# MY BUILD 1.8 180 QUATTRO [shaunhutchinson]



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Have decided to make a build thread of my TT instead of littering everyone else's threads with my pictures. All comments are very welcome, good or bad.

Here is the wee beastie as bought and trailered across the UK to be resorted back to glory. It had suspension and body work damage to the front passenger side that needed to be fixed. The interior was a bit of a wreck; the handbrake and passenger grab handle look like the last owner used to let his/her dog sharpen it's teeth on it. A couple of knobs are is missing but the rest is just a clean up job. Pics below





































Planing a couple of mods:
- Lowering springs
- Spacers
- Replace handbrake gaiter & push switch
- Refurbish wheels
- New brake discs
- Paint callipers
- Front splitter
- Twin exhaust & valence


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Twas only a matter of time before my fingers started to itch and photoshop came out to help visualisation some ideas. Roughed up a very quick thought about making some rocker panel trim to match the front splitter&#8230; looks nifty. Will adapt the rear valance to so it it has lower trim too. Will probably fabricate in fibre glass and carbon fibre wrap. Stripe is kinda mad&#8230; LOL!

With stripe:









No stripe:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Measured my tyre to arch gap today using the board against wheel method suggested in the TTOC forum. Worked very well. Seems I have 20mm as a dimension to work will. With this in mind any thing larger than a 15mm spacer would be unreasonable. once the cars starts moving I suspect that there will be some movement laterally in the tyre and wheel. so using the whole 20mm would be daft for me and would risk rubbing or even a puncture if the suspension bottomed out and the rear wheel caught the edge of the arch. The fronts would be a different story because they already pivot inwards on the McPherson strut and arm. I think a bit of cambre might help things on the rear for sure. With a very rough trigonometric mathematics calculation one can work out that 0.5 of a degree of cambre would give me around 5.5 mm of extra space of the wheel is about 650mm tall; moving the tyre away from the arch 10mm in total; and around 15mm in total if 1 degree of cambre is used.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

New parts are arrivied by the day.

Original OEM part from a leather interior. Should go well with the other black parts in the car, Audi mix the trim colour quite a lot in the TT so it'll slot in to the scheme of things perfectly. Just need to find a button now. Seen one on ebay&#8230; 









Seat front splitter, from a Seat Leon R, seems very popular in the forum so I thought i'd have try one out.









Managed to find a clean backbox and muffler with twin pipes for the TT. I snapped up these bits of a 225bhp after finding out that this set costs over £700 from a rather rude Audi stockist. I tried other stockists but the told me that Audi were the only people who would sell this to me brand new. Well I wasn't about to let this issue put a dent in my tiny budget. I bumped into a company called Pheonix exhausts on the internet who sold me these babies for just over a ton. They are a performance company so I presume that this is one of their part exchange parts for some awesome dude who now has mega performance exhaust. Happy to get them cheap without corrosion and with very minimal wear; just a couple of scratches on them.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Sorted out the renovation or replacement of the parts. Took the rubber off the handles, thought about what to do with the handles. leather trim, CF, paint in Matt black or plastidip. After looking at a couple of youTube videos I don't think the rubber spray is durable enough so I need to think about what to do with them. The silver parts however are not silver but solid aluminium. Surprising really, most modern chrome and satin metal trim at just plastic with a thin coating. 









Pulled the interior apart today with the aim of removing the door handle to renovate them. What a hassle, after struggling to get the side discs off the interior door handle to give me access to the screws that hold the door on I eventually turned to the internet and found an awesome guide to remove the handle. The real trick was solving the puzzle of the disc opening. There is a tiny hole for a 2.5mm Allen key under the disc out of sight. Once you poke the internal plastic lever, twist the disc all is easy.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Took the car by the balls to replace the essential items such as suspension. I had to replacement OEM knuckle and strut. Need to order lowering springs and spacers ASAP tho. My uncle works faster than I thought he would. Much faster! Will definitely replace the springs though. They look like original springs and 90,000 miles of driving is bound to take it's toll on springs. Have seen HR springs for £186 at Awesome GTI, some for Eibach springs for £189.00 at the tuner shop and for £216.00 from eBay. Some nice examples of 25mm drop here: H&R Lowering Springs V Facelift OEM Springs


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The MTEC grooved/drilled/vented brake discs have arrived. Took some tasty pics at sunset in the front room. Felt sorry for the courier though because they are a bit heavy. When I first ordered them I had a slight personal conflict with the colour choice of silver or black because it liked the way that the black would sit in the drilled chamfers and the grooves to emphasise them visually but wanted the hubs and vents to remain alloy to match the wheels and spread some light in the wheel well. To solve this conflict I aimed to mask around the friction areas where the drilled holes / grooves and spray them black so when the pads wear out the disc to reveal the bare metal the drills and grooves will be painted black.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

With a replacement knuckle & strut fitted the body work starts. Popped into the garage today after work to find my uncle had started rebuilding the body work of the front wing. All is looking mega good.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Eventually bought Eibach 25mm ProKit springs. Initially I had a query about them, asking if they were actually progressive springs as advertised. Sometimes vendors just copy and paste info from the website and information can be generic or out of date so easily. So, naturally i was doubtful after past experience reminded me that progressive springs often have a variable pitch. However, after talking to an engineer who used to design springs (amazing who you can talk to in a university) I am satisfied that these are indeed progressive because they are tapered top and bottom on the rear set and at the top on the fronts. Also the thickness of the wire is variable on both, more so on the rear set. John our friendly engineer tells me that these attribute indicate a variable rate of compression (progressive) not linear. Overall, very happy with my purchase.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The front passenger wing sprayed: primed, coloured, and lacquered. Just need to flat the lacquer down now and that job is done.

