looking good

so much time goes into polishing so its going to be worth it because it looks so fresh

Started out fitting the Mk4 Golf/Bora dash tonight. Was on my own so in the pics it looks a tad lopsided as it's about half an inch lower on the passenger side but it's all cut to fit so far as can be seen below:

I would have made the new dash brackets but my welder is out of wire so that put an end to that.

The Golf and Polo heater control cables attach completely differently to eachother so I decided to mount the Polo controls to the Mk4 dash. I started out expecting a big job and within 10mins I'd them fitting with OEM mounts and used only a small file all cables working perfectly:

I need to get myself a set of very early petrol Golf or Bora clocks to work with my wiring so I'm hunting those atm. Also a quick pic to show how much wider the dash is/how much I'll need to remove from my doorcards lol

Connor

Another day off today meant another day at the Polo. Decided to try finish the day with the dash fully mounted and I did just that

It doesnt look much different than the last pics but in person it's alot more solid lol. No movement at all as if it was meant to be there. Also thanks to Gethin who sorted me with most of the dash trims/vents I needed.

My snazzy cupholders (something the 6N Polo greatly lacks imo)

Glove box in and operational with no more catching or fouling

need to source the other centre console trims and wrap them to cover the hideous walnut shite

Next up is the wiring...(cue epic failure lol)

Connor

nice one! look forward to seeing this all working!

haha with me wiring it you and i both could be waiting awhile lol

I've a list of all the pins on the golf switches all numbered and what they go to. If i can find something similar for the original polo stuff it should help alot.

Connor

winner! get the fusebox up in that there glovebox? :-) looks fekin massive in!

If it needed moved it'd be a good spot for it but the fuse box is staying where it is for now lol.

i've been offered a mk4 golf dash with everything and i think i'm gunna go down the same road as you, how hard is it to fit conner? have you kept the original heater matrix out the polo?

don't wanna seem like i'm copying you mate, thought about it ages ago but didn't think it would fit, after seeing pix of yours it made me wanna have ago at doing it.

Sorry Mike I'm only seeing this post now.

It's a bollox to physically fit but obviously it can be done. Shaping the doorcards is gona be big work too. The hardest is the wiring tho. it's really holding me back at the minute. I'm using the Polo matrix. I only tried it as the GF had the conversion for her Vento and didn't want it.

ok for a change I've a positive post. I'm still fucking about on and off with the dash wiring but after nearly a year of looking I finally settled on some wheels

They're Gotti 6 spokes. 15x8 et12 and 15x9 et25. The extra inch is make up in the barrel so the outer dishes are the same depth. I'd prefer staggered dish but I'm happy for now and it means I've always the option the stick another 1/2" out lip on. They're the factory machined finish (with added lacquer peel) and titanium bolts. The plan is to polish the lips, powdercoat the centres possibly bronze and powdercoat the centre caps satin black.

p.s. if anyone knows what the model of these wheels are let me know.

Connor

much love for them wheels =D

Been working away but not posting any updates.

The gottis are split and are a fucking huer to strip the lacquer off. I nitromosed them and it did fuck all bar barely soften the paint. I then sanded down the faces but still cant get the insides of the spokes stripped properly so need to get them soda blasted as even caustic soda did nothing. I've decided to paint the centres Sepang Bronze Met and polish the dishes.

I started shaping the door cards to fit the new dash conversion as the doors were nowhere near closing with the Golf dash and Polo door cards so after an hour removing the vinyl covering and a few minutes with the grinder I was left with a butchered door card. I hot glued and taped some mesh along the edge and was left with something like this:

I then noticed the dash also protruded into the door handle trim and that would need reshaped too (ballache)

I started to fibreglass the required shape and make a slow job of it until the legend that is Richard Browne turned up and took into the fibreglassing like he did it for a living.

Action shot:

The door card after fibre glassing. It still needs sanding, profiling and filled before trimming but thats the general shape:

The door handle surround had to be shortened by around 3 - 4 inches too to allow the dash to just clear it. This meant removing the electric window switches which will be relocated to the door pocket. I cut the piece with a grinder slowly removing pieces as I went and test fitting. Once roughly happy I pieced the 2 parts together and filled the rear with hot glue and and open gaps.The front will finally be plastic welded, filled down and refinished to look as oem as possible. Also the leading edge will match the profile of the door card.

