Planning to buy a 1.9tdi pd100 Mk1 Fabia Estate, with the hope of eventually creating the Mk1 diesel Fabia VRS ESTATE that Skoda never did- so pd130 turbo and injectors, Fabia VRS wheels, interior, front bumper, maybe fabricate a new rear bumper, slightly lower. Think it's been done before, but I'm trying to turn a Fabia Estate as close to what Skoda would've produced if they'd ever made a Mk1 fabia estate.

What do people think? 

I think you should do whatever want to do as long as you're capable of doing it.

Don't try and start something you won't finish and don't bother with the engine mods, a simple remap will get you there.

Remap will get me up to 150 - 155 bhp, happily more than the stock VRS, but a remapped VRS can get up to 180, so turbo and injectors will probably happen further down the line. Thanks @sepulchrave for the advice, think I just need people to tell me to go for it and I'll jump in 😂

It's all bolt on so go for it, not sure if the rear bumper off a hatchback will fit an estate though.

 

I wouldn't fit a VRS interior though as it will be impossible to keep clean as they are white. I have a Bohemia interior in mine which looks really nice, mk2 fabia sport interior looks almost identical to the Bohemia one and being black is inkeeping with the rest of the trim.

Edited 18 December, 20196 yr by retro

Hi, yes it sounds like a plan, Skoda ought to have made one alongside the hatch back, I bet they never thought the vrs  mk 1 would be so popular.

Be extra practical as well , I am guessing the estate body will be slightly heavier, but probably not noticeable.

Be interesting to see progress.

Martin 

4 hours ago, retro said:

It's all bolt on so go for it, not sure if the rear bumper off a hatchback will fit an estate though.

 

I wouldn't fit a VRS interior though as it will be impossible to keep clean as they are white. I have a Bohemia interior in mine which looks really nice, mk2 fabia sport interior looks almost identical to the Bohemia one and being black is inkeeping with the rest of the trim.

 

I think everything but the rear bumper is bolt on, yeah, so should be pretty easy. Any tips on how to do the rear bumper? 

 

I hadn't considered cleaning it! Would a mk2 fabia interior fit straight into the Mk1 estate? Or would seats and door cards need any modification? 

2 hours ago, kentdale said:

Hi, yes it sounds like a plan, Skoda ought to have made one alongside the hatch back, I bet they never thought the vrs  mk 1 would be so popular.

Be extra practical as well , I am guessing the estate body will be slightly heavier, but probably not noticeable.

Be interesting to see progress.

Martin 

They must have noticed there was a market for it so made a VRS for the mk2! I don't think it's too much heavier, but does offer me the boot space I need. 

Is a Mk1 estate heavier than a Mk1 hatch?

 

With the Mk2 Fabia vRS the estate is 9 3/4" longer than the hatch and have the same drivetrain yet Skoda had to put ballast weights on the rear crash bar to then have the kerb weight of the hatch in Official weights as 5 kg heavier than the estate.

 

Amazing the things they do rather than have the cheapest of the sister cars lighter and performing better, 

ie, the Polo GTI , Seat Ibiza Cupra, Audi A1 185 ps 5 door and the Skoda Estate.

Edited 18 December, 20196 yr by Roottootemoot

Pretty sure my Ibiza PD130 had the weights in as well. I think they're more there to balance the car than ballast it, as the weight distribution is very, very nose heavy on the diesel hatchback. 

 

The Cupra had 30bhp more than the VRS, so it's definitely quicker. The A1 was't born yet, and the petrol Polo GTI is faster on paper at least. 

@Roottootemoot do you mean that the Mk1 estate would probably be lighter if these weights were removed then?

 

Or as @StevesTruck says, maybe they're there more for balance and worth leaving in the back? 

@StevesTruck

In the case of the Mk2 Fabia hatch it was to have the Hatch and Estate in the same VED band which was a band lower for the Polo GTI.

The Ibiza was in the same band then that was reduced 3 years later when they all got the revised engine.

The Kerb Weights of the Polo & Ibiza were increased to the actual weight. Before that they cheated.

Also they never got a spare wheel as standard, the Skodas did. That was another 19KG added to the Kerb Weights.

 

The Mk2 Monte Carlo TDI Hatch never had Success Ballast Weights added to them to make them heavier than the Estate.

Nobody would add 25KG to improve handling, not when you can just fit the correct springs and dampers and as VW did, put the battery in the boot.  The 9 3/4 " longer estate got more poundage rear springs.  Same Max Gross weight.

(That never made the front go light under acceleration like the Fabia Hatch does with 25 KG on the rear crash bar.)

That was a dangerous thing to do.

With Audi TT's there had to be weights added to them as a 'fix; when the engineers ballsed up.  Vorsprung Durch Technik.

Edited 18 December, 20196 yr by Roottootemoot

I've no real experience of the mk2's, so I can only really speak on mk1's. I did find with the 6l Ibiza that any understeer was nice and gradual, but if you were getting silly about things, the oversteer was like "Now you have traction.... Now you don't!", so I've always assumed that was what the weights were there for. My Ibiza certainly handled better with a bit of weight in the boot than empty. Not so sure how much of that transfers to the Mk1 Fabia, as I bought mine with knackered suspension and lowered it and added a whiteline straight away. 

@Dmtben  @Brimma  built a Mk2 Fabia vRS Estate with a tuned 1.6TDI vRS  Skoda should of. He never started with a vRS though.

He used Mk2 vRS parts to get the look and an interior.  Another Briskoda member owns it now.

 

 

Simple / Lazy Journalists that take media cars and a Media pack and never have corner scales or drive to a weigh bridge, never check tyre pressures or even know what fuel the cars they get have in repeat stuff that manufacturers give them.

An estates longer roof might have it being quicker, but in a standing start the back end of the hatch here has the front go light and the TC if on cuts engine power when there is wheel spin.

Put the TC off & that makes quite a difference.  Instead of saying 5 kg lighter or heavier, weigh them and see the Skoda kidology.

 

 

Then Polo GTI battery in boot, and VW & SEAT on 215/40 R 17's and the Fabia's on 205/40 R17's.

 

A Mk2 vRS Hatch without being sandbagged would be quicker than the Golf GTI.

Actually it still was anyway.

You hold the TC button in...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 18 December, 20196 yr by Roottootemoot

@StevesTruck from what I've read they seem decent enough in the bends, but still fairly comfy. I'll be doing a lot of motorway miles, as well as B road hooning in mine, so both are fairly important to me. Any idea what the 5 speed manual is like? In terms of feel, and rpm at 70mph?

 

@Roottootemoot ill definitely have a look at that mk2 1.6tdi, thanks! I do like the Mk2, but I can't afford those fuel and repair costs of the 1.4TSI- need some TDI!