My "I want my Caddy to drive better." Build thread. And I need your help!

[Charcoal_Grey]

**Disclaimer...this thread will be full of Iphone 4s pictures. I'm not sorry...but it wont be horrible.**

The car is a California 1980 Rabbit Truck 1.6l D. Currently it has:
Front Coils
rear axle flip with air shocks
Rustomleum Black paint job. Car used to be L90E Alpine White, but PO rattle can'd it.
Tan interior
No bumpers


What I am trying to do with this is make it more of a fun driving daily and look a little better in the process. Due to the military I am in CA for all but 4 weeks of the year. It rattles to hell and smells like a diesel and i love it. I live in a military barracks and will be doing most of the work at the hobby shop or friend's house if they let me.

I am mechanically inclined in some aspects, but some of this is taking me to things I havent done. Thats where you come it please!

What I would Like to do:
Rehang Exhaust. Kind of done. Fixed with clothes hanger
Fix Gasket leak/dipstick leak at the oil pan Done and done!
Sound Deaden
New carpet with mass backing (got, just not installed)
New Motor mounts
2.25" Foundation Deluxe MKIV strut mount kits (ordered and being fabricated as we speak)
Rebuild Steering
New Seats and also able to use power bases (installed and look amazing! )
New Dash/Reupholstered Dash
Caddy Roll Pan (being fabricated as we read)
Giles Preformace Pump (once i get my tax refund)
New headliner as mine is missing
new/reupholstered or cleaned door cards (PO got Paint on them....)
New seatbelts



This is going to be slow and painfull and I am sorry for this. but stay with me and hopefully you will like the end product and hopefully so will I. I will ask many questions and you dont have to give me the direct answer, but at least give me some reading materials. I have a bentley so that will help soooo much.
On to some pictures!

Motor Mounts

some new vents and new rack bushings. I'm sure mine are toast.

New cluster since my lights are falling apart

New carpet in the box and bumpers. hopefully the bumpers will be up for sale soon. The rear is for sure up for sale now since my caddy pan is being made.

Secondskin audio will be my sound deadening of choice. I took a Db meter into my car and as of now it is at 69Db at idle and 96Db at 50 MPH (the fastest I go) So with this and the mass backing hopefully it will bring the sound down.

(and yes....those are 268 Schrick cams in their factory wrapping next to them. My cabrio awaits )


questions before I start
My hazards dont work...new relay was installed, but the lights just turn on, the dont blink. whats the problem?
Can i get a good DIY for diesel timing? I really don't want to mess that up.
also, can someone link me to the motor mount changing DIY? I seem to not be able to locate it.
Where can i get the headliner and pillar pieces? next to my window isnt right...I'm almost positive there should be plastic/vinyl pillar covers... confirmation and where to get them? (pics to come.)


Should there be anything back here? worst case. I'll just get one made.

How should I go about getting rid of the dip stick leak? it seems to be coming from where the it enters the block.
Has anyone reupholstered their early westy dash? if so, can I get pictures?
My seatbelt light stays on all the time. it is hooked up to the seatbelt...does it have a relay/fuse?
My Lower bearing on my steering rack is completly out and it rattles now. if i take it out, can i push it back it and get one of the fixes that is sold on here or do i need a new one?
How did you guys hook up your recaro power bases? any input would help here. Im lost.




Thanks for reading, although most of you probably just scrolled through the pictures. haha but if I can get a lot of help, it will go a lot faster and smoother. for all

[syracusegli]

i dont have answered for your questions, but the caddy looks pretty good and im jealous of your recovered seats. they are nice

[Charcoal_Grey]

i dont have answered for your questions, but the caddy looks pretty good and im jealous of your recovered seats. they are nice

Thanks! Yeah they werw pretty nasty when i bought the trophy's, and then I got them reupholstered and i love them. they already make the ride quality soooo much better. Completley worth it.

[Jesse_717]

Early Westy pickup


timing

http://vincewaldon.com/index.php?opt...d=24&Itemid=28

I take it you meant steering column bearing as opposed to rack. You could get a new bearing from mk1 autohaus (ebay store) or you can put a hose clamp on the column to keep the bearing from sliding out.

