Mk3 Golf VR6 track car project

[dub16 9]

So a bit of history to start with. 

 

I bought a 1997 Mk3 Golf GTi 16V back in August 2004. 

 

 

Over the years of owning the car it slowly developed in to more of a fun / track car. The final evolution for that bodyshell was on the road late 2008. 

 

 

 

I had done a few track days in the car by this stage and when the tax ran out the end of October, I garaged the car for a winter rebuild.

 

This was to include fitting a full cage (it ran with only the rear section at that stage) and the fibreglass panels Mike and I had commissioned. I also had a rebuilt gearbox (3.6 FD & Quaife LSD) a Helix clutch and some AP 4 pots (road spec) to go on. 

 

As always... life got in the way: The toy fund was depleted by saving for a property deposit, then a new kitchen, house furnishings, engagement ring, planning weddings etc. I also got distracted and bought a few different road and project cars, which all delayed the project. In the end, the original shell had sat too long and had to be scrapped.

 

In 2012 I bought another 3dr non-sunroof shell to swap all the parts over on to, but after being stripped down it was clearly going to be too much work with all the rust repairs required.

 

 

So, skip forward to January 17th 2015 and I became the proud owner of N487 DAR. My 5th Mk3 golf.

 

It is an honest 1996 1.6 CL in Flash Red(Pink) with a few miles under its belt, but overall a pretty solid shell. I believe the car came up from Englandshire in October 2014 and I picked it up through the local VW club. It is perfect for my requirement as it has no sunroof or ABS. The grommets under the rear seat are a common rust trap where the ABS wires pass through the floor, so this area is mint on the new shell.

 

There is a small rust repair required on the rear arch, a section of the sill by the door seal to be plated and the usual minor bubbling along the top of the windscreen. It even came with dealer tax disc holder, rear screen sticker and plate surrounds. I was pleased to see that the rear plate was attached using the factory holes in the tailgate and not the usual self-tapper screws! The car came with a towbar / uprated rear suspension, but the tow bar has since been removed.

 

After the initial strip down, I have trial fitted the seats and rollcage. Next up will be to get a mate to install the footplates etc and repair the sill, then the engine can be stripped out along with all the drivetrain. It will be going on the road as it is cosmetically. Most of the mechanical parts off of the black one are going to be fitted, along with a few 'new' juicy bits as well.

 

I am useless with deadlines, but hopefully some time in 2015 - 2016 will be achievable.

 

Enough words, here are some pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bealieboy 1,625]

Well, that's come from about 40 mins from where I live. Where is it now? Or did I miss that info? If it's North of Watford it must be miles away!

[dub16 9]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brief spec. below although a few items still have to be purchased. The suspension will likely be changed, along with a few other bits.

 

ENGINE:

Volkswagen ABV code 2861cc 12V VR6 (from 1993 car and only has circa 25k miles);

Blydenstein ‘B Pack +’ Head with Schrick 3mm bigger Inlet 2mm bigger exhaust valves; 

Bahn Brenner motorsport titanium retainers;

USRT lightweight cam lifters;

Schrick 268° camshafts;

Volkswagen Mk4 Golf 'US spec' VR6 head gasket (Up 0.5 in CR);

Volkswagen Mk4 Golf 2.8 V6 timing chain conversion;

ARP uprated head bolt stud kit, main bearing cap stud kit and rod bolt set;

C2 motorsports baffled Volkswagen Mk3 Golf VR6 steel sump;

Schrick VSR inlet flowed and match ported (By Blydenstein) to lower injector housing & head;

Evo motorsports insulating inlet gasket;

Match ported exhaust manifold (By Blydenstein);

AmD 'big bore' Volkswagen Corrado VR6 throttle body;

Carbonio Cold Air Induction kit with Samco silicone coupling hoses; 

Volkswagen Motorsport type knock sensor spacer;

Neuspeed underdrive pulley set;

19 row Mocal oil cooler;

Saikou Michi custom 2 x 1ltr drainable aluminium catch tanks.

 

TRANSMISSION:

Volkswagen CHN code 5 speed manual VW Corrado VR6 gearbox. 3.39 Final drive replaced with 3.67 FD from CDA code 5 speed manual Golf GTi 16v gearbox. Rebuilt by Stealth Racing;

Quaife atb limited slip differential fitted by stealth racing with new VW diff bolt set;

CAE Ultra Shifter with HD cables;

Helix Autosport multiplate organise faced sporting clutch kit;

Volkswagen Corrado VR6 flywheel lightened by Agra engineering (11Kg reduced to circa 5.5KG);

ARP uprated flywheel bolts.

 

BRAKES:

Porsche Boxster S 4 pot Brembo callipers; 

312mm front ATE discs;

Ferodo Racing DS3000 brake pads;

Bonrath lower brake ducts and Samco ducting;

Tilton brake bias valve.

 

SUSPENSION/CHASSIS:

Avo monotube coilover kit, springs and Ground Control camber/castor adjustable top mounts;

Powerflex bushes throughout;

Eibach front ARB, Neuspeed adjustable rear ARB

VW Motorsport replica rear beam, triangulated, complete with rose joints.

