[flat4fanatic]

So this is the latest project I've been working on for the last few months. It's a modified 1303 and was a mates abandoned project. Was going to be a german look with all the Porsche bits and a big engine but it never worked out
Unfortunately there wasn't the budget for any of the Porsche brakes or wheels so I bought the shell and chassis off him.

It has had a lot of welding done in a previous life - complete front quarters, plus the usual channels, bumper mounts, inner wings, valances.
Most of this was done very well, but there were some areas I wasn't happy with, some paint issues and I wasn't a fan of the colour so decided to finish it off and respray it.

Mods-wise it's had:
petrol flap welded up - looks fine from outside but the internals were left, so that has to come out and 've bought a race style one to replace it with.
Single wiper hole
Bonnet handle removed and what seems to be a well thought-out mechanism on the reverse
C post vents welded up & the one in scuttle
Interior has been smoothed for a small headliner a-la base model bug.
Front gearbox mount area cut out for 5 speed Porsche gearbox

Body jobs to do:
Tidy welding on inner wings
Reinstate twin wipers
Weld up the internal vent holes either side of the rear window.
Sort some door gaps on one side and a seized hinge on the other
Various small dents and sanding marks
Weld a new front gearbox mount on the chassis
Remove filler neck internals and fit race style one either recessed or flush to the body

Overall look - not 100% sure yet - either Porsche red or yellow with black bumpers etc, leather seats, black headliner etc, 03 dash with a bit of carbon fibre and jury is out on the wheels. Engine - am collecting the bits for a 1776.

Lots of bits missing where the Porsche stuff had been sold previously. Managed to get some IRS off Pat on here and hopefully the rest from my hoarding collection

IMG_1993 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_1996 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_1997 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_1995 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2001 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

First up inner wings - welding seemed good, just not the neatest, so a session with the grinder/belt sander and some stonechip and they looked a lot better.

IMG_2053 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2054 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

Next the trim clamping strip was removed front and back - going to use the mexi clip on ones

IMG_2002 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

Decided to follow the smooth theme under the bonnet and removed all the tabs for the wires, the washer bottle brackets etc and weld up the holes for the wires in the inner wings (wiring will be hidden).

Blanked the door mirrors for some aftermarket ones
IMG_2037 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

 

[flat4fanatic]

Not a fan of single wipers and there was no wiper mech with it (but have a few 03 ones in the shed) so dug out the old wiper spindle holes - first one came out fine, second one broke at the welds as soon as it was touched, taking some surrounding metal with it, so cut one off a scrap scuttle I had and let that in.

IMG_2055 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2106 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

Rear vents, pop out holes etc were next

IMG_2056 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2172 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

Filler neck - decided to go for race filler style, similar to on my 02. After some debate and the arse-ache it would give trying to make a very curvy feed pipe to the tank (plus the mrs prefers this) went for a recessed flap.

IMG_1998 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_1999 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2182 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

20160828_180956 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2215 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2216 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

 

[flat4fanatic]

Seats - picked up a set of mk3 leathers locally. These are a bit more involved than the mk1 ones - needed to shorten the front mount, add the rear leg runners (no runners on pan) and chop the rear legs of the seats. I took the rears apart and after a lot of headscratching decided it would be far too much work to get them to fit, (4 separate bits) plus the curve would always be wrong in the front corners, so modified a mk2 gti rear bench which has a better shape. Same as mk1 to fit - you only need to chop top corners an inch or so each side and make some supports. So going with that and will get retrimmed to match the fronts.

Untitled by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

Still to do before paint - trim the bonnet mech as it catches the front valance and sort both hinges on d/s door (one seized, 1 worn)

 

[xenon]

i have some lowered front strut near new 3 bolt cheap and i have a 72 1303 scrap if need any bitz come have a look only cov ?

 

[gojira]

nice. looks similar to what i'm doing to my 1302, removing everything i don't need to be there.

Rear vents, pop out holes etc were next

IMG_2056 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

IMG_2172 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

what did you do with the retaining claws for the headliner on the C pillars? just cut them off and smooth it all over with filler? or fill in the cut off bits with weld?

 

[72_Square]

Looking good. Might get around to mine one day

 

[flat4fanatic]

what did you do with the retaining claws for the headliner on the C pillars? just cut them off and smooth it all over with filler? or fill in the cut off bits with weld?

They were already removed when I got it, sorry.

 

[flat4fanatic]

Looking good. Might get around to mine one day

How's it going, not seen any pics of it for a while?

 

[al_kaholik]

Looks like a smart base car. Looking forward to prrgress

 

[72_Square]

How's it going, not seen any pics of it for a while?

*List of excuses ready*

1) Doing the house up at present. The garage extension/refurb turned into the whole outside of the house. Been replacing windows, chopping off render, doing the gutters/fascias and now trying to re-render it before the weather turns.

2) Bought a LT28 Sven Hedin camper. Not done anything with that yet, but it will barge its large arse way to the front of the queue because I want to use it next year

Despite having purchased a scooby turbo engine, gearbox and various Porsche bolt on goodies, I'm now swaying towards a stockish 1303. The more time I have thinking about what I'm doing with it, the worse it gets! Should just get on with it :incheek:

Nice to see you making progress

 

[wrxJim]

Some nice work going on here, looks good.

Go with the Porsche parts and the Scooby turbo, it will be a weapon once your finished.

Check out my 02 build if you want some inspiration.

 

[flat4fanatic]

Still waiting for slot in paint booth.Hopefully the insurance job is finished in the next couple of weeks. bit of progress though. Wheels have been banded.

image by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

 

[psimitar]

Nice colour for an 03.

Personally I'd go a bare alloy filler and have had a 45 degree section TIG'd to the inside. Straight run at the tank plus smooth flush fit to the front qtr But ya know, each to their own n all that

I also hope that drivers rear inner arch is solid cos the panel that's been welded in looks a bit wonky and the welding don't look brilliant but hey, that's from a photo

Did you say if you were going to fit Porsche parts or keep it VW stuff? I do like Porsche brakes/suspension and Subie power in the back

 

[flat4fanatic]

It's a good idea, but there's no budget to pay anyone on this and can't TIG myself. Yeah, had exactly the same thoughts about the rear arches. Bare-metalled them inside and out and it was just 'shipyard' welding - ugly but sound. Have tidied them up a lot though (hate seeing 'visible' welding). It'll be all vw for this, no £ for porsche/scooby bits.

 

[flat4fanatic]

Been a while since I updated this.
It's down at my mates. He's fitting it in around his other jobs so am in no rush. Bug is currently prepped, ready for sanding for top coat.
He sprayed wings in porsche guards red and tornado red (mk2 gti), decided to go for tornado.

16864483_10210598939997055_8321657186906524195_n by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

16992211_10210651710276279_7529271603918953861_o by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

17218447_10210799446529593_8124209679321191014_o by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

17359058_10210799446569594_3859055703881239740_o by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

17546832_10210893712406181_7689832495503637196_o by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

Carried on the smoothing under the bonnet so all wiring will be hidden

17620458_10210893711766165_559800809749484985_o by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

17620528_10210893710686138_5063968459417018220_o by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

 

[al_kaholik]

Smart colour choice :bandit:

 

[Zebedee]

Its gonna look good in that colour.

 

[TommyK]

Nice.

 

[skip*rat]

Very nice painted my first 03 indischrot
Very envious of booth !

 

[flat4fanatic]

We have paint

03p1 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

03p2 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

03p3 by flat4fanatic, on Flickr

DAing the chassis for the next couple of nights, hopefully my mate will be able to paint it before he goes on hols then I can start reassembly