My VRS tidy up project

[Jimi182]

Nice job mate. Looking tidy on them alloys.

J

[R1chard]

Looks very nice on them 5 spokes but needs some lowered suspension ASAP

[Bazmcc]

If it wasn't a daily driver which has to get into a multistorey car park I'd be all on for dropping it right down but to be honest, I bought it because it's a lot cheaper to run than my corrado. I'm a bit stung for cash at the minute after having to fix the rado up as well and I'd rather not go down the budget coilover route. I think the next money i'll be spending will be to get the dent in the drivers side pulled and the dent in the door popped out straight.

I'm just chuffed it's now on the road.

Although I do seem to be getting a bit of movement in the steering. It's like torque steer in miniature so my guess is that it needs either the alignment sorted out (again), or a tie rod end or another bush or something.

[Bazmcc]

Looks like I'm needing a new control arm on the other side now. Could well be the same destruction as the first side. Loads of play in the front bush and looks like silicon again.

New one ordered so just waiting for it to arrive and I'll see if I can get it changed asap. Still driving ok but I get the odd knock here and there and the steering is a bit squirmy.

[xa0sx]

Looks very nice on them 5 spokes but needs some lowered suspension ASAP

[Bazmcc]

Got round to changing the fabia wishbone and front bush. Also put in the new ball joint. The old one wasn't great, The console bush was fine so I left it as it was.

Squirmy steering on lift off and acceleration is gone and the knocking on hard braking is gone too. The old bush was very soft even though it appears to be a powerflex. I was able to just remove it without tools.

[Bazmcc]

My radio reception is crap. Is the radio antenna routed down the floor or roof on these and is it on the left or right?

I need to have a look and see if everything is plugged in properly.

And the book latch switch is giving a bit of hassle again.

[Bazmcc]

I might as well update this.

Fabia is still alive just about.

I still have a tiny leak somewhere around the radiator. I just haven't been bothered to find it.

I have a god almighty bloody rattling and knocking on the front left corner. Can't suss it out. I have a feeling it might be the droplink (again). So I'm going to unbolt it and take it out for a drive and see if the knocking stops.

I recovered the spoiler as all the lacquer was peeling off it. Cheaper than spraying it as I had a roll of 3m carbon vinyl in the garage. Not perfect but a lot better than it was.

[Gobsheene]

Nicely done barry

I think i have my old droplinks here if you want to try one? I took them out to fit the shorter ones.

Was the spoiler hard to get off? Mines the same, not a bit of lacquer left on it.

[Rob.]

Hey man...

How did you get the spoiler off? And what was the paint like underneath? Been wondering if it was possible to remove and just polish up the original panel for a while now.. No one ever seems to have done it though.. but now you have!

Edited 16 October, 2012 by Rob.

[Bazmcc]

If I'm being honest the spoiler was pretty easy to get off. It had came a little loose on the drivers side. I went for the brute force method of wedging my finger tips below it and levering it up from the metal. The paint below was pretty good. There were 4 etch marks on the lacquer where sort of raised humps in the moulded underside had been touching it. I don't know if this was original glue, or just vibration marks. My spoiler appeared to have been stuck down maybe before though so i'm not sure it was original glue. I've taken off golf spoilers before and they've been a total nightmare to do. Although it depends how much damage you're willing to do, lol.

I sanded the whole thing smooth before I stuck the vinyl as well. There was loads of water stuck below the lacquer eating it's way across the spoiler.

I also put new front brake discs on last night. I found that one of the plungers on the carriers was siezed. A vice, loads of plusgas (better than wd40) and a bit of twisting later and it was freed completely again. Sorted that, and also had to redrill and tap a disc locating screw on the driver side hub. I need a new track rod end on the driver side as well.

