Well, I joined a while back and I've been reading some of the project threads so I decided to put up my own now.

Bought this beauty a month ago for £500. Still on english plates needs to be registered in the south soon enough. Spent a bit since on fixing her up, basic service, timing belt, water pump and a few other bits

She's a 1.4 TDI so hopefully she'll be a very economical everyday driver.

Pretty basic spec - no electric windows no cd player no sunroof. Looks like she's seen some rough driving at some point if I'm honest.

Nasty tear in the drivers seat.

Missing one of these

I still have a few maintenance issues that need sorting (a hub and a door lock for starters) But after that I'll try get her looking well :p

Hopefully some of you can give me a bit of advice on this?

Noticed it yesterday and I'll like to get it sorted soon as. Rubber seals a common flaw on the 6N2?

Also got a set of wheels for her. Went kinda OEM+ and decided on BBS RX-II's (RS 772?)

I'm in the process of refurbing them at the moment

The plan is to polish the lips and get the centers powder coated in burgundy

The wheels are 15"x6J (6 inches bead seat to bead seat?)

Whats a suitable tyre for them to get nice stretch? I was thinking something like 165 65 R15?

I want to get coilovers too but I'm not sure about FK ones, any good alternatives?

Once I've the coilovers fitted and the wheels on I'll order spacers too. I love a car with good wheel fitment!

Apart from that a GTI lip if anyone can point me in the direction of someone selling one?.

(I have another project to keep me going as well so progress may be slow but I'll do my best :) )

JOM Blue Lines coilovers are a good entry level too! never had a problem with mine

JOM Blue Lines coilovers are a good entry level too! never had a problem with mine

Yeah I've know some guys running JOM on a few different cars and they seem happy enough

How low do they go? :p Expensive? Much of an adjustment range?

JOM Blue Lines coilovers are a good entry level too! never had a problem with mine

Yeah I've know some guys running JOM on a few different cars and they seem happy enough

How low do they go? :p Expensive? Much of an adjustment range?

Quite a.lot of adjustment to be fair my friend runs a decked Jetta on them and it sits sweet as, happy With them on my polo but they were always my stepping stone before I send the car for air :)

Quite a.lot of adjustment to be fair my friend runs a decked Jetta on them and it sits sweet as, happy With them on my polo but they were always my stepping stone before I send the car for air

Air is a bit out of my budget but maybe down the line...

I've heard the tdi engines and gearboxes are heavier than the petrol's so I might get a few extra millimeters :p What do you reckon with the helpers out 120mm-130mm of a drop? haha

So i'm trying to decide between TA technix, FK, JOM and Pro Sports. Any recommendations?

So i'm trying to decide between TA technix, FK, JOM and Pro Sports. Any recommendations?

Joms man :)

Small bit of progress made on the lips today

took as much paint off as i could with a mix of nitromors and a spray on paint stripper

Sanded with 180, 320, 500, 800(wet), 1000(wet), 1500(wet) and 2000(wet)

Used a polishing head on a grinder with some G3 compound

Buffed with peek metal polish

Lot more work to be done on them but not bad for one day :)

Small update today :)

Got new wiper blades on the cheap and had a flat so I got that patched cheap too haha. Not spending much on these tires til I buy a new set for the BBS wheels. Have a new radio ordered, its an Alpine ICS X8 7" touchscreen Double Din. Can't wait for it to arrive. Got a Lupo stubby mirror from a breakers as well so i must fit that when i get a chance. I'll probably spray both mirrors black so that they match each other. Getting some crazy quotes for spraying the BBS wheel centers. :/ 200 euro for powder coating and 240 euro for spraying. I think I'll give the wheels that are on it a lick of spray paint for the meantime with rattle cans haha. Suggestions welcome for colours :p White, Black, Red, Green, Purple, Orange, Pink, Chrome in a can haha? If someone can photo-shop a few colours onto the wheels it'd be good to get an idea of what they'd look like.

