Rain Tray Delete

[addictheadvw]

I am looking for some insight from people who have done this mod. Never gave it a thought before I picked up a rust bucket, but it seems like a viable option with my caddy.

Pros? Cons?

Pics for clicks.

[stick90]

It's a mod?
I just took all my heater stuff off, threw it in the trash and cut the thing off with a grinder.

[MicroCADDY]

^ ^ ^ not 100% true. You can still run a heat with a fabricated fresh air box.

Pro cleaner looking, more room to do engine work, easy access to things mounted in the try area, be one of the cool cats

Cons have to build a fresh air box to keep heater, have to delete heater

Anyone else think of some pros & cons i might have missed ?

[stick90]

^ ^ ^ not 100% true. You can still run a heat with a fabricated fresh air box.

Pro cleaner looking, more room to do engine work, easy access to things mounted in the try area, be one of the cool cats

Cons have to build a fresh air box to keep heater, have to delete heater

Anyone else think of some pros & cons i might have missed ?

I'm sure you can still run a heater, my car is my autox car. I cut everything off I could

[addictheadvw]

No heater delete allowed! I never use A/C so thats no big deal, but HEAT. Gots ta have the heat.

[owen__]

would like to know some pros and cons as well

[MicroCADDY]

No heater delete allowed! I never use A/C so thats no big deal, but HEAT. Gots ta have the heat.

All you need to do is make a box tin, aluminum, steel to place over your external heater unit in the rain tray. Run a 3" duct work / hose to any place outside of the engine bay.

[Minty_Fresh]

i love not only the look with out it but i love not having it in the way.

[rabbitnothopper]

agreed that heat is required even if only open valve for the defroster

only reason i have heat is for defrosting/defogging the windshield

that doesnt require fresh air...

the raintray itself isnt really required

the raintray is only there to separate engine fumes from cabin air

[BoostedOne]

Good handful of people already answered when I asked...

Since you are keeping the heat, the concern of fumes still holds valid..

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...n-Tray-Removal

[rabbitnothopper]

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...n-Tray-Removal

TL;DR no pics in thread

*bookmarked anyways

[Elvir2]

On my mk4 i had to actuallyl weld the edge back together once i cut the tray out. Im not sure what way the mk1 was built, i assume you dont just cut it out and youre done


Elvir

[MicroCADDY]

defrosting/defogging the windshield that doesn't require fresh air...

uummm you need air not coming from the engine bay unless you enjoy the high from carbon dioxide. So a fresh air box is needed no matter what if you delete the rain tray & still want to keep your heater for any reason.

NOW you can have heat & still delete the heater. They make aftermarket electric in cabin heater units that the street rodders use.

[tobiwonkonobi]

con-removing it looks tacky and its a cheap way out of cleaning up the bay when its time to paint

[crewsr]

Don't route fresh air from a wheel well either, brake dust is poisonous...

[addictheadvw]

Thanks for the replies. The links are perfect. I searched but didn't see the anti decap thread either lol.

So in short-

Pros- Access to clean and paint, some say style points.

Cons- Death by decapitation or engines fumes. Whichever gets you first.

Maybe I'll just get some skinny jeans and keep the rain tray.

It doesn't look too hard to remove, clean/paint and replace. Probably go that route.

[benjaminobscene]

It doesn't look too hard to remove, clean/paint and replace. Probably go that route.

You're not mistaking the plastic rain tray cover for the metal rain tray are you? Everyone that commented before was referencing the big piece of metal that you would be cutting out with a grinder and never replacing

[MicroCADDY]

You're not mistaking the plastic rain tray cover for the metal rain tray are you? Everyone that commented before was referencing the big piece of metal that you would be cutting out with a grinder and never replacing

X 2

[addictheadvw]

You're not mistaking the plastic rain tray cover for the metal rain tray are you? Everyone that commented before was referencing the big piece of metal that you would be cutting out with a grinder and never replacing

Really? Come on.

It's spot welded in like every panel on the car. No grinder needed.

[MK1_F00L]

One thing no one has mentioned is that the rain tray also gives strength to the strut towers to keep them from shifting from the force of the suspension. I would recommend to run a upper strut bar if you do remove it.

[stick90]

One thing no one has mentioned is that the rain tray also gives strength to the strut towers to keep them from shifting from the force of the suspension. I would recommend to run a upper strut bar if you do remove it.

Doubtful. That thing is pretty flimsy

[addictheadvw]

Doubtful. That thing is pretty flimsy

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe a little but nothing like a strut bar would provide. Probably helps reinforce the firewall if anything.

Some good points again,

I want to weigh the pro's and cons. Their is a alot to be said for access, and from the pics I have seen, it does clean up the engine bay considerably.

But no fumes allowed, I am getting to old for that ride. Maybe being decapitated will come in handy? Who knows.

BTW, this makes me want to abandon heat and shave the kitty...

[MK1_F00L]

That looks sweet, too bad a poor caddy had to give up its tailgate for the lettering in the rain tray.

Very nice detail though.

[MicroCADDY]

That looks sweet, too bad a poor caddy had to give up its tailgate for the lettering in the rain tray.

Very nice detail though.

Hopefully that lettering come of a trashed tailgate making this one WIN WIN

I deleted & shaved everything in my bay. relocated battery box in my rain tray / shelf
shaved the fire wall & a plate hides the rain tray shelf totally

[AZkid]

Im going to be honest, I didn't read every post, but what about the VIN# on the tray? Here in AZ they looked to make sure that vin matched the doorjam VIN#

[nairmac]

Im going to be honest, I didn't read every post, but what about the VIN# on the tray? Here in AZ they looked to make sure that vin matched the doorjam VIN#

The engine bay vin isn't usually where they match from- that's unusual. Usually just the dash and the door.

[wantacad]

The engine bay vin isn't usually where they match from- that's unusual. Usually just the dash and the door.

plus the rain tray VIN isn't a full VIN IIRC.

[aeffertz]

Both of my VIN's have been stamped on the strut tower.

I'm not a big fan of no tray but I think it'd look proper with a counter flow head with ITB's to kinda fill in that void.

[addictheadvw]

Hopefully that lettering come of a trashed tailgate making this one WIN WIN

I deleted & shaved everything in my bay. relocated battery box in my rain tray / shelf
shaved the fire wall & a plate hides the rain tray shelf totally

Oooh, thats what Im talking bout!

How bout clean pics of a non shaved rain tray?

I dont drive around with my hood off but damn, I might open it more often if I got to look at that!

[addictheadvw]

plus the rain tray VIN isn't a full VIN IIRC.

VIN shmin, who worries about that crap?

[crewsr]

VIN shmin, who worries about that crap?

Pretty sure you would worry about it if registering your car depended on it...

[addictheadvw]

Pretty sure you would worry about it if registering your car depended on it...

I was just joshing