

So here's are today's results on the inner quarter skins:

















The seat belt brackets have another layer in the quarter panel cavity that's welded to the rocker.

Tomorrow I think I'll start mating the rain trays.

I ordered more steel, 7025/1119


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## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

Thank you for not getting me wrong on this one. I just wanted to be honest with what I think and try to help you getting a better result.  This build deserves it and it´s for your own safety..

Most people on zthe interent will get easyly offended when you critizize something. But I see you take it on a good note. I have a MIG 140 too (German Cheap-Brand T.I.P.) and have build a good bunch of cars with this for the last 20 years or so. When you have everything adjustet just right and take a little bit time to learn and understand how the arc behaves you will have some real fine welds. 👍 

I really hope I can see this thing someday in the future in real life. 👍


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Most people in the world get offended, it's not just an internet thing. We all can learn a bit with criticism.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Sips morning coffee_ In the context of this project I prefer criticism _before_ the car splits in two on the highway.

Today I'll start mating the rain trays; see you later 🖐


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I got the passenger side rain trays mated using the same method of tracing a cardboard template. At this point there's not as much swearing but that's only because I'm resigned to the repetition:









There was a lot of shaping of the patch panel to have it seat right, so there was also a lot of tacking and hammering. Be kind . Under the dash:









Inside the rain tray:










When you weld like me, seam sealer is your friend and you apply it like cake frosting. On a side note, steel really does have a pleasing malleability to it.

There are gaps at the A-pillars but I can't contort enough to get at them with the car upright, so they'll wait till the shell is full strength and can safely hang on my tiptisserie (for rust repairs and general body-work). BTW, I'll also clean up the worst welds at that time so the shell looks good in paint (before assembly).

Tomorrow I'll do the driver's side, 7025/1123


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

echassin said:


> _Sips morning coffee_ In the context of this project I prefer criticism _before_ the car splits in two on the highway.
> 
> Today I'll start mating the rain trays; see you later 🖐


 Yeah..... I've been over here contemplating how to, ah, comment on the welds.... And, then, others chimed in! Those are definitely a bit 'cold.' 
Also, a tip: I get that you're dealing with a lot of thin sheetmetal, but... whenever possible, try to actually run a seam, rather than an endless series of tack welds. Maybe try tacking the panels every couple of inches or so, then run a seam here, a seam there (keeping temperature of the metal in mind.) Not only will the weld come out nicer, you'll go thru a LOT less gas. The initial surge of gas that happens every time you pull the trigger wastes a not-small volume of the stuff.

This space here:
https://www.vwvortex.com/cdn-cgi/im...wvortex.com/attachments/dscn5197-1-jpg.73854/
On the left side of the pic, I'm looking at the floor/rear wheelhouse junction, yes? Please tell me that you're planning on making a patch that'll overlap both cars, rather than trying to bridge the gap together, yes?
A simple butt joint is, ah, not that strong. An overlap splice is a LOT stronger. And easier to weld. 

I'm getting SO tired of being the farking weldbot here at the shop, but....
F16 X6 ISOFIX recall. Welding reinforcements onto the rear kid-seat anchor loops. Here's an example of proper heat & wire feed (we're using .030" wire here - really, 030 can be used for just about anything automotive), and just Running The Bead. Six tack welds per bracket, then I just GO - run a bead (about 1-1.5" each, go on to the next bracket, keep moving across the part, kinda like a typewriter. Total gun time is 20 minutes of non-stop welding.)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Chris: Yes, the gap you're looking at is still on the to-do list because it needs a narrow strip to cover it. The whole length of the inner wheel well housing where it meets the TT rear frame rail is like that. I also don't have any butt welds, partly because fitment is quicker. Finally, don't hesitate to critique in here where everyone can see and learn.

Here's the range of today's welds; first the good one on easily accessible clean steel, front side:








The top of the vertical weld is the initial tack and it's what I get before there's heat in the panel. The rest is still tacks, but I was able to stack them nicely.

Back side:









Here's what happens when access is limited for cleaning and welding posture is bad:








That's under the steering bracket and I'll redo the weld when the car is strong enough to be tipped on its side and I can get to the area more comfortably.

I didn't get far today but I did finish closing the largest rain tray gap:








I didn't finish the panel on the right because I suddenly decided I was done for the day (it's really nice out).

7025/1124


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

My angle grinder is on its last legs so I have another on order, but without it everything will soon grind to a halt (get it? Grind?).

I shifted my attention to the front end in anticipation of filling in the large gaps between the Scirocco fenders/inner wells and the TT's front end structure. Lining up the front end actually starts at the rear edge of the doors because that gap is predetermined by the unibody. So, doors on:








Interestingly, and this ties in nicely with the welding conversation, the upper driver door hinge needs a 1/16" shim. Nothing tragic but that's new, and it betrays how sensitive the shell is to welding heat, even sticking with tack welds (get it? Sticking?). I must've created a small heat deformity while welding on the A-pillars.

Next the front bumper, radiator brackets, core support, air dam frame, and head light brackets:








It's all loose in this picture so I can tweak things.

Intercoolers mounted, because the new tin will be fitted around them:









Fenders with A-pillar flanges trimmed to fit and securely bolted for the first time, door gaps aligned:









Inside the wheel well looking at the A-pillar:








I'll fill the unused upper bolt hole and make a new one a little lower.

Hood with latch/cable:








The hood, core support, headlight brackets, bumper, and air dam mount and TT frame elements are all parallel and centered _phew!_

Fitment of the hood along the TT's rain tray:








There's a 1/4" gap for a rubber seal to keep fumes out of the cabin.

Overall appearance (pending the wider arches):








It's just luck, but the bottom of the Kamei airdam lines up perfectly with the bottom of the new rocker panels.

Tomorrow, you guessed it: more cardboard templates.

7070/1129


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Was just thinking about your shim.. perhaps you should put some weight in the doors to account for the windows/regulators/latches/trim and such? Ignore me if you already did.. been busy and only skimming..


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm blaming the shim on my welding because the door fit well before all the welding and it was already unweighted. Also, when the body went back on, all the reference marks lined up. I'm speculating that heat twisted the A-pillar like a drill bit because that was the one unclamped dimension. It's only 1/16" but it shows how much force the heat generates. Considering the complexity of it all, I'm still really satisfied.

Today's task was to get a decent layout for the inner wheel wells, core support, and upper fender mount flanges; something that looks OK and can be done by a layman with basic tools. This is the initial result looking right at things and viewed "normally" from outside the bay; the driver's side needs to accomodate the intake snorkel and the battery:


















The passenger side just needs to support the relocated LDP pump:


















The intercoolers have just enough gaps to be able to shimmy them in and out. I'll make templates for the upper fender mounting flanges after today's bits are cut and welded in, so everything is strong and stays lined up with the fenders removed.

Tape and welding brushes, 7090/1135


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Work on the front end structure is slow because the outlines are intricate and hard to reach even for cleaning, but I like the look and it seems really strong. Seen from inside the bay:


















Normal viewing angle:


















Hood gaps:









Best weld of the day (the 1" of stacked dimes in the center of the picture):









Worst weld of the day:








I was experimenting with the regulator, 10 psi is clearly too low. I'll grind that out and redo it during body work.

I found some welding videos and I was starting to worry that TIG/no filler is the only right way. Amongst those videos, I did find this guy teaching his girlfriend to MIG on a hot rod: 



.
He uses hundreds of tack welds that need a lot of grinding and he gets good results. I like that I can incorporate his tips without having to learn new habits from scratch. The three things I got from this video are to cool fresh welds with an air gun, save on shielding gas by running the regulator at 15 PSI, and not worry about how much grinding is required.

Tomorrow I'll work on the upper fender mounting flanges, 7090/1141.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I got one fender mounting flange mostly done today:









I still have some little gaps to fill in but the fender is solid:

















The fender itself needs tin and a fastener at the shock tower and a bottom flange that'll bolt to the rocker panel, but I'll do that while I'm doing the Rabbit arch.

7090/1145


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Your under construction panel gaps are better than they are on new cars! I've never even been able to figure out how to get my doors to hang right.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I don't think there's any exact formula for good panel gaps; it's a combination of a straight metal, good mounts/hinges, shims, plain ol' muscle, and building up with weld or (_mumbles_) Bondo.

At some point the driver's side fender suffered an ill-fated attempt at rolling the arch and that tweaked the whole panel; hopefully I can correct that when I change to the Rabbit arch. The doors also have slight bows at the edges like all production cars, where they manipulate the skins onto the substructure. When the time comes, I'll need skim coats like this: 



 (start at 4:20 to skip the B.S.). I hate filler, but if it's good enough for that Jaguar, it's good enough for my Franken-toy (that might make a good sig).

Today I did the other fender mounting flange:








This is the back side of the construct and I'm really happy with the tight fitment of the various added panels. The majority of the welds are actually on the other side, confirming good heat.

One more of the panel gaps:








You can see that the bottom of the fender is tweaked from the rolled arch but that should move back easily and it'll be bolted to the rocker panel.

That completes the front end's structural elements pending final refinements _phew! _Everything from the cowl forward is added to the TT and it looks really strong; I'm very happy with it.

Next item is the filler pipe area; there's a huge gap in the wheel well structure that needs reconstruction:








I kept the trunk's inner panels but for the deepest pieces inside the wheel well, I don't have the ability to make compound curves so we'll see what I can come up with. The good news is that none of it will show, but worst case scenario I'll buy a stamped piece of something and cut out what I need. That'd be quicker than buying and learning how to use an English Wheel...

7090/1150


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Layout of the filler pipe area begins with re-installing the fuel tank, then bolt the filler assembly solidly :









Inner panel for the gas door:









Cardboard templates and new position of the Scirocco's tin:

















This gives 1/2" clearance all around, keeps access to the rear shock mount bolt, and it'll seal off the trunk.

Approximate final appearance:








It'll all get tweaked for pleasing outlines.

7090/1153


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Work on the right rear wheel well in steel; first step is finalize the gas door:








I tacked it in solidly using minimum heat and cooling the welds with the air hose. I won't fill in the rest of the joint until I'm certain about everything behind the panel, but the part fit perfectly: no gaps and no pressure on any of the metal which would cause a deformity (it took a lot longer to do it than to type about it...).

Next I cut and bent 20 gauge steel for the main "box" that'll contain the filler pipe assembly:









View from the wheel well side, tacked in:









The rubber boot I made earlier fits nicely:


















The triangular hole above the box section needed a curved piece to fit the round opening in the quarter panel:









Approximate final layout:









More Dremel cutoff wheels, 7140/1157


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Funny how its the small stuff, that no one will see, chews up so much time. Keep up the good work!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

You hit the nail on the head, Ed (I'm a poet and I noet): the huge gaps actually fill in pretty quick and the little defects take forever, plus there are too many to count. Some of that is my fault; when I was paring down the cars, some of the cuts were ill-advised.

I finished the right wheel well with tack welds that I'll seam weld later when I'm 100% sure of the layout and how it all ties into the Rabbit inner arches.

Today's parts: the "floor" that boxes out the rear shock mount, the inner trunk panel, and the patch where I extended the wheel well rear-ward:

















I took some time on this piece to give it a plausible outline even though it won't show when the car is done.


















I think I'll put most of the seam welds inside the wheel well so I can smooth out the trunk side more easily with less filler.

Tank test-fitment with filler pipe assembly bolted down solid:









Filler pipe DIY rubber boot:








A straight bar goes down the filler pipe without hitting the quarter panel, so a bent gas station nozzle will fit fine. The high position of the cap in the door opening was a compromise to keep the gas door low, bend the filler assembly as little as possible, and allow plenty of room for a wide(r) tire.

Gas door closed:








Yuummmmmm.

Next task is to box out the left rear shock mount, and after that start on the rear skin, which brings this post full circle: its fitment is entirely made up of shamefully errant cuts and annoying little gaps. Hoooora.

7140/1162


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Today I boxed out the left rear shock mount with 20 gauge. I cut out the trunk panel for access and it's all just tacked like the other side till I know how the Rabbit inner arches fit:









Access to the rear shock mount:








I'll seam weld it from the wheel well side while I'm doing the arches.

Next is the rear skin:








This is the last big defect to fill in, at which point the torsional rigidity should be maxed out.

At the time I made the initial cuts, I wasn't careful because I figured I might never get far enough to worry about it, but here we are and it's a mess. I propped the skin up with jack stands just to stare at it and make a plan:


















Today's bit of good luck:








The TT frame rail does not interfere with the exhaust exit so I get to keep the stock location and the only giveaway that the car is AWD will be the Haldex case showing under the rear valence

7040/1165


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

First steps today for the rear skin were to nibble away at the TT trunk floor and frame rails till the skin sat in position without any strain, make sure everything lined up, then tack weld it:








The skin is a little more vertical than stock to clear the LDP pump housing, and the slightly deeper appearance will help obscure the rear drive bits.

The next steps are to box in the bumper mounts, trim the skin to weld the ends to the TT corners, fill in the defects, mate the TT trunk floor, and weld underneath to the frame rails.

However...

... I didn't do any of that because I was suddenly more interested in how the grill would fit because I haven't trial fit it yet. All I knew is that I need it set out 1/8" or 1/4" to obscure the fact that the head lights protrude 3/8" to clear the radiator.

To start, I replaced the central bracket that was sacrificed with the rest of the mk1's front end:









Then I tried various little spacers and glued them to the grill's mounting pads:

















The grill is flush with the turns, which is incorrect but it looks plausibly like it was designed that way.

In order to mount the headlights dead center in the openings, I temporarily glued the assemblies to the grill and I had to stop and wait for that to cure. Tomorrow I can re-mount the grill and weld stand-offs to the head light brackets which will position the buckets firmly.

7040/1170


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

looking awesome!


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> The grill is flush with the turns, which is incorrect but it looks plausibly like it was designed that way.


Of course, now I am trying to figure out why it wasn't designed that way.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

A mk1 has great lines but one of the things that bugs me is that the VW emblem and the head light rings are in different planes. It's correct and it's best left that way: spacers will align them, but then the grill and bumper curves end up uneven and it looks worse. The "problem" is that the front lip of the hood and the bumper curve are different and it isn't worth addressing.

Today's task was to modify the head light brackets so the bulbs stay perfectly centered in the grill openings but protrude 1/4" to clear the radiator. That starts with silicone blobs to center the rings in the grill:


















Then weld and reinforce 3 standoffs behind each bucket to set the new bulb position:








The buckets normally sit tight against the bracket, here you can easily discern the gap I'm creating. The headlight brackets will get pleasing outlines when the time comes.

Gusset each of the standoffs to be sure they're solid, peel off the silicone globs and here's the final head light fitment:


















Noyce! The rings protrude 1/4" from the grill openings but it looks OEM

7040/1175


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Oh man that is going to look poyfect!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Back to the rear skin. It's one thing to just put patches over the holes as is sometimes done, but welding the skin to everything behind it greatly increases the structural rigidity even though it makes a mess during the process:









I had to add the strips at the sides because I trimmed the skin to gain access to the TT's inner corners:








The tack welds hold things steady and light hammering really closes the gaps before seam welding. 22 gauge steel is nice to work with, it shapes easily.

Overall appearance:








The contours came out good.

Overall appearance with the bumper bolted on:

















I still need to do all the welding in the trunk but I think I'll tackle the front Rabbit arches next; I need those positioned to finish the the air dam's frame.

7040/1181


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> The contours came out good.
> 
> Overall appearance with the bumper bolted on:
> View attachment 77119


I have to say, there's something about this picture that is really satisfying and that you should be proud of. Look at how consistent the lines of the rear corners are before the radius changes to flatten out from side to side. It almost mirrors the way the hatch lines come down before they make the turn at the lip to almost vertical. Really well done, Eric!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir! With some tweaking of the welds and some _cough_ filler _cough_, I think it'll be hard to tell there was ever a TT BubbleButt there.

Today I worked on the first arch. Mostly it was to learn the procedure. I did the driver fender first because there's no inner arch to consider, plus it's the worst panel on the car and could be replaced, so I had very little to lose. I'll do the other fender next, then the driver rear arch, and the passenger rear arch last because the inner arch is the hardest (the filler pipe modifications need to be considered).

Overall appearance:


























I could only go so far with all the Bondo on the fender, but the result is apparent. Some black tape confirms that the air dam needs a lot less work than I thought it would, and the rocker we already know is deeper than I'd like but I'm slowly accepting that reality. I was very careful to trim the new rocker end to get a curve that matches the rest of the arch.

The intercooler has at least 1/4" clearance all around, and the intake gap is the same size as the hole in the TT's bumper skin was:








The residual fender gap at the top of the air dam where the intercooler protrudes is thankfully hidden by the bumper skin.

I spent a lot of time nibbling at the arch to get zero welding gap:








That will minimize filler work. I also cut off the Scirocco's old arch along the weld line so the fender will look like it was made this way, even when viewed from inside the wheel well.

7040/1187


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

Not even out of the Garage, and you already have a Door Ding


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Which of the many dings in particular caught your attention ? Seriously, moving forward, even after the tons of niggly welding is done, the body still needs a lot of massaging for there to be any hope of arrow-straight reflections in a gloss black finish. I'm predicting skim coats of filler and high-build primer over the entire body that are block-sanded several times across panel gaps, as is done in the hot rod world. My arms are tired just _thinking_ about it.

For the other front arch, I had the procedure worked out from yesterday so the main challenge was to exactly reproduce the measurements from the other side.

I took "before" pics to show how things can seem worrisome at first, but then they work out well. The difference in wheel base between the two cars mandated that the front arches be welded a bit forward to center them correctly over the wheels. It turns out that a Rabbit arch is a bit larger, and that works out well:

















The Sharpie marks on the rocker and the air dam frame delineate the new arch edge. A lot of metal will come off the front of the old Scirocco arch (top of the photo), but the bottom of the Rabbit arch on both ends doesn't displace things very much and proportions will look correct.

Here is the section that gets cut out of the OEM arch:








More comes off the front, which effectively moves the arch forward and obscures the wheel base difference nicely.

The intercooler protrudes in a way that is at first concerning, but it all lands in the cavity under the side bumper skin and is completely hidden:

















Of course this will all get pleasing outlines and Riv-nuts when the time comes.

Finally, the overall fit of the air dam on its frame:








It's much stronger than OEM. Everything is perfectly level and all measurements from the floor to various landmarks on the car are identical.

Result:








I didn't do anything with the air dam on this side so the defects are visible, but they're not as bad as I predicted.

I was gonna leave the passenger rear arch for last, but I just realized I can't because that's the one I positioned with the car's weight on the wheels. After that I can match the dimensions on the driver's side. I'll still do the driver inner arch first because it's the easier one.

7040/1191


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

The "Ding" I was looking at jumped over to the right side flair.
The little Dimple on each one.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Base model Rabbits have plastic stone guards that bolt through the forward facing surface of the rear flares. Klokkerholm sells the flares with or without holes, and I was surprised to see that the no-holes option is still dimpled. I have the dimples on the fronts because I'm using rear flares on all four corners.

Today I worked on the first rear arch. Fitment is trickier because the new arch needs to achieve a number of things:

1) Widen the car just right; this was set back when I had all the car's weight on the wheels. I held the arch temporarily with screws so I could remove it repeatedly and put it back exactly where it was.

2) Move the arch 1/4" rearward to tweak the wheel base. I did that by clamping the bottoms of the arches before doing each of the other steps.

3) Correct the bowing deformity that all mk1's have where the quarter panel meets the rocker panel:








The new rocker panel is straight and 1/4" more of it shows at the rear arch than at the door. I was able to correct that just by cutting along the OEM arch to release the quarter panel skin:








Note that the Scirocco is conveniently losing all of its rusty metal.

4) Correct the plane of the arch. On a Scirocco it is not parallel to the wheel:









I prefer the way it is on a Rabbit:









This was the hardest to correct because it eliminates the possibility of simply plunking the new arch flat onto the quarter panel.

I ended up doing the bottom sections first since those positions are a given:








I made a series release cuts to bend the rest of the arch to the quarter panel. The goal was to avoid any strain on the quarter skin, knowing it's much harder to replace than the $20 piece of Klokkerholm tin.

Final results are acceptable. Rocker panel meets the quarter panel perfectly parallel:









Arch is parallel to the length of the car, not the quarter panel, as on a rabbit:








(The arch is a little wider on the left side of the picture, the rear of the car.)

The gap that the new inner arch needs to fill isn't too bad:









The new inner arch will need some trimming, but also not too bad:








It became immediately obvious that doing the inner arch on my back is out of the question, so those will wait till the rotisserie phase.

Overall appearance:








I really like the way the arch meets the rear skin. I could do without the release cuts and that little gap near the screw hole, but in the absence of better metal-working skills, this will do OK.

Tomorrow I'll do the other arch. Now I know how to space the release cuts and how long to make each one, so they'll be quicker, more even, and the arch will stay smoother (they'll get welded up and tweaked anyways, but still...)

7040/1195


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Good lord - that last picture- those arches look STUNNING! It looks so dang good.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

This is coming up 100x better than I imagined because of your level of attention to the details! You are a madman.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm glad the arches are making people happy, knowing that those guys that make aluminum bodies over a wooden buck would regurgitate their last meal.

Today I did the other rear arch, so that's all four done. Prepping the arch itself was quicker because I just transferred all the measurements from the other side, but the rest took longer because I repeatedly measured every which way and tweaked everything until both sides are within 1mm of being identical. Even the outward face of the lip is at the same angle.

Overall appearance of the car now:










I couldn't resist plopping the hatch into position to make sure that the car's butt still looks good even though it's a little wider. Thankfully larger posteriors seem to be in fashion, so the timing is fortuitous:








No, your eyes are not deceiving you, and yes I made the same darn gap at the body line that I did on the other side. Harumph.

Tomorrow I'll continue mating the Scirocco wheel wells and rear skin to the TT, at when I'm done with that I gotta start thinking about a rotisserie.

7040/1200


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## pchassin (Aug 2, 2013)

echassin said:


> I'm glad the arches are making people happy, knowing that those guys that make aluminum bodies over a wooden buck would regurgitate their last meal.
> 
> Today I did the other rear arch, so that's all four done. Prepping the arch itself was quicker because I just transferred all the measurements from the other side, but the rest took longer because I repeatedly measured every which way and tweaked everything until both sides are within 1mm of being identical. Even the outward face of the lip is at the same angle.
> 
> ...


Amazing detail work.
Great job. Keep it up.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Fantastic! I honestly think that the extra arch width is actively shrinking the size of the rockers. To be honest, I never minded how those turned out, but they seem to be getting smaller with every post! Congrats, man!


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

It's really starting to come together nicely. Well done! I'm curious as to how the car will age. In other words whether or not creaks, rattles or growns will develop over time due to all of the small bits welded together. I'm also interested in the overall ridgidity of the chassis. Regardless, I love the project. Oh, and the flairs are spot on.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Well I like big butts and I can not lie. 
Nice and balanced with curves that match. 
Baby got back!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@pete: I know there'll be rattles that stem from a lack of padding, but I hope not from welds that are failing over time. Without a full cage, I don't think this car could be as stiff as a TT, but hopefully it's strong enough. All of the tacked seams will be filled in, but if anyone sees something worrisome, mention it and I'll do what I can to correct it. BTW, I had the four ends of the rocker panels that I trimmed off and yesterday I tested the welds and was pleased to have the steel fail after repeated folding, not the welds. It occured to me to video me breaking two:




Sorry for mumbling. I realize four tested welds is not a huge sample, but I hope this provides some reassurance that the car is safe.

@ Petra: thanks for checking in, and a big Thank You for your patience 🧡. Sorry for the noise, dust, taking your garage spot, raiding family funds, and most of all: for pretending to listen when in fact I'm thinking about the car ...

@ Joe and Ed: thanks for the reassurance; it's hard to be right on top of the thing all the time and see it objectively.

Today I got back to mating the rear of the Scirocco's shell to the TT's trunk floor and rear frame rails:

















Most of the gaps need an annoying little piece of steel, and there's a lot of popcorn, but in the end, with enough grinding and seam sealer, I hope we'll all forget about that.

Tomorrow I'll continue on the rear, but I'm also planning the rotisserie. I took a bunch of measurement and it looks like my engine stand, plus another one and some 2" square tubing/large rubber casters I have, would do the trick with minimal modifications to stabilize it laterally and raise it up a bit.

7040/1204


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Eric,
Because that area is going to be buried in seam sealer anyways, don't even grind it. Too much risk of weakening the surrounding metal. Time better spent elsewhere.
Just bury the welds in caulk, and be done with it.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It'd be a ton less work and noise for sure, so I may leave any reasonable welds but still flatten and maybe redo some of the popcorn areas.

Today I did the other wheel well, same schtick:









General layout of the wheel well/frame rail joint:









More MIG wire, 7060/1208


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Interested to see how you clean up the pie cut areas on the flares. I have no clue but enjoying watching you work! A live stream would be fun as you are hilarious in text form.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

The live stream would have to be rated R by today's standards due to the partial nudity, those bumpers don't have any covers, and the random blood and gore. I won't even discuss all the provane language!


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## SciroccoBossE (Aug 5, 2015)

So impressed of your work ! After watching it, i need 🍻


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The release cuts are narrow so I'll slowly fill them in with tack welds like one would do with a butt-welded rust-repair panel. Cool each tack with the air hose, repeat a jillion times and there ya have it (well, that and some filler...). If I knew a guy with an English Wheel and a shrinking/stretching power-hammer, I'da gone that route, but I do not know such a man. Ref. videos: it's my boy and his phone, but I avoid leaning on him because it's not his thing, and I do intend to learn how to take and edit good videos myself.

I tacked the trunk floor to the rear skin while leaning over, lying down, twisting in half, etc... The results look exactly as one would expect and I'm only taking photos at a distance :








You can see from the heat penetration where the outline of the TT tub comes to rest on the Scirocco rear skin, about 3" higher because of the rear drive setup.










The rear skin welds provide the last bit of torsional rigidity (along with the rain tray) and _*that completes the structural phase of the project!* _The four threaded jack stands that were holding the car straight are finally gone:








The car is totally solid with me standing on the bumpers, in the trunk, in the engine bay, etc...

That's a big milestone so I reorganized the garage and the basement to prepare for the next phase: the rotisserie and the numerous bits of steel needed to finalize the shell for seam sealer. The rotisserie will consist of two engine stands but with wider support, a front-to-back tie bar, and larger casters to lift the pivot point up to 39" (the distance from the center of the bumpers to the roof's drip edges):








I'm only taking this approach because I need to do better than the tiptisserie I used on our 16V projects, and I still have all that tubing. The second engine stand is only $80, and ironically it's cheaper than making the few bits I need from it.

7060/1213


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> View attachment 78837
> 
> I'm only taking this approach because I need to do better than the tiptisserie I used on our 16V projects, and I still have all that tubing. The second engine stand is only $80, and ironically it's cheaper than making the few bits I need from it.
> 
> ...


Nice Eric! I need to make a new rotisserie and I am leaning heavily toward that route. Far more simple than my last Scirocco rear drum/stub axle based one and even more off the shelf. Kind of.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Heh heh heh:








I have the height adjusted so the rocker lip rests on the longitudinal tie bar with light pressure. I think I can make the shell spin all the way around, although I don't see why that would be necessary except for ishts and giggles. Each stand is rated and several times the weight of the car so it's safe even though it's so high.

Video of the thing in action:





7130/1225


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

You make it look so easy!


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Big day! Congrats, Eric!


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## keirnbug (Aug 29, 2017)

I did something similar to a Golf 1 Cab with the Rieger Widebody. I used the floor and rear section from a Golf Rallye, and the front section from a Corrado, the idea was to pair up MK2 subframes to the MK1 chassis..
It is so long ago that i dont have any pictures, but one of the benefits was that the widht of the MK2/3 stuff was lining up quite well with the Rieger kit. 

How does the TT line up with the widht of the old MK1 ? I would think that the gauge on the TT is wider than the MK1 ?

I see you work hard and I hope you have great success !!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

keirnbug said:


> How does the TT line up with the widht of the old MK1 ? I would think that the gauge on the TT is wider than the MK1 ?


The TT is indeed 3-4 inches wider, hence the wider Rabbit arches and the high-offset wheels. I did trial fittings back in the planning phase, with most of the car's weight on the wheels.

Front arch extended:









Rear arch extended, stock front arch:








I would prefer that the wheels tuck more but this seems to be the best compromise that avoids modifying the suspension and axles.

Appearance of the new rocker panels:









Yesterday after posting, Petra noticed in the video that I'm showing my private side, so I threw those pants away... I also cut the protruding rotisserie bolts and painted the new section of the rear engine stand:









Today I just cleaned the floor where the car was and laid out a new calendar. I want the remaining blasting, the little steel patches, and the rust repairs finished by the end of April so I can rust-proof the shell before the humid Summer months and minimize flash-rust in the new cavities:









Most of this work will thankfully be with me standing up, so I got a folding table to keep tools in easy reach,

7170/1227


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Eric, is that perforated box tubing, or is angle that you made into box tubing?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I got 1.75" and 2" tubing from Grainger for the 16V tiptisserie. 20 feet at $12/foot and two engine stands for $150, plus casters/nuts/bolts/washers = $500 for the setup I have. That's about 1/2 the price of a fancier rotisserie, but not if I add up past tiptisseries.

Niggly stuff that needs to get done; trim/hammer/dolly the back side any welded edges to minimize seam sealer in the wheel wells, remove the excessive Schutz coating that VW piles into the front turn signal recesses:


















Remove the hatch lift brackets to fully expose rust:

















As for the mess I made in the hatch channel, be kind: the lift brackets each had 8 spot welds and a MIG weld, for a total of 18 welds just to hold up the hatch. That might be more welds than all of the engine mount brackets have .

Replace the rusty brackets that hold the harnesses for the rear wheel speed sensors:









My understanding is that tomorrow I'm assembling some furniture. It started with that magic word that comes from the other room, and that any of you who are married have surely heard: "Hunnneeeeeee?"

7170/1234


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Okey Dokey; Honey-Do list is done and I finished mating the rain trays:









I tapped down the backside edges of the welds in the rain tray to minimize seam sealer:









Here's the rotisserie in action:








I keep jack stands under the car so everything stays safe/stable.

Tomorrow I'll mate the Scirocco steering column brackets to the TT rain tray. I deleted the TT tilt-wheel mechanism so the TT column will just hang from the Scirocco brackets like on any mk1.

7170/1237


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## SciroccoBossE (Aug 5, 2015)

Ok Eric,
Not to be misunderstood @ all. 
Back in the days you, me and and a lot saw Top Gun. Preferablly going to the cinema. In. A. Rocco. ;o)
So from this point of view i would like to say: ( something like this ) -" You could anytime be my wing mate..."

// Ghost rider
( Wanting to transform a Passat 35i Sedan with a 2020 RS3... Any questions ?!? ) 
-"To be continued..."

Incredible work, keep it up. Looking for flighttickets to see his in real life some day. Respect.


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

Can't hold myself back from being truly touched by your build; I have been hoarding those parts for the build for almost 10 years now, and I still can't get my **** together... (yeah, I got 21 137 other projects, lol...) but the fact that you are doing this, and making this awesome shared archive, build sequence, I am thankful ; Godspeed mr E.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you gentlemen!

Steering column brackets:








Even with the rotisserie, some of the welds were tough to get to and it shows. I did do my usual Materials Testing Protocol, namely make sure it can hold my entire weight. IDK if it needs to be this strong, but people tend to use the steering wheel to hoist themselves around the driver's area and I'm probably no exception. I definitely don't need the steering column falling in my lap while I'm driving.

Edit: I was in the mood to do more so I got all the unused firewall holes filled in; welded side:









Back side:








From the large hole in the upper left and going clockwise: heater hose opening, HVAC upper bolt hole, AC hard line opening, A/C condensation drain opening, HVAC lower bolt hole.

7170/1242


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Great progress Eric, Blitzing this project no end. 

Fred, I can relate to what you say 1000%, as their is always a ton of other "projects cooking at the same time " ( plus creating an income at some point  )

Keep up the work sir, you have a great number following .


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Grant: I'm moving along at a good clip but the quality is "wholesale": not worse than what the factory did, but no better either...

Today I did a rear inner arch and the process actually wasn't too bad. I did it with the car on its side and sitting cross-legged. It starts with widening the gap and making it even, to ease fitment:









Then trim and tack the inner edge:









Then manipulate the inner arch steel to meet the outer arc, so that there's no strain, and tack it all into final position:








I did the same thing here that I did on the Stepchild, and that is to keep the two layers from directly overlapping. The open angle at which the two layers meet makes it easy to thoroughly fill the joint with wax. On the left side of the picture, note flash rust already forming on the back side of previous welds, where the shielding gas doesn't reach. This will all get the phosphate treatment prior to finishing and/or cavity wax, but it's obviously not as good as a robot welding the entire shell in an hour and then dipping the entire car in a vat of electrolytic primer. My hope is that with open joints that drain well and phosphate/2K primer/cavity wax, plus fair weather use only, the car should last "forever".

Finally, finish the welds a few tacks at a time with an air hose handy:








(I'll box the ends when I finish the rockers).

7170/1247


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The firewall "panel" is interesting because it saves the main stamping line from having to switch from left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive vehicles. The firewall can be pre-assembled with the HVAC and wiring, and then put in the car before the dashboard. The seam around it with the very thick goop probably adds a lot of extra structural rigidity, and also sound deadening of a critical barrier in the car.

The welds you did on it look great!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I ground the firewall welds so that's cheating. 

The other inner arch and the wheel well reconstruction seam welded:



















Fitment of the arch was a bit more-- medieval because of the deformations I created accommodating the TT's bulky filler pipe assembly, but I was careful not to strain the outer arch or quarter panel and it all came out really nice.

36 grit grinding discs, 7195/1254


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I picked up more shielding gas this morning and got to it.

The joint between the lower quarter panel edge and the new rockers is an acute angle and I thought it might be tough to get the welds right in a deep "V"...









...so I put the welds on the inside:








It seemed unwise to try to seam weld these joints since heat could damage the panel, so I elected for good tacks every 2", which seems to be how the factory spaced most of the spot welds in this area.

I'm really happy with how perfect those joints came out, especially considering the two cars are spliced there. I can't say the same for the trunk floor, which had gaps up to 1/4" where it meets the rear skin. That really isn't bad considering what's going on, but finishing the joint was an unsatisfying patchwork of little strips of steel:








It's really strong, but I'll be very happy to get this covered in a nice thick bead of seam sealer...

After that, I gave the rotisserie some love. It works fine, but the new _cough_ Chinese engine stand is noticeably flimsier than the old _cough_ American one I've had, so I added a triangulation bar that also keeps the cross bar more stable:









Here's how they used to be made:









Tomorrow I'll start filling in the rear flares with weld, so I did a quickie test today, and the slots fill in easily:









7195/1261


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> I picked up more shielding gas this morning and got to it.
> 
> The joint between the lower quarter panel edge and the new rockers is an acute angle and I thought it might be tough to get the welds right in a deep "V"...
> View attachment 80835


Eric, is the upper part of that sill, where it meets the Scirocco, flat or does it angle downwards slightly? I don't know why I didn't wonder before, but now I'm wondering about water pooling there from rain and washes.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

^ ^ ^ John asks a good question. 
Especially because it's impossible to weld from the outside, you _are_ going to caulk that joint - on the outside - right?  
The only thing that would make "no caulk" acceptable here would be to braze the joint.  But, heat, so....


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The car won't have wipers, so it's in the same vein as a motorcycle/dune buggy/speedster, i.e.: no rain or carwashes. But just in case, the new rocker is sloped a little (old pic before mating the wheel wells):








The joint will get seam sealer on the outside and cavity wax on the inside.

No work today: I got the second Pfizer shot yesterday and it's everything they say it is...


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Good to hear(the sill, not the shot after affects).


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Glad I'm not the only one thinking about water pooling...

Oddly enough, I've had varying degrees of close feedback on Pfizer:

Mom - zero side effects, 1st or 2nd shot
Dad - zero side effect, 1st or 2nd shot
Mother-in-law - slight nausea 1st, zero effect 2nd
Me - zero effect 1st, no 2nd shot yet
Erin - Major lethargy 1st shot, no 2nd shot yet

Go figure!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe: Judging from your data sampling, most people aren't having much trouble, that's good.

The gas door is fully welded finally:








The gap is wide because it was less challenging to fit the panel behind the quarter skin (as opposed to butt-welded), so I'll need to tweak things with glass-reinforced filler.

A mk1 quarter panel is flatter than a mk2's, so I had to muscle the gas door as flat as I could until the hinge structure stopped progress:








Close, but the front upper corner of the door needs to be built up with 1 or 2 mm of filler.

Then I seam welded the rear arches:


























I like the way the plane of the arch opening lines up with the length of the car, but this last pic has me wondering if I widened the rear of the arches _too_ much. I'm not redoing it so we'll just have to see. I was pleasantly surprised to find that maximum filler depth will be 2mm, and that's only at the joint where the Rabbit and Scirocco profiles don't match. The release cuts and deformities I caused in the quarter skin need 1mm, which is OK considering what all this metal has been through....

Overall look:








I still would have preferred the exposed mk1 filler cap, but this came out well.

7195/1268


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Before I can box in the rocker ends, I need to get the precise layout of the lower fender mounting flanges. The fenders need preparation to repair rot and straighten the driver fender. Grab a spatula and a heat gun because all that Schutz coating and filler has to go. Oh, and grab some tasty beverages too because this takes time...

Passenger fender before:


















After:

















This fender has some rot at the lower mounting point, but it's otherwise pretty nice.

The driver side fender will be a challenge because it's badly dented:

















The pic doesn't show the dent much but it's behind the arch and it deformed both moulding lines and pushed the cowl line upwards. There's a smaller dent behind the turn signal opening.

Ooof:








Schutz on the left, filler on the right, dustbin for size reference.

Speaking of rocker ends, I initially planned on doing it this way:








It'd be simpler to weld and trim, and it would give a more "finished" look, but it looks too bulky.

I'm leaning towards this:








This is a bit harder to do and leaves the raw 11 gauge edge, but it looks slimmer. I'll round the lower corners a bit to avoid [more] injuries.

7195/1280


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

In order to box in the rocker ends, I first need to lay out the lower fender mounts, and I need the driver fender reasonably straight. I didn't want to focus on the fender prematurely, but it had the dreaded "boink" one gets from a large dent that stretches the metal. The panel was either 4 mm proud, or it went "boink" and was depressed 4 mm. In the past, I would have applied excessive filler or replaced the panel, but I found a YouTube video that showed how to shrink the metal using a lowly propane torch: 




I did it exactly like in the video and about the same number of times. The fender is rock solid and within 1 or 1.5 mm all over, which I can handle with hammer/dolly and glass-reinforced filler:








This is how it looks right afterwards. There's still a lot to do, but I don't need to seek another fender. I got the lower moulding line straight by striking with a chisel from the inside, and I'll do the same with the upper line after I make a shallow valley-shaped dolly out of 11-gauge.

Next is to mount the fenders, finalize the lower mounting flanges, and box in the rocker ends.

7195/1284


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## Brixy (May 30, 2014)

Eric, hats off you never cease to amaze and entertain. I assume you are now a retired surgeon and are using your skills on non biological patients. Keep up the good work as it is keeping us glued to the vortex.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

It's amazing what a bit of heat and quenching with water will do.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I've been retired for a year already. Oy, time flies... Ref. heat shrinking: I never dared try it until I saw that particularly reassuring video, and it works great.

Front rocker opening with fender mounting flange installed:









Front rocker closed:








I'm keeping that little hole for the cavity wax wand, then I'll fill it in with goop. The fender will get a corresponding flange with an M6 RivNut and I'll use a spacer to maintain an even gap that drains easily.

Other side:









Rear rocker opening:









First patch:









Second patch:









Third [annoying] patch:









Other side:









7195/1290


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I made a dual tip muffler for the wife's Cabriolet. Once it was welded up, the tips were crooked. They were perfect square before I welded it but with stainless and someone who has no clue what they are doing with a tig torch, it was not parallel when I was done. Heat from an acetylene torch and water and after a while it was perfect. Tricks from YouTube University.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Butcher said:


> ... someone who has no clue what they are doing ...



Must be the same "someone" doing a lot of the stuff on this car, lol.

Ref. Youtube: Petra and I do almost everything on the house and cars ourselves and it's thanks to the Web, people who post their knowledge, and e-commerce where we can easily find anything obscure. The only thing we don't touch is the roof, and when I see the crooked isht "pros" do while roofing, I feel pretty good about the work we do.

On the car, little things are gobbling time. The rear inner arches stop short of the rear corners in order to keep open access to the rear shock upper bolt. That leaves more of those little gaps that need weird scraps of 22 gauge:








(The "L" shaped bit, center left of the pic).

On the new panels, IDK whether that's welding soot or flash rust. I keep an eye on the new rocker panels and they're still shiny inside, but I want to get the shell sealed ASAP. I haven't been priming as I go because I'll be using 2K and it's too wasteful to mix numerous small batches. I'll phosphate, etch prime, or wax all the bare metal right after I fix the cowl rot, at which point most of the metal work will be done. I researched weld-thru primer and I decided against it because heat burns it off and exposes the welds and the joints, so IMO it doesn't solve anything and might even leave carp in the joints that keeps wax from getting full access.

Side marker holes filled in:








I normally would leave the side markers but the TT harness has no provision for those bulbs and it's easier to just omit them.

Back side:








The marks below the patch betray some pushing I had to do in spite of cool tack welds one-at-a-time with air hose applied immediately after each one till the metal was room temperature. The panel still pulled in about 1 mm, which I corrected but it shows how easily the steel deforms.

I filled in the screw holes with a quick zap:








This is the best weld on the car so please applaud it, say nice things about it, etc...

7195/1294


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

So good you should redo all the other ones.


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## Rays-Rocco (Aug 10, 2002)

Butcher said:


> So good you should redo all the other ones.


 I agree
I would have taken a welding course before starting such a huge project!
It confirms that some people have more money than sense!! 
I’m sure that will get a response from your duck buddy


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ray: taking courses is reasonable advice when safety is a concern. Since I've already mentioned that the welds have been inspected and declared safe, there's nothing more to say on the matter (good-natured ribbing is acceptable). As for the rest of your post:

1)) Whether I have more money than sense is certainly possible, but sense is a lot harder to measure than cents, so in one sense, it's hard to say. You may have sensed that.

2) "duck buddy": do you mean f-uck buddy? Do you mean Daun? FYI we're just friends (he's not my type).

I'm of a mind to report you to a moderator, but this is your lucky day: I don't know how.

Edit: I friggen forgot to post what I _wanted_ to post: I have the seam sealer, etch primer and cavity wax with wands on the way; applying those things will reduce the urgency of the project: 7375/1294.


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## Rays-Rocco (Aug 10, 2002)

The duck buddy was in reference to the ducks that you all hung off the rear of your sciroccos remember? I do think that Dawn was the leader of that group now that you mention his name, 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Ray: OK, that's clear enough, as is your displeasure with the project and with some of us. Moving forward, let's all stay out of trouble and remain polite, i.e.: a statement about welding classes is fine, but we should skip the rest.

Back to the car: it's too windy to get the shell outside and finish blasting it, so I tackled the rear seat. That might seem premature, but the rear seatback frame is pretty strong, and fixing it firmly to the shell might add some torsional rigidity. The only thing lost is the folding feature.

First, position the TT seat bottom in the stock location and install the Scirocco seat back frame on its stock pivots:








The fact that things line up so well is just another one of those lucky coincidences.

Plop the TT seat back in place and mark its position against the Scirocco frame for later fixation:








In this pic, note that a TT's exterior is wider, but the interior is actually _narrower_. I'll need to install upholstered panels between the Scirocco rear cards and the TT rear seats.

But that's for later. For now, make brackets, cut off the redundant pivots, and cut new holes for wheel speed sensor wires:

















The brackets will get M6 RivNuts.

Boom, done:









New Dremel collets, 7385/1298


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

So the ducking story goes - G-rocco (Greg) sent ginster86roc (Carl) a package while he was doing major body work and painting his car. The package said "Not to be opened until the car is out of paint and re-assembled". There was much anticipation on what was in the box. So finally, upon completion, the package was opened, and was revealed to be a yellow camo rubber duck keychain. Here's carl's legendary build thread from early 2007: my bodywork thread









At Cincy 2007, G-rocco went around and attached more duck keychains to the other Sciroccos there, and he matched them to the color/personality of the car/owner! This became one of the many Cincy traditions. punchbug (Cathy) became the "Mother Ducker" who has taken on the tradition. Here's the post about the ducking in 2007: so can y'all tell me what happened w/ the ducks @...

It's a good forum memory. And this build thread reminds me so much of those days - it is a magic thread that I check every day!


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

TheTimob said:


> It's a good forum memory. And this build thread reminds me so much of those days - it is a magic thread that I check every day!


QFT!

I too have been looking forward to this thread every blooming day!

(and also looking for interesting TTs for sale. Mind you, I plan on just keeping the car stock)

Looking great, Eric!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

scirocco*joe said:


> I plan on just keeping the car stock


Nothing wrong with that: Audi packed a lot a great engineering into a small package. My only beefs with a TT are 1) it has a face that only a mother could love and 2) it's 1000 lbs overweight. Oh, and while some things are a matter of taste, my statements are objectively true and you all know it. 

It's still too windy for outdoors blasting, so I'm checking off some little things like the rear shock towers. I don't want to spend too much time smoothing everything like the SEMA cars, but I also didn't want to just plop the stock rubber boots onto the shock towers. It's not too much work to lop off the upper flanges and cover the wounds with pleasing bits of 22 gauge. Before:









After:








They're not very structural so I just tacked them and I'll cover the joints with seam sealer.

Back when I had grandiose ideas, my plan was to cut out the shock sections at the spot weld seams, but I wanna drive this thing in my lifetime and I decided that this'll look fine under black Schutz coating:









I was curious about how the door sill trim, rear seat, rear card, and carpet would come together, and it's not too bad:








I'll cut the template out of steel and cover it with black felt.

7385/1302

P.S.: I am very grateful for words of encouragement; they keep wind in the sails.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

What's the thought process behind keeping a back seat ? 


Are you thinking you will take the whole family for a ride ? 
Seems like it could be additional weight that's not 'required' ?

It's definitely moving along well and is also a thread that I keep refreshing looking for the daily update!


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## first_rocc (Apr 9, 2005)

echassin said:


> In this pic, note that a TT's exterior is wider, but the interior is actually _narrower_. I'll need to install upholstered panels between the Scirocco rear cards and the TT rear seats.


Amazing to me that a TT has a smaller rear seat than a Mk1 Scirocco. I doubt you're planning on using it for people anyway, but the times I've driven without the rear cushions, there was way too much road noise for me. I enjoy watching your progress. Great work.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

first_rocc said:


> Amazing to me that a TT has a smaller rear seat than a Mk1 Scirocco. I doubt you're planning on using it for people anyway, but the times I've driven without the rear cushions, there was way too much road noise for me. I enjoy watching your progress. Great work.


I didn't even know the TT _had _a rear seat. Bonus!

I thought the TT prolly had an upholstered shelf like a Mercedes-Benz SL.

-OE


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

following you, sir. 

carry on as you continue to progress on our journey....


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you for the nice comments.

@Ted: I want casual observers to initially think that the car is normal; something like "Hey! nice Sciroc--- waaaaitaminute, _that's_ not a Scirocco! WTF?". I wasn't thinking of rear passengers but it could happen.

@ OE: I've seen pics of TTs without a rear seat and even with the smaller rear space they look like stuff went missing, so I'm glad I have the seat. IMO, and to tie in with Ted's post, Sciroccos have a cavernous rear and they really need the rear seat and trunk cover to look right.