[Charcoal_Grey]

yes I meant that. haha wow. I was up way too early today. Thank you

[sin bar]

how bad is the overspray on the door cards? with some patience, some light steel wool, soapy water/acetone, and etc., it should come off no problemo!

nice score. have fun with that little diesel. there's just nothing like them.

[fundmc]

motor mounts are pretty straight forward, front snubber and rear mount are the easiest to do.

passenger and driver sides require you to press the new mount into the bracket.

heres a pretty good walkthrough

http://www.vintagewatercooleds.com/t...nts/mounts.htm

[caddy 2 dope]

Fyi: Rabbit trucks don't have front interior pillar covers...
The vw factory glued vinyl fabric directly to the metal interior body.
The rear pillars were vinyl covered cardboard...
The headliner was made of cardboard too...
All interior upholstery was tucked under the window seals and door seals...

[avw4me]

Nice looking caddy and those seats are soooo nice too.

[Rockerchick]

Early Westy pickup


timing

http://vincewaldon.com/index.php?opt...d=24&Itemid=28

I take it you meant steering column bearing as opposed to rack. You could get a new bearing from mk1 autohaus (ebay store) or you can put a hose clamp on the column to keep the bearing from sliding out.

Best timing tutorial out there. We keep a copy with our Bentley

As far as the column bearing, not sure if Moogie still has them. I know we managed to get one a year or so ago and there were not many left. They seem to be hit or miss as to if you can actually find one. The hose clamp works alright, but finding an actual bearing is best. Getting rid of that rattle will make the car 10x more driveable right there.

Feel free to ask any other questions. We have a TD Jetta, but we rebuild the entire thing last year. Giles pump is definitely worth the money. Giles is the man!

Edit: Does look like Moogie has them again. Might have to buy another to have on hand...these stupid bearings LOVE to fail...

[-teknien-]

If you want improved driving comfort I would recommend control arm bushings, ball joints, and tie rods!

possibly mentioned above but I didnt rear it all...

[VWObsession]

The rear pillars were vinyl covered cardboard...

If an LX model. Otherwise, the B pillars are just painted metal. Especially an 80 diesel.
For seatbelt light staying on and flashers not working, it sounds like you either have some crusty grounds and/or a soggy fusebox.

BTW- any 80 Pickup saved is a good one.
And thanks for your service.

[GTrabbIt]

[Charcoal_Grey]

how bad is the overspray on the door cards? with some patience, some light steel wool, soapy water/acetone, and etc., it should come off no problemo!

nice score. have fun with that little diesel. there's just nothing like them.

Its mainly just the sides that have paint. maybe I'll try the steel wool idea. Anything to save me money!


and about the hazards not working. could the fact that there are no front turns causing the relay to not work like it should since it has less power going towards it? my turns work fine, but are a little fast due to the fron bulbs not being in.

[GTrabbIt]

and about the hazards not working. could the fact that there are no front turns causing the relay to not work like it should since it has less power going towards it? my turns work fine, but are a little fast due to the fron bulbs not being in.

Yes.

[Charcoal_Grey]

thanks. I'm going to put the front bumper on to check. Hopefully that is it.

Just ordered a few parts for this!
From GAP:
New tie rod assemblies
control arm poly bushings
ball joints
boot kit for the tie rods

Mk1autohaus:
H4 Hella lights
Blower motor
column bearing

hopefully From a vortex user:
Heater switch


I talked to Mr. Giles today and hopefully in the next week or two i shall be sending him the money to make a performance injection pump, and then I will send him my crappy one for the core back. I do need this running as much as possible although I do know it will have some downtime.

Im on the edge about the dash. Idk if i want it reupholstered yet. the dash mat really covers everything bad up, and it doesnt look horrible. it looks a little cheap, and not restoration worthy, but it's working for me right now.

And this is just chilling in my closet as well. Idk if i want to use it or not. suggestions? I mean it's for sale for the right price but since i have it I don't quite know if i want to use it or not.


