Adi's mk2 '86 golf "GLi"

This is about my 7th or 8th mk2 golf to date, and I'm doing something much different from what I'd normally do. Insurance on a gti is a no no for me at the moment what with points and no NCB, so I'm building what will be a sort of US spec GLi (the nice spec with gti running gear.

Anyways I got this reasonably cheap, plenty of TnT, 103k on the clock, needed tidying up and a good polish, lots of chrome, electric windows, central locking (that doesnt work thanks to a non operational clifford alarm), non sunroof 1.8 carb.

then I got an '89 GTI 8v donor car



then this morning I got to work stripping it

Then I stuck a few bits on the GL, half tint rears, smoked side reps, gti seats, and recently I bought some jetta gti door cards which were already in (passenger side is in the boot)

I plan to stick the digifant 8v into the GL (its a torque monster compared to the carb engine ), gearbox (or a newer one as this has 2nd gear crunch), rear disc beam, exhaust and maybe the wiring for the mfa. The engines been round the block a bit and the tappets are ticking their t*ts off, so I think a set of tappets will have to go in while its out. Otherwise the engine pulls like a trooper

I'm breaking the gti for whatevers left so check out my thread in the for sale section, it also came with G60 arches and skirts!

Engine might be out of the gti later, just got to label up all my loom. I may have to source a cheap bare PB head and block, as this one has the tick of death, so it might be cheaper to replace the lump than put a new oil pump and tappets in it
The frustration has started already, the donor car is coming apart fairly easily, its just the GL thats giving me problems. Was going to swap the suspension over today, but one of my front top mounts isn't playing the game. I normally stick a 22mm socket on the nut, put my stilsons on it, then use an allen key socket to keep the piston of the shock still. But as my luck would be the allen key hole has rounded off Sad So now it looks like I'm gonna have to buy an electric impact gun

some pics from today

For anyone whos interested here's the planned spec when its done

Jade green 86 (I thought it was an 87, got the logbook back and its an 86) GL shell
Lowered 60mm on supersport shocks and springs
BBS RA's
standard gti backbox
custom bonnet (wait and see!)
GTi seats, jetta gti door cards done
respray the roof
PB digifant 8v engine, 02A gearbox
gti front brakes and disc rear beam
colour coded rear plate plinth
half thint rear lights, side reps and front indi's done
golf ball gear knob done
MFA clocks
early gti arch trims
16v master cylinder
black gti sunvisors done
swap all locks from donor car so I only have 1 key for everything!

Had a good afternoon on the donor today, engine and gearbox are out and seperated, and now I can push it in and out of the garage by myself

FOR THE WIN! couldn't turn these wheels down at the price they were!

P slots + new exhaust + early gti arch trims + supersport -60mm shocks and springs = transformation






Will photo whore it later when the glue has set and I can remove the tape and treat the arches, and I'm not happy with how the backbox sits but I wacked it on in a hurry as I had to go out

Photo whoring

As the GL is now off the road for a week or 2 I've made a start stripping the car ready for its new loom and running gear. I'm very as I've got a PB top and bottom end being delivered on Saturday, thats only done 10k since a full rebuild (rings, bearings, seals, etc.) so I wanna crack on and get the GL ready for it. I've removed the dashboard and surrounding trim to access the interior loom and all this "foreign wiring", by that I mean all the Clifford stuff. Looks like ym electric windows have been wired into it for a full closure system, meaning I've got the ballache of rewiring my electric windows into the loom off the other car (which doesn't have leccy windows).

Got a bit done today, the PB lump is all cleaned up and has the tappets from the other PB so hopefully no more tap tap tap! Put the cam back in and belt on, turned it over twice and no valves are hitting so all being well I've got the timing spot on. A few pics from today, and jonny busy at work and play!










this is the new bin


and to change the oil pump do I need to replace this whole unit?

hi mate motors looking good

how much u want for the doors off of the donor car?

mattt

I wasn't gonna sell the doors as I was gonna tow it to the scrapyard. Gonna find out how much I'l get for it if they come pick it up, and if they offer a decent amount I'l sell doors, bootlid etc. Got a man wanting the drivers door though. Gonna crack on today and try and get the fuel pump, lift pump, wiring, and fuel pipes from the donor today and get the engine fitted. Hopefully have it in a position to start it up later if all goes well, but its rainign an awful lot!

o ok man let me know if you are getting rid of said parts and good luck with that lot and i know the rains killing me ive got body work i could be doing

The car has really tested my patience today, its been a case of one step forward and ten steps back all day! Had to scrap the idea of using the 4+E box after a nightmare getting it to fit, after taking the gearbox out to check the clutch alignment it was miles off centre, its my own fault, I must have forgotten to check the other day when I was in a rush. Anyways while removing that, I accidentally pulled the clutch arm out the box and now it won't go back in, so out came the driveshafts (as they don't fit the gti box) and in went the gti box after learning new swearwords and another 10 or so cuts to my hands. Anyways I've managed to get the engine and gearbox mounted up and got the exhaust manifold, downpipe and inlet manifold on

what a b***h keep up the good work tho

Got a few hours on it today, pretty much all the engine bay loom is plugged in, all coolant hoses are on, alternator is on, front crossmember, and I've just put the slam panel on loosely as I havent got much room for it! Turns out my GL radiator is actuall wider than the GTI one, but the GTI one is in better condition! Not sure which one to use!

theres good news and bad news, everything GTI is in bar the driveshafts, and the car is all back together apart from the interior. Bad news is the fuel pump doesn't hum when I turn the ignition on, and it won't start. Seems to turn over fine, but no fuel. I've fitted the rear loom from the donor which includes both fuel pump, rear lights and handbrake light switch. There seems to be a bit of detachable loom that goes from the lift pump to the main pump, that I lost when removing it, so I made my own bit to connect the main pump to the main harness, which seems to be OK and connected well. (then I found the bit of offending wiring!)

Theres one or 2 plugs behind the fusebox which don't seem to have a home, so I'm a bit stuck really

hmm is there relays all ok?

seem to be, I put the gti's fusebox next to it to compare and there was one extra relay on the top left I think, so I swapped it over, assuming it was for the fuel pump. But no joy!

not updated this for a while, but I fried 2 ECU's due to a bad earth from the coil to rocker cover, 3rd ECU lucky and it fired up!

Well I'm a very happy bunny now! just taken it for its first drive since the transplant and its all good apart from the clutch slipping like hell, but that can only be the grease off my hands when I refitted it as it worked fine when I drove the donor car home. Just a few bits of interior to put in, put the exhaust on (yes it is loud without one!), swap the metal water pipe from the spare engine as mines leaking, and we're all good!

I just realised theres no pics of the engine finished up in its new home so here ya go. Its also rocking a matt black bonnet off the donor as the jade green one needs paint badly (or gloss black vinyl, the black bonnet has got me thinking)

Thought I'd better update this. My mk2 is now on the road, pretty much finished now, just got to sort my blowing exhaust and fit the gti rear beam. Also swapped the P slots for RA's.