@Carl: You're _here_! Hi!

@Gordon: every time you post, I click your 75's link only to find that you haven't posted more pics yet. Chop chop.

The weather was OK for blasting but I wasn't up for it. Instead it was the radiator support. The new modularity accomodates engine egress perfectly but the flanges were _mumbles_ a little rough_. _Errant drill holes and welds that burned through:


















No problem; just fix it all up and no one will ever know (except that I just mentioned it...):


















April has gone pretty well, so I tightened up the schedule:








My welder friend, henceforth to be known as Scott, has the equipment to do the RivNuts and studs. I made a list so we can them all in one session. Also noteworthy, the few shopping items at the bottom add up to $350-$400, i.e.: I'm entering the expensive-bodywork-supplies phase.

Rust converter spray (for all the inaccessible areas that are solid but not shiny), more MIG wire, 7415/1306


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I spent today on the driver's side fender, the one that was dented up. First up was a large hole that oddly had no rust; I think a high spot was just ground off and closed with filler. Weird. I enlarged the hole to make it round, so a patch would fit easier:









Patch, Rabbit flare, rivet holes and old dent puller holes all welded up:








I also deleted the antenna hole.

Good penetration:









I spent a good hour with hammer and dolly and got the larger dent to within 1 mm of filler everywhere, even along the upper moulding line which was caved in:









I used the weld penetration marks on the Rabbit flare as a guide to trim excess metal from inside of the joint. The fender will look like it was made this way even when viewed from within the wheel well:









Almost ready for finish work:









I'll do the other fender flare tomorrow, then mount all the panels to align them again so I can finish the lower mounting flanges over the weekend.

7415/1310


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## thescirocco.com (May 15, 2002)

tuiterwyk said:


> So much awesome!
> 👍


Nice work!

How much do you think it'll weigh, once its complete?


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)




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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you gentlemen. Ref. weight: surely not less than 2000 lbs, hopefully not more than 2500. Craig has corner scales he uses to set up his race cars and he offered to weigh the finished car.

I spent more time on the driver side [accidented] fender, making and welding the lower flange and wrestling with the door gap:



































I previously cranked this fender's gap straight with multiple Vice Grips, which is apparently not appropriate fixation on a completed car. The gap still needs fine tuning but it's within range.

Then I welded up the flare and the rivet holes on the passenger fender:









I still need to do the lower flange, but this side is rotted and it'll be more work [for tomorrow]:








I think that's genuine Georgia mud splashed on the fender from its last drive in a previous life. I couldn't help wonder who it was and where they were going.

7415/1316


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

They were obviously going on a 🍺 run! When I lived there as a kid, people measured distance in beers not miles. "Macon? That's about a two beer ride"


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref. beer run: so on the way to buy beer, a certain number of beers are also consumed as a measure of distance travelled? And they buy beer when they already _have_ beer? That's a real love of beer...

Today I started by fixing the passenger fender rot and making the lower mounting flange:

















The patch is welded only on the outside so that's penetration in the pics, but I seam welded both sides of the flange to be sure I wouldn't have problems with movement, cracking paint, etc...

Next was the upper flanges. They were strong already but there was a gap around the strut bar:








If, like me, you enjoy putting metal where there already _was_ metal, I recommend being very aggressive when you make initial cuts. That way you gain precious experience fabricating and welding patches.

Two pieces cut coarsely, welded, trimmed and dressed, and it's all good to go. Nobody will ever know it ever happened (except that I mentionned it):
















The strut bar needs refining but if you recall, a piece of it jumped up 6 months ago and bit me in the cornea, which delayed the project a little... I'm making the bar sit there ugly, just to show it who's boss.

7415/1324


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Little things that gobble up time, first was to replace missing doublers that reinforce the upper fender mount flanges:








I needlessly cut them off during the initial stages of the project.

Next was to finish welding the headlight brackets. They're modified to clear the TT radiator, so the lower inner corners are about an inch further out and the bulbs protrude about 1/2 ":








This was all done on the car made-to-fit, and I did the tack welds in a style that MIG is good at: don't bother prepping the metal, just blast wire until something sticks.

It did the job, and now that I have the basic shape, it all needs to be tidied up:








I'll blast the brackets and finish them flat black during the assembly phase of the project.

I also replaced a missing tab on one of the trim rings:








These rings are getting harder to find so it's best that I stop discarding them just for a broken tab.

Tomorrow I'll work on the small holes that I don't need: body line moulding rivets on the doors, passenger mirror, rear bumper trim strip, hatch wiring/washer hose, spot welds that I over-drilled, etc...

7415/1328


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Little things that gobble up time, pt.2: the ufcking rivet holes...

...I stopped counting at 30. They're all over the car, holding various bits of trim that either could've been mounted with 3M double-sided tape, or omitted altogether.

C'est la vie, fill 'em in one-by-one and grind them all flat. Some are real accommodating, like this one:









A few couldn't take a hint and needed serious persuasion:









Most were tersely polite:









But in the end they all toed the line under the heavy-handed authority of the angle grinder:









I really need to get going on the blasting so I can do the cowl and the hatch opening rust repairs. Ugh.

7415/1332


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

The Scirocco 1 was designed in the era where most trim was still attached with clips. It's surprising that the middle door trim is double stick taped. That must have been added at the end.

I still remember the rust around the trim holes in my dad's '55 Chevy.

My Phaetons still have clipped-on side trim but the letters and numbers are stuck on.


----------



## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

WOW, looking great Eric, You will be driving this well before I can get to the USA next ( 2024 for us down here wanting overseas travel ) The welding finish has improved vastly also from what I see bud . Keep at it 🍺🍺


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@OE: clips were a decent solution before 3M tape but I think it's odd that manufacturers still use them at all.

@ Grant: progress has indeed been brisk. The car is structurally complete and it's ready for final blasting outside, but now it's friggen snowing:








That cat is not wrong, but instead of going back to bed, I'm using the delay to grind and/or redo the worst welds. Some have enough popcorn that they'll poke through a normal bead of seam sealer. Thankfully, most of the welds are fine and they just need dressing to minimize sealer or filler.

BTW, I hope it's apparent that I'm not doing the "selfie" thing of photoshopping everything to look good. Obviously I can have Scott come over and make a few perfect welds on pristine new steel, and use them in all my photos, but I prefer showing the slow progression from general nastiness (some of it my own making) to pretty cool.

As an example, here's how much just the passenger rear wheel well has evolved in 6 months:




































Today:









I ground the engine bay welds juuust smooth enough to be hidden with a thin bead of seam sealer:

















I really like the way these areas came together. When it's all black, I think it'll be hard to tell that it was two different cars.

7415/1336


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

Epic; love all the aspects of it. Also a real fan of the suffix numbers, these actually mean something 
7415/1336


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The numbers only mean something if you know what they mean, know what I mean? Seriously, I can understand why posting numbers might be taboo, but I'm glad some people like seeing them. IMO showing one's work includes the lumps and bumps, how tedious some of it really is, how expensive the little things are, etc...

Our weather did a Chicago-style turnaround, and it was so nice that I could have just goofed off, but I bit the bullet and got some blasting done:








I got the inside of the cowl done a few months ago but I dropped the blasting tip just right and broke the casting at the pick up inlet. It's only now that I'm getting back to it because it's such a PIA. BTW, everyone develops over time their own way of doing things, and I'm showing my approach: the bare shell on a clean driveway (except for a steady supply of our Pear tree's flower petals...), garage doors closed, and everything needed on hand.

Everything else I can carry and it'll get blasted in my basement stairwell:








I run a long hose from the garage, tape the drain shut, and keep the door closed. The blasting media just falls to the bottom to be recycled and it's convenient enough that I got rid of my blasting cabinet to make space.

In addition to the cowl rot, here's the kind of rust I'm dealing with, quarter window frame:









Door sills:









Windshield frame:









Front turn signal recesses:








A lot of this could be done fairly well with a wire wheel and rust converter but blasting is more thorough.

After 7 hours, cowl section to be replaced:








Parts of the channel and the other side also need new tin.

Driver turn signal recess:








I still have to do under the fender flange.

Driver A-pillar and door sill:








Needs more. Ugh.

Hatch seal channel:








The upper length needs to be replaced.

10 photo limit, so to be continued...


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

...continued, driver quarter window:








Needs more blasting but so far there are no holes.

Of the 7 hours, more than half were spent retrieving and screening the media: 7415/1343


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Fantastic progress, Eric!


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> Hatch seal channel:
> View attachment 84348
> 
> The upper length needs to be replaced.


bugger, I sold my spare roof rear channel to a guy in LA about 4 months back. May have quarter window sill sections if you choose to replace rather than just patch.
Blasting is a bitch of a job, the crud gets everywhere 😆


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe: yes, it finally looks like a Scirocco! (including the rust, lol)

@Grant: the solution to your rear channel is simple, tell him to ship it to _me_. Sheesh, I have to explain _everything_! Ref. blasting media: a certain amount of it will be included, free-of-charge, for the schmuck that gets the car after me. I taped off all the blind cavities, but there are surely several pounds of it hidden.

For the rear channel, I'll make a 3/8" plywood buck that matches the curve of the channel and hammer out a new piece. Here's a short test section:








The curve is easy to tweak by hitting the free edges more or less. That thins the metal there and causes the piece to bow.

The cowl is going to be less work than I thought. Only bits of the seal landing and the ends need to be replaced (where the cowl meets the frame rails) because I was able to weld in the pinholes on the main section. Both sides of the steel are pristine because I blasted the underside when the cars were still separate, so I think that approach is acceptable:









I turned the heat on the MIG all the way down and set the wire speed by practicing on a section to be discarded. The heat was juuust enough to blow away any thinned steel, and as soon as the steel thickened up, the welds took nicely.

Result:








That was a huge save because replacing the main section would have been a ton of work without a serviceable patch panel. Sadly, any mk1 that is donor-status is likely to have the same trouble spots..

It was beautiful weather again today but I'm still beat from yesterday, so I didn't blast. One of the things I noticed: most of the rust comes off in the first few minutes of blasting, but the last of the rust takes hours. To get around that, I tried Rustoleum Rust Dissolver Gel on the residual spots and lightly worked it into foam with a welding brush. It still takes hours, but it's easy work, the result is great, and future blasting sessions should be less taxing.

After blasting but before acid:









After acid:

















Pitted but spotless, and ready for finishing. Didja notice? Working the acid into foam with a welding brush (brass wires?) causes the steel to look exactly like it's cad yellow plated. Very interesting! 

Overall view of the driver's side:


















More goggles, 7440/1350


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ebizzle and Timbo: Vortex just acknowledged yours and others' encouragements: "You have been awarded a trophy: Can't get enough of your stuff ". Thank you Sirs.

I was on a roll yesterday so I spent the evening making the new hatch channeI. I left the old one initially so I could match its curves:

















I don't think there's such a thing as a curved sheetmetal break. To get around that, I scored the steel lightly, deeper at the ends where the welds will go, so the folds would be nice and sharp. Nobody will ever know (except that I just mentioned it).

Lop off the old channel:









Tack in the new one:









Verify seal and hatch fitment...








...using a door seal, because I forgot that I don't have a hatch seal. 

Seam welded:








The only metal work remaining is the cowl patches, but tomorrow I'm hoping to blast the passenger side.

7440/1357


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Passenger side, rear, and bottom are blasted and clean, pending final acid treatment:































































Cowl patches next.

7440/1363


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Found a bit of structurally significant rust and a crack on my shock tower yesterday. After all the struggles and time it took to repair, it made me appreciate all your patch welding work even more. Keep it up!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Benny: It doesn't help any that these cars are made out of-- whatever the ehll it is they're made of...

Today I spent time applying acid repeatedly where there's residual rust dots even after blasting. The acid is slow and it wouldn't be a good solution (get it? solution?) for a shop where time-is-money, but it's really easy to do. While the acid was soaking, I worked on the cowl.

Cut out the rot:









Make a patch:









Tack it, weld it, dress it:









Rinse, lather, repeat:



































Note blasting media in the frame rail saying "ufck you, your blow gun, _and_ your ShopVac!".

Wiper, schm-iper:

















There; with this and the total HVAC delete, the car now can't handle anything but perfect weather. _Dons Nomex underwear_

Other side:









7440/1370


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Man, the accuracy of your new plates to their openings is really getting great


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@timbo: Thank you Sir. Admittedly, the lap joints I've been using till now aren't much to look at even though fitment is much easier. I didn't want to take too much time doing butt joints where they'll be covered with seam sealer, because if VW used seam sealer to hide poor workmanship, so can I :








The factory just put a blob in there even though I can insert my pinky.

Before I transition to the next [bodywork] phase, I'm spending a few days welding more unwanted holes, retrieving blasting media, soaking rusty areas in acid, tidying the garage, re-visiting sub-par work, making a new schedule, etc...

I can't say enough about the acid; here's the hatch channel after blasting but before acid:








Blasting is a huge improvement but the black stuff is residual crust that resists even the angle grinder with a knotted wire wheel.

After 5-10 applications of acid, each time scrubbed off after about an hour with a welding brush:








What a difference!

Welding tasks, first a stress crack at the corner of a window opening, before:









After:









Next, finish welding seams on the A-pillar to get as much strength out of them, before:









After:









After that, unused holes:









Neat trick I got off YouTube to hold little bits of steel while shaping/welding them:








Attach a nail to the piece with a cold weld that just breaks free when you're done.

I won't post a pic of every hole I filled ("phrasing!!!"), but you get the idea:








These were the dome light switch and the speaker wires in the driver's side A-pillar, but I also have holes from unused fender mounting screws, the rear wiper wires, rear washer hose, etc...

7440/1378


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> @timbo: I didn't want to take too much time doing butt joints where they'll be covered with seam sealer, because if VW used seam sealer to hide poor workmanship, so can I :
> 
> 7440/1378


If you are referring to the Scirocco shell, that would be fine Karmann coachwork. 

-OE


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Looking like a hundred bucks man. Real nice. 
Will you use anything like Eastwood's internal frame coating for the back sides of all this stuff? This is something I've always wondered if people do to prevent rusting from the inside. No experience with it myself...


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

deathhare. said:


> Looking like a hundred bucks man. Real nice.
> Will you use anything like Eastwood's internal frame coating for the back sides of all this stuff? This is something I've always wondered if people do to prevent rusting from the inside. No experience with it myself...


Thank you Sir. I have two products I'll be using: for cavities and channels that I want to inundate, I got 3M cavity wax and the long wands with the special tips to spray it as you withdraw _phrasing!!!_. For accessible areas where I don't want spray everywhere, like the underside of the raintray or the cabin side of the rear wheel wells, I have a gallon of Cosmoline that goes on with a brush. It must have a surfactant in it because it levels out beautifully and seeps in everywhere even though it's thick.

@OE: I wonder why we say "Karmann Ghia" but "VW Scirocco", even though the cars used the same formula.

Today, the project got its first doses of black color! I used black rust converter primer for areas that are still healthy but that I can't make shiny, like the inside of the A-pillars where the door hinge reinforcements are welded. I used black etch primer if the bare metal was shiny:












































Etch primer has its limitations so I didn't put it where I expect any bodywork.

Edit: I also spent a few hours closing more unwanted holes. I had to leave two of them way up near the hatch hinge points where the welder wouldn't reach and I'll have to use rubber plugs.

Tomorrow I'll start the cavity wax and then I can do the seam sealer over the welds and to plug the wax access holes.

7440/1384


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> @OE: I wonder why we say "Karmann Ghia" but "VW Scirocco", even though the cars used the same formula.


Great progress E.

That would be because VW actually named it the Karmann Ghia after the coachbuilder and the design studio. 

They could have named our favorite the Karmann Giugiaro or Karmann Ital Design but then they would have had to rename it for the Scirocco 2. VW didn't name the original "production" Beetle convertible a Karmann VW (or the earlier cabriolet a Hebmüller VW) or name the Rabbit Convertible the Karmann Cabriolet. Come to think if it, they would have had to name the Golf 1 the VW Giugiaro or VW Ital Design and the cabriolet would have been another Karmann Giugiaro or Karmann Ital Design. I think even the Dasher was designed by Giugiaro or Ital Design so they would have been in a pickle for the first generation of water cooled VWs. 

I think designer labels on cars became passé in the '70s when Ford started tarting up interiors and adding half vinyl roofs (Landau Roofs) and sticking Ghia badges on everything.

-OE


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

And I always thought the Karmann Ghia was known as a POS. Learn something new everyday.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@OE: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell just as sweet."...

...or to Mark's point, it would still be a POS 

Today I did cavity waxing, using the exact technique in the video:





Pictures are a challenge because by definition the areas are inaccessible. Rocker cavity and sill cavity before cleanup:









A-pillar:









B-pillar:









C-pillar where I welded holes shut:








I pre-planned by reviewing the video, marking and/or pre-drilling all access points and practicing insertion and the withdrawal speed of the wands prior to spraying _PHRASING!!!!_. I'm filling all the areas one might expect, rockers, sills, A, B, and C pillars, and the windshield posts, but I had to order more. Things like the wheel arches, fender flanges, frame rails, underside of the cowl, and rear frame rails need to wait till after paint, so I expect to need even more in the future (or Cosmoline). Even after all that, I know that truly rust-proofing a mk1 is just a fantasy, so I'll follow the same rule I have for my other toys: don't get it wet. Ever. Not even for a wash.

I also ordered the first of the body work supplies, and tomorrow I'll start the seam sealer. That will mostly finish the April task list:









The schedule becomes more fluid moving forward based on what I can achieve with the hood and the hatch vs ordering fiberglass pieces from Europe:








I prefer steel but there's a limit to what I can do and PepBoys doesn't carry replacement mk1 body panels. I can't smooth the panel gaps until I know what actual panels I'm using, so there might be a delay.

Nevertheless, the goals for May are:
Final blasting of the bottom and filler on the straightened left floor beam; Gravitex the bottom, the wheel wells, and the fenders
Debond the hood frame/repair (hatch too) vs order fiberglass panels
Blast the modular portion of the radiator support
Remove the rotisserie
Install/align the door, fenders and front end
Fiberglass filler on the arches and dent repairs

After that it gets even more approximate:
June: smooth the body, perfect the panel gaps, and finish modifying the air dam
July: prime/marker coat, block sand, repeat, prime/marker coat, block sand, repeat (ugh)
August: paint, fix runs, sand, and polish
September/October: electrical system, glass and interior (steering column, dash, center console, upholstery)
Winter: start re-habbing the running gear.

7850/1388


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Seam sealer. I didn't slather it on thick and I still used 3 tubes of it.

It goes on nicely. I did both sides of the joints where possible and I think the car is well-sealed. Right rear wheel well enlargement (for the TT filler pipe assembly):









Open rear corner (to access the shock mount bolt):









The trunk floor and wheel well joints:








It's nice to have these joints covered. They're strong but they were an eyesore

Underside of the TT trunk floor where it joins the Scirocco rear skin:










Interior A-pillars, door sills, rain tray joints, and steering column brackets:









Engine bay side of the fender well joints:








I tried to smear things to match the joints that Audi did.

Wheel well side of the fender well joints:








This will be covered with Gravitexs so the sealer is just added insurance.

Exterior A-pillar and upper frame rail:








This is one of my favorite spots to look at on the car; it was a real mess last year and it all came together nicely.

Door sills and B-pillars:









Rear inner arch extensions:








This really shows how much I widened the car. The labeled holes are for more wax I have on order.

With the seam sealer, the Gravitex texture, and the car all black, I hope the car will look OEM-ish.

7850/1395


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Oof! I got the hood apart and examined the guts. It amounts to cutting all the glue and drilling about 50 spot welds:








It took all day because tweaking any of it would make reassembly much harder.

This is the worst of it:








It's not bad but I wouldn't want that lurking underneath.

I also need to shore up the hood frame in the areas I needed extra clearance:









I examined the hatch and it just needs some blasting along the window channel. Once the hood is done I can get all the panels aligned on the shell and begin bodywork. I don't need fiberglass panels from the Czech Republic and it's good to avoid the inevitable delays that would have caused _phew_.

7850/1402


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

you sir....

are.
a.
madman.

and i have the utmost respect as i have never seen anyone dissect a hood panel like that.

i mean...i haven't seen 'everything'...but this is just incredible.


do they go back together and play nicely upon reassembly?

any rate....following vigorously and vicariously 🍿



carry on!


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## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

I toast all madmen bodywork. Did the same hacking into the slam panel of a rallye golf and grafting it into a Corrado g60 to integrate the ellipsoid projector beam headlights to the car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_sips morning coffee_

TBH, I've never seen a hood opened up like that either but I didn't see a better option. I'm doing it the same way I grafted the gas door into the quarter panel: move slooooooow and don't warp anything irreplaceable. The hood skin has well-formed lips on all four sides so it looks like it'll go back together nicely, but I admit to some anxiety till I see it done (also true for the whole car...)

Before I started the project, I considered using a Rabbit or a mk2 Scirocco because metal is available, the packaging would've been a lot easier, and just because less rare. I'm doing a black mk1 Scirocco because that's the idea I had in the 80's when VW came out with the Synchro Golf. I didn't have the resources to build it, but the idea has endured through 35 years, a marriage, two kids and a career, and now is my best [only?] chance; if I have to block-sand the whole ufcking thing five times, so be it.

Scott is coming over today with the supplies to install Rivnuts and threaded studs, and I'll start what will undoubtedly be numerous applications of acid on the hood (no blasting for fear of warping).

I also ordered more seam sealer to glue the hood back together and fix any areas on the shell that I may have missed, 7890/1410.


----------



## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

A few comments:
We have to remember that in the 70's VW moved into their wind related names (Golf, Jetta etc), so we got Scirocco. Had they not done that, who knows.
Still great work Eric. That seam sealer tidies things up a bit too. 
Impressed at how decent that hood frame looks inside. I see them crusty at the edges and just imagine how bad they are inside, but they probably aren't. Looking forward to seeing it go back together.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref. names: Scirocco is a wind, yes, but Golf is a game, like Polo, no? And AFAIK Jetta means nothing?

On the car: the acid is too slow on the hood and hatch, so I may blast judiciously at the edges just to speed things up.

In the meantime, Scott and I got most of the fasteners done, pending a few stragglers we either forgot the hardware for, or missed altogether.

Rusted studs that broke off and needed to be replaced:









Grounds that were discarded with the TT body:









Fender RivButs along the reconstructed mounting flanges and the A-pillars:









Rear seatback has studs on the bottom and RivNuts on top so there's no fiddling: the whole thing drops in and you just tighten the nuts and bolts:


















7890/1415


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

echassin said:


> Ref. names: Scirocco is a wind, yes, but Golf is a game, like Polo, no? And AFAIK Jetta means nothing?


passat: trade wind, auf deutsch.
golf: take off from gulf stream.
jetta: take off from jet stream.
scirocco: hot saharan desert wind.

(waving hi!)


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

ginster86roc said:


> passat: trade wind, auf deutsch.
> golf: take off from gulf stream.
> jetta: take off from jet stream.
> scirocco: hot saharan desert wind.
> ...


Thank you Carl.
Nice hardware there Eric. We use that at work building transmitters and I like seeing it on stuff like this.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Encyclopedic knowledge, have you Carl .

The hardware was Scott's idea. I was just gonna use screws, nuts and bolts and fiddle with wrenches to work on the car, but he intervened. He builds top-notch equipment for the big pharmaceutical companies and he has drawers full of beautiful stuff left over from various jobs. He's the one who made the air dam's frame, entirely out of stainless "scraps":









I got most of the rust off the first side of all the hood bits and the hatch using the acid, but what an awful task:


























I'll patiently do what I can with the acid before resorting to blasting.

7890/1421


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hmmph. I spent 6 hours on the reverse side of the tin I worked on yesterday, and this is all I have to show for it:









Some spots came clean...








...but I'm going to jusdiciously blast the rest as soon as the weather dries out.

7890/1427


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Blasting sucks so I spent the day doing metal work. I know I said I was done with metal work, but I actually meant that I was " done* ".

Rain tray before:









Rain tray after:








The car is now officially a 1979 Scirocco . Scott made a fixture so we could whack the numbers straight, level, and evenly spaced. I protected the numbers with a strip of steel for the welding and dressing process.

I also boxed in the hood's frame. These are the areas I cut out to clearance various engine bay bits. In the event that magazines clamor to photograph the completed car with a beautiful woman, she won't be able to stretch out on the hood, but I don't think these hoods were ever strong enough for that. :








(This is the back side nobody will see).

This is what will show:








(This is to clear the strut mount).

Other side:








(Other strut mount and strut bar)

7890/1432

* (_not done) _


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Everyone needs a scam. "It's gotta work better than the truth" Jorn Belushi, Animal House


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The Audi's VIN number starts with TR? That's Hungary! I have never seen that country code before.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Tim: "German" car, lol.

@Ed: I used this link as a guide: 18 U.S. Code § 511 - Altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers. Basically, if it's above board, well-documented, and the car complies with motor-vehicle laws, there's no problem. I'm keeping the original nasty piece of steel with the Scirocco's VIN stamped on it, and I can prove that I'd be welding it to the correct shell if there's ever a law requiring that. I'm also keeping the TT tags/title if I need to prove that I got the TT legitimately.

Today I deleted the washers, rear wiper, and badges:



























Then I hunkered down and blasted the modular part of the radiator support, the hood latch bracket, and the hatch:









Other side:








Whatever it takes to get clean metal...

I still need to blast the hood, but it might rain tomorrow. Every vent slot on the hood needs to be blasted. Hoorah.

7890/1439


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Came here for an update but was left wanting. Of course just kidding (not really)! Keep up the great work E!


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## jackfolstam (Oct 1, 2013)

Awesome work. I had a TT with a broken shift fork given to me, and I have a Rabbit daily, and only for a moment did I consider trying to put the 225/awd in the Rabbit...


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Blasting takes its toll so I took a mental day...

Back at it; hood frame is looking goooooood:









Other side:









Hood's skin:








I just did the vents and the edges. Thankfully the flat part was OK; you can't blast that or it'll warp.

I'll etch prime the hood tonight and start welding it back together tomorrow.

7890/1447


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

hood bits look amazing eric!

the vents @ the top of the hood had to be a PITA.....


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir. I was gonna weld today, but it's like this:

I started up Marlene and the GTI because it's been a while, and I isht you not, they both started pissing all over the floor:

















The GTI was more of an incontinence thing from the water pump shaft, but Marlene just decided to let loose through a split bypass hose. I thought I just replaced it, but I guess it's already been 10+ years. Time flies...

In any event, I spent the day getting those ungrateful bassterds apart so I'd know what to order, and they're both sitting there taunting me with their open hoods till the stuff arrives.

You take them in, you give them a warm place to stay, you buy them nice things, and to thank you they just isht on you (pee in this case). "Yeah but you never take us anywhere!"


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Like any child or pet, they're jealous cause your spending all your time with the new kid and they act out. Negative attention is still attention, they just want to know you love them.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Eric, 
This is the danger of having so many VWs kept so close together - they talk to each other! 

Also, they aren't leaking - they decided that they just needed to mark their territory. 
Wilda still insists on piddling small amounts of engine oil from somewhere on the cylinder head.....


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

IMO the GTI's weeping pump shaft is a consequence of sitting a lot, so I have no beef with that. I just found the timing of it interesting, same day as Marlene pulls one of her stunts.

Speaking of Marlene, her usual ibtchy M.O. is to find increasingly creative ways of not starting: dead battery BTDT, ignition switch hee hee it'll take him a while to figure that out, ICM watch how long _that_ one takes! This pissing thing is definitely upping the ante and I'm glad it didn't happen on one of her occasional excursions, warp the head, need a tow, etc...

Today was a big day for the hood:








There were many ways it could've gone wrong so to see it like this makes me very happy. The boxed sections where I clearanced TT bits are fairly discreet and will be more so when they're all black.

I only welded a sampling of the old spot welds, just enough to set the shape but still allow me to improve on OEM gap fitment when the time comes. I tried to balance welds that are strong enough to do the job, but that could also be cut out again if ever there is the need:








I used witness marks whenever possible to ensure perfect alignment. No dips or warps in the skin _phew!_

The process was slow because I primed the various layers prior to, and after welding to help the Cosmoline with rust-proofing:




















I'll glue the frame to the skin and let the seam sealer dry with the hood latched closed to ensure everything stays straight. I'll fill the channels with Cosmoline after final paint.

7890/1451


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Great work Eric, I had thought about splitting the hood on the blue car seeing I had to cut the adhesive bond between the inner frame and the skin to rectify the external appearance of my hood. Next time I will do it for sure. I have the eastwood internal spray & rust encapsulator as mentioned previously in your thread to coat the inside of the hood, hatch, and particular box sections of the shell.

As for the mis behaviour of the other garage occupants, get a day off and drive them  Is Cincy a couple weeks away or has it been sidelined again ?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Grant: I think your approach for the hood is better because there's usually only surface rust inside the frame. Ref. Cincy: I'm taking the Stepchild (mk2); no more road-tripping with the mk1s after Eric (DiezNutz) got his mk1 T-boned and I've had a few close calls myself. IMO traffic is just too dense (pun intended...)

On the project: To fill in the remaining welds on the hood I had to mount it along with the fenders and doors to make sure everything lines up. I must've opened and closed the hood a hundred times to gently muscle the gaps into range for a skim coat of filler:









I also had a little chat with mister Cowl and I introduced him to my good friend mister Crowbar:









Then I glued the skin to the frame and I was surprised to use almost two tubes of seam sealer:








I'm letting things cure with the hood closed to be sure it all lines up right. Note that the fitment of the Scirocco's hood frame along the TT's rain tray is "C'est Magnifique!"

7890/1457


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The attention to the panel gaps is impressive as always!

My car is going to make you cringe when you see it. The doors are hilariously crooked!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@timbo: IMO your car looks great. I'm only OCD'ing this shell because gloss black is so unforgiving.

Today I aligned the hatch and worked on some boinks to get them in range for a skim coat of filler:









That means the car is ready for body work... ...sort of:

I don't usually go down to bare metal but this car needs it. It has many layers of filler, paint and primer, plus it was Alpine White, which had problems from the factory. I don't want to put anything over all that, so it's coming off:








I did this with a heat gun on low. I'll remove the last bits with 60 grit and do one more session of spot-blasting just prior to bodywork.

Someone treated the car to a glass-out repaint and then it had a glass-in repaint plus the last layer of primer:








That's a lot of paint considering it's from one panel. I figure it'll take a week full time to do the rest of the car.

7890/1465


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Paint Geology! Many layers.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's like an archeological dig: "this layer is from after the USSR, this is just before HIV, and this one here is during the BeeGees Disco heyday".

More stripping (not the fun kind):

















This quarter panel doesn't have a single ding on it. Weird.

7890/1471


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Passenger door:









It looks like someone left the door open and snagged it on something while backing up (BTDT):








The skin below the moulding line was oil-canning and I was able to shrink that tight, but I haven't decided how I'll fix the door handle area. I could weld the holes shut and apply 'glass filler as needed, but I also have a spare [rusty] door that could donate a patch panel. We'll see.

Driver door:








This one has surface rust along the bottom, and big grocery store dents, plus the skin under the door handle had a mild boink. I took the small risk and shrank it figuring there's no way filler will sand flat if the steel underneath bends while working the panel.

I like the last picture because the bottom window edge of the two doors is dead nutz parallel, one more confirmation that the car is still straight after everything it went through.

7890/1479


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Damn, this car is gonna look great in black. Well done, Eric!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

scirocco*joe said:


> this car is gonna look great in black


Boy, I sure hope so...

Rear panel:








These areas got neglected during bodywork and there was layer after layer of product covering untreated rust, so I'm anticipating more sessions of blasting than I'd hoped for... That moves the schedule back even further, but all we can do is play the hand we're dealt.

Hatch:








AFAIK the large sheets of flash rust where one would never expect it (under intact paint) is why Alpine White got bad rap.

While I was chipping away at the rear, I started debulking the roof with paint stripper:









This is as far as I got with the heat gun before calling it a day:








I got kinda tired so I left the mess...

Whoever did the car before me was not shy with his dent-puller, even the roof has holes drilled in it:








I'll weld these up and redo the filler.

7890/1487


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Damned puller caused more damage than it likely fixed !!

One I had used here just " spot welds " to the sheet metal, you can either use the slide hammer to lift the metal or leave the trigger pulled to add heat and quench for shrinking... tip breaks free when you move it to any angle against the metal. 

Great progress as usual Eric, glad you have the free time. Keep it rolling bud.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Grant: The areas with drill holes have no access from behind, so the guy gets a pass if the work was done prior to stud welders. Scott has the fixture you describe but I won't bother with it because everything is within 2mm and there's no way this car will be free of filler anyways.

Speaking of filler, the car has quite a history: the driver fender and passenger door [edit: _both_ doors] are from a Cosmos Silver car, and the passenger fender was Cirrus Gray. The hatch hinges are Indiana Red, the rear panel has been beaten out, and I found a slight buckling on the driver C-pillar. With the damage at the roof's rear edge, it looks like the car was rear-ended hard at some point. I hope to avoid the Bondo-Bucket moniker, but if the shoe fits...

BTW, I don't have a straight rear bumper plastic, so I'll pay a miilion dollars to anyone who spares one*.

Roof, A-pillars, rain gutters, and cowl stripped:









I got this far on the hood before the 5 o'clock siren went off:









Stripping paint day after day makes for tedious pictures, but it's a lot of work so I wanna post it.

I'd like to start filler but I need to blast the shell again first. Ugh. Instead I think I'll work on the final bracketry for the fenders and the air dam's frame (behind the intercoolers). It's off-schedule but hey, it's my car.

Marlene's new bypass hose arrived, so that's out of the way. _Really_ out of the way, as in, tucked behind the A/C bracketry. I have the stuff to do the GTI's water pump, so that's also on tomorrow's to-do list.

7890/1495

*_not a miilion dollars_


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

When I left the PNW, I donated my plastic bumpers to Gordy’s (ydrogs) hoard of spares. While I can’t speak for him completely, he’s usually pretty generous. Not sure if you have something closer, as you’ll have to deal with shipping.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir, I sent him a PM.

Today's task was to get the rest of the front end and the intercoolers installed so I could lay out the air dam frame's rear brackets.

As-is, the rear of the air dam's frame is hanging free and the fender is floppy:









The goal was something easy to make, easy to install, discreet, and sturdy. After staring at things for a while, I came up with decent a mock up in regular steel:

















The bottom of the bracket will get welded to the tube, so I have to go get some stainless tomorrow to make the real brackets. The middle fastener will be an M4 Rivnut that holds the fender rigid and also holds the Kamei. The top fastener will be an M6 stud protruding from the frame rail. The bottom of the wheel arch will get a pleasing outline when I finish the Kamei.

7890/1499


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Scott got me some stainless and I made those dam brackets (get it? Dam?):








He's coming this weekend to do the welding, studs, and Rivnuts, and I'm using the interval to get the GTI back together and tend to other household tasks. The bracket and the end of the frame's lower tube will be hidden by a 1" lip of plastic when I modify the Kamei. It'll visually tie into the fender lip.

Speaking of the Kamei, we already know that getting it to clear everything left unsightly gaps:









But cardboard and black tape provides reassurance that things will come together real nice:








I'll work on that after the brackets are finished.

7890/1502


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I was holding my breath for the next update and almost passed out. You cannot hand out free crack and not expect to show up the next day to offer more. I suspect the next step to have a pay per view thread. 

Looking good and the cleaning crew in the back ground needs a raise. I'm always impressed.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Sign me up for Chassin PPV!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sirs, and sorry about straying from here. PPV not necessary, I'm happy to have company.

I don't have much to show, but since I'm here; I started work on the Kamei's new outlines using a 1/8" sheet of black ABS plastic:


















Roughed up and glued:








I still need to make the rear lip and then I can feather it all in with 'glass filler. The screw holes are prominent so I'll try to fit some rubber plugs.

7890/1505


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

This may be sacrilege, but did you consider flipping the Kamei's over?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

You mean upside down? Sacrilege! 

Scott installed the M6 studs on the TT frame rails and finished welding the air dam's frame:








I can't find adequate superlatives to describe his work; it's basically a piece of industrial art, and it's all medical grade stainless so it'll never tarnish.

With that done, I finished adding the ABS plastic to the Kamei to fill in any gaps:








The upper edges where the bolts go are 3/8" thick, so the holes lend themselves nicely to countersunk washers and bolt heads, so it'll all be flush when assembled.

Overall appearance:









The air dam where it meets the fender is rock solid and it's an improvement on the OEM "S" setup:








I've never liked that unfinished appearance, plus it's very fragile.

Air dam fasteners and a fancy grinder bit: 7910/1509


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

Eric it’s astounding the level of detail and attention you’re executing to this vehicle. Bravo sir.

You even managed to make the hood look like a luchador!

Love this.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Sacrilege deserved, its just that I've never fully understood how airdarn adds to aireodynamics. Does the resulting air bubble:
A) lift the front end and increase air flow.
B) force air under the car to feed the radiator and cool the engine
C) lift the car and remove its weight so more power goes to forward momentum 
D) all of the above
E) none of the above -& I must of slept through physics class


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mike: I'm glad you like the progress! Lacking knowledge on many things, I had to search "Luchador" and I figure the large patches of paint on the hood represent eyes/nose/mouth vs you're just seeing things?

@Ed: the correct answer is "E", except that it wasn't Physics, it was Marketing: slap on a cheap piece of ABS plastic with some sheet metal screws, knowing it'll break off and leave rusty screw holes, but presto: improved sales numbers!

Seriously: in my case the Kamei's main purpose is to enclose the TT radiator and intercoolers in a way that looks relatively normal. It also balances the bulky rocker panels, and it obscures the fact that the Scirocco's original front end steel is all gone.

Today's yucky-- I mean _lucky_ task was to clean dried Cosmoline out of the doors; before:









I want to root out the last of the rust and avoid putting new products over old crud:









After:









Other side:








Usually I just bust off any hardened/loose/curled tar paper, but this time I heated and flattened it. I may heat it again and trim the edges straight. Just because.


7910/1513


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Great work so far, young Eric!

An air dam is installed to keep air from going under the front of the car. They wouldn't put them on actual racecars if they caused lift in the front.

It's marketing on a street car if that car is never driven above residential speeds.

I could feel lift on one side after one half of the original front spoiler fell off on my '78 Scirocco. If you don't remember, those are two-pieces that are fastened to the front valence with plastic nuts in the sheet metal. I had parked like 3" over the line into a no parking zone at a concert. I think we saw _Boston _but it might have been another band. The Scirocco got towed. One half of the front spoiler came off at some point because hired vulture towing companies don't care about your car. Anyhow, I could sure feel it at speed on the highway. I replaced it with a Kamei copy. This was before the S came out but after the Sidewinders and the Champagne Editions.

-OE


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## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

That looks really good! 👍

Now that you have the doors so nice & clean inside you can add some insulation stuff to prevent the cheap tinny sound by closing the doors that came from factory. I always put as much of the insulation (mostly self-adhesive bitumen plates) into the doors. So when you´re done you have a nice high class door closing sound (and also a better closing door without using any strenght). Plus....it´s really good when you want to add a sound system in the car later....a lot of improve in many directions. 👍

I like how it comes together. This thing will be a real fun machine once it´s done. 

Any color ideas yet?


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Today's yucky-- I mean _lucky_ task was to clean dried Cosmoline out of the doors; before:
> 
> Usually I just bust off any hardened/loose/curled tar paper, but this time I heated and flattened it. I may heat it again and trim the edges straight. Just because.
> 
> 7910/1513


How exactly did you remove the Cosmoline? Was it the heating or was that just for the tar paper?

My '88 has tons of Cosmoline I've been wanting to remove non-destructively since it was new.

-OE


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The way the airdam transitions into the arch is HOT!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Insulation? Sound system? Tsk tsk, some of you have _not_ been paying attention .

@OE: dried Cosmoline scrapes off easily at room temperature with a spatula and you just vacuum up the debris. Gooey Cosmoline wipes off with solvent or low heat and a dry rag, but it's disgusting work either way.

@Tim: thank you Sir; I was relieved to see the air dam come together like it did. It still needs a lot of work but it's just tedium at this point.

Oh, and the color has been set for a while: all black everywhere except silver for some of the mechanical stuff.

I worked on the rear bumper brackets to fix oval bolt holes where I'd tweaked them, and I had to add a surprisingly thick 0.080" shim on the driver side to compensate for the cumulative warpage that welding the two cars together caused:









The rear skin got bonked and isn't the final piece so I did some quick cuts on it to see how fitment would work around the Rabbit arch, height of the rebar, etc...:

















Not bad! I got the rebar height correct so the skin stays level as it slides over those clips that hold the skin to the quarter panels. The cut ends are hidden by the Rabbit arch, so no additional work is needed there _phew:




_
Today's Bonus Task: a few days ago, I glued the last gap on the hood's frame (along the vents where I just had some shims during the first go-around with the sealant):








Of course, the sealant shrank and tweaked the gap with the cowl because why should _everything_ be easy, so I had to re-introduce the car to my friend:





The goal is to have the everything rigid and straight before I put on any filler.

7910/1517

Edit/P.S.: heads-up that there'll be a pause on the project while we get the house's HVAC replaced. It's too much distraction to start anything big on the car.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The house HVAC is delayed and I'm not starting anything big on the car until the workers come and go.

I've spent the interval sanding the entire body with 60 grit. I removed the last of the added finishes and feathered the OEM edges, with a DA on the flat areas and by hand in all the nooks and crannies (oof). This gives a durable bonding surface for filler and primers:








The project finally looks like just a normal car undergoing a repaint, which is nice to see considering what it's been through...

After the workers are gone, I'll dissassemble the shell, reinstall the rotisserie, and get everything outside for what will hopefully be the last blasting session(s). Sanding off the paint revealed a surprising amount of rust; it's superficial but it still has to go.

7910/1530


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

You are smashing through this build Eric, Looks awesome bud 

Are you going the 2 pack epoxy after blast with fillers on top or going to fill directly onto raw metal ?


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

FYI, Mercedes had an issue with the insulation falling off. They eventually came up with a magnetic version that gave enough holding power to help the adhesive stay in place, even on the hottest days. They are pretty cheap too.

The magnetic version part number is 163-682-09-08 but it was changed to 204-682-01-08. I suspect the new part number is magnetic but who knows, Mercedes does some stupid things.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Marc: I won't be adding any insulation, but since the car will be made mostly of filler, magnets might not help anyways lol.

@Grant: the plan so far, in order:

For the underside, wheel wells, lower rockers, and rear valence: degreased OEM finish, etch primer on bare metal, urethane seam sealer, black 2-part urethane Raptor (basically black Schutz).

For the outer body: 60 grit feathered OEM primer/bare metal, 'glass-reinforced filler, skim filler block-sanded level with marker coats to 180, black urethane 2k primer block-sanded level with marker coats to 400 grit, black etch primer on bare metal sanding scars, gloss black urethane single-stage paint.

For the interior, the inner body, and the engine bay: degreased OEM finish, old scratches feathered to 400 grit, no scuffing (it's not possible), paint, Cosmoline; I'll use Rustoleum gloss black 2X paint/primer mix, which also has acetone in it to stick on un-scuffed finishes. I painted the Cabby and 16Vs' underside Schutz and inner panels like that almost 10 years ago and it holds up perfectly. I debated a flame suit, but I've gone without so _fingers crossed_.

I cleaned and closed up the garage because of the pending HVAC work but Cincy is also this week and Timbo is coming for a visit. I'll see you all when I get back _wave_


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

I’m gonna leak oil all over your driveway! Better get the cardboard ready!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

TheTimob said:


> I’m gonna leak


That's OK, these things happen as you get older. Or did you mean the car?

It's hard to do _nothing _on the project, so today I added some insurance against breakdowns and offroad excursions (two of my specialties ):










It's a 1/2" U welded to a piece of 1/2" rod, and that's all welded to the 1/4" thick part of the new bumper bracket.

7910/1532


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Insurance as in if you want it to rain, you wash the car? Well not you, other people. We all know your one of them anti car washers, might cause rust.


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> For the underside, wheel wells, lower rockers, and rear valence: degreased OEM finish, etch primer on bare metal, urethane seam sealer, black 2-part urethane Raptor (basically black Schutz).
> 
> For the outer body: 60 grit feathered OEM primer/bare metal, 'glass-reinforced filler, skim filler block-sanded level with marker coats to 180, black urethane 2k primer block-sanded level with marker coats to 400 grit, black etch primer on bare metal sanding scars, gloss black urethane single-stage paint.
> 
> ...


Yeah, raptor is good stuff, i used the tintable on the blue Scirocco underside, then clear over the top to bring the sparkle back up. Plenty of gootube videos on applying the stuff out there, just adjust your pressure to the finish type you want.

Wow, Cincy arrives again... everyone going have a great time  would like to be there myself however cant see that happening for another couple years


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The circus has arrived!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yes, The Circus has arrived at The Nuthouse!

Now that I've seen it in person, I'll be the first to say (for those that won't be at Cincy tomorrow ) that pics don't do Tim's Scirocco justice: it is completely unique and it looks really cool.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Here’s a wide angle picture from underneath the engine bay. The way the Scirocco hood fits over the Audi rain tray- it’s just perfect.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

A big "Thank You!" to Daun and hosts for another Cincy. The Inevitable Adventure™️ was on Friday when the 16V suffered ignition cut-outs in a traffic jam during blazing daytime heat. Evidently traffic _or_ heat is OK, but not both... Timbo helped me clean the main grounds on the side of the road and I'll replace the ICM, but I thought it would be prudent to return in a way that minimized heat in the rain tray.

We're still waiting on house HVAC, I'll get back to the project ASAP _wave_


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Not to question your on the road diagnostic skills, but is it possible to be the in-tank fuel pump? Those seem to always cause me grief in those conditions. Seems when the pump fails, the system vapor locks much easier.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ya know Marc, you aren't the first person to mention pump issues. The peer pressure is suddenly overwhelming, so I went back through the Stepchild's thread to find out what I've done with the pumps on this car.

So, um, here's a statement I found from the car's first go-around in 2012: "The sender and transfer pump are serviceable", and there's no mention of the pump at all on the car's second go-around in 2015. There's no mention of the main pump in either 2012 or 2015, only a pic of it in 2012 showing witness marks, i.e.: it wasn't new.

So it appears that I may be running both original pumps with 198000 miles on them. To those who mentioned these and it didn't land, that is sadly in my nature . A VDO in-tank and a Bosch main pump are on order.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

The main one is probably ok, but I would replace it as a maintenance item. Vemo pumps are junk so you should be fine with a VDO.

The first time I had that issue, it was puzzling. I hooked up the fuel pressure gauges and it would run a long time/never stall. I then closed the hood and after 15 mins of idling, the engine stalled. I checked the fuel pressure and it was ok. Spark was ok too. Once I took off the CIS gauge, I found there was only pressure in the system. No liquid. It was amazing how long it took before I could release the pressure. It was then that I figured out it was a vapor lock issue. It was then that I noticed, if the transfer pump is not working, the fuel just gets recycled and at some point of time, the fuel gets so hot it turns to vapor. As long as the system is using fuel [ie/freeway driving] then enough 'new' fuel was added to the lines. At idle/low speeds, the fuel just overheats.

Of course, it's hard to imagine that, but it's easy to duplicate if you have gauges, hot day, and time to let the system 'overheat'.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That explanation makes a _lot_ of sense, thank you.

