mk2 Jetta syncro cl – now 1.8t

[conor]

I bought this car a few years ago from a member of this site.
Progress has been slow as other projects took precedence. However I got a few months at this car over the winter and managed to upgrade a few bits:

Wheels:

Recaro seats on electric subframes:

Interior shot:

Engine bay(Needs finishing!):

Specs:

Engine:
1.8 PG engine
New coil, dizzy cap and arm.
New piston rings, valve stem oil seals, headgasket, gaskets etc.
Timing belt, tensioner, waterpump done.
New Charger timing belt, main charger belt and power steering belt.
Freshly rebuilt G-lader, should be good for the next 30000 miles.
New G60 radiator
Mocal oil cooler with thermostatic plate.
Chargecooler setup fitted utilising Modified OEM boost pipes, 1.3 golf radiator and vr6 auxiliary waterpump.

Running gear:
Ford focus 24mm master cylinder
256mm 16v front calipers with Pagid grooved discs
Rear disc conversion using MK4 calipers, 239×12 discs, Rallye carriers and new Rallye handbrake cables.
Goodrich braided flexis all around.
Coilovers
15×6 freshly powdercoated Speedlines (Incl. matching spare.) with new 195/50/15 uniroyal rainsport tyres

Transmission:
Standard 020 rod change gearbox
Diff bolt kit fitted.
Gear linkage refurb kit

Interior:
GTi headliner
New leather gear and handbrake gaitors.
Boost gauge in air vent
Electric Recaro front seats

Exterior:
Jetta GTi boot spoiler.

It still needs a little bit of bodywork but it is straight and solid. I will probably do that once the summer is over, for now I just want to drive it.

[Chris S]

Looking good!

[conor]

Cheers Chris! Hope to see an update on your thread shortly.

[re2]

looking brilliant! I work in Burton upon Trent where Pedigree cars is (where it was bought from by my brother)

[Thomas Cahill]

hi Conor your jetta syncro is looking nearly finished what gearbox did you use all the best thomas.[]

[conor]

Thanks guys.
Yeah I seem to remember looking through the old receipts or MOTs and reading the name Pedigree cars I think!

Hey Thomas, I am still using the standard 020 rod change box. I know it isn’t renowned for its robustness, but I changed the diff rivets and I am going to chance it.

[conor]

A lot has happened with this car since my last update.

the g60 melted a piston so I replaced it with an AUQ 1.8t engine from a mk4 golf.

I also did the bodywork and got it resprayed, updating to 90 spec looks in the process.

I got a space in the workshop so I put the car in and started stripping it down for a shot of paint:

There are a few spots of rust and a few small little dings to deal with but apart from that the shell is in great condition.

The car has been stripped down and any rust has been dealt with. The car is being resprayed in the coming days hopefully.

Old rusty wing removed, all good underneath:

New wing on, rubbing down commenced:

The car has now been painted and re-assembled, I went 90 spec with it for a change, I love big bumper Jettas.

What next? I’m not sure, I have developed the car as much I want to really, as far as I am concerned it is done!

[ld50]

wow! looking really good

[Thomas Cahill]

Good luck with your 1.8t Conor I am sorry to hear the g 60 gave up on you all the best the car is looking great

[conor]

Thanks guy.

Since the last update I have made a few small changes to the car:

I got it NCT’d!

I did a bit of a “dress down”. I went from the half tinted hellas back to regular orange clusters. I changed the foam boot spoiler for the more appropriate colour coded item.

Another thing that was bothering me was the tailpipe. It was for a small bumper car so it stopped well short of the big bumper exhaust cutout. I chopped it off altogether and put a plain round tailpipe out past the bumper. I think it looks more subtle now. I’m sure people will think I’m mad for going from a nice chrome tip to a plain piece of exhaust pipe.

I have made it to two shows and the car is going great.

[conor]

..

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by conor.

[conor]

Over four years later and I popped back in to read my old build thread. I still have this car, although it is not being driven at the moment.

I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of it. I have loads of new parts to fit, wishbones, shocks, a brake caliper, propshaft bearings etc!

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by conor.

[conor]

I still own this car. I have recently finished a lot of work and put it back out on the road.

The following work has been done:

new brakes all around.
New shocks and springs all around.
Upgraded front engine mounts.
New wishbones, arb bushes, drop links up front.
rear subframe removed, everything painted, polybushed and refitted.
Propshaft rebuilt.
New timing belt, engine service.
Revised boost pipes in engine bay.
Reflashed AUM ecu with AUQ map, so now 180bhp.

I have a rallye gearbox that I bought off Chris, that I intend on fitting at some stage next year.

[SamSam]

Looking fresh!

How is everything holding up with the 1.8t?

[conor]

Sorry, only after seeing your message! Things are holding up perfectly. While I dont launch it from a standstill, I regularily plant the boot coming out of low speed corners and it just goes. I think I’ll keep incrementally increasing the power to see what the limit is! I have a 210bhp map for the ecu on my laptop, I think I’ll throw that on next and see if thats enough!

[Author]

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