Adi's mk3 wannabe mk2 GL + GTI daily :)

[tsr_adi]

So today I got the subframe fixed. To remind you all this is the mess I started with



I ground out as much of the rot as possible (its a really difficult place to get a grinder into!), then I made up a repair piece and bent it to shape. It looked like this



Then I welded it in a flush as possible, the welds don't look so good at the bottom, but thats because I ran to welds to ensure I had good penetration in both the subframe and the repair patch. It looked like this



I then gave it a few coats of zinc primer, then re-assembled the suspension. I'l brush on some paint at a later date. Its all good now apart from the knackered wishbone bushes I discovered but at least its flexing there and not in my subframe!

[tsr_adi]

So some stuff has happened. MOT time was creeping up fast and I was running out of time and funds so I bought this



Was a proper bargain, £270 with a few months TnT just needing a starter motor and a good clean. £30 and a trip to a local scrapyard later and a vovlo 460 diesel motor was aquired and a few hours of much swearing and black hands followed resulting in a perfectly usable daily. Working air con, FSH and a proper nokia bluetooth hands free kit were welcome bonuses. Anyways this is what happened after with the golf...



Parked up in my garage, the same garage in which the mk1 golf cabby and last mk2 golf GL "GTI" conversions happened incidentally. Then it was dumped on axle stands while the teardrops are up for sale to release some cash and some other "no longer required" parts were removed last friday morning (as part of my 1st wedding anniversary weekend off!)

[tsr_adi]

Well quite a bit of stripping of the donor car has happened today, mainly because pikeys found where my garage was and have seen the donor car outside my garage, and in case they come and nick the donor, I want to make sure I have what I need.

First of all I had a look through the history of the donor, nearly a FSH, tax discs back to 1997 and this...



Who would pay that for a mk3 golf? haha. I had some difficulties in removing the rolling mk3 front end, as some numpty had snapped a bolt, tack the half of a bolt on, and run a crap bit of weld between the subframe and chassis!! This is what happens when you attack it for an hour with a lump hammer and a chisel



Then I dragged the running gear out



Then pulled the widetrack rear beam out



Then dragged the mk3 out the way with the trusty laguna and ended up with this



Made room under the mk2 front and ended up with a big pile of golf crap



This is the mk2 bay before I took the old 1.8 GTI downpipe off



Then me and a mate moved the mk3 stuff in



Stripped this rats nest out the mk3



Thought it was a good time to call it a night, cover up the mk3 and put it all away



Nest up, removing the mk2 loom, and bay cleaning!

[jmsheahan]

Looking good, nice progress 


Are you running the mk2 PB head on the 2.0 block or complete mk3 with management etc?

[tsr_adi]

I hate to admit it but I'm using EVERYTHING off the mk3. Entire contents of the engine bay, loom, rear beam, and all being well I'm going to do the mk3 dash/centre console swap 

[jmsheahan]

I hate to admit it but I'm using EVERYTHING off the mk3. Entire contents of the engine bay, loom, rear beam, and all being well I'm going to do the mk3 dash/centre console swap 

I'm sure you've got a good reason why but why not use the PB head on the 2E block? Way less hassle with the wiring and you'll get a bit more bang for your buck from a head that breathes better?

I had this setup on mine and it went really well 

[tsr_adi]

A. because I sold the complete PB engine and
B. because its actually a myth that the PB head breathes better, in fact the 2E head is just as good, people just fit PB heads because they don't want to swap the loom.

It doesn't really phase me in the slightest swapping they whole lot tbh. And I would in fact prefer to swap the lot when doing something like this, that way when its finished I'l know the wiring is sound and is scotchlock free, and I'm working on what I learnt from the last GL conversion, if you build your own car like that if anything goes wrong its so much easier to find the fault, as you know the car inside out

[jmsheahan]

Fair enough chap, not sure I agree on the cyl head debate after the research I did but all sounds good and you've got it sussed 

Totally agree on the more you put in the better you know the car though - always nice to know it's been done to a high standard rather than searching for that one fault you just can't find 

Good luck with the whole conversion, will be keeping an eye on updates 

[tsr_adi]

Should be more updates later on if/when I go down to the garage. On my last GL I swapped the ENTIRE loom from the donor GTI, and used all the running gear apart from the gearbox as I stuck with the 4+E (it was more of a gaining of MPG exercise). Whenever anything failed, I knew exactly where to look. Theres no other way to know your car inside out unless you build it yourself  Lowlifedubber will tell you the same 

[tsr_adi]

Been down the garage today, to see to the mess left by all the weld on the subframe mount. This is what I was greeted with



Buzz buzz, grind grind



Then a coat of zinc primer. Its not pretty but it'l do