The car also stalls sometimes if I brake really hard after red-lining through the gears. Gas must be seeping past the transfer pump's gears and gravity-feeding the plastic filter canister juuuust enough to cruise on the highway, but hard revving draws the canister down past a critical point. I'll take it all apart and check everything when the pumps arrive and post the results in the car's thread.

As an aside, Rockauto had the Bosch main pump for $58. That's so cheap that I'm wondering if Bosch has a new subsidiary in China...


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## OSLer (Aug 7, 2007)

echassin said:


> The car also stalls sometimes if I brake really hard after red-lining through the gears.


Also had the same problem with my 16V KR and changed the old original pump in the tank. Good luck.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Another thing I was thinking of - does the fullness of the tank have an impact? If more of the pump is submerged is it less likely overheat? I've often wondered.


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

This is something very common to the S2. My 85 8v did the very same thing. Transfer pump was toast so it stressed the Bosch main pump. Even after I replaced the transfer pump, it was too late for the Bosch. 

Never got to finish the car, but my guess is both pumps replaced would have sorted it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You have to remember these cars are pretty old. Fuel pumps are suppose to die, along with a lot of other parts. 

If you ever have seen the in tank pump, it is pretty small. I suspect the brushes are equally small. Over time, the brushes wear out and the pump eventually stops supplying fresh fuel to the reservoir/filter. Once that occurs, the issues start. Usually when the car is running at idle and really hot days. If there is no fresh fuel in that reservoir, then the main pump starts to pump vapor [cavitates] and makes a lot of noise during this transition.

Why does the transfer pump fail? Because it's worn out, not rocket science. 

Do not buy Vemo pumps. They fail after a few hours. Why? Cheap junk. VDO is the only pump I would use.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

canaryroc85 said:


> my guess is both pumps replaced would have sorted it.


As the votes pour in I'm becoming openly optimistic that new pumps will indeed do the trick.

@Joe: We stumbled into traffic just after we'd filled up, but I bet you're right: it would've been worse on a low tank (i.e: no restarts).

@Mark: One questionable thing I do a lot is toss worn parts back onto a project car to keep moving or save a few shekels. That's clearly what I did with the pumps, and even worse, I made the same exact error during two separate teardowns.

This was a wake-up call because the car would also cut out briefly in moving traffic, and that happened a few times in a construction zone with no shoulder for escape. If it had died completely, some unsuspecting soul might not have noticed that the car was stopped until it was too late. Ugh. An accident would be the result of a series of errors where I fail to make a reliable car, the layout of the construction zone is suboptimal, and a driver is distracted. The reality is that doing just my part would be enough to prevent it.

On the project: the HVAC guys are coming Thursday and in the meantime we're just trying to avoid overheating. I did strip the shell of all its panels and install the rotisserie, so when things cool off, I can get the car outside and blast the last of the rust:








After that, I can finally start smoothing the shell.

Pardon the delay(s) _insert standardized B.S. corporate apology_

7910/1536


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Everything is lining up well to start blasting the last of the rust on Monday: the high next week will be about 70F so that'll keep the media (and me) from getting humid. It's still in the 90's outside but the new house HVAC is done and the workmen are out of the way. Lastly, the Stepchild is up and running again (update here: Meet my red-headed stepchild!, basically I overdid it re-using OEM stuff, but in my defense I do it because so much aftermarket stuff is junk).

Once the blasting on the project is done, let's say end of next week, body work should move along well and our patience will be rewarded.

And yes, it has occured to me to re-install the drivetrain as-is and a seat prior to body work, troubleshoot the minimized electrical system, and do a few pulls in the subdivision _must... resist...!_


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

OK, back at it! More blasting; the best time seems to be between breakfast and lunch for good lighting, comfortable temperatures, noise tolerance, etc...

Rear panel is done:








A few pinholes to fix but nothing too bad _phew!_

Half of one rain gutter done:








I called it a day as soon as the grit started sticking to me, any more after that and it's just pure misery, so I'll resume tomorrow morning.

Another 80 lbs blasting media,7960/1540


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Rain gutters blasted:

















(That's media in the gutter and on the roof and it does make for a very unsatisfying picture...)

I blasted all the studs under the car:








It took a lot longer to do it than to type it...

I also spent some time just going around looking for nooks and crannies needing attention, and the result is a nice clean shell:








Yum!

Here's the bottom of the driver door, tomorrow's task:








I could probably get this off with acid, but as long as I'm blasting anyways I might as well keep going.

7960/1544


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Someday you're going to post a picture before the Oompah Loopahs start. I'm jealous that it's so orderly.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mark: maybe I'll have The Lady take a pic of the mess with me standing in the middle of it covered with tar and feath-- uh, sweat and coal slag. Heck, that might garner some sympathy points from the folks who expressed strong opinions when started asking around for a solid shell. I won't mention any names, but the first initial of the main perpetrator is Daun, spelled D-A-U-N.

Speaking of messes, more blasting, driver door:

















As you can see, I cut some access hatches so I could blast inside in two spots where the original Cosmoline didn't cover well.

The other door, fenders, and hatch just need some touchup blasting, I'm hoping one more session for the lot.

7960/1548


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Unless it's a picture of Deep Roy, then I will know it's been photo shop.









Deep Roy - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org





In all seriousness, if I was that orderly, I would still be working on my first oil change I did in the last 70's.


----------



## 81type53s (Sep 19, 2016)

Incredible stuff!! I'm daily lurking this but I had to chime in. Kudos to Incredible detail!!!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you for the compliment. FYI, I can get plenty messy during a task so don't think for a minute that the place always looks like it does in the pictures.

I finished up blasting the other panels, barring those little spots that only get noticed after everything is put away, lol:


















The passenger door has the damage in the area of the handle, but it had alsmost no rust _phew_:









The hatch was already blasted but I went over any hard-to-sand areas to remove any residual layers of paint:

















There's still some Cosmoline to clean out.

A little more welding, re-install the panels and then I can _finally_ start filler (I know I keep saying that...)

7960/1552


----------



## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

A like just doesn't do all of your hard work and insane attention to detail justice. Nor does this comment but I'm trying anyway! Ucking Fawesome!


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

I live close to the ocean, so everything rusts here. Do you have to take any precautions to keep the freshly exposed metal from rusting before you get to fill and prime?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Likes and kudos are both welcome, it keeps wind in the sails. Ref. rust precautions: normally I would have gone in order: cut --> blast --> weld --> filler --> primer --> paint --> wax --> assemble. I wasn't sure how long things would take so I did the etch primer and cavity waxing ASAP before finishwork, and I scrubbed any excess away with degreaser. The humidity in the garage is low enough that everything is staying shiny even over a period of months, but this way I don't have a time crunch on finishwork. The downside is the wax gets carp stuck in it but it's a small price to pay, and I just check that all the drains stay open.

The 3M wax goes on gloppy and the cans empty fast. I used 6 cans and a kit of various tips totalling $210 but it was worth it: The surfactant works well and over a few days the wax lays out smooth, drips out of all the seams, and ends up looking factory correct. The final film is gooey and it's about 1/16" thick:








The bottom half of the opening as pictured shows the inner surface of the 11 gauge rocker panel I had made, you can see the wax with flecks of blasting media on it.

Today, metalwork on the driver door; inner frame of the bottom lip is also the channel for the door seal and it's rotten, before:









Rotted section cut out, new piece shaped and tacked in:









Welded and dressed:









Outer skin patched:








I kept the patch "low" and I didn't grind the welds much, to minimize heat and warping. The area will need about 1/32" of filler.

The mirror doubler area cleaned up pretty well, so I didn't cut it out to blast the back side, for fear of doing more harm than good. I did flood the area with acid rust converter, mopped up the excess, and I'll flood the area with Cosmoline after paint. The skin is solid and not pitted, but if some years down the line the paint bubbles, my plan is to jump up and down while swearing a lot, like this: " [email protected]#$%^&*!!!", and then just fix it.

Access hatch welded back into position:









Today's little surprise, I had to rewire the MIG's trigger:








Having the OEM wires inside the sheath was sleek but not easily maintained, so I ran the new wires on the outside of the sheath and covered it all with leftover harness tape from when I did the electrical system. The MIG is 10 years old but it has seen only light duty, so I'll give Miller a mild "harumph" on this one.

7960/1558


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Once I got the MIG working again I spent the evening finishing the driver door:








I had to twist the door 1/8" to align the bottom rear corner, so even the small amount of welding tweaked the friggen thing.

The MIG tip can't reach all the way into the area I cut and I realized only then that I didn't need to cut that far in the first place:








I would've gotten full access to the rust with a smaller window _sigh_.

I spent an hour or so removing all the glue from the seal's channel, a necessary step for a good quality color change:








You can see how Karmann crunched the inner frame's edge to get the outer skin to fit. With the bar set this low, I can't fail, lol.

Next was the hatch; it still had some Cosmoline in it and some of the healthy-looking paint had a thin veneer of rust under it; before:

















The rust came off easily with 60 grit but I think this was the problem with Alpine White. I wonder if the problem was actually absence of primer in some spots, at least that what it looks like while I'm sanding. Just one more reason to keep these cars completely dry at all times, IMO.

After:

















(OSHA approved shoewear is not a thing around here on a hot day, but then again, welding slag on the top of a foot doesn't feel so good either...). Any areas that don't need more work have etch and/or converting primer on them.

7960/1564


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Passenger door seal's channel stripped of all the glue:









The best way I found to remove the glue is to soften it with gasoline, then tease it into a ball with a screwdriver and roll the ball along the channel, which pulls up subsequent glue.

Weld up some holes I somehow missed till now:








Tunnel vision... 

Next, rotisserie off and panels on _again_:








This'll keep things aligned while I do all the filler. The metal tolerance I'm living with is 2mm. I'll use the bodywork process to fake --er-- _take_ it down to 1mm, close enough to fool a casual or even slightly critical observer.

So... the car is _finally_ ready for filler! That wasn't on today's list, so I'll start tomorrow.

Just kidding! After 15 months, I couldn't wait even one more day and I started on the filler door (get it? filler?):









I didn't even make much progress, it just felt good to start.

7960/1569


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Didn’t your area just get hit by a tornado? Everything okay?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, thanks for checking in. Some sirens went off last night and we stayed in the basement, but this morning we just had to retrieve a deck umbrella and pick up some branches.

It's beautiful out now so I'm fiddling around with more filler.

Edit: my post came out as if nothing happened to anyone. We were just lucky, suburbs next to us had houses pulled up and cars thrown.


----------



## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

Damn dude! Glad you’re ok man. Watching this build gives my future ideas sparks. Hopefully I’ll have mine on the road next year. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40065358/



Rubber erasers work wonders. Works great on homework too.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hopefully that tornado was just a fluke. We don't get them often and any damage is usually minor.

Today I started going around the car with the 'glass-reinforced filler. The stuff chews up sandpaper, but it's a stable base for when I skim the entire car with finish filler.

The first applications kinda look like cake frosting; I'll sand this all tomorrow when the top layer is less gooey:

















Not much to look in pictures at for the foreseeable future; I just gotta keep applying filler, sanding it, rinse, lather, repeat till it's all flat and smooth.

The rear valence won't need much because it'll be textured like OEM. The rear panel has damage but the glass filler would be a ibtch to sand in the tight areas, so I'll use lightweight stuff there.

Not that's it's time yet, but naming has come up a few times. Ted suggested the German translation of "Bondo Bucket", which is "Fullstoff Eimer', but IMO that's a mouthfull. Petra saw me slathering filler and quietly said "James". When I said "Huh?", she clarified: "James Bondo". Nothing's final pending a better idea, but this one has been tentatively christened over a martini. 

More sandpaper and a gallon of skim filler, 8040/1577

Fullstoff Eimer

My name is James... James Bondo


----------



## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

I'm curious, with the fiber-filler what grit paper do you begin with, or do you start with a rasp?


----------



## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Not that's it's time yet, but naming has come up a few times. Ted suggested the German translation of "Bondo Bucket", which is "Fullstoff Eimer', but IMO that's a mouthfull. Petra saw me slathering filler and quietly said "James". When I said "Huh?", she clarified: "James Bondo". Nothing's final pending a better idea, but this one has been tentatively christened over a martini.
> 
> More sandpaper and a gallon of skim filler, 8040/1577
> 
> ...


Glad you and yours are OK.

If it was a female (or a non-binary) car, you could call it Filler Diller or Philler Diller.

-OE


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@OE: Ref. names/gender stereotypes: I should've specified that I think of the car as male since it'll be crass and lack any pretty colors (all black). Feminine names are probably a no-go unless there's a good back-story.

@pete: A coarse file to quickly knock off any crests and that annoying gooey outer layer, then 60 grit and lots of it because it clogs fast. BTW, I bought "premium" short hair-filler based on reviews that said it was easy to sand, but the 3M long-hair stuff on store shelves sands better IMO. The 3M would also have been cheaper for me because it comes in a quart (vs gallon), and that would have been more than enough in spite of the Bondo Bucket jokes I keep making.

Today, more filler and more sanding. The car is now reasonably flat, close enough for the lightweight filler. I'm very happy with the driver fender, which was caved in:








The door gap and the upper moulding line were the most worrisome part of the bodywork so I'm glad that's done, and with no more than 2mm of filler anywhere.

The gaps are coming along nicely:









Rear valence is ready for Gravitex:








The bottom of the car, lower rockers, and the wheel wells are also ready for Gravitex, so I can spray the stuff on whenever the mood strikes.

Next is the weld lines along the widened wheel arches and where the old door sills meet the new rockers.

8040/1584

Edit: I tried one arch just to see how it'd go. Cutting a template with an exact profile has the problem of keeping it clocked properly as it sweeps along the weld. That mandates a round template and it turns out an empty fishing line spool is the exact radius I need to give minimum filler thickness and still clear the welds comfortably:









I went ahead and tried one arch and the result is really nice:








This hasn't been sanded at all and it's dead nuts perfect, plus the body line is unbroken which is a relief.

The profile:








The lower sections below the waist line have a much tighter radius. A penny is just right but the gap is too small to use the glass filler, so I'll do that with the lightweight filler.


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Looking SOOOOOPER!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir(s).

Arches are all roughed in and I worked some more on the gaps:

















The gas door, the body lines and panel gaps are lining up well.

I also fixed the passenger door break-in damage. This took a while because the door handle doesn't fit flush on a flat surface, it inexplicably sits on a 1/16" lip along the upper edge and in a 1/16" recess along the lower edge. Thanks VW. First step was to establish the flat surface using a straight edge along the quarter panel and the undamaged parts of the door:











Then I masked off and mounted the handle to use it a mold, and the result is good even just after just a quick pass with the file (no sanding yet):

















I don't have the gasket so this is as far as I could get, but not bad. The filler is 4mm thick just behind the handle _sigh_ c'est la vie.

I was gonna start on the sills but the dust is tracking into the house, so I'm vacuuming every single surface instead...

8040/1590


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alright, door sills!

This was another step I fretted because before I mated the cars I created a perfectly flat foundation...








... and as a result, the Scirocco sill's remnant rests on top of the new rocker. That made it easy to produce a perfectly level joint, but the weld showed as an uneven raised edge even after grinding. Also, the new rocker's downward slope widened the gap along the bottom of the door, and I couldn't add filler to the visible part of the rocker without affecting how light lands on it.

Here's what I did:









I used a thin strip of wood as a fence for the filler, and even before sanding it looks like the sill and rocker were stamped in one piece with a lip that crisply defines the gap when the door is closed:








I haven't decided yet whether to extend the lip into the fender gap. That would look better but it wouldn't drain well if it somehow got wet.

I also smoothed the rear wheelwell modifications that accomodate the larger TT filler assembly and Scirocco's upper spring perch deletes:


















Tomorrow I'll start smoothing the air dam modifications.

8040/1596


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Airdam as it appeared back during the fitment phase with the bumper skin hiding the recess for the intercoolers:


















As it is now with the joints reinforced with glass on the backside, countersink washers embedded in the mounting holes so the screws sit flush, and the outer surface contoured to pleasing outlines:








The joints are sandwiched on the front and reverse sides with glass for strength.

Appearance with the bumper skin hiding the intercooler recess:









Overall appearance:









8040/1602


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

When its all finished and painted, I'm sure te handlebar mustache will not look so long. Right now, with the color contrast, he looks like a member of ZZ Top.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Two of the ZZ Top members had _Mr. Natural _beards. The third guy had a normal mustache.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Nice progress. I love it!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed: I was gonna spray a quicky coat of black on the airdam to better see how it would look, but then I'd have to sand it all off again for skim filler so I decided not to.

@Marc: thank you Sir!

And now for something completely different...





I went to Craig's (Shrttrackr) and I got some of the parts I'm missing. The only problem is when I got there, I found that my parts still had a car attached to them...
.
.
.
.
.
.
... no problem; get a Sawzall:









Now before you all start screaming "somebody should have restored the poor thing!", I present as Exhibit A, the rear beam and The Area Previously Made Of Metal to which it was mounted:









Seriously, Craig has specific parts that he needs for his race cars, like outer skins, front frame sections, rear beam, gearboxes, the types of things that get damaged a lot in circle jer--, uh, circle _track_ racing. The rest he unceremoniously cuts up and scraps, but he lets me come over and pick at the carcass.

Here's what I got:








Quarter window seals, window scrapers, dash vents, door lock pulls, hatch seal, unscratched driver door glass, headlight ring, and one of two front turn signal boots I need. Some of it might be too weather beaten to use but it's a lot better than what I had before (nothing). A big shout out to Craig for his patience as I picked over the car.

8040/1607

Edit: I test fitted the hatch seal into its channel, the entire upper portion of which is new. Hatch open:









Hatch closed:








Noyce!


----------



## PiranhaTiguana (May 22, 2021)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> Two of the ZZ Top members had _Mr. Natural _beards. The third guy had a normal mustache.


Ironically his name is Frank _Beard_.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

From what I've noticed about ZZ Top's sense of humor, I'll wager Mr. Beard did that on purpose.

I'm cleaning yesterday's parts haul and clearing the garage of anything extraneous, in anticipation of an exponential increase in dust production as I block sand the skim coats of filler.

I treated all the inner structure with acid prior to rust-proofing but I still need to do the outer panels because the skim coat filler is hydrophylic, and it will allow rust to form under it while block sanding proceeds.

I ordered more acid, 8060/1611

Pic just because it looks bada$$ like this:


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Great progress!

(I hope Craig is keeping those early Mk1 turn signals - they are unobtainable in any condition)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

scirocco*joe said:


> I hope Craig is keeping those early Mk1 turn signals


He must be keeping the assemblies because he balked when I swiped a headlight ring (but I took it anyways  ).

When I finished today's car tasks, I went and got the shielding gas bottle exchanged for one with a valid date stamp (mine expired a little while ago...) and while I was there I paid my tab, 

85601614


----------



## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

echassin said:


> View attachment 100319
> 
> 
> Now before you all start screaming "somebody should have restored the poor thing!", I present as Exhibit A, the rear beam and The Area Previously Made Of Metal to which it was mounted:
> View attachment 100324


And you were complaining about the condition of the donor car ? Harumppph!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Now that I've seen how bad these cars can get, I regret that  

Craig and I pulled one out a forest years ago and we had to cut down a tree that had grown through the floor (and out a window IIRC), but even it still had the rear beam mounts.

Nothing to photograph, I'm washing with acid and scuffing with 80 grit in anticipation of the skim filler.

8560/1618


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The skim filler absorbs moisture and block-sanding the whole car will delay topcoats long enough that there is a risk of flash rust forming under the filler wherever it's applied to bare metal. To work around that, some guys spray epoxy primer on the bare metal and put the filler on top of that. Others, me included, apply the filler directly to 80 grit scuffed bare metal that has been wiped with acid and then wiped with water. It seems counterintuitive to get water on the bare metal, but the water neutralizes the acid and leaves a dull layer that won't rust in normal air conditions. In fact, the water is a good giveaway of any missed spots because they flash-rust within minutes. It's easy to find them and treat them.

After a few days of doing that, the shell has no brown anywhere, nor shiny freshly sanded shiny metal, nor white powdery acid residue:








The four shades of gray on the car are the acid-etched bare metal, two types of OEM primer, and 'glass filler.

So it's officially time for skim filler. I'm doing the least critical areas first so I don't skimp on them later when I get tired of sanding. First pass on the roof and cowl just to fill in the obvious low spots:








I'm not skimming the roof, cowl, hatch and rear panels entirely, I'll just smooth them bodyshop-style. I'll skim the sides and hood completely like on a hotrod to get everything as flat as possible.

The filler is Rage Gold and I give it an A+. It spreads like cream cheese and hardens totally in 10 minutes without that common outer gooey layer. It sands like balsa wood without clogging the paper at all. As a finish filler it's exactly as advertized. 

Here's the one piece of 60 grit I used all day:








Perfectly clear of goo, which a huge improvement if you've ever used Bondo.

Tomorrow I'll do another pass on the roof and cowl and do a proper levelling with the rubber block and the longboard.

8560/1626


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

👍 Would love to c pics of the block and longboard in action 🐶


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

DelEd said:


> 👍 Would love to c pics of the block and longboard in action 🐶


That would have to be a video but I won't do better than what's already on Youtube.

But I did take a few pics during the process:








Rubber block for small curved areas and to beat down the crests. Paper stays clean and the dust is like talc. 

Longboard for large surfaces, this is after about a minute with 80 grit:









After about 15 minutes:








I used two of these sheets all day, the first wore out hitting the 'glass filler.

I used one of these when I worked in a body shop as a kid, but I haven't touched it in 35 years:








IMO the thing is really only good when you work for a shop and the filler and sand paper magically appear as fast as you use them. It's also hard not to put pressure on it and dip the underlying steel so it's only good for wholesale quality work. But it _is_ fast.

Roof and cowl are mostly done:








I'm not formally doing the sides and hood yet, I just slap on the leftover filler from whatever I'm working on to minimize waste. Tomorrow I'll start on the hatch and rear panel.

8560/1633


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Seeing that air file gives me not-so-fond memories of my body shop days. Notably, repairing rocker panels on BMW E38s, after their owners hit the 'decorative rock' at the end of their driveways..... 
Half-sitting, half-laying on a creeper, busting down filler, and having ALL of the dust dump right down on you.....


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

First pass on the hatch and the rear panel:









8560/1637


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Gonna be so smooth!


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

TheTimob said:


> Gonna be so smooth!


Yes!

I find sanding bondo on my own stuff very satisfying. I can't wait to paint my cars.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

My disdain for filler is much reduced now that I found something that sands nicely, but I'd still prefer not have the need at all...

Second pass on the rear:








I did the overall outline as seen from the top first, then the cross-sectional contours, all with various DIY templates to keep sanding to a minimum and verify things. It took multiple passes because each time I block sanded things closer to the final result, I exposed more little high spots that I had to tap down and cover.

First pass on the hood:








I'm matching the hood edges to the surrounding panels first, tapping down the high spots from when I took the hood apart and welded it back together. After that I'll get the low spots.

More sand paper, 8600/1643


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

2nd day on the hood getting the local panels to align, tapping down high spots and filling in dips.

During the n-th pass:









Done:









Hood, fender and cowl all align well:








This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, especially considering how floppy the hood skin was when I had it off of its frame for blasting.

8600/1648


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

This is definitely the eating of the elephant part of the job, but dang it will be so worth it to see the result of it all in black.


----------



## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Coming together well Eric, Yeah, that Gold filler is good material I like using it. 

Keep at it mate.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Timbo: I sure hope so; if you can feel a wave with your hand in filler, it'll show in paint even after priming/block sanding/ icing. The only way to prevent that is to re-skim the _entire_ panel with filler each time sand paper breaks through and a high spot is tapped down. Sadly it's not possible to skim all the complexities of a mk1 panel during the working time of one filler batch, so I'm working in sections, and I'm trying to get the paint reflectons within the limits of what a critical eye will quickly discern. I'm re-working any areas where I can pass an 0.002" feeler gauge but beyond that I'm just chasing my own tail. I'll minimize anything below 0.002" during primer/icing and accept whatever persists. I'm cautiously optimistic that it'll look good, considering that the edge of Marlene's undamaged mk1 door skin isn't right to begin with:








The door is on the right and the reflection deviates from the straight edge by 1/16" over a distance of 2"

@ Grant: You've already gotten your doors nice and straight and I'd like to pick your brain: I'm concerned that even _minimal_ sanding pressure with the long board and fresh 40-grit will dip the unsupported mid-portions of the panel a wee bit, so when the panel comes back up, there'll be a broad high spot of at least few thousandths. Were you able to get around that somehow?

Driver fender today:








I'm very happy with it, especially considering how badly it was caved in. The deepest filler is in front of the door, maybe 1/8", but no oil-can boinks anymore.

I did the fender in individual sections starting with the upper third:








On the undamaged upper section of the side, for the first 12" behind the turn signal opening, I chased OEM high spots and just had to stop. The back of the fender that was caved in was easy to get flat because I made sure the entire area was low before filler.

Skimming in sections being careful not to spill over with filler, first the flat areas:









Then the arch weld line, using my templates:









The body lines align with the door perfectly:








I left them sharp so they'll adjust easily during priming and blocking (the upper line dips a little in front of the door).

Other fender tomorrow.

More sandpaper and more filler (!), 8690/1656


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

First order of business today was to tap down the three high spots above the body line, behind the turn signal opening (the fourth one just above the bumper area I can't feel):








I left it like this yesterday because I was close to getting a baseball bat, and overall progress was good so it was better to step away...

As of today:








The hood and door gaps came out really well.

Then I did the other fender:









Same as the other side, each geometric shape is done individually and feathered into adjacent areas:


















Next is quarter panels.

8690/1664


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The upper section of the passenger quarter panel:









I only had a few waves in the metal and the gas door to deal with, all done in stages to stay within the working time of a batch of filler:


























I'll soften the edges of the gas door opening during the priming/blocking phase.

As happy as I am with the way the gas door, rocker panels and air dam turned out, there's a growing list of things I don't like; I already know that the open space under the car between the rear tires will be too wide and the rear swing arms will show like drag bars, but I also noticed this:








The transition of the arch from flat to radius will show as a reflection and it should follow the tape line from one lower corner to the other. Unfortunately it's deviated upward at the arrows, starting at the lower body line, and I don't see a good way to fix that. I made a variable-radius template that preserves the upper body line at the arrows, but I won't be able to sweep it along the weld line while also clocking it correctly so it meets the tighter radius lower down. Hopefully there won't be any more of these surprises...

More on the quarter panel tomorrow, 8690/1670


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Part of me wants to say you're being to much of a perfectionist, but the other side says nothing is worth doing, if you don't di it right. Ultimately. Its going to come down to fill & sand. You could go high tech with a clay mold, computer scan, edit, and print a reverse 3D mold to use as a template.


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

I have a feeling that the way the reflections will work once it is glossy black will serve to accentuate and highlight the flares.

Take a look at the GTI's front fenders - that same strip of metal is actually highlighted because of the plastic flares that the Rabbit GTI has, complete with the widening from the body line to the top of the arch. VW meant it to be like that!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@timbo: you're right, I was looking at the GTI and noticed the same thing. So the good news is that there is precedent on the Rabbit:








Looking at the front arch, the edge of the plastic piece does indeed follow the exact same line as my piece of tape, but the transition from flat to radiused on the metal arch deviates exactly as mine does, starting at the stripes.

The radius on my arch is bigger so admittedly it's not a perfect comparison; we'll get a better idea how it looks when it's wet in black primer, and we can go from there.

Lower section of the quarter panel and the weld to the new rocker and the TT's inner sill:








I had to pull this whole section out to line it up with the rocker panel, so I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Lower section of the door skimmed to match at the quarter panel and the fender gaps:









Most of it gets sanded off so this skimming process uses a _ton_ of filler (and sand paper):








I'm sanding with the long board until the filler is a little translucent, so I know ithe filler is as thin as possible.

This is the first time during the project that I get to see how a panel fits over the entire length of the car:









The filler isn't deep, but it _is_ everywhere, so I'm liking a nickname that reflects that. So far we have Bondobucket (not very original), Verspachtelneimer (Bondobucket in German; it's a mouthful, but IMO German _always_ is)), or James Bondo (my favorite so far).

8690/1675


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Bondo-Rocco?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Meh  

After lunch, more filler.

The upper section of the left quarter is the straightest on the car, in fact I had to put on a guide coat to find anything:









Sanded off, a few tiny dings and a low spot from residual stamping stress in the metal at the rear corner of the window opening:









Done:








This was right at the threshold for finish glaze, about 0.002". Amazing considering what this shell has been through...

More skimming on the passenger door:








The flatter it skims on, the better it'll sand out (knock wood); this is nice and even.

8690/1678


----------



## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

Correct in german woud be "Spachteleimer" that´s the correct translation to Bondo bucket. Not Verspachteleimer. Nobody says that.

Often we call our Bondobuckets "Joghurtbecher" what translates to yoghurt pot.  Or we call it "Spachtelbomber" what translates you can guess...as Bondo Bomber. 😁

But all in all that´s not very original...at least not in germany. 

What about the TT (Titty) Bondo Racer? 😁👍


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> Meh


We all know that a car with a few transluscent bondo skim coat is far from a bondo bucket.


----------



## sciroccojim (Dec 21, 2004)

I'm a little late to the party. Extraordinary work, Eric. TheTimob told me you were up to some kind of crazy hijinx. You and I travelled in diametrically opposed paths: you reached a point in your life where you could start playing with cars and I reached a point where I could stop.

Unsolicited suggestion: get some seal sealer in a can (Eastwood stuff is fine) and find out what you can thin it with (I think I used Xylene in the past), then thin it enough to make it brushable. Use a flux brush and brush that shizz on every weld/seal before you paint the stuff. Best way to keep moisture/rust out of those seams.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

All Eyez on me said:


> we call it "Spachtelbomber" what translates you can guess...as Bondo Bomber. 😁
> 
> But all in all that´s not very original...at least not in germany.



I should've enlisted a fluent German sooner, Spachtelbomber is pretty good, and this is 'Merica so it's original here .

@Marc: most of of the filler ended up on the floor (and on everything else), but I'm about to start the second can of Rage Gold .

#Jim: Hi! There you are! Expert advice always welcome  (timely is better...). The welds were indeed a concern so I did them over the dry winter and I got them covered before the humid Summer months. I had to protect them differently based on location: acid then urethane seam sealer where they were accessible and they didn't need to be smooth (i.e.: the interior, wheel wells, engine bay), or acid then 'glass reinforced filler (waterproof) where they were accessible but they needed to be smooth (i.e.: exterior panels), and 3M cavity wax where they were inaccessible (i.e.: inside the rockers and A/B/C-pillars). Hopefully that and never getting the car wet will make it all last "forever".

Mid-section of the door is sanded nice and flat:








The marks are from the sequential passes of the spatula but it's smooth, wafer-thin flat, and no break-throughs (high spots). I used lots of fresh 40 and 80 grit strips to get maximum cutting for minimum pressure, to avoid high spots when sanding pressure is released. I'll prime and block whole the car [at least] twice with plenty of curing time between sessions: once to 220 grit and glaze in the sanding scratches, pinholes and any residual low spots, and again to 400 grit for paint (single stage black urethane).

Skim coat on the door's upper section:









Sanded till it's wafer-thin and perfectly flat:









Follow the gap from the lower left along the rocker to the upper right where the wiper used to be:








That's a huge relief considering, you know, that THIS IS TWO DIFFERENT CARS WELDED TOGETHER (sorry for yelling)

The filler stage is really repetitious work, but if I have to _do_ it, the least you can do is_ look_ at it. 

8690/1683


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

Dumb question. Do you need/ have a guide to go from panel to panel? In other words to help ensure the plane is even from the fender to the door? Does that make sense?


----------



## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> @ Grant: You've already gotten your doors nice and straight and I'd like to pick your brain: I'm concerned that even _minimal_ sanding pressure with the long board and fresh 40-grit will dip the unsupported mid-portions of the panel a wee bit, so when the panel comes back up, there'll be a broad high spot of at least few thousandths. Were you able to get around that somehow?


Just back the pressure your sanding at off, diagonally sand ( both diagonals ) and some vertical sanding strokes. 
Yes the doors are a bitch as are most of the so thin sheetmetal areas of the car ( roof and hood ) I found the hood the worst, our roof has no filler at all, amazing after all the initial drama with the shipping damage being on the roof !!

Bluerocco is down to 400 grit so far and the painter will block and guide coat once he starts on the exterior ( way away yet, I gotta finish the inside stuff ) with all panels fitted ( as you have done as to check alignment between each section ) however he wants it on the cars suspension to emulate proper shell loads. At this point I will bond the front guards back into place as per factory. You may get away with any body movement as it looks as though your stands are close to the suspension spring mounts and the TT floorpan and S1 shell seem hugely stiffer than the original S1 shell.

The car here on the rotator ( for so long ) appears to have a wave at the top of the C pillar under the roof drip rail, I am hoping it disapears once back on its own legs, we will see....

I think your level of workmanship has far exceeded the factory level, you will have this in paint in no time


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Grant: it sounds like you took the same approach I did and then some. I'm happy with the flatness of the one finished door and I've accepted that I'll have sanding scratches to deal with during the priming/glazing phaze, in exchange for not breaking through the filler with finer grits, which would result in high spots/waves.

@Peter: Youtube does a better job explaining block sanding than I could. I'll just harp on the stuff that always bears repeating: sand in X's with the long board perfectly flat against the panel, move across the entire panel holding the board the same way and with the same _minimal_ pressure and with identical strokes all the way. Change the paper as soon as copious dust is no longer produced with each stroke. Do not dwell on areas that are low just to get them smooth or they'll just end up lower. Minimize the number of times you keep sanding after metal shows itself (ideally zero...). Skim generously but evenly to minimize the number of feathered-in areas you builld up and re-sand (ideally zero...). Judiciously tap down high spots and fill in low spots in the metal (ideally before skimming). Skim an entire area in as few batches of filler as possible (ideally one...). I cheat on these things and I sometimes regret it...

I still have to finish the passenger quarter panel and arch, but I felt like working on the other side today. I started at 8:00 AM. This is after skimming, 9:00 AM:








I'm on the second gallon of rage Gold .

Lower quarter panel sanded to 40 grit, 1:30 PM:








Metal is juuuuust starting to show through and I had to fill in and re-sand a few insufficient skims.

Lower quarter and lower door to 80 grit; same steps plus repeatedly tap down high spots at the corners of the patch I welded in a few pages back, and where I knocked out a door ding too far , 4:00 PM:









Rear door gap:









Follow the gap from the lower right along the rocker to the upper left where the wiper used to be:








Nice, especially considering THIS IS TWO DIFF -- sorry, I already said that.

8690/1691


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yesterday was a beautiful evening so I did the upper section of the driver door:








The door handle has a 1/16" lip above the larger hole whose only discernible purpose is to obstruct the path of a sanding block.

This morning, skim the middle section of the 2nd door:








In my experience, the metal of the lower body line is folded acutely enough that the area is very stiff, rarely dinged, and I didn't skim it. That avoids the worry of sanding sharp curves properly, although I will have to block sand the area during the primer/glazing phase.

This is as far as I could go at 40 grit on the first skim:








There are three high spots with filler next to them that isn't sanding. No messing around on this section for a black car...

... so tap the high spots down and re-apply a super thin skim-coat over the whole section:








IMO these are visually important sections on the car so I'm giving it my best; hopefully the extra effort pays off.

Sanded 80 grit:








Things never look good at this stage because of all the different colors, but I ran an 18" straight edge all over the panel with a light behind it and everything is flat.

The upper body line as it flows into the fender that was caved in:








I left the line sharp so I can tweak it in the finer grits.

8690/1698


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

It looks amazing, Eric! What about Bob Bondorant???


----------



## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

I know it's too late, but I just saw an episode of _Bitching Rides _where they used a metal disk in a buffer drill that heats up metal to shrink it. After it's heated, the sheet metal worker quenches it with water.

Call it Trans Am driver. When they ask, say "Bob Bondo Rant". If they get it their eyes will roll and they will groan. If not you can make the over your head gesture.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Those names are a little too subtle, it took me a minute to get it...

@OE: AFAIK those disks are for mild shrinking and they get mixed reviews for boinking panels like I had. I think you need to get medieval with a torch when there's blatant oil-canning.

Passenger quarter panel is done (and therefore also the entire side), and I'm gonna give it an "OMG!":








I really love the way it all looks. Just to review what this panel has been through:
1) I cut out the mk1 filler area and wheel well to weld in a mk2 door and enlarge the wheel well for the larger TT filler pipe assembly,
2) I cut out the smaller mk1 outer and inner arches to weld in wider Rabbit pieces,
3) while the inner arch was out, I pulled the lower quarter panel out to weld it parallel to the new rocker panel,
4) before welding in the Rabbit arch, I cut numerous release slits into it to tweak its contours, and
5) the rear corner is welded to the TT's inner structure and the mk1 rear valence.

Edit: I forgot 6) I deleted the side marker.

After all that, everything is flat and fits well, with minimal filler _phew_

I did the skimming in stages, first the flat section of the panel:









Then the flat section of the arch, using the outer lip as the guide since I didn't change the contour there:









Then the curved joint, using the templates:









I'm not a math wizz but no special block was needed for the curved joint:








Apparently in Geometry, a bent cylinder has a straight line in it, so I was able to use the edge of the block with lots of little "X" strokes, from one end to the other without stopping. No waves, which was a pleasant surprise.

Same process as today on the other side and that'll wrap up the filler stage,

Primer and glaze ordered, 8820/1705


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Superb work, Eric! Damn, if that isn't looking fine!

I'm going to double down on James Bondo, TT53.

(read as "double T fifty three")


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe, alright it's official: "James... James Bondo, Double-T Fifty-Three."  We'll just go with "James" in normal conversation: the in-crowd will know what it means and anyone else won't think anything of it. To those whose submissions were not chosen, remember: "_You're all winners_!" 

The other side is done:









The wheelwell modifications are smoothed over:








All that dust from one little area 

As of today, and after 16 months, I hereby declare the shell to be solid, straight, and one car . I just need to paint it, assemble it, and troubleshoot the inevitable no-start condition, but for all that I'm in more familiar territory.

Time for a video tour:





There's plenty of tweaking to do until the primer and glaze arrive, and I have a lot of vacuuming to do. Oh, and I need to replace one of the garage door openers .

Ref. primer: after researching compatibility pitfalls with the various 2K primers, I went with good ol' lacquer. It's old-fashioned, but my comfort with it trumped everything else _dons Nomex underwear_. I hope I got the good stuff; it cost more than 2K...

8820/1713


----------



## All Eyez on me (May 13, 2010)

This thing is coming together really nice. 👍


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

WOOO! Great progress!


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

The car looks fantastic already!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you gentlemen. I noticed on Youtube that I only have 4 subscribers; for my projects to fund themselves, I need to work on producing quality content and learn how to speak and gesticulate in a manner that excites .

Cleaning day. Up till now, the abrasives and debris have been really harsh (grinding wheel and coarse sand paper grit, ground steel shrapnel, blasting media, rust and fiberglass particles). The stuff gets all over everything. Moving forward, the debris and abrasives will be much milder, so now is a good time to clean everythinng including the cars, taking care not to scratch them (air hose and duster):








I washed the sheets that cover the drivetrain, they were so dirty that they were becoming a liability. I also pared down the garage in general, removing any extraneous items so I don't get overspray on them.

The rainy weather has me hunting down brown-tinged areas to give them the acid treatment:








The acid and etch primer need to go only on bare metal so I have to be careful where I put it and I keep missing spots. I'll try to make sure things are as protected as possible before I begin priming.

8820/1717


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> Thank you gentlemen. I noticed on Youtube that I only have 4 subscribers; for my projects to fund themselves, I need to work on producing quality content and learn how to speak and gesticulate in a manner that excites .


You can thank me later - I just increased your subscriber count by 25%!


----------



## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

scirocco*joe said:


> You can thank me later - I just increased your subscriber count by 25%!


 +1 here


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Woohoo! Six! Thank you Sirs. You all also put me over the 500 "likes" mark here, so I got another Vortex award .

I spent yesterday cleaning the garage and the cars, installing the new garage door opener, and getting the paraphernalia needed to prime (lacquer thinner, cups, strainers, etc...)

Today I etch-primed the biggest areas of bare metal:








Lacquer primer sticks OK to acid-passivated steel but it never hurts to do this repeatedly after filler and throughout the block-sanding process until paint. It's OK to get the overspray on filler as long as it has the chance to thoroughly dry.

Next is remove all the panels again and sand the jambs and interior smooth to 400 grit.

After that I think I need to do the messiest part of fabbing the dash and center console (prior to finish work). Something like this:








The look is devoid of bells, whistles, and pointless visual distractions, but I also don't want it to look too simple and DIY. Clean lines in black pleather and black ABS plastic with a few knobs and some fresh air.

Supplies, one last tube of seam sealer and a new air filter for the compressor, 8885/1729


----------



## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> Thank you gentlemen. I noticed on Youtube that I only have 4 subscribers; for my projects to fund themselves, I need to work on producing quality content and learn how to speak and gesticulate in a manner that excites .


 I missed that you have a Youtube channel and on the second try guessed its name. Thanks for being consistent with the screen names. And add another subscriber.
Everything is looking great!


----------



## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

echassin said:


> Woohoo! Six! Thank you Sirs. You all also put me over the 500 "likes" mark here, so I got another Vortex award .
> 
> I spent yesterday cleaning the garage and the cars, installing the new garage door opener, and getting the paraphernalia needed to prime (lacquer thinner, cups, strainers, etc...)
> 
> ...


Now THAT is the money shot! Love it!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir.

I started the morning by refining the fake air intake that Kamei air dams have. It looked like the opening had been roughed in with a chain saw, but now it's crisp. Then I started the interior, and I got as far as sanding and priming the inner roof, but I found myself thinking about the dash the whole time...

...so I made the bracket that will hold the TT upper steering column to the Scirocco mounts, installed the pedals and the driver seat, and my, oh my :









Seating position:









_Insert engine sounds_:








I didn't spend a lot of time analyzing things but it's clearly better than a stock mk1. The floor sits 2" lower so I don't need to recline the seatback to get headroom. There's also more thigh clearance under the steering wheel, even more so because the TT steering wheel is offset from center.

The Scirocco's dash sits so far rearward that the lower steering shaft doesn't reach. I know my limitations so I'll have Scott fix that when the time comes, so I don't suffer the same sad fate as Ayrton Senna...

8885/1734


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

More sanding of the interior panels, but I also worked on the steering column. Yesterday I had enough bracketry to see where things would land, but I shored things up today so the column is at least as rigid as OEM, and it feels like it's even stiffer:








It's an odd layout. The box structure on the right is what was left after deleting the [massive] tilt mechanism. Above it is the plate I added to bolt the column to the Scirocco mounts. In the center of the picture is the other bracket I added to bolt the column to the pedal clusters and to mount the lower steering shaft bearing. Above that bracket is the telescoping section of the lower steering shaft that Scott will extend.

The lower bearing is held by two clamshells that are held with four small rivets. It looks like the rivets are designed to tear out during an impact, so the column can slide. I'll keep that feature, hoping of course that I'll never need it.

The rearward position of the column has me wondering if the harnesses will have enough slack. The steering column has fifty wires, so extending them would take a week at a rate of 5-10 per day... Ideally I'd find long sections from a used harness, or I could order fifty rolls of the correct color wiring just to get the 6" pieces I'd need (NOT). More likely I'd splice all the same color wire into the middle of the harness somewhere and wrap the spliced section tightly to hide my shame... _dons flame suit_.

8885/1740


----------



## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> The rearward position of the column has me wondering if the harnesses will have enough slack. The steering column has fifty wires, so extending them would take a week at a rate of 5-10 per day... Ideally I'd find long sections from a used harness, or I could order fifty rolls of the correct color wiring just to get the 6" pieces I'd need (NOT). More likely I'd splice all the same color wire into the middle of the harness somewhere and wrap the spliced section tightly to hide my shame... _dons flame suit_.
> 
> 8885/1740


Great progress, YE.

If you can find the part number, you may be able to find a good used harness on eBay. German sellers don't hack up NLA harnesses to sell a $5.00 switch or connector.

Audi Catalog [usa] (7zap.com)

See #1:

fasteners Audi TT Coupe/Roadster (ATT) 2003 year Audi USA 971080 (7zap.com)

I think yours would be 8N7971051K, M, P or R There are no good ones on eBay but you could keep checking. Search for 8N7971051. There is a cut 8N7971051M but it's useless.

I think your section is at #62 because #30 seems to be on that branch. Unfortunately, this diagram doesn't list a part number for #62 but "real" ETKA at an Audi dealer may.

wiring harness for interior; area: Audi TT Coupe/Roadster (ATT) 2003 year Audi USA 971082 (7zap.com)

Of course, the best part number is probably on the original harness if the tag is still attached. 

-OE


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I was looking at used columns to see if I could extend mine by adding another telescoping section, and it turns out that my steering shaft will work fine as-is. I noticed in various online pictures that the lower section between the U-joints also telescopes quite a bit, and mine was just stuck fully compressed. That means my steering column wiring is also long enough _phew_. Still, it's good to know that full harnesses are available, in the event I botched mine while doing all the deletes.

So here's the final steering column, tack-welded until I mate it to the steering rack:

















This is much less bulky than the tilt wheel that was in the TT and the lower end is much easier to install than the OEM Scirocco column. Before I laid this all out I was worried about the lower bearing flexing, which would make the steering feel soft, but both sides of the column bolt to the pedals so it's all torsionally very rigid.

The jambs and interor are sanded so I can start cleaning the shell [again] in preparation for first prime. While that's drying/shrinking, I'll start to lay out the dash and center console. 

Edit for preliminaries on the dash, as per the drawing I posted a few days ago: with the instrument panel propped into position, the main spar of the dash rests atop the steering column brackets and clears everything full length, so it'll be strong::









The spar will link two end plates:








The main sections get built up on this foundation.

The instrument panel will mount to the spar:








This way the panel can easily be removed for service (which is an issue on these cars).

Paint supplies, 8995/1748


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Wow, that prospective set up looks perfect!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks, The dash doesn't look like it'll be any harder to make than the ones I did for the 16Vs, so I'm glad to have had those experiences.

I'm done sanding all the jambs and the rad support:

















These areas will be formally primed and painted along with the exterior.

The interior will get rattle-canned with Rustoleum 2X paint/primer, which has acetone in it. I used it on our other projects and It bonds well to unprepped surfaces. I did a test section just to be sure:








This is only one coat and it already flowed out better the the OEM paint underneath it.

I also used one last tube of seam sealer just to shore everything up, get some spots I missed, and redo it where I put filler on the rear wheelwells:









I already vacuumed out most of the blasting media and sanding dust and I'll have another go at it tomorrow, plus set up the garage for priming on Thursday.

8995/1754


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alright, baby steps:

















This is two coats of high-build black primer; I also did the jambs, radiator support and the filler on the rear wheelwells. Even without a marker coat I can see inumerable flaws everywhere to glaze, but nothing tragic. It'll just be tedious as heck. On a good note, while the primer was wet I could see that the arches came out great. I'll let this dry and shrink for a while and keep busy with the dash and center console.

8995/1759


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Almost one colour.. exciting! You must be getting tempted to throw some bumper covers and wheels on there to see how it looks.


----------



## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Amazing!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ben: I did prop up one wheel but it wasn't very enlightening (nor was the first layer of primer...).

@Ted: thank you Sir! I'm glad you like the path your shell has taken.

I bought supplies for the dash and got right to it. Just to review, this is the goal:









First is to lay out the basic shape. Endplates, main spars (I ran a bottom lip too), and lower section:









Front face and top section:









I shimmed the front to match the windshield opening::








I'll remove the shims after the front lip is done.

