Tom's GTi

[wilde67]

Wheely good progress!

Been working hard to get my wheels sorted for the last week. Finally got the bolts out, centres blasted and powder coated and some new badges. Spent a few hours a day filing, sanding and polishing and so far Im pretty pleased with the results. So I thought id show you guys some of the results.

Before;



And some after;





Just need to finish the last and get the bolts back in and I'll be away!

[Tim_GTi]

Great stuff mate!

[joe2612]

What a great job you've done, impressed!

[wilde67]

Thanks guys! I might make a start on my other set now, as im not really happy with the finish on those. Try and learn from my mistakes and all that! I had to buy some replacement bolts from justmatz for those which I thought were really bad quality and expensive, so i'll try and avoid those next time too. Got the wheels on now though and got hold of a stubby aerial and have a stubby wing mirror in the post So I am starting to make some very slow progress at last.

I'm also after some headlight protectors and seen some on ebay anybody know if these are the ones I need? Just not sure as they seem very cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Genuine-VW-headli ... 19b9693ca8

Tom.

[Tim_GTi]

Yep, they're the correct visors.

[Minstral]

were or how did u get your bolts drilled out?

[wilde67]

I tried to do one myself but failed big time as they are titanium. So I ended up finding a local small engineering place to do it for me. I had 5 sheared bolts and about 10 bolts I could tell were going to break if i carried on myself, the place I went to got them all out for £30, but its in Bristol so probs not much use to you if you are in kent.(I do have the address still though) Took me weeks to find someone to look at them, big companies wernt interested at all and many others wouldnt touch them as they are car wheels.

I watched the guy do a few though if you want to try... He cut out a groove in some, heated them a bit (not much tho as the rim is aluminium) and undid the remaining thread with a flat head screw driver or similar. And some of the others ( i guess the ones that still wouldnt budge) he cut the head of a good bolt and welded it to the sheared thread and then just undid it normall. I think you can also drill the whole bolt out and use a helicoil, but i think M7 is a bit of an odd size.

Hope this helps

tom.

[6N2 GTI 00]

Top Job on the wheels mate, they look quality.

Gives me a bit more motivation to do mine now

[Minstral]

just wondered what sort o fplace you would have to go to to get them done. was goging to refurb see if i could tkae them off but ill probably just do it with it all as one less hassle

[wilde67]

Without splitting the wheel? If you want to powdercoat the centres and polish the lips the two will have to come apart. The guy that coated mine said that even if i was doing the lips too he would still want them split for a better finish. There not too bad to get apart, and even if you shear bolts you can still get the centres out as its on the head that holds it in.

In other news my brand new shiney stubby mirror has arrived and some Poorboys wheel selant

[Minstral]

did u replace the bolts though ourself or go back to the same place to get them fitted

[wilde67]

I replaced them myself, piece of cake putting them back together. Theres a really good diy guide in the diy section takes you through the whole process, should help you out.

[wilde67]

This is my new look, I wonder if it will catch on?



And weight saving lol....




As you can probably guess my electric window finally packed in,(in gail force winds and hail) so I can tick another box in the common faults section. So just the gearbox to go now.....

On the up side, I did manage to get the window back up and my stubby mirror is back from the paint shop in the morning, so I can get get both jobs done at the same time

[6N2 GTI 00]

My Electric Window is also on the way out but I am putting it off for as long as I can.

I have been quoted £200 for a new regulator & motor (including fitting) but that's too steep for me at the moment.

The Joys of owning a Gti Aye

[wilde67]

Yea tell me about it! I thought buying a VW would solve these problems lol.

Put it all back together again today. I paid £82 for the regulator new from the dealer and fitted it myself (in the rain again) in about 30mins and it seems to have done the trick, my motor seems to be ok. Couldnt actually see anything wrong with the old one to be honest, but the new one seems to be an improvement. Im far from an expert, and dont have many tools so id recomend trying it rather than blowing £200! I found a guide in the electrical section that gives you a rough idea what needs to be done.

Also fitted my new drivers mirror, looks so much better! Definatly worth changing