Primer









Colour









Lacquer


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Found a fault with the dashpod. The LCD display between the tachometer and the Speedometer is pixilated as can be seen on the video. Soo&#8230; that is another thing that needs replacing. Boy the costs of fixing this car up just keep rising and rising - LOL. As long as I don't exceed the approximate resale value I should be okay though. Currently no where near it so I'm happy enough to fix this.
Video of dash pod here:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

My Uncle metaphorically locked me in the garage today to sort out the base for the wheels mods. Can't put nice new parts on nasty looking wells so I thoroughly cleaned and treated them today. Some damn fine work with a rotational wire brush, some water, and hammerite rust treatment spray brought the mechanical part up to a nice clean looking standard. Managed to complete three wells completely before the cans of miracle spray finished. Just the last well and the callipers in yellow then the beast is ready to mod. Have also nabbed some TPI 12/15 spacers so it'll look wide & low.


----------



## temporarychicken (Oct 16, 2012)

Not bad in fourty minutes!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The rear springs dropped in without too much problem. The first one was tricky, but the second one dropped in with ease. To finish the job we needed spring compressor to fit the front strut. Twas a bit tricky again but once we removed the top nut of the strut everything just fell into place. All the springs done now. Just need to assemble the front feet and it is ready to roll. I think next week will be consumed with running issues such as Timer belt, water pump, oil filters, etc. Oh well. Nearly there.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

temporarychicken said:


> Not bad in fourty minutes!


LOL 

Just trying to backtrack. Have been littering other peoples threads and now I'm feeling a bit guilty. Over all it has been about three to four weeks on evenings and weekends.

If only I could get so much done in 40 mins


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The track widening stuffs have arrived. In general they just look awesome with the rather interesting ribs that slot into the socket head for rotational torque application. I had some deliberation about which one to choose; the 20/15mm or the 15/12mm as expressed in a various posts. However, I was given some good advice: "if you are unsure just get 5mm less, then you can always add a 5mm shim to beef they track up if you are not happy". So this is what I have done. From seeing some of the fine examples on the TT forum I think i will like the look of the 15/12mm's on the N8 TT. Only time will tell.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Painted the callipers yellow and the hole chamfers/drills black. All looks okay when assembled. Only managed to get the rear set completed. One more day and I think it will be near enough done for the wheels, brakes and suspension. Can't wait to get the discs working so the paint wears off and they look nice and shiny with the black grooves and holes. It's been and enjoyable month but it is time to call it a day on these areas to actually use it.The exhaust is next after the front set is completed, it looks well rusty!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The interior grab handles are also getting a once over with the spray gun. They have had a quick filler prime because the rubber came off more easily with a blade. Obviously this has its problems as it scrapes lines into the plastic. However they have come up nicely when filled as seen in the photo below.

Filler primed









Coloured









Lacquered and fitted


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Unc refurbed the wheels. They came out looking mint. Just need to Plastidip these when the air is put into the tyres. Black glossified should look cool. Just need to sort out what to do with the Centre caps now. A bit of experimentation should help.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Have Plastidipped the wheels&#8230; This whole Plastidip thing is still very much an experiment. Still not sure if I will like the final outcomes. Is the black too black. Would an anthracite (dark grey) have been better? Still not sure. Whatever, the four cans covered the wheels with four coats. Will need more glossifier to cover the wheels properly think another two will be okay. One thing I really do like about the Plastidip process is the peel-ability of the paint. You can get wonderful masking without masking. The paint on the rings just came off like a dream.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

We fitted the twin exhaust today. All fits in place well but there is a problem getting it to match the pipe from the twin catalytic converter. Luckily the guy at Pheonix Exhausts offered a free collar to match my car if I had any problems. Definately going to have to take him up on this offer. The diameters of the different pipes are:

- Muffler pipe: 65mm
- Catalytic converter pipe : 54mm

Can see the difference in diameter with this picture of the new exhaust [below] fitted with a spare collar my uncle found in his garage.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

I acquires a bag of precious bits from my Audi dealer. A rubber hanger for my twin exhaust, a set of speed nuts for the undercarriage panels, a switch cover for the climate control, and a set of random bits catches that the Audi technician said I might need for free. Just waiting for the collar to arrive and the car is mechanically ready to roll. It still needs a bloody good service to replace the water pump, timing belt and tensioner, as well as a general oil/filter change, etc.


----------



## temporarychicken (Oct 16, 2012)

Really enjoying seeing the high standard of work! This will be a lovely car indeed when finished.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

temporarychicken said:


> Really enjoying seeing the high standard of work! This will be a lovely car indeed when finished.


Cheers, I'm currently having a personal conflict with the wheel colour. I think i'm glad i use the spray wrap colour cans to experiment with. I still like them dark but i'm not _'feeling'_ the matt black or the gunmetal grey. (I think that's how the kids say it) The matte black wheels are too mad-max and a gunmetal grey colour I have tried is too plastic looking. I want to get the wheels sorted while the car is on axle stands so I can easily mount them. My next (hopefully last) experiment will be anthracite, a dark grey that has metallic flecks. This should give me the dark depth of colour I want but still make them look like metal and less plastic looking. I think I will spend a couple of hours stripping the wheels to ready them for respray. Will post pics when they are done.


----------



## temporarychicken (Oct 16, 2012)

On my other car (a Boxster) I painted some 20" wheels Matt black. I immediately though ugh! and repainted them gloss black. They now look amazing in comparison

A lot of people have had good results with Matt wheels but I didn't like it one bit. I'm too old fashioned for the 'stealth look'. Mind you, this was on a white car. On a black car anthracite does look the business IMHO.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

temporarychicken said:


> On my other car (a Boxster) I painted some 20" wheels Matt black. I immediately though ugh! and repainted them gloss black. They now look amazing in comparison
> 
> A lot of people have had good results with Matt wheels but I didn't like it one bit. I'm too old fashioned for the 'stealth look'. Mind you, this was on a white car. On a black car anthracite does look the business IMHO.


Ah... your like me then. No time for matte black. Do you really think it is an age thing? Maybe I'm getting old.

Your not the only one to mention that about the anthracite. Some buddies outside of the forum have said the same. I think if this anthracite experiment goes well I will think about getting some powder coated multi-spoke alloys eventually to show the callipers off a bit more.

EDIT: Hold on, you have some nice multi spoke alloys in your signature. What brand are those if you don't mind me asking?


----------



## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

My wheels are "ford graphite" which I liked. Maybe it is an age thing.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Pugwash69 said:


> My wheels are "ford graphite" which I liked. Maybe it is an age thing.


