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Rabid Rabbit build


Farkas
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No, drag radials. Again that was because I am picturing it in my mind and that is what I would do. Also as pointed out I don't know him and his taste toward hellaflush.

 

Not saying any work is bad, So far everything in this thread is pretty awesome, I'm just not into the hellaflush thing. no biggie.

 

I literally hate the words stance and hellaflush. I don't think I have ever used those words, and never have the intention of ever describing any car in such a way.

 

IMO, there's a definite seperation between a tasteful and distasteful set of wheels. I have never been one to do anything that is so outrageous, it's entirety unsafe. Yes, I do stretch tires and maybe use a little camber, but nothing out of this world that would make anyone question safety. There's a certain way of doing it to keep it appealing, unlike most who just do it because they think it's cool, impressive, or to get attention. I just have my own method to the madness.

 

Granted, that's a little more poke on the front of the car than I really like, but you're getting ahead of yourself. Once I actually get a tire on the wheel and can work my magic, then you can decide if it's too much for you or not. Far too early to say how it's going to look.

 

Also, there's a reason these wheels are temporary. The original wheels I bought for this car are being resized and rebuilt exactly how I want them to sit on this car. So, I'm going to make the best I can with these cheap ones for now.

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Poor Andy, all this dickering about. I will say, this is a proper Mk1 to me. That being said I am excited to see the final product.

 

http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/plugins/PostviaEmail/images/1979_Volkswagen_Rabbit_Euro_GTI_COnversion_For_Sale_Front_resize.jpg

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Poor Andy, all this dickering about. I will say, this is a proper Mk1 to me. That being said I am excited to see the final product.

 

http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/plugins/PostviaEmail/images/1979_Volkswagen_Rabbit_Euro_GTI_COnversion_For_Sale_Front_resize.jpg

That looks good.

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UPDATE:

 

Progress!

 

After getting the tires in, I decided while I was waiting on the NLS harness and silicone hoses, I decided I would get them mounted. JNC wheels are 15x8.25 and tires are 165/50 Achilles ATR-K, and happen to be one of my favorite of the "little" tires. I used to mount tires with a stretch like this with the old ether and lighter trick, but the Cheetah we got is a bit safer lol. You'll find entertainment knowing my dad actually thinks it's awesome to see this done, and always volunteers to help. Figured I'd share a video for fun.

 

Finished putting the rear coils on and adjusted and sat the car down for the first time since the original diesel motor came out. It's really weird when a car has been on jack stands for so long, and then you lower it and put it back on the ground. The car honestly seems tiny at this point. I'm pretty happy with the way it sits, and there's minimal camber on the front, so hopefully that keeps the axles happy. I'm really hoping they don't start binding on me. Underside clearance looks pretty good, but we'll see how bad it is once I get the car on the road.

 

During the coil and wheel install I finally got the delivery in the mail I was waiting for; the harness and coolant hoses. Now, to be quite frank, wiring is my weakness. I understand very basics and how continuity and etc. works, but when it comes to organizing, taking apart and figuring out where everything goes, I get overwhelmed really easily. Even though the NLS harness is about as close to plug-n-play as it gets, I'm still missing a black "trigger" wire, and I fail to understand how the starter and other little things get signal from the ignition switch. I'll work it out, and the only way to learn is to dive right in. I just really gotta study the mk1 wiring diagram and put it together with the NLS wiring diagram.

 

I mentioned earlier I would have to figure out how to cover the new O2A shift tower inside the car since the old center console and boot no longer fit. Well, I came up with the idea of using a B&M shifter skirt, and just so happens that the OEM boot from the original center console fits right in! I'm going to trim down the skirt a little bit so it's shorter and then make a top for it out of some plastic that the OEM boot can snap right in. Should end up looking as close to original as I'm hoping.

 

I had a hell of a time trying to figure out how I was going to route the ECU and wiring loom to get it inside the car, and after looking around the rain tray and other ways I can get it on the other side of the firewall, I decided to go through one of the existing holes for the AC lines, and notched it so the OEM mk3 firewall grommet that comes on the NLS harness, can be used. I'm pretty happy that it turned out this way, and it looks like it might have been intended to be used this way. I'll route the wiring under the rain tray and wrap it in something to keep the heat away from the wiring since it will be above the exhaust.

 

I'm not going to bother with the hoses until the wiring is sorted. So, the only thing that's really left is getting the fuel pump wired up, install the throttle cable and clutch cable, and figure out the NLS harness. Not much left in the project, but I'm going to take my time to make sure I get it all right the first time. Last thing I want to do is chase down is a no-start condition or a wiring problem.

 

 

15947515553_e99d9daaf7_b.jpgUntitled by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

 

16380013640_a232c0944e_b.jpgIMG_8521 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16380011330_7afd1b1e0a_b.jpgIMG_8522 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16566356262_125bc2afe2_b.jpgIMG_8525 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16381543117_7c003da0da_b.jpgIMG_8527 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16381172549_561a868d56_b.jpgIMG_8528 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

15947269913_75a90b9acb_b.jpgIMG_8530 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

15944898604_6b37d8c6a6_b.jpgIMG_8532 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16381535047_71bef0eca9_b.jpgIMG_8534 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

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I love seeing this come together. Has it already been aske, why not clean and detail the engine bay before the motor went in? I get the not pristine look, with a fresh motor. But, 20 minutes with some cleaner and a rinse, would make that area present really well.

