Grey 55 Leon FR+

mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
I've just bought a 55 plate Leon FR+ TDi. I've so far been fixing things and bringing them up to a basic standard. The more I fiddle the more I find the previous owners didn't care much about proper maintenance and just liked HIDs and £5 aftermarket speakers.

Eventually I will be doing some proper modifications but for now it will just be a log of relatively boring repairs and a bit of painting.

The first day I had the car:
mufasa.jpg


Completed Mods
  • Removed HIDs
  • Replaced glove box handle
  • Painted center console and vent controls
  • Installed Alpine head unit
  • Painted glove box handle
  • Painted front and rear 'S' badges
  • Replaced boot gas struts
  • Repaired door seals
  • Removed speakers and built custom speaker mounts
  • Gearbox main shaft shim
  • EGR & EGR cooler delete
  • Vacuum simplification and silicone hose replacement
  • Darkside Developments S3 intercooler & pipework
  • De-badge
  • Fabia rear wiper
  • Black wing mirror covers

Completed Maintenance
  • Cambelt, water pump and thermostat @ 121,800miles
  • Oil, oil filter, pollen filter, fuel filter and air filter change @ 121,800miles
  • New radiator and full coolant flush @ 122,000miles

Things to Fix
  • Alloy refurb
  • General paint repairs
  • Door lights

Planned Modifications
  • Oil catch can
  • Brake upgrade
  • Suspension/ARB upgrades
  • Large engine mods -> track toy (eventually)
 
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mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
HIDs ditched and a big clean

Driving around with illegal headlights and changing them for an MOT is not my style. Also blue lights look gash. Straight out!

hids.jpg


There was also another HID harness taped to the crash bar from a previous previous owner...

Another first move for all my second hand cars, a clean:

megaclean.jpg
 

mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
First round of painting and new HU

The dash surround was looking a little tatty so I decided on a colour change theme and got started. I know it's the least original choice but I like it.

First some things were ripped out:
baredash.jpg


Filler primer was required, there were some deep scratches in the plastic:
primeddash.jpg


I dismantled the vent controls too and painted the knobs, new HU in too:
reddashstereo.jpg


You may notice the off colour glovebox handle, when I got the car it didn't have one and there was limited choice at the scrapyard. Guess what's happening to that?
 

mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
More painting

I filled and painted the glove box handle and also the front/rear 'S' badges. Just a couple of pictures.

redhandle.jpg


redsfront.jpg


Pictures of badges on the car to come. I thought I came up with this idea myself then saw a load of identical paint jobs in readers rides. Sorry to everyone I've ripped off!
 

mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
Door seals and speakers

All my doors were leaking and as a result the aftermarket speakers were buggered. Pulling the door cards off revealed tweeters had been removed and components replaced with more components. I thought it was a little bass-y...

The speakers were fairly roughly screwed straight into the metal of the door leaving them to rattle around and rust everywhere.

To offer a small amount of damping I cut out some mdf, bolted it to the door then screwed the speakers into that. Much cleaner sound, both from the right kind of speakers and from the small amount of damping. Shame the original speakers weren't left in!

Not very tidy but functional I think:
speakermount.jpg
 

mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
Radiator and intercooler

I've had a fairly self inflicted nightmare. Feel free to laugh.

I had just got the car back from having it's cambelt done. Garage managed to break two boost clips, the timing belt cover and my handsfree microphone clip :censored:.

I got the car home and changed all filters and engine oil. I'd had an odd flapping noise from the right hand side which I had assumed was a broken bit of plastic trim behind the wheel arch (aux drive belt cover?) which wasn't attached properly and broken at the bottom where it attaches to the bumper. I decided to drill through the trim to secure it with a magic cable tie. Drill slipped straight through the radiator. Nice.

As I had the front of the car off anyway and the garage has buggered some boost clips I decided to buy a Darkside S3 intercooler and boost pipe kit. My long term plans involve big power and track fun so it's wasted for now but won't be for long.

No face:
nofront.jpg


Shiny things:
intercooler.jpg


I had also already deleted the EGR and EGR cooler:
enginepipework.jpg


The engine bay will be cleaned when I have the engine out in a year or so for the big build!
 

mark_eisner

Active Member
Jul 18, 2010
157
1
mark.theeisners.co.uk
De-badge

I debadged the 'LEON' on the rear and the red 'FR's on the wings. The car needs a good clay and polish/wax but for now I've just done the debadged areas. These pictures are by far the best the paintwork is, everywhere else is covered in scratches and rust.

Also put on a fabia rear wiper:
debadgerear.jpg


debadgeright.jpg


debadgeleft.jpg


And finally, the front badge (also painted wing mirror covers black):
frontbadge.jpg
 
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