Hello!

So after a few weeks of being lazy and not starting a build thread for my newly acquired Harlekin, I thought it best to get on and start it. Lets start at the beginning (which is only a month or so ago haha!)

I've been looking for a harlekin for quite a long time now, and got to the point that I wanted to swap my Mk2 Golf VR6 for one, but could just not find the right one for me. So the Mk2 went, and I bought Matty's Silver Valver which was an awesome car. The only problem with it is that it just wasn't colourful enough for me, so the Harley hunt started again.

I couldnt find one here so my search started abroad, where I stumbled upon a couple in Germany. After a lot of time on the telephone to people who didnt speak a lot of English and some who thought that it was a practical joke when I explained to them that I wanted to fly over to pick up a multi coloured car and drive it home, and then hung up on me. I figured that it was best to speak to the garage that I bought my Jetta from and go from there. I found a Harley close to his garage in Koln, and then i let him do the work of speaking to the guys that owned the car. These are the pictures that i had to go on:

After being told that it was a good car from Mr Still, i booked the flights, which were a horrendous price at £15.28

A week or so later I received this email from my German friend

So then it was just the excruciating wait to fly out and collect the car, which went very slowly as expected... But skipping forward, I landed in Germany and got a taxi to his garage.. and here he is

And here is me, Mr still and Harley

and on the Ferry!

The drive home was hot, so I was very grateful for the working air conditioning, which gets ice cold! We set off at 4AM on the thurday morning and got home at 3AM on the Friday morning! It was a very long day! I got up at 8AM on the Friday and got set with the lowering process!

I also got the front grille painted and got the ABT on along with the front indicators

First show in the car and it won a prize (it was the Just Kampers sponsored trophy at Bus Stop Over)

I went to the local supermarket and got a car park picture

and I try to keep on top of the cleaning haha!

That pretty much brings me to the Polo Show, where I found that Big Sexy Rob isnt very happy!

and it got Third Place, I've gotta say a HUGE thank you to everyone who voted!!

And the couple of week transformation

I got the Brand new old stock Genuine rear blind fitted

and this brings me up to now where I'm writing this. I'm currently still waiting for the DVLA to register it, and I cant drive it until its done :(

oh, and I got some coloured rear lights in it. I'm sure itll be a bit lower soon!

Edited 24 July, 201511 yr by TravisPrice2

Looks absolutely stunning. I was wondering why there wasn't a thread for this after seeing the website banner.

You got lucky with the colour order of the panels as the rear lights match the surrounding panels making it look even tidier and I reckon green was the right choice for the grille. Looks mint!

Looks absolutely stunning. I was wondering why there wasn't a thread for this after seeing the website banner.

You got lucky with the colour order of the panels as the rear lights match the surrounding panels making it look even tidier and I reckon green was the right choice for the grille. Looks mint!

Thank you buddy, It only didnt have a thread because i was being lazy haha!

Yeah, i think the coloured lights work with the panels they are next too, I've got a blue front indicator in it now as well

Nice car this one. The Jap wheels really suit it.

Nice car this one. The Jap wheels really suit it.

Thanks man, I want to swap them though as I want some silver/shiny wheels now haha!

Hmm, what size are they? ;-p

Fair play if you want something go and get it.

And well deserved Travis, hope we see it again next year!

Best harlequin colour combination

wow now that's what I call car hunting

niee lil touches aswell keep it up

Edited 26 July, 201511 yr by bantan

Thanks for all the positive feedback guys, its really appreciated

Best harlequin colour combination

I love the Pistachio Green, so I didn't have a problem choosing this base, and in my opinion is the best colour base too Although the yellow base does follow very close behind haha!

And well deserved Travis, hope we see it again next year!

Thank you I'l definitely be there again with it! I've said to quite a few people now that it has to be by far my favourite show of the season! Its just so chilled, and who can argue against a beer and a burger?

So, i tried my other set of wheels on Harley tonight, and I have to say that I think there here to stay! Oh, and I sorted out the lack of rear camber Although I'm a little confused that I set both sides up exactly the same, but the offside seems to have more than the nearside, something to look at in the future though.

Just waiting on the DVLA to send me a log book through the post now, and then it'll be the daily drive

I just stumbled across Polo Drivers coverage of the Polo Social, Its a really good write up

So, I spoke to the DVLA again yesterday, and ITS REGISTERED

So... Harley made a new friend on Saturday I cant wait to get them together again and get a photo shoot done!

Edited 3 August, 201511 yr by TravisPrice2

I made myself a boot build for the Harlekin last weekend. Firstly I ordered some model cars, and then lowered them

And then I made myself a car meet in the boot!

The tank and compressor isn't for air ride, its for my train horn

I freakin' love train horns! Your boot build looks good. I'm glad you didn't go for fruit polos instead of refreshers.

I freakin' love train horns! Your boot build looks good. I'm glad you didn't go for fruit polos instead of refreshers.

Yeah man, Train Horns are awesome! Thanks man, i plan on having the tank wrapped in the future, but it won't be for a while yet. I bought it with the refreshers sticker on it, and it works surprisingly well haha!

Sweet I walk past this and all the other nuts dubs in Rushden you have on your drive, you have literally shed loads of mates with slammed dubs, you must be centre of dub world in the uk.

Never seen a mk1 near your house tho, that would be a sweet addition

We need an engine bay shot!

Sweet I walk past this and all the other nuts dubs in Rushden you have on your drive, you have literally shed loads of mates with slammed dubs, you must be centre of dub world in the uk.

Never seen a mk1 near your house tho, that would be a sweet addition

We need an engine bay shot!

Haha thank you! Most of those are probably ours though! i think we have about 10 vw's at home!

This update is very picture heavy!

Sooooo... It's been a very busy couple of weeks with Harley with a lot happening! First of all I ordered a camera, which I plan on rigging a recorder into to use as a dash cam sort of thing.

With the feed going directly into my rear view mirror (the camera wasnt in the grille at this point, which is why the lines are pointing into the sky)

Next, I made myself a Harlekin 'Club Polo' Sticker using 4 stickers

In the meantime I ordered a '40 years of Polo' booklet off of ebay

Fitted a new steering wheel (and my drivers seat collapsed, hence why I'm using a pair of CC front seats at the moment)

And then it was time for the big job... Converting it into an Openair! First I started by stripping the interior

Then Masking it up and drawing around the outer perimeter

And then it was the first drill hole for the hacksaw to go through

and then I took the first cut

The roof section was then supported by wood

Then the section was out!

With a little bit of fine tuning the hole was big enough for the roof to fit in

Then it was a case of cutting the headlining out to fit the roof, and sealing the roof in. And of course putting it all back together! Its done!

and mine next to my mates factory openair!

Then I stumbled upon a Beetle Harlekin at VW Action on Sunday and couldnt resist getting pictures with it!

This ones a quick comparison shot of the 7 weeks of progress, It doesn't look like the same car at all! (the top pictures been flipped so its facing the same way haha!)

Excellent work with the open air. Has so much potential to go wrong!

Excellent work with the open air. Has so much potential to go wrong!

Thank you! That was my main worry about it to be honest. I wouldn't have really known what to do it it did go wrong! At least I don't have to worry about that now though

Fell in love with your car the moment I seen it on Instagram. Then even more when I seen it in the flesh at polo social but most of all after reading your build thread and what you have been busy doing to it

Keep up the fine work and updates

I've always wanted a harley and seeing this has made that want worse, looking forward to seeing its progression

You are well brave to do that, how do you find lhd?