Right, big billy bollocks! Last few weeks have been vert testing for roxy and mines' relationship. First off, BiggRed sent me a load of wrong parts. Therefore had to send them back. When they resent them, I found out I had thrown away the captive nut thing that sits in the rear brake cylinders (disc brakes) so I couldnt fit the rear brakes. Also, the parts aren't easy to come by. Took a chance down the scrappy and found the parts. Wohoo! However, didn't have the right tools, so had to go back the next day. Boooo! Got them and put brakes back together. Bingo I hear you say!? Not so! Brake pads were wrong as were too wide, so wouldn't fit the discs. Fine I thought, I'll grind them down a tad. Borrowed the old mans grinder, middle washer was missing wasn't it, and still haven't found it. Bastard! Down gem tomorrow to hopefully get the bit I need. Without the grinder I can't make the front adaptors either. Gay!!!!!!

Still, not all bad right? Wrong! Got the engine crane from the local farmer last week sometime. Sound, I'll have the engine in in an hour I told him. Liar!!!! Got the clutch fitted and the g-box on. Glossy starter wouldn't fit would it! After grinding parts of the block, bell housing and starter motor I decided, with help from my neighbour that I had been given the wrong one. Poo! And for my troubles, I got a cheeky bit of metal in the eye! Goal! This resulted in me spending the first 4 hours of reading festival in the eye clinic! And the tuesday morning there too! Pow!

Anyhow, new week and all that. Arse. Popped down the the local motor factor to order a new starter (90 brick!!!) and a few other bits. Whilst waiting i thought I'd drop the lump in and fit the starter in situ. Easy! Not! No one told me an aea sump I too deep for a stage 3 subframe. So more work later and I had the lump out of the mk2 I'm breaking. So swapped the sumps, pumps and dip sticks over. Jobs a womble. However, the 'hidden' sump bolts are not easy to remove/do up. Finished that job today and prepared to put the lump in. Trying to time it up and the fly was binding on the bell housing. Arse. Fine, I'll take the box off and have a gander, except it's not that easy since the clutch has bound to the main g-box shaft. So have spent the last 4 hours trying, with no success to lever the box from the block with help from my aforementioned neighbour

So after that I have:

Pretty brakes I can't fit

A once blue engine now sporting chipped paint and transmission fluid

Bollocks, I'm having a drink

I feel your pain!!

Dont let it get to you, this will be the bollocks when its all ready

Thanks mate. Going to sort brakes out tomorrow I think so I can get something done. Then I'll attack the gearbox situation again. Just can't believe the string of problems!

On the up side, the chopped springs have given a cheeky stance, which can only get better when the weight of the engine brings it down further

Chopped springs and subframe...

Your about to hit a whole load of other problems

Why's that? It seems to have plenty of clearance. It's only down around 40-50mm

Dont tell me things like that! Ha!

Mad reps to my old man and Happy for getting the 'box off today. Now the re-painting begins. Could be worse I guess. And the £90 clutch is shagged to hey ho

Still, the engine won't turn by hand. Thought it was the fly catching on the bell housing, but that's all off now and it doesnt rotate. N'er mind. Off to celebrate the old birthday now and forget about it for the night. Back to it tomorrow.

So I missed my deadline of having her finished by the end of the school holidays however, my sister has been kind enough to key me keep Roxy at her house until she's running and road worthy, which is good of her. Making no promises this time on deadlines

Since I missed action, where I intended to show her for the first time, I will post pictures of progress a little later.

Thanks for reading!

sounds like you are having a very unlucky time building this,hope your luck gets better chap, will be awsome when its done settin up my aee is very fustrating.

i think if you hook me up with some square light-age, your luck will automatically be restored :) haha.

what was the box stuck on then and y wont it turn over?

I often feel like this when trying to get my engine conversion going, so depressing! Just keep thinking of that first drive!

Ah reet. So I've been back at work and have only been able to get across one saturday since my last post. I was holding back pictures of progress, but since I wont be showing her until the spring now (and no one probably cares ) here are some pictures of the progress I made (not much tba!)

So a few pics of prepped parts to be colour coded to the engine including gearbox mount, front and rear calipers, gearbox and output flanges

And a few of after the painting.

