Rabid build thread, doin the basics

[Spydervr6]

Hey, first build thread; 07 Rabbit, United Grey, coilovers going on tomorrow, shaving and body work happening the first week of March. Here's a list of parts and the work to be... Help, suggestions, experiences welcome; but please, no negativity, no knocking my parts choices, etc. My budget and resources may be different than yours.

All installs, body work, welding, painting, performed by Valens Body and Paint, Fresno CA. Mike Pitman is RAD. Yeah, I said rad, I grew up in the 80's.

Parts:

05 Audi S4 wheels, 18x8, 45 offset, going with a dark pink powder coat.
42 Draft Designs 10mm front spacers, 18mm rear spacers.
Rokkor coilovers.
FK badgeless grill.
NA Motorsports Boser hood extension.
Euro spec smooth TDI rear bumper. (Upper and lower, no exhaust cut out). Lower sanded smooth and painted.
Shaved side mouldings.
Painted front bumper mouldings.
Tinted front bumper side markers. On the fence; should I light coat paint them? Help!
Rear wiper delete.
Painted door panel arm rests, stereo surround, steering wheel inserts, engine covers.
Dark pink powder coated VW logo hatch lever and Rabbit emblem.
Rolled fenders.
Light tint on taillights, 3rd brake light, and lower mirror blinkers.
Flush mount valve stems.

[Spydervr6]

Pic when we first got her.

[steve89]

Hey, first build thread; 07 Rabbit, United Grey, coilovers going on tomorrow, shaving and body work happening the first week of March. Here's a list of parts and the work to be... Help, suggestions, experiences welcome; but please, no negativity, no knocking my parts choices, etc. My budget and resources may be different than yours.

All installs, body work, welding, painting, performed by Valens Body and Paint, Fresno CA. Mike Pitman is RAD. Yeah, I said rad, I grew up in the 80's.

Parts:

05 Audi S4 wheels, 18x8, 45 offset, going with a dark pink powder coat.
42 Draft Designs 10mm front spacers, 18mm rear spacers.
Rokkor coilovers.
FK badgeless grill.
NA Motorsports Boser hood extension.
Euro spec smooth TDI rear bumper. (Upper and lower, no exhaust cut out). Lower sanded smooth and painted.
Shaved side mouldings.
Painted front bumper mouldings.
Tinted front bumper side markers. On the fence; should I light coat paint them? Help!
Rear wiper delete.
Painted door panel arm rests, stereo surround, steering wheel inserts, engine covers.
Dark pink powder coated VW logo hatch lever and Rabbit emblem.
Rolled fenders.
Light tint on taillights, 3rd brake light, and lower mirror blinkers.
Flush mount valve stems.

Make sure you do a good job on this and do work on the fenders also or it will look dumb. I put this on my car and worked the fenders into it and it came out amazing.

Below is a pic of the bodywork in progress


the final result. car is on 4x4 status since it was in the shop.
now lowered on Ksports.


Best of luck. I also obv shaved the front bumper. rear votex valence and the trunk lid. Need any pointers ill help you out.

[waittllnextyear]

i'm very very much looking forward to seeing this progress.
good luck i like the sound of your choices

[Sammyscenepoints]

In my opinion, just spend an extra 300/400 bucks and pick up some FK coilovers. You won't regret it.

[bryangb]

[Spydervr6]

Steve89, thanks for the advice! My best friend owns the shop Valens, I will show him your pics; they do good work, and yes, was planning on cutting off the little piece and working it in to the fenders. I really appreciate all of you on here! Moar pics soon!

[blackgolf2.slow]

sounds like it will turn out great

[Matt_Mkv]

[Skaffles]

[Jetta603]

Pic when we first got her.

that's a terrific car. sounds like its gonna be a nice project that will come out great. make sure you post when its all done
I'm watching this thread for updates!

[Spydervr6]

Installed the Rokkors last night at Valens Body and Paint; it's nice to have every tool and a lift available. Took under 3 hours, start to finish. The driver's side front strut gave us some trouble getting it out, otherwise it went smooth. We did not unbolt anything important, like the axle bolt, etc. We just got all the sensitive lines safely out of the way and unbolted the struts. Didn't mess with the alignment at all. The rear is ridiculously easy.

Fronts are all the way down, rears are just the springs, no collar, just the factory rubber do-nut.

[Spydervr6]

Need some advice; I am debating running a single collar up front and welding it in place, to get the front just a little lower. I don't want this car slammed because my Lady drives this car mostly. Once we get another car, I can go the next steps on this Dub. So, leave it as is, maintain warranty, or run one welded collar in the name of Low?

[Spydervr6]

Bump! Help! Advice?

[Spydervr6]

Bump for help...

[rwm19]

In.

It doesn't look like the single collar idea would give you enough. maybe that mixed with a slight raise in the rears?

I've been looking for a bay area shop to get a boser hood done.
I'll have to check that place out

[Spydervr6]

The front has settled since install. Looks much better tonight. I personally like my rockers to be even, not raked with the front lower. I'll try to snap another photo. Oh, and the shop, Valens, is in Fresno, about 2 1/2 hours from San Jose. I don't know any shops in the Bay Area.

[rwm19]

Ah that's right, yea fresnos a little far for me haha. maybe if the price was right.
But I'm glad to hear the coils evened out a bit.

[Spydervr6]

Thanks for the comments. I leave Thursday night, March 1, to pass out on my friend's couch, do work 10 or 11 hours a day starting the next morning, for 4 days. Not everything may be done; If not, Mike will finish, and I'll travel back to pick up. I promise higher res pics in the future.

[Spydervr6]

Love this wheel color.

[tspooner]

Make sure you do a good job on this and do work on the fenders also or it will look dumb. I put this on my car and worked the fenders into it and it came out amazing.

i wouldn't say it would look dumb... i didnt touch my fenders the first time and still wont the second

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...45166-Overcast

[Spydervr6]

Nice cars, Guys! And thanks again for the help!

[Spydervr6]

Alright, leaving tomorrow night after work, heading to the body shop. I am helping on the car for four days. If it isn't all done, I will have to pick it up next week sometime. I will take pics as work progresses. As an update, the Rokkors have settled nicely, and now that they have some miles on them, they seem to ride a little nicer than they did the first few days. I am, however, dropping the front another half inch.

[TeamZleep]

Need some advice; I am debating running a single collar up front and welding it in place, to get the front just a little lower. I don't want this car slammed because my Lady drives this car mostly. Once we get another car, I can go the next steps on this Dub. So, leave it as is, maintain warranty, or run one welded collar in the name of Low?

Pull the coils back out and cut the 1inch cup off the bottom of the strut body, should get you another inch without sacrificing the ride.

[hussdog426]

[Spydervr6]

Doin work.

Got hit, and fixin.





Marble interior.



Mike Pitman, doin ALL the works.











More to come.

[HMB_GTi]

Not sure yet whether I like the marble interior, but as always big props for doing something original!

Can't wait to read/see more updates.

[Spydervr6]

Deletin.

[Spydervr6]

Pulled everything for smokin.



Smoke teaser.

[vortexn]

do you work at a body shop? i wish i had a shop at my liesure

[Spydervr6]

My best friend owns a shop, car is there, I had to leave and go back to work. It should all be done this weekend, including my Boser!

[Spydervr6]

Painted my calipers, gettin ready for wheels.

[Spydervr6]

Testing.

[Spydervr6]

I forgot my digital camera; these are all shot with my phone. Color of the wheels is so much better in person.

[Spydervr6]

^ Suspension hadn't resettled yet either.