MAYBE this weekend I can start with all of this, but probably not. I'm pretty sure I work this weekend.

[Rockerchick]

I talked to Mr. Giles today and hopefully in the next week or two i shall be sending him the money to make a performance injection pump, and then I will send him my crappy one for the core back. I do need this running as much as possible although I do know it will have some downtime.

Well worth every penny. Just remember when you get it in the truck and time it, you can't follow the manufacturer specs for timing. Giles will tell you what to time it to...he told us .9-.95. The sweet spot was .95 for us. I think manufacturer specs was 1+- .05 so we're at the low end of that. But he builds in some advance into the pump. Its really good stuff. We also have a set of his injectors too.

[ducatipaso]

we should compare notes I'm doing the same exact things to my truck. My mission is to make is drive and ride as nice as possible before going into cosmetics.

[jettred3]

[QUOTE=Charcoal_Grey;75538326]**Disclaimer...this thread will be full of Iphone 4s pictures.


Seats look gorgeous.

[Charcoal_Grey]

Thanks! I really liked the turnout of them. well worth the money spent for it. Hopefully parts start flowing in. I'm really excited about the new headlights. I can't wait to be able to drive around a see the road.

[Amyex528]

Sent you a PM about your rear bumper. Nice thread, I have already taken some of the advice offer by other members.

[Charcoal_Grey]

Pm replied sir! Thinking about a catch can instead of the horrible stock system. Anyone use one?

[Justin_Eshelman]

Pm replied sir! Thinking about a catch can instead of the horrible stock system. Anyone use one?

Im have this question aswell. Post what you find out!
Also, do you mind me asking what you paid for both Recaros to be redone? I was quoted at 600 for the seat and it seemed a little high. Hope you figure out how to power them, I'd love to hook up power to mine.

As far as getting the seatbelt light to work, if it gets annoying you can just unplug it like i did

[johnrogers]

Where can i get the headliner and pillar pieces? next to my window isnt right...I'm almost positive there should be plastic/vinyl pillar covers... confirmation and where to get them? (pics to come.)

Only the LX came with the B-pillars and bulkhead covered, but the headliner came on all models. The cardboard bits are hard to find, but if you can find them, pick them up. I got lucky and bought some for my project. Look for a part-out on Vortex, or check out the local wrecking yard. It Is possible to make your own cardboard templates... they are just a stiff, molded cardboard. PM me if you want a better description.

For around $50 worth of headliner fabric you can do the whole interior:



Match that with your super, super sweet and beautiful Recaro seats and you will have one fresh interior.

[Charcoal_Grey]

Im have this question aswell. Post what you find out!
Also, do you mind me asking what you paid for both Recaros to be redone? I was quoted at 600 for the seat and it seemed a little high. Hope you figure out how to power them, I'd love to hook up power to mine.

As far as getting the seatbelt light to work, if it gets annoying you can just unplug it like i did

I got them done for $400 I did know the guy but yeah it's quite a good bit of money to get these done. I was broke for a while after that. haha

and I really have thought about that. I'd just really like it to work. One of those little details that makes it a little bit better.

[Charcoal_Grey]

put the front bumper back on. Trying to get the turns to work, but I have a question. I am missing something. where can I buy it? heres the picture of the turn signal wires, but the back of the turns are just the back of the bulb. I think there should be like a rubber piece or something. any help?



here's the connector I have.

[Charcoal_Grey]

going to start some teardown today. Im pretty excited. haha

[Charcoal_Grey]

So I started late today and didnt get much done. I can't work on my car except in the auto hobby shop on base and they closed at 5 today. I was running around getting some things for the car and helping a friend with his 69 mustang and ran out of time. but heres some stuff from today!

Went to Autozone and picked up a few things
New Fuel filter. I swear my car runs a crap-ton better now.


New Bosch Icons. By far my favorite wipers. they have been on all my cars.