And then totally rebuilt calipers with new pistons, seals and bleed nipples

Hand brake adaptors for the rear made with some perfectly proportioned ally tube. Painted this up with a zinc paint

Gear box with brand new tin plate on

More work on the brakes with all new hardlines throughout. Took some massaging to get it all to fit in that area

Rears installed with braided lines

Slim line fan that came whilst i was away in Cornwall mounted on the rare top fill rad. This aids with tidying up the bay lovely. which looks like this (stainless bolts thoughout of course!)

Picture of the colour comparisson between the engine mount (engine colour coded) and the body work. Not sure if its too distinct here

Went to hang the exhaust a while back, but i had to move the mounting bracket (standard exhaust on a loon means its about 12" short) and add an extension. I made a hanger from the repair panel that VW do. Mounted this under the car no issues. However, because the Ashley system is a bit slack, and the loon rear valance is upswept, it hung too low. Bring out the grinder and lop the mounting brackets off! After this i attempted to make a hanger from some metal, but it didnt last long and it fell off. Going to make a stainless one now

And this is how she sits now with the chopped front springs. No engine in yet, so will get a little lower up the front!

I started work on some brake adaptors a while back. I managed to blag some 8 and 10 mm mild from a local steel fabricators. Got an angle grinder for my birthday so the two met, and I made these up last week. My brother then milled them down to 6mm. To fit, modifications to the strut are required. The lower mounting lug needs to be removed and then a new hole drilled. I then drilled the threads out and have tapped the adaptor plates themselves. I have counter sunk bolts too to finish it all off nice and flush. Hopefully get these mounted next weekend

So thats the story of my summer really. Progress has practically ground to a halt, although I hope to get across most weekends for a day at least. Only 5 more weeks until the next holiday, so should get a bit more time then! I just need to get her on the road, and then I can mover her over to the new house, meaning I can do a bit more work on her in the evenings etc. I also dont have a workshop here atm, so I cant even do the little jobs

Will update as and when there are things to update. I will get the old dear on those door cards soon!

Edited 13 July, 201214 yr by prankstar2003

is that a mk2 golf gti 16v master cylinder ? did u need to mod it to fit?

It is indeed. There were no mods to the m/c but the push-rod from the pedal had to be chopped by about 1-1.5"

thats good then i was going to use one , how much was it ?

About £40 all in. Can't remember where from though I'm afraid. I may be able to dig the reciept. Be aware though, you cant buy the reservoirs new. However, they are the same as 6n ones apparently

Oh, and how did you get on timing that engine up?

the master cylinder is like £42 from gsf you can either get the mk2 golf gti one or the mk2 golf g60 as they are both the same. i got the g60 one and yeah the 6n reservoirs do fit.

immense build thread!!

Thanks. It's the nice comments that spur me on, as I'm losing faith at times, especially as she's stored elsewhere right now. Hoping to have her running by Xmas and then perfected for the how season

About £40 all in. Can't remember where from though I'm afraid. I may be able to dig the reciept. Be aware though, you cant buy the reservoirs new. However, they are the same as 6n ones apparently

Oh, and how did you get on timing that engine up?

kool thanks for the info on the reservoir

as for timing iv just left it at 4-5 teeth out and haven't tried it as carbs are being rebuilt at the mo.

Does it turn over with the timing that far out?

yeh iv had it driving around the block today so timing is gd tho i still have some carb problems

How do you mean carb problems? Sure its not timing?

Update: Did a small amount of work on the car yesterday. Countersunk the bolts that hold the brake adaptors on. Started making up the spacers that will move the carriers back to the orignal 'offset'. Was in the middle of this job when i ran out of cutting discs! Those buggers dont last long. However, they make short work of cutting 10mm mild! Hopefully get across next week and finish that job off. In the mean time i plumbed the fuel pump in so thats running now. Need to get the engine back in so that i can make a final decision on where i want the braided fuel lines to run into the engine bay from the scuttle. Was going to run them above the M/C but I think it will look cluttered with the hard lines and all. hmmmmm, decisions

well i ticks over great rev's up nice onec under any load eg in 2second gear starts spluttering i think not enough fuel getting through and il need a regulator.

A regulator in place of the T-Piece? Not sure why as many folk have run the 1.6 on facet and T set up. More than likely to be the timing tbh. I'm going to get a vernier for mine to dial the timing right in. Seems pointless having the GT cam if it never runs exactly right