 

Huge kudo's for starting a project a project and having the time and funds to stay on it, without having to keep changing the calendar. You have made quick work of this. Very nice.

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Love the stance!!! Those wheels look great as well. The front chrome "skinny" bumper works really well with the chrome lines and rectangular headlights much better than I thought they would...also ties in nicely with the side markers. :thumbup:

 

I enjoy your updates, man...help push Winter 2014/15 outta the way. :)

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I love seeing this come together. Has it already been aske, why not clean and detail the engine bay before the motor went in? I get the not pristine look, with a fresh motor. But, 20 minutes with some cleaner and a rinse, would make that area present really well.

 

20 minutes and a rinse wouldn't work so well IN the garage lol. With the fridgid temps, and no way to move the car in and out of my garage, I decided it's best to hold off. Once the car moves on its own power I'll take it out and get the 30+ year old oil and grime power washed out.

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Thanks for all the words of encouragement, guys!

 

I did manage to work out some more wiring this evening, but nothing worth taking pictures of.

 

I was able to look at a mk1 schematic to find a switched 12v I needed, as well as the switched hot wire for the starter circuit. The diagram provided by NLS is everything but correct, but I think I got it worked out after doing some testing with a multimeter. My first bit of life from the motor was getting it turned over by the starter and relays kicking on for the coilpack... All good signs so far. Just gotta finish routing the wiring, button up what's left and start on my fuel pump and coolant hoses.

 

I cannot wait to get this thing fired up.

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Looking saweet! You might have mentioned it already, but all it needs (besides a good wash) is a different grill and it will be looking on point.

 

Only other grille choice I have is this one, and I don't favor it over the one I have, currently.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v149/skinneej/moredoor/quarter.jpg

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UPDATE:

 

SO close.

 

The past few days off I've had, I had the goal in mind to try and get this thing fired up... didn't end up happening, but I got pretty far along. Wiring has pretty much been buttoned up for the most part. Got everything tucked away how I was hoping it would work out, and there's just a couple ends I left out that I'll need to play with once the car is running to make sure they're working correctly. My original battery didn't end up working because the radiator hoses were too close to the battery tray, so I found myself a smaller battery that should work out nicely.

 

Coolant hoses got installed, and figured out how to make the heater core hoses work along with them. The silicon hoses that I ordered were actually for a MK3 and really went in without much effort, aside from trimming one of the hoses to keep it from getting kinked. The hose that goes from the coolant ball to the coolant housing on the side of the motor was interfering with the shift linkage, so I had to finagle a way to keep it clear from hitting. Eurovan hydraulic to cable clutch actuator went in as well as the cable, and man that thing is long. I ended up wrapping the thing half way around the bay, but the pedal feels good! Throttle cable also went in without much effort, as expected. There's so much going on around the driver's side of the bay, I'll eventually be cleaning it all up and probably deleting a couple things to keep it simple. I do like the coolant ball because it covers most of the wiring hidden beneath it that runs from the battery to the firewall.

 

I also got a chance to fit on the hood and try shutting it for the first time. It actually shut without any modifications, but I wasn't comfortable with how hard it was to shut since the motor was raised. I ended up trimming one of the underside braces to give the hood enough clearance and it worked out perfect. If I didn't have the pad that goes beneath the hood, I would've stressed cutting the hood up, but it works nicely to hide the trimming. I didn't bother adjusting the fitment of the hood, more-or-less just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have issues getting it closed with the motor raised.

 

Again, never have I been very fond of wiring and but I'm pretty proud of myself that I was able to get everything sorted out and done correctly without help. Ran the accessory wires and relay for the fuel pump as well as any other accessory that needed 12v power from the battery. Fuel pump got installed without much effort on the passenger side just next to the fuel tank.

 

I've pretty much narrowed it down to a couple things before it's time to try and turn it over. I have to work out the exhaust and the difference in down pipe length, as well as run a few vacuum hoses to various items, including the brake booster and FPR. I really can't think of anything else I need to go over or complete before I can try and start it. I just can't wait to get it running so I can check my work on all the wiring and make sure fans and all the switches are working correctly, and FINALLY get the bay all sprayed out and cleaned up.

 

Beige MK1 is my roommates. This is the car that really got me hooked on MK1s, and the need to have one. He did the majority of the 2.0 swap in that car himself, but I was there to oversee the whole thing and I couldn't believe how straight forward most of it was. I think I still like his car better than mine lol.

 

Watch for the big update next week, hopefully I have a video of it running!

 

16031582323_dd1608862d_b.jpgIMG_8646 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16029175094_a7453878c7_b.jpgIMG_8647 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16031597723_589f6fd7eb_b.jpgIMG_8641 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16444180927_0318d17540_b.jpgIMG_8649 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16625542686_26a0229f09_b.jpgIMG_8648 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16444179487_8a8c9059d9_b.jpgIMG_8650 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16625562146_0212ab388f_b.jpgIMG_8631 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16650062991_a6725955c1_b.jpgIMG_8653 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

 

16650072231_14fbb11a86_b.jpgIMG_8645 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

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