D1BBZ 17 Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Hi guys, after 6 years of owning my VR6 I've finally got round to joining the owners club! I bought my VR6 of a friend for the princely sum of £350 completely standard with free rust! Over the first year I fitted a Ramspeed induction kit, a set of budget coilovers (lowering 70mm give or take) & a highline interior. Since then it has generally been a case of patching the car together in a vain attempt to keep it running and roadworthy. Welding the sills, trying to stop all the oil and water leaks on the engine, trying to stop the water leaks into the interior, electrical faults, the list goes on! Unfortunately this year it got to the point where it wouldn't pass the M.O.T due to the welding work required and the emissions and it generally felt unsafe to drive for the most part, so I've taken the decision to take it of the road and make a start on fully resolving all the issues. I'm planning on rebuilding the engine keeping it NA but trying to modify it to produce hopefully around the 200bhp mark as for the bodywork I'm unsure whether to attempt it myself or just pay to have it done properly as I don't think my welding isn't bodywork standard No doubt I will need help along the way, answering questions/trying to keep me sane when things go to wrong and your knowledge will be much needed so looking forward to chatting with you guys. Here's a few pictures of project patchwork Link to post Share on other sites
rich 40 Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 hi,welcome..i feel ya as it looks like I'm going to be doing the same,with regarding welding sills!!mine are not good,,the rest seems ok,and engine is ok.interior is ok apart from carpet and heater matrix(NOT looking forward to THAT!!)so any ideas with your sills etc let us know. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites
VR6CABBS 1,311 Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Hi and welcome to the club mate. Good luck with your work your going to carry out. To be fair there not a hard car to work on mechanically. I think id probably just source the parts required and have a go at fitting them yourself. Bodywork id leave to the big boys as this will determine the future looks. There's lots of members on here to help mate so should you get stuck, just find the correct section and post up a thread. You'll find the Vr will use up all your spare cash as there a never ending money pit but its worth it for the smiles it will bring when you get it back to its former glory. haha Bealieboy and rich 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Bealieboy 1,625 Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Hi and welcome to the club mate. Good luck with your work your going to carry out. To be fair there not a hard car to work on mechanically. I think id probably just source the parts required and have a go at fitting them yourself. Bodywork id leave to the big boys as this will determine the future looks. There's lots of members on here to help mate so should you get stuck, just find the correct section and post up a thread. You'll find the Vr will use up all your spare cash as there a never ending money pit but its worth it for the smiles it will bring when you get it back to its former glory. haha Yeah, agree Cabbs. Start waving goodbye to your cash now!!!! I'm £7k in and still not finished!!! VR6CABBS 1 Link to post Share on other sites
D1BBZ 17 Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 21 hours ago, rich said: hi,welcome..i feel ya as it looks like I'm going to be doing the same,with regarding welding sills!!mine are not good,,the rest seems ok,and engine is ok.interior is ok apart from carpet and heater matrix(NOT looking forward to THAT!!)so any ideas with your sills etc let us know. Cheers My sills will probably have to be completely replaced they've had years of small repairs done badly (admittedly some by me) now they have collapsed in at the front and I think the rear would follow suit if I offered up a jack to them! The sunroof drain pipes had split in mine causing the headlining to sag down and letting water run down the A pillar straight into the foot wells. My heater matrix is ok just a shame the blowers don't work Heater matrix is a complete dash removal job I'm assuming? Link to post Share on other sites
D1BBZ 17 Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 22 hours ago, VR6CABBS said: Hi and welcome to the club mate. Good luck with your work your going to carry out. To be fair there not a hard car to work on mechanically. I think id probably just source the parts required and have a go at fitting them yourself. Bodywork id leave to the big boys as this will determine the future looks. There's lots of members on here to help mate so should you get stuck, just find the correct section and post up a thread. You'll find the Vr will use up all your spare cash as there a never ending money pit but its worth it for the smiles it will bring when you get it back to its former glory. haha Cheers for the welcome. I like to think I'm fairly competent with the mechanical work, I rebuilt my Mk1 engine some years ago but it still hasn't been put back in the car (or ran) so how good the job was is unknown I need to find a good body shop locally and getting the work priced up but its proving harder since my local shop packed up and moved to Devon! watch this space... VR6Pete 1 Link to post Share on other sites
