Icelandic 16v VTR by the Big Duck

[Mickswan]

Refurbished a set of Bosch Type 2 callipers I got off a car to break. Looked really sorry for themselves to start with, dust seals were split and looked rough!

Straight from the car



After a paraffin bath and a good going over with a wire brush



A quick undercoat



A lick of red paint (good old hammerite)



New seals from big red



Just have to put the sliders on and job done.

I've noticed my rear callipers are sticking a little so I'm going to whip them off and do the same with them, strip, new seals and a lick if paint.

Them it's just a case of fitting them, new discs and pads, 23mm m/c and braided lines. Should look good behind my white wheels.

[Gandi699]

whens the 16v going in mate?

[Mickswan]

When I can clear done space on my drive, got a shell to go but I'm waiting on the v5 so I can get rid. Going to get the head off, skimmed etc while it's still in the S before I start surgery.

[Mickswan]

Put them back together



Time to strip, clean, paint and re-seal a set of rears.

[Mickswan]

Finally got round to swapping the wing and arch trim which caused my car to be written off:

Pre swap:





Post swap:





Bit of faffing about to get the shut line right but I'm happy it's all back to how it should be.

[Smalesy]

Been keeping an eye on this, looks mint mate

[Mickswan]

Bored at work and I was thinking what I've done in the last year to my motor some shit and boring, some good. Listing for my own benefit as I keep loosing track with what I've done:

Engine

K&N Panel Filter
Timing Belt & Water Pump
Super Sprint Centre Section
Super Sprint Back Box
Piper 4-1 Manifold


Suspension & Transmission

Constella Linkage
Quickshift
Drop Links
Poly ARB Bushes
Poly Wishbone Bushes
Ball Joints
Driveshafts
Gaz Coilovers
Top Mounts
Top Mount Bearings
Upper Strut Brace
Lower Strut Brace


Interior & Exterior

VTS Alloys (powder coated white)
New Carpet
Blue LEDs in clocks
GTI Gear Knob
Colour Coded Grill
Removed Door Vinyl
New Number Plates
106 Mirrors
GTI Interior
Under Sealed Boot Floor
Spare VTS Wheel

[Pee]

Looks good bud. I have a icelandic grey vtr makes me want to spend money on mine.

[Mickswan]

Few jobs for the weekend, hopefully not take too long and the weather is going to hold out.

[Mickswan]

So after many months of buying parts and pissing about refurbing two sets of callipers I had to finally get my new lowered axle on. I got one from IM, £250 delivered. I though it was pointless spending £100 getting someone to lower it, when I could just cough up and know it'll be good for probably the life of the car. Sold the old one to BenPowys, who drove over three hours to pick it up (the mad bastard).

All is I can say is what a fuck on, I'd read guides on how to do it but I went about it the long way. Lesson learned if I ever had to do it again, but it's done.

Dropped the old axle off the car last weekend and transferred and the brackets over to the new axle. I ended up rounding off a few of the brake unions, but the brake pipes were a bit rough so it was the perfect opportunity to use the flaring tool I had lying about.



Fitting an axle by yourself is no fun, but got there in the end with a trolly jack and some lumps if wood.



New hubs courtesy of someone on gumtree. Excuse the old callipers, I used them for mocking up the brake lines.



Rear braided lines.



Refurbed rear callipers



Refurbed Bosch 266 callipers with braided lines and new pads and discs.



23mm four port master cylinder.



I also noticed all the rear brake lines were a bit rough so I redone them all to the middle off the car. Saves me the possible ball ache of doing them later in the year.

And finally lowered.



Still got to bleed the brakes but the mrs wanted to go out this afternoon and I'm on the piss tonight so I'll leave it till tomorrow. I'll also need to get the C spanner out to lower the front to suit, but all in all I'm happy.

Just have to get cracking and start the prep for my VTS conversion, but I'll not do any major work for a few weeks.

[Mickswan]

Bled the brakes, had to enlist a mate and use the old shouting 'up and down' method as I stood on the easy bleed valve and 'crunch'. Went round the car twice to be sure and to be honest I might do it again at the weekend to be 100% sure there's no air in the lines.

Got the exhaust back on and went for a quick spin, happy with how it is just waiting for the brakes to bed in properly.

How it currently looks after a bucket of water:



Still need to do the front, might do it this afternoon if I can be arsed if not tomorrow.

[D4MJT]

Would this be a bad time to point out that you can specify the height you'd like the axle when you order it from IM if you ring them?

Good work though dude, your brake pics are useful as I'm about to refit mine tonight!

[Mickswan]

I bought it pre lowered 40mm, I just had a pain in the arse time fitting it on my Todd. I didn't look at it logically, I disconnected every brake pipe when the axle was still on the car (big error), when I realised that I just had to disconnect two pipes to the bias valve and drop the axle I was foaming.

I had to wait till the Monday to get a roll of copper pipe to knock new brake pipes up. With me working night shifts I only got a couple of hours to do things during the day before I was back at work so it was a slow process. But all done now.

[D4MJT]

Originally Posted by Mickswan

I bought it pre lowered 40mm, I just had a pain in the arse time fitting it on my Todd. I didn't look at it logically, I disconnected every brake pipe when the axle was still on the car (big error), when I realised that I just had to disconnect two pipes to the bias valve and drop the axle I was foaming.

I had to wait till the Monday to get a roll of copper pipe to knock new brake pipes up. With me working night shifts I only got a couple of hours to do things during the day before I was back at work so it was a slow process. But all done now.

Ahhh nightmare, I get you.

If you ever have the misfortune of having to do it again, I did by putting discs and hubs on the beam, a pair of wheels, dropping the rear bumper off the car and wheeling it under cheekily, then just jacking it up off the centre tube with the car on axle stands lowish.

That said, there was still many swearings involved, mad props for doing it with wood jigs and no rolling beam etc lol.

[Jigs2895]

Looks shit

[Mickswan]

Originally Posted by D4MJT

Ahhh nightmare, I get you.

If you ever have the misfortune of having to do it again, I did by putting discs and hubs on the beam, a pair of wheels, dropping the rear bumper off the car and wheeling it under cheekily, then just jacking it up off the centre tube with the car on axle stands lowish.

That said, there was still many swearings involved, mad props for doing it with wood jigs and no rolling beam etc lol.

How I should have done it, to be fair I never want to do another one even if I would be better prepared. The worst part was waiting for me old man to turn up so I could bolt the bastard up (wasted time).

[Mickswan]

Originally Posted by Jigs2895

Looks shit

Cheers pal!

[Jigs2895]

Originally Posted by Mickswan

Cheers pal!

Haha, top work, looks great.

[Mickswan]

Pissed about with the front a bit





Must sort that milky fog light.

[hard_corejoeboy]

So what involved with swapping beams over? I need to do mine I think for piece of mind and rather than pay £100 to get it "highered" may as well get a recon one for an extra £ 150