Here's how it looks at the minute with the standard handle behind it. Not too bad for using a grinder and glue gun lol:

Connor

Great work, I love projects like this where someone does something completely different to the same old modifications. Ill keep an eye on it.

i love projects like that too. not the headaches they bring tho lol. bit like you are vr conversion id say

i love projects like that too. not the headaches they bring tho lol. bit like you are vr conversion id say

Yeah haha, the finished project makes it all worth while though lol.

Epic build!!!!

Woah thats mad, didnt realise the whole dash looked different. Cant wait to see what it looks like

While some don't believe me I have actually been working away at this except for when the clutch in your run about mk2 decides to fuck itself and you've to replace that. Thanks to Lee and Stefan for that help:

After @browne174 fibreglassed the doorcard it was filled and smoothed ready for the vinyl. I picked some that was a close match to the mk4 Golf dash to try look as OEM as possible. We trimmed the top piece and behind the door pocket so far. Need to do the bottom of the door and pick a material for the centre panel:

Brian offered me the chance to buy the wheel from his mk2 TT but I can't decide if it's gona look right or not. All opinions welcome on that:

Next up I made some brackets up and got the Golf centre console mounted. Once I tried to mount the next part, the handbrake surround, I realised I'd to move the handbrake over to one side:

After a bit of fucking about I got it sorted and the whole lot looks like this:

I also discovered tonight the idea of using the Corrado rear bench is out the window as the floor is completely the wrong shape so it's back to the VR6 rear bench and get it trimmed. The 'raddo bench can go into my mk2.

I need to order the wiring adaptor for the Golf clocks and finish the doorcards and the interior is complete for now (bar a retrim when I can finally afford it). After that I can start on my hydraulics

Connor

Sorrywutt! Christ this is intense! Some MAJOR work going into this, really nice to see! Plowing on with it too

Good luck Connor

Need to Ben. I can't miss the 4th UD in a row. It's actually become a standing joke now. lol.

Moving the handbrake wasn't overly difficult and doing it made the mk4 stuff pretty simple to fit. Heading up now to finish off any wee brackets for it and trim the A pillars and I'll be alot closer to having the interior done.

More updates tonight

Connor

The plan tonight was to weld the final brackets and have the centre console/handbrake surround mounted 100% but I lost my box of speed clips so could do fuck all on that front.

I grabbed my A pillar trims and decided to cut them to suit the new dash. I done the usual of taking a bit off at a time and keep offering it up but somehow on the first cut i cut the wrong angle and made a balls of the drivers side. The longer one is the correct length and angle I needed. The shorter is what I cut lol:

I got the passenger side cut perfect and here is it in place:

I brought it home and trimmed it in the same material as the door cards (excuse the clips holding the edges in place):

Now tho, it's star wars time

Connor

Need to Ben. I can't miss the 4th UD in a row. It's actually become a standing joke now. lol.

Moving the handbrake wasn't overly difficult and doing it made the mk4 stuff pretty simple to fit. Heading up now to finish off any wee brackets for it and trim the A pillars and I'll be alot closer to having the interior done.

More updates tonight

Connor

I duno what to laugh at more, the fact your work is bang on and stupid quick and I'm jelous or the fact youve got a deadline of UD! I've heard of a few nice cars that are ment to be at this next years.... may try making it to this one, I've said (like yourself) i'll be in attendance, haven't yet been!

I've been to UD the past 4 years. Only problem is the Polo only went the first time lol.

The following 2 years I went in my aul fellas pick up:

Then last year is the girlfriend's Vento last year:

So I really need the Polo there in 2013 lol

HAHA, better than me atleast! Trek for you mate, respect for travelling! Its 3 hours for me and i moan haha.

Hopefully meet you at UD.... if we both make it :p

Just read this post from start to finish, and its made me miss my old 16v even more! I remember this car at UD years back. Great work dude, you wouldn't believe what it used to look like unless you read this post!

Epic motor, built not bought is an understatement.

Yeah Ben definatly meet up for a bita craic. Are you originally from over here are did i make that up? lol

Cheers dude. Get yourself another polo. I love them (altho i did scrap one today :p)

I'd need to watch out because this is the 3rd update in 3 nights. It's looking suspiciously like progress is being made lol.

Done a scrap run to get a few quid coming up to christmas so didn't get a lot done today.

I finished trimming the a pillar and got the excess tucked round the back of it with a method that will never let go so the door cards will be less of a worry now

I've been talking about painting the car inside as I'm sick of it being multicoloured so I decided to start under the rear seats for tonight. Got abit carried away and ended up near the dash. I need to remove the dash to finish it so this is as far as i got today:

Connor