Aw... Ford Graphite looks awesome. Might try that too 

I like to think age is just a number but maybe we associate metallic things with strenth and toughness. where as the youth look at composite plastics as being just as strong?


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Put together a makeshift valance today because I couldn't find a honeycomb one at a decent offer anywhere; end of the month you know and I need to get this beast MOT'd next week. Mirroring the second hole was quite easy because it is symmetrical. I just covered the old hole with masking tape ensuring the tape covered the whole of the surface material, then cut the hole out with very shrap knife. I then peeled the masking tape that was stuck to the valance off and stuck it to a piece of paper. Using the sharp knife I cut the paper using the masking tape as a guide. Once this was done I covered the masking tape side of the paper pattern with double sided sticky tape (closely aligned together), this pattern was then aligned with the other side and stuck down with the double sided tape. The rest was easy, just used a shrap edged drill to cut the hole out that can be seen in the pic below. The same thing was done with the inside surface that sits at 90 degrees to the outer surface of the valance. The smiling cut-out came from a old 2013 Nissan Juke polypropylene Bumper I found in my uncle's garage. Always loads of spare material around his body repair unit next door to the assembly garage I use.

After a bit of experimenting with various options my uncle introduced me to a triggered hot iron and told me "this is how you do it lad" LOL! I held it while he tacked the parts together. Then he walked off and I did the rest by welding with black polypropylene rods into the join. Could have sanded the inside as well as the outside but didn't have time. This is okay though, the inside is an unseen B-surface. I managed to get a 2Pac coat of primer on it before I left. Just need to add base colour and lacquer to the valance next time.









Cut-out, donor plastic and remodelled valance.









Plastic welded joint, bit messy but won't be seen when assembled.









Filler primer applied.









2Pac primer applied


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

There is an old saying that "there is nothing more fickle than a designer". Starting to think that the old saying right; being a picky bugger I'm still undecided about the colour of the wheels. I still like them dark not silver but do not 'feel' the matt black or the gunmetal grey. The black wheels are two mad-max and the gunmetal grey is too plastic looking. I want to get the wheels sorted while the car is on axle stands so I can easily mount them. My next (hopefully last) experiment will be anthracite, a dark grey that has metallic flecks. This should give me the depth of colour but still make them look solid and less plastic like. Will spend the weekend stripping the wheels to ready them for respray immediately.

After a quick fiddle in Photoshop I managed to recolour the wheels, Think they will probably look like this:


----------



## brian1978 (Jul 10, 2013)

shaunhutchinson said:


> Put together a makeshift valance today because I couldn't find a honeycomb one at a decent offer anywhere; end of the month you know and I need to get this beast MOT'd next week. Mirroring the second hole was quite easy because it is symmetrical. I just covered the old hole with masking tape ensuring the tape covered the whole of the surface material, then cut the hole out with very shrap knife. I then peeled the masking tape that was stuck to the valance off and stuck it to a piece of paper. Using the sharp knife I cut the paper using the masking tape as a guide. Once this was done I covered the masking tape side of the paper pattern with double sided sticky tape (closely aligned together), this pattern was then aligned with the other side and stuck down with the double sided tape. The rest was easy, just used a shrap edged drill to cut the hole out that can be seen in the pic below. The same thing was done with the inside surface that sits at 90 degrees to the outer surface of the valance. The smiling cut-out came from a old 2013 Nissan Juke polypropylene Bumper I found in my uncle's garage. Always loads of spare material around his body repair unit next door to the assembly garage I use.
> 
> After a bit of experimenting with various options my uncle introduced me to a triggered hot iron and told me "this is how you do it lad" LOL! I held it while he tacked the parts together. Then he walked off and I did the rest by welding with black polypropylene rods into the join. Could have sanded the inside as well as the outside but didn't have time. This is okay though, the inside is an unseen B-surface. I started to filler prime the scratches from the 80 grit glasspaper but needed to leave. Just need to shave off some more material on the flange inside the arch and add more radius to the edges then I will flat, base colour and lacquer the valance next time.
> 
> ...


Respect for that effort. Awesome bit of bodge. 

Honeycomb valance from stealers £79. :wink:


----------



## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

Great build thread and will be coming back to look and ask you more soon.

The door handle look great as does under the car, the discs and I think the wheels will be re reading about that now.

Not sure if this helps on the wheel shade?


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

> Respect for that effort. Awesome bit of bodge.
> 
> Honeycomb valance from stealers £79. :wink:


Best bodger in town 

Probably the best a Nissan Juke ever looked.



Volcom said:


> Great build thread and will be coming back to look and ask you more soon.
> 
> The door handle look great as does under the car, the discs and I think the wheels will be re reading about that now.
> 
> Not sure if this helps on the wheel shade?


Cheers! 

Is that Anthracite on your whip's alloys?

I used this image below as a reference for the earlier photoshop though. They say it is anthracite but maybe it isn't correct.


----------



## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

That is what mine are


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Volcom said:


> That is what mine are


They look browner than the examples i have seen. :S

Maybe anthrachite is used as a general trem for dark mettalic grey/brown/blue.. ish!


----------



## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

Could well be.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

A new exhaust collar from Pheonix Exhausts arrived yesterday, awesome. Should solve my fitment problems. Looks like a stainless steel pipe, which is great. Mild steel normally has some discolouration whereas this is nice and shiny. It is much lighter and the original one which was surprising but then again stainless is tougher than mild steel so I presume less material is needed. Should fit it tomorrow to get the car running, awesome!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Finally managed to get the anthracite colour on the wheels. My photoshop was way out, they are much darker but I think it works better than the gunmetal grey. Mounted the wheels onto the beastie and they look okay with the black. With the collar fitted and the wheels on that only leaves the valance, the front splitter, and the fitting of the driver side card to complete before it goes off for a trip to the service mechanic. Looking at days now for the first drive.


----------



## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

Wheels look way better now. Looking forward to seeing this on the floor.

What did you use to paint the running gear and did you take it all off to paint?


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Finally dropped the wee beastie from the axle stands! Doesn't look too bad. Needs a bit of time to set the springs. It will drop a wee bit further. Needs some work on the tracking tho. It has too much cambre on the rear. It look kinds cool but I need to think about tire wear. Took a while, because I needed to fit the LCR front splitter, final prime the exhaust valance and watch my uncle rid the driver door of sill rust with a pneumatic rotational sander until it was bare metal, 2pac prime and add black paint. He's so good at that stuff, and bloody fast. All done in about a 20mins or so. Used a hot air gun to cook the paint and re-fitted the door card 20mins later. All high speed stuff here


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Volcom said:


> Wheels look way better now. Looking forward to seeing this on the floor.
> 
> What did you use to paint the running gear and did you take it all off to paint?


Hi Volcom. Originally the plastic on my drive shafts had cracked and had fallen off in places so I had to protect them with something once I removed the remaining plastic.I used Hammerite Smooth Aerosol Can Spray Paint Satin Black. Works wonders! I know several folks who have it to help preserve original parts. Paint directly onto metal (no undercoat).

Just sprayed the running gear as is. I would have pulled it all apart but I had it up on axle stands so I could get under the car and into all the nooks and crannies easily. I used about 3 coats and 5 cans for the lot. A pricey task but I'm hoping that the lack of corrosion will be the payback.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/2811...ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The car went in for its MOT and passed. Thought the rear cambre might be an issue but all was good. Just a service to go and the engine will be well and truly sorted out for now. Nice and reliable that's all I'm looking for at the moment. Mods later!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The wee Beastie had a well earned service today; water pump, timer belt, air filter, water filter, thermostat, new oil, and coolant. All good stuff to keep the old girl running. Didn't do it myself. Some awesome techs came around to do it. Can't beat weekender indies. Took a while but it all seemed to happen without any pauses and with jovial japes about current affairs so I presume there were no problems. Lots of manly handy work over the weekend all enhanced by some Sam Cooke and Issac Hayes blasting out of an old Jag.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Nice sunny day today over at the garage so I felt it would be appropriate to take some pics so I could make a quick before and after comparison. I think the LCR splitter really helps the car to sit right on the ground and stop the front look too bubbly. Love the wheel colours in comparison to the original standard OEM silver. No more rusty hubs and the wee dashes of orange, yellow and red work well as accents the what is generally a dark toned car. Just a big old wax with the 3M Imperial hand glaze to go. The interior cleaned up well considering I haven't spent much time on it. Replaced all the missing parts and the gloss grab handles look less basic than I thought they would be. Overall, very happy with it so far although the interior now needs a deep valet now that the superficial muck is cleaned off.


----------



## Mondo (Feb 20, 2009)

Looking good, Shaun. But man, crying out for clear corners - or the whole dark headlights/smoked corners thing.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Mondo said:


> Looking good, Shaun. But man, crying out for clear corners - or the whole dark headlights/smoked corners thing.


Clear corners?


----------



## Mondo (Feb 20, 2009)

http://www.thettshop.co.uk/exterior.asp ... uct=701711

Clear (as opposed to orange) front indicator plastic. Or smoked, for that dark look. Well 8)


----------



## fixitagaintomoz (Apr 26, 2013)

looking very good! when will she be ready to come out and play? would be great to get a coventry meet arranged!


----------



## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

Looking really good wel done. And thanks for the paint help.


----------



## Cheek87 (Jul 10, 2014)

What's that front splitter you have ??


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Cheek87 said:


> What's that front splitter you have ??


Leon Cupra R Cheek87 ... I used this thread to fit it: http://public.fotki.com/BlueTTop/mods/lcr-splitter



fixitagaintomoz said:


> looking very good! when will she be ready to come out and play? would be great to get a coventry meet arranged!


Will be fit soon. I still have a couple of issues with the wheels fixitagaintomoz. One of my lock nuts worked its way loose. so I'm rolling with four bolts on the passenger side. The whole wheel keeps coming loose so I'm taking it real slow until a new lock nut arrives. Also have some engine management problems and dead gauge  Would be good to organise a Cov meet though. I think i saw a debadged grille just like yours with the same body colour the other day while I popped into Halfords for a key fob battery. Are you a Coventry man yourself? If so do you know a good place in Coventry to get as 40mm wheel bolt.



Volcom said:


> Looking really good wel done. And thanks for the paint help.


Chees Volcom. Hope all goes well with the paint. Further to my experiments I have found that the glossifier is really necessary. bits with out have started to chip easily. But that is just like normal paint. You apply a colour base and then a lacquer.



Mondo said:


> http://www.thettshop.co.uk/exterior.asp?cat=2003&product=701711
> 
> Clear (as opposed to orange) front indicator plastic. Or smoked, for that dark look. Well 8)


The clear corners look awesome. Not really a tinted headlight man although I use tinted vinyl in simulators dials I design: see here http://hutchinsonsimulators.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/graphics-and-black-vinyls-applied... might make some custom displays for my TT at some point . Will consider clear corners when I have the cash will look into this along with this after some adjustable tie rods and other essentials.


----------



## fixitagaintomoz (Apr 26, 2013)

No not a coventry man, but i work in the area(usually in my mk6 golf rep wagon) and have used the TT a bit recently in the area.

Cant help with wheel bolts unfortunately, i got mine all online. Might be worth checking the balancing of the wheels if your shaking bolts lose?

Have you got vagcom? If not i'm happy to lend a hand. Also regarding the fuel gauge, they are over rated, i just manuallu track my mileage and fill ups 

PM me if you need a hand with owt


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Hey Shaun, looking great, how's she driving now.

Jeremy.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> Hey Shaun, looking great, how's she driving now.
> 
> Jeremy.


Are you Jezzy. B  LOL!

Drives better now that I pumped up the tyres last night. Was 30/28 psi. Now 36/30. Much better! Still got a bit of as strange feeling on the passenger side when taking roundabouts so just a bit more work to do. think I need to get the wheels balanced, sort out the tracking, then see if problems are still there.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Went out on a leisure drive today to my buddies new house and to Coombe Abbey, just me and the Wee Beastie to test out a couple of problems I have been having. After driving it enthusiastically I found that there is a strange feeling on the front passenger side when turning right, a bit of gas kinda sorts it out but it isn't right. While taking front views of the DRG with a narrow lens it was easy to see that the the tracking is badly miss-aligned. The passenger side toes inwards which might explains why I feel bits of unbalanced understeer. This might be a result of the original collision that my uncle and I are sorting out. Whatever, I need to sort that out because the British road way is made of clockwise roundabouts and I can't always give it a bootful of gas on main roads to regain traction. Will see how it corners with tracking.


----------



## Duggy (May 17, 2005)

Some cracking pics there 8)

This TT is really starting to look the business 

John


----------



## fixitagaintomoz (Apr 26, 2013)

To be fair a TT meet at coombe abbey would be a good shout, few good roads in the local vacinity aswell 

Great pictures with a cracking backdrop


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Duggy said:


> Some cracking pics there 8) This TT is really starting to look the business
> 
> John


Cheers, getting there slowly but surely. Driving dynamics to do now.



fixitagaintomoz said:


> To be fair a TT meet at coombe abbey would be a good shout, few good roads in the local vacinity aswell
> 
> Great pictures with a cracking backdrop


Yes, the back drop is very good. I was tipped off by another TT owner. You are right, a meet in the abbey would be awesome. 
[smiley=dude.gif]


----------



## merlin c (Jan 25, 2012)

sprayed inserts black..........



with orange lens sprayed with smoke tint, just what you need I think 8) 8)


----------



## Mondo (Feb 20, 2009)

That's what I was getting at. Not tinting the glass, rather spraying the inserts.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Looks interesting... would do mine in a matt black.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The small wheel centre caps that I bought from ebay arrived today. Immediately I sprung into action giving the car a bloody good wash and wax because you can't add mods to a dirty car. It needs to look all sparky and shiny to help show off the new features. In terms of the cap. I just went for a body coloured gloss black set of 60mm covers. Not even a tenners worth of cash on them. Currently thinking about buying as shiny aluminium set too when I have the cash. Just to see what they look like. The fit is actually just a wee bit loose but the are definitely secured tightly enough to ensure they do not fall out. I might also experiment with the idea of spraying the wheel colour and pulling the dip off to reveal the chrome rings.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

They look really smart Shaun


----------



## fixitagaintomoz (Apr 26, 2013)

Looks really good- so it that just a dip at the moment on the wheels? Be interested to see how well it lasts on wheels, if its good i may be tempted!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> They look really smart Shaun


Cheers Jeramiah! I'm slowly saving up for some Quattro sport replica wheels so these are a stop gap at the mo. It is fun playing with details though. I am suprised that they look a bit more refined considering such a small change has taken place. I actually expected them to have zero impact to be honest. maybe the chrome rings pick it up visually?



fixitagaintomoz said:


> Looks really good- so it that just a dip at the moment on the wheels? Be interested to see how well it lasts on wheels, if its good i may be tempted!


Yep. just dip on the wheels. They are not hard watering like paint and lacquer. However they took a the friction of a good soapy clean today with admirable strength. They don't really damage easily. You need to curb them to pull the rubberdip off. So I am having to drive carefully. It was never meant to be a permanent change to the wheels. it just allowed me to experiment with different wheel colours and it protects the paint underneath so if I ever want to go full OEM all I need to do is just peel it off. I'm just like an old man who buys a sofa then covers it in plastic to protect it... :lol:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Cookbot bits arrived to bling up my engine bay. The quality of the parts is excellent. I thought the bevelled washers would be pressed sheet parts but they are finely crafted machined pieces of stainless steel. It is raining at the mo, but when the rain stops I'll be under the bonnet fitting these pretty babies.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

How much for the bling Shaun?


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Have you dressed the engine bay yet, not seen any pics of that in your thread yet


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

I quite like these too if we're talking bling http://www.thettshop.com/access.asp?cat ... uct=901250


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> How much for the bling Shaun?


About £16 on cookbot's eBay shop. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201127119839

definately worth the hassle. I have covers flying around all over the place and the quality of these is vastly superior to the OEM quarter twist rubbish. I haven't done anything to my engine bay except give it a cam belt, water pump, thermostat, oil, oil filter, and coolant change. Just stuff to pass the MOT and get it on the road ASAP really.

Gonna start thinking about the engine bay once I have cleaned it up and the panels have been fitted. In think this bag of Cookbot bling will make an 100% instant improvement though.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

I have to wait a whole week now, arrgghh. Sians leaves for Chicago the next day for a week so won't get any time really until she gets back.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> I have to wait a whole week now, arrgghh. Sians leaves for Chicago the next day for a week so won't get any time really until she gets back.


Ah well. Family first eh! Happy wife, happy life. LOL!


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Sure is true


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> Have you dressed the engine bay yet, not seen any pics of that in your thread yet


Cleaned the engine bay today with my Karcher jet washer. Knew that thing would come in handy for more than just cleaning the pavements. popped the Cookbot bits in and shined up the covers. Now it looks much better, the actual engine is still a bit scummy in places but it looks 200% better with a wash and the shiny blings of Cookbot in the bay. For some reason I feel like I am happier to tinker with the engine now when needed and it sounds better now that there are no covers rattling around under the bonnet. Thinking about painting the suspension bar in yellow using the high temperature paint I still have.









[After]









[Before]


----------



## fixitagaintomoz (Apr 26, 2013)

Looks good mate! If you want more bling i've got some stainless dome nuts that fit the strut brace and charge pipe brackets... if we have a cov meet, or if i'm in the area i'll gladly donate some for your project mate


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

That's what I was talking about, nice and shiney especially with the bolts done, just needs that strut brace (suspension bar :lol: ) painting yellow to match your calipers and add some contrast to the engine bay.

I'm going to have the bolts and brace anodised gold to match the calipers on mine.

Roll on Thursday, I don't do waiting and I'm rather excited already. First job has to be sorting the scuffed wheel edges and a proper clean clay and polish followed by a wak box mod which I can do for peanuts. I have a local chap I know that owns an anodising company which is handy so will drop off all the engine bolts and strut brace for fettling.


----------



## cookbot (Apr 19, 2011)

Glad you're a fan of the bolt kit  Looking so much better for it and the cleaning has made a huge difference too!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

cookbot said:


> Glad you're a fan of the bolt kit  Looking so much better for it and the cleaning has made a huge difference too!


Absolutely Cookbit 

---------------------------------

On another note, boot liners and tie down nets are all the rage at the mo around here. Previously all the car care kit I have accumulated clattered around in the boot, it made a terrible racket. Now it is as quiet as a Sunday morning in the country in there when I put my hoof down. Also the Boot liner is mega useful. I had no reservations about dumping three 40kg bags of Type 1 MOT hardcore for my front garden in there on Saturday because I know that any dust or loose stone marks would simply wipe off without a trace. Couldn't have done that so easily with the nice carpet.

Many thanks to Mondo for the link to the net, and the tip off about the stealers being the cheapest around for the boot liner.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Looking good Shaun, ready to clean any place any time :mrgreen:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> Looking good Shaun, ready to clean any place any time :mrgreen:


Well this black car, even though it is the best colour  is really hard to keep clean. I parked next to a light blue Citroen yesterday and you couldn't see the dust on it. However, mine looked like it had been in a hurricane. I ran my finger across there car and mine and the same amount of dust was on both. Just couldn't see it on their's. So, need cleaning kit in the back in case of emergencies. LOL

:lol:


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

shaunhutchinson said:


> J3SHF said:
> 
> 
> > Looking good Shaun, ready to clean any place any time :mrgreen:
> ...


Moro blue is no better lol, cleaned mine yesterday evening and by the morning covered in dust :mrgreen:

Posted some pics up on my post of mye cleaning efforts today.


----------



## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

shaunhutchinson said:


> Many thanks to Mondo for the link to the net, and the tip off about the stealers being the cheapest around for the boot liner.


How much are the liners please?


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Pugwash69 said:


> shaunhutchinson said:
> 
> 
> > Many thanks to Mondo for the link to the net, and the tip off about the stealers being the cheapest around for the boot liner.
> ...


£30 audi dealer Pugwash... £39 on eBay

That is for the coupe boot though. Not sure if the roadster is different.


----------



## Pugwash69 (Jun 12, 2012)

Yeah smaller if anything.


----------



## TomBorehamUK (Feb 2, 2014)

shaunhutchinson said:


> cookbot said:
> 
> 
> > Glad you're a fan of the bolt kit  Looking so much better for it and the cleaning has made a huge difference too!
> ...


I need those  , do you have a link for the net please?
And a part no. for the liner if possible?


----------



## Volcom (Apr 24, 2014)

The boot liner is a great idea for a everyday car. Looks like I may have to get one. Audi did you say? Part number?


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

TomBorehamUK said:


> I need those  , do you have a link for the net please?
> And a part no. for the liner if possible?


Cargo net: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290859030127?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Not sure about the part number for the boot liner. I literally phoned up the Audi dealership and asked for the MK1 2003 TT boot liner for £30, to which the parts guy said 'no problem, I can have it in by tomorrow'


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Been looking around on the internet for replacement parts for the front shock assembly. Think I'll just replace the lot. I have already ordered the front and rear Bilstein B4 OE shock absorbers from Demon Tweeks because they near enough had the best internet price on genuine OE replacement parts when I ordered. Although I have been told about a cheap place since. However, been so busy lately I'll just go with these.

The remaining bit are the top strut (5), ball bearing (6), spring plate (7), protective cap bellow (9). The current stop shell looks okay TBH and the shocks look like they come with a hex nut (4). Although I might need a self-locking hex nut (1). I have managed to find most parts on the internet and have got prices for the same parts from the Audi stealers.

I'm a bit concerned about part (10) in the diagram can't find that on the internet... Anyone know if this bit (10) is normally included in with the protective cap? :?:


----------



## Gsm29742 (Nov 7, 2013)

Looks like a bumpstop to me. Tried searching for those?

Also, which yellow paint did you use on the caliper's?


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Gsm29742 said:


> Looks like a bumpstop to me. Tried searching for those?
> 
> Also, which yellow paint did you use on the caliper's?


Cheers GSM29742... found them now.

I used some cheap paint from the internet










Not expensive stuff but worked for me. managed to stretch it over all for callipers too with one can.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Bilstein B4 shocks have arrived&#8230; not only do they have the Bilstein stamped into the cylinder, and the words 'QUALITY OE' slapped all over the box, they also have VW stamped into the cylinder too. Mega, genuine OE approved parts. Having talked to a mechanic friend he tells me that although these are billed as OE they are sportier. Only time will tell. At least I have two front shocks that are the same now. Just need to wait for the top strut mount, ball bearing, spring plate, bump stop & bellow dust cover to arrive now. Looks like next weekend could be the fitment window if all goes well.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Who's taking the springs off this time Shaun :mrgreen:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> Who's taking the springs off this time Shaun :mrgreen:


I'll do it again like last time. That wasn't the troublesome bit. we just fitted a shock that was too long last time. this time they will be the correct size.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Bumpstop, Ball bearing & Top Mount have arrived today. Nearly at the glory's gate. Just spring plates to go.

Found some hints and tips for suspension assembly here: http://public.fotki.com/TTQ2K2/tt-suspe ... html#media, should come in handy.

Still looking for the installation lubricant G 294 421 A1 (pictured below) Anyone know where to get this lube from??? :?: :?: :?:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Bilstein Febi spring plates arrived. For some reason I wasn't expecting them to be Febi parts too. The whole assembly will nearly be Bilstein factory. Kinda cool but they are only OE parts not sports so I'm not creaming my pants. Even so, good to know they are genuine parts not crappy fakes. eBay can be such a dodgy place sometimes.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Finally after a week of waiting the protective bellow covers arrived. With the parts assembled (excluding springs) All that waits is the fitment. Obviously a garage job.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Your cars going to end up like triggers broom :mrgreen:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> Your cars going to end up like triggers broom :mrgreen:


Yes, well it will still be a TT I suppose. May not be the same TT I originally bought but it will be a TT :roll:

Anyway, time for pics. T'was a sunny day in Coventry City Centre...


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Managed to fit the new Bilstien B4 shocks. The fronts took 5hrs and the rears 2hrs. With the whole set of shock replaced the ride quality was instantly noticeable, it's drives is very stable now is and is very responsive. I even managed to get a bit of tire squeal from them around a tight corner, I wouldn't have braved a corner on the edge of traction with the old shocks. Driving home was a pleasure. No noise form the wheel wells anymore and traction at speed is great. On a 10m run up the A45 to Coventry it was great to take manholes at 60mph without feeling like I'm on a fairground ride with bouncing, slipping and sliding all over the place. It would appear the old shocks had a drastic effect on the handling. The ride hight of the car is a bit high at the moment but I am informed that it will decrease as they settle. Overall, very happy.



Compressed rubber mount: 









Front shock:









Rear shock:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Got a second opinion on the error codes today. The faults have not changes or dissipated but A further conclusion on what to do to fix the problem has been put forward. The technician thinks that the problems are caused by a badly fitting timing belt, commenting that "with these engines The belt only has to be one tooth out of place and it confuses the computer, setting off loads of different warnings including MAF and ABS." Probably time to revisit the original technician that fitted the cam belt with this this new diagnosis.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Great job Shaun, suspension looks great now and must be really nice to drive as you say.

Interesting on the cambelt, hopefully then this will be an easy fix for you and your car will be driving spot on. We'll have to arrange a meet up at some point, maybe an Audi event next year


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

J3SHF said:


> Great job Shaun, suspension looks great now and must be really nice to drive as you say.
> 
> Interesting on the cambelt, hopefully then this will be an easy fix for you and your car will be driving spot on. We'll have to arrange a meet up at some point, maybe an Audi event next year


Yeah, hopefully iy will be all over soon with the engine problems. It was good to get a 2nd opinion from a train pro.

As for meeting, I was just gonna drive up to your house tomorrow evening and demand beer and crisps TBH - LOL

Or maybe even a bag of exploded fast food. Ha, do you remember when that TV dinner exploded in your cupboard :roll: That stuff didn't half stink! What a pong :lol:


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

You have a better memory than me lol, if you driving up to see me you'll be going a very long way round :mrgreen:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

While facebook browsing (stalking) TT pages and groups i noticed a nice guy selling his dashpod for £10&#8230; Of course I jumped into the conversation, organised a rendezvous down in Southend and picked up the dash. Mega stuff. Got a nice gearstick for £10 to replace the scratched old one I have. Double bubble.


----------



## J3SHF (Jun 25, 2014)

Sounds like a bargain Shaun


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Today I drew a TT for my students&#8230; loving it.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Popped into Birmingham today to try to sort out various issues with the car such as the dashpod, cam belt timing, tracking, gear knob, and an other engine management issues. Bumped into Vince who said he'd look at the engine tomorrow so I decided to sort out the wheel alignment as it was something i needed to do in the day time. My uncle recommended a place who looked over the car and told me what I already knew; the inside of the passenger side front wheel and the inside of the driver side rear wheel were very worn. However, I was told this when I had my Audi health check a while back. After a bit of discussion about the state of my alignment and working with the thought that I need to buy adjustable tie bars I decided to buy a cheap pair of part worn tyres to tide me over untill I got the ties bars so the camber on the back axle wouldn't wear out a good set of wheels. When I get the bars a full set of new rubbers will be just the ticket.










Old tires... looking terrible.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

My top guy Vince did a bit of work on the cam belt to set the timing on the engine. After a couple of hours with the magic man the engine is roaring like lion. The lights are still on but Vince tells me that they might turn off, if they do not then he recommends some time with Eric to reset the computer that might be storing old faults.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Got my Dials back from BBA Remans and am very happy with the new display. No more pixilisation in the Central LCD and the fuel dial seems to be working well. For once i'll be able to read the MPG and other computer information. There are a few symbols on the dash still such as the water for the windscreen wipers is low and for some reason the car thinks the brake pads are worn, even though they have only bee on the car for a few months. But the re-manufacture of the dials seems to have wiped all the other faults that were still on the car even after the cam belt was timed. Over all a happy chap.


----------



## zerocake (Jul 4, 2014)

shaunhutchinson said:


> for some reason the car thinks the brake pads are worn


Mine started doing this too, could not figure out why as there were no fault codes. So i just jumped the pins on the plug near the hub so it always thinks there new haha.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

zerocake said:


> shaunhutchinson said:
> 
> 
> > for some reason the car thinks the brake pads are worn
> ...


Might try that because I check them regularly... Cheers for the suggestion.


----------



## zerocake (Jul 4, 2014)

shaunhutchinson said:


> zerocake said:
> 
> 
> > shaunhutchinson said:
> ...


I too check regularly, and if you buy Pagid pads the ones with the sensor are cheaper than the ones without from ECP. Just cut the cable off the pad haha.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Got my hands on some Polybush Top mounts.

After fitting the OE struts & mounts I have a raised washer problem like many others. They make so much noise and I don't feel happy having suspension that moves around so heavily so I'm planning on replacing them with these babies when I make some modified polo washers. These mounts will drop the ride by 10mm and make a more dynamic turn-in experience apparently, so advantages all around. Some have commented that they have experienced problems creaking and wear so I talked to Polybush on the phone to do some research. [smiley=book2.gif]

They told me that a mistake that a lot of installers make is that they grease the mounts. He said that this is the last thing you want. Ideally you don't want the mount to move, you want the bearing to move and the mount to absorb energy not rotate. By greasing them you are encouraging movement against the metal chassis, hence the creaking. He also mentioned that adding grease to the top mounts stops dust from escaping and captures it in the grease so it grinds the bush down so they wear faster.

He also attributed creaking to some installers only tightening the nuts in the jacked position. instead of a two stage tightening procedure where you tighten them off the ground, then when the suspension is loaded (off the jack) tighten them again.