Glue and ABS plastic sheet, 9065/1767


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Front lip template:








CAD (Cardboard Aided Design)

Cut and glassed to those steel clips that grab the cowl:









Basic structure of the main section:

















It still needs reinforcements, cutout for the steering column and instrument pod, vents, etc... but that's for later.

Instrument pod and steering column cutout tomorrow

9065/1769


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Can't stand the suspense, how do you intend to cover the dash?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm using the same techniques I used on my 16V: Meet my red-headed stepchild!

Instrument pod using CAD (Cardboard Aided Design):

















I'll finish it later off the car, and I have a sheet of black textured ABS plastic to fit over the instrument panel to hide the rounded TT outline.

That plastic sheet will fit in a slot inside the pod. The panel is held with two discreet screws on either side of the column (center of the picture):








The panel will be held firm all around, but with the two screws removed the panel will tilt out.

Next is the center console.

9065/1774


----------



## TBerk (Oct 9, 2000)

Man, I don't come around in a while and here you go and have 31 pages! 

Good on ya E.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for checking in! Can I assume you too have gone to FB?

Center console today:








It's a tight fit between the seats and around the handbrake and shift box, so it's in two pieces to make it easy to service the area.

Installed:









Shift box and hand brake:








The seats adjust full range without touching anything. I still need to weld a stud to hold down the rear section just in front of the fuel tank hump, and I need to add 1/2" along the bottom lip to better obscure the carpet edge.

9065/1782


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## TBerk (Oct 9, 2000)

Facebook?, I haven't been in FB in so long I can't get back in. <harrumph>

Now I need to go back and do some thread reading to get up-to-date.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

CAD (cardboard aided design)
I seriously almost spit out my tea....
awesome stuff as always


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

a little late for this one, but hey!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That's lol, but I wasn't _that_ bad...

I stripped down and cleaned the shell again to paint the interior, bottom, and bay tomorrow.

9065/1786


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

The progress on the dash is impressive! 

Also - how much do you charge for a Mk1 dash in brown? I can drop it off this winter!


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

scirocco*joe said:


> Also - how much do you charge for a Mk1 dash in brown? I can drop it off this winter!


Both knees.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)




----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You know, 100 billion dollars is not what it used to be.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hehehe:



































I didn't make any effort to do better than OEM, but I was careful to do no worse.

The 2' x 4' ABS plastic sheet arrived for the interior trim bits:









Next is paint on the inside of the body panels, then Gravitex. After all that, I'll sand down that first layer of primer and start the glazing.

9065/1792


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Your genius amazes me!


----------



## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

Someone's been busy with the Krylon.


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

And so it was written. "That which is red, shall be black and that which is gray, shall be black."


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm glad you all like it 

Ref. Krylon: I think their version of paint-for-plastic would work, but I've been using this stuff:








IDK whether it's the primer or the acetone, or both, but I've never had it peel from surfaces that can't be prepped. The cans also spray in any orientation so the only thing to worry about in tight spots is the nozzle.

I did inside the body panels;








I chose this photographic angle to obscure the blast pitting on the hood . I wouldn't normally glaze the inside of a panel but I should have made an exception this time.

Gravitex is next. The stuff is messy so I have to cover the floor and tape off the car.

220 sandpaper 9085/1796


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The car is taped off and the floor is covered in preparation for the Raptor Liner. Today's really muggy so hopefully tomorrow. I'll do the wheelwells, inner fenders, lower rockers, the floor beam I repaired, and the inner and outer rear valence. I'm not doing any parts of the car that have intact Schutz.

All wrapped up like a Christmas present:









I also ordered headliner supplies (that's one of the first things to go on the car), 9150/1801


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

That looks a-pretty-pretty good-ah.


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

I'm surprised there's no shower curtain between bays. An ounce of prevention prevents - "What do you mean, too late!"


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's easier to just move stuff out just before spraying, but having a dedicated shop within walking distance has been an ongoing fantasy.

The Raptor Liner is done and the car is back onto normal stands which are resting on the car's rubber jacking pads.

Rear panel and reconfigured bumper mounts:









Rear corner and wheelwell reconstructions:








I'll insert rubber body plugs into the unused upper spring perch holes after I fill the cavities with Cosmoline.

Reconfigured rocker panels:









A-pillar reconstructions:








(The gnarly looking drainage hole for the rain tray is Audi's doing.)

Front corner reconstructions:









Reconfigured and widened fenders:








I did three applications each 1 hour apart. The first two I did at 60 PSI for a smooth coverage and good corrosion protection. The third I did at 30 PSI so the stuff flopped out of the gun and gave a coarse texture similar to the original Schutz.

I bought eight bottles and ended up only using three. I hope it has a good shelf life because it wasn't cheap...

9150/1805


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

That looks ridiculously nice!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir.

I spent the morning tidying and laying out a block-sanding schedule. The car is already close to being good enough for a forgiving color like white or yellow, but because I've chosen The Most Unforgiving Color Ever (gloss black), I've dedicated all of August to hunting down problem areas.

The plan is to block sand and glaze one panel per day, and every few days re-prime the panels I've just smoothed. While that's drying and shrinking, I'll do a few more panels. By repeating that cycle for the entire month, I'lI have blocked and glazed each panel three times, first to 220, then 320, and finally 400:








Whatever I've achieved by then could reasonably be considered a good effort. I'll accept any residual waves as the result of errors I've persistantly missed, the thin sheet metal I'm working with, or large areas of filler.

General appearance as of today:








I'll give Audi credit for inserting into the car's floor structure four rubber pads that fit standard jackstands perfectly. No more jacking scratches 

All of this needs to be fawned over, one friggen square inch at a time:









That's all for today; Brian (81MarsRedS) is in town for work and he's stopping by for lunch. 

I'll update daily with pictures and number tallies so everyone can see whether I stick to the schedule, but it'll be tedious and it might make more sense to just check in around Labor Day _wave_.

9150/1809


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Roof, cowl, rear panel, right quarter panel, and part of left quarter panel smoothed to 220:








The glazing putty is top notch stuff. It sands like talcum powder after curing 10 minutes. Basically it goes in that middle ground where filler can't feather thin enough but layers of primer wouldn't build easily.

9150/1818


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Great work. Which glazing putty are you using?

I need to paint the hood of my truck asap.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

This stuff: EVERCOAT METAL GLAZE ULTRA FINISHING PUTTY SQUEEZABLE 30OZ. 425 FIBERGLASS | eBay

Left quarter panel and sillls/jambs smoothed to 220:









Edit: it's supposed to be really nice out tomorrow. I'll do 2nd prime on the shell early AM, so I wrapped 'er all up:









320 sandpaper, spot putty, 9180/1828


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

This is getting really exciting.
Are there any decent wheel options for the Audi fitment?


----------



## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

deathhare. said:


> This is getting really exciting.
> Are there any decent wheel options for the Audi fitment?


Post #129


echassin said:


> I'm not sure how we went from no tracking numbers yesterday to today, but* THEY'RE HERE!!! *(sorry for yelling)
> 
> Quickie-mounting them with two lug bolts was encouraging: diameter clears all the calipers comfortably, the outer face of the rear calipers juuuuust touches the inner face of the wheel spokes. Options are a 2mm spacer or machine 2mm off the calipers' outer claws. I'm favoring the latter _dons flame suit_. The front brake line bracket just touches inner rim and that will be easily ground down (the bracket, not the rim ). The filler pipe looks like it'll be OK and all other suspension parts clear by at least 1/4".
> 
> ...


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Here are the wheels being trial-fitted last Winter:

















16x7.5 et 45, 195/16/45. Like everything else on the car, the wheels and tires are a compromise where millimeters matter. In this case, in order to avoid spacers and wheel poke, I ground the rear brakes down.

Three coats of primer on the shell:









Gas door, widened arch, and side marker delete:








This will get a marker coat and smoothed to 320, then another prime and block to 400 for paint.

Panels to 220 next.

9180/1830


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

This is just epic and you are a mad-mad in the best way possible. A body swap, a restoration, & a resto-mod all rolled up into a forum saving, morning cup of happiness. Can't wait to see some updated videos on YouTube to add another layer of dimension to this build.🍻


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's not my forte, but I'll make videos at the major milestones.

Doors to 220:









I had to tap down and glaze the corners of that one rust repair along the bottom lip of the driver door. I can't feel the areas of retained primer so hopefully they're not residual low spots. I had to stop sanding as soon as the surrounding filler got translucent. We'll see how it all looks on the next primer/blocking pass(es), but I'll go ahead and say, at the risk of jinxing myself, that the doors are already flatter than OEM.

More primer, 9245/1837


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Hoffa said:


> This is just epic and you are a mad-mad in the best way possible. A body swap, a restoration, & a resto-mod all rolled up into a forum saving, morning cup of happiness. Can't wait to see some updated videos on YouTube to add another layer of dimension to this build.🍻


Well said, Hoffa, well said. 

If the Scirocco forum survives, I'm sure we'll all give Eric credit where credit is due! It has been a blast to watch.


----------



## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Your going to have this bodywork well done by September !! brilliant progress Eric


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I was trying not to notice, but the forum _is_ on life support, isn't it...

Progress has indeed been good and I'm glad the build is more on the fun side and not so much on the scary side...

Fenders blocked and glazed to 220:









9245/1845


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hood and air dam to 220:








After everything the hood has been through, it blocked out more easily than I thought it would.

Hatch to 220:








I'll tape off the panels' backsides tomorrow and prime them Sunday. While that's curing next week I'll block the shell to 320.

New rubber sanding block, 400 paper, and red scuff pads, 9285/1853


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Panels and air dam re-primed so I can block them to 320 in a week or so:








While the stuff was still wet I could see some residual waves, i.e.: where I welded in the windshield washer nozzle, one of the Rabbit arch weld lines, etc..., plus some pinholes and divots where I blasted rust out. _sigh_ gotta keep at it.

Spray gun drip shield, 9300/1858


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

smooooooovh


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@timbo: I'm getting there; thankfully with each pass of the primer, glaze and block sanders, the problem areas I'm chasing are noticeably more minor. Today I got the roof, cowl, and rear panel marker-coated and blocked to 320.

White mist for a marker coat:









Blocking these initial layers removes most of the material, to avoid excess buildup during the final application:









Cowl:








There's a lot of new metal on the cowl and it's coming along well.

Rear panel:








The area got beaten out during prior ownership and I'm not using the plastic panel that goes between the tail lights, so this was a challenge but is also coming along nicely. Just a few pinholes to fill if the tube-o-goop I ordered ever gets here.

The sanding gets really tedious so I spent some time mounting the hazard and traction control switches to the center console. A little bulkhead did the trick:









The switches snap in and out as they should:








The face will be a lamination of that 1/16" textured black ABS plastic I showed earlier, and the eldest will 3D print trim rings so the result doesn't look DIY.

I also bought the pleather, neoprene padding, and glue to upholster the dash and center console, 9435/1864


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Right quarter panel in progress to 320 with half of the body line done and marked with tape:









Done:









Left quarter panel:








The long board and marker coat disclosed some unexpected areas of uneven metal. It turns out Marlene has the same ones so at least these weren't from all the welding...

Edit: Luke made trim rings for the center console switches that I'll glue to the ABS face; something like this:









9435/1872


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

The trim ring bezels are just 👌


----------



## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> As of today, the shell only needs to come down 1/2" further and move forward 3/4" .
> 
> Good news: with weight on the rear suspension, the ride height looks like it'll be pretty close, which is reassuring because I set the height of the body to clear the engine; everything else needs to follow and the rear geometry has limited potential for change.
> 
> ...


Wow I have to say I really love this build very creative and good ingenuity. This is a perfect example of thinking outside the box. Most guys would have just done an engine swap with Audi TT engine and perhaps just fabricated some motor mounts in the engine bay but still they would have spent hours wiring up the car to the engine.
Yes obviously even though removing the car frame


echassin said:


> As of today, the shell only needs to come down 1/2" further and move forward 3/4" .
> 
> Good news: with weight on the rear suspension, the ride height looks like it'll be pretty close, which is reassuring because I set the height of the body to clear the engine; everything else needs to follow and the rear geometry has limited potential for change.
> 
> ...


Wow I have to say I really love this build very creative and good ingenuity. This is a perfect example of thinking outside the box. Most guys would have just done an engine swap with an Audi TT engine and perhaps just fabricated some motor mounts in the engine bay but still they would have spent hours wiring up the car to the engine.
Yes obviously even though swapping the Scirocco shell over onto the TT platform is more time consuming with an extreme amount of custom welding and the wiring and everything is already there so you really don't have to custom wire much,
maybe just the tail lights and headlight bulbs that's probably about it for custom wiring as those are the only big differences on the car.
Over all though I love this swap brilliant idea and great dedication. Congratulations on this I can't wait to see the final result🏆🏁🇺🇲🦅🎉🥳


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the kudos. There's actually a video from last Fall of the lights working after modifying the body harness:





@Joe: I'm stuck in the analog world but Luke even nailed the slope so it matches the dome shape of the button. It only took him a few minutes to lay the rings out in CAD, and he ran the parts while he was at work. BTW, he put the printer together with bits he bought cheap from China, which adds to the cool factor IMO.

The next layer of primer will hopefully be the last (barring spot repairs) so the taping can't be a quicky bagging job like I've done till now. I had to plan where the tape will land and make sure those areas are already painted:

















The weather won't be suitable for spraying till Saturday so that'll give this some time to cure.

Meanwhile I'll start blocking the panels to 320; first the hatch gets its misting of white:









Followed by a few hours with blocks and the glaze:









The airdam was already looking pretty good so I went straight to 400:








That means I finally have one body piece ready for paint. 

I'm leaving the panels that attract a critical eye till last, so they have more time to cure and shrink fully.

9435/1880


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## California 16v (Jul 20, 2008)

Great progress Eric 👍 

Subscribed to your You Tube channel 🏁


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## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> Thanks for the kudos. There's actually a video from last Fall of the lights working after modifying the body harness:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're welcome, great YouTube video on the headlight and brake lights working. I can't wait to see this car fully assembled and painted wheels and all bolted down ready to go Zoom!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@randall: thank you Sir!

@ SLC: Hopefully that first time I turn the key it _will_ go zoom, or vroom (as opposed to doing nothing...)

Hood and doors to 320:








I could probably get away with repriming just the scars and go straight to 400, but I'll stick to the plan and do the 400 with another formal priming/blocking.

Door in progress:








Even after a single pass, the sanded edge of the marker coat is pretty straight, which will hopefully reflect well on my work (get it? reflect?)

9435/1888


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The weather this weekend is supposed to be perfect for spraying so I put in more hours to finish blocking the panels to 320.

Fenders after marker coats, tape to guide tweaking the body lines, sanded and looking good:









I'll tape up the shell and the panels tomorrow and prime on Saturday.

9435/1892


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

SUPER DUPER!

Man, this has been fun to watch.


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## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> @randall: thank you Sir!
> 
> @ SLC: Hopefully that first time I turn the key it _will_ go zoom, or vroom (as opposed to doing nothing...)
> 
> ...


It will definitely turn over the first time you got this bro 🙏✝


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe: either you're just being polite or you're easily entertained .

@slc: I note that your apparent confidence is augmented with religiosity; good idea, it doesn't hurt to play it safe .

I spent the day taping everything off for what will hopefully be the final priming:









I also went over every square inch of the entire body with a tube of spot putty and a razor blade, hunting down pinholes and other such defects.

9435/1899


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

Looks like it belongs in the museum of modern art.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The paper you're using for masking makes it look like a huge clay study model!


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## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> @Joe: either you're just being polite or you're easily entertained .
> 
> @slc: I note that your apparent confidence is augmented with religiosity; good idea, it doesn't hurt to play it safe .
> 
> ...





echassin said:


> @Joe: either you're just being polite or you're easily entertained .
> 
> @slc: I note that your apparent confidence is augmented with religiosity; good idea, it doesn't hurt to play it safe .
> 
> ...


I love the body work on this thing it's really coming along great, that spot putty filler is amazing. Yes on the same note it's better to be safe than sorry LOL, I'm just a fan of the truth!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Everything got 3 coats of primer this morning:

















I used regular primer (not high-build) to avoid excessive material buildup, and I noticed this batch is much blacker, which will be all the more forgiving of rock chips (my Cabby is black but has the white OEM primer, and even tiny rock chips are obvious).

I didn't use a marker coat to sand the doors' window surrounds, and sure enough, in the wet primer I found two little dings to tend to. I made a list of any last pinholes and defects so I don't forget them. I'll fill them before block sanding to 400, then just re-prime the scars, but I'll let this application shrink for a good week first.

9435/1903


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

How many acres of sandpaper do you think you've used so far?


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## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> Everything got 3 coats of primer this morning:
> View attachment 111199
> 
> 
> ...


Wow great job it really looks excellent! Plus the black primer you can see better when you use your Guide coat.👀🕵


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref. sandpaper: bodywork uses a lot of it for sure, but I found the various grits in these big rolls: 400 Grit Gold Longboard 20 Yards Long by 2-3/4" Wide PSA Self Adhesive Sandpaper | eBay. They're so cheap that I thought they'd be carp, but they're great and I used about half of each roll.

While the primer hardens I can get back to the dash. First thing was to doll up the instrument panel, which starts out on a TT looking like this:








Even if I found that attractive, it didn't fit the project's themes because it was neither angular nor black...

...but now it's both:








I took the cluster apart to paint the needle hubs and the bezel rings, and to use the OEM panel as a template to cut the holes in the new ABS panel. The new panel is glued so that the cluster can be serviced normally. If the numbers reflect in the shiny rings in real life like they do in the pic, I'll repaint them flat black.

I'll mount this to the dash and build the instrument pod around it.

9435/1908


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Instrument pod:








On the first version the top was square and I could slide the cluster out easily, but I prefer the top tapered like it is now. I'll need to remove the pod first if I ever need to get the cluster out, which is OK because it's held firm with only four screws.

Overall layout with the vents and headlight switch countersunk:









The headlight switch is countersunk askew to keep the connector from impinging on the vent's inlet:









Tomorrow I'll trim, sand, and reinforce the edges of the dash and center console and maybe start the covering process.

More glue, 9455/1912


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I got the ends doubled so the mounting screws countersink, trimmed all the edges, sanded everything, reinforced a bunch of the joints with sawdust and thin CA...

and then I ran out of thin CA, so no covering yet. I can't cut corners here because masonite + dust + thin CA = super strong composite, whereas masonite by itself is not much better than papier mache.

So here's where the project stalls a bit:









Glue, 9475/1916


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I had enough thin CA to reinforce the pod, so I was able to get that covered.

Teasers, first the neoprene padding:









Then the pleather:








I test-mounted the pod just to verify fitment. The joint will be really tight because the pod will smash into the padding on the main section.

Overall appearance of the cluster:









9475/1918


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

This new dash will probably rival The Red Stepchild's dash. I just have one question, what's "CA"?


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I just have one question, what's "CA"?


I was going to ask the same question.


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I just have one question, what's "CA"?


Cyanoacrylate, known as "Krazy Glue" (kragle!) or "Super Glue" 

The angular pod is going to look absolutely perfect with the angles of the Mk1!


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Is it me, or does it look a little like the control box mounted on Darth Vader's chest? Definitely period appropriate.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> I had enough thin CA to reinforce the pod, so I was able to get that covered.
> 
> Overall appearance of the cluster:
> View attachment 111953
> ...


Faaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuugggghhhhkkkkkkk that looks good.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Joe, and I know it would be quite a shift from James Bondo, and maybe too cliche, but Darth Vader would be a good nickname for an all-black franken-car.

The center console joints can be reinforced entirely from the back when the thin CA gets here, so I went ahead and covered it:








The sides are padding and pleather and the rest is textured ABS plastic like the instrument cluster. The pleather corners by the shift box wouldn't stretch far enough even with heat, so I have patches there that need tidying up. The effect is nicely remiscent of an OEM Scirocco console.

With the rear portion:









9475/1926


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

You sir, are my fricking hero inspiration ! I've had all the parts / chassis since 2012... and you have done it; for me, its a different story...lol : You are a better man than I  Your work is one that makes me come back on Vortex, and I hope to meet you, and your family soon, as your dry humor is truly missed


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Fred: it has been a coupla years already: boy, time flies...

The bottles of thin CA arrived so I was able to finish reinforcing all the joints and cover the dash.

Glued and sanded:









Padding:









Heh heh heh:



























Inside:








The headlight switch is bulky and even mounting it tilted leaves precious little room for the connector and the vent hose. Everything comes out as it should for servicing: cluster, pod, switches, and vents.

I still need to do the edges and tidy it all up, but I'm really happy with it, especially the visually unbroken lines.

More glue, 9535/1932


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Aaaand shift boot:


















Seeing the shift knob reminds me:

I've only driven a TT once, and that was to get this project home from out of state. On the expressway in 5th, I found acceleration with the APR tune was very good, but I noticed the rpm and noise was similar to a mk1 GTI, and not in a good way...

...turns out the car has 6 speeds .

9535/1935


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> ...turns out the car has 6 speeds .


Yuk yuk yuk!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Another funny story:

I was looking at the center console and the dash and I noticed that the top of the console would partially cover the center vents when installed _facepalm_

I had to lower the switches and take an inch or so off the top. Before:









After:








I hid the pleather scars as best I could and hopefully their location will be discreet when installed.

Oy.

9535/1937


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The Lady an I took a weekend for ourselves but now begins the end-run to paint, in the form of block-sanding to 400 grit, filling the last pin holes and etch priming any break-throughs.

Roof, cowl, and rear panel to 400, and jambs scuffed with red pads:


















I also took care of the dash edges and VIN tag.

9535/1945


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

It begs the question, which car did you take on your weekend away? That's the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. 

Great work! What a great project.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Paul: thank you Sir. It was perfect weather so we went to Milwaukee with that black Cabby that's often in the background of various pics.

There's a really cool museum that has a huge moving roof:




It opened just as we walked up to it; funny how timing sometimes works.

Both sides blocked to 400 and/or scuffed:


















I soaked the panels with PrepAll (wax and grease remover) and the gloss betrayed one mild low spot just in front of the driver side arch that I want to fix.

Dash with edges glued and VIN tag installed:









Refund on spray gun parts that didn't ship, 9520/1951


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> After:
> View attachment 112538
> 
> 
> ...


Are these the "Stop" and "Start" buttons?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The button on the right disables the traction control, which if I did that, the way I drive, I'd need the button on the left shortly thereafter 

I spent some time looking at the low spot next to the driver arch and figure I must've warped things while adding the arch. I don't see how I can fix it without re-doing the area, which is excessive for a minor flaw, after all it's no worse than some of the isht I see on new cars:








It's the wave in the GTI's reflected upper moulding that I'm talking about.

I cooled the welds as I went and I ground them judiciously, so I think my error was to push the arch tin to the quarter panel while welding, and that stressed the [thin] quarter panel.


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Los Angeles has a lot of roofs that move. Florida has them blowing in the wind. Nothing special there. 

Props to you about not loosing interest. That is a lot of time invested in such a short period.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mark: I _am_ getting tired...

Doors to 400:








I did repeated marker coats and soakings with PrepAll, and I used the lightest possible pressure on the long board, so I need to live with whatever ripples remain. It all looks good though. Not Deusenberg good, but good.

9520/1956


----------



## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Eric, dont fuss over a tiny wave, once this thing is going at close to light speed nobody is going to see the wave. Infact the only waving going on will be waving the dust left behind at launch 😂😂😂😂😂


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Grant: in time I'll forget some of the flaws, I've noticed that on past projects.

Hood and hatch blocked to 400:









Aaaand fenders blocked to 400:









So barring some last little blips to fix, the car is ready for paint. Oof! I'm putting aside all of September for that and I'm hoping for good weather. Next steps are to unbag and vacuum the shell, clean the garage and its contents, buy the paint supplies, and retape everything.

9520/1964


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

What the heck? You are going to clean a garage that is always clean?


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

There's probably an unbelievable amount of sanding dust after all that amazing work!


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)




----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mark: the garage is only clean because I'm always cleaning it .

I unbagged the shell and started cleaning up, and I also got the paint supplies:








The code is L041, which AFAIK is the only color in the entire VW/Audi/Porsche line-up that doesn't have a clever name. It's just called... Black. IOW, it's perfect.

9900/1969


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Too bad you went with James Bondo, TT53. Black Beauty would've been a nice one.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hmmm... Black Beauty and Darth Vader might be too cliche, but they're good options nonetheless. And James Bondo might not sit well with a potential buyer... We'll see what sticks best as the thing comes together.

Speaking of filler, here's the driver's side fender soaked with PrepAll:

















This was the boinking fender that I shrank with a torch, in addition to the welded Rabbit arch. It's the panel with the most filler on it and I'm really happy with it.


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

When the sale occurs [and yes, everything is for sale] a quick view of this thread and the buyer not care what it was called. They'll get over it quickly.


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

My first Scirocco was L041 - and it was in excellent shape! But me as a high schooler kinda ruined it lol...


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

We've got three L041 cars now: this one, the Cabby, and Luke's Passat, so we finally balanced out the number of red cars lol.

I started in earnest on the garage:


















The idea is to turn the garage into a paint booth in the morning and turn it back into a garage at night, and repeat that daily until everything is painted. To do that, I wheel everything into the driveway:








I'll move things further away on actual paint days.

I'm not a fan of the wet-floor technique for painting so I'll do my best to manage dust. I'll vacuum the entire garage from the ceiling on down and cover the entire floor with construction paper. When I did the 16Vs, I worked out a good way to circulate fresh air from the basement and out through a fan:









I'll do the shell one day and the panels over the next few days. It's partly so I don't bite off more than I can chew and rush things, but it's also to avoid moving around the space and raising whatever dust remains.

I went with single-stage enamel after comparing our two 16Vs, one of which I did with enamel and the other with urethane. They both look equally good after 5+ years. and I decided the urethane's additional handling precautions aren't worth the trouble (the stuff's deadly toxic). AFAIK, and inexplicably, UV resistance is only available in clearcoat, which is a no-no IMO on an old car with a non-metallic color. If I'm wrong about the UV resistance thing, please keep it to yourself as I already bought the paint .

9900/1973


----------



## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

Hey Eric, great job on the Dash!
Reminds me of this ;-)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I actually took elements from the Testarossa layout:








Things were nice and angular back then .

I spent the day bagging the shell and sealing the garage door:








When the fan is in position, the top section of the door is open and I got some carp in the paint when I did the 16V roofs. This looks like it'll work well, but it took more time than it was worth. I sealed the shell entirely and taped it to the floor to avoid flecks of residual blasting media flying out onto the wet paint.

9900/1981


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I spent more time than I should have on my "booth", but it's too muggy to paint anyways and maybe it'll pay off with less finish sanding/polishing. I went with the shower curtain approach Ed mentionned a few pages back:

















The rest of the garage is sealed off so I won't need to move everything in and out every time I want to paint, which is hard labor and a little messy. I did cover the other cars just to be safe. The only thing I'll need to do daily is install and remove the fan setup. The "booth's" floor is completely covered so the dust that concrete always sheds is trapped. That and the sealed shell makes me cautiously optimistic that I'll have very few nibs.

9900/1986


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> And James Bondo might not sit well with a potential buyer...


As far as projects of two VWs welded together go, I think James Bondo is already taken.


----------



## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

This thread makes me look at TT's on Craigslist even though it would be impossible for me to build one like it. I'm happily living the dream through this thread instead Eric. Double thumbs up!


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## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> Hmmm... Black Beauty and Darth Vader might be too cliche, but they're good options nonetheless. And James Bondo might not sit well with a potential buyer... We'll see what sticks best as the thing comes together.
> 
> Speaking of filler, here's the driver's side fender soaked with PrepAll:
> View attachment 114291
> ...


I love the shape and the body lines on this, that wide body flare really gives it a robust look💪


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

We still have to see how it all comes together but I feel good about how this is all going.

Tomorrow the blast-furnace weather is supposed to ease up, so hopefully I'll paint the shell on Wednesday. I can only do two panels per day in the "booth", so that should have them painted by Saturday afternoon. If I let things cure for a coupla weeks while I fix goofs, and spend another week or so buffing it all out, the car could be ready for some initial assembly in October _crosses fingers_.

The minute this thing coughs to life, I'll call it a keeper. I'll need to think about unloading the 16Vs to reduce the amount of responsibility.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

The booth looks good, just remember a smaller booth means less air - Even with a fan. Wear a good ventilator mask and take breaks. First sign of a headache means your breathing paint.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir; When I did the 16Vs, the air path from the basement and out through the fan worked well to clear fumes, but my DIY "booths" are admittedly another reason not to use urethane again. I have a new respirator and I'll bag it whenever I take it off. Each coat will only take a few minutes, and I'll leave the space while each coat flashes off. Enamel doesn't mandate a hooded body suit, which is good because that was uncomfortable.

It's still a little too hot to spray, but I laid everything out and did a dry run with the fan and vented the curtain enough to keep it from moving; it looks like I can start tomorrow.

9900/1988


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

echassin said:


> It's still a little too hot to spray, but I laid everything out and did a dry run with the fan and vented the curtain enough to keep it from moving; it looks like I can start tomorrow.


Paint!

Pretty sure I'm not the only one sitting here waiting impatiently for an update to this thread today!
⏳


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm sitting here waiting for the tack coat and 1st color coat to flash off; so-far-so-good with no nibs yet.

I'm avoiding the temptation to apply really wet coats that flow completely because fixing the runs on the 16Vs was _way_ more work than buffing the dry areas, and the resulting shine was the same.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alrighty! Not too shabby! I did a tack coat, two moderate color coats, and two wet coats. This will leave plenty of material for polishing but not cause any out-gassing issues. The black primer adds additional leeway for polishing.

I can't do a full reveal until the end of the weekend because I need to keep the shell bagged and the garage doors closed till the panels are painted. Using the flash to take pictures just drowned out any detail so I hope these pics will do:



























That low area in front of the arch is palatable:









This is the texture I went with:








This will polish out to an OEM appearance, and _no runs! _

9900/1992


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Hell yes! Nice job looking forward to the updates!


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## PiranhaTiguana (May 22, 2021)

You know those cars shows where they take a basket case, blast it, do some body work and then completely “restore “ it in a week, along with a massive sound system and a fish tank? Good times.


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

Looks great! How long will it dry before you polish it?


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Fabulous update!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the compliments; @pete: you can lightly polish this stuff the next day but in my case it's better to wait a few weeks. My "booth" is better than open-air painting but I still have crud that I need to sand out prior to machine polishing and the paint needs to be fully hardened for that.

I bagged up the rest of the shell to keep overspray off of it and got the fenders painted:








The bodywork on the fenders came out friggen awesome 

Here's the fan setup:








It pulls surprisingly hard; I can tell how much to open the door from the basement because as soon as it's enough to feed the fan, the plastic drapes stop pulling in.

I ordered 1500 and 2000 DA paper, various 3M compounds, and a mini-polisher for all those tight spots on a mk1: 10150/2000; today is a mile-stone...


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Yes, you have now worked the equivalent of 1 work year less 2 weeks vacation. (52X40hrs) At $35/hr you have over $80k invested in time & materials. I don't think you'll be able to flip it for a profit.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Time to talk to Labor and Industries. Whatever you do, do not complain about your work surroundings. 

As a mechanic, I do not recall ever working less than 50 hrs a week. There were many years of 80+ hours a week.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed: DIY=priceless .

Hood and hatch painted:

















Saving the hood was a long-shot but it worked out real nice. I'm positioning the panels to minimize the risk of runs and I'm spraying the last coat dangerously wet. It'll still have OEM texture but with less sanding/polishing. No runs yet _phew_. One more day (doors).

10150/2004


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

I hope you are taking a moment to bask in the joy of making it this far. Plus, if the weather in Chicago is good for painting, low humidity and reasonable temps are also to be celebrated!

Go enjoy a fruity alcoholic drink - you deserve it!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Joe: I'm basking a _little_, but there are still many ways this could all go wrong...

Doors painted:

















They came out really straight _phew_.

I sprayed the hard-to-buff areas really wet and got away with it (no runs):








The total absence of orange peel in the door handle recesses indicates that I cut it reaaaaaal close _phew again_.

Same with the window frames:








On the large flat areas that buff easily, I went with a safe degree of orange peel like on the shell. It's not quite as glamorous initially but this is the first car I've ever painted where I don't have any PIA runs to fix.

I had to take some risks moving the previous panels, but I'll let the doors harden in the garage and clean up tomorrow. There's still some stuff to fix but it's less critical stuff like edges, inside the trunk, etc... so this is a big step.

10150/2008


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Garage cleaned up:








It's nice to have things back to semi-normal and not have a time crunch as the seasons change.

I need to wait a few weeks before sanding and buffing but there's plenty of niggly isht to fix on the paint before that. The worst so far is a spot that pulled up just above the large door handle hole of the driver-side door:








It's the light streak in the middle of the picture. I think it's because I didn't scuff enough at the edge of the lip and the heavy layer I applied shrank as it cured. I don't know if it's appropriate to respray a whole door just for that, so I dug out the spot and filled it yesterday using a tiny brush and left-over paint from spraying (with hardener in it). At least it's bonded, and I can decide later if I want to do more.

10150/2013


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## California 16v (Jul 20, 2008)

Eric great to see you painting this Scirocco at the moment 😎 

Now I need to get my 87 prepped and ready for paint 🏁


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Uh yeah, ⁸no, I can't see it. If your going to sand and wax, why are you mounting the door handle?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed: I plopped the handle on to see how the area looks. The flaw doesn't show well in a picture but sanding and buffing didn't get rid of it, so I'll blend in a repair at the same time I fix any buffing flubs. BTW, what's the tiny "8" in your text?

It's not necessarily the best work order to put the panels on now, but there was no way I was gonna deprive myself of a look at the assembled shell, so I mounted everything up.

Overall appearance:



























Close-ups of various modified areas; front arch and air dam:








I have to sand the air dam down and lay fiberglass cloth around the mounting holes because the paint is already cracking there.

Hood fitment with washer and wiper deletes, and cowl rust repairs:








Not pefect but I I wasn't sure it would work out at all, so this is great.

Gas door, side marker delete, rear arch, hatch with wiper, washer, and badge deletes:








So far the passenger quarter panel is the best area on the car...

...although the passenger door is nice too:









The hatch lip has a wave under the latch button:








To find it I need to squat down and look along the lip, which might be a non-issue. I'll see how I feel about it in time and decide whether to try again.

The driver door is great in pictures but if you move back and forth, there are small ripples that persist in spite of repeated marker coats:








Nothing too bad, but WTF?

The low spot in front of the other arch is mostly drowned out by the reflection of the arch itself _phew_








(it's the wave under the relection of the GTI bumper's endcap).

I still have hundreds of hours of work to do on the paint but my goal was to avoid having the body languish and absorb moisture, and the pace has taken its toll. The rest of the project I can do at my leisure.

10150/2017


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

Dear god Eric. This thing is a work of art. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Looking 👍 i don't know where that 8 came from. Autocorrect?


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

I hope you’re bringing it to Cincy next year. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Brixy (May 30, 2014)

Eric, I like so many others are watching in awe. Your talents were clearly wasted as a physician you should have been a custom car fabricator. Hopefully when the world returns to normal us Canucks can cross the border to see this beauty in full living colour (black).


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I would not recommend getting in the automotive industry to my enemies. In my State, they no longer sentence inmates to lifetime of wrenching. Supreme Court ruled it cruel and inhuman.

I thought all this body prep/painting was your leisure time. So, when will the time be when you are passing people on the road and they are commenting on the wavy line under the trunk latch button? There is a finger for that if they do, but since you are a physician, I suspect you already know that.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the compliments. IDK if it'll be driving by next Cincy, but if it is... heck yeah.

@Mark: Challenge=stress; I wanted one but I got both... At least the steel won't have to sit bare all winter, and I can tidy things up at a comfortable pace.

Today I started fixing the air dam. While I was modifying it, I inset steel countersink washers, but I didn't reinforce the edges where they meet the plastic, so the paint cracked when I tightened the bolts. I could just use big washers and regular bolts but I took one more shot at countersunk fasteners and added a sheet of fiberglass, held in place initially with packing tape...









...and soaked with thin CA:

















It's a neat trick I learned building RC planes; it's fast, strong and smooth.

Glazed:









Of course, I have to sand the whole thing down and repaint it, but that's for tomorrow.

10150/2022


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## SciroccoBossE (Aug 5, 2015)

My hat is lifted, and waving ! I do for sure want to see this in real. Any one knowing if there will be a SOS Band concert in the future around here so i can realy book som tickets to get 2 good things happen at the same time ?? Splendid work😇🙌


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

I agree. I need to see this one too in person. I’ll be bringing my newly acquired unicorn. 81 S Cosmos Silver. Finally found a good one.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, if not this coming Cincy, then some other time surely.

I'm enjoying tallying total hours and the most efficient place to do that is here, even though some of the things I post are uninteresting. Hopefully I'll get some leeway on that for the next few weeks.

I sanded and repainted the air dam and mounted it, to confirm that the inset washers wouldn't crack the paint again. All is well for now:








I prefer the fasteners inset but if they give me any more trouble I'll use normal washers and regular bolts.

Next, while spraying the shell, I didn't worry about flowing out the trunk jambs for fear of getting runs on the quarter panels. As a result, the jambs were matte:









After:








Polishing tight spots isn't feasible, and it's easy to tape the surroundings with soft edges and re-spray just the matte areas wet. It's more work to do things in stages, but there's no risk of runs out on the panels, which can be a huge PIA.

10150/2026


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The hood slats are hard to flow out thoroughly without excessive buildup on the outer surface, so I didn't worry about them while spraying the hood. Today I taped off the outside of the hood and painted the slats from underneath, and the result is OK:









The rear shock towers had some runs and sanding marks, but they'll be carpeted so I pretended not to care... Here they are sanded to 400, taped off, and re-sprayed:


















10150/2031


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Butcher said:


> I would not recommend getting in the automotive industry to my enemies. In my State, they no longer sentence inmates to lifetime of wrenching. Supreme Court ruled it cruel and inhuman.


 Truth, brother. 
5.5 years of heavy collision apprenticeship, and another 21 years of dealer wrenching, and I'm just mentally _done_ with this isht. I want out. I'm trying to get out.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Whoever came up with the original lie "Do what you love and the rest will follow" obviously did not have a day job.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

^^^ These feelings might be almost universal. I've met people who seem to thrive for years in spite of oppressive conditions and it's impressive.

I fogged in the driver door handle area:








I was able to hide all of the blends except two, one behind the handle and one above the recess. I'll let the repair harden for a few weeks before buffing, and if the blends are still obvious I'll need to repaint the whole door [ugh].

I spent the rest of the day making cardboard templates for the various trunk panels; two sides, back seat, floor, and hatch cover:



































I want the trunk to look reasonably finished but V.1 of the car will have no provision for a hinged hatch cover or hatch lifts. If I need to haul stuff, I'm driving the wrong car. . I'll prop up the floor to hide the rear harness and that ground lug.

Speaking of oppressive conditions:









10150/2035


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I got as far as buying the materials for the trunk panels and cutting them out, but my jigsaw carped out after only 38 years and I had to order another, plus we got the oldest a car which gobbled up a bunch of time.

I'll glue and trim the felt tomorrow, but for now:









10250/2039


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Meticulous as always. Your next jigsaw will probably only last 3.8 years. Nothing lasts like it used to. I had a 60 y/o Black & Decker drill that only died because my kid left it in the grass and it got rained on. He gets props cause he did put the extension cord away.


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

More C.A.D.
I love it!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Trunk panels complete:









Final appearance of the recontoured wheel well:








(pardon the sawdust)









The floor is 3" higher than stock, a small price to pay for AWD, not that I plan to use the trunk anyways.

The floor rests on a frame to make room for the harness and bridge the spare tire well:









The hatch cover also has a frame but it's aluminum so it doesn't sag over time:









Hopefully, by the time critical observers discover that I omitted the conveniences of a hatchback, they will have already noticed the rear transfer case peeking out from under the car .

10250/2045


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Finally!!!!!! Pictures of a dirty work area. Now I can relate to the build.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Oooooo, sorry Mark, I vacuumed the dust after I took the picture.

On the car, I'll start working on the paint next week and continue with interior bits till then. Today I started modifying the rear cards to fit up against the TT rear seat bottom and carpet.

More CAD design:









Aaaand steel:








I used steel so I could tweak fitment during final installation.

Tomorrow I'll reinforce the joint and upholster the cards. Pleather won't contour enough even with heat, so felt it is.

BTW, if anyone has nice black door cards to spare, I'll pay one million dollars for them (plus shipping). Ted, who gave me the shell, also gave me a set of door cards, but they're pretty rough. Pfft, I mean _really_ Ted, c'mon 

10250/2049


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Rear cards are done:

















The picture really brings attention to the warp at the upper edge of the driver card; I'll try moistening it and flattening it with weights.

Next up is the kick panels (A-pillar panels).

10250/2055


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It was nice out so I went ahead and did the kick panels. I got lucky because there's a groove molded into the carpet that lines up perfectly with the inner tin of the A-pillar:









The panel I made has enough felt hanging over the door edge that the welting grabs it and pushes the panel into the carpet goove:








No fasteners and a perfect fit 

Other side:








(Pardon the bit of malpositioned felt). The screws are for the hood latch lever and I'll need two more fasteners for the fuse box. The holes in the carpet are for the foot rest.

Next, filler panels for the rear seat back.

10250/2058


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> The holes in the carpet are for the foot rest.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Will you do a cad for the roof liner?


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

sorry i'm late. awesome work!


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## corrado-correr (Jul 8, 2004)

DelEd said:


> Will you do a cad for the roof liner?


also curious about this.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed and corrado-correr (sorry, IDK your name yet, hi): I'm sticking the headliner right to the roof steel for maximum head room. I got double-stick film that's good to 150 degrees celcius so hopefully it'll stand up to a hot sunny day. The material is that foam-backed cloth later cars have, black of course.

Today I got the rear seat-back mounted with felted filler panels:








The TT rear seat is too tall and too narrow; someday I might try to do better, but this'll do for V.1 of the car.

10275/2063


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Eric, is your longboard sander manual or a pneumatic?


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> I got double-stick film that's good to 150 degrees celcius so hopefully it'll stand up to a hot sunny day.
> 
> 
> 10275/2063


Would you mind sharing what double stick film that is? I need something to hold a custom roof board up. Been thinking about the heat and one day finding it fell unless I can get a good product to hold it up.
Thanks for sharing.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref. air file: I haven't used mine in years. In fact, if you want it, it's yours.

Ref. sticky film: it's this stuff here Lot of 10 Sheets Flexmount Clear Adhesive 11"x11" Sheets Double-sided | eBay. I haven't tried a test piece yet so I can't vouch that it'll work.

We had some yard work to do today but I started on the carpet. It needed some trimming along the door sills, and that left enough scraps to fill un-needed holes:


















The scraps don't unravel so I was able to trim them and glue them together to make decent patches:








Each of these is three strips glued together and the joints are hard to discern.

Glued in and reinforced with mesh on the backside:








The patches are hidden in the shadows under the seats, so this is fine IMO.

Tomorrow I'm taking one more mental day and Monday I'll start on the paint. A panel per day should have the car reasonably shiny by October _crosses fingers_

10275/2066


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The paint's been out-gassing for a few weeks now, so it's OK to sand and buff. I'm doing 1500 dry, 2000 damp, 3000 damp, compound, and polish.

I'm going from the top down to avoid scuffing what I've already done with the air hose and the electrical cord, so I did the roof first. Also, I'm not making the paint like glass, because once it's smooth, even an expensive paint meter won't say how much paint is left (the skim coat of filler and high-build primer will give falsely optimistic readings). Leaving a bit of orange peel visually guarantees there's plenty of paint.

That being said, even after just the first polish, the result is nice.









I'll do the hood tomorrow.

3000 paper, 10295/2071


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Hooooo boy, that is pretty!


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

Eric this is turning out amazing. I admire your ambition in choosing black with this car, as you are doing so much other work otherwise.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks Paul and Joe. It'll never win Best Paint, but by the time anyone sees the flaws, they're standing too close.

I tried out my new mini polisher and it makes the job much more pleasant than with a full-size buffer. It's safe to run along edges without fear of burning through so there's no taping, hand polishing tight spots, etc...

Hood sanded and polished:









I didn't take it all the way smooth but I did go a little further than the roof, since critical eyes might be more likely to dwell on a car's hood:








I'm very happy with it considering it was in pieces, and how much blasting and welding I did on it.

10295/2076


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Amazing when it started like this!!


echassin said:


> :


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Beautiful!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sirs; even though I expect first-start woes and an ongoing punch-list, it's nice to be past the stage where everything risks being sold off or junked _phew_

Hatch:








I have little fisheyes, each with a fleck of crud in the center, suggesting that my "booth" wasn't so great after all. They might totally sand out if the carp landed during the last layers of paint, but I can't be sure so I'm just minimizing them to avoid sanding the paint too thin. The badge deletes are ripply because a firm block wouldn't work in the dished shape of the panel, but the rear wiper and washer deletes came out great.

Rear panel:








I didn't sand this, just compound and polish, and the paint looks OEM (some orange peel). Maybe one more go with polish, after assembly and before swirl remover. I didn't touch the Gravitex, it's already close enough to how these cars were originally done. Considering what I had to do to convert the TT's [ugly] a$$ to a beautiful mk1 Scirocco a$$, I'm really happy with this.

10295/2081


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Glad you appreciate the bigger, more voluptuous butts that older women. Its a testament to the design ideas they created.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

This car's male so IDK about a voluptuous butt; lets say "muscular haunches".

Right side quarter panel polished:

















This really is the best panel on the car. The arch, side marker delete, and the gas door all came out nice, and the panel is just generally straight and low on ripples, defects, etc... 

10295/2086


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

The fit and finish of that gas door transplant is really impressive!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ted: thx; it's a shame I had to go that route, but the gas door does look the part.

Other quarter panel:









The low spot next to the arch is mostly hidden by the arch's reflection _phew_. The arch and the side marker delete came out nice.

Driver door polished:








The door presents well overall, but with more waves on the middle section than I'd hoped for. I did the marker coat/long board thing three times, with the correct X pattern and gently so as to not depress the metal, so I don't know why yet. One good option: I know Grant has NOS door skins, but the only way to get them would be to break into his barn and steal them. I'm not above that sort of thing but sadly, Australia is too far away...

I'll leave the door handle repair un-sanded for now but did polish the blends lightly just to gauge my chances of success. So far so good, they're already pretty subtle (pardon the splashes of compound):








The blend in this picture extends vertically from the center of the recess.

Other one:








It crosses the reflection of my elbow. I'll have another go at these when I do the assembled car's final paint correction, and I'm cautiously optimistic the area will look good

The finish line is in sight; I have to do the other door, the fenders, and various edges. Ooof!

10295/2092


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## shftat6 (Oct 9, 2000)

I just found this thread...incredible work!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you, I'm glad you like it.

I polished the other door and the fenders, so the shell is near enough to completion that it's time for another video tour:




I might need to repaint some of the panels at some point if sanding out the fisheyes thins the paint too much, but the season for painting is almost over. That'll give me plenty of time over the winter to sand and polish some more and then decide.

Additional punch-list for the shell:
Cavity wax the hood frame, cowl, windshield pillars, upper frame rails.
Cosmoline the doors, quarter panels, hatch, hood lip.
WeldStuds: rear license plate, leak detection pump, fuse box, center console.

