This is the story of my 7th VAG so far, hope you enjoy.
Some time around January 2012 I ended up with this Seat Inca; an ill advised Ebay buy, with many many holes where there should have been metal, and filler too. I had bought it with an eye to lowering it, sticking wide wheels on it, kitting the back out with living accomodation and travellering it up all over the place, it wasn't to be.
It had lots of MOT though and would serve a purpose for someone, one evening I was trawling Ebay again and spotted a dude had a mk2 16v GTi for sale or swaps for a small van, so I got all over that and asked for more pics. They scared me a little, but I figured my van was fodder only for scrap or a trade with this guy, so why not. We straight swapped, so my trusty (not so trusty) side-kick, Harding, and I headed off from Manchester to Kircaldy, the other side of the water from Edinburgh. It seemed a straightforward journey.
The Golf looked solid enough upon inspection. Untidy but solid. He seemed happy with his van ;D
The story of the drive back home goes as follows:
1 - A mile in notice the steering shakes at speed. Wonder why.
2 - Same time notice brakes are a bit wooly and car goes into reverse every time you look for first.
3 - 40 miles in it needs oil
4 - 50 miles in go through puddle, engine dies.
5 - 51 miles in upon resumption of engine and carrying on driving across a dirty big hill in Scotland, someone nearly hits the back of us, the rear lights have now all failed, bodge some 99p torches through the rear clusters and we're off.
6 - 80 miles, needs more oil, that'll be about 8 litres now
7 - 120 miles, more oil. Costs more in oil than fuel to drive this thing.
8 - Less than half a mile from home - front tyre blow out, that'd explain the steering shake, continue to drive on flat tyre, all patience lost.
In the cold light of day the next day:
Harrowing!
Despite it having loads of MOT I chose, unsurprisingly, to park it up to carry out some repairs.
Worked out the oil leak was coming from the pressure switch, so that was a £4 repair ;D
Traced all the wiring faults to dodgy connections or bad earths, now all working A1.
Rewired the headlamp switch. Replaced a leaking radiator. Fixed the central locking. Replaced the seat release cable so the tilt function works again.
Bought a mint bootlid from a guy breaking one nearby, repaired the wiring loom with solder and heat shrink coatings, good as new now ;D
Fixed back panel rust up.
Worked out why brakes were wooly:
Fixed them, also replaced handbrake cables for good measure
Got annoyed with baggy drivers seat, so tracked down a NOS set of padding.
Old:
New:
Traced some water leaks, it tended to rain in a bit...
Replaced the heater matrix as the air smelled a bit acrid coolanty
Put coilovers on as the shocks were knackered
Put the Borbets on from my B3 Passat
'Accidentally' bought a set of Ronal LS's from Ebay, cheap with a good set of tyres, although I'll be getting lower profile ones soonish.
Sent them off for acid dipping, but polished the badges :lol:
Found a knob under the rear bench:
Serviced it well, and it is now booked for an MOT on Friday of this week, I'm pretty confident as it failed the last one a month ago on handbrake cables being rogered and wheels rubbing suspension components (now spaced a touch)
Jobs I still need to do are weld in new windscreen frame to cure some more leaks, new panel around fuel filler, stereo, paint.
Good points - surprised to find a 4 branch manifold and stainless system.
Engine and box good and strong.
No rust underneath, sills as good as new.
Despite recent neglect it looks to have been someones pride and joy once, and it will be again. :wub:
Some time around January 2012 I ended up with this Seat Inca; an ill advised Ebay buy, with many many holes where there should have been metal, and filler too. I had bought it with an eye to lowering it, sticking wide wheels on it, kitting the back out with living accomodation and travellering it up all over the place, it wasn't to be.
It had lots of MOT though and would serve a purpose for someone, one evening I was trawling Ebay again and spotted a dude had a mk2 16v GTi for sale or swaps for a small van, so I got all over that and asked for more pics. They scared me a little, but I figured my van was fodder only for scrap or a trade with this guy, so why not. We straight swapped, so my trusty (not so trusty) side-kick, Harding, and I headed off from Manchester to Kircaldy, the other side of the water from Edinburgh. It seemed a straightforward journey.
The Golf looked solid enough upon inspection. Untidy but solid. He seemed happy with his van ;D
The story of the drive back home goes as follows:
1 - A mile in notice the steering shakes at speed. Wonder why.
2 - Same time notice brakes are a bit wooly and car goes into reverse every time you look for first.
3 - 40 miles in it needs oil
4 - 50 miles in go through puddle, engine dies.
5 - 51 miles in upon resumption of engine and carrying on driving across a dirty big hill in Scotland, someone nearly hits the back of us, the rear lights have now all failed, bodge some 99p torches through the rear clusters and we're off.
6 - 80 miles, needs more oil, that'll be about 8 litres now
7 - 120 miles, more oil. Costs more in oil than fuel to drive this thing.
8 - Less than half a mile from home - front tyre blow out, that'd explain the steering shake, continue to drive on flat tyre, all patience lost.
In the cold light of day the next day:
Harrowing!
Despite it having loads of MOT I chose, unsurprisingly, to park it up to carry out some repairs.
Worked out the oil leak was coming from the pressure switch, so that was a £4 repair ;D
Traced all the wiring faults to dodgy connections or bad earths, now all working A1.
Rewired the headlamp switch. Replaced a leaking radiator. Fixed the central locking. Replaced the seat release cable so the tilt function works again.
Bought a mint bootlid from a guy breaking one nearby, repaired the wiring loom with solder and heat shrink coatings, good as new now ;D
Fixed back panel rust up.
Worked out why brakes were wooly:
Fixed them, also replaced handbrake cables for good measure
Got annoyed with baggy drivers seat, so tracked down a NOS set of padding.
Old:
New:
Traced some water leaks, it tended to rain in a bit...
Replaced the heater matrix as the air smelled a bit acrid coolanty
Put coilovers on as the shocks were knackered
Put the Borbets on from my B3 Passat
'Accidentally' bought a set of Ronal LS's from Ebay, cheap with a good set of tyres, although I'll be getting lower profile ones soonish.
Sent them off for acid dipping, but polished the badges :lol:
Found a knob under the rear bench:
Serviced it well, and it is now booked for an MOT on Friday of this week, I'm pretty confident as it failed the last one a month ago on handbrake cables being rogered and wheels rubbing suspension components (now spaced a touch)
Jobs I still need to do are weld in new windscreen frame to cure some more leaks, new panel around fuel filler, stereo, paint.
Good points - surprised to find a 4 branch manifold and stainless system.
Engine and box good and strong.
No rust underneath, sills as good as new.
Despite recent neglect it looks to have been someones pride and joy once, and it will be again. :wub:
