This is awesome. I will use some of your ideas when I run into problems with my 1.6.
I'm glad that it's somewhat of a help *Grin* was wondering if anyone was reading.
I made some major progress yesterday final fitment of the IC piping, my buddy came out to help (a huge help) and we got downpipe fabricated, and last night I was able to test start the car check around for leaks. (I need to get the intake manifold drilled and tapped for a hose barb, I got the incorrect fitting for the tap I have :-/) Should do that this morning.
downpipe tacked up but not welded yet.

front end, I put painters tape on the fenders as I stupidly put the bumper rebar in and managed to ding the drivers side...

here's the air box, I able to route things through the bottom of it (which means I get to keep the oem air cleaner, one less thing to try to find/fabricate...) I had to modify the bottom of the airbox but it seems to at least at the moment work ok. The only other note I have on the IC piping that came with the ebay kit is there are not enough silicone couplers so, if your looking at this kit, buy a couple 90 degree and more t-bolt clamps. I'm planning on having my buddy tig up the piping so there are less coupler's to blow off, but for the moment it should work for testing.

The front bumper on the tdi was cracked so I just saws-alled the crap out of it so it would fit and I could move forward with the testing.

I need to build a different pass side engine mount, I'm not anywhere close to confident in the one that is on there. I'll be buying some thick metal to do this (hopefully later today)
stand by for more crappy cell pics later on
Oh, and last but not least my wife's '00 tdi golf's pass side cv boot decided to put a hole in itself and spit its guts all over the wheel

-T