rich 40 Posted April 8, 2016 Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 12 hours ago, D1BBZ said: My sills will probably have to be completely replaced they've had years of small repairs done badly (admittedly some by me) now they have collapsed in at the front and I think the rear would follow suit if I offered up a jack to them! The sunroof drain pipes had split in mine causing the headlining to sag down and letting water run down the A pillar straight into the foot wells. My heater matrix is ok just a shame the blowers don't work Heater matrix is a complete dash removal job I'm assuming? yup,all gota come out,for a 5 minute job in total!!!..my sill are real bad,outers not to bad but inners are shot!!.my headlining is the same,but not from sunroof splitting drain tubes,just old age..so needs work,just put a stainless downpipe on last night and paid £80 for 2 new gti bottom arms(which I was told would fit)and found out they don't!!(they don't have the brackets for the anti roll bar drop links),so have a pair for sale if anyone wants them!!.haha..I'm toying with getting a 8 valve gti that's down the road from me,but like vr6's so I don't know....i really SHOULDN'T get the gti but its nice,,and solid!!! Link to post Share on other sites
D1BBZ 17 Posted April 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 I think I'll need to remove my dash to sort out my heater blower issue. Might as well clean all the air duct pipes out as well as when the heater was working (what I'm assuming is foam insulation) would fly out into the cab. If you have any good advice/shortcuts once you've done your dash feel free to share You cant beat a VR, could buy the GTI and start a collection of expensive driveway ornaments like I have! Link to post Share on other sites
rich 40 Posted April 10, 2016 Report Share Posted April 10, 2016 lol,aye, its even more tempting now as I can get it for peanuts...but I should get stuck in with vr6 really,don't need another money pit,but to be fair it only needs head gasket done......nah think I'll sort vr first,,,gotta get rear beam bushes,don't know whether to go for urathane ones or standard,anyone got any hints on that and are they a pig to replace/remove??also mate is gunna weld sills for me soon,so should have a mot in few weeks,, Link to post Share on other sites
D1BBZ 17 Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 I've got a Mk1 Gti in the garage as well I rebuilt the motor about 5 years ago but never got around to doing the shell so it's still sat in hundreds of pieces, which makes me question if I should really be starting this build! I've had new rear bushes in the boot of my VR for 3 years and never got round to fitting them I bought the flexible brake lines which go over the axle at the same time just incase they are damaged when taking them of. Apart from that no real advice unfortunately... Link to post Share on other sites
rich 40 Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 you going to do bushes or you thinking of getting shot of them and lines?? Link to post Share on other sites
rich 40 Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) they can be done in situ ive been told if you have the tool??dont know if thats true..working on these are new to me!! Edited April 11, 2016 by rich Link to post Share on other sites
D1BBZ 17 Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 You should be able to do it without removing the whole axle & you don't need to buy a special tool you can make on using some threaded bar, nuts & washers. I'm taking the rear axle out when I do mine so I can have it shot blasted and powder coated just to tidy it all up, need to buy some Polybush mounts as well. rich 1 Link to post Share on other sites
VR6Pete 1,455 Posted April 15, 2016 Report Share Posted April 15, 2016 welcome to the club amigo! looks a bit of a challenge you have there! looking forward to reading the progress on this Link to post Share on other sites
VR6CABBS 1,311 Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 Rear axle bushes are a pain to do lads. But if you have patients they can be done on the car. I just found it easier to remove the axle as I didn't have a ramp. My last set were stuck solid. I smashed the rubber centres out then hacksawed the steel sleeve and chisled it out. It was proving hard work on the car and best dropping the axle anyway. Life's so much easier with it off. But there is a tool to push them out. I guess a little heat would make it so much easier. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Bealieboy 1 Link to post Share on other sites
rich 40 Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 yes,heat is the answer,,they fall out with oxy torch on em... Link to post Share on other sites
dubspy 19 Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I torched my rear bushes.. they soon fell out. rich 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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