Sam's Ibiza 6L TDi

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
So, I've finally hit the milestone of 15 posts and am finally able to create my Readers Ride Thread, complete with pictures! A few weeks ago, I was finally able to hand over the cash and become the owner of my first car! It's a 2005 Seat Ibiza Sport with a 1.9TDi Powerplant that produces around 99bhp. Now I know many are thinking that a 1.9 Turbo Diesel will surely be a bit much on the insurance front - and you'd be right! However, the insurance costs really aren't too bad in comparison to a lot of cars on the road! Anyway, it does look pretty good and really looks nice in Platinum Grey - however, does need some work which is to be expected for a car with 123,000 miles. But first, some photos from during the buying (and slightly after) process! :cam:

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There are several issues with the car which include strange water marks on the Drivers Seat, Missing Trims on both Driver and Passenger Seats, Cracked Front Fog Lamps, Rusting Front Wings and the list goes on! So, there's quite a bit to do! I'm going to add two lists which will change over time and show what work needs to be done, and what mods are yet to be done, or are completed (however, for a good while at least, most Mods will be out of the question due to Insurance being so ridiculous for a driver of my age)!

Current Work Required (UPDATED: 27/11/16):
- Replacement Trim for Driver & Passenger Seat
- Replacement Gear Knob (current one is very worn)
- Untwist Passenger Seatbelt​

Desired Modification List (subject to change, some modifications could be several years off):
- Seats from a Higher Spec Model (the current Driver Seat has very little foam on the left bolster which makes it a little uncomfortable after a while)
- Chrome Surrounds for the Dash Gauges
- Chrome Surrounds for Air Vents (subject to change)
- Front Seat Radiator Grille with Chrome Surround
- Honeycomb Radiator Grille (grille next to Headlamps) (Done!)
- Facelift Front Headlamps
- Cupra Front & Rear Bumpers + Sideskirts (most likely will be a year or so down the road)
- FR or Cupra Alloy Wheels (subject to change, most likely will be a year or so down the road)​

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A few days after buying the car, I decided to embark on a job with the Ibiza. The Roof Lining was far from anything to be desired and was in desperate need of some love - and I simply couldn't wait until the entire car got its first detail. Here are a few photos to show the sheer horrors that laid within this Ibiza...

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Several people recommended a multitude of products to try and tackle the grime-fest which was, of course, the Headliner, but because I'm impatient, I decided to go for some some options from the local car accessories store and Halfords - with a stiff brush being from the Accessory Store and Halford's Upholstery Cleaner being enlisted for the job. Although Halford's Own-Brand products aren't always ideal for the job, I wanted something cheap just to see if there could be some level of improvement. In the beginning, I started work using the brush I had picked up, but found it to be way too damaging to the fibres - essentially tearing them out of the roof, as you can see here.

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So, I decided to break out the good old fashioned Microfiber Towel and do it that way, and it certainly did work well! After several runs and an entire bottle of upholstery cleaner later (I was pretty liberal to say the least), almost an hour of sitting in the car with the heaters on full blast was required in order to try and dry out the interior a little bit based on the fact it had started raining, typical Britain! And yes, I know the car is low on diesel which of course, is not something to be pleased about! :p

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I will most likely give it another clean when I fully detail the car and hopefully that'll bring it up even more, but I couldn't seem to shift these weird marks, they look almost like rust marks - and no matter how much rubbing with the solution, brushes or microfiber towels, they wouldn't shift. But again, I have had some products recommended to me. However, any of your own suggestions would be highly appreciated!

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Although the interior isn't quite fully dry yet, I was still able to refit the Sun Visors and Grab Handles and am letting the interior dry overnight with the windows very slightly ajar to let some air flow through. Even though it's not perfect, it's much, much better than before and the pictures really don't do it justice (apologies for some blurry shots, my phone doesn't enjoy anything other than good lighting situations)!

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A few days later, after putting a can of Tyre Weld in the Spare Wheel Compartment, I spotted a small amount of water, which after further investigation turned out to be a lot of water. AGH!

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As for any car owner, water here is never a good sign. Although water here was checked for when I went to buy the Ibiza, this water seems to have been sloshing around for some time and just was in the far edge of the tyre's storage space. So, I have a feeling that I'm the proud owner of a pretty leaky little Ibiza!

The car had been driven in the rain since and there wasn't any leaks to report of or signs of water ingress so far, so I decided to move it down to my Mum's garage (nearer to the house), and break out the hosepipe to see if I could get some water seepage through the seals or by other means. After a pretty vigorous blast around the entire car (decided to check the entire car), there was no leaks to be found! So for now, the boot floor has been removed, but the Spare Wheel has been replaced (nice to have a full sized wheel, too) and we will give it a little while to see if we get any more water ingress into the rear.