Cavity wax, 10325/2100


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

It looks excellent! I can't wait to see it in person again.


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## JettaSTR4 (Jan 7, 2003)

try using clear as touchup for the fish eyes, fill them up with it and re-buff, you might get lucky and hide them


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

^^^ I'd have nothing to lose on the worst areas.

I got most of the edges and the cowl polished, and I refined the hood and the hatch:


















I'll start fine-tuning the sides today and try to get them done by the weekend. Timbo is coming by and I can get his opinion.

10325/2112


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## DrivinAW8 (Jun 21, 2004)

Wow. Transplant from The Car Lounge (your thread was linked to a Corrado ownership update thread). I just read this straight through over the past couple hours. You’re doing amazing work that few even can manage, let alone desire to do!

From one eric to another… thanks for documenting your passion and craft. Although I’m excited for the final product (as I’m sure you are as well), watching the process has always been more enjoyable for me. As someone who has tried to do that for various projects (car rebuilds, house renovations, etc), I appreciate how much extra effort goes into formatting and composing regular updates.


Can’t wait to see more.


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Awesome result Eric, looking the ducks nuts totally 🦆🥔🥔 😍😍😍

I think I need book you a trip down unda so you can get some paint on my bucket. ( Let me go hide the door skins first tho ) but truly a great result. I think you will have yours running driveable before I even get the paint on mine at current progress rate here. I need go get a drink ..... 🍸


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

As others have said, the results are amazing. Don't know how I missed it, but what equipment did you use for painting?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Eric: thank you Sir, and with you, I now know of 6 Erics on this forum.

@Grant: I hope you're not fretting; your car will be _waaay _nicer and it'll be ready when it's ready. Oh, and IDK which car is your bucket, but it'll be cheaper to pay a pro to paint it than to fly me there and then pay someone to fix my work. That being said, and speaking of buckets, Australia _has_ always been on my list...

@Ed: I have the compressor you see in the pics with a dryer and a regulator on it, and cheap guns (siphon for priming and gravity with a 2nd regulator for painting). It all worked OK, but the fisheyes were the main problem; I should've figured out a convenient air filtering setup, and I should've replaced the dryer and air lines before spraying (they're old and probably contaminated with oil from the compressor).

Yesterday I worked on the sides again to get out the last of the sanding scratches and lessen the visibility of the fisheyes:

















I'm taking a little at a time but so far it looks like there's plenty of paint to work with, so I'll keep going whenever the mood strikes.

I did the roof a little more today, but the step ladder felt precarious so I'm leaving the last of it for when the car is lowered onto its wheels:








Tomorrow I'll hit the whole car with swirl remover again and look for some decent "wax".

That'll close out September, which was devoted to paint. I'm liking the monthly "themes", and I think I'll devote October to installing anything on the shell that won't need to come off again; not in any particular order, it'd be mainly to ease crowding in the basement shop:









10325/2120


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alright, I'm closing out September with things as they are:








The fisheyes are still easy to find, but only at less than five feet and only in just-right lighting. I'll keep working on that as time goes by, but aiming for perfect paint now would mean sanding the paint thin and risking another month of block sanding, booth setup, respraying, and buffing... and that's only IF the weather holds out long enough.

Mother's wax and 35% window tint, 10360/2125


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Amazing result for in-home painting. 
What is the date goal for parking lot donut time?


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Let's hope October is not too scary.👻🎃


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

deathhare. said:


> Amazing result for in-home painting.
> What is the date goal for parking lot donut time?


Thank you; if all goes smoothly (haha) the car could be moving by Summer, but not done. That would strongly depend on something happening, _anything_, when I turn the key that first time. If it just sits there silent, which I'm not ruling out, there would be a delay...

Not that I would abuse the car after so much work, but after watching AWD Audis do donuts with varying degrees of success, it appears I'd need a LOT more power:





@Marc: the only challenge I foresee in October is the windshield. Good news is I'm not risking OEM glass, plus the seal is genuine/NOS and therefore really supple. Also, I'll be super-_duper_ careful (as opposed to just super careful). Worst case I leave cracked glass in place short term and eat crow, it wouldn't stall the project.


----------



## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Should you decide to paint more, the wind may blow open your plastic sheet booth and you will have to leaf it that way until Spring.


----------



## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Now you'll have to get VCDS to talk to the thing, but that's not a bad thing.


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

In for a four wheel burnout in a Scirocco!


----------



## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> Not that I would abuse the car after so much work, but after watching AWD Audis do donuts with varying degrees of success, it appears I'd need a LOT more power:


Ah those heavy pigs get too much traction.
You'll be doing it fine with some real mods.


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

The paint is unbelievable in person! THOSE ARCHES!! JUST LOOK AT THEM! Amazing.


----------



## California 16v (Jul 20, 2008)

I'm definitely jealous of you Timbo, getting to see this 79 Scirocco in the build stage near the Chicago area 😎


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Yep, gotta agree, those curves are sexy! E, u sure this car is a male?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Randall, come by if you're ever in the neighborhood!

@ Ed: Hmm... good question. Here's a still from the 1940 animated film fantasia:








Fantasia Photo: Pegasus Family


Photo of Pegasus Family for fans of Fantasia.




www.fanpop.com




I'll wager that 80 years later, people would almost universally peg the same pegasus as the male. So, yes: I'm sure .

Timbo was here so we just goofed off, plus the shell is painted so I can take a break without rust forming. I'll start up on it again tomorrow _wave_


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Well I would advise that one should never judge a book by its cover. Although the car was testosterone red on the bottom, it was silver on top. I just get stuck that you're crafting the boy of your dreams.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

DelEd said:


> ... the boy of your dreams.


Be careful, that sounds worse than it is and I don't want to end up on a national registry...

Rustproofing: I did as much of it as I could as soon as the metalwork was done, but I avoided glop anywhere I wanted to paint, like inside the quarter panels.

The flipside is that even after paint, many recesses are not reliably covered and need protection. I used up another can of the 3M cavity wax (the white stuff) and slathered on a bunch of Cosmoline (the brown stuff). I only covered areas VW did or would/should have done.

Rear arches:









Gas door:









Upper spring perch deletes:








(I'll cover the hole with a rubber body plug.)

Windshield pillars, upper frame rails, and cowl reconstructions:









Hood frame:









Passenger mirror delete and driver mirror reconstruction:

















(pardon the smeared paint...)

Door skins, quarter skins, hatch lip:


























I made sure to put enough that it came out the drain holes, but also made sure the holes aren't obstructed.

Next: I should start on the running gear but I'm kinda tired... I'm doing little stuff like polishing the tail lights, painting the hood rod, etc... Nothing to see really.

10360/2129


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Just being my usual incentive self, no offense meant.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That's alright; it's a good analogy assuming you were thinking of Pinocchio.

I finished the tail lights:








I had to patch one of the upper trim strips and polish the faces, plus I painted the trunk sides with paint-for-plastic and redid the seals. I didn't have enough fasteners so I replaced them all with fresh stuff.

There's no good reason why the tail lights should be the first thing onto the shell, but here they are:








_short pause for solemn moment_

BTW, here's what the Cosmoline looks like after setting up (inside the door):








Just like factory . (The small oval hole in the new inner sill panel was to get the cavity wax wand inside the sill).

After that, and in keeping with the black theme, I tried my hand at window tint. Tint laws in the U.S. are inconsistent and some states forbid it altogether, so I went with 35% film as an acceptable compromise. We'll see (get it? "see"?).

It's easier when everything is off the car, and I tried the rear glass first:








Like anything else, getting it perfect is harder than it looks. I have every flaw Youtube described plus a few cat hairs, but the rear window came out OK in spite of the defog wires and DIY tools, so I'll go ahead with the side glass tomorrow.

10370/2133


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

The rear end is looking fantastic. And I don't say that to just any guy.


----------



## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

I'm just happy to see that the large surface in the kitchen is being used for it's intended purpose!

(I can only say that the car looks amazing so many times!)



echassin said:


> View attachment 123164


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## glidrew (Jul 25, 2002)

Damn Eric. The attention to detail is incredible. I haven't been on vortex in years. Your project is now on my radar. Keep up the good work.


----------



## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

Oh my goodness! Parts on the shell! I love it.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_KItchen_? Hm, that might explain the stares...

Thank you gentlemen for the compliments; Drew glad you checked in _wave_, say "hi!" to your brother for me.

Some of the side glass is done but I'm waiting on more film to finish the job:









Rear bumper painted black:








It was still silver (galvanized) after more than 40 years, but the welded areas needed protection. I'm also omitting those plastic filler strips, so I did the whole rebar black to minimize whatever might show after the plastic skin is installed (I still need that).

Bolted to the shell:








The rebar is held by six M8 studs, two of which are extended to guide the brackets into the frame rails without chipping paint.

Hatch hardware:


























The plating is in good condition and I'll use it as a reference for the hood latch, which I'll paint with silver and gold to match (plating is on my bucket list, but not now). I didn't have the thin O-ring that seals the knob, but a scrap from the gas-door-rubber-boot-project did the trick.

10390/2136


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I posted this video of the hood latch in action after I first worked out how to do the front end, exactly one year ago:





A year sure goes fast... it seemed appropriate to honor the anniversary with an updated video (minus the strength-testing):





10390/2140


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Intercoolers are mounted.

Fitment within the reconfigured front end:


















Discreet intake cut into the Kamei air dam:








The intake seems small to me but it's the same size as the hole in the TT bumper skin.

Wide open air egress:








This is the key to good cooling. I may add a screen to keep pebbles from damaging the fins.

Fuel lines and their heat shield/manifold:

















Edit: this pic shows how hard it would be to modify an A1 VW and match the strength of the TT. The shock towers are welded to upper frame rails in the fender, and they're welded to the rain tray, and there are those curved brackets welded to the firewall. Not pictured is the upper strut bar which ties the towers to each other _and_ to the firewall. Add the lower subframe and the structural lower charge pipe, and an A1 VW can't come close no matter how many bars it has bolted to it.

Body plugs:








They were all painted TT red or covered with Schutz and I picked/scraped each one clean. Oof. The gnarly ones will go under the carpet. I had to replace some of them but I was stuck getting NOS Audi for _cough_ _gasp_ dollars. If you know where to get them for ten cents each, please don't mention it here; I don't want to know.

10390/2144


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Rear glass is in:









IMO, on a car where correctness is out the window (get it? window?), there's no point in using up what is undoubtedly a rare set of those aluminum window trims, when I can get the all-black look without them.

Black wire pushed into the slot does a good job locking in the rubber, creates a good seal, and looks OK:









Rear brake lines lightly rehabbed and installed:








Having stuff drop into position without further custom fab work is a nice feeling .

Fuel system parts being rehabbed so I can install the tank:








The tank straps are NOS and they cost _cough_ _gasp_ dollars, but the old ones were spent and I don't need the gas tank falling out onto the expressway. The rubber gizmo is my DIY filler pipe-to-body boot which I made back in the fitment stage of the project.

10390/2148


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

The black wire looks better than OK. Looks original, especially on a custom built car!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I only did the corners of the rubber with scraps of wire, just to try it. I need to get a roll to go all the way around.

Big step today, the fuel tank and associated goodies are installed:








The picture shows how the TT tank and its heat shield will fit around the center drive shaft and rear subframe/axles/suspension, and how hard it would be to reproduce all of this under a mk1 Scirocco floor. It was less difficult to modify the passenger wheel well and quarter panel and keep the TT's fuel system and underpinnings.

Final appearance looking up into the reconfigured wheel well and rear floor/valence:








In this picture one can see why I didn't try to flatten the trunk floor. The leak detection setup is the least of it: the subframe bolts to crossmembers that tie things together and it would be a ibtch to re-engineer that. Better to just cover the trunk with that false floor I showed a ways back.

Gas cap and the DIY filler pipe-to-body rubber boot:








The boot slips over the filler pipe and is held to the body in the same way it is on a mk2: there are rubber tubes on either side of the tin that contain a stiff steel wire, so the boot pops into position nice and tight. The bottom of the boot is rough looking because that's the location of the glue joint for the boot's basic cylinder shape and all of the joints have overlapping tabs. The boot is glued with flexible CA so it can be crushed without falling apart.

View of the boot's inner ring:








The little black tube in the bottom-center-background is the boot's drain.

Appearance with the gas door closed:








I would still love the project if this turned out badly, but this was a huge Win (one takes those where one can get them...)

10390/2152


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Looking great Eric, and plus you're on to the real fun stuff now. It may just be the pic, but how is the angle going to be between the filler and the gas nozzle when filling?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

crazyaboutrocs said:


> how is the angle going to be between the filler and the gas nozzle when filling?


Awkward... The TT filler pipe is molded as part of the tank and it can't really be modified.








This is a straight bar and it's in pretty far, so I will be able to fill the car easily, but accepting that the rubber boot on a gas station nozzle won't seat.

Shifter and its heat shield cleaned up and installed:

















The body plugs are also on the car.

I installed those little clips that hold the hockey sticks:








A good respray will have the hockey sticks off the shell, but not always the clips. Understandable, it's not immediately obvious how to get them out intact or without pushing the retaining pegs into the body and losing them. They accumulate paint over the years or if they're taped off, they end up buried.

To remove the retaining pegs, I drilled 1/32" pilot holes and inserted small screws that I could yank. At that point the clips came out easily and intact...

...except that I had to pick off all the layers of paint...

...on all sixteen clips:








For some reason, not buying new clips felt like victory, although looking back now...

Hockey sticks prepped and painted:








I don't know how they'll look with the aluminum trim strips omitted.

10390/2156


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Uhm, they'll look black and as asume as the rest of the car! Keep going, don't look back. That's what the mirrors are for, which are not mounted yet.


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> To remove the retaining pegs, I drilled 1/32" pilot holes and inserted small screws that I could yank. At that point the clips came out easily and intact...
> 
> I don't know how they'll look with the aluminum trim strips omitted.
> 
> 10390/2156


Looking awesome as I'd expect Eric, yes, those clips I drill also ( not all the way through tho ) then self tapping screw and a jerk with the pliers on the screw. 

Are you not going to paint the ali trim black ??? rear quarter rubber is going to look a bit weird to say the least if the ali is missing. 

Cheers champ


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Flag mirror :









Ref. window trim: the problem with these cars is that the B-pillars are designed to have strips snapped onto them...









...and something is clearly amiss without them:









I painted the quarter trim gloss black and tested it without the door piece:








I want the car as simple as possible and the aluminum strips fly in the face of that. This might be an acceptable compromise because the two sections of the B-pillar are at least even with each other (I have the lower end cap, not pictured). Backup solution is to assess with the glass in, and maybe admit defeat. I'd need to source some of the strips though.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Can anyone vouch for the Vintage Rubber quarter window seals?








Scirocco MK1 - Rear Quarter Window Seal Right (Passenger)


Your best source for impossible-to-find window seals, weather stripping and more, for your favorite: Volkswagen Mk1 Mk2, Datsun 240Z 260Z 280Z 510, Toyota, Audi, and More!




vintagerubber.com




IMO they don't look great in the ad, so I wonder how they are in real life...

I have the same question/concern about the door window scrapers. Anyone try them?

Are there any other options besides finding used ones?


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

From what I have read on the Vortex, others buyers have been pleased with their purchases. Same for the corvette community back when I had a C4.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Alright, I went ahead and ordered 2 VintageRubber quarter window seals. Hopefully they fit well enough to be worthy of the cost.

I couldn't bring myself to spend $200 for door glass scrapers that look like this:








I am grateful for what little aftermarket support we have, but that looks bad at _any_ price. I don't think I could do worse using this stuff for $8 and gluing a strip of felt to it:








I could also use it for the top edge of the doors and the rain gutters.

Nothing exciting to document these days; I'm going through the parts that are in the basement. I'm leaving the large assemblies that are in the garage until I have a clear space to lay everything out (I don't have the TT memorized enough to just make a pile of parts).

I finalized the dash and center consoles by gluing the last edges, which keeps the pleather from pulling away in the heat of the Sun. I also painted the backsides to keep humidity from slowly warping everything:









Center drive shaft(s):

















I'm leaving sub-assemblies whole unless they need repairs, so things like the shift box and these axles are just getting cleaned and lightly refinished as-is.

10575/2168


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Great way to have a solid base for the big red compressor tank. Love it. Gives easy acces to the drain plug too. I'm going to borrow the idea if you don't mind.


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## jddaigle (May 30, 2003)

Those custom interior pieces look fantastic! Is the glue you're using all CA?


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

LT1M21Stingray said:


> Great way to have a solid base for the big red compressor tank. Love it. Gives easy acces to the drain plug too. I'm going to borrow the idea if you don't mind.


Marc, they also make remote drains, which are pretty convenient also.


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## RoccoGen2 (Aug 25, 2021)

Hi Eric. As one more datapoint on the VR window scrapers, I had reasonably good luck with the S2 version. Installation required some careful trimming/shaving here and there - making a couple practice cuts first was helpful. As you've already concluded they fall short of NOS. Are they better than the originals I had before: Absolutely. Here's a shot comparing the VR outer scraper with a NOS window guide, both installed recently.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

echassin said:


> Alright, I went ahead and ordered 2 VintageRubber quarter window seals. Hopefully they fit well enough to be worthy of the quality of the build.........


FIFY


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Marc: Sure, have at it! FYI, I had to bond the concrete block to the floor to prevent drifting.

@OtherMarc: that was a nice post, thank you Sir!

@jddaigle: The dash and center console sections are glued with thick CA, then reinforced with sawdust or fiberglass shards soaked in thin CA. I used 3M90 spray for the padding, pleather, and ABS.

@RoccoGen2: If my experiment fails I'll get the VR scrapers, but I wish they weren't wavy; it's like they tried to straighten something that came on a bulk roll.

Lower charge pipe refinished with PS hose brackets deleted:








The tubing looks structural; it's beefy and it has six M8 fasteners that tie the two frame rails together, same as the bumper rebar.

The second batch of window film arrived so I was able to finish tinting the glass:








I moved along the learning curve juuuuust enough that I might circle back to the rear glass.

Supplies for the window scraper experiment, 10595/2172


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> I couldn't bring myself to spend $200 for door glass scrapers that look like this:


Classic-vw has great prices on seals. Even after shipping from the UK they're much cheaper than Vintage Rubber.
They're also German made seals.


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## OSLer (Aug 7, 2007)

I am not sure about the German made, but Joost aka Blueshark would be the one to ask about very good ones.


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## first_rocc (Apr 9, 2005)

RoccoGen2 said:


> Hi Eric. Installation required some careful trimming/shaving here and there - making a couple practice cuts first was helpful


Yes. Vintage Rubber provides plenty of material but I had to do the miter cuts and final fitment of each piece, I replaced both scrapers and all channel rubber in the doors about 10 years ago and have been totally happy with the quality and durability..


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

OK, it sounds like there are some good options if/when my experiment fails.

Brake booster with its heat shield:








There's a plastic clip that holds the actuating rod to the brake pedal and I drilled it out to get things apart. Thankfully I found a new one online for just a few sheckels.

Fan motors:








Not concours, just cleaned up, taped off and misted with silver.

Modified head light brackets:


















At first glance they look normal but in order to clear the huge radiator by a comfortable margin, the bulbs sit 3/8" proud and the inner lower corner of the brackets is clearanced:








The high beams use lone spade connectors to avoid impinging on the radiator, the outer connectors are OEM. Astute observers will note that one of the connector boots is cut from a tie rod boot...

10595/2178


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

OEM strut bar:









Reconfigured strut bar:








It's even more convoluted than before, but I had to accomodate the TT engine bay items plus the Scirocco's low hood line.

10595/2183


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

At some point, the kids in the back are starting to chant "Are we there yet?" 

Is there a goal on when this will run or have you not thought that far yet?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ted emailed me the same question. Looking at one part per day makes it seem interminable . I'm posting as I go but it makes sense to check in sporadically.

Loose (very loose) timeline excluding troubleshooting delays:

October: finish the parts in the basement, upholster the window openings, install the door hardware and all glass. Winter: refurbish one of the major assemblies in the garage per month; rear end, front end, drivetrain. Spring: install the harnesses and the interior, install the major assemblies, turn the key. If it starts, finish the punch-list over Summer (headliner, set ride height, fix anything shady, etc...). If it _doesn't_ start...

OEM exhaust ground smooth and blasted:








It's mostly stainless but it rusted after so many years. The old downpipe was broken so I just replaced it. I haven't finalized the rear muffler but there's very little room so I'm considering a tip resonator:









The pic ironically is almost life-size; this would fit on the end of the current exhaust and line up nicely with the rear valence exit. As for the degree of noise reduction, I can't say if it'd be adequate.

High temperature silver:








It's not one of those fancy coatings but it'll keep everything nice enough over time. I'll have Scott TIG a new O2 bung.

That's the last of the parts in the basement, tomorrow I'll start upholstering the window surrounds.

O2 bung 10600/2191


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## toastworks (Jun 2, 2000)

Holy crap man, this is fantastic. I missed this thread from the start, so when I started at page one, I was skeptical (I've seen a lot of strange hack jobs on the FB forums), but you totally won me over with your attention to detail. Just wow.

I wish I had the time, patience and resources you do when I was getting my car in shape a couple of years ago. You seem to also have the advantage of already being savvy with body work, and not needing to learn how to weld on the job, and learn body work as you go. I’m happy to learn more things from you the more I read on.

Kudos all around - can’t wait to someday see this in person. (And enormous thanks to helping me get my swap running, too)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir, and you're very welcome!

I didn't get very far today because I have to take a slight detour; as they say, _a picture is worth a thousand words_:








Marlene's steering wheel started to wobble during her monthly excusion last week and sure enough, the lower bearing slipped out and was resting on the U-joint.

The VR quarter seals arrived and I tried them on the glass real quick:








Not perfect but pretty close, I'm satisfied so far.

I also worked out the window scrapers; first clean up and install the 16 little clips that snap into the door:









Then try out the little test piece:








The foundation is a strip of ABS plastic and it has a strip of rubber "U" CA'd to it. The rubber has a strip of neoprene foam CA'd glued to it, and it comes with a cloth outer layer that slides along the glass like buttah. I tried some of the felt I had but it was too thin and would allow the glass to wobble.

Outside view:








I'll make the full-length pieces on or with straight edges to avoid waves. My version doesn't accomodate the aluminum trim pieces but I'm not using them anyways.

Upholstery supplies, 10620/2193


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The DIY window scrapers today.

First make a kit:








Four strips each ABS, foam, and rubber.

Glue it all together by soaking with thin CA while squeezing everything between straight edges:









Final appearance:









Inner scraper:









Outer scraper with glass:








The glass is snug but still slides easily.

Edit: I need to start thinking about door cards so I ordered 2 sheets of textured 1/8" x 24" x 48" black ABS. I used a 1/8" router to cut "stitch" lines into a scrap of ABS and it looks like it'll work as long as I keep the lines straight. That rules out "S" cards, but I can do "Storm" cards:









10675/2197


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> but I can do "Storm" cards:


Oh cool!

They were also used in the '80s by Audi.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

LT1M21Stingray said:


> They were also used in the '80s by Audi.


Oooooh, fancy!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'd love to start putting The Big Stuff on the car, but I'm doing upholstery and glass so I don't do it later and end up, for example, kneeling on electrical harnesses and damaging them.

I started at the back of the car and did the hatch opening's upholstery and seal:



























I also mounted the trunk panels cuz why not:


















They're held in place with 3M dual-lock:








The panels pop on with satisfying clicks and the double stick tape that holds the dual-lock is strong enough to pop the panels off if needed.

The hatch closes nicely and the seal fits well:









That's a relief because the upper channel is that DIY piece I hammered out way back when:









10685/2201


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

I love "Super Velcro." It's the new duct tape!


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

You think the 3m dual lock sticky-tape side holds up to summer time heat? I was thinking of using it to hold up a headliner board but dont want it falling down later.
Which type did you choose?

edit: Nevermind. Found this great PDF which recommends the right one for the right application.


https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/844906O/3mtm-dual-locktm-reclosable-fasteners-selection-guide.pdf


----------



## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> Edit: I need to start thinking about door cards so I ordered 2 sheets of textured 1/8" x 24" x 48" black ABS. I used a 1/8" router to cut "stitch" lines into a scrap of ABS and it looks like it'll work as long as I keep the lines straight. That rules out "S" cards, but I can do "Storm" cards:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmm...I've been wondering for some time about how to replicate the door cards, in addition to watching for nice originals and although this isn't stock for US cars, I think it would be an excellent substitute. Thanks for posting this.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@John: If the ABS doesn't work out nice, I might try pleather over headliner foam/cloth, in three sections: middle section with the slanted stitch lines sewn in with the foam, and upper/lower sections sewn with foam onto the middle piece, then the whole thing trimmed and glued onto an OEM-type backing board. We have a machine that'll sew pleather but neither Petra nor I is very good with it yet.

In any event, the ABS sheets arrived and it looks like they'll do the trick:










The texture is the same as the instrument panel and the center console; it's called "haircell" (not sure why):









Left quarter window upholstered and glass installed with only the hockey stick and vertical trim piece:


















R side:








I'll do like the rear glass and stuff black 16 gauge wire into the slot to even it out and obscure it.

10695/2209


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Right door assembled:




A video is efficient and pics can't show how nicely the door closes.

10695/2215


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## California 16v (Jul 20, 2008)

I like the doors. Are you going to keep the interior door handle chrome/silver?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@randall: yessir, little bits of chrome won't bother me and in fact, Petra thinks I should keep the outside handles as-is. We'll see.

Other door:









Windshield upholstery, windshield install, headliner, and ABS door cards experiment are up next, in no particular order, 10695/2220


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

That's lookin' like a real Scirocco!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Tim: yes it is 

Windshield and roof surrounds:









I ordered self-adhesive rubber "U" for the rain gutter pinch weld, 10705/2224


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I tried mounting the headliner using the double-stick one-foot-square panels but apparently the tack isn't permanent. I ended up ordering contact cement that's good for black interiors exposed to blazing sun, but it cost _cough_ _gasp_ dollars and I had to make a frame to hold the headliner steady once it has the glue spread all over it:








I'll need all hands on deck to feed it through the windshield opening and out through the open hatch, but hopefully it'll work.

In the meantime, radiator and fans refurbished:








I only replaced the after-run pump; everything else I just took apart and cleaned up. It took me a while to realize that the fan blade fasteners are reverse thread... Also, and in defense of the cat hair under the window tint film, Zoe wants to hamper everything and yowls, chews, and scratches if she doesn't get her way...

10775/2228


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Exactly what the QC specialist did when I first started with Mercedes. Not so much chew, but certainly would whine when they thought you did something wrong. 

Of course, everyone knows that a mechanic is God's gift to mankind and they are perfect in every way.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Heh heh heh:








I love when a plan comes together . The router did the trick perfectly, and as a bonus, 1/8" thick ABS plastic will never warp.

10775/2233


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

Dude you have to make it to Cincy dear God. This thing is insane. 


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

Can’t wait to see this thing man. It’s every Scirocco nerd’s wet dream. Definitely was my original plan to do that years ago, but limited skill set, and money prevented such insanity. Glad you did it. I’ll just live vicariously through you. 


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Ya know, we're lucky to have your skills on the good side. You'd make an awesome Sith!. New name idea "The Death Star"? Although you are going where no man has ever gone before.....


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

But if it goes to Cincy.....would it be a Prius? I thought only Scirocco's are named and all other cars are Prius'.

Just something to think about.


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Nah.. it's got the soul of a Scirocco, but the legs of an Audi. Corrados almost get a pass, but that is a reincarnated soul.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I do not know about that. With all of today's events, its got identity issues too.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Butcher said:


> I do not know about that. With all of today's events, its got identity issues too.


My neighbor is a Ford man. He has 1950s through about 2018 Fords. I have a Buick, a Jag, a Ford and 3 VWs. I told him the other day my cars all identify as Fords, even the Ford.

-OE


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed: I was pitching Vader but Petra says that's cliche.

@Mark and Ben and OE: if I _feel_ like it's a Scirocco, does that make it so ? Seriously, it's got the a$$ and the sides of a mk1 Scirocco, so it's a mk1 Scirocco IMO. I doubt anyone would call it a Scirocco if I'd built up the TT body with the Scirocco's underpinnings (not that anyone would do that)

I did the other door card today:









The clips that hold the card to the door need to be glued to avoid visible holes in the card, but the clips also need to be positioned perfectly. To do that, I cut the clips flat and roughed them up (and the back of the door card) with 40-grit, snapped the clips into the door, positioned the card using the arm rest to hold it secure, and applied dabs of JB Weld to the clips by pulling the edge of the door card away from the door. With the door closed and the card shimmed against the door's welting, the glued hardens and the card is held tight against the door:









Here's the card just after routering and with the outlines rough-cut:








To make sure the router ran smooth, I weighed a straight edge down with cinder blocks, I drew the card in the middle of the ABS sheet, and I cut the outlines last. The router is a Dremel with the bell-shaped add-on and a 1/8" router bit.

Headliner next (once the glue arrives), and then da-da-daaaaaaahhhh: windshield.

10775/2237


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Butcher said:


> But if it goes to Cincy.....would it be a Prius? I thought only Scirocco's are named and all other cars are Prius'.
> 
> Just something to think about.


KIA is the word that you're looking for. 
If it isn't a Scirocco, then it's a KIA. Can be a VW KIA, an (insert brand here) KIA, even an aerial KIA (AKA "airplane.") 

Given that Eric's outer shell is, in fact, a Scirocco, I'd say that he'll be allowed to park it with the Sciroccos.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Yes. The burden of the basterd stepchild. Oddly, most of them were born red.....


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

That's what it is, Kia. Thanks for the correction.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

This Cincy discussion presumes that it runs...

Some trimming of the front bumper skin to clear the arches and it snapped onto the rebar:









The front end needs to come off again to install the engine but I couldn't resist seeing how it all comes together:


























It's all dead-nuts straight and a lot has happened to accomodate the TT drivetrain: the arches widen the car 3" and extend the wheelbase 1"; the fenders are clearanced for the intercoolers; the bumper is tucked 1" to avoid over-lengthening the nose; the lower core support is totally gone and the headlights are mounted 1/2" proud to clear the radiator; what's left of the core support is modular to get the engine in; the airdam is widened 1" and extended 1" to enclose everything, and the upper 3" are open for air flow. In spite of all that, the effect is plausibly OEM and it's clearly a mk1 Scirocco.

The headliner glue is supposed to arrive tomorrow at which point things can move along heading into November: headliner, windshield, electrical system, remainder of the interior.

10775/2241


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Awesome!! Love seeing this come together so nice; of course I expected no less from you Eric. I hope my surgeon Friday is as thoughtful.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I hope it's nothing too serious Friday.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

echassin said:


> This Cincy discussion presumes that it runs...


I suspect this was thought by many, when the project first started but now, it's not 'if' it runs but 'when'. 

I suspect the only question that is left is how many road tests will you take before you go on a long trip. I would not recommend to jump in the car and take a week long road trip to Hot August Nights on your first outing. If you do, bring more than a volt meter, 10mm/13mm wrench, and a couple screw drivers. No matter how well you think you are, your bound to run into some obstacles.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mark: The initial road tests will also be very gentle so I can catch any stress cracks in the unibody before they're dangerous. As for first start, Ben assured me that I'll have all the help I'll ever need if I get stuck. With all the gurus around here, I'm [cautiously] optimistic.

The rear bumper cover I have was caved in and I was curious what could be done about it beside deep filler and paint. To straighten it, I first cut out the crushed inner honeycomb so that only the thin outer skin remained:









I heated the inside and pushed out while eyeing the result in good light. The inner surface ends up melted and nasty, but the outer appearance is pretty good:


















I don't want those trim pieces that get drilled into the rear panel but the resulting gap is excessive, so I rivetted ABS to the rebar:








The bumper is mildy tucked, somewhere between the protruding American bumper and the discreet Euro bumper. I need the current amount of gap so I can access the fasteners from underneath.

Final result:





























Lest we forget, before:









After:









I ordered some so-called "textured paint" to test, 10790/2245


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Stress cracks? What about the hunks of bondo that will fall off?  

Just joking, you will be fine.


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## [email protected]VWvortex (Apr 2, 1999)

Eric that all looks amazing! In my opinion, those bumpers are best shot with SEM trim paint in "Landau Black." It has the right hue without being shiny and distracting, and has the best OEM type finish.


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## n3nyongmini (May 18, 2009)

SciroTTo

or ‘oTTo for short

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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Paul: the textured paint is already on its way, so you're supposed to say "oh yeah, that stuff is great!"; that way I don't feel like I squandered $15 . BTW, if you in fact have a 16v Oettinger, please post loud video.

Ref. oTTo: it's German, it's male, it has "TT" in it, and the "o"s look a little like car wheels), hmmmm...

Headliner is in:









High pressure with a roller is needed for a durable bond and that leaves tracks in the foam, but it all levels out after a few days; don't panic if you ever see that on a project. Putting the cloth right on the steel isn't standard procedure but my neck is a problem and being in Marlene for more than a few minutes is uncomfortable; I want all the headroom I can find.

In that same vein: I'm excited to get the windshield in, but after looking up at the roof for a few hours, that needs to wait till tomorrow...

10790/2249


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

echassin said:


> Putting the cloth right on the steel isn't standard procedure but my neck is a problem and being in Marlene for more than a few minutes is uncomfortable; I want all the headroom I can find.


Helps add room for a helmet too. Track dayz!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Heh, heh, heh.

Some Advil and some lunch, and then the Lady and I got the windshield installed intact:

















Astute observers will note the correct number of wipers.

Reconstructed cowl:









The upholstery didn't look real good at first but it came into line with all of the trim pinching it tight:









This is the first time I've roped in glass with NOS factory rubber and it's a pleasant process. Fitment is perfect and the rubber is supple like buttah. I also didn't take any chances: I omitted the toothed strips and I liberally applied silicone, er, "personal lubricant". I don't use dish soap or anything water based, because, as you may know, mk1 Sciroccos are made from a special water-soluble alloy and I don't want any moisture trapped under the seal. I'll apply a thin bead of sealant under the outer edge of the seal because otherwise water gets between the inner ribs of the seal and any sand-blasting pits that remain after bodywork.

Sadly I can't finish the interior quite yet: I forgot that I need to finish the lower steering column and for that I need to have the front subframe and rack in position to be sure the U-joints are free.

@ben: I've only been to a track once, with the GTI, and I clearly suck at it bad enough that there's no need to do that again.

10790/2251


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## jimmyspirits (Feb 5, 2013)

Beautiful Eric!! Haven’t followed in some time but it’s most impressive what you’ve accomplished here. Bravo. 


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I've never been to track days, even with all the chances I had with the factory. I really do not want to prove to others I suck.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> @Paul: the textured paint is already on its way, so you're supposed to say "oh yeah, that stuff is great!"; that way I don't feel like I squandered $15 . BTW, if you in fact have a 16v Oettinger, please post loud video.
> 
> Ref. oTTo: it's German, it's male, it has "TT" in it, and the "o"s look a little like car wheels), hmmmm...
> 
> ...


You're in good company. 

I believe the Jaguar E-Type headliner is also glued directly to the inside of the roof sheet metal.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> You're in good company.
> 
> I believe the Jaguar E-Type headliner is also glued directly to the inside of the roof sheet metal.


Another one for you: 
BMW Z8. The headliner on the (removable) hardtop is also glued directly to the inside of said hardtop.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@OE and Chris: I would've done it even without precedent, but now it doesn't seem [as] cheezy 

Dash is in:









Fitment along the windshield seal:


















Fitment along the door welting:









With the door closed:








I'll wait on hooking up the dash vents until I know whether air flows through the hood slots when the car is moving. If so I'll just hook the vents directly to the raintray and if not, I'll add a small blower.

Steering column with tilt mechanism delete:








I'm pointing at the lower bearing. That's what sets the length of the telescoping sections and keeps the U-joints from binding. It's tricky to reach and I need the lower U-joint hooked to the rack to verify free movement, at which point I can weld the bearing's housing to the new column.

10790/2255


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## Intense7 (Jul 5, 2009)

Wow? You are my hero lol


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That's a nice comment and Welcome To The Nuthouse.

The order of things dictates itself sometimes so today, in order to finish welding the steering column, I retrieved the front subframe and steering rack from a bunch of rusted and broken stuff that was clinging to said subframe with frozen fasteners, upon some of which I had to get medieval. Before:








Note the custom sway bar setup, which in order to avoid excessive influence on the car's handling, has only one drop link.

After:

















I don't know if the engine/downpipe/center shaft assembly can be pushed in from the front with the subframe and rack mounted, so anyone who knows the answer, please chime in. That'll determine whether I refinish the items now and torque them down vs leave them crusty and mount them temporarily just to finish the steering column.

Tie rod ends, ball joints, rotors, GKN/Loebro CV boot, 10955/2255


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Steering column is done.

I installed the front subframe with the steering rack on it so that the input shaft is properly located:









With the lower U-joint hooked up, I shortened the steering shaft as much as possible to minimize the working angle of the U-joints, and welded the lower bearing housing to my DIY column:









Here's the final result:








I only painted the parts I made so they don't flash-rust over time. Astute observers will note I added some shims to the mounting plate because I didn't want to waste precious seconds verifying that the column was level before welding the plate .

The way I have the column now is conceptually the same as they were in the Sciroccos, just adapted to the TT steering shaft and pedal cluster. This is how it was before:









Video of the steering in action:





Next: electrical harnesses and finish the interior.

10955/2259


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Holy crap that original tilt column was monstrous! Overengineered in typical Audi style.

Well done!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Main harness today; it starts with a nasty-looking pile:








After the deletions and rewrapping saga, I rolled it up and didn't move it until today.

I started by just laying things out in their approximate location. Things mostly decipher themselves, for example:








In the center of this picture is the grommet/bracket that goes through the largest hole in the firewall, so I know everything on the left in the picture will feed through the firewall at that location and fan out into the engine bay.

With the harness in place, the fuse box and relay panels look scary, but hopefully they'll come into line nicely with some brackets:








Thankfully all of the connectors reach their terminations without any trouble.

10955/2265


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

Wow. Eric this is incredible. Bravo!


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

This thing is going to run and drive by x-mas from the progress you are making!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

How else would Santa deliver the packages? Reindeer? That won't happen because of the mask mandates. Everyone knows Reindeer are far right and will not accept masks or vaccines. This is the only way Santa will get the job done.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

X-Mas? Maybe 2022, not this year. The TT mechanicals are all nasty.

@Mike: Hi, and thank you Sir!

Today's task was to shore up yesterday's work. First, I sealed the cutout I made in the firewall to get the harness out:








It appears that Audi slid the harness into a slot before they installed the firewall. You can see the slot on the lower right of the grommet, and it won't accomodate the nearest "Y" in the harness. Audi used hard urethane to hold firewall, and it's buried in a channel, so enlarging the hole was the least destructive way to remove the harness that I could think of. The section I cut is held by a bracket, so I just added silicone to seal it. It'll be easy to remove if Heaven Forbid I need to replace the harness.

With that done, I covered my (Audi's?) disgrace with the heat shield:








(the ABS pump is loosely installed just to be sure the connector was oriented correctly).

I don't remember how this connector pod was held to the rain tray, so I made steel clips:








There are two layers of steel, the outer layer of which rests against the cover's rubber seal, so the clips hang on the inner layer. That way I don't have to add sealant. I brushed black paint onto the clips to hide that I cut them from a Spiderman lunchbox lid...

I decided against solid brackets for the harness and relay panels because fitment would be a real obstacle. I settled on ABS straps:








It's all secure without being coerced and it's easy to service. The fuse box may get a real bracket after the dash is in.

Yaw sensor bracket:








I mounted it solid and level to avoid spurious readings.

Ground strap from the column to the floor:









That avoids extending the OEM TT grounds and I just bolted them to the column:









It was only at this point that I noticed the steering column was still tack-welded next to the ground bolt in the picture above, and one of the tack welds was even broken on the other side:








I love when I do this kind of thing. It affords me the opportunity to practice welding painted surfaces on my back while trying not to set fire to everything in the vicinity.

The joints are strong now but evidently, welding painted surfaces on my back while trying not to set fire to everything in the vicinity is not my forte:








I don't think the broken weld would have been dangerous because I grotesquely overbuilt the column, but it's still an eye-opener...

I hooked everything up at the rear and taped down the harnesses, which means I can finally install the interior [tomorrow]

10955/2272


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## JDel1322 (Jun 1, 2017)

The anticipation of seeing this complete is growing enormously on a daily basis. Keep up the amazing work.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir.

I finally got to see how the interior all comes together:








I can sit upright like I do in the GTI. The floor is a little lower and the headliner is glued to the roof, so I have 3-4 inches additional headroom.

Center consoles:


















Kick panels:











Rear:









Trunk:









For today's Eye-Rolling, Forehead-Slapping discovery, I present Exhibit A:








Astute observers will note the blue circle, which indicates the location of M10 weld nuts for the lower seat belt anchors. I buried them under carpet patches and steel reinforcements, and I spent part of the morning exposing them. Another fun little detour...

But as it sits, the Frankenstein portion of the project is complete and the car is ready to receive its mechanicals .

10955/2278


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

That looks amazing!!!


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> But as it sits, the Frankenstein portion of the project is complete and the car is ready to receive its mechanicals .


You may call it "the frankenstein portion" to me it looks more like " Sophia Loren " than something with scars and bolts hanging out everywhere. 

Massive congrats to get this project too where it sits now Eric, I do believe the rest will be an easy downhill run. 🍸🍸🍸 couple of them to celebrate as well


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Gentlemen, and note that scars and bolts hanging out don't show up in carefully composed pictures 

I got everything attached to the firewall today; brake booster, front brake lines, MC, clutch plumbing, ABS pump, and associated wiring:








I put the silver asterisk last year on the harness shroud to remember the importance of a little slot, but ufck if I remember what that importance actually _is_.

The booster's actuating rod is attached to the brake pedal with a weird plastic clip, and I had a ball getting it to snap in. But with that done, the only thing that remains to do inside the cabin is to connect the lower U-joint to the rack:








I did my best to lay everything out so any one thing can be serviced without having anything else in the way.

10955/2284


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## 81type53s (Sep 19, 2016)

echassin said:


> Thank you Sir.
> 
> I finally got to see how the interior all comes together:
> View attachment 130229
> ...


Attention to detail here specifically is outrageous! The aesthetic cleanliness is ridiculous!!! I'm a big detail guy and this is just stellar!!! The whole build is just fantastic and it needs to be recognized on a different level!! Awesome to say the least.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

E you have outdone yourself. Not only have you created a perfect beauty but you also reactivated a dead website, given the amount of recent posts. A big thank you for getting us back in the garage where we belong!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you for the nice comments. I hope Facebook, the appeal of which I do not understand in spite of peer pressure, is only draining the Scirocco forum and not all of Vortex. If all of Vortex is slow, no single thread would be enough to sustain it, and if it tanks, I lose the only record of what I did to our cars. That wouldn't be insurmountable, but it's nice to have a reference, not just for me but also for potential buyers in the event of a sale.

Today I continued to populate the frame rails and the rain tray:

















I had juuuust enough labels and witness marks that I was able to get the harness exactly as it was, but it took some fiddling.

The only modification besides the headlight/turn signal connectors was the cover in the rain tray:








I built a recess into the cover that accomodates the Scirocco's hood hinge. Other than that, the harness is anchored at all of the factory points, so barring any electrical problems I may have caused doing the deletions, there shouldn't be any trouble, nor confusion servicing the car.

Time for the front end proper. I'll spare everyone the gory details, but a Salt Belt car leaves no great options, for example this steering knuckle:








It's completely serviceable as-is but there's no effin way I'm bolting it up like that, so it's gotta be blasted. That, or get another knuckle, which is not cheap. Getting everything _off_ the knuckle for blasting is not a given either, so one does the best one can...

10955/2290


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

There is always the Wayback Machine.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Mark: The one I found on Ebay _was_ cheaper than new knuckles, so let's not rule that out.

I got the front end sorted into three piles; first is parts that are ready to go:









Second is parts that need cleaning and light refurbishment:








I can nibble away at these parts at my convenience and add the completed parts to the first pile. I'm doing the same to the rack that I did to the Stepchild: avoid the eye-sore of deleting the PS with a looped hose by leaving some PS fluid in the rack and putting banjo fittings into the feed and return holes, into which is stuffed fluid-soakes filter medium. That way only clean air moves in and out of the rack. It works, it's easy, and it looks nice.

The last pile is parts that need the kind of blasting that my home setup cannot reasonably do:








I'll block off any areas that can't be contaminated with media, and then my neighbor knows a guy that might let me blast this stuff myself with his industrial-grade setup.

I'm putting my shopping list here just so it's not scribbled on a napkin somewhere:
Four wheel speed sensors
Rear rotors
Four sets of pads (semi-metallic and asbestos-free, so my brother-in-law can mill them down to fit behind those high offset wheel I got)
Timing belt/tensioner/water pump
Auxiliary air pump hoses
Yellow touchup paint (struts)

10955/2292


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Grab something, rehab it, put it on the done pile, rinse, lather, repeat:









10955/2297


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

WOW, everything is so bright & shiny!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir; some of the parts had a layer of oily "protection" and they're cleaning up nicely.

Left front axle:








I coulda got one of those complete $50 axles from Rockauto and been done with it, but this one was worth the cost and effort, IMO:









I also spent a few hours getting the rotors off the rear end:








I'd love to get my hands on the engineer who decided to afix the rotors to the hubs with M6 bolts that rust solid. Said engineer also specified Philips heads, which work as intended, so any screw driver cams out when even mild torque is applied. Just for comparison: a Toyota rotor has an M6 _hole_, into which one torques a spare bolt, and the rotor pops right off. Thanks Audi _middle finger emoticon_

The great news of the day: The 256mm rotors from an Audi A3 seem to have the same fitment as this car but they're solid, so I may not need to mill the brake pads after all. We'll see. I don't foresee any problem with solid rear rotors because I took 1000 lbs off the car and it'll never see a track. 

CV boot clamps, 10965/2305


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> I don't foresee any problem with solid rear rotors because I took 1000 lbs off the car and it'll never see a track.


True.

For a cheap brake upgrade, I run Hawk 5.0 pads on my Scirocco and on my A4. They grab way more than stock for a few extra bucks. They stop really great at speeds that are illegal in the US.


----------



## rgti83 (Jan 28, 2020)

Eric, How can you cut up a perfectly good TT ??? Just kidding.. that was my TT, and I couldn't have wished for a better life for it! Amazing work, I've enjoyed watching your progress, can't wait to see it finished!


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

echassin said:


> I'd love to get my hands on the engineer who decided to afix the rotors to the hubs with M6 bolts that rust solid. Said engineer also specified Philips heads, which work as intended, so any screw driver cams out when even mild torque is applied.


Eric, these aren't anything new- the Sciroccos used those same screws. 
Have you never seen an impact driver? They're awesome for Phillips-head rotor screws!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hi Riley, I'm glad you checked in! I remember that we talked about the project when I looked at the car, but your post makes it official: neither owner of either donor is gunning for me, so I'll call that a win!

@Chris: yeah, I forgave the Philips M6 bolts on my other cars because they're so old, but for the company to continue doing that for decades knowing it's a PIA is carp. I got everything apart by hitting the rotor's backside opposite the bolt to stretch the bolt a little and break it loose, heat, hitting the bolt head, and PB blaster. The fronts I just drilled and retapped. Both methods were a PIA. I have a good impact wrench but an impact Philips seems counterintuitive so it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it  .

