superb Sparkly's Racing Barge 1.8tsi 4x4

[Sparkly]

Project LED conversion underway.

So far Cree that look like this,

although a bit overly directional to use the reflectors in the overhead lights they give so much more light than these

[Sparkly]

Can someone please explain how I crack open the footwell light housings?

[Toxicvrs]

Can someone please explain how I crack open the footwell light housings?

HTH

[Sparkly]

HTH

Will that work for the side mirror downlighters too, I'm scratching my head over those too.

I have bags of now defunct LED's too, because they turned out be poop.

The vanity mirror lights however will burn your retinas

[Jabozuma]

sparkly, simple tip to turn those CREE LEDs into less directional - get some fine sand paper and rub the lenses. Simple but really effective.

Edited 22 August, 2014 by Jabozuma

[JakeBlade]

Will that work for the side mirror downlighters too, I'm scratching my head over those too.

I have bags of now defunct LED's too, because they turned out be poop.

The vanity mirror lights however will burn your retinas

Post #22 mate: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/index.php?/topic/233709-How-to-replace-puddle-light-bulbs/page__view__findpost__p__3730935

[Sparkly]

Post #22 mate: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/index.php?/topic/233709-How-to-replace-puddle-light-bulbs/page__view__findpost__p__3730935

You sir are a Legend!

[BossFox]

Stop fiddling about with LEDs and turn the power up.

[James I]

Will the barge be attending Castle Combe?  

[sharkrider]

just found this thread Mark ! looking forward to seeing it at coomb looking like a cool project!

[Ad Lav]

As above - just spotted it and this by all accounts should be great fun!

Why did you get rid of the vRS or s that a silly question!?

Edited 30 August, 2014 by Ad Lav

[numskull]

Can someone please explain how I crack open the footwell light housings?

 

Use a Stanley knife blade to carefully prise the metal refector away from the plastic lugs one at a time. The reflector will then come off.

[Sparkly]

Back from a family Holiday in Cornwall, a very fine way to put 1,500+ miles on the car.  Really enjoyed getting to know the car, I was really happy with how well it dealt with all of the family clutter.

 

So from the niggles side:

 

I am still not as blown away by the ride comfort and refinement as I had hoped, the car is still quicker to be unsettled or crash with road defects than I had thought it might be and road noise still seems to be intruding too much at motorway speeds primarily I think from the budget tyres.  I found after 300 miles at the wheel that the driver's footrest left me with a few knee pains as no matter what I did with the seat the resting position didn't feel 100% natural.  Lumbar in particular but all round support from the seats (SE spec) is significantly poorer than on the Fabia vRS, the manual lumbar is a waste of time.  Gear change can be infuriatingly over-knotchy at times between 1-2 and 3, perhaps this is just me coming from an auto but doesn't seem quite right.

 

Positives:

 

I am loving the engine, given the power and torque quoted it feels so much stronger than it is, I still keep having suspicions the car is carrying a map.  On the motorway it performed every bit as well as a diesel giving torque and shove whenever needed and unlike a diesel but still pretty good I averaged 41mpg door to door both ways.  I ran down to Cornwall on 95 and then have given the 'Perb two good tanks of Vpower Nitro+ since then, no noticeable benefit but it may given things a clean up as it went through.  In spite of grumbles above on refinement and comfort, the overall experience of long distancing compared to the Fabia is worlds apart really, taking all things into account, like space, SWMBO's not grumbling, this was the right car for us.  The chassis surprisingly really enjoyed having the Cornish back roads to attack, dare I say it, it almost feels more willing in stock format than the Fabia in the same when going after corners and if you make allowances for the car being pretty darn heavy, it really drives very well with bags of grip and early shove out of corners.  The throttle mapping does feel very heavily set up for snooze cruise though meaning unless you are feeling very feisty, the car can actually lull you back into pootle mode, almosty hypnotically, without you noticing.

 

As the Barge did such a good job, I bought it a treat.  All official Skoda Merch!

 

[Sparkly]

Tested a new carnauba/ptfe based LSP from Brazil as part of a pre-drive to Cornwall detail.

This is a wet morning after about 500/600 miles driving in bad weather, not bad beading.

[Sparkly]

[Toxicvrs]

Looking forward to seeing this on track next year

[Sparkly]

Looking forward to seeing this on track next year

Or you could come to Combe in a fortnight

[Toxicvrs]

Or you could come to Combe in a fortnight

I've said I might but it depends as I'll be on a train!

[sharkrider]

re gearchange: gilly was having trouble with st gear on his, and had the linkage changed/adjusted by a dealer, and this cured it, get someone to check the linkage

[Sparkly]

Not much of a Racing Barge this Superb, sadly looking like work will intervene and spoil the fun of me attending Combe in Sept.

 

In other news, I now have an SE with dipping passenger side parking mirror when reverse is engaged on an SE spec car.  I can confirm that the myth that this requires memory seats is utter rubbish.  Numbnuts here had gotten everything right on VAGCOM and then not noticed that it had enabled an option in the MFD that now allowed me to check a box for reversing mirror.

 

Lack of track action making me sad, may have to buy that Android HU and an ELM27 bluetooth dongle to cheer myself up.

[Toxicvrs]

Not much of a Racing Barge this Superb, sadly looking like work will intervene and spoil the fun of me attending Combe in Sept.

In other news, I now have an SE with dipping passenger side parking mirror when reverse is engaged on an SE spec car. I can confirm that the myth that this requires memory seats is utter rubbish. Numbnuts here had gotten everything right on VAGCOM and then not noticed that it had enabled an option in the MFD that now allowed me to check a box for reversing mirror.

Lack of track action making me sad, may have to buy that Android HU and an ELM27 bluetooth dongle to cheer myself up.

As much of a racing barge as my Fabia is a 1.8T

[Sparkly]

As much of a racing barge as my Fabia is a 1.8T

 

Touché!      and I guess deserved

 

But I fancy the Superb will still be taken around a track in anger before the Fabby sees it's conversion.  I am not 100% written off on attending Combe, just highly doubtful.

[Prykey]

Been away with work.

So far have bought via Ebay.

New Rubber Mats

Official Skoda Boot Bag

And some genuine e rear sunblinds from a Brisky member's auction.

For the interior I'll still be wanting a rubber boot mat, boot nets, new head unit and depending on how many LED's I get through some spare Festoons and w5w's.

Have a lodged a cheeky best offer on one of these little Android powered HU's

 

Did you get this in the end Mark?

[Sparkly]

Did you get this in the end Mark?

 

Got a slightly higher spec one that I have my eye on, not placed the order yet.  Few things that I am looking at buying and haven't decided which will get priority.

[Jabozuma]

I know the feeling . I like the spec of those units and the fact they are supposed to seamlessly integrate with an Android phone and apps like torque etc. Almost like Nissan GT-R