LC5F's Graphite Blue GTI - Pilgrimage to Caffeine & Machine

[LC5F]

managed to spend some time with the Mk5 -
Finally got round to changing the inline thermostat above the DSG box, my clips were on the bottom and the clip pliers needed a huge amount of space to open them up, only lost half a cup of coolant but its all back together - old thermostat was jammed open.
Did a partial upgrade of the screws holding the undertray on, stainless Audi screws from my last scrapyard trawl:

There was only 3 screws holding it in place, the clips the screws go into were near failing - Need to source another 4 clips and fine thread screws to fully fix the panel.


Got my hands on some 6K LED side lights, I forgot they need to be put in to suit the current flow... put the nearside fully back together, then remembered.... They match the Xenons nicely, this was a dreich nnight in gentrified Edinburgh:

[LC5F]

I had been mulling over suspension for the Golf, I had B14 coilovers on my previous Mk4, they were really good but it seems Brexit has made the same for the Mk5 a bit too pricey for a daily.
My othe VW came with AP coilovers and are really good, so plumped for a set up for the Mk5.
They are currently on their way from europe, at a really good price, even with delivery they are a big chunk off UK retail
- only rub is they are coming from Naples Italy...despite the lock down UPS says they have just left Milan.

Got myself new lemforder top mounts all round + new bolts from TPS

And then these turned up:

Front and rear subframe aligners, I have no ETA for installation, come with pretty good instructions.
They are similar to the tyrolsport ones with a piece for the top and bottom - dont think they do the rear subframe?? - but they don't have the cup that the bolt head sits in
They look really good - made sweeter by a mix up, no import tax - not bad for just over £30 and 6 weeks to get here

[shannon-ob]

Great price for the subframe kit!

Where is it from if you don't mind me asking?

[LC5F]

Great price for the subframe kit!
Where is it from if you don't mind me asking?

No problem - Aliexpress, its gone up in price a bit: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000344800378.html?gps-id=ru_edm_recommend&scm=1007.25755.141389.0&scm_id=1007.25755.141389.0&scm-url=1007.25755.141389.0&pvid=8029187e-beb4-4bc2-a082-1d9c9a445ad5&userTouchChannel=targetEdm&smiId=biz_add_cart:1002:5baa98ca616c47d99b13a6f30e505506&tracelog=rowan&rowan_id1=houyi_target_edm_1_en_US_2020-01-26&rowan_msg_id=8098biz_add_cart:1002:5baa98ca616c47d99b13a6f30e505506_69378$f25f023504a6411581ebae22bde34176&ck=in_edm_other

Been putting off fixing my mirror indicators till I got daylight, watched a couple of Youtube videos and there was no excuse, dived in and it was pretty easy - quite an ecosystem I was rolling with:


Decided to keep the inpro indicators - thats better:


I am now fully prepared to socially isolate:

[LC5F]

These dropped into my lap

[LC5F]

So the wifes dead car finally got picked up and I could dive into the Golf, the plan was to just to do coilovers, rear control arm bushs and brakes:


Seems I have the Seadweller edition, everything is crusty, everything faught me:





I tried undoing the Drivers ball joint and 2 out of 3 nuts sheared off and the base plate was so corroded it took a dozen hammer hits to split it from the control arm - after that I just got busy with the angle grinder:


Biggest problem is the 16mm control arm console bolts, 3 out of 4 sheared - I tried backing them in and out and lots of lube they still sheared. After getting them off I even tried chucking them in the oven melting candle wax - they are just stuck in there:

This is the point where it turned into a full front end rebuild-
Ordered replacements off ebay - unfortunately they are both being couriered by Hermes who seem to be more useless than normal-
Drivers side has spent the last 4 days sat in Liverpool, the passenger side has been sent back to the sender....
Ended up ordering another passenger side and got it next day, now wishing I got both sides.

Passenger side CV decided to split itself as the strut came out - turned out the spring clip was worn, not installed properly, so not me pushing too hard, Drop links were completely seized, had to cut them off and grind off the nubbin sill in the ARB:


CV grease was really dry, so cleaned it out and got a new boot, weird thing was there was even rust in the joint:


With the Passenger subframe side delivered, there was no reason not to install my Chinese dead set kit, only one insert wasn't going home, just opened out the hole and its now good:


This also brought forward TT Alloy control arms and after some wrestling I managed to get a corner done:


Still waiting on Drives side subframe, I swapped out the rusty steel T20 arch liner bolts for Audi stainless ones, cleaned out the lower wing - not the biggest deposit, but pretty impressive compost:

[agmac]

Great story here - keep it coming though some of the pics not filling me with joy - I too live in Edinburgh, so the same crap roads and weather. I must get the wheel arch liners off to have a proper look underneath and could fairly do with a set of those front headlights - the standard headlamps are so bad they are unsafe in winter.