Steering rack:









10965/2309


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

No no no - not an impact wrench - an impact driver. Operated with a hammer. Like this:
Lisle 3/8 in. Impact Driver Set (7-Piece)-LIS29200 - The Home Depot 

Absolute best tool for things like a phillips-head rotor screw.


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

I used an even more diabolical device to deal with those things when I was working at Firestone. It's called a Shake 'n Break. It is basically an air hammer to 1/2" drive adapter with a 22mm hex part to it, and then I added a #3 phillips impact socket. 

You put this monstrosity into the air hammer. Go vibrate the crap out of it for a few seconds, and then hammer on and turn the wrench. It worked every. single. time.


----------



## Lord_Verminaard (Apr 6, 2004)

Wow Eric, just spent two days reading through this whole saga start to finish, and to say I am beyond impressed with your skills and abilities would be an understatement. I can't wait to see this beauty in person. The TT is an exceptionally good base for a project like this, it's probably the epitome of the MKIV platform's performance potential. I incorporated much of the TT's underpinnings when I refurbished my good ol' Beetle:








Also, re: the rotor screw, ECS tuning sells a stainless steel version pictured above, I use a little anti-seize and it's turned right out every time I have needed to service anything under here. (also those rotors are ECS Geomet's and EBC Red pads if anyone was wondering)

Keep up the great work on this, it has been a great source of education as well for me!


----------



## Lord_Verminaard (Apr 6, 2004)

cuppie said:


> No no no - not an impact wrench - an impact driver. Operated with a hammer. Like this:
> Lisle 3/8 in. Impact Driver Set (7-Piece)-LIS29200 - The Home Depot
> 
> Absolute best tool for things like a phillips-head rotor screw.


Totally agreed, and if anyone like me is dumb enough to start working on old motorcycles, you absolutely need one of these.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

40 years with German cars, I rarely ever had this rotor hold down bolt issue. It does not matter, Phillips, Torx, Allen, etc, they all come out drilling the head off. Once the head and rotor comes off, they rest comes out by hand. This only happens once every 5 years or so. I install the new bolt hand tight. They are just there to keep the rotor from falling off with the wheel is off.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, I got 'em out so we'll just forget about 'em. Now I'd like to know how you gurus get an inner CV off of the drive flange when it's guttenshtook

Hi Brendan _wave_ (your picture isn't showing).


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

C4


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Very ginger tappa-tappa on the heads of some short m8 bolts threaded in backwards (heads towards diff)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Tim: I don't get it. How would that work?

@mark. Yup. Well, not quite: I cut a section of the lip off the rear drive flanges:








Even with this much of the lip missing, I still had to whack the isht out of the CV to get it off. WTF?

Front subframe is done:









10965/2317


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## Lord_Verminaard (Apr 6, 2004)

echassin said:


> Well, I got 'em out so we'll just forget about 'em. Now I'd like to know how you gurus get an inner CV off of the drive flange when it's guttenshtook
> 
> Hi Brendan _wave_ (your picture isn't showing).


Fixed the image.... maybe? 🤷‍♂️

Dang, what the hell happened with that axle flange? I've never had one stick so much that a little tap with a hammer wouldn't free it.....


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You people that have rust issues, I feel your pain. If that CV is not dead centered, it would lead to one hell of a vibration. I can see why it needs to have no way to be off centered. I do not understand why it has to be that tight, but I suspect rust does not help. A lot like BMW wheels. The clearances on the hub is insane. I recall BMW had a recall where the wheels were so tight, they had to be broken to get them off. 

You got them off, that is what counts. No clients to call, bonus.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Brendan and Mark: I keep saying this TT was really crusty but no, really: it's _crusty. _As everything swelled with rust, the lip on the drive flange grabbed the CV joint to a degree that I've not seen before. The Beetle pic shows fine now, and it lured me into pricing what it would take to replace everything on the TT and, um, no: just one _naked_ knuckle or swing arm is 5-600 dollars. It's a viable last resort but I gotta try blasting first.

I started to break down the rear end and got stuck at the 14mm triple square Haldex bolts.


















I've never farmed out major blasting before so we'll see how this plays out. It could get expensive if the stuff isn't salvageable. That was kinda depressing, so I loosely bolted up the front subframe/rack just to have something nice to look at for the day's achievements:









10965/2321


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## Lord_Verminaard (Apr 6, 2004)

echassin said:


> @Brendan and Mark: I keep saying this TT was really crusty but no, really: it's _crusty. _As everything swelled with rust, the lip on the drive flange grabbed the CV joint to a degree that I've not seen before. The Beetle pic shows fine now, and it lured me into pricing what it would take to replace everything on the TT and, um, no: just one _naked_ knuckle or swing arm is 5-600 dollars. It's a viable last resort but I gotta try blasting first.
> 10965/2321


I think you tagged the wrong Brendan there, hehe.

IIRC these control arms I bought new aftermarket units and were reasonably priced. Had bushings already installed too. (I didn't go poly with those) The knuckles I pulled from a local wrecker were in just as bad of shape as yours, I had them soda blasted by a local company and it cost about the same as what I paid for both knuckles. I had to replace a wheel bearing about a month ago (only lasted like 9k miles, wtf?) and the knuckles are still holding up pretty well. I think I used aluminum engine paint for them as it was what I had laying around at the time. I used Powerflex bushings for the strut mounts and steering rack mounts and solid aluminum subframe bushings, very happy with how the car feels and drives.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Brendan, your premature bearing failure is a great example of why I milk OEM parts as long as possible. It's free and I don't seem to get burned any more doing that than I get burned by a bad aftermarket parts, or procedural errors (either by me or a shop).

I got the 14mm triple square and broke down the rest of the rear end:








The wide aluminum bracket at the top of the photo will betray the rear transfer case when one looks at the back of the car, and it's the only thing that could possibly make the a$$ of a mk1 look any better.

The pile of nice rear end parts is quite small...









...and the piles of crusty rear end parts are quite large:


















The bump stops are shot and they're NLA, which is fine because they're a ishtty design:









Mine are nicer:








I cut down normal bump stops. There are two ridges inside that snap authoritatively onto the bolt flange and onto the collared washer, and the lower end of the spring pops onto the outer ridge in the rubber nice and tight.

The bolt will thread into the lower spring perch when the M12 tap gets here:








Note how much rust sheds from the parts just handling them. Ugh.

The rear brake lines are unique and I could only find one side listing where the photo looked remotely like what I have, so I'll try to rehab the other side.

M12x1.5 tap, fasteners, paint, evaporust, brake hoses, wheel speed sensors, rotors, pads, 11465/2328


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

I'm going to highly suggest going with an aftermarket set of rear links. These are the ones I used on my TT: Gruvenparts
1) the stock links are weak, and can buckle/bend. Add a bunch of pitting from rust and it gets worse. 
2) they're not adjustable at all, so no way to set camber. You might want a bit of camber adjustment to fine-tune the tire to fender placement or handling


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Scott used to make them for a race shop. He told me the moving outer joints would freeze up and strain the stock arms, causing them to fracture. The joints on this car still move freely, but he's talking about making me a set (which for him would cost pennies).

I tried Evaporust. It's a "chelator" and it won't affect skin, clothes, rubber, bearings, or intact steel, so it'll work on the assembled knuckles and swing arms. It takes a while and having enough solution to submerge the parts isn't cheap (get it? solution?), but get a load of these brackets that normally I would blast:

















These looked like they were made of brown Corn Flakes before. I chipped the flakes off after soaking and ran the parts on a wire wheel. The areas that never rusted aren't pitted, as can happen with electrolysis or acid, and there's no blast media to get into the bearings. l also don't need to relinquish my parts.

Piece by piece, the pile of nice parts is slooooowly growing:


















Scott replaced the O2 bung:









He also got a V-clamp for the exhaust stump at the rear of the car, because I don't have the final muffler decided:








This way I can try different options for best fitment, sound, etc...

11465/2334


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> Scott used to make them for a race shop. He told me the moving outer joints would freeze up and strain the stock arms, causing them to fracture. The joints on this car still move freely, but he's talking about making me a set (which for him would cost pennies).
> 
> I tried Evaporust. It's a "chelator" and it won't affect skin, clothes, rubber, bearings, or intact steel, so it'll work on the assembled knuckles and swing arms. It takes a while and having enough solution to submerge the parts isn't cheap (get it? solution?), but get a load of these brackets that normally I would blast:
> View attachment 132982
> ...


 These look great! I'm always skeptical of these types of things, and I love a post like this that shows real results.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Oh yeah, Eric....How long did those parts have to soak?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I soaked them a total of about 18 hours, removing them periodically to chip and wire wheel anything loose. It's not magic, but it's good for this situation where dissassembly of bearings isn't warranted.

Modified/beefier bump stops:








I'll fill them with urethane when I install the suspension.

Rear dust shields:








Here's the weird rear brake line I can't find:








I found the other side but I had to rehab this one.

Soaking caliper and carrier parts:








They'll hopefully be clean tomorrow.

The solid A3 rear rotors arrived and they don't fit so I'm back to the huge 256mm vented TT rear rotors. I'll need to mill down semi-metallic asbestos-free pads so the brakes don't touch the wheels. I don't want spacers because the car is already wider than I prefer.

I bought a 5 gallon bucket of Evaporust to submerge the knuckles, 11565/2334


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Rear carriers and front pistons after soaking and wire wheel/welding brush:








These aren't painted or blasted. The recess in the pistons even looks good where the wire wheel can't get in.

I'm soaking the front caliper castings today, hopefully finish them tomorrow:









The few parts I've shown have weakened the solution already, so now I'm hitting parts with a porcupine wheel before soaking, so the loosest stuff gets knocked off and reduce the expense. I used brake cleaner first, just in case there's asbestos. Someone told me that's it's illegal to _make_ things with asbestos in the U.S. but it's not illegal to _sell_ things made elsewhere with asbestos. If that's true, that's bullisht.


11565/2340


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

The way the law is written, it's against the law for a car manufacturer to use asbestos. The law does not mention anything about brake manufacturers. 

Of course, this was years ago. Anything could have changed. I remember engineers opening their brief case handing 'special' brake pads that would solve a clients brake noises. It worked every time. 

Right now, copper is being phased out of brake pads in Washington state. The way my state is going, brake pads will be illegal in cars/trucks and more stop signs will be built.


----------



## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Great job again Eric! I used ERust on many parts on my M81 and it works very well for what it is. I would first knock the heavy loose rust off, then brake-kleen (which for me causes sore throat issues and sleeplessness when inhaled even the "green" labeled kind so be careful with it), soak 4-12 hours, brass wire wheel, final soak 4 hours. Then I filter the now dirty ERust through a paper towel 2x. This helps the Evaporust last longer as the rust munching critters in it lose their effectiveness from sitting with rust too long. I was able to save many unavailable parts this way including a frozen brake combination/proportioning valve. They say it doesn't affect wiring or plastic but I haven't tried soaking a distributor or the like yet. You? They also say it's ok on your skin but I always use gloves just in case so those critters don't end up munching my insides.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

I've used ER on many classic motorcycle gas tanks as well. Works amazing. Fill the tank up with it for the needed time and drain. Perfect results.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The gallon I bought is spent; the front calipers soaked overnight and they didn't come out near as nice as previous items:








This is after rinsing in a sink with a toothbrush. There's still rust in the tight areas.

Here they are after a few hours beating them up:


















Painted:

















We'll see how the 5 gallon bucket of Evaporust works on the knuckles and swing arms, but in the future I'll probably go back to mechanical rust removal. I could see how the stuff would be perfect for inaccessible areas like inside gas tanks.

The rear calipers are aluminum and they cleaned up much easier:








I used acid and a brass welding brush on the handbrake hardware, and the brass stained the steel so it looks just like cad plating, lol.

Now we're getting somewhere...









...slowly:









This swing arm bracket is just... ugh:









Paint and return shipping on the A3 rotors, 11585/2346


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Wow. Was this car from the north some place? Never see cars with that much hardware rust here in TN. Not even on mk1s.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I don't know the car's history. It has 100K miles so the mechanicals don't need much, but IMO the rot would have forced it into a junk yard within a few years. I'm still working out a large-scale blasting plan for the expensive suspension parts, I'm not sure how that'll play out.

All the little bits are ready to go, though:








Based on the absurd size of the rotors, braking should be adequate, lol.

Haldex unit being cleaned up:









I crudely ground the drive flange lips so things stay reasonably balanced:








Be kind: the CVs still fit tight and I had to grind slots into which I can tap a screw driver to pop things apart. I might get new flanges but have my brother-in-law mill the lips down a little because while these will work, they do look awful.

New Haldex ground strap, 11595/2352


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

Butcher said:


> Right now, copper is being phased out of brake pads in Washington state. The way my state is going, brake pads will be illegal in cars/trucks and more stop signs will be built.


THAT. Is funny.

The way "our" state is going, we won't have any cops left to enforce the stop signs, so who needs brakes?

Well done Eric - this project I will have to see someday!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hi Craig! _wave_

Haldex today; it's probably due for service but full dissassembly is out of the question at this mileage, sooooo...

Cleaned with brass brushes, taped, painted and detailed:

















I did the bottom on my back as best I could to avoid spilling oil out of the top vents. The drive flanges look like a$$ but they'll be way under the car . They're fastened from inside the housing anyways, so they stay until first rebuild. If they vibrate, that would unfortunately force a rebuild...

Edit:




At 12:05 this guy's inner CV joints are also frozen to the drive flanges. WTF? There's no excuse for this on a car whose AWD system is going to be used in snow, and will therefore see salt. Now I'm of a mind that my ugly flanges are _better_ than OEM; and least they'll release the CV joints when they're supposed to.

More brass brushes, 11610/2358


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I had a set of wheels rebuilt for a good client of mine. One of them had to be welded on the inside [looked good to me]. He mentioned only the bicyclist would see it. I suspect the same with your flanges.


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

echassin said:


> Hi Craig! _wave_
> 
> Haldex today; it's probably due for service but full dissassembly is out of the question at this mileage, sooooo...
> 
> ...


Hi Eric! Haldex looks great - as expected........

Just wanted to chime in that my Milwaukee impact gun (shown in the video) is my favorite tool. Got it for Christmas from my girls a couple of years ago. The next time I had to move my upright compressor - I decided to sell it instead. I do not anticipate painting a car in this lifetime.

I have since added the 12V extended ratchet wrench - another go to tool. Makes things SO much faster.

Just in case the fam needs some ideas for dad for Christmas!! ; )

Carry on..........


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I don't have battery-powered tools yet but lipos are always getting better and I might turn to the dark side. As for the drive flanges, I've rationalized them adequately.

I don't have access yet to heavy-duty blasting equipment so I'll just plug along here in case that doesn't pan out. A little bit each day won't be so bad, the pile looks big but it's "only" 16 parts. Well, 15 because I did that awful swing arm bracket.

Before:









During:

















(The color is staining on the steel from the interaction of brass brushes and the acid)

After:










That'll do.

11610/2363


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Looking great. That thing looked like it came off the the wreck of the Titanic. 😂


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

echassin said:


> the pile looks big but it's "only" 16 parts. Well, 15 because I did that awful swing arm bracket.


14:








(The other swing arm bracket).

13:

















(Haldex bracket)

12:








(Front caliper carrier)

This is filthy and tedious work so please pretend that these are interesting updates. Sequential posts like "oooh! I can't wait to see what 11 is!" will keep the wind in my sails, even if the words ring false because one could reasonably predict that 11 will be the other front caliper carrier.

11610/2369


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

All these rough parts make me worried what the motor looks like. I can't remember if there was a picture.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> "oooh! I can't wait to see what 11 is!"


I have interest in what #10 is.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

I think #7 is gonna be better!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I haven't looked closely, but I think the engine just has the usual 100,000-mile crud.

11:








This is the other caliper carrier after a morning removing thick rust and finishing it off with acid and brass brushes. IDK how durable the surface would be as-is, but it looks plated.

Painted:








Astute observers will note that my display surface is again being used for so-called "baking". Reaction to the caliper carrier appeared tepid, but that's only because my achievements are misundersrtood.

On the plus side, I have a neighbor who always "knows a guy" and he came through with flying colors again: I'll have access to heavy-duty blasting equipment Wednesday, so I can pause this painful countdown _phew_.

The "good" side of the shop is filling up nicely:


















The "bad" side isn't so bad anymore and it'll hopefully all get taken care of next week:









Holy isht! Is it too soon to hope this thing could be on its wheels by the New Year?

Urethane goop (to fill the bump stops) and paint, 11655/2373


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

I too must've been one of the goofs that were enjoying the parade of sad, crusty parts being turned into happy, beautiful parts. It's like binge-watching a makeover show...for car parts.

I'll take bulk uploads after heavy-duty blasting equipment is utilized.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hopefully this heavy blasting will the last of the nasty jobs... I prepped the knuckles and the swing arms for blasting, covering vulnerable areas.

I put old bolts where there's threads or machined tapers, and I pressed 1/8" thick ABS plastic discs over the bearing faces, covered with 'glass filler for good measure:


















For the gap between the hub and the housing, I pulled Paracord taught and glued the ends with thin CA:








How 'bout that rust 

I have no doubt that these measures will fail if I point the blasting nozzle right at them, but I hope to get close and minimize the rust load in my $100 bucket of Evaporust.

I haven't seen the engine in a while:








It's not too bad. Preliminary plan is clean and doll it up, replace the timing belt/water pump and the oil cooler, and fix various broken knick-knacks.

Haldex filter, the wrench for it, and the special oil, 11735/2376


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

Hey Eric. For the past few weeks your photos no longer display. Have you changed how you're posting them?


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Hellgate said:


> Hey Eric. For the past few weeks your photos no longer display. Have you changed how you're posting them?


They work for me. You can't use tapatalk to view picturew with the new forum software.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

They work for me too. 

You're not missing much. So much rust. I'll stay on the liberal west coast.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The problem isn't mechanical so I can't help you 

I started on the engine today, first removing the bulkiest items that just get in the way:








The engine mounts are waaaay sturdier than our A1 cars, another way in which the TT's strength would be hard to duplicate by just replacing the center tunnel.

Heater core is gone so I looped the feed hose around:








On V.2 of the car I'll modify the crack pipe so it's less cheezy.

A few things will get deleted. I'm not using the engine covers so this bracket can go:









There's no A/C or power steering so the massive accessory bracket will get pared down:








(The auxiliary air pump hoses will need to be replaced. IIRC the OBD knew they were broken and it was thowing emissions codes till the hoses got a tape wrap)

I familiarized myself with the engine harness:








I have all the end connections labelled but I may need to lean on some of you TT owners to disclose what wires go into which retainers/brackets. The wiring was tangled in with the various hoses in a manner that will be hard for me to reproduce.

Then I just stared at the engine for a while.The big stuff is standard but I had search some numbers to learn about smaller parts:








I'll give 'em credit for a lot of power and AWD in a small package, but it's not ideal for restoration or even servicing. The turbo's center section is water-cooled and with the oil feed and return lines, plus the emissions plumbing, various sensors and the AWD, there's bespoke fiberglass blankets and shields everywhere. To take this all apart and adequately document everything for reassembly would be a real challenge and I need to plan around that somehow.

11735/2379


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

So I guess you're starting to loose your taste for fried elephant? Keep going! You can see the top of the hill, don't worry about the hill after that. I'm sure it will be smaller!


----------



## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

If you want to descend into the rabbit hole, there is a MASSIVE thread in the Mk4 forum about "shaved" engine bays. Now, this is typically going to extreme lengths to hide wiring, hoses and make it appear as simple as possible, so some compromises are made in many situations that make them far less easy to work on.

Shaved, Tucked, Customized Engine Bays - Pics, Theory...


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Why not just ditch the SAI altogether? Its nothing but trouble as the cars age.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Ed: yessir; I'll feel better if the blasting goes well.

@Tim: yikes, that thread is 151 pages long! Those MkIV folks must _really_ like tidying their engines bays. I like the look but I'll table that lest I never finish the project...

Ref. Supplemental Air Injection: AFAIK the OBD will know if it's absent? I don't mind stored codes for things like the A/C delete, but I don't want CELs so I'm keeping all emissions components for now. I won't out rule software patches to get rid of some of that carp on V.2 of the car.

I put the engine back under wraps and started on all the loose engine bay parts. Stuff's in good shape but I want it clean and/or painted, so bit by bit, here I go again...

Overflow bottle:









Bracket for the left charge pipe and the after-run coolant pump module which it also holds:








The module is the rectangular thing under the bracket. It had threaded steel inserts that froze so I changed over to stainless studs. "Pardon our dust during renovations".

Dogbone mount:








The bolts were carp and froze in the subframe, so I'm trying out CV bolts.

Rest of the [massive] transmission mount:









[Massive] engine mount:









There's a bunch of little parts that gobble time; I won't picture them all... or maybe I _will_. CV joint shield and a bracket that holds the oil level sensor harness to the back of the engine:









11735/2383


----------



## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

@deathhare "Why not just ditch the SAI altogether? Its nothing but trouble as the cars age."

What is this foreign language ("SAI") you are speaking of! I tried Google translate but nothing came up! JK...


----------



## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Not just replacing the mounts with aftermarket? Those are probably toast.


----------



## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Hoffa said:


> @deathhare "Why not just ditch the SAI altogether? Its nothing but trouble as the cars age."
> 
> What is this foreign language ("SAI") you are speaking of! I tried Google translate but nothing came up! JK...


Secondary Air Injection. It goes bad and your Check Engine Light comes on. VCDS will not clear it. It cost me around $500.00 to fix on my Phaeton if I remember correctly. 

See page 35:

Self-Study Programme 207 The Audi TT Coupé (volkspage.net)

And page 32:

SSP 175 (englisch) (volkspage.net)


----------



## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> Secondary Air Injection. It goes bad and your Check Engine Light comes on. VCDS will not clear it. It cost me around $500.00 to fix on my Phaeton if I remember correctly.


Exactly. And easily deleted in the tune.
While you're at it, ditch the EGR as well for similar reasons.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@OE: those links are fantastic, thank you!

Now seems like a good time to say that I appreciate all suggestions because people have saved me a lot of trouble. OTOH don't take it personally when I table ideas that aren't critical. The things I've done so far, like the body, interior, etc... were to progressively reduce the magnitude of the project in chunks, until I'm left with manageable goals. At this time those goals are 1) engine start and 2) get the driveline systems working. I'll remember all other suggestions and I'll circle back if/when the time seems right.

Scott installed some stainless M6 weldstuds to relocate the LDP setup from inside the fender:









I tweaked the OEM bracket, added stainless standoffs and fasteners, and it looks like Audi did it...








...except _stainless_.

This [OEM] bracket under the rain tray holds various lines away from the engine:









And with that, I finally finished populating the right side fof the engine bay:









11735/2386


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

echassin said:


> The problem isn't mechanical so I can't help you
> 
> 
> (The auxiliary air pump hoses will need to be replaced. IIRC the OBD knew they were broken and it was thowing emissions codes till the hoses got a tape wrap)
> ...


Nice work Eric. This VW thing we have in common is what got me into Audi's. Well, that and a zillion years ago when my best friend's dad tossed me the keys to his brand new 1980 5000 Turbo kind of helped seal the deal. That said, there is a TON of potential that Audi leaves on the table with regards to their turbo charged engines. A stage 1 ECU flash does not over stress this TT engine at all, and increases on demand HP and throttle response with regards to turbo boost profiles, etc. with zero reliability issues. I had this done with my 2001 2.7T Allroad 6sp. Made for a completely different car. One thing I wish I had done at the same time, and will probably eventually do, is code out the secondary air pump. These add so much crap to the engine, with the pump, valving, and associated plumbing. So, since you're deleting PS, AC, etc., perhaps you should consider this. I know a proven tuner who can do this through VAG-COM when your laptop is connected to your home WiFi. VAG-COM purchased through Ross-Tech is something you may consider also. Mine has paid for itself a thousand times.

Your project is awesome. Thanks for sharing the way you do.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Craig said:


> ... Thanks ...


Glad to do it!

The peer pressure to delete the SAI is working because the hardware really is a mess. As for power, I got the TT with an APR setup so we'll see how that goes minus about 1000 pounds.

But that's all for another day, I'm up early to take the underpinnings and *BLAST *them!

_Fingers crossed_


11735/2386


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> I'm up early to take the underpinnings and *BLAST *them!


Oh yeah!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Um, OK, wow. Just... wow. We left at dawn so the guy wouldn't cut into his work day too badly, and we were home by lunch time.

I don't have much exposure to industry and this sand-blaster is not like anything I've ever seen. The compressor is a diesel unit the size of a small car, and it blows into a huge cooler/dryer that's as tall as me. The media is coal slag from a 30 foot tall hopper, the working surface is a huge steel plate on the ground, and that's who-knows-how-thick spent media. The nozzle is the size of a vacuum cleaner hose and needs two hands.

Even turned all the way down, I isht you not, even the heavy swing arms had to be pinned down. It was like doing surgery with a chain saw, but all of this took less than an hour:








The rust is gone right up to the various bushings and bearings, but AFAIK the rubber and bearings are fine.

I'll futz around with the pieces but I could paint this stuff as-is and it would be fine. This is a big relief because to replace these parts would be about $3000.

11735/2386


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Holy crap that is amazing!


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

One of my tools on the list to buy. Certainly not as big as a car. Once you use one, it's amazing how the results are and how much lost time you spent cleaning the old way.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm very happy. I threw away the old ball joints and that left witness marks to position the new ones:








I also removed all of those old bolts and shields that I'd installed prior to blasting and great news: the amount of media that fell out from behind the shields was zero and the bearings and Heim joints all move like buttah. The rubber all looks brand new and not distressed at all by the blasting. This was a total win, and as I've acknowledged before, one takes those where one can.

I installed the engine harness and made a little rain shield for the ECU:

















The rain tray seal is high heat foam designed for underhood blankets.

With that done, I finished populating the left frame rail:








The reconfigured stress bar looks the part and the perfect airbox fitment along the fender line is just another happy coincidence.

Odyssey AGM battery, 12025/2390

BTW: IDK if any of you have ever fried a turkey but I highly recommend it. Not only is it yummy, but you get to spend an hour in the garage _and _you get credit for cooking dinner. Happy Thanksgiving.


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

So glad you found another use for that elephant fryer! Hope you enjoyed the nap.


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

First off, WOW! Those parts look amazing. That was a huge win, congrats!



echassin said:


> BTW: IDK if any of you have ever fried a turkey but I highly recommend it. Not only is it yummy, but you get to spend an hour in the garage _and _you get credit for cooking dinner. Happy Thanksgiving.


Can confirm - fried turkey is by far the best method.

As of the last few years, more than a few members of the family have come forward with the opinion that they don't really like turkey. So we started cooking a spiral cut honey ham. I'm here to tell you that the family is happier and the leftovers are even better - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not to mention the fact that I've started doing a ham bone soup, too! 

Regardless, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone! I hope the Great Pumpkin brings you all of the toys, chocolate bunnies and candy you wanted.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

scirocco*joe said:


> Regardless, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone! I hope the Great Pumpkin brings you all of the toys, chocolate bunnies and candy you wanted.


Right back at you my good internet friend, and happy Thanksgiving to OP and all the other fine folks in this forum.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Hands down, Smoked Turkey.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I just had stuffing, as in _stuffed_ lol.

I started on the underpinnings but I ran out of that tough brush-on grill paint I prefer:








I should've paid attention to how much I had left... The stores just taunted me with an empty slot on the shelf, in front of which was affixed the product label, making its absence all the more obvious. I found one can on-line and it was $30. _C'est la vie! _Astute observers will note that the one hub face in the picture is black. I've been warned that painting critical bolted surfaces is a no-no, but I can't bring myself to leave the raw iron. As a compromise, I dabbed the surface with a relatively dry brush.

While I wait for the paint, I'll shore up neglected areas. I forgot about this way back when I did the harness:








It's a loop of excess wire that Audi just folded and taped. IDK if they used the same harness on another slightly larger model but it looked cheezy, so I shortened the wires.

12025/2394


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The paint got here surprisingly fast and I finished the suspension parts:








They didn't need much work. The guy stood back 10 feet but there was so much media bouncing around that the tight areas, and to some extent even the cavities, got stripped. I just had to do spots that were completely shadowed. I left the areas near the bearings to avoid damaging the seals, but water never splashed there anyways. Paint coverage behind the hubs is adequate and I can verify that if/when I replace bearings.

So I finally have a complete kit of nice underpinnings:

















This stage of the project ran about $1500, which seems like a lot considering how much I salvaged.

I found out that early TT AWD rear ends had thinner [solid] rotors and smaller calipers, so I could try those if my milled pads don't last long enough. It's millimeters but the car is already wide so I _really_ don't want spacers.

The battery arrived so I installed it to figure out an anchor for the (+) bus:








The strap is plastic to avoid metal near the battery posts, and the strap just holds the (+) bus; the battery itself is held by the OEM clamp in the original location.

12025/2398


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Nice choice of battery!!

For those searching- the 96R and the 47 H5 batteries will both fit your Scirocco or your Audi TT, and are less wide than the group 41 OEM battery, but are more powerful.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The battery wasn't cheap so I hope it lasts...

The _cough_ $30 Haldex oil arrived so I did the service (just to be safe, IDK the car's history). I already had the _cough_ $20 filter and the _cough_ $35 filter wrench:









I'm not sure what the old oil is supposed to look like, but I guess this isn't bad considering there's a stack of clutch plates in there:









The oil needs to be changed every 20,000 miles or every 2 years. Apparently the fill plug isn't accessible with the unit mounted, so the proper procedure is to fill through the drain hole and then thread the drain plug before the thing drains again . Mine's on the bench so I filled through this oil level check plug until it started to drip:









Predicted fill volume is 275cc and that's what I used (one liter bottle):









Then I threaded and urethaned my DIY bumpstops:









Four more jack stands (total of eight) because I don't want to die [yet]:









Timing belt/water pump/tensioner/idler pulley kit, 12175/2402


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I've been waiting 35 years for this:








There's a transfer case peeking out from under the rear valence of a mk1 Scirocco .

I installed everything finger tight without considering whether a socket and torque wrench would fit, so it took some fiddling, but in the end it all looks nice and sturdy:








The rear exhaust has a hanger that positions it accurately, so I propped it up and started pondering how it can exit at the stock mk1 location.

It's a tight space but this might fit OK:








2.5'' in Inch Inlet / Outlet T304 Stainless Steel Muffler 10''body OAL 14'' | eBay


Turbine Muffler - 304 Stainless Steel - 2.5". Muffler Type: Straight Through. Inlet: 2.5" ID - Center. Material: Stainless Steel. Outlet: 2.5" ID - Center. Body Length: 10". Body Type: 4" Round. Overall Length: 14".



www.ebay.com






12175/2405


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

More CAD (Cardboard Aided Design):








Scott cleared this with a quick "no problem", so I ordered the muffler and hanger supplies. He already has the tubing. I can't wait to see what he does because he said something about a Laser scanner. Cardboard and Laser: from the ridiculous to the sublime.

The exhaust supplies equaled the cancelled 5 gallons Evaporust that never shipped, 12175/2409


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I installed the right side rear end:








I fiddled a lot because I don't know the correct assembly order.

But it all came together and I finally could install a wheel with a jack under it to approximate the car's weight:








This is a relief: I already have the lowest spring option so if the car sat high, that would have been a problem. The way it is, I can adjust the height with a spacer, install adjustable arms to get it aligned, etc... _phew_.

I was worried that the swing arms would hang down below the rockers in an unsightly manner, but that's thankfully a non-issue. I'd prefer the wheels tuck another inch but that's not possible without major suspension modifications.

12175/2413


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

(Im)patiently hitting refresh to see next update!
Suspension looks great!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I hope you find this last "refresh" worthwhile:








The only thing that could possibly make the a$$ of a mk1 look better is a set of fat tires with all of the hardware to drive them .

Here's a swing arm assembled:








The collar on the lower shock bolt is the provision for a drop link, if I re-install the rear sway bar.

The rear brakes are the same size as the fronts on a 16V:









The swing arm doesn't look out of place:









Yum:









Access to the upper shock bolt is no problem:









The only unpleasant surprise was the new brake hoses. The two sides came in identical boxes; one fit fine and for the other, I had to use a step drill to enlarge the bracket holes two sizes. WTF?

Front suspension tomorrow, 12175/2416


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Dang it's all coming together so nicely!

All this talk of batteries! Mine must have dropped a plate, suddenly it only read 8volts overnight. Suspicious timing!


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

E you're worse than a kid waiting for Santa. There won't be any surprises left on Xmas morning if you keep moving at this rate!


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@Tim: knowing you, it wasn't just a Walmart battery. Did you at least get good years out of it?

@Ed: the suspension went faster than I'd planned, largely because of that phenomenal blasting session. BTW, the guy yielded when I insisted on paying, and as soon as I turned my back, he endorsed the check to Toys-For-Tots. Mensch.

Front suspension:








(The tie rod is the wrong side in the picture)

I jacked up a wheel, admittedly without the engine weight, but it looks like the ride height won't be a problem:









I'd have preferred 15" wheels, but here's why I need 16's:








It's a ludicrous amount of braking for a small street car. The good news is that grinding the casting marks off of the calipers was enough for the front wheels to fit with full-thickness pads. I might need to take a little more when there's flexing and/or heat expansion, but basically it means that I only need to mill the outer rear pads. If I use 5mm rear spacers (ugh), I wouldn't need to mill any of them.

Overall appearance:











Everything is just snugged because I don't yet know the assembly order surrounding the engine. I have a punch-list of un-torqued fasteners and things to do before first drive, and I have a yellow paint marker for anything that _is _torqued. I don't wanna pull another stunt like I did with Petra's 16V: she almost lost an entire wheel/hub assembly on the highway because I forgot to do the final torque on the axle nuts. She's not a car-guy and a 16V is much louder than what she's used to, so she didn't notice the insidious rumbling noise and scraping.

12175/2421


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Damn! The triple black looks outSTANDing! Great progress, Eric!


----------



## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

patiently waiting for donut videos...


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

There are plenty of good people in this world. Many love to help. Sadly, this does not raise post counts or bring in ad revenues. It's a good feeling when you can help someone with their blasting needs and then turn around and make a donation to a good cause. I'm certain you made his day.


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref. donuts: I'd find a way to hit something even if I start in the middle of an empty parking lot, so no.

@Mark: yup, yup, and yup.

I noticed the wheels juuuust touch the lock nuts for the tie rod ends with steering at full deflection, so I need to pare down the nuts (the tie rod ends are already the curved kind). Add that to the punch list because today I wanted to start on the engine.

I took it down just far enough to do the timing belt, fix stuff, and have access for brushes:








There's clean paint marks that make me think the timing belt was done recently, but IDK when or if the water pump is original, so I'll do the service anyways.

I ordered a new oil dipstick tube, and judging by the number of listings, mine isn't the only one to crumble into little bits, 12185/2424


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Good to hear that everyone will be enjoying xmas! Pay it forward, it's the only way our world will get back to what it was!


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I cannot wait. It's getting old right now. As long as we respect peoples differences and allow them to be different, life is easy. This idea that you must be ultra [left or right] and those that aren't are the enemy is frustrating. 

Anyway, let's get back to the show.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I see a number of assumptions being made which may or may not be true, but as long as we all do our best... whoops! now _I'm_ doing it... 

Alternator cleaned up and bracket trimmed:


















12185/2428


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

You've deleted the AC but not the SAI.
I'm completely perplexed.

You may have said already but who is doing your tune?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

All I can say in response is that I'm exhausted. "Delete the [insert abbreviation] and get a tune" is a good idea but it isn't landing in terms of priorities.

After first start, I know the steering wheel position sensor needs to be reset, but I'll need help with that and whatever else comes up.

Ref. progress: I got knick-knacks and part of the engine cleaned up:

















It's not much, but I spent most of the day with another unforeseen delay: this may come as a surprise to some of you as much as it did to me, but an entire quart of black paint provides excellent floor coverage over a large area...

12185/2434


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Assuming you have a Rosstech, it should guide you through the steering fairly easy. Just remember, the computer has no eyes so whatever it 'sees' you will have to make that way. If it sees 45 turning left, the wheels should be turned 45 to the left. If not, adjust the shaft, tie rods, etc. to make it that way. 

Considering what you have accomplished, the steering should be a walk in the park. No worst than an oil service.


----------



## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> this may come as a surprise to some of you as much as it did to me, but an entire quart of black paint provides excellent floor coverage over a large area...


Five gallons of white interior paint does the same in a very short amount of time.


----------



## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

Should we pass this link on to Petra for a Christmas gift idea?









Industrial Epoxy Floor Coating, One Gallon


This garage floor paint is the toughest floor coating available. It will not flake away under rigors of garage life. Its high chemical resistance and non-lifting durability delivers an armor-like finish you can count on for decades.




www.griotsgarage.com





🤣


----------



## Craig (May 7, 1999)

Timing belts are pretty easy on these Eric - toughest part is getting that 8mm gap correct from the concentric pretensioner contact plate to the top of the hydraulic tensioner correct before you pull the grenade pin and release the hydraulic tensioner. Some people use a 8mm hex, or an 8mm drill bit - I just cut a perfect sized, 8mm think piece of wood to fill the gap. It stays easier, and you're already juggling more than you have hands for otherwise. I have had to recompress that tensioner before to get that gap perfect, even though I was in spec. Not difficult, but a PITA. Now to my point......

If I was you, and everything was convenient and right in front of my face like you have it, I would do the valve cover gasket at this time also. They are notorious fail points on these engines. Especially the little bastard gasket under the camshaft tensioner. Also get some good Victor Reinz Reinzosil ATV schmutz to dab at the several recommended sharp corners. At this time, the camshaft end seals are a $10 bill and a 5 minute replacement too.

Then, aside from the crankshaft end seals you should be oil drip free for a looooong time.

Call if you want - Twozero6 Three51 Four6eight7.

Good luck!

Craig


----------



## Craig (May 7, 1999)

Oh - probably preaching to the choir here - a metallic gold sharpie to mark cam and crank gear tooth points is your friend here. Sometimes the factory marked points are not that great - especially the one for the crank, which is on the lower crank cover.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Craig: also clutch disc/main seal, fuel pump, oil cooler, TTY bolts, etc... I'm not doing any of that type of work yet. The Haldex service and timing belt are exceptions because I have no record they were ever done.

@ Mark: all I have is a generic OBD2 scan tool. I'd like to know which of these Rosstech units I could get away with:








Genuine Ross-Tech VCDS (VAG-COM Diagnostic Systems) for Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, and Bentley | Europa Parts


Europa Parts is an authorized stocking distributor of Genuine Ross-Tech VCDS (VAG-COM Diagnostic Systems) for Audi, Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, and Bentley vehicles. Don't be fooled by cheap fakes, knock-offs and imitators as those can damage your car. This is the real deal, manufactured by the...




www.europaparts.com





Am I correct that the steering position sensor would be satisfied if the steering wheel is centered and the car's four wheels are symmetrically aligned along the shell's center line? Then again, that may not be true if the sensor was recalibrated at some point to compensate for the car's previous collision repairs?

Today I did yesterday's task, which was supposed to be cleaning up the front of the engine:

















I'm doing things in sections so I can reliably reassemble things.

12185/2440


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## jddaigle (May 30, 2003)

The HEX-V2 "Enthusiast" will do the trick assuming you have a laptop running Windows. You can get it direct here:VCDS with HEX-V2 Enthusiast | Ross-Tech Ross-Tech has spent 20+ years reverse-engineering the software + hardware that VW dealers use to "talk" to VAG cars and it will let you access all the engine control, drivetrain, and body modules you still have. It will be indispensible for clearing codes, performing adaptations, and troubleshooting as the project progresses and once you get it on the road.

I looked at it this way: $199 is one, maybe two "diagnostic fees" at a dealer or mechanic. Not counting your time taking the thing to the shop.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I have the Pro [unlimited VIN] and if you can afford it, that is what I would get. You never know if one of your friends may need some help. The other ones are the same with less VIN options.

I doubt if you can go wrong with their products. They are friendly do deal with, free updates, and it just works well. The only real issue I have is that the wireless is a bit small and it's happened a few times where I left it in a clients car. 

Their phone app is pretty outdated, but it does give you a real quick code check and clear function. 

As for the steering, it all starts with what the computer sees. If the computer is centered, then everything else gets set to that. Yes, there is a +/-. I suspect about 5-10 degrees. I have no clue.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you for the information. I don't have our cars serviced elsewhere, so this thing sounds like a no-brainer.

We'll see if +/- 5-10 degrees offers enough leeway. Besides the steering wheel sensor, what else needs to be "tuned"? The car ran fine before; barring errors, would it not do so after re-assembly?

I do like the deletions idea(s). Can the unit delete the SAI, LDP, door lock control module and 3rd brake light? I'm envisioning pull-down menus with boxes I can click that are labelled "not applicable".

Returning to the Hardware realm, I finished cleaning the engine:








After the horror that was the underpinnings, the engine has been a pleasant surprise. So far, I replaced a frail plastic hose above the valve cover, and I retrieved some fasteners that got dropped over the years. Besides that, there was spillage below the oil fill hole and some flung CV grease, but otherwise the engine, gearbox, and Haldex haven't leaked anything for 18 years (cue Murphy's law).

Gearbox is next but it's already pretty clean. I'm getting a restless anxiety as first-crank draws near...

12185/2444


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

You can upgrade the HEX V2 Enthusiast to support 10 VINs for $100.00 more.

I have an older basic dongle and a HEX-NET Enthusiast which comes standard with support for 10 VINs.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Re: Steering wheel sensor:

If the steering wheel controller has not been disconnected, it just needs a short drive in a figure 8.

I unplugged mine and thought I killed my Phaeton dead. The dashboard lit up like a Christmas Tree, but the main warning panel said I had a brake fault and not to drive. The brakes worked good in my neighborhood, but I was wondering if the brakes would stop it on the road if I had to take it to the dealer. 

I drove it in figure 8s until I was dizzy and it was still showing me every ABS, ESP and Brake fault known to man. 

Here is the thread I found to fix it. The info is in the first post.

He adapted it from the Ross-Tech Audi wiki. If yours has the Bosch ESP 5.7 system, it should be the same.

If you don't have the Bosch ESP 5.7 system, see if Ross-Tech has more specific instructions for your TT innerds.

Start reading at the following paragraph:

"This is not the case, however, when you replace the steering wheel controller. ..."

(2) Retrofitting a Heated Steering Wheel (added to TOC) | VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum


----------



## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

All I want for Xmas is to hear this car go vroom, vroom, vroom!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Rosstech is a bit different and although you can figure it out with a few beers and a laptop, I would recommend a different thread and a bit of searching. It's worth paying for it but it can be difficult to figure out [lots of codes and what not]. 

Emissions are a real sticky things with the Feds. I do not you can delete emissions as simple as you think. I do not in my shop, so I cannot say for certain. Too much risk for Rosstech to allow that option.


----------



## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

A United Motorsports tune will safely delete all you need to get rid of. Getting a tune is pretty much a requirement anyway.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

deathhare. said:


> ... Getting a tune is pretty much a requirement anyway.


What exactly needs to be "tuned"? I ask because mechanically, the car is exactly as it was before. Also, am I misunderstanding that the Rosstech device takes the place of "a tune"? 

@OE: I skimmed through all of that and got worried, but I disconnected and reconnected everything several times during disassembly and repeatedly ran the car with no warning lights, so hopefully that's a good sign. I don't recall any locking stud on my steering position sensor and I _have_ [gently] fiddled with it, so I hope it's not as frail as the thread suggests.

@Ed: Me too, Ed. Meeee too.

Gearbox is cleaned up:

















It'd be nicer if I took it all apart and soda blasted every single part, but yeah: no.

12185/2450


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> What exactly needs to be "tuned"? I ask because mechanically, the car is exactly as it was before. Also, am I misunderstanding that the Rosstech device takes the place of "a tune"?



Yes, Eric you are misunderstanding. The Rosstech VCDS cable and software is like an OBD II scanner, but world's better. Whereas the tune is for more power, and adding/deleting some features. Those the VCDS can also add and remove some features too. That's the downside to having cars like Sciroccos; we don't always keep up with the tech.


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## jddaigle (May 30, 2003)

Right, the VAG-COM/VCDS hardware & software from RossTech is a reverse-engineered version of the VADIS computer that a VW dealer uses to "talk to to the car".

It can do maintenance operations, sensor/device adaptations, log data from sensors, read and clear VW-specific trouble codes (in addition to the limited number of universal emissions-related OBD-II codes) and enable or disable convenience features.

Basically it will let you do anything a dealer could technically do, with the notable exception of most things related to the key or immobilizer which requires a secure connection to servers that VW owns and controls access to. It doesn't let you do things that would violate applicable safety or environmental laws like disabling emissions equipment.

A "Tune" is shorthand for adjusting the programming in the Engine Control and/or Transmission Control computers to change things like throttle response, shift points, air/fuel maps, turbo boost, etc. Some Tunes, which are sold for "off road use only", instruct the computer to stop paying attention to things like the SAI system or O2 sensors, for example. In a lot of newer cars you can "flash", or rewrite the computer's programming, over the OBD-II port, but on an older powertrain system like the TT's you would need to pull the ECU and get it "bench flashed" at a tuner's (or authorized tuner dealer's) shop using special hardware.


----------



## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> What exactly needs to be "tuned"? I ask because mechanically, the car is exactly as it was before. Also, am I misunderstanding that the Rosstech device takes the place of "a tune"?
> 
> @OE: I skimmed through all of that and got worried, but I disconnected and reconnected everything several times during disassembly and repeatedly ran the car with no warning lights, so hopefully that's a good sign. I don't recall any locking stud on my steering position sensor and I _have_ [gently] fiddled with it, so I hope it's not as frail as the thread suggests.
> 
> 12185/2450


As Crazyaboutrocs mentioned, VCDS is not a tuning device, it's an OBD2 scanner on steroids. I don't think it can disable emissions equipment.

It can do a lot of adapting and changing stuff but it's not a tuning device. The software emulates the VW dealer software but you can change some things the dealer is not allowed to change. (Changing from North America displays to European displays is one example.)

I don't know how aftermarket tuners get away with deleting emissions or if they sell them as being for offroad use only.

A long time ago, I went to a garage for something. I think I needed a tire repaired. They were a muffler shop and had a poster warning about the consequences of removing emissions equipment. The poster said not to ask them to install a "test pipe" or remove any emissions equipment because the EPA would fine them $25K for each infraction.

There is a locating tab on the clockspring (the modern equivalent of the slip ring). It locks when you remove the steering wheel. If you F with it by unlocking it and rotating the clock spring, you have to re-orient it by winding it and making sure it will turn lock to lock. You set it in the middle of its range which should be straight ahead on the steering wheel. The clockspring has a ribbon cable so the airbag gets power in all positions. I guess they didn't want to take the chance on a horn ring losing contact. The clockspring on Phaetons also has connectors for the horn and all of the switches on the steering wheel.

The column shaft should have a mark that corresponds with a mark on the steering wheel so you can orient it. Any adjustments should be made at the tie rod ends.

If you don't get a G85 fault you should be OK.


----------



## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Not just OBD2, it can check the entire vehicle's electrical system. All the systems that are capable.

VW does not allow you to change emissions systems so Rosstech would not allow you either. The explanations above are well written.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

jddaigle said:


> Basically it will let you do anything a dealer could technically do, with the notable exception of most things related to the key or immobilizer which requires a secure connection to servers that VW owns and controls access to. It doesn't let you do things that would violate applicable safety or environmental laws like disabling emissions equipment.


How do you remove emissions and the imobilizer?


