Hi Tom.
Its sad when you have to let one go but can allow others to live.
I have two breakers that i have shipped parts all over the world to allow others to live on.
The car will still be usefull for spares.
Cheers Mark

15 months on, this car is still in existence (sort of), and I never updated the thread. Time to do just that

2007: was it still called the "Millennium Dome" then?
My first set of winter tyres - on 13" "redline / GLE" rims. Love 'em!



2008: roof rack off-roading:



picking up a leather interior from SteveP:



bikes bikes, more bikes:



waiting to cross the Rhine:



taking a tree to the dump:



... and more trees ...



a towbar! But fitting it revealed some serious rust ...





going out in style, the last few months of its useful life it has a factory bodykit fitted:




but the replacement GLT is getting ready to take over:




Time to call it a day. Stripping out the interior (never ever thought I'd do this):



revealing yet more serious rust:




I had to have one last dash through the hills with the "lightened" car, I have to say, it made no difference at all!



and the final stop, in July 2011 at 348598 kms, that's 216609 miles: on its original engine, gearbox, diff, clutch, wheel bearings:



beginning to get cannibalised for parts for the GLT, the radiator and the spot lamps have moved over:



a current pic, taken a year after I removed its number plates. The bodykit is still on the car, as is the air conditioning. The paint is going pink in the sun, and it hurts a bit to look at it



Tom

Cheers for the pics.

I might have a need for some bits. Not sure if I need them yet, but I was half eyeing up those fat door strips. I must haul this dizzler to the house. As soon as the Pug is NCT'd again, I'll get started on it.

Wow Tom, I never realised the rust was that serious. For it to be going around the fuel neck and all round the rear arches... I really think you made the right decision.

Please tell me you are rescuing the kit and AC though!

Ye! get the kit and ac on your glt, The glt looks great!

That fuel filler rust has been festering a long time now, I think I noticed it for the first time some time around 2002 when looking underneath the car, unfortunately I never did anything about it I just wish I'd invested in the full dinitrol treatment just after buying it - it would've saved money for patchwork welding in the long run, and the shell would probably still be OK today ...

The bodykit and the AC are definitely being saved - the AC is the only reason the car hasn't been cubed yet ... I want to save as much as reasonably possible from the car, all the B200F-specific bits for a start (exhaust manifold, downpipe, lambda, cat, ecu, AMM, Renix) as well as the 5-speed box and diff (the 4-speedness of the B19-engined DLS isn't that great on autobahns). Also, some panels are still good, like the bonnet, hatchback and the rear left door is fairly rust free too. Then there's the towbar, the nearly new bumpers, the six dial dash, recent shocks and springs, steering rack ...

Unfortunately, the guy who was going to help me with this has been letting me down - when I said "there's no rush, mate" I didn't mean 15 months So I'm going to have to tow the car away from there soon, probably taking it to Rainer's - the guy who did the welding work on my Mk1.

Cheers

Tom

A shame that the rust has bitten so bad. If you were able to do the welding yourself it would still be a big project.

Make sure you do take everything off. The low milage engine must be worth keeping, if you have somewhere to store it complete that would be the best way of keeping the parts together where you can find them. A scrapped car takes up a lot more space than a complete one!

classicswede wrote:A scrapped car takes up a lot more space than a complete one!

I think you've made a very valid point there Dai. Maybe it makes more sense to keep the car in one piece ...

Cheers

Tom

Hi Tom.
Love that body kit and how did i miss all that leather that stevep had
Must have been asleep after a dose of black soup
Cheers Mark.

Finally trailered the car away from the garage. It's amazing how much worse an already rusty car can get if you leave it out in the rain for a year and a half (moss, more rust). This weekend, we'll start parting it out, beginning with the A/C. Some pics:




First time I've trailered a car before - the thing was pretty heavy ...

Cheers

Tom

Aaaahhh.
It looks like its dying.

The car has to be put out of it's misery now, it's the kind thing to do

A/C is out, bodykit too, the exhaust from the downpipe on, most of the interior has been binned

Next to come out is the transaxle.

Cheers

Tom

... and off it goes to the great scrapyard in the sky. Many thanks again to Rainer, for all his help.

Engine still in ... I've got nowhere to put it unfortunately, but I've saved quite a few other bits
(including a torque tube, which should be in the UK by now )


Cut out some metal which might come in handy in future as repair panels:


More rust pix, anyone?





Anyway, goodbye "red GLi" (it never had a name) - best car I've ever owned!

Cheers

Tom

trabitom99 wrote:(including a torque tube, which should be in the UK by now )

Was great to meet you at last Tom