My '86 Cabrio Build Thread

[whyiwerk]

Hi, I have recently purchased my first project, an '86 Mk1 Rabbit Cabriolet. I actually happened to stumble upon this car, as I was looking at another one, but it looked as if the previous owner had covered up the issues for a quick sale. But I came across this one about 20 minutes after the sad was posted, and I knew I was going to have to act fast, as the car was listed really low.

Background on the car. 8 weeks ago the car was impounded, from a house less than 5 minutes away from mine. It sat for about a week before being purchased by the previous owner. The previous owner lost is place to work on it, so thought it was best to part with it, and move on.

The car was repainted somewhere throughout its life in the states, the car was originally silver, but painted an everest shade of green. But, the body is really solid, absolutely no rust, except a spongey spot on the rocker below passenger and drivers fender. All the edges and seams near seals, where the paint has chipped away, no rust is showing. Strut towers are clean, on spot of surface rust about the size of two dimes. A couple dents (2) which are pictured, and one paint scuf where the clutch slipped into an airconditioner. Floors arent even showing major surface rust. Frame looks to have very light paint peeling, which I'm not complaining, the cars over 25 years old, its going to show it's age here and there. Even the door pins jams line up perfectly.

Interior, well it doesn't really have one, the previous owner wanted the gray interior out of it for his car, so its got 2 black front seats out of an mk2 cabby. Dash is in okay shape, it has 5 wholes drilled in a star shape, i'm suspecting an emblem was stuck on there. Its a little faded but not cracked or chipped. 1 of the guage pods on the bottom is cracked but happened to find a replacement in the glove box. It is missing the carpet from the front seats back, but not too worried about that. Hopefully I can find a nice interior to slide in it. The car reads just under 165,xxx miles, the whole guage cluster works, except for the clock, which again im not by any means worried about that. It is missing radio, speakers, and the fan doesn't spin, but does so by hand so probably a loose wire. Doesn't have heat or a/c hooked up, buy top will be down in the summer, and its gets stored in the garage over the winter.

Its currently sitting on snowflakes, not scratched, but driver side has a lip about an inch long where the balance weight was.

I believe that one of the rear brakes are stuck on, it shows great resistance when moving around. The transmission does need adjusting, it wants to go into 3rd or R when trying to get in 1st. It does have brand new falken tires, a little weather cracked in the front, but back basically new. Top has a hole about the size of my fist on the size, and almost looks like some one too a jab at a spot on the top (must of P/O'd the wife). Engine runs like a pile, misfires, doesn't hold a constant idle, and wants to stall safter tapping the gas. Thinking sparkplugs could be in wrong order, would be great if someone could PM me the order they are supposed to be in. OSX light is on, could be fault of misfire.

Here are some things found in the car:
-temp insurance slip valid as of yesterday
-CAA card valid as of yesterdsy, with owners name on it who got it impounded
-6 year old bottle of airisol can of air freshener (smells like piss)
-handfull of fuses scattered throughout
-second battery gueagepod
-insurance card
-screwdriver
-cigarret lighter
-plates valid as July of this year
-tire pressure gauge

Plans:
-full interior (with rear arm rest)
-custom exhaust
-wheels (obviously)
-cold air intake
-racing can
-coilovers
-possible mk3 2.0 swap
-new carpet
-remove front bumper
-paint and body work
-fix interior prices
-fix dashdash

Will an mk2 Cabrio rear interior seat fit into the back of an mk1 Cabrio. I know the body styles are pretty close to the same (just want to make sure they will fit before I buy them.

What is the best/ cheapest coilovers set up? Send me some pics of what you've got on yours.
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| '86 Cabrio 1.8l gas |

[TDCTDI]

Distributor rotates clockwise, firing order is 1342. OXS light is just a mileage trip that can be reset by pushing in the little white button on the square black box just below/behind the coolant reservoir.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[TDCTDI]

I would discourage the use of coil overs on a cabriolet, especially cheap ones. The lack of roof structure really makes them flexible (as if the mk1 wasn't already very flexible) & you'll find that the body becomes most of the suspension. It looks cool but any performance in handling is mostly lost on the cabs. If you decided to do so anyway, you really need to install a lower suspension tie bar to keep from cracking the control arm frame horns.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[kamzcab86]

[TDCTDI]

I call them cold water intakes, you wouldn't believe how many engines I've replaced because some idiot relocated the air filter below the bumper. then there's the ones that take all the preheated air from the engine bay.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[whyiwerk]

Wheels...
Is there such thing as vw 4 bolt to 5 bolt adapters, or do I have to do it the hard way?
Some of my choices are:

- id like to see if I could find a way for hufeisen gti wheels would fit with an adapter.

- vw bio lines, once again if I can find an adapter.

- Audi fat fives, with adapters.


_________________
| '86 Cabrio 1.8l gas |

[whyiwerk]

[whyiwerk]

So, it's stripped of the horrible paint.. And being bondo' and prepped for primer. [/img]
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| '86 Cabrio 1.8l gas |