----------



## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It's a lot of information but it sounds like it's safe to table all of that until the car is assembled and aligned. I _think_ I'm seeing confirmation that the Rosstech will catch errors in my harness if the car doesn't crank and/or start, no matter where they might be. If not, LMK.

Ref. Sciroccos/dinosaurs: yes, this is the first of my toys that doesn't have throttle body, clutch, or speedo cables...

I installed the new water pump, timing belt, tensioner, and pulley:









Timing covers, engine and transmission mounts, alternator/belt/tensioner, the much maligned SAI, and a new dipstick tube:


















Rear portion of the prop shaft:








I didn't mark the couplings to put them back where they were, so if the car vibrates, I'll have to move the couplings 120 degrees, front and back, in however many combinations that entails, until it smooths out...

I have disassembly to do up front but the engine is finally ready to go back in.

12185/2455


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

The OBD2 connector is the way you attach a scanner. I am too lazy to look up the OBD2 specifications but everything on the entire car with a controller is accessible via the OBD2 connector. 

The Phaeton has at least three buses that are all tied together but the powertrain bus is the one that concerns emissions. It doesn't apply to you but resetting the engine controller (#1) causes the readiness to need resetting which requires driving around for a few days. They put that in so you can't just reset the Check Engine Light to pass emissions. 

Your TT innards mostly contain the Powertrain bus. Engine, Brakes and Transmission are all on the Powertrain Bus. 

Instruments and Infotainment are on the Comfort Bus. In the Phaeton, the instruments are part of the KESSY/Immobilizer. 

VCDS and the Ross-Tech dongle also has a generic OBD2 function so you can scan any car made for the US market since 2006. (ROW cars also have OBD2 but they don't necessarily have to have it.) I think the OBD2 function just shows generic OBD2 faults as per the specification. I don't know if your neighbor's Ford counts toward the VIN limit.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

There are a few generic protocols with OBD2. Rosstech only done one of them. Usually, not the protocol of the car I'm working on. Just bad luck.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN said:


> I don't know if your neighbor's Ford counts toward the VIN limit.


 No, you can do generic scans without getting into the limit. And when you get into that area of scanning, you have to acknowledge that you are using one of your 10, so it's pretty hard to do accidentally.


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## n3nyongmini (May 18, 2009)

And finally, if you ever tire of the Ross-Tech unit they are easily re-sellable..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

A little break did a lot of good but it's getting to be time for engine install. I got the front end off the car and the hoist is ready to go:


















Here's the front end "kit":








Ten pieces to get at the engine. I trimmed things so they don't get in the way of other things and I'm omitting the bumper filler strips, so I ground the mounting tabs off the grill. The bumper brackets still need final welding and paint before re-assembly.

The subframe is perched on threaded jack-stands so I can make room for the downpipe and the center drive shaft.

I ordered coolant, 12200/2458


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Someone with more experience would have it running already, but this is as far as I got today:








At least the hardest parts are done: engine mounts, center drive shaft, engine harness. No struggling, just a lot of fiddling to inch the engine into position, then get all the harness clips and fiberglass blankets correct.

12200/2464


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I really don't think anyone has experience swapping a Scirocco body on a Audi chassis so I think it's safe to say, you are the fastest and slowest on that list.

Cement blocks are not good for supporting. Just saying.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Mark: it'd be nice to have a mkIV guru check my work. The wiring isn't stressed but the coil-pack harness has a push-clip with no visible landing spot, so even after fiddling for hours I'm off on _something. _Ref. cinder blocks: yessir, it's not ideal. I do have four jack stands on the floor that directly support the four pucks under the car, but I didn't want the front end cantilevering over me.

The bottom of the car is almost done:








Center shafts and axles, heat shields, and the downpipe/converters/center muffler (Scott will weld up the rear muffler).

Progress in the bay:








Fuel, electrical and coolant hook-ups, turbo outlet pipes, shift cables, intake, strut bar, battery with (+) bus.

12200/2469


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

10 days to xmas, SantE don't let me down!


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

getting so very close, and no shortcuts taken! (that I can see). I'm so impatient that fuel would come from a pail, no belts or coolant, trying to make it fire with a screwdriver on the starter and a jumper wire to the coil.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

And a fire extinguisher near by. 

Patience comes with age. I remember shorting out my clutch cable because I was too impatient to hook up the ground wire. Cranking over my engine just smoked that cable. So much baling wire in my youth.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Ben and Mark: I _have_ generated quite a punch-list. Some of it is logical but there's plenty that's just sloppy. IMO that's OK if it's all taken care of in reasonable time.

@ Ed: I think we can expect a turn of the key by Christmas morning, but as to whether anything good happens thereafter, I cannot say...

The only thing left to mount in the bay is the radiator assembly:









First I had to finish welding and painting the bumper brackets:









I can't bolt anything else on until the paint hardens, so I'll piddle around touching up paint scratches under the car and I'll clean up the rest of the engine and gearbox now that they're off the ground.

5 gallons of gas, 12220/2472


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Your build is has a very logical timeline. Being patient will keep you in check not jumping ahead just to see if it works. As far as I can see, it's no longer if it will work, but when.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Holds breath, cranks key, and..._




I'll confess my blood pressure was through the roof just before the first attempt. The video is only 10 seconds because the car has gas, oil, and nothing else. At least it's reasonable to hope that the modified harness is serviceable, even if I find out that it needs work as tests progress.

The day started with mounting the bumper:









Then the radiator:



























Hood latch assembly:


















Air dam frame:









Headlight assemblies:









Grill:








i should have waited for the coolant and filled the brake fluid reservoir, but there was no ufcking way I was gonna put off first crank any longer. 

Ooof! There's still tons to do, but I need a break.

12220/2475


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Awesome progress! Congratulations!


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

The question is, how many dash warning lights are on ?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The only warning is the word "BRAKE", and I assume that's because there's no fluid in the reservoir. I'm not sure why I don't have a coolant warning because the radiator is also empty.

When I was taking the car apart and repeatedly test-starting it, the traction control warning would illuminate if I goofed anything, and for now the light is OFF! Obviously I'll need to see how things are when the car moves, but so far so good.

I can't describe what a relief today is _phew!_


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## toastworks (Jun 2, 2000)

Cheers to first start!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir.

More good news: all of the lighting works correctly and while checking it, the coolant level warning came on. There must be a delay and I wasn't waiting long enough. Of course, I hope it goes out when I fill the radiator, lol.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

🍻


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm just sitting here eating my cereal still surprised that there are no electrical problems. Recall that the minimized harness ended up looking pretty good:









But there was no way I could feel completely confident, knowing I'd produced this 5-gallon-bucket-sized pile of scrap wire:









I'm anxious to set the ride height and alignment, but that'll wait until I clean the bottom of the engine, temporarily tighten up all the suspension bolts (they're TTY so I'll need to replace them once I know the ride height is OK and whether I need adjustable arms), finish setting up the rear brakes, fill/bleed the brakes and clutch, and have Scott weld the exhaust exit.

I caved and ordered 5mm rear spacers, in case the milled pads don't work out,12240/2475


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Surprised? I'm not.


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

Me either. This project is epic, and your attention detail is 100% the reason for no warning lights. Makes me want to find a TT while there are still a few out there.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Wow. It really came together quickly after you got the bodywork done. Looks great!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Those are nice comments, thank you. Modifying the harness wasn't entirely tidy, but all's well that ends well.

I'm keeping things light for a bit; I just cleaned up the bottom of the engine/gearbox today, now that they're off the dolly:








It's not good enough for a Deusenberg, but it's presentable and isht won't fall in my eyes when I'm working under the car.

12220/2478


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Yes, protect the eyes. Lessons learned!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Scott started on the rear exhaust and here's the preliminary fitment:








I'd have preferred that the wheels and exhaust tuck fully to avoid the Boy-Racer look but to my credit, I'm not installing an oversized aluminum wing . The exhaust allows for the rear sway-bar if handling tests mandate it.

Scott's weld is the finer one:








He clamps straight tubes into a robot, but he does elbows by hand and he was grumbling about that one tack-weld in the pic.

_I'm_ friggen thrilled:




He said the goal is no color, and these welds have no color .

The car is too loud IMO, but at least it sounds like performance, not neglect:





Edit: I got shorter bottom bolts for the rear shocks, 12235/2482. I'll keep the longer ones in case I use the rear sway-bar.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Really loving this build. I'm curious to know what your final weight will be, compared to the TT.
What sort of rear muffler are you using? Was that fabbed or bought?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir. I'm also curious about the weight. 2003 TT 225q curb weight=3230lbs and I hope I come in quite a bit lower than that. Craig mentioned he has corner scales, so I'll post an exact number when I have it.

The "muffler" isn't much: 2.5'' in Inch Inlet / Outlet T304 Stainless Steel Muffler 10''body OAL 14'' | eBay but I can't fit the large OEM rear muffler and I want to avoid this sound if possible:





Scott worked on the exhaust late into the night:




At 0:30 that's an errant cut I made that he had to weld up...

Final appearance :








I painted the OEM stainless section because it's a lower grade that _stains_, but it's still called "stainless" .

If some hangers is _good_, more hangers is _better_:








That's not one of Scott's welds , and astute observers will note that the ground strap I got for the Haldex is... substantial.

Installed:










12235/2487


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

That pipe welder probably costs more than all my cars combined.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm sure it wasn't cheap...

The 5mm [rear] spacers arrived and they don't noticeably affect the car's appearance:








I didn't want to widen the car any more, but these allow for full thickness pads, so I'll go ahead and use them.

Longer lug bolts and more 3M dual-lock to tweak some of the interior panels, 12275/2488


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Coolant is in; a TT normally takes almost 2 gallons, but without the heater core it's 1.5 gallons; radiator fans and electric coolant pump start and stop as they should; no leaks.

The exhaust at idle is actually pretty quiet:




I have to use headphones to hear it at all.

I hope everyone has a good X-mas. I cheated a little and peaked under the tree: there's one thing for me that's about the size of a cigar box. I did leave a web page open on Petra's laptop for the VCDS _crosses fingers_.

Rear brake pads, brake/clutch fluid, tweak ride height, alignment +/- adjustable rear arms, TTY bolts... I'm getting _so_ close!

I ordered 12 gauge black wire to lock in the windshield and rear glass (in place of the aluminum trim),12300/2490


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I hope everyone had a good Christmas; I just finished a nice Ribeye _burp_

VCDS:









My Brother-in-Law brought his TIG for me try out:









My first TIG weld:

















I used the MIG's 75/25 gas; once I fill the Argon tank I'll try to make a front license plate bracket. Worst case it falls off and I run it over...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Then you get a ticket, you complain to the cop, the cop throws you in jail, the other 'residence' think your pretty, and then you walk funny for awhile. I would make certain you put a safety chain on it. 

That looks better than my first attempt. Someday, your welding friend will be jealous. 

Merry Christmas.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Rant deleted (it was about getting relentless email requests to review the Rosstech, but now it looks like I have some hope of stopping them)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Back to the fun stuff:




This is huge because normally the rear end spins free. With the car in the air, the traction control sensed the front wheels turning faster than the rears and engaged the Haldex, so it looks like everything works! _phew_

I bled the brakes and clutch using the single person technique and my DIY pressurized reservoir cap. Pedals feel good and the e-brake works nice. I have to tighten up everything under the car and I'm waiting for longer rear lug bolts, but after that I get to remove the jack stands, weigh the thing, and do a tentative little test drive.

12500/2493


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

Yo dude

I know others are watching all the updates as you post them but I have been checking in from time to time…. the progress is incredible. 

What you’re doing here is exciting.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Rant deleted (it was about getting relentless email requests to review the Rosstech, but now it looks like I have some hope of stopping them)


From Ross-Tech? 

I don't think I have ever gotten an email to review mine. 

If I did, I just said it works great or some other generic answer. 

Did you register it yet? I think you only get a few unregistered scans.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Back to the fun stuff:
> 
> 12500/2493


Wow. That looks and sounds great. You da man, Eric. 

-OE


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

So guess this means you’re bringing OTTo now to Cincy. 

This is everything done right when it comes to the most perfect swapped Scirocco. I absolutely cannot wait to see it brother. 

Standing friggin ovation… W O W 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Merry Christmas Eric, ment to give you a bell on Xmas day but got waylaid all day.

Car is looking absolutely incredible, this will be driving before New Years !!

Big hello to all the rest of the family and a big Merry Christmas from down under to all the Vortexers reading this


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you for the compliments,

@ Mike: I've updated the build like a diary but I agree the best way to view it is in chunks.

@ OE: I haven't done anything with the VCDS yet, but I did see the paper that mandates registration. The daily emails are from Europaparts and they won't stop until their "IT department" gets back from winter break on January 3rd (Back-to-School-Day?).

Ref. New Year's Day/Cincy: _cautiously optimistic_

@ Grant: back to you and yours; I'm picturing you on Christmas Down Under in a t-shirt and shorts _jealous_

I balanced the wheels on my EBay bubble rig (static balancing works OK for highway speeds but probably not beyond that), and I went around tightening suspension fasteners, mounted the wheels (I still need the longer rear lug bolts), and I _finally_ took the car off jack stands:



































The ride height was totally a Hail Mary after two years of hacking and welding on two separate cars, then tossing the H&R springs onto the shell, but there ya have it: I love when I don't have a plan and the plan comes together anyways, lol. As an added bonus, the rockers, swing arms, amount of poke, the way the air dam fits, etc... it all looks pretty good, especially after everything that's happened.

Before anyone starts clamoring for a driving video, I present Exhibit A:








Not a fleck of snow all season and sure enough, it starts today... No matter, I still need to thoroughly align all 4 wheels to avoid adverse effects on the yaw and steering wheel sensors.

12500/2496


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

echassin said:


> View attachment 143932


This is the money shot, IMO! 

The front bumper tuck is perfect, wheels are so nicely positioned in the flares, boxed rockers look tough as **** and generally speaking, the car looks FABULOUS!

Well done, Eric, well done.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Will you be lowering it more?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

deathhare. said:


> Will you be lowering it more?


Oy! There's one in every crowd . Seriously, I really shouldn't, and AFAIK the H&R rear springs are already the lowest springs available anyways.

Rear gap is 2 fingers and the swing arms are horizontal:


















Front gap is a finger and a half, and the control arms are horizontal:

















The gearbox is 4 1/2 inches from the pavement.

@ Joe: I've been back in the garage many times today just giddy. The thing looks like a friggen race car, and the rear end peeking out from under its a$$ is sexy as heck.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)




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## VWsEatRice (Jan 13, 2004)

Looks pretty awesome. I feel a subtle "diffuser" for the rear would complete the look that you started with the front and sides. That being said IDK how I would engineer it.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> Oy! There's one in every crowd . Seriously, I really shouldn't, and AFAIK the H&R rear springs are already the lowest springs available anyways.
> 
> Rear gap is 2 fingers and the swing arms are horizontal:
> View attachment 143958
> ...


Sorry, for some reason I had forgotten you just had the springs. I was thinking you had coilovers and so you could easily just suck up the wheel gap some.


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## DelEd (Sep 2, 2017)

Totally Awesome! If I didn't know different, I would not believe this was two separate cars. The running lines are so clean and the wheel wells/flare have a perfect curve. Looks like it rolled right out off the factory assembly line.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

I can't believe how perfectly awesome the flares came out! Definitely my favorite part. The car looks great on its wheels.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Ed: it's somewhat Boy Racer but no more than required. Nothing's "fake" except that hole molded into the air dam.

@ Tim: yessir, I was worried about how the arches would look, but I'm definitely happy now.

Ref. wheel gap: No apology needed. The rear axles separate the shocks and springs and that unfortunately rules out adjustable coil-overs. Bags are a big No Thank You.

Ref. rear diffuser: I agree that the excess rocker bulk should visually tie into the rear valence better. Maybe something subtle like molded plastic "mud flaps"?

I did the alignment today with the cars' center-line, equal tie rods, centered steering wheel, etc... Rear camber is fixed at -1.5 degrees because of the rear control arm geometry. That might be too much so I'll see how the tires wear and consider adjustable arms. I started with -0.5 degrees front camber by shifting the ball joints. I set rear toe-in at 0.5 degrees by shifting the swing arm brackets. Front toe is zero for now.

As soon as it dries out, I'll test drive the thing and make a work-list for the run-up to Cincy. So far: VCDS/calibrate the steering position sensor, hook up the dash vents, chase rattles, refine sloppy work, and troubleshoot.

Changes are afoot because Petra is car-shopping and I wanna cull the herd (cars, not family). Craig is taking the Cabby, and I'll bring the Stepchild home to spiff up and sell, followed by Bob (I may return it to manual). I'll park Marlene, the GTI, and this project in my "half" of the garage, and Petra will get her spot back, but first I need to fix the garage damage I caused. The boys will park on the driveway extension and after all that the 'hood won't look like a used-car lot...

12500/2500. I swear I did not plan these rounded numbers to coincide with first drives, lol. I figure the "finished" car will be <15000/3000. That's pretty good for such a big project and I have a lot of people to thank for that.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> The rear axles separate the shocks and springs and that unfortunately rules out adjustable coil-overs.


H&R and others do have adjustable height rear set ups that come with the front coilovers. 
This all came out with the mk4s in late 1999. 1-3 inches of adjustment.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Oooo, I wouldn't mind keeping that option in my back pocket. Do you have a link? I only saw rear adjustables for FWD Mk4 chassis, not R32 or 225 Quattro.

In the meantime... The roads were dry enough for a test crawl!

The steering wheel was a tad to the left while driving straight, and by the time I went around the cul-de-sac, the ESP warning light came on. I tweaked the tie rods so the steering wheel is perfectly flat now when the car is going straight, so that's fixed, but the ESP light is still on. I hooked up the VCDS but my laptop just sat there, so now I'm waiting for Luke to come home and help.

Not a very glamorous first drive. Boo Hoo. Well, at least the car didn't split in two.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> Well, at least the car didn't split in two.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I saw that movie when I was a kid, lol

Luke got the VCDS installed and we're printing the 76 page instruction manual. It might be a while before I can do anything with it...

Luke then demanded a ride and how could I refuse? It seems like the AWD is working even with the ESP off-line, because first, second, and 3rd gears are, um, "adequate" with no tire squeeling and no torque steer, and there's no way I could know that because I'd never do anything silly on a freshly built car that has no plates...


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## Michael Bee (Nov 4, 2004)

Freshly built car with no plates. 

Best line ever


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> Oooo, I wouldn't mind keeping that option in my back pocket. Do you have a link? I only saw rear adjustables for FWD Mk4 chassis, not R32 or 225 Quattro.


Many companies make and sell kits. Everything from Bilstein and H&R that cost more down to Solo Werks that are very inexpensive.
An example here from KW.... KW Variant 1 Coilover Kit for 2000-2006 Audi TT Quattro or Volkswagen Golf R32. (10280081)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Good news, on wet pavement the car launches clean and the ABS works. 

It's time for a DRIVING VIDEO!




There's no torque steer and hard braking is straight as an arrow 

A few more shakedowns to see if anything falls off, and here's where I'm at:


















Still a million things to do, including chase down the source of the milky deposits under the oil cap.

Edit: thanks for the coil-over link, not sure how I missed those


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Michael Bee said:


> no plates


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

ESP is intended to mainly prevent oversteer. And since I condone donuts, c'est la vie ESP!


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## jimmyspirits (Feb 5, 2013)

Fantastic video of the drive. Bravo. I though I read not too long ago that this was an automatic which clearly it is not. Spectacular build Eric. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

deathhare. said:


> I condone donuts


I am not opposed to donuts... do you know enough about these cars to confirm that I in fact have AWD even without the ESP working? Timbo says I should just do a donut to verify, but I guess I'm not ready for that...

@ Jimmy: thank you Sir. You might be thinking of the automatic 16V I made for Petra? Not only is this car stick, I keep forgetting it has 6 speeds, lol.


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## PunaVr6(Haole) (Sep 8, 2005)

I'm not a scirocco guy but I have been following this build since the beginning. Hands down one of the most crazy and unique builds at the moment on this creaky old dying site. I have to admit that when reading the first page, I thought this was gonna likely end up as a unfinished mess, only because it so crazy and ambitious and just one guy doing it in his garage. But after reading along for many pages it became apparent that I don't know anything about the builder and his abilities to pull this off. Truly an amazing effort and result! Also inspirational because I am just one guy in his garage as well... opens my mind to what is possible!

As for milky deposits under cap of 1.8t... is the factory PCV system still on there? The factory system is a mess of tubes, hoses and valves going everywhere with so many failure points and places to leak and suck in moisture or trap moisture that evaporates out of the crankcase. IIRC (it was like 10 years ago) my friend had this issue with his 1.8t mk4 until he removed the factory PCV mess and put in a catch can. That seemed to reduce the amount of moisture trapped in the system and no more milky residue under the cap. Maybe there's a bunch of moisture in yours from the engine sitting for a while?
At least I hope that is possibly it... would hate to see you need a head gasket job or new engine after all that incredible work.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> I am not opposed to donuts... do you know enough about these cars to confirm that I in fact have AWD even without the ESP working?


You definitely have AWD without the ESP. 
Some Audi in the era of your car weren't even equipped with ESP and Audi didn't even release it till the late 90s. It does work well as I've driven my 2014 Allroad with it on and off and it makes a difference in traction control in the snow by a large amount. It reduces the power to your wheels when it detects they've lost traction. 
Its a modern thing though and many people dislike spirited driving with it. 
We're mk1 folks...we don't require such fancy things.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

deathhare. said:


> You definitely have AWD without the ESP.


_Phew!_ Thanks for that; I'd hate to go through all this and not have AWD because of a dumb mistake.

Aside from the shame of deleting items and _then_ researching what they do, I also found the idea of an electronic "nanny" a bit unsavory, in spite of the off-road excursions I've had...

@PunaVr6(Haole): thank you for the compliment. I don't think _anyone_ was confident when I first started, least of all me. Some were more vocal about that than others and there was even some open hostility, which is understandable.

I've been curious about a high-power/AWD mk1 since the 80's so I _had_ to try it at some point, knowing I might fail. I did accumulate knowledge over the years, but I hope it's also apparent throughout the thread that many others willingly offered their time, skills and resources. Without them I would have had serious problems.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Michael Bee said:


> Freshly built car with no plates.


Stick it to The Man!


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> Never mind all that; it's time for a DRIVING VIDEO!


Whoa! Pretty cool video. Congrats on the crazy project. But I knew from day one you'd make it to the end.

Also, lots of parking restrictions in your garage.


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

Just for clarification, the longitudinal sensor is used with AWD. It's not a major function, just a correction factor for highly dynamic events. Goes like this: if front wheels are spinning, then rear wheels speed sensors can be used to estimate vehicle speed (and front wheel slip target). But if there's so much power,or so little grip, that all the wheels spin then the integral of longituninal acceleration (math) is used to know how fast the car is going and how much the wheels are slipping. The basic function of the haldex is mostly mechanical.. ie the more difference in F/R slip= the more pressure built in the annular pump=more pressure on clutch pack. The electrics get involved with a bypass valve that lets it bleed off some or all of that clutch pack pressure.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

After multiple shakedowns the car is solid, the oil cap is clean, there are no other warning lights, it looks good in outside light, etc... so there's a lot for me to be thankful for.

I'm learning the VCDS and I have some preliminary findings and questions (bear with me, this is all new to me):

1) AutoScan yields some "implausible signal" codes that are easily dismissed (missing radio, etc...). Predictable and ignored. Overall, the small number of DTCs is great considering what's been done.
2) The only obvious "real" faults all fall under the ABS section, G85 for the steering position sensor. If I delete just the G85 code(s), the ESP light immediately goes out until I drive. I'll work through that, but to me that means the G85 is solely responsible for the ESP light. Correct?
3) Here's where I don't know if I'm even asking the right questions. Power is being held back; I would say mildly but discernably, and even driving straight on dry pavement.
4) The only code in the Engine section is from the missing airbag system. Can that cause reduced available power? If so, what is the work-around for other 1.8t-swapped mk1 cars?
5) The ESP light does _not_ appear to be caused by G200 or G251 codes reflecting the missing lateral and longitudinal acceleration sensors. I say that because I'm inexplicably not _getting_ those codes. Why not? Also, and this may relate to your post Ben, will the missing longitudinal sensor limit available power?


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Every time the left battery is disconnected or gets low on a Phaeton, the warning comes on and you clear it by driving in a figure 8. That doesn't work if the G85 needs calibration.

Not sure which brake version you have but I think the G85 calibration is similar on all TTs.

VW Golf (1J) Brake Electronics (MK20) - Ross-Tech Wiki 

or this

Audi TT (8N) Brake Electronics (MK60) - Ross-Tech Wiki 

For VCDS

You can modify the scan text file so it skips the controllers you don't care about. You can also delete cars you don't care about. 

Every time you update VCDS, you have to redo the file but if you saved a copy of your customized file, you can replace the new file. 

Modify the AUTOSCAN.TXT file for fun and profit! | Ross-Tech Forums

You can ignore intermittent faults. I always delete them. If they are "real" faults they will come back anyway.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

My VCDS ABS section heading shows MK60 and I downloaded the same calibration link you posted.

I'm calling my problem Soft Limp Mode because the Interwebz describes what I'm feeling: an exhilarating burst of boost that immediately peters out.

Along with this Soft Limp Mode and ESP illumination, the only DTCs I'm getting are:

17931 Crash signal from airbag controller
P1523 - 35 - 00 - implausible signal

00778 Steering angle sensor G85
003 mechanical failure - intermittent

00778 Steering angle sensor G85
008 implausible signal

I'd like to know if any of these will cause Soft Limp.

AFAIK the first code is because I deleted the airbags, so I can't do anything about that. For the second two codes, the first things are to calibrate the sensor and get the position reading with the wheel centered/check correct installation position. I'll do those ASAP.

I'm also still unclear why I don't have G200 or G251 from my missing acceleration sensors.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

As you probably know, computers test what they are programmed to test. If the steering angle sensor is faulty, the computer may not be able to properly test the speed sensors [accel/yaw]. In other words, how does the car know you are driving straight? The steering angle sensor would be an ideal way to confirm that. If the computer cannot determine if the car is driving straight, you could not confirm if the accel or yaw sensor is reading properly. Yeah, you would think there would be a code if the sensors are unplugged, but you and I are not the software designer.

Not certain how VW does their safety systems, but I could see that if the ESP system is not working properly, then there could be a reduced power from the engine. I know that Mercedes would certainly do that as well as give you a code indicating there was a communication issue with the ESP system. 

Using the Rosstech, I would monitor the signals to the engine. Watch the boost, ignition timing, fuel mixture, and throttle opening. Many times there is an actual value and a specified value. When everything is working well, those values should be similar. 

I've never seen an SRS light cause a power problem. I did have one time that an engine would not start after an accident. There was a code in the engine computer. Basically it indicated that the vehicle was in an accident and turned off the engine. I had to confirm that the engine was safe to start and when this was done, the computer would allow the engine to start. This would not be on your car, it's too old.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You are at the place where many projects start to slow down and interest is lost. Have faith and work out the small bugs that will come your way. I suspect there is someone that could 'tune' the engine to ignore any ESP signals. Yeah, I understand that tuning is not what you want to do, but if the ESP is causing the power problem, then you'll have to do something.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

*IT WORKS!!! HAHAHAHOLYISHT! IT WORKS!!! *_cough_
It's snowing but there's no way I was gonna wait till who-knows-when-it'll-dry-out. When I first attempted the steering calibration, it wouldn't even let me try. I fumbled with VCDS and eventually found that the sensor reading with the wheels straight ahead was 361 degrees. Turns out I taped the ring centered while the car was apart, but a full turn off 

The pavement is wet so I didn't go nuts, but the car seems to have full power and traction control. Even blasting off in first gear on a wet curve is completely seamless. Friggen incredible!

The dash has no warning lights:








(I need to fix the date/time)

I ran another Autoscan, and this is all there is:

















The airbag, outside temperature sensor, navigation, radio, and infotainment (whatever the ufck that was) are all deleted so those codes are predictable. There are no ABS or Haldex faults. I don't understand why I'm not getting G200/G251 faults, but I ain't complaining.
[Edit on 01/11/22: earlier TTs have three separate sensors: G200 (lateral), G251 (longitudinal), and G202 (yaw), but by '03 all three are in the one big sensor G419 which I retained, hence no DTCs for ESP/ABS. Better lucky than good...]

I can't friggen believe it!

@ Mark and everybody else: thanks for the encouragement, and Happy New Year!


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

Amazing ! it must be a blast. I am without a doubt very impressed with your build


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir. Never forget that Euclid on the rotisserie in your garage 15 years ago was a major inspiration. I've tabled this idea for 40 years nudging the planets into alignment and here we are _phew_! I'm glad I pulled the trigger because I don't think I could do it anymore if 5 more years passed.

But, no rest for the weary! I need to shore stuff up. One of the things Luke checked on our test ride is whether air flows into the cabin. I'd read somewhere that there's negative pressure above the hood slots, and I can now vouch that this is not the case. Even at 30mph there's noticeable wind into the passenger foot well through the hole in the rain tray.

So the plan is a simple manifold with hoses feeding the 4 dash vents. If that's inadequate, a 911 blower motor looks flat enough to fit in the rain tray, but I can already say with confidence (?) that I'm not doing that.

Two hoses and two "Y" connectors, 12555/2503


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## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

Looks like a spy shot of something VAG skunkworks was hobbling together and later scrapped to conceal all knowledge of future Quattro vehicles to come.











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## TBerk (Oct 9, 2000)

echassin said:


> *IT WORKS!!! HAHAHAHOLYISHT! IT WORKS!!! *_cough_
> <snip>
> Friggen incredible!
> 
> ...


Dr. FrankenBerk is suitably humbled by your accomplishments, so far,
& tips his hat in the general direction of the mid-West. 

(Pops, he of the Citroen campaigning and Linear Accelerator Engineering fame was from Chicago btw...)

Well done all around.

I thought to address the perceived wheel gap issue (there really isn't one, the current ride height speaks to a certain Mad Max aggressiveness), by going a bit wider on the tires and upping the circumference +One. A little taller sidewall will address the aesthetics (but will likely need a re-calibration, what with all that computerization tied to the AWD...)

I just spent this New Years Day educating every and anybody who passed within reach what a Scirocco was/is, who Giorgetto Giugiaro IS, and what a Job _this_ project represents.

btw, I found yer hidden '1st Drive' video, don't be so modest next time:
Haters not gonna believe, but trust...


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## n3nyongmini (May 18, 2009)

Congrats - not sure how you found the time to do this but you should be proud.

Back in the day this would be a cover/centerfold in Hot VW.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

^^^ Maybe one of the e-mags will catch wind of this thing, we'll see. I'll wager that anyone who wants to know about the car already does, and if it's only a handful of people, so be it.

Anyhoo, the punchlist on this car includes some silly things, to wit: I need a windshield wiper because one of the local suburbs has a $750 fine for violation _yikes_. The cowl has no provision for said wiper, so I ordered hardware to attach an arm using a large plastic-coated N52 magnet with provision for a bolt. It has about 100 lbs clamping force, but it can be wrangled loose to return the car to a minimalist status. The front plate will also have discreet quick-release for similar reasons.

Edit: not much work being done on the car otherwise: Marlene is suddenly bleeding residual fuel pressure into the cylinders so I gotta dig into the metering setup, change the oil, etc...

12625/2504


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Eric, are you aware of the "hide a plate" deals that some people run on the front? No plate, hit a button and out comes the plate. Would work for this I would think.


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## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

n3nyongmini said:


> Congrats - not sure how you found the time to do this but you should be proud.
> 
> Back in the day this would be a cover/centerfold in Hot VW.
> 
> ...


Ahem … European Car magazine 


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The front plate needs to be KISS principle so wing nuts.

Craig came by and weighed the car with 5 gallons of gas in it:








The scales are set up for circle track racing if the numbers seems confusing Total weight is 2623 lbs, so I'll say 2600 lbs with just enough gas to start the engine. Rear is 36.4% so only the front end is carrying almost 2/3 of the weight. The car's not as light or as well balanced as I wanted, but for a first try at this kind of build, not terrible IMO.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

_Sips morning coffee_

Turns out curb weight is with a full tank so I'm 2680lbs with 263hp. A 2003 TT 225[hp] Quattro is 3274lbs so I took off 594lbs and added 38hp. I estimated 0-60 here: 0-60 Calculator | Calculate 0-60 Times and got 5 seconds. With only one gallon of 100 Octane, the last setting on the APR, and a smaller good driver, it drops to 4.4 seconds which I'll call the car's potential, but not in the real world. Kudos to any car in the 2 second range. Wow.

This car's weight _does_ make sense if I estimate anything that adds to an A1 VW, and which can't be pared down:
2 layer floor with beefy rocker panels and upper front frame rails vs single layer floor, standard rocker panels, no upper frame rails +200lbs
Front and rear subframes vs true unibody +100lbs
6-speed with AWD differential vs 020 FWD +100lbs
20Vt vs 8V NA +100 lbs
Center drive, rear transfer case, rear axles vs rear torsion beam +100lbs
Beefy underpinnings and brakes +100lbs
Total 700lbs

The Stepchild went on a similar diet and it weighs 2000 lbs, which might be 1900 if it were a mk1. Adding 700 lbs to it would yield 2600 lbs, which is what this car weighs. $$$ stuff like carbon body panels, an aluminum center shaft and a gutted interior might get another 200 pounds off.

Based on this experience, even with a huge budget there's no way to build a street-able AWD Mk1 Scirocco at less than 2400lbs, and it would look like a$$.

Anyhoo, today I get plates, registration and insurance.


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## Hellgate (Dec 29, 2016)

What's is going to be insured as? VW, Audi, VW Group?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Lol. So here's what I did: I went in, and without showing anything, figuring I could just walk out and try elsewhere, I asked to inquire "off the record" and explained what the car is.

I'm left with the distinct impression that Illinois (fiscally the worst state in the U.S.) is interested only in the $470 fee because I already have registration for a black 1979 Volkswagen Scirocco 2-door coupe, mileage unknown. 

The car has plates, and title is on its way .


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

It is funny how business/government works. Sometimes they will spend millions to fine someone $100. I always go into a situation like that and just give them the information so they can check the boxes. The faster they check those boxes, the faster you are out. Most of the time, employees just want to say 'Next'.

Glad things worked out. Let's just hope you do not get into any real accident. I suspect there will be a lot of explaining to do.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

All jokes aside, my impression is that in Illinois, as long as one isn't messing with the VIN to hide an auto theft or an emissions failure, they don't mind this type of project. It makes sense because I'm not the first person to make a car out of several others, and we don't have inspections like in other places (with some of the beaters on our roads, I'd prefer we _did_ have inspections...)

Scott has a Manx Dune Buggy he made from two Beetles, and it has a home-made VIN tag rivetted to it that reflects the donor for which he had a title. I thought he'd have to get something that says it's a scratch-built car, but Illinois calls it a 1969 VW Beetle 2-door coupe mileage unknown, even though the thing looks nothing like a Beetle and the VIN tag is clearly DIY. Since my car looks exactly like a Scirocco, I'll bet I'm not worse off than any other 1.8t-swapped Scirocco even if Heaven Forbid I crash the thing.


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

I’d second that one. Less is more. It’s a 79 Scirocco. How much for my tags etc? 

That’s all you need to know. I doubt they’d even understand what the hell you’re talking about.


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

Effort post incoming: Speaking as a (former) Pennsylvania Enhanced Vehicle Inspection technician, the laws of PA anyway 

§ 175.66 Lighting - Antique Vehicle Lighting Exemption - An antique vehicle, if operated exclusively between the hours of sunrise to sunset and not during periods of reduced visibility or insufficient illumination, is exempt from requirements of this section except requirements pertaining to stop lamps (PA defines antique vehicles as 25 years or older) - You're good for deleted markers!

§ 175.70. Windshield Washers - A windshield washer system shall be installed and in safe operating condition on passenger cars and light trucks manufactured after 1968. oops.

§ 175.71 Windshield Wipers - your car would fail for the wiper thing. It has to actually operate and clean to pass the PA inspection.

§ 175.76 - Horn - does your car have a horn? I think a loud insane Scirocco owner can be easily heard 200ft away though!

§ 175.76 Body - (e) Fender Flares A vehicle may be equipped with fender flares not to exceed 3 inches. Hmm i'll let this one slide because they are beautiful

As far as emissions go - you still have the entire original evaporative emissions system from the TT, including the gas cap. This system far exceeds the requirements of a 1979 Scirocco lol. You have no malfunction indicator lamp, or stored diagnostic trouble codes. Since this vehicle is made before 1996, it would normally have to do a dyno test, BUT since it has AWD, it is EXEMPT!  Even if there was an AWD dyno, it would pass easily though because the Audi's emissions are orders of magnitude better.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Oh well; when my estate sells it, it'll be listed "for off-road-use only", just like half the aftermarket isht sold in the U.S. for street cars.

Plates are on:

















The rear is bolted with standoffs and foam along the bottom to protect the paint. The front is attached to the bumper with wing bolts so I can twirl them off easily.

Front and rear glass are locked in with 14 gauge wire, pressed into the slots made for the aluminum trim:


















Rain tray manifold out of ABS plastic that'll feed the vent hoses:

















The peculiar layout is to clear the hood hinge.

It goes over this hole:









Installed:









When the hoses get here, it should be quick work to hook them up:










Wing bolts with black plastic handles, 12635/2508


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

echassin said:


> The rear is bolted with standoffs and foam along the bottom to protect the paint. The front is attached to the bumper with wing bolts so I can twirl them off easily.
> 
> Front and rear glass are locked in with 14 gauge wire, pressed into the slots made for the aluminum trim:
> View attachment 145531


I like that you have two heads in this picture. Two heads *is* better than one, you know.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)




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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

This just blows my mind Eric, Job well done sir.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

echassin said:


> _Sips morning coffee_
> 
> Turns out curb weight is with a full tank so I'm 2680lbs with 263hp. A 2003 TT 225[hp] Quattro is 3274lbs so I took off 594lbs and added 38hp.


That works out to less than 200hp at the wheels. Don't need AWD for that.
Gonna have to turn up the boooooost!


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## petethepug (May 25, 2001)

No hvac? What about heated & cooled seats?







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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Tsk tsk, you guys have _not_ been paying attention.

Yesterday while I was working on the vent manifold, I realized I could bend the knee a _little _by making a "street-legal-quick-release-kit" that sits on a platform in the rain tray, and that can be installed and removed with two wing nuts. It would include a horn, a wiper/washer, a little tank of fluid, its own 3S lipo battery with protection, and a wireless fob. A 1/4" wiper shaft with a rubber sleeve would fit through a hood slot, so there'd be no indication of the kit when it's removed, not even wiring. I'd just need to remember to remove the wiper blade before opening the hood... Then again, it wouldn't even be installed most of the time, just the rare times I actually drive the car 

With that, the car would be absolutely street legal in all states, until I discover that it isn't 

This is just reference for me:








Universal Windshield Wiper Motor Kit Hotrod Street Rod Jeep 12V STAINLESS -NEW | eBay


Stainless Windshield Wiper Motor Kit. Motor: Wiper Motor. Application: Universal, Will fit any Vehicle. Finish: High Grade Stainless Steel. Kit Includes Overall Width: 2.265". Thread Pitch: 9mm -. 75.



www.ebay.com


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

That adjustable wiper motor is really cool!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

First time out of the subdivision, to get gas:








As awkward as the angle of the pipe is with respect to the quarter panel skin, the nozzle does fit all the way.

Aaaand home in one piece:









Every time I take it out, I go over the car thoroughly afterwards, akin to what one might do with a new airplane.

The rear camber is within spec but visually it's too much, and rear tow-in is a little over spec, so I added adjustable rear arms to the shopping list, starting just with the lowers and go from there.

12907/2508


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Eric, that thing looks ufcking amazing. 
So, it's looking like we will, in fact, meet this car at Cincy this summer?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir.

I'm optimistic about Cincy. Tim has offered to load up his Country Scirocco with everything we'd need to do a full road-side restoration [minus paint], plus nothing's gone wrong on the various test drives _knocks wood_.

So far, passengers have been surprised by the acceleration but I confess it's not as much as I expected. Hopefully it's only because it's devoid of the drama we're used to with boosted FWD mk1s, but I think not. At Cincy, I'd like one of you gurus to help me with the laptop/VCDS so we can see what the engine parameters are while accelerating.

I should also look into the APR tune; I assume it's set for 93 octane but I haven't checked. It's all done through the cruise control switches and judging by the number of times I need help with my Smart Phone, that just seems like the kind of thing I'd botch...

I'm still brain-building a street-legal-rain-tray-module, but for now I have most of the bits to tide myself over with a dummy windshield wiper. I bought N52 Rare Earth magnets and it looks like they'll work.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

I'm envisioning some informal time trials..... Ben's car, the Audi, others.....


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The runway would be the only place I'd be willing to even consider that, but Daun has been _very_ clear that this can't happen. In fact, with just the mention of the runway, I anitcipate his Spidey Sense is tingling, and he will post in 5- 4- 3- 2- 1- to, ah, vigorously re-confirm that.

That being said, I _do_ recall and exception was made when the New Scirocco and the DuoRocco were both present at the same time _pensively strokes chin_


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

I specifically didn't say Cincy, very much aware of the restrictions we need to follow. 
However, there's got to be an acceptable and legal venue somewhere nearby.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Well, that only leaves drag strips and I don't think I'd go to those lengths; I can easily imagine testosterone/adrenaline taking over and a connecting rod coming through my firewall...


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

echassin said:


> The runway would be the only place I'd be willing to even consider that, but Daun has been _very_ clear that this can't happen. In fact, with just the mention of the runway, I anitcipate his Spidey Sense is tingling, and he will post in 5- 4- 3- 2- 1- to, ah, vigorously re-confirm that.
> 
> That being said, I _do_ recall and exception was made when the New Scirocco and the DuoRocco were both present at the same time _pensively strokes chin_


 I also recall that, ah, incident. However, it didn't happen at Moraine Airpark - that was when we were still meeting at the Yeagley house, and they used the airstrip next door for the run.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

According to Google Maps, there is a dragstrip 19 miles from Moraine Airpark.


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

cuppie said:


> - that was when we were still meeting at the Yeagley house, and they used the airstrip next door for the run.


can confirm, was there.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

My dummy windshield wiper is a fail. Harumph.

A windshield wiper, and I'm sure this will be as much of a surprise to everyone else as it was to me, has a huge so-called "lever arm", and a magnet which seems _very_ strong is in fact very _weak_ when it has a huge so-called "lever arm" acting against it. I mean, who knew?

I'll try the next idea, an easily installed/removed functioning wiper which is driven through one on the hood slots. It'd better work because I really like the smoothed cowl.

Edit: I played with choosing APR programs and it's not a bad process. I left it on the 93 octane setting until I run this tank down, then I'll try 100 octane. APR's website says I have to run the tank dry until the engine stalls which sounds like a PIA. I guess one tosses in a gas can full of the desired new octane after the car dies, then go fill up?


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Lots of lawyer talk but I would not run it dry. Run it as low as you feel comfortable. Install the high octane stuff, just a gallon or two. Drive it again until it's low again. Top it up from there.

You probably mentioned but like others, we are too lazy to search but I thought it was your intention to not have wipers. Why so much effort now? I understand the financial loss for not having one [ie ticket] but is the cops in the area that strict? It rains a lot here and I've worked on many cars without functioning wipers. It's not that impossible to drive.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Smart way to do the gas, thanks.

I really _don't_ want the wiper and I let myself go down a rabbit hole. I don't plan to get the car wet but IMO wipers aren't usually needed if the windshield has RainX on it.

Plus, the absent wiper might go un-noticed because some cars have them hidden under the hood line.


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

Hey Eric. Check your email. I may have the seats you need 


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Tim: yessir, thank you Sir.

I got the adjustable rear arms today, OEM on top, new on the bottom:








The pair of new arms weighs 1.5 lbs more so we're going in the wrong direction here lol.

I had them on the car in a jiffy:









They're like giant turn-buckles so you can just twiddle with them without even jacking, roll the car back-and-forth to settle everything, measure, and repeat till happy.

I went with 0.2 degrees toe-in, which is in spec, and -0.3 degrees camber, which is less than spec. The way the rear valence is shaped, if the tires are much off vertical, the suspension looks like it's worn and sagging. Handling seems identical but then again, I don't have a discerning palate.

Edit: BTW, you can see the Stepchild in the background because I had to bring it home. It's just in the way so if anyone wants it, LMK: Meet my red-headed stepchild!


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## tayfunisikli (12 mo ago)

TheTimob said:


> That adjustable wiper motor is really cool!


Hello can u hep me ı wanna this font? how can ı get it?


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

tayfunisikli said:


> Hello can u hep me ı wanna this font? how can ı get it?


Probably the best place to get the Scirocco font is from a Mk1 doorsill. It would be the largest of all the Mk1 font logos.


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

It’s not a font you can find. I’ve tried. I created custom artwork to create my own. 


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## tayfunisikli (12 mo ago)

canaryroc85 said:


> It’s not a font you can find. I’ve tried. I created custom artwork to create my own.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


wow. One body should will create this font


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

I think the Scirocco badges are the only places it's used.

It may be used on other VW model badges of the same generation, but I never paid any attention.

As far as I know, the Scirocco 2 font is also unique.

The VOLKSWAGEN badge is a different font. I think that's a standard font.


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## BennyB (Mar 27, 2000)

I wonder if a neural network (AI) could recreate the rest of the letters. It's good at that kind of pattern matching work.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Or you guys could use a pencil and a piece of paper. You know, because that's how it was done in the first place 40 years ago, and believe it or not, those things are still available


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

Yeah, the characters are all rounded at the top and bottom. Sideways barrel shaped. My kitchen cabinets are the same way. They are also ALL CAPS and in Italics. 

Here is a bottom:
͜ 

Here is a top:

͡

You can put them together:

͜͡

I think they are called ellipses but I am not sure. You can draw them with a French Curve.

You can also find them in Drafting Templates.

VW only used that font for the SCIROCCO (and possibly other model's) badge.

I think anything that says "Scirocco" should have the correct font (depending on generation) and some aftermarket companies didn't bother or got the generations wrong.


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

echassin said:


> Or you guys could use a pencil and a piece of paper. You know, because that's how it was done in the first place 40 years ago, and believe it or not, those things are still available


Thank you Eric for your humor about Scirocco fonts cluttering what is arguably, the most EPIC Scirocco thread ever.

And apologies for my contribution.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I got no beef with chatter, I like the company. It's just that I lol'd when Ben suggested using Artificial Intelligence to draw some letters 

Edit: the ducts arrived so I hooked 'em up:








This is for the three vents to the right of the instrument pod. The fourth one got its own duct because the driver should get preferential air allocation. Actually it was just simpler to run a single duct over the steering column and no Y connectors to fiddle with.

Center vents:









Rain tray manifold in the background, and right side vent at the top of the picture:









Without a blower this won't blast in anyone's face but it definitely brings fresh air into the cabin. That isn't a bad thing in case some carbon monoxide sneaks it's way in. It'd be nice to be in the car and not, you know, _die_.


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

The mis-matched font always bothered me, so I adapted some badges.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

You've got me pondering options for my bare trunk lid, maybe "_SCIROCCO_" on the left, and "_1.8T QUATTRO_" on the right? All black of course. Luke says he could 3D print them


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I splurged on some bling:








VW Golf Jetta Quantum Rabbit Scirocco Set of Front Outside Door Handles w/ Keys | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VW Golf Jetta Quantum Rabbit Scirocco Set of Front Outside Door Handles w/ Keys at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



www.ebay.com




I've re-keyed cylinders before but I'm feeling lazy and maybe black will look better, IDK.

