GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Golf mk3 gallery => Topic started by: jv on 09 March 2010, 13:49
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:)
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Cheers JV :smiley:
Right where to start? I'll get to the Gti soon, but this is how it all started!
About 2 years ago when I finished uni my mum and dad bought me my first car. I had big dreams and had been hinting at lots of different cars. As you can imagine I was quite excited when they said to look on the drive.....but my heart sunk when I saw this.....
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7000239.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7000241.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7000240.jpg)
A 1995 1.4 Match Edition.
I didn't want a 13 year old golf! I knew nothing about them and didn't really like them, the paintwork was dull and it was all a bit tatty. However as time went on the more I liked it, I slowly but surely I fell in love with it. I got great fuel consumption from it, it was cheap to insure, the styling grew on me big time and most importantly I enjoyed driving it.
So after I few months I decided to make a few styling mods to it, I began by getting some new number plates made up, fitted some Gti rear lights, and a rear spoiler, then replaced the cracked dummy fog light and fitted some eyebrow spoiler things to the headlights, as well as an exhaust tip and spent ages T-cutting the paintwork until it was gleaming and this was the result:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7003364.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7003362.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7003367.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7003365.jpg)
I was pretty happy with the result, and for a while it stayed like this and I had no problems, but then it all began to go wrong. First the gearbox went, so I sourced a replacement and had it changed (got the clutch done at the same time), then I hit a rather big mini round about and ripped the exhaust off at the downpipe, in the following weeks I got a puncture, then a wheel bearing went, fuel sender broke, shock absorber and a few other things.
So i was pretty skint and couldn't afford to do much apart from play around with various front grill and badge combinations. I'll carry on later!
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Right.....
As I said before I played around with grills and badges, I also got hold of a set of Gti headlights...so here's how it looked:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/S7003368.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/100_1210.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Old%20mk3%20Golf/100_1209.jpg)
It didn't stay like that for too long tho, I got a bit sick of the debadged grill and put the stock one back on, I prefer the OEM look.
So anyway, the rear axle bushes went next and the replacement gearbox started playing up, when driving for any more than 30 mins at a time the gearbox became really stiff and it was beginning to crunch when cold so I decided it was time for it to go!
Here's how it was in when I came to sell it, I put the standard lights back onto it and a few days later someone gave me £400 for it!
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Golf%20For%20Sale/100_1500.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Golf%20For%20Sale/100_1517.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Golf%20For%20Sale/100_1520.jpg)
So that was my first Mk3...time for my second!
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Right, so after a couple of weeks of looking I found what looked like a good buy. A 1997 8v Gti, 80k miles, FSH (mainly VW and specialist) and a 10 month MOT. 4 brand new tyres and apart from a couple of rust patches on the bottom of the doors the bodywork is perfect, seems to have been well looked after.
It is red again, which wasn't intentional, but I do like them in red.... I know others will disagree :lipsrsealed:
Here it is after a good clean and polish....completely standard (for the moment).
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/111_0002.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/111_0003.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/111_0005.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/111_0008.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/111_0013.jpg)
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The first mod that I did was to use struts as bonnet lifters thanks to Shady's 'How To' http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=112349.0 (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=112349.0).
There is only one scrappy near me and it has no Mk3's in it, so I bought a set from ebay and this was the result:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/111_0007.jpg)
I'm chuffed with it, makes the car look a lot more stylish with the bonnet open.
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Next on the cards was a full service, as well as that a good clean of the throttle body as I was having some issues with the idle. Since I did that it's running sooooo much better :grin:
Fuel consumption is ok, cruising on the motorway at 70 i'm getting 38ish mpg, A road driving returns anywhere between 30 - 35 depending on speed.
There are a couple of other things that i'm hoping to sort out soon, i'm going to try and replace the power steering belt because it squeaks when on full lock, and i've also got a rattle on the exhaust somewhere. From reading on here I think it's probably just a loose heat shield, but i've got it booked into Kwik Fit next week for a free inspection just to make sure.
I'm pretty low on funds at the moment so it's only going to be cheap things for a few months, but I hope to sort out the rust on the bodywork and paint the calipers for a start. After that though i'm gonna to do the following:
- put some coilys on and drop it to the floor
- k&n or pipercross airfilter
- smoked fogs/indicators
- different backbox
- black alloys (maybe even just spray the original ones)
- remap
I wanna try and keep the car looking as OEM as possible, Kells is one of the nicest i've seen so if it ends up half as good as that i'll be happy!
Thats the plan, but knowing me things will change along the way so we'll just have to see. Watch this space!
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One more thing I forgot to mention....I had fun changing the stock radio for my Cd player one night! If you want a laugh read this: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=145366.0 (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=145366.0)
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I got up this morning with the intention of changing the thermostat because i'm pretty sure mine is buggered. So this afternoon I got the car up on axle stands, dug out the replacement thermostat I bought, got under the car to take the power steering pump off and got slightly sidetracked! :rolleyes:
I started thinking about what else I could do whilst under the car, so I set about messing around with jubilee clips to try and stop the annoying rattle i've got on the heatshield for the down pipe. :angry:
By joining two of them together I managed to get them around the heatshield and tightened them as tight as they will go....hey presto, no more rattle :grin:
But by that point it had started to rain, so I was wet and cold and decided to call it a day! (how dedicated I am, lol).
So in conclusion i've still got a faulty thermostat, but now don't have a rattle on my exhaust, still.....better than nothing!
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Time for a quick update.
Got my GolfGTI.co.uk stickers on, and fitted my tinted headlights (courtesy of VR6-Joe). Here are some crappy pics I took tonight, i'll give it a good clean and get better ones up over the weekend. Also ordered my VR6 splitter from Eurowagens this evening so i'll fit that as soon as it arrives!
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0019.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0018.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0022.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0023.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0024.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0027.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0028.jpg)
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Right...time for some better pics! Also added a black front badge!
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0033.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0032.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0031.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Tinted%20headlights/111_0030.jpg)
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Got my VR6 splitter from Eurowagens today so fitted it as soon as i got in from work :smiley: Got a bit of a gap tho :angry:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/IMG00066.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/Gti/IMG00075.jpg)
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I was bored earlier so fitted the debadged grill that I had on my 1.4 for a bit. Really not too sure about it though....what does everyone think??
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/IMG00093.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/IMG00092.jpg)
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Update: Got the lovely problem of not being able to rev past 5000rpm :angry: Got a vagcom cable ordered that should be here in a couple of days so hopefully that'll shed some light.
Gave it a good clean yesterday and sprayed the debadged grill black. Decided to stop on the way home from work and take a couple of pics. Here's the result:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/111_0043.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/111_0044.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/111_0045.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/111_0042.jpg)
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/111_0046.jpg)
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Ok, couple of quick pics to add as well! I drilled my airbox at the weekend here's a shot of it half way through:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/IMG00114.jpg)
Also just got the center caps changd so this is what they looked like before:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/IMG00117.jpg)
....and this is how all of them look now. Much better :smiley:
(http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy183/codling1234/IMG00115.jpg)
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I like the black grill better than red, it seems to break the colour up abit and makes it look abit more aggresive