The rattling appears to have all but subsided this morning. I don't know if this was down to the fact that the car was jacked up and something has moved and reseated, or the siezed carrier was causing the brake pad to slap and rattle about. The old discs had a decent lip on them as well. I don't think it would be the droplinks. I've only put something like 20K on a brand new set from skoda. I'm going to put the new track rod end on and possibly put 2 new ball joints into it and see how that goes.

Edited 17 October, 2012 by Bazmcc

[steveo1]

Hey pal,

Really interesting seeing what you have been doing to the fabia.

I just bought a house off the A26 heading towards Ballymena, probably not far from you. Originally from Ballyclare direction. Might see ya about. Really like the pressed plates and have been searching for somewhere over here in NI to do them, so thanks for the advice.

[Bazmcc]

The A26 isn't a million miles away but i'm on the otherside of broughshane from you really.

Pressed plates. Rockvale graphics in lisburn. Neill is the dealer over here for them.

Update on the fabia.

I think I need a rear caliper rebuild kit. One has no dust boot and is a little sticky. Which results in the caliper sticking the morning. Pain in the ass.

New disks all round and new pads on the front as well to keep it right for another while.

New droplink for pass side and new track rod end for drivers side ordered. Both have split the rubber boots.

[Bazmcc]

New pass side droplink fitted.

Rattling and knocking problem solved.

[Coffin Dodger]

Amazing amount of work you have done mate I was particularly impressed by your "just get on with it attitude", excellent!

Roof spoiler looks first class. A real inspiration!

[Bazmcc]

Cheers. There's no other way to do it.

I've decided when I get some time off coming up to xmas I'm going to sort out the dent in the drivers door myself and get the bump taken out of the sill and try and get it painted.

Might recover the pillars again. If I could get OEM pattern cloth it would be good.

[Rob.]

Re: sticking rear brake.... Would the hand brake release assist spring help with this?

[Bazmcc]

Hi Rob

Yes i'm going to fit the springs. Just haven't got round to ordering them yet.

The skoda superb has them fitted as standard. The part numbers I have are below. Not sure what they're originally off but I think some polos and sharans had them as standard as well.

7H0 615 295A

6H0 615 296

I'll try VW today and see if they're available.

[Bazmcc]

7H0 615 295A

7H0 615 296

Part numbers corrected above.

I ordered 3 sets of these. They're only about £2 each.

[Bazmcc]

Rear caliper release springs fitted.

Best mod I've done in a while. Rear brakes are now sorted.

[hutchysrs50]

Gives the handbrake a nice feel as well, nice cheap little mod to do and not that hard either.

[Bazmcc]

Passengers outer CV is going a bit ropey again. I think the boot might have a split (again).

Gearbox is playing up as first, second and reverse is getting difficult to get into while stationary and especially after being in traffic for a bit. I think the main bearing might be buggered.

Cracked one of my winter alloys, thankfully they're only old spares.

And the pinhole I had in the radiator must be bigger as I'm loosing water faster than I would like.

[Bazmcc]

Back again

New passengers outer cv.

New radiator - passengers side plastic section was leaking.

Gearbox sorted

What's next?

[Rob.]

Gear box sorted? I'm guessing you calibrated the shifter and changed the oil?

[Bazmcc]

Thought I might as well come back for an update again.

It's like a calamity of errors. So after the gearbox being 'sorted' we discovered a minor leak in the main seal at the end of the box. Nothing major. Got the seal replaced last night.

Both front and back badges replaced for new ones.

Back to my original plans. The dent in the sill. I no longer have a dent. YAY!! But it's still in primer. So as soon as I get a chance I'll paint that. The car has a lot of imperfections from previous work and just some car park dings etc. I got my Compomotive MO5 wheels back on and the car cleaned up a bit at the weekend.

Next missions:

Remove the rubstrips

Fix the dent in the drivers door.

Rub down and repaint both the flat parts on the rear arches. (bit of rust bubbling through)

Recover my pillars again (anyone know where to get oem headlining cloth?)

Polish the headlights

Reseal rear passenger door inner panel.

and I'll probably think of a few more new things along the way.