Hi all I think it is about time I made a build thread, so here it is. I purchased my mk2 golf gti 1.8 16v k-jet 1987 3door tornado red back in January 2010 off my step brother who had it hidden away in a lockup that I accidentally stumbled across when walking the dogs. I payed 600 for it and had around 130,000 on the clock, and it was completely standard. It really needed some TLC so I gave it a wash then got to work on the paint fade, changed oil, filters, rocker cover gasket, gear linkage washers and weight. Took out the dodgy alarm and also fitted a new thermostat so I could remove the dodgy wiring and switch for the fan so it came on when it needed to instead of me switching it on when it got hot. Can't remember what order I did everything and I may have forgotten a few things I did but ill do my best. Bought some coilovers, pipecross panel filter and drilled the air box, changed speedo lights for brighter green ones, momo gear knob, momo race steering wheel. I also got hold of a pair of escort rs turbo recaro seats, welded the mk2 rail onto the recaro's. I then decided to take the plunge and take a trip to TSR to have a custom exhaust made with a 4 branch manifold, that soon livened up the 1.8. I soon got the real bug for tuning and modding and after a bit of reading on the web I decided to pick up a 2.0 abf. When it arrived I started stripping it down and i soon realized that the oil pump had gone and scored all the bearings and crank. I managed to get hold of a perfectly good second hand crank as well as new bearings and gaskets, new oil pump, baffled sump with gate ways and Windage tray. Fitted a lightened and balanced flywheel and I had the o2o gearbox rebuilt with uprated diff bolts and plates, fitted a black diamond fast road clutch too. I sprayed the block red fitted a new cambelt, new water pump, super 4 spark plugs and red spark leads (can't remember what make now.) When I had the abf ready for the implant, I started dismantling the 1.8, cleaned up the bay a little bit and fitted new engine mounts ready for the abf the go in. Once I had the abf in the car I connected up the 4 branch, inlet mani off the kr, pipes, cables and set the k-jet up. Got it running and started to check timing with the dizzy, I couldn't get it running right after trying most things so I bought a new kr dizzy and got that fitted. It ran a bit better but there was a slight tapping noise and we couldn't work out what it was, so after a lot of tampering it turned out to be the timing on the cambelt was out by one notch. So the exhaust valves we're clipping the tops of the pistons. After that slight hiccup everything went great it ran like a dream and had good power. I then took it up to gti international and it went on the rolling road and came out with 167bhp, I have the printout somewhere in my room. After that, I had to send my gearbox to be fixed as one of the clips holding the crankshaft cups had broken so the cup had come out 10mm and oil was leaking out, this was done free of charge I then purchased my self a high flow Aluminium radiator, slim line fan and a samco hose kit. I then got hold of a nice set of banded g60 steels that really finished the car off for me. Anyway I drove it like that for some time, until February this year when I had a bit of a break down after my dog died I decided to buy a mk4 R32 and take the mk2 off the road. After a lot of debating about selling the car I have decided to turn the mk2 into a track car so my plan is to lose the k-jet and go megasquirt. I sold the steels and fitted the original bottle caps for now until I get a set of team dynamic pro 1.2. The car has been stripped down inside, I have been busy chipping away the floor tar and sound deaden to lose some weight And I have been busy porting and polishing the abf inlet manifold and painting it. So my list of things to get are as follows megasquirt innovate g3 wideband Engine Loom Bosch injectors g60 oil cooler Sparco rev seats harness Front brakes Led race battery Carbon fibre door cards momo deep dish wheel manifold gasket throttle body gasket speedo cable Team dynamic pro race 1.2 toyo r888 proxes And now for the photos from old to present. Thanks for reading Alex
Mac's mk2 ABF turbo! Took the spacers off. And how she is now. Thats most of the photos for now, i have got some of when the exhaust was getting put on somewhere on my mac. I will try and update as much as i can, should hopefully have a cage to fit in soon. cheers Alex
Oh Alex, what have you done???????? This was the most absolute rot free Golf Mk2 I had seen in years. It just needed some T cut and it was a clear show and shine winner!!!!!! I hope you don't live to regret it?
Hello rich hows things going? been a while. Its ok i see it as a full restore. Nothing would ever stop me putting it back to standard spec and giving it a lovely respray.
hey alex, nice build thread dude, was wondering if you'd be interested in the 3 different types of strut braces I've got for sale. was going to fit them but I'm going oem. engine bay top and bottom brand new never fitted, rear second hand. just thought with you going track and stuff!
Hey Alex - great to see the build thread started. The car looks like a good solid base for a project. No obvious rot at all! What's the old red & white car with the BTRDA stickers, under the pile of bits. Anything interesting??
I reckon you're using it the way it was meant to be, Alex. The car would prefer it this way, rather than being parked up and inspected by 'men with clipboards'
The car looks to be in very good condition body wise, good thread keep it coming. My track car is also a D reg Mk2 16v 3dr but in atlas grey cost 358 back in 2009 with tax & MOT ! Simon.
Yes it defiantly is in the blood. Couldn't have said it better my self, can't wait to get it around a track Cheers Alex
Small update! Went off to bracknell today to pick up my roll cage I will get more pics tomorrow, the plan is to sand it down and either keep it bare metal or paint it black. Cheers Alex
Ok so i have done a little bit this week in the evening's for a few hours, stripping the paint off the cage. I would like to do a bit more but i am working weekends at the moment so i'm not getting the hours in i would like. This is the view i had Sunday morning. I think i am going to keep it nice and simple and just spray the cage black, i did think about white, red or plain metal. Rear steel strut brace Also received my inlet mani gaskets yesterday, and the 1.8T fuel rail i got a few weeks ago. That's all for now Cheers Alex
Haven't touched the car for while, it has been in a garage out my mums house in the sticks and it is a huge inconvenience traveling out from home to work on it. Anyway i have managed to obtain my dads garage so i can get home from work and get straight to work on the golf. Also found a photo of when i went to gti international 2011 and went on the rolling road with the mk2 More to come soon cheers alex
