Hutchysrs50 - MK2 Fabia Monte Carlo

[hutchysrs50]

Was undecided on making a project thread for this car as I planned on doing absolutely nothing with it. At least that's what I told the other half to keep her happy.

Well Christmas has been and gone so she's happy to play with her Michael Kors handbags and what not so she's now oblivious to my mass order or car parts.

So anyway, here's my current 2 Fabias sitting pretty

The plans...

I've decided I want a good OEM+ spec for this car, so that means ticking off as many optional extras I can get.

- OPC Parking sensors

- RNS510 Columbus satnav

- Heated seats

- Arm rest

- Cruise control

- Disc rear axle

- H&R lowering springs

- Headlight washers

- Tyre pressure monitoring

- Smokers pack? (I don't smoke )

And a few other special things along the way.

Edited 15 February, 2017 by hutchysrs50

[hutchysrs50]

Well as per my other project threads, first job is pulling the inside out.

Had all the seats and floor mats removed and wet vaced front to back, then all the black trim got a proper rub back to nothing and a strong coat of AutoGlym plastic restore.

No after pictures since I just wanted it back together but my Red Monte Carlo seats will be for sale soon.

[hutchysrs50]

I put VCDS on and added a few things I started to miss instantly from my Elegance.

Needle sweep had to be added, don't notice it a great deal but had to be added

The main one being the large MPH display and the oil temperature display.

I can say Autolights is probably the main thing I miss at the minute, more so with the coming home lights feature.

[hutchysrs50]

Well the pile of parts is huge...

Im going to be adding plenty of things this week and plan on doing a how to guide for pretty much all of them.

 

As for today, it's mainly been maintenance.... sorting out the things the previous owner neglected. The drivers side rear light was cracked so changed that, the passenger sun visor was damaged so changed that and put in a parcel shelf since it was missing, so the car feels more complete again.

[hutchysrs50]

To start ticking off the list I started with, I added a genuine Monte Carlo arm rest, nice easy job, it helps complete the inside of the car I think.

 

Link with pictures here.

How To: Fit Arm Rest

 

but the finished product looks like this!

 

 

 

[hutchysrs50]

Next up, to fit a Creation Motorsport false pedal. Sadly they don't sell a Fabia of Monte Carlo one, so vrs will have to do. 

 

Link with pictures here

How to: Fit False Pedal

 

Nice easy job but I think it improves the inside slightly.

 

 

Edited 14 February, 2017 by hutchysrs50

[hutchysrs50]

Auto lights was such a big thing I missed from my other Fabia so fitted a kit to the Monte today.

 

Link with pictures here

How to: Fit Autolights

 

[hutchysrs50]

Managed to get my hands on a nice new interior so will be fitting that soon, got to love leather

 

sneek peak, no spoilers

 

 

For now though, fitted a Columbus RNS510, latest model, fully updated and top spec so now have DAB.

Programmed everything in so it works on the maxidot dash and Bluetooth now.

 

 

Link with pictures here

How to: Retrofit sat nav

 

 

Plenty of options for music now!

 

 

Edited 15 February, 2017 by hutchysrs50

[hutchysrs50]

So no updates for a while but doesn't mean I haven't been busy.

 

The car was stripped out completely for its overhaul.

 

It started off with a good hoover and then wet vaced so the bare carpet would come up like new.

 

 

 

 

I removed every plastic panel on the car and stripped everything out. Every piece got deep cleaned with those Magic sponges which dulls the panels down, then got a nice thick coat of autoglym interior polish and left to soak in for a few days before buffing off.

 

All plastic panels were refitted and the new interior was put in.

 

 

As you can see all the door card have been removed (apart from the drivers to keep it usable) and have been stripped down and leather wrapped.

 

 

Some red piping was added and refitted.

 

New genuine floor mats and rubber boot floor was put in to help freshen it up.

 

Quite a few other bits left to do but will update the rest tomorrow

 

Edited 19 March, 2017 by hutchysrs50

[Tyredcyclist]

Nice, love those seats, what are they from?

[Bogwoppit]

They look like Ibiza FR 'Black Edition' seats to me?

[hutchysrs50]

They are indeed ibiza seats, just extremely rare with the red stitching that's an exactly match to the Monte Carlo stitching on the steering wheel and handbrake etc..

 

Took me absolutely ages to find them, was posting on every Seat and Ibiza page looking for them

 

I couldn't decide between the full leather or half leather half alcantara but so glad I went with the alcantara, it's really huggy and comfortable and not cold in winter and not hot in summer

 

They are also heated, just not wired them up yet.

 

Hopfully more pictures this afternoon! 

[hutchysrs50]

Just finishing up now so it's to dark get any decent pictures. Only one I have is when I first started to apply the suede roof lining.

 

 

The arm rest has been successfully wrapped in leather and looks absolutely perfect, better than I thought it would.

 

Almost finished the interior now every plastic panel and door cards have been deep cleaned and polished. Door card rests are all now leather with red piping, arm rest is leather, black suede roof lining and half leather half suede seats with red stitching to match the rest of the car.