[LC5F]

Great story here - keep it coming though some of the pics not filling me with joy - I too live in Edinburgh, so the same crap roads and weather. I must get the wheel arch liners off to have a proper look underneath and could fairly do with a set of those front headlights - the standard headlamps are so bad they are unsafe in winter.

Hey fella - glad to find another Edinburgh roads sufferer! -
I found the Golf on Gumtree in Aberdeen, the PO used to park right down near the docks, lots of see air + not much mileage = everything just got crusty

The Drivers side subframe turned up today, after 9 days without a car my house was running low on provisions (read that as Beer for me!) - I used that as motivation. After a quick wash of the new part I assembled the control arm, the same bolt hole had to be opened up and I had opted for PSB bushes instead of Super Pro:


Drivers side was a lot more difficult to align up the 3 main 18mm bolts, took a lot of adjusting but they all finally bolted up. The scrap pile got a bit bigger:


The debris field was pretty good too:


After a big shop this evening - the beer mountain has been reinstated - I now feel brave enough to dive in and do the rear springs, shocks and the dead set bushes - but first thing I need to get an alignment done - my aligned by eye it wasn't bad, steering wheel only out by 5 to 10 degrees.

[LC5F]

Weather picked up and I tackled the remaining rear end stuff

The springs and shocks were installed without issue


My rear Left arch liner is a bit baggy - is that normal?

The rear dead set kit was really easy to install... 2 bolts on each side and a bit of levering - front ones would have been even easier if I had done it with the spring and shock off.


This is how its sitting, desperately needs a wash

[LC5F]

Got my chance to give the Golf its first hand wash and polish, got the washer out. first pass was TFR and a pressure wash, second pass with dodo juice snow foam:


A deep clean with the suds and then rinse, then 2 bucket method with Mer shampoo and followed by Mer polish with buffer - I need to upgrade these - Wheels then got a clean, dug out some Dirty Jok's wheel cleaner I've had for years and got busy, last thing I did was rainex glass cleaner -


Exterior wise the last thing is the exhaust tips that had been developing some really crusty bits:


I found a really good solid cleaner for chrome and aluminium called Vistal, Autosol is good but this stuff works quicker
+ it cleans and leaves a protective film - this is after a rinse, the beads are the film doing its thing - first pass - more work required:

[LC5F]

Engine bay looking a bit sorry for itself, bonnet sound deadening sagging and all the grime collected form the engine cover still there.
Had to cut off 2 of the top mount bolts for the suspension swap - I couldn't get the wiper arms off, the tool I got wasnt big enough and broke  - I was replacing the scuttle cover anyway - so it just got destroyed...


After degrease and steam

[LC5F]

Finally got my wiper arms off - battery terminal remover worked very well - bit of a squeeze to get on. The arms popped off with such force this has to be the first time they have been taken off. Cleaned the scuttle:


Had my first trip to a scrap yard since covid, managed to get a new rear arch liner - old V newer


Only problem is the Gti liner is a different shape to suit the bumper:

I just cut out the corner of the old one and put it behind the new!

Also sourced a lot better condition bonnet sound deadener, seems to be an issue as most at the scrap yard were already removed, the few still there were saggy like my old one. Deadener and scuttle cover replaced:

[LC5F]

Finally got to Halfords to get some carpet cleaner
Armed with:

Rainy day here - I removed the rear seat base to have a go inside and then sun came out and had a go with the drivers seat...
Before - it seems I dribble!:

After:


Rain then chased my back inside - only did the drivers seat and rear seat base, they were generous, I got this out of them...

[Deano45]

Great build thread and you are making some great progress....if you don’t mind me asking how are you finding the AP Coilovers? Thinking about a set myself ,,

[LC5F]

Great build thread and you are making some great progress....if you don’t mind me asking how are you finding the AP Coilovers? Thinking about a set myself ,,

Thanks fella - 
I previously had Bilstein B14 on my old Mk4, I was looking into B14 for the Mk5 but I couldn't justify the price for what is a daily.  Also my other VW came with a set of AP's, I was happy to give them a go to see how they feel new.

I haven't done much mileage on them or pushed them hard, but the AP's on the Mk5 are good, they seem to be an uprated OEM feel - as described in many reviews.
Put it another way, the wife hasn't even noticed, commented or complained - I think that's a win!

BTW I got a really good deal on ebay that is still available: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-5-AP-coilovers-Adjustable-suspensions-%C3%9855/371633207372?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649