Also:








Genuine VW Scirocco 2009- Rear Label Badge Emblem | eBay


VW Scirocco 2009-. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PURCHASING CORRECT PART! Linked vehicles.



www.ebay.com












1- NEW 1.8T 3D Adhesive Rear Chrome Emblem Badge fits vw jetta gti 19mm 1.8T RED | eBay


Installation instructions are included. •Make / Model : All VW.



www.ebay.com












Audi Red Black Quattro Emblem Rear Liftgate Adhesive Logo Lid Badge | eBay


Freshen up the look of your beloved Audi with our Premium QualityRed Black "quattro " Badge Rear Trunk Emblem for most Audi Sport Models. It will make your already sporty Audi even more special and personalized.



www.ebay.com


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> You've got me pondering options for my bare trunk lid, maybe "_SCIROCCO_" on the left, and "_1.8T QUATTRO_" on the right? All black of course. Luke says he could 3D print them


This guy will do what you want, with the font you want. He has the correct MK1 Scirocco font and all the other VW fonts too. I had a custom set made from him and they look great.









The Badge Badger


The Badge Badger. 1,649 likes · 14 talking about this. I'm that guy you heard about that makes custom badges for your vehicle! YAY, you found me. Let's make something cool!




www.facebook.com













TheBadgeBadger - Etsy


Shop Artistic designs, custom, bespoke or existing. by TheBadgeBadger. Smooth shipping! Has a history of shipping on time with tracking. Speedy replies! Has a history of replying to messages quickly. Rave reviews! Average review rating is 4.8 or higher.




www.etsy.com


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ah, I already bought the other badges but those are nice.

I also ordered the appropriate stickers for the engine bay, driver door jamb, and fuel door.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Shoot. Grant called and warned me that the door handles I ordered are indeed for a Scirocco...

...but only a mk2.

Modifying them to work on a mk1 is a lot of trouble just to get rid of some chrome, and I know it's a longshot, but if anyone has a set of black "S" handles to spare, LMK.


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## scirocco*joe (Feb 23, 2002)

I was going to suggest the old school font, but with badges in vinyl. I did this for my 16V and emulated the UK Scirocco Storm.


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

I may have an extra set of black, S door handles Eric. I will be back from the east coast next week. Last I remembered, I had everything NOS to put on the outside of my 81S - including NOS red stripe trim. If I have door handles, you would be welcome to my original ones.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Craig: another regular PM'd me to tell me he has a set, but that I can't have them, naana-naana-boo-boo, stick yer head in doo-doo, SMH. So to you, willing to part with yours, a big Thank You! 

No rush, and if you in fact have them, LMK what they're worth plus cost of shipping to 60527.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yesterday I removed unused relays and fuses, and I labelled the rest to make things clear:








After that, the electric coolant pump wasn't running, and I realized #5, described as a fuse for useless stuff, is also for the pump. It's probably because I have the diagram for an earlier TT . The bundle of wires on the right side of the lower relay panel is for the wiper functions and I'll leave those in case the whole wiper-less thing doesn't work out. Other than that, while this ain't no '59 Beetle, it's pretty tidy and should be easy to maintain.

I've driven the car about 60 miles so I've been flooring it more. While doing that yesterday, the RPMs unmistakably and suddenly started to climb during shifts. It turns out the ECU needs to know when you de-clutch under boost, and my clutch switch is intermittent. No CEL or DTC, so this is another example of how great it is to have all the knowledge in the world available on laptop; I wouldn't have figured that out on my own, and the real thing is already on its way .

I took Scott for a ride and he wasn't worried, which is the best endorsement I can get as a DIY-er. He inspected things a few times while I was mating the cars and he said I was overdoing it (especially the rockers, so you're not alone Grant ). I still figured the best way for him to prove his sincerity was to go for a ride.

The door cards started to rattle and I found some of the tabs had broken away, so JB Weld didn't work. I redid them with ShoeGoo, which is really strong and stays flexible, hopefully that'll do it.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Yeah, computers are great. My advice, drive it often with the laptop hooked up. Get used to good values. If you have a good memory, when you do have a problem, you will know something is not right by just looking at the numbers. 

MAF readings is one of those numbers.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, I'm hoping the Cincy crowd will help me with that ^^^


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Just be careful of the law. They do not take kindly of laptop usage while driving. 

The first time I got pulled over, I told the police about me diagnosing the problem and he just basically told me to tell the judge. It's funny that my law allows certain people to use 'electronic devices' while driving but they forgot to add technicians trying to fix cars.

I did contact my elected official and I did get a call from the State Patrol office. She told me the only reason why she called was because she never heard of this. Her answer was to get two people to figure out what is going on. That would be a lot like two people playing video games. One to watch the screen and one to operate the controls. I expected nothing from my government and was totally floored that someone responded to my concern.

When my case came to court, it was dismissed before anything happened. My lawyer was puzzled and I suspect it had something do to with my phone call.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Two people was my plan, mainly because I'm still painfully slow navigating VCDS....


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Pain? Try backing up your 5th wheel with your wife's help.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The new clutch switch is genuine VW/Audi and it's noticeably bulkier:








It supercedes the original so it looks like they improved it  

The "Scirocco" badge won't be here for a while because it's for the new version of the car and it's coming from Europe. I did get the other badging:








Nothing too blingy but if you got the goods, you might as well show it.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The clutch switch did the job and de-clutching under boost no longer causes revving.

Next on the to-do list is to chase squeaks, rattles, and clunks. The only squeak was the hatch latch, and the only rattle was the driver door card where I had to re-do the failed clips. That was easy!

Alright, the clunks: I have slightly worn inner tie rod and I found a NOS replacement, so that's a no-brainer even though it cost _gasp_ _grabs chest_ dollars.

So that leaves all the TTY bolts, which are known to cause subframe/suspension clunks if re-used. _I _re-used them temporarily on the assumption that I would be disassembling things repeatedly, but now it's time to replace them. For those who re-use TTY bolts, I get it: on the one hand, just replace the bolts because they're only a few bucks. OTOH, replacing them all with NOS just cost me almost $300! Ouch.

I also ordered upper adjustable rear arms, not because I need them, but the aesthetic mismatch between the OEM uppers and the adjustable lowers is an eyesore.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I rarely replace bolts. Rod bolts, newer diesel injector hold down bolts, and some headbolts I do. I've probably never replaced more bolts than everyone on the planet. I know, I have life experience. I also reuse locking nuts.

If you have twisted enough bolts, you can tell when the bolt is stretching before it breaks. The trick is to know when that happens and know, that bolt has had a good life and must be replaced.

More proof that I'm a butcher.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

You're probably right, but I'd crumble under the weight of collective judgment if I fail to replace them.

That, and if I ask for help solving the front end clunk, the first question I'll be asked is whether I re-used the bolts...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Without a doubt. Some of the reasons why I purposely reused bolts. Just to see what happens. Not suggesting that you do or do not, just sharing proof that with my experience, nothing happens [except when warranty finds out there are no bolts charged out, that the claim gets debited].

I do know that if you do not tighten a rod bolt properly [just the initial torque, no additional angles], it does try to escape out of the block after a couple weeks. Just saying.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

So you were able to re-install the bolt through the new access hatch in the side of the block?

When I was a kid, I re-used TTY head bolts until I found out I wasn't supposed to, and nothing ever happened.


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

echassin said:


> So that leaves all the TTY bolts, which are known to cause subframe/suspension clunks if re-used. _I _re-used them temporarily on the assumption that I would be disassembling things repeatedly, but now it's time to *replace them*.


just my .02 cents though.

i say this coming from the OEM parts side though eric. 

the manufacturer (VWoA) can totally decline a warranty repair if all the one-time use hardware has not been replaced. and they will p-o-r-e over a repair order (along with the technician's repair manual) to find every last single nut/bolt/washer.

but hey that's just from a manufacturer's liability point and i get it.

have i replaced all the one-time fasteners on my bucket?

only the super-critical as @Butcher mentioned.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Marlene's cooling system has been busting my balls but at least I got the last emblem from Lithuania:









I've done 85 miles and the only new DTC was an intermittent brake switch, so that's on order. Two of them actually because the first one I ordered is URO and it shipped before I caught it...


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

That looks great! Subtle nod to the more modern drivetrain.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I believe there is an adjustment on that brake switch. If it is not adjusted correctly it will set that code.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I broke it getting it off... For the new one, do you know how it adjusts? don't see anything obvious like a depth change when rotating the actuator rod.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Butcher said:


> I believe there is an adjustment on that brake switch. If it is not adjusted correctly it will set that code.


Yeah they're self-adjusting I believe. Pull it all the way out and the first press of the pedal will set its travel.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I may be wrong, but if it is 1C0 945 511A, there is an adjustment procedure. Worth searching. I just don't do enough VW/Audi stuff to say for certain.

Usually with the newer vehicles, the reason for two switches is redundancy for diagnosis. If there is a brake pedal travel sensor, if the control unit see the pedal move without the brake switch being activated, then there is a problem. Sets a code.


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## rgti83 (Jan 28, 2020)

echassin said:


> After multiple shakedowns the car is solid, the oil cap is clean, there are no other warning lights, it looks good in outside light, etc... so there's a lot for me to be thankful for.
> 
> I'm learning the VCDS and I have some preliminary findings and questions (bear with me, this is all new to me):
> 
> ...


Hey Eric. This may be a dumb question, one has already been answered as this is a month old. But.. as the former owner of.. well some of the car. Are you cycling the APR software to 93 octane any time the battery is reset or disconnected? I would often forget to reset it. Going from 93 back to stock it will definitely feel held back


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'll search the switch adjustment thing.

Ref. APR: The first time I fiddled with it a few weeks ago, it was still set at 93 (263hp), so I assumed it had kept its previous setting even with the battery out. Seeing that this may not be the case, I'll look into it again. There's a place here that sells 100 octane so I plan to try that setting also, apparently it moves the hp up to 277.

Edit: researching the switch shows that failure causes not only the code, but also causes a soft limp mode, maybe that's contributing to that sense I got of waning boost after the initial rush. We'll see. Installation procedure seems to depend on the switch brand, BTW.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

The adjustment is simple. Its like I described above.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, I ordered the "square" version which sets itself once it's clocked into position with the pedal at rest vs the OEM "round" version which needs to be installed with the pedal depressed and auto-adjusts when the pedal is released. AFAIK I got the DTC because I re-installed the OEM switch without depressing the pedal, and then I broke the housing while fiddling with things. This would all explain why I had the DTC even though the switch still ohms out OK.

I read on one site that the switch DTC limits boost to 10 psi, so hopefully when I install the new part, it'll free up more horsepowerz.

On a lighter note, while sipping my morning coffee a ways back, I found a bunch of those regulatory stickers online:



































I did this as another way to increase horsepowerz (as opposed to the liberal use of gold paint on engine bits). I was pleasantly surprised that the stickers came from Macedonia. Apparently that's not just a historical place, it still exists on Earth somewhere with people and everything; more evidence of how the Internet connects us all.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

I love your maniacal attention to detail!


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> On a lighter note, while sipping my morning coffee a ways back, I found a bunch of those regulatory stickers online:
> View attachment 157123
> 
> 
> ...


That would be Darko  He can do you a new VIN sticker as well if you ask ( he did the ones I posted on the blue car thread ) looking good boss.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Aright, the new brake switch solved the DTC and the car isn't doing that intermittent soft-limp mode.

I definitely get pushed back with boost but there's zero wheel spin when I floor it, even in 1st. I confess it's really anti-climactic.

I'm wondering about my 10% decrease in rolling diameter; is it possible that the longitudinal accelerometer is measuring real speed accurately enough to discern a 10% difference from what the Vehicle Speed Sensor in the gearbox is reading mechanically? If that were the case, the car would think all four wheels are always slipping, and would limit power. Not sure what could be done about that and I'm open to ideas...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

The longitudinal speed sensor does not measure actual speed, it just measures if you are going fore or aft. How fast is measured by the speed sensors in the wheel hub. I suspect the VSS is just for the speedometer, but that is just a guess.

The ABS/ESP [or whatever alphabets that VW uses] needs to know if you are going fore/aft and at what force [Longitudinal sensor], if you are spinning on your axis [Yaw sensor], if the car is turning left or right [lateral sensor], what the wheel rotation is/isn't [wheel speed sensors], and what the drivers intention is [steering wheel sensor]. Using all those signals, as well as the throttle/brake pedal sensors, the control unit can see what you are seeing. With all the abilities that the system has, it does it's best to keep you going in the direction you want to and to keep the wheels from spinning.

The VSS sensor seem to be too unsophisticated for the ABS/ESP system to use. Way too slow in reaction for the system to use. I do not know how many poles the wheel speed sensor has, but the resolution is much more than the VSS.

Of course, this thought of mine is based on my MB/BMW experience. I could be way off base.


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## rgti83 (Jan 28, 2020)

echassin said:


> I'll search the switch adjustment thing.
> 
> Ref. APR: The first time I fiddled with it a few weeks ago, it was still set at 93 (263hp), so I assumed it had kept its previous setting even with the battery out. Seeing that this may not be the case, I'll look into it again. There's a place here that sells 100 octane so I plan to try that setting also, apparently it moves the hp up to 277.
> 
> Edit: researching the switch shows that failure causes not only the code, but also causes a soft limp mode, maybe that's contributing to that sense I got of waning boost after the initial rush. We'll see. Installation procedure seems to depend on the switch brand, BTW.


Any disconnect from the battery, and the APR will default back to stock. The TT had the full APR suite, stock,91,93,100 octane, and valet mode (never turned that one on). I did run the 100 octane on my GTI with APR, its worth every penny. I would drive down from Milwaukee to the speedway in Gurnee (736 Magnolia Ave Gurnee, IL) on google street view looks like its still there, but you may have something closer.
Also, before I sold the TT, I took off the Forge 008 diverter and put the stock back on as the down pipe was shot, I needed as little boost as possible. The stock valve will work with 93, but will bleed off earlier than you want. With the forge you can swap for harder or softer springs. I don't have much use for it in my in the beetle or vanagon. Let me know if its of interest.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Mark: so my 10% decrease in rolling diameter cannot be discerned by any of the car's systems? I did Youtube 500hp Quattros blasting off and they hardly leave any rubber either.

@ Ryan: I'd love to try the Forge if you're not using it, LMK what you want for it. My understanding is that the APR settings change the wastegate and allow higher boost, and I wonder if the stock diverter valve couldn't handle it. I sometimes hear a hiss (Edit: more of a "singing" sound) under hard acceleration and I wonder if it's the valve. I don't expect there'd be any sound from the wastegate and all of the charge piping is tight.


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## rgti83 (Jan 28, 2020)

echassin said:


> @ Mark: so my 10% decrease in rolling diameter cannot be discerned by any of the car's systems? I did Youtube 500hp Quattros blasting off and they hardly leave any rubber either.
> 
> @ Ryan: I'd love to try the Forge if you're not using it, LMK what you want for it. My understanding is that the APR settings change the wastegate and allow higher boost, and I wonder if the stock diverter valve couldn't handle it. I sometimes hear a hiss (Edit: more of a "singing" sound) under hard acceleration and I wonder if it's the valve. I don't expect there'd be any sound from the wastegate and all of the charge piping is tight.


If I recall, It was pretty quiet unless you were accelerating hard, that was really the only time I could hear it. The forge has a distinct sound, so you will know if thats it once you swap it.
The 710N is the stock valve, uses a diaphragm rather then a spring, but it "should" handle about 15lbs. That one may very well be original to the car, with all the heat it gets living right by the turbo, I wonder if its still can hold 15lbs. I went through 2 -710n valves on my GTI after getting APR before moving to the forge. I meant to through it in when you bought the car, but could not find it. I'll see what the shipping costs on the forge008.

If you want to lay down some rubber, you might want to check out a Haldex controller. Its similar to the system in a WRX-STI, it will let you turn it off completely or adjust the power ratio to the front or rear.





Haldex Controller for MK4 R32 and MK1 Audi TT (Gen1 Haldex)


The haldex AWD system on your car is a system that is not engaged full time. This plug and play controller allows your to customize your 1st generation haldex system to perform how you want it to. This controller i




www.shopdap.com


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I would suspect not. There is no reference speed signal.

Kinda like the Boeing's issue. There was one air speed indicator. Since they 'always' worked correctly, if the air speed was too low, the plane gathered enough speed until it ran out of space. Since we all know that computers are smarter than the average pilot, the computer was programmed to ignore the pilots input. You know, pilots are idiots. If there was two sensors, then it could figure out that maybe one of them is wrong. If computers trusted the pilot, then there would be more people alive.

I'm real certain Audi [or any other manufacture of that age] did not have a secondary way to determine the actual speed you are going. I do know for a fact, if you have different size tires [front to rear or left to right], at some point, the computer gets upset and will turn on warning lights. Usually that is around highway speeds. The computer 'thinks' that since some of the wheels are turning at different rates, that the wheel is slipping. It would attempt to fix that but at some point of time, it gives up and lights come on. Same way with the steering wheel. If all the wheel speeds are the same, you must be going straight. If the steering wheel is reading that you are at 180 degrees, the computer would question why are the wheels at the same speed. More lights come on. If all the wheels are turning the same speed, the computer should be happy. Obviously, there is some fuzzy logic built in.

Once you understand what the computer is trying to do, it's simple to get why it's doing that. 

Of course, coming from a butcher, I would confirm with others if I'm correct. I do know I'm correct with Mercedes.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

@ Riley: Thank you Sir, LMK. I don't need to lay rubber, I just want to know I'm getting all the power I'm supposed to, and I figured wheel spin is the cheapest way to find out.


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

Its making well less than 200hp at the wheels at the moment. With Quattro you can add another 100 and it still won't spin.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, even the 500hp cars doing burnouts were strapped down, which seems really abusive.

The highest I can expect is 277 at the crank, which works out to 220 whp assuming 20% losses and assuming I keep 100 Octane on hand. It's not huge but it's enough until I build confidence.

Hopefully that singing sound under boost is just the OEM diverter valve being strained by the APR's higher boost setting, and hopefully the Forge valve will solve that.

Edit: the title just came in today's mail, so the car is official


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## canaryroc85 (Jul 27, 2006)

Congrats man! Good to hear it’s legal now brother. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I just installed a Forge 008 Diverter valve and what a difference! It came with three springs to try depending on the tune: green (mild), yellow (moderate), and blue (extreme). I went with the yellow in anticipation of trying out the APR 100 Octane program, but even with the 93 octane program, the car has that ridiculous feeling we all enjoy from cars that are, well... ridiculous.

Pic of it installed doesn't show any more than in real life, which is a shame because it's billet aluminum and it's really nice:


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## rgti83 (Jan 28, 2020)

Nice! Is the noise gone? I only used the yellow, it's plenty stiff for 93 and 100 tunes. Next is a boost gauge!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The noise is gone, but it got replaced by other noises... That's fine because the old noise was like a dying goose vs now it's whooshes. I'll do another driving video ASAP.

No boost gauge because it would violate my spartan interior.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Minor updates: I'd omitted the rubber wedges from either side of the hood because IMO they're a rust source, but the hinges rattled badly and I had to rig up some foam blocks. Also, the engine sounds good when driving, but the idle has an unpleasant drone that I can't eliminate without a bigger rear muffler, which won't fit. It turns out VCDS can lower the idle, and it didn't hurt any since I don't have A/C or PS. I'm listing the steps for personal reference only:

Click Engine (01)
Click Adaptation (10)
For Channel, enter "01" and click "Read"
Enter a "New Value"; stock=128, lowest =123 (50 rpm change), highest=???
Click Save and exit VCDS

As promised:




A video doesn't provide G's and there's no tire-squeeling sounds, but all of second gear and all of 3rd gear takes 3-4 seconds with the nose of the car rising nicely under acceleration .

Nice picture of my little Land Missile in flattering lighting:








The tires fling crud all over the car, C'est La Vie! Considering the number of compromises I made to squeeze everything under the body, the result is Not. Too. Shabby. I like that the front brakes take advantage of every available millimeter inside the wheels.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I know, we are all different but it would look better if is was slightly lower. 

What an adventure it has been for you. I would love to take on a project like that, but sadly, there are so many other things that are on that list. It was interesting reading all the solutions to the problems that came your way.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Butcher said:


> ... but it would look better if is was slightly lower.


Nope.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> As promised:


Sounds good to me.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I like the front as-is, but IMO the rear should come down a wee tad bit.

Ref project: you just have to neglect everything else for two years, and then add all of the catching up into the budget...


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## California 16v (Jul 20, 2008)

Very 😎 driving video in your local neighborhood Eric, above (#1163) 🏁


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

echassin said:


> I like the front as-is, but IMO the rear should come down a wee tad bit.


That is what I was thinking. Somewhere between a tad and a wee tad.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Optimistic, was I ?

There are a 1/4" thick rubber donuts in the upper spring perches that I'll remove when I install the other two [upper] adjustable control arms. That should lower the rear 3/8" because of the way the swing arms are designed. At the same time I'll be able to narrow the rear track 1/2", because of the way rear tow-in is eliminated now (at the swing arm mounts) vs how the toe-in can be removed later, by shortening the four adjustable control arms.

It's small amounts, hopefully it'll be enough.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I anticipate re-doing the rear suspension next week; these are just the "before" pictures/measurements on a section of the driveway I know is flat:

















The rear wheel gap is 1/2" larger and the rear of the rocker is 1" higher; hopefully removing those rubber spring perch pads be an adequate improvement (and not cause too much clunking...)


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## 81MarsRedS (Apr 24, 2014)

Hi Eric, is Mr Black taller than Ms Red? 
Roof to Ground measurement.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir. The bottom of the rocker is 1.5" lower but the roof is 1.5" higher (hence the extra head room). That was all decided during the exploratory phase based on hood clearance.

The extra height, widened arches, bigger rockers, deeper airdam, all make the car noticeably bulkier, somewhere between an S with wide wheels and a kitted mk2. (Edit: I'd have preferred the body stay completely stock, but I didn't see any good options).


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

I haven't been keeping up on the progress, but finally getting caught up. Kudos! I would leave the isolators. On my tt I just bought the bilstein B12 series kit #7479-05997815 . It rides amazingly well, and really barely lowered the car. I assume with the reduced weight it would lower yours even less. I did find I needed to get both upper and lower adjustable rear bars to get the car aligned correctly. It took me for ever to align it. I didn't want heim joints as they only last a hand full of miles before rattling enough to be annoying. So I went with Gruven parts ureathane ones. Which I don't like that as an idea either but at least they have zerk fitting so you can grease them at oil changes. The adjustment of the upper bar is not fun to get to and when you tweek each bar it effects toe and camber at the same time. You have to go back and forth with each in small increments. Then since everything was new I put a few hundred miles on it for everything to settle then aligned it again. I know that was long winded but just wanted to share my experiance to hopefully benifit you. I can't imagine taking it to a shop and having them do the work, but when I worked at the shop we regularly took 3 or 4 hours for alignements at $100 an hour for multi adjustable German car suspensions.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I have the Heim arms; that and absent isolators should add nicely to the Road Warrior driving experience 

I took forever to align the rear with two adjustable arms, so I'm not looking forward to the process with four arms in play...


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

That turned out to be pretty quick, all four adjustable arms are on the car. I moved the swing arm brackets inboard all the way and adjusted the toe with the arms, which narrowed the track 1/4" each side (1/2" total). I shaved the isolators as thin as possible (I kept the center section to keep the springs from clunking), and that got the rear down 1/4".

It's not a big change but the slightly narrower wheel gap and a bit more tuck visibly improved things,

Yesterday:









Now:








It's not perfect but IMO it at least doesn't look anymore like somebody goofed something.

Edit, night picture, because why not:








The long term plan is to sell the two 16Vs and keep the three mk1s in the one section of the garage, then Petra and my neighbor can finally get their spots back. Petra was holding off getting a new car and now it looks like we'll be paying over MSRP because of that chip shortage; great timing...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Due to the shadowing and your black car, it's hard to distinguish there is a change but a 1/4 inch lower is the right direction. I'll give it a two thumbs up.


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## 94 SLC Storm (Sep 30, 2013)

echassin said:


> Flag mirror :
> View attachment 124867
> 
> 
> ...


 Wow I have to say I truly appreciate the huge restoration process and all the hard work that you put into this along with the full paint job respray you did on this MK1 Scirocco.
It looks absolutely flawless, beautiful paint job for sure! You should definitely consider sending this into PVW Volkswagen magazine I'm sure they would list it for you. Keep up the great work on this!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The paint has fisheyes but it presents well in spite of that. I assumed magazines did their thing by invitation only, but I Googled PVW and there is a submissions capability that I used. We'll have to see if it's worthy.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

echassin said:


> but I Googled PVW and there is a submissions capability that I used. We'll have to see if it's worthy.


It's absolutely worthy given the scope of the project and the outcome (not to mention your other awesome rides...wait I just mentioned it🤦‍♂️)!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Hoffa said:


> It's absolutely worthy given the scope of the project and the outcome (not to mention your other awesome rides...wait I just mentioned it🤦‍♂️)!


Thank you Sir, and it's good to see I'm not the only one guilty of Dad Humor 

After 130 miles driven, I got my first CEL today, and VCDS said I had a small evap system leak. I figured relocating the LDP pump must've damaged one of the hoses, but there was no gas smell under the hood. OTOH there was quite a stench coming from the filler door, and sure enough, the gas cap's O-ring was dry-rotted and broken.

The new O-ring was surprisingly expensive, but at least it's available separately so I can keep the OEM cap. That's good because judging from some listings I saw, a genuine Audi gas cap is worth one million dollars...

Edit: Castrol Edge 5W-30 (it was on the list of VW-507 spec oils, whatever that means), Mann filter.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> ... it was on the list of VW-507 spec oils, whatever that means ...


Oil specs, to help you stay awake at night.






Volkswagen Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org







www.oilspecifications.org


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## deathhare. (Apr 1, 2008)

The EVAP system is generally a constant source of CELs.
This is why its all normally thrown in a river.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

If I recall, a small leak is a lead around 5mb in 30 seconds. Good luck with that. I have a smoke tester and even with that, they are a pain if there really is a leak.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the oil reference. It turns out the TT225 specifies 503.01 (any 1.8t over 180hp), but 507 supersedes that, so it looks like I stumbled inadvertently on the correct oil.

Ref. EVAP delete: when this was first brought up, I liked the idea and found this thread DIY: Ultimate SAI/N249/PCV/EVAP Delete. That's how I'd want to do the delete and it's a lot of work. Add the Maestro software needed to defeat the resulting codes, and for now I prefer to hunt leaks. I've had the entire system out of the car and it's not complicated; basically a pump to pressurize everything, plus a solenoid valve to prevent venting during the self-test.

There's admittedly a lot of little fittings, but they're all exposed and easily inspected on my car. I'm not even opposed to buying the $80 smoke tester because I can use it on any other modern car we might have trouble with.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Back in the exploration phase of the project, I estimated that my rolling diameter would decrease 8%, so I manually set the speedo needle at 60, pried it loose, and pressed it back on at 55. Luke's Hyundai has a numeric readout so we drove the cars together and confirmed that my speedo is really close, especially from 45-65.

While we were at it, Luke took some quick-n-dirty video snippets, so this is the first time I've seen the car in the wild:




There's no sound for most of it because we were on the phone, but at 0:13, astute listeners will note Petra's slanderous comment. At 1:09, the moment the car appears to lunge forward briefly, that's a downshift in the 5-6k rpm range and full boost for a second or two.

As for how the car looks in motion: I'll live with the car's odd proportions, but there's still too much rake. My front strut bushings are saggy, so I ordered the harder ECS version to install when I do the loose tie rod and change out the original TTY bolts. We'll see if that helps.


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## mullantf (Apr 5, 2002)

echassin said:


> Back in the exploration phase of the project, I estimated that my rolling diameter would decrease 8%, <snip>


I skipped this planning step in the 1.8t swap I did on my 1980. Big mistake. Had I realized the difference that tire size would make, I would bought a TDI trans. Instead I went in after the swap and changed out the fifth gear. Happy with the result.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

It'd be nice to have a slightly higher final drive in my case (get it? c_ase_?). That might've avoided my speedo hack, and for now, the smaller rolling diameter plus the APR tune means first gear is shorter than I'd like.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I used my phone to determine if my speedo was close. I used the same hack. Removed the needle and moved it to where I thought it would work. So, the odometer is off, I'm ok with that.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I decided that the dash is too boxy and uninteresting, so I drew over a photo of the current setup to use as a guide when I try again:








I'll be able to keep the section along the windshield, which is good because it was hard to get it right.

When I made the first dash, I wasn't sure how much ventilation I'd get, but it turns out there's plenty and the side vents are redundant. I'll omit them, lower the headlight switch so it's discreet, and just use two of these for the center vents:


Amazon.com


I can also simplify the flex hoses under the dash.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

No malfunctions or CELs in the past few drives but there are nevertheless a myriad things to refine, as can be expected after blasting through the project the way I did, just to see if it was all possible.

I'd clearanced the hood for the strut tops back in the exploratory stages, by removing some of the hood's frame and boxing in the defect:








That gave a precious 2-3 mm of space, but admittedly that's not very much, especially on Illinois roads (Illinois is fiscally #50 in Our Great Nation™).

Even with good rubber mounts, the strut tops had a 5mm gap between them and the tower, and that left room to minimize the strut top hats' height and the resulting gap, and give a little more leeway to avoid damaging the hood on a pothole.

Original on the left, new on the right after Scott gave them the bidnez:








He mainly works with stainless, but he's obviously great with aluminum too.

He works on a interesting variety of things, mainly pharmaceutical but here's some filling stations for Coca Cola:









I'd mentioned a ways back a large pallet of suspension spring perches for the Merkava Israeli battle tank and yesterday there was another huge pallet, the spec sheet said "Spacer Sleeves" but the rest was in Hebrew so that's all we know:








He said a photo is OK, and he also said the job never ends; I'm not a Tree-Hugger but it did make me ponder how many tanks Israel needs, and how much money could be saved if we Humans weren't so aggressive...

He spent some time helping me set up that TIG welder I got, filling the tank, and coaching me through some welds:








I don't think I could do this yet without his guidance, but that is one of my welds  I was starting to regret building the car with a million MIG tack welds but he insisted that's the best way on thin ishtty sheet metal, no matter how much grinding is needed. I may use the TIG to redo thicker items like the bumper brackets, I've been thinking of tucking the rear bumper a bit more anyways.

Anyhoo, I digress; here's the finished struts:








I greased the residual gaps to make sure there's no binding as hats rotate.


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

That is a great looking weld Eric.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir. Yesterday I looked around here for something "Real World" to TIG, so I did a clamped exhaust repair section on Petra's old Lexus. It wasn't hard to get fully penetrated welds without holes:








I wasn't able to do a Z pattern but I think TIG might be more user-friendly than MIG, and it worked fine on old dissimilar metals. That's all opposite of what I thought. OTOH I don't see myself using the TIG for anything less than 11 gauge because the heat I'm putting into the pieces.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

More of the little things.

The car(s) as I wired things up originally showed that the turn signals worked, but they hyper-flashed as if a bulb were burned out, 0:04 in this video from way back:





I gambled with some of these resistors made for folks who convert from incandescant to LED bulbs:








2X Load Resistor 50W 6RJ 6ohm LED Decoder FIX Hyper Flash Turn Signal Blinker | eBay


2PCS Load Resistor 50W 6RJ LED Decoder Fix Error Code Hyper Flash Turn Signal. ONLY USE ON PULSED TURN SIGNAL SIGNAL / BLINKER CIRCUIT. NOT FOR parking or DRL USE. It works as warning canceller, decoder, capacitor, or blinker rapid Flash Equalizer for LED light bulb such as 1156, 1157, 3156...



www.ebay.com




They're installed in parallel to make up for the reduced resistance of LEDs. I'm not really in the same boat, but I figured it was worth a try.

I like when a Hail Mary works out well:


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

That's awesome you are getting to dabble with tig. I try to explain to people it's like gas welding with electricity so it's faster, but that is the type of control you have. Thin stuff isn't as hard as you think, just some practice As with everything prep is king. The tighter the parts fit the easier the welding process will be. Also, having a menagerie of tungsten sizes for each gauge, but your friend is right. The time to tig weld everything would have been daunting. I find tig welding stainless is the most gratifying to execute, but back side purging makes it a pain to setup. Surprisingly, the ac/dc machine eastwood sells is cheap and works very well, and their tungsten grinder is pretty legit.
Funny you have a pic of Merkava parts. My buddy is a brake engineer at bendix and one of his teachers had a hand in it's development. He was just telling us a story about the guy in a group chat. Seemed like an interesting fellow.
Well, on to brunch...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I agree with everything above. If you can master oxy/acetylene, then tig will be a piece of cake. Maybe not a piece of cake but the learning curve is so much faster.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I've never used oxy/acetylene so the closest thing to me is a soldering iron, except for the don't-touch-the-tip-to-the-work part, which apparently I have trouble with because the Tungsten I used to do the Lexus exhaust is already quite short...


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

It's certainly an eye/hand coordination issue and can give you a good feeling when you look at it and say, I did that. The good thing is there is always a grinder that erases your workmanship.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, and I'm surprised that I used "only" two or three grinding wheels to build the car. OTOH I did use multiple tubes of seam sealer...

Edit: I forgot to post today's pic of the stance after all the suspension tweaks and some driving to settle things out:








I'll settle for that (get it? settle?)


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

echassin said:


> soldering iron, except for the don't-touch-the-tip-to-the-work part


If it smells like chicken, you're holding the wrong end. 😁


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Until I looked that up, I thought it was some sort of innuendo along the lines of "That's what _she_ said!"


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

You certainly don't need my approval, but that looks better.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir, no man is an island.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Here's my first attempt at a "real" video:


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

Awesome video E! Popped up in my YouTube feed and came here to say congrats again and it's been incredibly fun watching you build this car. Thanks for sharing the details of the build here as the video doesn't begin to truly convey the amount of effort and creativity you put into this project.🍻


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Just the shear desire to finish this is what most people lack. So many projects are started and then the wind dies. Soon the project stops and life takes over.


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## shftat6 (Oct 9, 2000)

Bravo sir! I am in awe and jealous!!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I forgot to mention it: PVW responded with a pleasant comment but that was all.

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I _am_ curious about that.


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

echassin said:


> I forgot to mention it: PVW responded with a pleasant comment but that was all.
> 
> Maybe I shouldn't be, but I _am_ curious about that.


Great video summary Eric, Glad you have it done to be able to drive the sukker ( something i am looking forwards to here btw )


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Great video, great car. Thank you for sharing all of this.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> Thank you Sir, no man is an island.


But some are peninsulas. - Robin Williams


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

Are you bringing this to Cincy Eric?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, unless it rains hard, in which case I will regret omitting the wiper...

Now that the messiest parts are done, I had a go at the garage. I started with some drywall patches, but there was enough general crud that I ended up doing it all; ceiling, walls, windows, and baseboards:








The space isn't quite a Man Cave, but it's much better. The floor is beaten up but I'm not enamored with any of the available coverings, so it stays as-is for now.


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## n3nyongmini (May 18, 2009)

This is killin’ me - do you have some sort of time “hole” to get this all done?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Retirement helps


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I elected to work on other peoples cars to keep me busy in retirement. What a concept. I can work on my stuff? Maybe I should try this? Nah, the owner is a jerk and difficult to work with.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

You work on your own stuff plenty, I seen ya.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

This photo just keeps grabbing my attention. The contents of that garage are pretty amazing! (even your 'tractor')



echassin said:


> View attachment 182709


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir . Petra's Mk2 is in the single bay but I excluded it because it seemed really excessive...


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## Craig (May 7, 1999)

I don’t peruse this site as much as I used to, but way back when, this was my go to internets fixx.

That said, the most epic thread ever on this site needs a TTT, and it is also being used as a callout to Eric, from whom I hope to get some advice on my car.

Eric - if you have the time, and are so inclined, please give me a ring at 2zero6 3five1 46eight7.

Best to all, and glad to see Cincy is a go. You guys rock.
Craig
(OorsciroccO)


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Cincy was indeed a go thanks to Daun and his cohort who make this happen. Huge thanks also to Timbo for being my wingman and hauling all of the tooling needed to rebuild the car from scratch on the side of the highway, in the event of a mishap. The weather was perfect, i.e. Karma did not punish me with rain for deleting the wipers, nor 100F temperatures for making the thing all black.

Total miles was about 800 over the weekend: 700 was getting there and back plus 100 on location, a lot of which was plain ol' showing off. Thankfully nothing broke: no funny noises, clean oil cap, no fluid mixing or loss, no glitches, CELs, nor DTCs in spite of some hard launches and a few times near the speed limit of the car. Highway mileage was mid to high 30's.

Tim Crowley gifted me a mk1 rear seat so this winter, along with refinements to the paint and numerous other things, I'll see about redoing some of the interior to a higher standard (i.e.: the hatch cover doesn't hinge so I can't use the trunk). Overall the thing needs a lot less debugging than my other projects because the guts are still less than 20 years old, vs almost 40 years old on the other cars.

Pics or it didn't happen:

















(that's Daun wearing out my bumper using it as a comfy chair)

Anyhoo, that is all; toodaloo, carry on, etc... _wave_


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Just have to chime in after being granted the opportunity to ride in the 'Audi' at Cincy.
It's an amazing build, the fit and finish, ride and sound are amazing.
And the performance is bordering on scary.
We were using the phrase 'cognitive dissonance'.
You think you are in a nicely fitted out Mk1 Scirocco.
Then it takes off and slams your head back agains the seat!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Those are kind words, thank you Sir.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Video commentary after about 1000 miles of use, with a punch list of minor improvements I want to tackle:





I wrote out a more complete list here for my own quick reference:
Black "VW" grille emblem
Redo the rain tray seal, refinish the vent hose manifold
Black door handles (scuffed and painted )
Increase strut bar clearance
Increase coolant hose/fan clearance
Pare down, tuck and tweak height of the rear bumper (note weights) Before=32lbs; after=24lbs (minus 8lbs).
Redo rear seat (note weights) Before=46lbs for the upper and lower sections with the steel frames and panels; after=25lbs (minus 21lbs)
Hinge the hatch cover, redo the rear cards, tidy up the turn signal resistors
Replace seat belts
Tweak the dash


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Great update Eric, glad the vehicle took the trip in its stride. 

Highly probable I have a black front grille emblem here and will send you some details about the replacement " black " handles I am doing for the blue car. 

Rear bumper you need to find a euro bumper and that will simplify your dilemma greatly, may even have one of those spare here also. 

Keep at it


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the offer(s) Grant. 

If you have a black VW emblem to spare that'd be great. I've tried roughing up "chrome" emblems to hold paint and I've never had a durable result.

Ref bumpers: I won't sacrifice a Euro bumpers on a car like this but thank you for the offer. I can get what I need by taking cutoff wheels to the park bench bumpers.

If you haven't done the S2 black handle modification procedure yet, I'd love to see a DIY; maybe put it in your thread so it's available for Posterity.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> Redo rear seat (note weights)


In the meantime, don't lose sleep over the gap. Check how Chevy did it in 1971.










Gotta love that fabric.









1971 Chevrolet Impala | eBay


1971 two door Chevrolet Impala. The rear window and louvers on the rear trunk lid is referred to as a Custom. These were an option on the two door Impala as I understand it. It still has the Kansas trip permit taped in the rear window.



www.ebay.com


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

LT1M21Stingray said:


> In the meantime, don't lose sleep over the gap. Check how Chevy did it in 1971.


I agree. I'm very picky when it comes to stuff like this (things that look like a "YUP car" ("yup, I did it myself"))
But I don't see this as a "yup" thing at all. As Stingray mentioned, factory did it too.
So, think of the alternatives to this issue.
You can put in a more stock looking seat, but then you lose the great rear bucket style which is very cool.
You can build from scratch, and match the style, with the high bolsters, but then you get a wider seat, and might not look scale.
The 3rd option, and it might be the best, but still has issues, is to split the lower portion (upper being already split 50:50), and move both parts out. You could then build a nice center console, but that would require a filler piece between the 2 backrest portions. (or maybe a drop down armrest, but that's sort of dumb if it's not a 5 seatbelt car)
If it was my car, I would either split and separate, or leave as is. Saves trying to find matching leather.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

B1-16V said:


> I agree. I'm very picky when it comes to stuff like this (things that look like a "YUP car" ("yup, I did it myself"))
> But I don't see this as a "yup" thing at all. As Stingray mentioned, factory did it too.
> So, think of the alternatives to this issue.
> You can put in a more stock looking seat, but then you lose the great rear bucket style which is very cool.
> ...


Meh, OP already has a plan for the rear seat. I only wanted to pimp that blue seat picture. I can feel that blue fabric. It's awesome.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I've never heard the YUP term and that is exactly that I dislike about the rear seat fitment in spite of kind reassurances (dash and rocker panels are other examples). None of it is awful IMO so there's no urgency, it's just things to improve upon.

I like the idea of splitting the TT rear seat and I won't rule it out. For now I'm thinking use the Scirocco seat and try to deepen the bucket effect.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

I think that Eric deserves a bit more respect than to compare his car to a Chevy.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Mark. OTOH, you drive a Caddy

gnyuk gnyuk (get it? Caddy?)


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Excuse me, it's a POS.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

echassin said:


> Thank you Mark. OTOH, you drive a Caddy
> 
> gnyuk gnyuk (get it? Caddy?)


Oh yeah, that fantastic seat fabric was available in 1971 for the Caddy.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Progress on the punch list, mainly tucking the rear bumper:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Completed rear bumper tuck and preliminaries for the rear seat upgrade:


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

You sound like me. "I'll try it myself, and if it's a disaster, I'll probably try it again myself". lol.

Bumper came out great!


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

The first attempt is always a prototype. Better than calling it a complete failure/waste of time.


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

Butcher said:


> I think that Eric deserves a bit more respect than to compare his car to a Chevy.





echassin said:


> Thank you Mark


Ah the Chevy snobs.  I have three Sciroccos and three Chevys, so there's that.

Here is what VW did with the MK3 Scirocco.










Just being facetious here. I'm sure Eric will make it better eitherway. Although if you reupholster the Scirocco with that blue fabric, you'd be my hero.


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

LT1M21Stingray said:


> Ah the Chevy snobs.  I have.......three Chevys, so there's that.


The used car market is not to bad now. Time to purge. There is always the scrap yard. 

If you are saying that a Chevy is better than a VW, I think you are on the wrong Forum.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ref. blue cloth: no.

Updates on the hatch cover hinge and the rear seat:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Progress on the rear seat:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Completed rear seat:


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Outstanding work on the seats. Love them.


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

echassin said:


> Completed rear seat:


A-mazing!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

More interior details:


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

That seat DOES look nice. I want to sit in it!

I do like the lift supports and the paracord lifts in the trunk. My rubber ones still survive somehow, but I know their days are numbered. Brilliantly simple and good looking solution.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir. I have an un-used mk2 "rubber" for you next time I see you (just remind me...)


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## roccodingo (Apr 25, 2004)

Gotta say it Eric, yes I wanna plant my buns on that back seat thanks, just dont tip the front seat back tho 
Great work, now hurry up with the whole car kit please, cause I would just sell everything to buy one !!!


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

The Devil is in the Details:


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

You go from vision to reality just way too fast


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you Sir, although the glove box took almost a week due to the amount of repetition and fiddling involved. That's how it is when one uses the analog version of CAD (Cardboard Assisted Design...)

I was anticipating paring down the front bumper today but the amount of metal I can remove is negligible: I have to retain everything between the frame rails because that part holds the hood latch structure and I also need to keep some of the metal all the way out to the ends, to keep the plastic skin from shifting laterally.

I can't easily improve the weight distribution on this car, which is 1700lbs front and 900lbs rear. A stock TT or A1 VW are also 2/3 on the fronts, but the ratio still bugs me. The biggest things would be to move the battery and delete as much stuff from under the hood as possible, but that's not enough to be worth the effort IMO.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Just remember, moving the battery doesn't JUST put weight over the rear, it takes from the front too. Sort of a "duh" statement, but I think many forget that. Might make a nice change.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Yessir, I just feel like with a F/R difference of 800lbs, anything I can think of adds up to a grand total of spitting in the ocean.


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## 53PL-50AAA-VW611BAN (Feb 10, 2015)

echassin said:


> I can't easily improve the weight distribution on this car, which is 1700lbs front and 900lbs rear. A stock TT or A1 VW are also 2/3 on the fronts, but the ratio still bugs me. The biggest things would be to move the battery and delete as much stuff from under the hood as possible, but that's not enough to be worth the effort IMO.


Next time re-skin a 924. 

But seriously folks, you have mad fabricating skills. 

I was impressed with the Red Headed Step Child, but this is off the chain.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Ever since the last of several er- _incidents_- the extended family has retained veto power on anything I drive. RWD tops a long list of forbidden fruit, so nothing in the 924/944 lineup.

But thank you Sir. The Stepchild was my first go at a bare shell and that was just 10 years ago, so I feel like I've learned a lot in a relatively short time. Hopefully that's a good indication my brain isn't rotting [yet].


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Now the car can be 100% street legal or still minimalist, as circumstances dictate:


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## tuiterwyk (Feb 10, 2008)

Looks great! 
I have to admit that watching the video and your explanation of the bracket, I was waiting for this guy to pop up:


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Lol, I don't have _near_ as many brackets as Project Binky


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## TheTimob (Sep 13, 2003)

That is slick. The remote control of all of it is brilliant.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Love the kit. I'm not following you on why the horn is part of a removable kit though?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

Even with all the drive line tech this car has, there're only four relays under the dash: immobilizer, bulb check, load reduction and fuel pump. I didn't achieve that level of austerity by installing a bunch of electrical stuff


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

After a little more buffing:


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## fouckhest (May 22, 2003)

Just finished going through this thread start to finish over the past couple weeks. Such a great project, kudos to you sir! 🍻


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## ToddA1 (Apr 22, 2002)

I recently caught wind of this thread (last week?). I haven’t been to the Scirocco forums in over a decade….

First post was a spoiler alert… who does that? I’ve made it to page 7. I do wish the standard gas cap could have been used, but meh….

So far, very impressed! 

-Todd


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm glad you like it so far! I'm not thrilled either about the gas cap or my other compromises but I guess that's normal, compromise is never thrilling...

Oh, and a spoil _alert_ is the warning; what I did was just a spoiler


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## ToddA1 (Apr 22, 2002)

echassin said:


> what I did was just a spoiler


So true…. the complaint is valid...

Another complaint… I spent more time going through the thread and I somehow found myself wasting valuable time reading about a dash reconstruction in a S2. I have no clue how I went down the rabbit hole, but it’s not good for my ADHD. I almost had an anxiety attack, and needed to be prescribed more meds. Please learn to stay focused.

I do appreciate seeing things built from ground up. I don’t see you post that type of stuff in the rabbit forum, and honestly had no clue you did that type of stuff.

I am curious why you wouldn’t want to add simple creature comforts such as interior lights. It’s a very simple item that you could add as a standalone circuit.

Carry on, sir…. then again, the build is complete.

-Todd


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I sprinkled responses in bold within your text:



ToddA1 said:


> So true…. the complaint is valid... *Yeh, you're right.*
> 
> Another complaint… I spent more time going through the thread and I somehow found myself wasting valuable time reading about a dash reconstruction in a S2. I have no clue how I went down the rabbit hole, but it’s not good for my ADHD. I almost had an anxiety attack, and needed to be prescribed more meds. Please learn to stay focused. *I apologize, I see that I need to stay focused so that you don't have to *
> 
> ...


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