My MK2 GTD

[MK2 GTD]

Hello folks, First off let me say happy new year to everyone.

New to this post so bear with me please. Been reading through here for a while and loads of good articles and info, keep it up.

Finaly bought myself a project. A mk2 GTD. One family owner from new, 140,000 on the clock. Full VW service history, even down to a simple bulb change.  Its in Metalic Pearl Grey, well sort off, its been used to travel from the UK to Switzerland for the snow season, even has green chromulux glass alround. The bonnet (hood) is very dull, infact whole car is almost matt grey, nothing a bit of time and effort wont cure, hopefully a few photos will show what condition its in, when i can find how to post the pictures.

The GTD was standard when i bought it, had a mate who came with me to bring it home, he is a big MK2 (A2) nut, he has a run out edition MK2 16 valve with all the goddies fitted, bbs rm's too   :shock:  and a MK4 aniversary (UK spec car). Well he drove it back about 120 miles an after 20 mins on the motorway at the "legal" limit he zapped past me with a big grin on his face    , i was in my passat B5 TDI Sport, (110bhp) and he left me for dead !!

So back to the GTD, well it didnt stay standard for long. First job, lay the rear wiper flat, easy peasy. I was a factory trained Ford RS Vehicle Techician, moved on to bigger things, now a fire truck technician in the Royal Air Force, so twiddling spanner is second nature to me. Got the full use of a 35 bay workshop, the odd ramp, pit and more tools than a Snap on van !!

Next on my list was a 256mm front brake set up with hubs and vented/drilled discs with fast road pads, after that i fitted rear disc's, hubs, calipers, flexi brake pipes and handbrake cables of a mk2 GTI. Also fitted the 9" servo and 22mm master cylinder, bled the brakes with a pressure bleeder. Stops well now.

After that fitted a Gmax 60mm lowering suspension setup allround, adjusted the brake bias to compensate for a lower boody. Still runs on 14" rims, i have a set of G60 winter wheels with 195/45/15's coming, so they will be fine media blasted and repainted in the aircraft refinishing bays at work. Perks of the job.

The car came standard, so i have a full power steering set up, rack, pipes, pump, brackets, steering shaft and reserviour to fit when i have time in the new year, its a subframe drop to do it so will probably fit the anti roll bar at the same time. Hopefully getting my hands on a electric window kit, if my bid holds out on e-bay ha ha !!. Even found a front grill GTD badge.

Provisionally got a full late 16 valve interior, grey with the red fleck, to fit and a full big bumper kit with fog lights, yes ebay again, most of the stuff i have bought is e-bay or the VW forums we have in the UK.

The engine is standard at the moment, apart from an ITG panel filter, will get round to doing the pump mods later in the year. The intercooler is intact, might go for a front mounted one. depend upon if i want the standard look or not.

Was down the local scrap yard yesterday and got a front foglight loom, a weighted gear shift rod, rear turret carpets and a rear tailgate GTI glass with spoiler for £20 Bargain !!!!!.

Well thats it for now, am off down the bar to see the new year in, not that i can drink, am on duty (honest  :lol: ).

Will try and post some pictures.

[con]

Hey, welcome! Sounds like you've alot of work done already. Be sure to keep us up to date with how the project is coming along.

[TomB]

That colour looks familiar :-)  It polishes up lovely, as mine was sounds like it was in a similar state to yours when I collected it.
The GTI interior really transforms the inside, and much more comfortable too...enjoy!  
Is the rear disc conversion a simple matter of swapping the axel & handbrake cables over?  It's another thing on my list to do, but the new gearbox must come first...  Not a lot of space to work in the street though  :roll:
Cheers,
Tom

[MK2 GTD]

Thanks Tom

How did the gearbox change go ?

I will do a write up for the rear disc conversion and post it on the site, wont be for a while, i am out of the country at the moment.

If you get chance go on ebay.co .uk and look for rear brakes with the beam still on it, you need the stubb axles of the disc version. The drum ones wont fit. If the axle comes with handbrake cables, thats even better as the are a straight fit. Its not a hard job to do, just time consuming. Dont put the disc axle on as you need a gauge to re set the beam alignment. I stripped my calipers, cleaned and put new seals in them, even painted them in red !!!

New bearings in the hub's and new brake pads too. Discs were ok.

Its a swine undooing the brake pipes as they tend to sieze in the flexi pipes, if you are going to do this spray copious ammounts of WD 40 on them the night before, its a lot easier, even i got knuckle rash from doing them and i have been a Mechanic for 23 years.

The easiest brake improviment is fitting 16 valve front hubs, carrires, discs and pads, its a "HAYNES" simply remove job.

If you havnt done this job already, i have complete set, minus the hub carrier bolts, also a 9" servo and 16v master cylinder going spare.

Any budding Haynes mechanic can do this job, you dont have to reset the brake bias on the front, just give it a good bleed, leave it for 10 mins, go make a brew and bleed them again. If you have the Haynes book it tells you how to change the brakes, hubs, discs albe it in differant paragraphs.

The G60 steelies are in the paint shop, being media blasted and painted, sparkly silver, laqured and oven baked, all for the pricley sum of swapping 2 tryes i had spare on to his rims, valve's and balance and £20. bargain  

The front mk2 GTD badge has turned up, so hopefully when i get home end of the month i will have a set of shinny new rims with tyres on  

Got a few days off so will get my digy cam out, take off the wheels, snap a few photos and do a write up for you.

[TomB]

Nice one, thanks for that, some top info about the rear brake swap.  Hopefully the brake pipes shouldn't prove too trciky when it comes to it, as I've just put in copper ones all round in order to get it through it's MOT, so the connectors are all new & shiney...  I've also put the vented disks from the GTi on, as they use the same calipers & carriers as the GTD, although I can't hrlp but think that a little more stopping power would be nice.
Hence  I shall keep an eye out for the rear beam bits, but a lot will depend on how far I can test the patience of my mate with the garage & space (especially as it's full of track car project at the moment)... :lol:
I've just picked up my gearbox from the scrappy this evening, as after 3000 miles my damage gearbox finally gave up and destroyed 5th totally, still, it lasted exactly as long as I was hoping it would, so no loss.  The install's going ahead on Friday, but unfortunately I'm having to pay someone else to do it (see note about garage full of project above   ).
I'll keep you posted....
Cheers again,
Tom