[crepello]

Red cars are loads better for hiding dirt. You can't beat a clean white 90s car though, they just look ace.

You got the best of both worlds then!

[Vulgalour]

Except I painted the rust and dirt prone bits white, so I'm doing it wrong.

[Lukeyboy46]

This has been going great! Solved my electrical issue (blown fuse due to rear boot light)

Need to replace the driveshafts and clutch desperately, just done the front bearings and calipers as they seized on me!

Just bought a 216 Tomcat so looking forward to recieving that

Really would like a turbo... but I'll work up to that ;)

[Vulgalour]

Coupe looks nice.

[Lukeyboy46]

Well she's finished, I purchased the engine, gearbox, ecu and loom from a 1993 220 GTI on 80k miles that had been broken on ebay. It was almost a drop in conversion.

The original gearbox actually let go in the end, so I figured by the time id paid for a recon and all the other bits I needed to do to the engine to stop it being incontinent, it would have cost the same as this second hand conversion unit.

I've managed to convert the car fully to a turbo (looking fairly original if I do say so) for under £800, which I didn't think is too bad.

It's totally transformed the car, its showed me just how knackered the other gearbox was with how smooth this drives.

I'm not out there for huge power gains and modifications or to ruin cars, I just wanted to make the car feel right and look stock. It flew through an MOT yesterday and had its maiden voyage last night which bought the biggest smile to my face.

I know the turbo conversion has been done to death, but hopefuly you will all appreciate this car for what it is. A 420 GSI Sport Turbo.

I've kept the original parts so that i may return it back one day if required, but this is how I intend to enjoy my car!

[Paul_1978_yorks]

Lovely job!

[Hammond]

Looks the dogs

[Vulgalour]

Entirely reasonable decision in the circumstance and you get the car YOU want. It's nice that the cooler at the front completely disappears, I hadn't expected that much kit to hide so well behind the front bumper.

[Lukeyboy46]

Thanks guys,

I didn't want to convert it really, if the orginal engine and gearbox would have held their oil and the gearbox not imploded, i'd have kept it original.

The car externally still looks completely standard. And it now drives beautifully, I didn't realise just how bad that old box was until its been changed out!

I bought the Intercooler to match those dimensions, i've had to trim it very slightly to get it fitting, but aside from removing the plastic grill it looks pretty sleek!


I don't think the coolant is circulating quite right, so need to look into that, I believe the genuine Turbo rad had a take off from the top of the radiator? But really I need to look at a genuine turbo in the flesh and see how its plumbed.

The rust is starting to seep back through in the rear arches too so i'll do that this summer too.

[ROVER Cabby]

Bit of a sleeper that mate, nice and clean build !