Scirocco Register

What a great day … the sun’s been shining and for the first time I’ve been able to work on Poppy in my own workshop!

Truly a great day and I had to laugh when I first arrived and switched on the radio only to hear the “Top Gear” theme tune blasting out courtesy of Radio 2!

So, motivated by The Allman Brothers Band, I started off by removing the white bonnet again. I’d only fixed it in place yesterday as it seemed the easiest way of getting it transported up to the workshop. It’ll stay off now until the engine comes out and she goes for blasting.



Next I unpacked everything that I’d crammed inside of her prior to her being put on the trailer yesterday. The MkII Scirocco sure does make a fine van!

The rear lights were also taken out again …



While working around the rear hatch I noticed that at least one of the number plate light units will need replacing … I think it was held in place with chewing gum!



Other little jobs done today included removing the rear spoiler, badges, wiper arm and lock so the back end is looking a little less cluttered …



I finished the afternoon by attempting to remove the rear window wiper motor, but that’s where I came unstuck as I just can’t figure out what to do about the wiring?

I pulled the plastic connector you can see in the photo below through the aperture so I could split it in two …



Then I pulled the half nearest the motor along to where the other end exits the tailgate frame and goes down into the motor unit itself. However, as you can see the plastic connector is never going to go through that tiny little hole!



So now I have the motor unit hanging off the inside of the tailgate …



Any advice on what I should do next greatly appreciated. Not sure if I need to cut the wires or what?

You can pull the wires out of the plastic block, they come out quite easily (at least mine did), then reconnect them once the unit is out with reference to the other end of the block to make sure the wires are in the right order.

the edmundator wrote:You can pull the wires out of the plastic block, they come out quite easily ...

Cheers!

I knew it was okay to separate the plastic block in half like I did, but I didn't realise the wires would just pull out the remaining half to let me get through the little hole you see in the photo. I was scared to just yank them out or cut them in case I was doing the wrong thing.

Excellent work Paul!!

Cpt Custom wrote:

the edmundator wrote:You can pull the wires out of the plastic block, they come out quite easily ...

Cheers!

I knew it was okay to separate the plastic block in half like I did, but I didn't realise the wires would just pull out the remaining half to let me get through the little hole you see in the photo. I was scared to just yank them out or cut them in case I was doing the wrong thing.

From memory there are little tabs that you need to push in before you can withdraw the pins.

Funky Diver wrote:Excellent work Paul!!

Thanks for the encouragement Rich. I really need it especially today as I only managed a couple of hours up there this afternoon and nothing seemed to go right.

If it wasn’t me being thick and not able to follow Mr Haynes simple ‘destructions’ it was things breaking or not coming apart like they ought to.

I began by trying to pull those wires out of the plastic connector, which I mentioned in my last couple of posts. They came out, but not like they should do …



As you can see only one came out with the end piece intact and the other two just broke off so I’ll need to figure a way of fixing them or source a replacement unit.

And my attempts at taking the remaining trim/seals on the doors plus removing the glass didn’t bear fruit either. When I pulled out the seal that runs along the bottom edge of the window aperture it brought one of these little clips with it …



I couldn’t get the window guide rail out either as I don’t have the right tools for removing the socket head bolt that’s located half way up.

I think before I go any further and definitely before I start on the other door I’m going to post something in the Bodywork, Trim & Paint section to see if anyone can offer advice on how best to tackle this part of the restoration. Otherwise I can see me having to replace everything!

Hay ho; nobody said it would be easy!

DT1 wrote:From memory there are little tabs that you need to push in before you can withdraw the pins.

Hi Colin. Just spotted your comments ... I'll know next time!

I have removed two doors off the car and was taking some pics of them as the weather was good and only remember seeing three bolts.

The bottom two come off with a 10mm socket.
The middle at the front is a socket -head bolt.
The top at the front is a screwdriver.
Can't remember what the connection at the back top is,
I'll have a look tomorrow.
Good Luck.

I'm sure there is an allen headed bolt in the guide rail about half way down, think it's a 6mm and it's a pita to get out, even with extra long allen keys and the sort that go on sockets.

Tim_R wrote:I'm sure there is an allen headed bolt in the guide rail about half way down, think it's a 6mm and it's a pita to get out, even with extra long allen keys and the sort that go on sockets.

What an awful little job that is!

A pretty good weekend by all accounts. On Saturday I travelled across to Preston to meet Colin aka DT1 at Junction 31 on the M6. He’d kindly agreed, while he was in the Stoke area, to pick up a replacement dash I’d bought from jimmyconway and which was stripped out of his old Scala by markh.

Thanks to their combined efforts and assistance I now have a crack free dash for when Poppy finally gets reassembled. The one that came out of her only has minor cracks around the air vents that are located along the front top edge. However, this one has no cracks at all.

It does unfortunately have a bust lock, something Colin informs me is, like the cracking, a fairly common occurrence. He suggested a neat fix using some wire, but I might be able to swap the glove box door for the one that was in Poppy before … I think it was okay, but I’ll need to check.

Then yesterday, I was considering going along to a HDVWC meeting, but decided in the end that my time would be better spent up at the workshop catching up on things. And on the whole I think I made the right decision as it was a productive afternoon, even though everything didn’t go quite as I’d hoped.

I started off where I’d finished last time, if that makes sense, by carrying on stripping out the passenger door. Then I started on the driver’s door. Everything went okay, but getting the socket head bolt out of the front guide rail has surely got to be one of the most awkward little jobs I’ve encountered so far!

Anyway, it came out easier than the other side and so then I could get the glass out, followed by the quarter glass and then the wing mirrors. Then I took the doors off. Straightforward enough on the passenger side as the pin on the check strap simply popped out with a couple of taps. However, the one on the driver’s door really didn’t want to come out and took a lot of force to break it free. In the end the two pieces of metal that the strap slides between may have gotten slightly twisted so a little concerned as I’m not sure if these can be removed and replaced?

Next job on the list was to get the rear side windows out. Here I followed advice, taking the tried and trusted method of loosening the seals all the way around before lying inside the car and pushing the glass outwards using my feet.

I’ve got to say I really wasn’t sure about this approach as it means you need a ‘glamorous assistant’ waiting on the other side to catch the glass as it breaks free. In this case that role was filled by my wife and I was quite concerned at one point as it seemed to be taking so much pressure to even get it moving. I was sure that when it did go it would happen so quickly that I’d not be able to stop my legs shooting through the gap and had visions off the glass shattering as it went flying towards my wife. Anyway, eventually it started to break free and she was able to catch it in one piece.

Thankfully, the other side came out intact too. So there you go, it does work!

With all the side glass out I then unpicked the headlining where it was stuck around the window apertures to reveal the wire structure in the roof space that holds the whole thing in place. Basically, for those that haven’t done this before there are little fabric ‘tunnels’ on the topside of the headlining through which these metal wires/rods run. The tension on the rods is maintained by means of small metal clips that are inserted into the side of the roof.

Now I’m guessing you could pop the rods out from behind the clips like I started to do with the one in the photo below, but I eventually chose to remove the clips thus releasing the rods.



At the back of the roof the fabric is caught on a row of little metal ‘hooks that are positioned along the edge of the hatch area …



Then I discovered my mistake … I should have postponed removing the headlining until the windscreen was out. By not doing that it meant I was wrestling with it hanging down whilst trying to remove the front screen, but more of that in a moment.

The headlining came out pretty much intact. There’s some damage where it came down into the corner of the tailgate, but that was already there. It could be reused, but given the time and effort going into the project overall I reckon she deserves new, but I imagine this will serve as a useful template.



Right then, the front windscreen … it’s out, but it cracked!



I was gutted when it happened, but can’t say it was unexpected as I know many people have had the same problem. I did as people had suggested, loosened all the seals and then began inserting screwdrivers along the top edge to gently begin prising it out. However, there were conflicting theories on where to start and I ended up putting the first screwdriver into place in the corner. As soon as I did this it cracked so I’d really recommend anyone else doing this job to start in the middle and work their way out towards the corners.



I decided to leave taking the hatch out for another day as the prospect of breaking two screens in one afternoon was too much to bear!

So here’s how she sits at the moment now with the bonnet, doors, wings and glass all removed …



And, finally, a shot of the inside now that the headlining and the foam that lies behind it has been removed …

Is she going back to bare shell then Paul?

As on completely shell... or are you leaving the running gear in?

Funky Diver wrote:Is she going back to bare shell then Paul?

As on completely shell... or are you leaving the running gear in?

Not quite, though when I was thinking of having her dipped that was the plan.

Having said that as I intend to replace the OE suspension with coilovers, powdercoat the rear beam, replace/refurbish the fuel tank, upgrade the brakes all round, and (with the help of my 'friends in the North') take out the engine for it to be rebuilt/upgraded etc it won't be far off it!

Aaahh, she really does look sorry for herself. Looking forward to see this poppy bloom.

considering you never did any mechnical work before this mate going a great job, looking forward to sseeing it go back together :)