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Yesterday, I noticed that the Air Conditioning System smelt pretty awful (especially when it was first turned on), so I thought it was time to do something about it. A quick trip to Halfords later, and I picked up this can of Air-Con Purifier that's designed to kill bacteria in the A/C System and also remove them nasty odours. After leaving the can to do its magic for around 10 minutes and letting the car air for several hours, the smell of the product does still seem to be there, but I'm sure that'll disappear over time!

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After driving the car today, the nasty smells seemed to have gone, but it's been replaced with quite a strong smell, much like if you was to spray an entire can of deodorant into your car. Even after driving for an hour or so with the Air Conditioning on maximum speed and the windows fully down (yay for Fuel Consumption), the damn thing still has the rather strong scent!

One of my next projects will have to be the Cup Holder. Although I probably won't really use the Cup Holder, it bugs me an awful lot that it doesn't work and that other passengers won't be able to use it, either. After around 2 hours of fettling, I still haven't managed to free it, so it looks like I will have to get a new one from somewhere and get it fitted into the car - it really does bug me, though! :blink:

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Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
Nice write up!

Thanks!

After waiting over a week for the Cup Holder to arrive, it finally arrived yesterday! So, I jumped on the opportunity to get it fitted, as the old, jammed holder was really starting to bug me! Although it's quite hands-on, it's not that difficult to do! I've had a look and am not 100% sure to if there is a guide on here about replacing the Cup Holder, but I'm working on a new guide regarding the matter with high-quality images and in-depth guidance! ;)

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I will post the link to that guide here once it's completed!
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
So, I spoke too soon about my car being mechanically sound... :whistle:
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Today, the Seat had some pretty nasty knocking noises just as I set off. It happens whenever the wheel is turned and is very inconsistent when it makes the clunking noises. It also makes some not so nice sounds when driving, so the trip I was about to take had to be abandoned and the car limped back home, as I identified something was up pretty quickly. Here's a small video doing some slow manoeuvres that demonstrates the clunking that was going on.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

The car is being taken in by the garage next Wednesday so will be sat for a few days. However, it'd be nice to be pointed into the direction of potential points of failure, I spoke to the previous owner on the phone (employee at the garage in question), and he claims it had a new Steering Rack fitted when he bought the car last August (and he had done 20,000 miles in the car since). So, it could be a whole host of things by the look of it! :p
 

techie

Skoda Techie
Mar 22, 2003
5,438
5
Worcs
If you need any odd bits that may be broken or missing I'm breaking an FR at the moment. Happy to send for the cost of postage.
 

techie

Skoda Techie
Mar 22, 2003
5,438
5
Worcs
Oh and clonking noises

Console bushes
Wishbone bushes
Anti roll bar and drop links

All pretty common.
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
If you need any odd bits that may be broken or missing I'm breaking an FR at the moment. Happy to send for the cost of postage.

Well, I'll have to see what's said next week! If the repair turns out to be uneconomical, it might be a matter of parting this thing out and getting a new car if worst really comes to worst! But, I'll sure be in contact regarding parts if all is sorted on this car, I'm sure we could strike a deal for any useful parts/upgrades for this car! :D

Oh and clonking noises

Console bushes
Wishbone bushes
Anti roll bar and drop links

All pretty common.

I'll have a look into how much they will cost me, just for reference. My passenger at the time believed it was a bad steering rack, but based on the fact that it's pretty new, it will most likely be one of them three! Regarding the Anti-Roll Bar, would it be worth upgrading that to an Anti-Roll Bar from a TDi FR or Cupra (not sure if they did a diesel Cupra, I'm rather forgetful these days)?
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
Well, I'm pleased to say that the car is back from the garage and is back in action! Unfortunately, the repair wasn't covered under warranty as it was apparently due to 'Pothole Damage'. So, a new Strut Top Mount and Spring have been fitted on the offside and is back up and running once again. However, at the moment, at least, the car is sitting a fair bit higher on that side, but I'm sure it just needs bedding in and it'll settle down sooner or later.

At least the car is driveable now, although the little plastic cover that goes on the top of the strut hasn't been refitted and has just been left there which is a pain in the butt, as it's very difficult to refit it thanks to something being mounted over the top of the offside strut. But, oh well, the car now somewhat works! :happy:
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
It's been a little while since I last made a post, I've been pretty busy with college and there's not been really any more developments with the car itself. However, last week, it was due a tank of fuel and with some calculations thanks to Fuelly, 41.4MPG was achieved out of the car after 358 Miles of driving. However, based on the fact that the car did mainly town driving and I'm pretty convinced that this will improve as time goes on!



Today, the car also reached 123,000 miles! So, as a treat, I finally decided to give the car a bit of a tidy up to get it looking a little more presentable. Due to being pretty busy, only around an hour was spent on the car, but it will be having a lot more work put into it in a few weeks time. Also, due to where it's currently parked, a rinse-less wash was required, and although this does carry more risks by causing scratches in the paintwork, it was the only method really available and a variety of precautions were taken during the cleaning process. Using a bunch of Micorfibre*Towells and some products I recently purchased from the Muc-Off range which include Wheel Cleaner and their pH Neutral Shampoo, which also smells pretty nice and it seems to have done a pretty nice job! Of course, a great deal of paint correction is required to deal with the existing paintwork damage, but we will have to see how that pans out!