 

WHEELS:

Road: Mk3 Anniversary 7.0 x 16" BBS RXIIs & OZ Racing 8 x 17" Mk1 Superturismo alloys powdercoated anthracite;

Tyres TBC although likely Michelin Pilot Sport 2;

Track: OZ RACING 8 X 17" MK1 Superleggera alloys powdercoated anthracite with Toyo R888 tyres

 

INTERIOR:

Recaro Pole Position Fibreglass Seats (XL) with Recaro side mounts;

Luke 6 point harnesses;

Safety Devices 8 point bolt in roll cage with harness and single door bars;

Neuspeed triangulated rear body brace;

Sparco suede steering wheel;

Battery relocated to the boot with internal kill switch.

 

EXTERIOR:

Hella Twin headlights;

Bonrath single wiper;

Kamei brake ducts;

Rieger GTR lower front lip spoiler.

 

It will be put on the road with the above bits, phase 2 will involve fitting the Tilton pedal box, fibreglass panels etc I have sitting for it.

Edited March 22, 2015 by dub16

[dub16 9]

Sparco wheel thrown on

 

 

I also gave the car a good clean and polish so it is no longer pink. 

 

 

 

Still on the standard suspension - look at that arch gap!

 

 

Tow bar wiring has been removed and tidied up as well.

[dub16 9]

So then I shipped the car out to my parents to start the tear down.

 

Engine out, front & rear subframes off, tank dropped and then the 4 wheel frames fitted so we can move the shell about. All suspension off, doors and tailgate as well to make things easier for working on the caqe install.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rear seat support removed:

 

 

 

Then I started to strip out the dash. I got this done and then started to remove the airbag controller and associated wiring, then I went on to the stereo wiring.

 

Dad started removed the sound deadening material on the roof, so he can get the paint touched up before the cage goes in.

 

 

 

I cleaned up the inner wing and engine bay.

 

 

 

Brake servo and pedal box taken out to help remove the engine wiring loom:

 

 

 

[dub16 9]

I wanted to get the cage main hoop set back as far as possible as I have an extended steering column to go on further down the line. We have spent a fair bit of time mocking up the position of the cage feet towers. That has all been set now and my father picked up some suitable plate, so fabrication should be starting shortly.

 

Also, some parts have arrived.

 

CAE Ultra Shifter 

 

 

 

Neuspeed adjustable rear ARB kit, I will be running this with the Eibach front ARB which was previously fitted.

 

 

 

Avo monotube coilover kit with Ground Control camber/castor adjustable top mounts

 

 

 

I also have a VW Motorsport replica triangulated rear beam, but will stick some pics up once it is finished off and back from the coaters.

 

Slowly getting there.

[dub16 9]

More parts have arrived - Porsche Boxster S Brembos and I have Ferodo Racing DS3000 pads to start with:

 

 

I also helped get all the parts sorted out and on to the racking, then the VR6 lifted on to the new engine stand:

 

 

That is us up to date.

[dub16 9]

Hi Bealieboy, it is now up in Aberdeen so a fair distance from where it started out I bet.

[Bealieboy 1,625]

You've got a real nice shopping list going on there fella. That engine spec sounds highly interesting too. What sort of power will that be? 250-260hp?

Oh yeah and it is miles away from where it started life!

Edited March 22, 2015 by Bealieboy

[dub16 9]

Thankfully the only thing on the list I have to buy now is the oil cooler and that will happen once I have sussed out how big a one I can fit in. I have been stock piling parts for years as you do and thought it was about time they saw some use!

 

The engine made 226bhp the last time it was on a dyno, but dynos are normally a bit of a lottery. It feels quite strong, that is good enough for me. 

[Big J 283]

Don't stop, I want to see more!

[c00k 435]

Top work dude!

Keep at it, will be a brilliant engine when built

[JayzVr 106]

How hard is it to fit that ultra shifter I saw one fitted to a mk1 golf, I want one fitted to my vr

[dub16 9]

Thank you for the comments.

 

JayzVr - I suppose it depends if you want to fit the centre console etc, I will be mounting mine straight on to the tunnel, so pretty easy to fit. Just a case of patching up the existing hole for the standard shifter, then drilling new mounting holes in the tunnel and also in the bulkhead for the cables to pass through.

[Gwr corrado 189]

Good write up that mate , what is the approx. dry weight once all back together , and you won't go far wrong with them ds 3000 I think there cracking pads for the money. , should be a right blast out of corners with good low down torque . Fair play fella

[JayzVr 106]

Thank you for the comments.

JayzVr - I suppose it depends if you want to fit the centre console etc, I will be mounting mine straight on to the tunnel, so pretty easy to fit. Just a case of patching up the existing hole for the standard shifter, then drilling new mounting holes in the tunnel and also in the bulkhead for the cables to pass through.

Console won't be going back in, where did you get the shifter from if you don't mind me asking so I can get saving

[Cooz93 66]

You in Aberdeen mate? Not many forum folk this far up. How well do the brembos fit under the 16's? Thought 17's were needed!

Edited March 26, 2015 by Cooz93

[dub16 9]

Gwr corrado - I am hoping it is going to be around 1000kgs, but no idea at the moment. I will be getting it weighed when it is on the road as hoping to do a few rounds of Super Lap Scotland

 

JayzVr - I bought it directly from CAE

 

Cooz93 - Aye stay just outside, I can imagine there are not many from the forum up this neck of the woods. Not sure if I have seen your Mk3 going about.

[Cooz93 66]

Nice one. Ye it hasn't been driven much as it's in a 1000 bits. Hopefully get it out for summer!

[dubspy 19]

pretty much the route im going with mine.. any progress?

[ky_uk 304]

Keep up the posts I am getting on with my track car now I have gutted it out an got my new seats I am just waiting for my rollcage to arrive