Not sure how well all this stuff will work but I have ordered some poly mounts (with the polo washers to modify a new set) and the red U.S. Dubstop spring spring plates and will experiment with the suspension towards the end of the year to keep me busy in the holiday period. I feel a bit happier after talking personally to the company because engineers normally have installation procedure that help tweek problems and understand the constraints of their products so hopefully these thoughts will be the key to using them successfully.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The polo washers have finally arrived. I just need to either buy some Mk1 TT top caps to canibalise into large washers *or* laser cut some washers from 2mm hardened mild steel or 2mm stainless steel. I need to inspect the current TT rubber parts on the current top caps first to see if they can be reused. The good thing about laser cutting my own is that I can make the hole fit the polo top caps fit the laser cuts very accurately. If I use mild steel i can weld the polo top caps to the laser cuts, but not if I use the stainless... Need to have a good think about it. Work out the opions :roll:


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

The 10mm drop spring plates from Dubstop in the US have arrived. They look pretty tough, and shiny  &#8230; With the new mounts and the Polo top caps all that I need now is some donor TT top caps. Managed to find some cheap on the Volkspares website under the part number 1J0412319C for 15 quid. might get them to ensure I have a new rubber on the top mounts because my old ones look a bit tatty.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

TT 8n suspension top mount retainer got chopped today to help locate the new polo top mount retainer, basically making a big TT sized washer. The Polo top mount retainer fits into the new TT washer like a glove. With rubbers on and you'd never know the difference. Might get new rubbers rings though. These ones bought online are a bit naf with rubber moulding flash pissing out all over the place. Actual rubber seems fine though.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Managed to fit the new spring plates and top mount to the car. All fits in well, no more suspension movement at all in the engine bay which is great. I have only attached one side because bad light stopped play today. However this has given me a chance to make a comparison of the two different systems on a careful drive home. Firstly, no squeaking at all from the top mount after cleaning the chassis contact areas and ensuring no grease was on the rubber mounts as suggested by the Polybush guys. Secondly, the ride is also very comfortable, if just a little bit harder. Seemed to make just a bit more noise when riding the wild flyover ridges of the m6 motorway but actually feel very secure. seems just a wee bit harder too around the bends but I need to test this better. However, I am still having trouble with the drop. After doing this and expecting 20mm. the car still rides at the same hight. My only thought now is that the fault must be with the type of struts I bought. I think the gas might pushing them up maybe. I have no evidence to support this other than the fact that the 25mm drop springs, 10mm drop plate, and 10mm drop polymount have been totally infective. Needs more investigation. But back to the installation. To summarise, I now it's lovely and red in my chassis hole. Can feel more of the road through the steering, and driving feels a wee bit herder through the corners although it is still a very comfortable ride. Overall I'm happy with the driving characteristics but the lack of lowering perplexes me. starting to think that I'm an expert at this suspension replacement nowadays.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

To reflect on the custom mount installation, although the custom polo top mount works very well with the poly mount, after inspection of the parts used, I decided that it wasn't a good idea to use the custom polo mounts with OE mounts. The cup depth of the rubber mount is too high so the polo metal gets stressed. If you look at the diagram that I sketched you'll noticed that gap (A) is the problem in figure (ii). When you try to tighten the top nut the aluminium is likely to distort and put stress on the component and ruin the rubber seal around it as the nut never bottoms out. This happened to me when I experimented with the custom polo top mount on the OE mount. I think maybe the only way you can over come this is to pop in a correctly dimension spacer or nut that will fill the gap.


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

I've been asking around forums about getting a good idea of what is the best fault reader and resetting them. One of the options is a stand alone OBDII product. One recommended is: Vgate Scan VS450.Another option that has been suggested after doing some investigations is VCDS by Rosstech. This is used by professional (think this is what Eric used) and is available for free in a shareware version. There VCDS-Lite are restrictions to VCDS-Lite but the Ross-tech website indicates that: "The Unregistered/Unactivated version of VCDS-Lite will only decode a fraction of the DTC's it finds into text. However, it will always show all DTC numbers." The list of DTC codes is on the Ross-tech website so I should be able to work things out I think, and the USB cable needed to run this on PC is only £5 on ebay so I went ahead with it and bought one.


















Couldn't get the CD USB driver to work on windows 7 so went to: http://www.totalcardiagnostics.com/supp ... on-windows and used their driver. Seemed to load okay after that slotted straight into port 4 on my laptop.

When I took the cable to the car I managed to get the VCDS-Lite working fine with the cheap eBay cable despite my worries fuelled by forum comments. Appears that all the car needed was a reset to clear the old fault codes. Just need to sort out the severed brake pad cable and all is good again in the Wee Beastie.


----------



## asahartz (May 24, 2014)

That looks like the same cable I've got, works absolutely fine with VCDS Lite (and I didn't need any additional drivers in Win 8.1). Only once has it not worked straightaway, and that just needed the COM ports resetting.

VCDS Lite seems a bit random in which codes it will decode - I have printouts where is has decoded a code one time but not another, and vice-versa. I just look them up on one of the lists.


----------



## wilson (Feb 20, 2012)

shaunhutchinson said:


> When I took the cable to the car I managed to get the VCDS-Lite working fine with the cheap eBay cable despite my worries fuelled by forum comments. Appears that all the car needed was a reset to clear the old fault codes.


Hi Shaun, do you have the link to the particular cable you bought please?


----------



## wilson (Feb 20, 2012)

oops, found it on your other post!


----------



## shaunhutchinson (May 26, 2014)

Finally repping the TTOC badge on the Wee Beastie. Cleaned my mancave out yesterday and found my TTOC badge, so after giving the old 8n a wash, wax and shine I thought it about time to pop on the old club sticker before I loose it again. LOL! Looks very cool.


----------



## burtz (Sep 7, 2015)

shaunhutchinson said:


> The small wheel centre caps that I bought from ebay arrived today. Immediately I sprung into action giving the car a bloody good wash and wax because you can't add mods to a dirty car. It needs to look all sparky and shiny to help show off the new features. In terms of the cap. I just went for a body coloured gloss black set of 60mm covers. Not even a tenners worth of cash on them. Currently thinking about buying as shiny aluminium set too when I have the cash. Just to see what they look like. The fit is actually just a wee bit loose but the are definitely secured tightly enough to ensure they do not fall out. I might also experiment with the idea of spraying the wheel colour and pulling the dip off to reveal the chrome rings.


Bit of a bump sorry, but have you got a close up to these centre caps, or a link. Looks great


----------