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Although the Alloys were refurbished by a previous owner, the Centre Caps certainly will need replacing, as they do let the wheels down by looking so scabby! :blink:

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​​​​​​​
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
It's been quite some time since I've last posted here, I've been pretty busy with college and other bits and pieces. However, a few weeks, I had the opportunity*to get some bits and pieces done and get the car ready for winter! The first job was a simple task of changing a bulb, which with the Ibiza is easier said than done! :p
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It was on with the detail - it really did come up well, too (especially when the car was so run-down beforehand)!
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The Overall Results:
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Unfortunately, after only around 100-200 miles of driving since, the damn thing is back to square one again! Joys of the British Weather! :D
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Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year... CHRISTMASY CAR PARTS!

Well, it's been an expensive week for the Seat, to say the least! Decided to pick up some bits and pieces that I'd consider as Christmas presents for the lil' Ibiza and it certainly seems much better for it!

What Was Bought:

- DDPai M6 Plus Dashcam (a Dashcam can prove super handy)
- Mk1 Seat Leon Interior Light
- Replacement Fog Lamp (offside lamp was smashed)
- Honeycomb FR Grills & TDi Badge (because aesthetics)
- Winter Tyres (been planning for a while)
- Only have a few small photos, the weather has been pretty bad recently and the car is quite a mess - will have to take some proper photos once I finally get my hands on my new DSLR!*​

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My only real issues with the upgrades include the Leon's Interior Light which is only semi-operational at the moment. For some reason, the two outer spotlights don't seem to function at all, it may be that I've not connected everything up correctly or something like that, but oh well, at least one of the lights works for now! The next slight bug bare is with the good ol'*fashioned Winter Tyres, I was hoping to get hold of some Goodyears*at £89 a corner, but my local tyre company didn't have any left in stock, and they didn't have any Pirellis either. So, I had the option of some weird, non-branded cheap tyres or a set of Kumhos; they aren't the worst tyres in the world but would still have preferred offers from Goodyear, Pirelli (if they had been a more reasonable price) or Michelin. Still, they seem to do the job pretty nicely and offer pretty good grip - they also produce much less road noise than the old tyres the car was sat on which allows me to speak without raising my voice, which is a bonus! ;)

Sadly, it appears there could be some issues with the Glow Plugs. I've noticed it's been pretty difficult to start when cold so took it for a quick battery/alternator test at Halfords, and they've suggested that I take it to somewhere to see if the Glow Plugs are on their way out. Yay, more potential expenses!​​​​ :whistle:
 

usmaan123

Active Member
Oct 24, 2016
11
0
I upgraded my interior light recently to the leon one and there was only one wire which for the all the lights. There is no extra wiring, try changing the bulbs and see what happens.
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
Nice car, keep up the good work

Many thanks! :)

I upgraded my interior light recently to the leon one and there was only one wire which for the all the lights. There is no extra wiring, try changing the bulbs and see what happens.

Thanks, I didn't think it would require any more than the normal connector, do you know what lights it would require? Might get the LEDs put in there and be done with that job!
 

usmaan123

Active Member
Oct 24, 2016
11
0
I put LEDs in mine, the 2 outer ones are 501 bulbs and the middle one is a festoon style 41mm bulb. Really bright compared to the originals.
 

usmaan123

Active Member
Oct 24, 2016
11
0
If you need any odd bits that may be broken or missing I'm breaking an FR at the moment. Happy to send for the cost of postage.

If you still got any parts from the FR that you were breaking, could you let me know as I might be interested. Thanks
 

Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
So, I finally got around to sorting out the interior light. I feared that the unit itself was going to be dodgy - but it turned out to be a couple of blown bulbs. So, I took the opportunity to fit some LEDs! Does make a bit of a difference, although the two outer lights are always slightly on when in 'Door Mode' - should affect the battery, though! Nice simple upgrade, overall! [B)]
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Got a chance to get a picture of the car today, too! It's begging for a new bumper, new wheels and more low - but it'll probably be a good long while until I can do that (thanks insurance)... :(
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Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
Happily, my new camera made it here in one piece! So, I decided to take some quick photos and I can confidently say that I'm already pretty impressed with the results - even with minimal fiddling! For those interested, the camera in question is the Canon EOS 700D/Rebel T5i (mine's the T5i as I got somewhat screwed over by a company pretending to be a UK business). Still, doesn't effect the quality! :D

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Sam

Ibiza 6L Owner
Got the chance to take a few more photos, it's a shame they had some blur to them, but I guess that's what I get for going handheld in lower light! I'll try to head back out in the coming days with a Tri-Pod and get some more photos! However, in the meantime, enjoy, and Merry Christmas! :)

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