 

Over the moon with it all now 

 

[hutchysrs50]

Quick picture showing how everything looks.

Got a cleaning company booked tomorrow to clean and treat the leather and wet vac the alcantara part, can't use the car for a little while once it's been done as the leather treatment has to be left for a good few hours to soak in.

 

 

 

 

Edited 20 March, 2017 by hutchysrs50

[Tyredcyclist]

That's a really good job there hutchy, I assume the steering wheel is going to be changed as well at some point?

[hutchysrs50]

Thank you

Yeah, it's going to be changed for an Octavia one I think, possibly and a newer Fabia one, I don't mind aslong as it's leather with red stitching and has buttons for a MFSW

[Tyredcyclist]

21 hours ago, hutchysrs50 said:

Thank you

Yeah, it's going to be changed for an Octavia one I think, possibly and a newer Fabia one, I don't mind aslong as it's leather with red stitching and has buttons for a MFSW

I've seen some Yeti ones that fit that description.

[hutchysrs50]

Thanks! I'll look into it

no rush though, I'm happy with the inside now (almost, just some bits I want to redo) so next updates will be with the outside of the car.

 

 

[Lofty]

Looks mint now inside. As you rightly say the leather / alcantara seats are a rare find. The Seat seats seem to be a bit more tightly bolstered than the skoda ones to?

 

Eitherway they look very OE so thumbs up from me Rich!!

[hutchysrs50]

Thanks 

 

They are definitley firmer than the standard Fabia ones, bolsters are bigger as well, so comfortable to sit in.

 

Mamaged to sort some red seat belts to match the insides as well, so another bonus. Ordered a few little bits for the interior that I noticed when it was pulled apart

 

[hutchysrs50]

I've got loads to update about, just haven't got any pictures, even this update is half hearted

 

been using the car quite abit and noticed a clicking/ tapping/ slapping noise from the engine bay, it sounded like the auxiliary belt so removed it and inspected the pulleys. The alternator was a little stiff and squeaky, tensioner was fine and couldn't test the A/C but it spun nice and free with the belt off.

 

So I replaced the alternator clutch pulley with a genuine INA one, same as what I removed from the factory. Really easy job if you have the tools.

 

Tool in place

 

Removed old pulley

 

New and old side by side

 

No pictures of the new one fitted but I torqued it to 90NM (86nm) which I think is correct torque for it and fitted a new contitech auxiliary belt while I had the old one removed. Done around 250 mile and had no noise so hope that's fixed that

 

 

[hutchysrs50]

A long over due update was fitting the disc rear axle. The car was parked up over the Christmas period with the handbrake on, went to use it and surprise surprise they were siezed solid. 5 minutes rocking later fixed that but I decided then before I even started using the car as a daily to swap from drum to disc.

 

Popped to the local scrap yard and got a full disc axle from a 2013 vrs with 20,000 miles on the clock, complete with brake pipes and handbrake cables.

 

Sadly like others I don't have any pictures of the job but it's very straight farward, remove the handbrake cables from inside the car by loosening off the 10mm nut all the way until they push off, remove the lower shocker bolts and 2 rear axle bolts, unwind the brake hoses from the axle and drop it out!

 

 

everything matches up so the brake hoses are in the same place, ABS sensors are the same and the wires go to the same place, handbrake cables refit and adjust them, bleed the brakes and your sorted! I bled all four brakes so all the brake fluid is changed as well.

 

Painted the front brakes red to match the vrs red ones but not really sure the red calipers suit the car.

 

 

 

 

Edited 15 April, 2017 by hutchysrs50

[DanFabiaMC]

Looking good, I need to get round to doing the vRS rear axle on mine.

[hutchysrs50]

Thanks, I forgot to mention the vrs has solid rear axle bushes as well but the Monte Carlo doesn't, you can tell if you look at the pictures

 

[Tyredcyclist]

On 15/04/2017 at 21:47, hutchysrs50 said:

A long over due update was fitting the disc rear axle. The car was parked up over the Christmas period with the handbrake on, went to use it and surprise surprise they were siezed solid. 5 minutes rocking later fixed that but I decided then before I even started using the car as a daily to swap from drum to disc.

 

Popped to the local scrap yard and got a full disc axle from a 2013 vrs with 20,000 miles on the clock, complete with brake pipes and handbrake cables.

 

Sadly like others I don't have any pictures of the job but it's very straight farward, remove the handbrake cables from inside the car by loosening off the 10mm nut all the way until they push off, remove the lower shocker bolts and 2 rear axle bolts, unwind the brake hoses from the axle and drop it out!

 

 

everything matches up so the brake hoses are in the same place, ABS sensors are the same and the wires go to the same place, handbrake cables refit and adjust them, bleed the brakes and your sorted! I bled all four brakes so all the brake fluid is changed as well.

 

Painted the front brakes red to match the vrs red ones but not really sure the red calipers suit the car.

 

 

 

 

Nice one hutchy, this is something I want to do to mine but it's a bit beyond my skill, how much was the rear axle? Might start gathering parts for a mechanic, maybe get the springs done at the same time.