Caddy's Cabby

[Big CADDY]

Few years back I had a 88 cabriolet that I ended up trading for my 1980 Mini. my signature has the build. I realized after looking at pics of cabby that my wife and kids really enjoyed the car. I'm not much of a convertible fan, but a happy wife is a happy life.

A friends father has always brought his 89 cabby to me for repairs. I have always told him that I'd buy it if he ever decided to sell it. Well I got a call over the summer that he has to get it inspected and it would cost over $550.00 to fix it. I told him I'm up to 5 cars already and I'm not in the buying market for a car, but I'd make an offer. I offered him $250.00 and he took it. It only needed rear wheel cylinders and a "italian tuneup"

Well, he brought it over that night. I did the repairs and really haven't driven it yet much because I wanted to dig in to it pretty heavy with upgrades and changes.

My plan is for a full repaint in IBIS white with a full BBS body kit I have and plastic euro bumpers along with my BBS wheels I still have.

A turbo ABA was suggested by NLS and we started going that direction until I changed up with a basic ABA swap since it was to be for the wife mainly. for now. .

I already started buying stuff for the turbo thought so a basic ABA now has ARP undercut studs and Eurospec rod bolts. I also have a head spacer from C2 motorsports all ready for when I plan to change over to turbo.

I picked up a complete working ABA out of a 98 Cabrio from Scott and Chris and got working on it right away with a rering, hone and new bearings. All new seals are being used as well.

The transmission will remain stock 89 Cabby for now.

I plan to keep the ABA air conditioning so this will be a challange with hoses, controls and clearance. but I'm not worried.

I yanked the entire CE2 front harness and fuse panel from the 98 to use. I'm gonna search for a CE2 MK2 for the rear harness and tie in the dash controls of the MK1.

on with the pics.

[Big CADDY]

Moar










I keep a set of stubb axles around to hold the hubs together. keeps from having to either replace the wheel bearings or let the axles drag or get in the way.

[Big CADDY]

Mooar

[CajunSpike]

I get jealous when I see awesome work like this.....

[Digital K.]

rad. glad to see you starting again

[JUS_GT_EYEZ]

I love the overkill in your projects.. in for updates..

[8382]

I like how this is starting out - waiting on the tiptosserie shots

[Big CADDY]

There won't be any tiptissorie this time. this thing is rock solid underneith and I just am not as picky about it.

Power washed the Transmission and will give it another good scrub down tomorrow. then I'll replace all the seals and oil.

I have to get the engine hoist to raise the motor up to see where the front rad support needs to be clearanced for the AC compressor and whatnot.

[Big CADDY]

Was a little busy the last two weeks. I redid the transmission and gave it a fresh coat of paint. I continued to strip the engine bay for cleaning. I also removed the steering rack for cleaning and new boots. I plan to paint the lower part of the engine bay black with POR 15. I kinda like the look with it painted that way plus I wont' need to worry about how clean it is. The top will be Ibis white.

I need to hit up the junk yard for all the shti that goes under the fenders and also AC parts and PS lines.


I also pulled the dash to aid in the removal of the engine and front wire harnesses.

[Colombian Gringo]

beautiful work as always

[Big CADDY]

Picked up the engine hoist from the Club and I'm planning on raising the motor up in to measure the area to clearance for the AC compressor.

I should also have the boots for my steering rack so I'll get them back in place after a layer of black paint in the lower part of the engine bay.

Pics later.

[Digital K.]

dont forget to hammer ou tthe frame rail for the serp tensioner

[bloody dismemberment]

i did an aba with a/c in my bosses daughters cabby, i had to cut a section out and weld in some sheet metal. the lines were easy too, just tigged the mk3 ends on.

[Big CADDY]

I hear you don't have to bash in the frame rail for the serp. Guess I'll see

You tigged the ends on? how genius. I've been knocking my brain for ways to get this to work. that solves a lot. the ac seem to still work fine?

[Digital K.]

its uncomfortably close. maybe with running AC, the belt will make the tensioner sit a bit higher?

this is with it beaten in a bit... this is 16v ABA, normally this serp setup doesnt fit.



also, be aware that you wont be able to get the lower bolt out of the alternator bracket out with the bracket in the car. whole bracket has to come off (or be quite quite loose) to get the lower bolt out as it hits the frame rail.

[wantacad]

also, be aware that you wont be able to get the lower bolt out of the alternator bracket out with the bracket in the car. whole bracket has to come off (or be quite quite loose) to get the lower bolt out as it hits the frame rail.

I was kinda curious how people went about this. (never really heard anyone else bring up the subject) I just threaded a really long bolt in from the other side.

[Digital K.]

I just take the bracket off.

[wantacad]

I just take the bracket off.

but the alternator covers up the holes to mount it to the block.

[Digital K.]

gotta take out the one bolt that you can get to, then you loosen up the other one. then you can swing the alternator forward and access the nuts on the stud.

[wantacad]

gotta take out the one bolt that you can get to, then you loosen up the other one. then you can swing the alternator forward and access the nuts on the stud.

I'll have to give that a go if i remove it again, I know i wasn't too happy at the time when I installed it.

[Big CADDY]

Only had a short while this weekend unbicthing the basket. I got the motor off of the stand and onto the hoist. I wanted to raise it up into place to locate the area I need to finesse to allow clearance for the AC compressor.

[Digital K.]

a kid w/ some g60 16v rabbit here has just a boxed out notch there. the PO just cut a square out, and then boxed it in. it looked pretty nice.

[Big CADDY]

next time you see it Kris, grab me a pic please.

[Digital K.]

next time you see it Kris, grab me a pic please.

his name on here is loganator. he lives about an hour from me. I can maybe drive out and grab a photo for you if you need it, otherwise maybe he can snap one for you.

[YJSAABMAN]

I've seen cars where it clears and cars where it doesn't. My car doesn't clear, but it was wrecked in that corner, so things are a little out of whack, but not enough to make the chassis unusable.

[Big CADDY]

Hopped in the engine bay last night and finished cleaning the lower section for paint. I am just doing it in black. I got one coat on for now. it looks like shti, but I'll get another coat on tonight. then I can reinstall the rack and linkage bits. I plan to borrow my buddies welder to start on the excess holes and stuff in the fenders and firewall.

[VolksAddict]

Doing some good work

[Big CADDY]

thanks, I'm looking forward to laying down some coats of the IBIS white base clear. that will brighten it up in there.

[bloody dismemberment]

when i did the cut out in VWeisgerber's cabby i just make a straight line on either side of the rail and laid some rounded sheet metal in and made rounded caps for the ends. The compressor fit great and it looked pretty good.

He probly has pics of it, i dont think ive ever stopped to take a picture of anything i work on.

[Big CADDY]

which compressor did you use? which AC lines? which wiring harness?

[Nupe]

Nice project! Glad mine was already swapped mostly because that box of wiring harnesses makes me ill.

[bloody dismemberment]

he didnt get the a/c hooked up by us, but i used an obd1 harness and added the cabby 5 pin connector to it so it plugged in like stock. aba compressor but he wanted to finish the a/c later.

we would have had the 134 ends added to the stock cabby lines.

[Digital K.]

im bored. paint it!

[Big CADDY]

haha. soon. I was at the yard today to look at what plumbing needed to go through the firewall. not much at all. I'll be doing some welding up of the little holes and such.

started pulling a CE2 rear harness. got the stalk harness too. I have to go back. ran out of time.

some douche cannon went and cut some of the harness. grrr.

[Digital K.]

mmmm douche canon. pretty sure the mkII stalks will fit on the column. There was something about it that was a bit futzy, but I dont remember what it was. either way. shiz worked.