Some pics in case you forgot what she looked like.

Purple for the win mate haha

Purple for the win mate haha

Yeah! i'd been leaning towards purple myself already but I think it's certain now haha. gonna do my brakes aswell i'm feelin turquoise will set off the purple nicely

got the wheels started anyways

Sanding

primer

purple

also doing the brakes, colour is a lot greener in real life instead of metallic blue haha

Got the wheels and brakes finished :)

she needs a wash now haha

comments/feedback/opinions good and bad welcome

hope my radio is delivered soon, that'll be the next job.

Same colour as my wheels

Same colour as my wheels

yeah its something different anyway ha, turned out well for a rattle can job :p

Nice start dude, would say some new plates to make her look slick but I'm sure your already on that .

Nice start dude, would say some new plates to make her look slick but I'm sure your already on that .

way ahead of you mate haha I actually have new plates on her at the moment you just cant see them due to the camera angle.

in other news my radio arrived Christmas came early :p

Spot on, :) quick question about the bbs's how did you split them ie pulling the centres out of the barrels? Any problems splitting them? With bolts snapping?

I have some bbs San Marino wheels that need a refurb :)

Spot on, :) quick question about the bbs's how did you split them ie pulling the centres out of the barrels? Any problems splitting them? With bolts snapping?

I have some bbs San Marino wheels that need a refurb :)

I'll be honest, with a block of wood and a hammer is your best bet. Simples. :) But seriously be gentle while your doing it and if you can get some one to hold the wheel at an angle and to move the wheel a small bit so that you kinda rotate the hits of the hammer around the edge after every tap you'll have em out in about 5 minutes each. as for the bolts i was lucky they all came out fairly easy. leave em soak in WD40 for about 20 minutes before you try unscrew them and it should help. My wheels were painted before but they weren't split to be painted so i had a layer of paint on top of all the bolts. I've them left in a bottle of coke since i took em off. hopefully it will have cleaned em up a nice bit haha.

Cheers man I'm gonna have ago I think. :) cheers dude

Cheers man I'm gonna have ago I think. :) cheers dude

Do mate and let me know how you get on :) what i've found is taking them apart is the easy bit but sanding and polishing takes forever haha. my wheel centres aren't ready for paint at all like but i could end up getting them sandblasted before powder coating yet save me coating them with paint stripper and sanding them all.

I had a set of Audi pepper-pots before polished the lip down to pure aluminium and painted the centres, took for ever and even then I wasn't that happy with the finished product, I'm debating to split them and get them sprayed/polished properly or just bite the bullet and send 4 complete wheels but need to find a decent place first Aha, just thrown up a thread see if I can get some advice/tips from anybody else

I had a set of Audi pepper-pots before polished the lip down to pure aluminium and painted the centres, took for ever and even then I wasn't that happy with the finished product, I'm debating to split them and get them sprayed/polished properly or just bite the bullet and send 4 complete wheels but need to find a decent place first Aha, just thrown up a thread see if I can get some advice/tips from anybody else

but the satisfaction of having done it yourself? you'd be saving yourself a lot of hardship haha

Would love to but don't think ill be able to do all 4 wheels. Least I know ill get a good job on them. We shall see :)

Updates!

Heres a photo from a show I was at recently

Pretty happy with the respray i did on my cheap wheels. i was expecting the paint to have stone chips in it after a few days of driving but thankfully they're still looking fresh :)

TT pedals: Fitted!

Gti Lip: Fitted!

Have a bit of time off this week so I plan to get a few bits done hopefully i'll have the BBS lips near finished and the Lupo mirror i got fitted and i'll attack my headlight with some polish. Have a couple of maintenance issues to sort as well :/ blow in the exhaust for starters. She could do with a hoovering inside too haha.

Also priced fog light grill surrounds at my local dealer so i'll pick them up sometime soon.

So what next? Any recommendations much appreciated. :)

More photos for your viewing pleasure. Comments and criticism welcome.