Thanks for bumping this - I enjoyed reading immensely - would not have found it otherwise. You did a proper rebuild and the longevity proves it as well reaffirming the 1.6's as solid motors.
Few questions. I also found the TT downpipe pricey - maybe I missed it but where did you get your exhaust?
Did you have to cut the telescopic bumper mounts to bring them in? How did you deal with the plastic cover on top of the bumper?
Any issues besides regular maintenance? What would you have done differently? How was it servicing such a busy engine bay? What original components have you had to look at due to age?
I am keeping an 84 alive myself so I'm very curious (factory TD as well)
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The exhaust was completely custom from turbo back, done at a local exhaust shop that had a mandrel bending machine. It was around $600 I think, and has held up great despite not being SS.
Bumpers - the last photo I posted is actually a set of european market Jetta bumpers which sit much closer and are much lighter. I previously had run the stock bumpers but had drilled holes in the shock absorbers, released the pressure, compressed, and then tack welded them to stay compressed. That certainly helped a lot but was still not as neat and clean as the euro bumpers. I kept the top plastic covers in place with the tucked bumpers, but had to get creative to keep the clips in place as there was no room to access them on the rear once tucked. I used a nylon tie strap and clip vs the factory clips.
Issues - I recently did a semi-refresh on the car due to a number of small issues that built up, but nothing major related to the rebuild.
Replaced rear wheel cylinders due to leaks, e-brake cables due to age at same time
Replaced fuel tank after my JB water weld repair from 10 years ago finally failed
Patched floor pan due to small bit of rust that popped up
I fought engine gear oil leaks for a few years and finally solved those. I somehow had ended up with a mismatched 020 transmission case and selector shaft cover, and did not have the case vented as a result. I put a few flange seals in only to have them leak. Once we figured out the pressure/vent issue, I drilled a hole and put a vent in and no problems since.
I had a water leak in the cabin from my AC condensate water, a problem most don't have due to broken systems! Fixed that up as well.
I did some interior upgrades, new carpet, later Cabriolet speaker pods to support larger speakers, etc.
Went through earlier last year and cleaned up some of the engine bay wiring better, re-routed and wrapped harness and repaired some wiring that was falling apart due to age.
Engine bay is not too bad now on complexity, certainly compared to newer cars. Biggest complaint continues to be the v-belt system in general with AC. It takes a few adjustments over the course of a few weeks when changing belts to get the tension correct, and it's a PITA to work on.