Grahams81-Leon 4wd, Big Turbo - Back in the saddle :-)

[grahams81]

Update Time,

I put some MasterSeal PU Sealer / Adhesive on the welds as the normal seam sealer wasn't quite covering it.
Its the really thick PU type and dries really flexible like silicon, hides the welds nicely -

Went to Halfords and bought a couple of tins of Matt black paint and gave the inside a lick of paint.

After a spot of painting i started to work on the back panel, i got the plasma cutter out and trimmed the back of the car -

Before i scrapped all the s3 shell parts i put aside the rear panel, so i measured up the dimensions i needed and set about trimmed all the crap off it and trial fitted it to the Leon shell -

I put some bolts in just to hold it in place, i still need to bend it a bit more into shape and straightening it as i was a bit rough when i pulled it off the s3 shell then weld it into place. Hopefully get that done tomorrow.

I'm trying to get all the metalwork done so when i finally get my turbo i can concetrate on that.

I will update again tomorrow, thanks for reading.

 

[cupra-barn]

Coming along nicely Graham, I think you've got half SCN hooked on your progress

 

[cupra_mike]

very interesting read, look forward to see end result

 

[Rodie121]

keep it up

 

[joehirth]

Love the updates as ever Graham, it will be a real testament to you once complete.

 

[Scott-o]

Coming along great now mate! As already said youll have to join vagcars.co.uk and come to the meets

 

[grahams81]

Coming along nicely Graham, I think you've got half SCN hooked on your progress

Its getting there mate, hope everyones enjoying the read... i know its slow progress but i will get there in the end.

very interesting read, look forward to see end result

Thanks Mike, can't wait to see it running myself

keep it up

Cheers for the sex tip

Love the updates as ever Graham, it will be a real testament to you once complete.

Cool, certainly trying my best to make it my own, suppose it helps that there's nobody else as stupid as me to cut a perfectly good car in half !!!

Coming along great now mate! As already said youll have to join vagcars.co.uk and come to the meets

Right Scott i have took the plunge and joined Vagcars, just waiting on the mods to activate my account so i can say hello. FYI i'm on the same username so say hello.

I'm off outside t garage to do yet more welding on the shell i'll try and take some piccys when im done.
Still waiting on my Clutch coming so i can get the engine & Gearbox in but hey its along way accross that pond from the USA...

 

[Scott-o]

All approved look forward to the new piccies.

I'll be sure to say hello, as will many others, friendly bunch on there!

Theres a meet this Wednesday at the Windmill pub on the a19, usually a massive turnout, might be a little late notice for you though!

 

[grahams81]

All approved look forward to the new piccies.

I'll be sure to say hello, as will many others, friendly bunch on there!

Theres a meet this Wednesday at the Windmill pub on the a19, usually a massive turnout, might be a little late notice for you though!

Cheers Scott-O, Not be able to make the meet mate, im going away with work tonight.
To be honest i don't think i'll bother going to any untill i get the Cupra on the road.

Managed to finish the welding on the shell today, i finished the back panel - all bent, cut and welded, i also trimmed around the boot floor so the back panel doesn't hang in the wind, looks a bit tidier and it'll be easier when i come to design a exhaust system for it.

Gave it a lick of etching primer then put some PU seam sealer over the top -

Still got to put some seam sealer on the inside the paint it all -

Really happy i've pretty much finished fabrication on the shell, the only fabrication work i've got left is to weld in the propshaft bearing supports in the tunnel (cant until i get engine / gearbox in) and i also need to finish of the two rollcage cross bars.

Thanks,
Graham.

 

[m0rk]

You know what, I think with some decent paint on the insides & underside you might well get away with not spotting that this is a conversion.

It's almost a shame you're stripping it - I think that it'd be excellent to put it back to road trim

 

[grahams81]

You know what, I think with some decent paint on the insides & underside you might well get away with not spotting that this is a conversion.

It's almost a shame you're stripping it - I think that it'd be excellent to put it back to road trim

Cheers m0rk, hopefully your right and the MOT tester shouldn't notice a thing.
Oh and i've decided it to put the carpets & door cards back in with a set of good recliners, basically all the interior except the back seats there appears to be a load of scaffolding in the way..

 

[cupra-barn]

LOL I think the look ace when running rear seats stripped!

 

[grahams81]

Howdy folks small update time -

I didn't get home from work this week till Saturday morning so i was a bit knackered, never did a great deal on the car this weekend

So i managed to get the rear panel all painted up inside & out -

Then primed & sealed the passenger side inner wheel arch -

So my mate Jim came round today and we talked about paintwork (he's a bodyshop estimator) he reckons for a top quality respray im looking at 2 grand - about what i expected really - suppose you get what you pay for and all that.
The wifes mates husband owns a small bodyshop so i'm gonna speak to him and ask him for a price.

Before i finished for the night i had another look at the rear wheel arch trims i bought, i wasn't happy with the shape of the arches. They stick out the same amound all the way round - really don't match the shape of the super copa arches.... so i got busy with a dremel and trimed them down a bit and tapered them down so they don't stick out as much at the bottom.

Marked up for cutting -

Taped on to get a rough idea -

So i think i may taper it down a bit more to almost nothing at the bottom but its looking alot better i think, i really don't want to be able to tell the arches are aftermarket just slightly wider but still looking OEM. May end up binning the fiberglass and cutting the metal and pulling the arches a little but i'll have to wait and see.

Oh and i have ordered some coilovers - some FK Silverline for a Audi S3 - that will give me the fronts shocks to accept the ARB bolts and the rear 4 motion / quattro style.
They look nice in the photo's as there shiney Stainless steel.

Anyhow i'm back off down south for another week with work.
So long,
Graham.

 

[James.Judd.1]

Coming along now. Im not too keen on the arches if I'm being brutally honest but then again its really hard to get the final picture when they are just mocked up. Do you plan on smoothing them in with filler or something after?
Do you have a color in mind for the respray mate?

 

[m0rk]

Do you need to have wide arches?

They don't look right unless blistered type

 

[Murdered LCR]

Bin the Rear arches you don't need them mate I've got my wheels on easy enough and 2k ouch I payed 600 for a full respray

 

[grahams81]

Coming along now. Im not too keen on the arches if I'm being brutally honest but then again its really hard to get the final picture when they are just mocked up. Do you plan on smoothing them in with filler or something after?
Do you have a color in mind for the respray mate?

Cheers James, i was planning on blending them in with filler, but like i say i'm still undecided myself.
I'm back and forth with the ideas for the colour, thinking about just keeping it the same as its a nice blue (be easier to paint as engine bay / door shuts etc wouldn't need doing) or maybe just a bright flat white.... to many options aaahhhhhh!!

Do you need to have wide arches?

They don't look right unless blistered type

Bin the Rear arches you don't need them mate I've got my wheels on easy enough and 2k ouch I payed 600 for a full respray

Hhhmm it would be easier to bin the arches and i would hate to have a car that looked like it had an airfix bodykit on it, Like you say Dan i don't need the rear arches as you can fit really wide wheels on - you've proved that !!!

 

[Murdered LCR]

Yer you know It makes sense lol bin them , also keep it blue whites been done to death ,

 

[grahams81]

Blue with wide ass Rota's !!!!!

 

[James.Judd.1]

Keep it blue mate. 9" rota's and quattro.. this thing will get off the line!
Are you planning on any transmission work? Alex at backdraft was tempting me with a sequential dog box last week. He can adapt the sequential system they use on the Lamborghini race cars.
If only I have £6000 burning a hole in my pocket!