Right this has come to a surprising head, but to a head it has come!
I was talking to a very good friend of mine, over a couple of bottles of red wine I admit, who was on R&R from Afghanistan and am now looking at organising a 5 day boys trip to the Ring and Spa in May this year!
It is initially only the two of us but there may be another by the time we go, dependant on actually going and expense etcetera. Thus I need to plan the trip and get the car in a state that it will not disgrace itself, or me, for the duration. I plan to borrow a trailer and tow it across, that far in a stripped out Mk2 does not appeal at all. Budget is limited but probably about another £500 to spend on the car itself, so some prioritising may have to be done.
So jobs that must be done, jobs that should be done and jobs that it would be nice to do but I will probably run out of time for………
Brakes:
These worked fine, apart from the locking the rear issue. Now this should be rectified by tweaking that rear bias adjuster so nothing to worry about here.
Suspension:
Overall the suspension is not too bad, the springs have lowered the car about 50mm and seem good, the shocks are a bit tired but still serviceable, I think! I have got hold of, as soon as they arrive, a full set of poly-bushes for the car so will have to fit these. I will also finish cleaning up the wide track pieces and fit those at the same time. Now I can fit most of the bushes for the front to the new components off the car and this should speed up the process. The rear beam will need to come off the car and I will try and get it cleaned and painted before it gets replaced.
Steering:
No real problems here, the wheel could do with being a bit smaller but I am not that bothered. If I find an e-bay bargain then this could be done otherwise it will be no change.
Interior:
The buckets and 6 point harnesses worked well so no problem there. There was a minor issue with the front screen misting up so I will need to fix something to prevent this. There is absolutely nothing left of the original heater so I was thinking that a small electric heater/de-mister fitted to the bulkhead would provide everything that I need. They can be bought for not that much and should be easily fitted into one, of the many, redundant positions in the fuse box. Talking about the wiring can I chop out any wires that are not attached to anything without compromising the ECU? I think that I ought to be able to but I have heard of people having problems with odd faults after cutting any wires in a loom, admittedly not with a 20 year old VW! I have a set of polycarbonate windows in the garage so these may well be fitted before we go.
Exterior:
Nothing really to worry about here. I need some new spigot rings for the 15†wheels but that should not be a problem, I hope!
Engine:
I am not at all convinced about this area, the smoking under high revs or prolonged cornering, still not being resolved. I have a new oil pump to fit and will baffle the sump, as soon as plans are posted, and fit a windage tray before I go but I am still concerned that there may be a fundamental problem with the engine. I am also thinking about overhalling the gear selection mechanism, new bushes and a weighted rod.
So there is some scope for a single large(ish) purchase for the car. There are three possibilities that immediately spring to mind. The first is a full cage, currently in the classifieds, a new engine, a slightly modified 2l 8v is on Pistonheads, or new suspension. What is the consensus, am I being totally optimistic, am I trolley mad, will I succeed??