Everything I needed to change my oil, fix some sagging door gaskets and help my fuel


And I put in the new cluster. funny story. I put the newer one in and re-installed it without checking it pretty much none of the lights work. alright whatever. I took the ones out of my old one and put them in. I then noticed at that point, after I started putting it back it, that the fuel gauge didnt work. ugh. not to mention I had a half hour before the auto hobby shop closed, and I didnt want to leave it there since it was my ride. So I swapped the Speedometers and installed it very quickly and it looks so much better!
heres the best before picture I can find.


and after. the biggest thing was all the old indicators were deteriorating and had holes in it. these look sooooo much better, although I still can't get my high beam light to work. and that dreaded seat belt warning still stays on. haha
Pardon the fingers!



Questions that I have at this moment.
I still need to know if there is a rubber boot or something behind the NA front turns. I need them to work.

and I went to a shop and asked if I brought the engine mounts and injector pump, would they put it in for me. the quote was $425 for just the pump. I was astonished. They said it took a very long time to purge the system of air. has anyone changed a pump....is it really that bad? I feel like that can't be right at all.


and heres me having fun on base haha


So close.

Tomorrow if I wake up early I'll fix the gasket. I remember that a bolt head snapped off and I need to get that out and replace it. that's where the leak is coming from.
and I'll end it with my parts coming in very soon!
Caddypan- coming in the 4th
H4 headlights, steering column bearing, and blower motor-1st
Control arm bushings,tie rod assemblies, and ball joints- 2nd

[Justin_Eshelman]

Caddypan- coming in the 4th
and blower motor-1st

post up how that roll pan turns out. I've been waiting to pull the trigger on one and if yours looks good than that would be all the convincing I need. I too need to do the blower motor, so report back on that too

Looking good dude, any plans for paint?

[Charcoal_Grey]

post up how that roll pan turns out. I've been waiting to pull the trigger on one and if yours looks good than that would be all the convincing I need. I too need to do the blower motor, so report back on that too

Looking good dude, any plans for paint?

Ill be posting in here once the caddypan gets here and the blower motor. I just need to get a heater switch since mine blew up when I took out my cluster the last time, and I sealed the deal this time. haha

and yes. there is, but that is quite expensive. and I'm between the original color, alpine white, or going miami blue because I freaking LOVE that color. idk. i guess I'll cross that bridge when it gets here.


Forgot to mention in my post that I also installed my mud flaps. I didnt take a picture though as i figured it wasn't that much fun to look at

[Charcoal_Grey]

This morning I decided to look at the carpet finally. I can't wait to put it in. It's really going to give the interior a nice clean touch.



off to the hobby shop to hopefully fix that oil leak.

[Charcoal_Grey]

Today was productive! I didnt take too many pictures since i was pretty greasy. went back to the hobby shop and drained my oil, and took the pan off, and then began the process of getting the snapped bolt off. the shop didnt have an extractor shop so my friend who was working on his mustang drove to another friends house and got it. during that I change ALL of my fuses and cleaned up the contacts, fixed the one gasket coming off from the DS door, and put a new bulb that was blown in the cluster, as well as got a decal off my window and rehung my exhaust with a coat hanger so it doesnt vibrate as much.

On the lift with the mud flaps back on.


after a few I finally got the bolt out. It was a lot harder than I thought.


Changed the oil and filter and now I'm only leaking diesel! but giles will help with that.


and after the long day, my truck is dirty again. ugh, I'll have to change that this week. I probably won't get much done this week since I have to go back to work but maybe I can squeeze something in.


I probably won't get much done this week since I have to go back to work but maybe I can squeeze something in.


Still having trouble with the hazards though Once I get some pigtails for the front turns, hopefully that will change.

[Charcoal_Grey]

I was looking in my bay today and saw this:


I could'nt find it anywhere in my bentley. This truck is hard to work on since IDK if the engine is a swap. It's an 80, but the block says 1.6L. I really wish I could find a definitive answer about it.

[Justin_Eshelman]

No swap, just a 1.6l diesel rabbit engine. Why would it seem idd to you?

[Charcoal_Grey]

I was under the impression that the trucks only came in 1.5l D in 80.