The Bandit

[Mr Funk]

The Bandit:

Purchased at the end of last year this effectively replaced my old Gt2 that I'd owned for 6 years. I'd gone as far as I could with it then sold it, a decision that I may have regretted looking back on it. In it place I got a caddy which very nearly made me give up on the whole modifying of cars thing. Every time I opened the garage I hoped I'd see another Scirocco.
So in November last year I started looking at all the options. I knew I had some money coming to em and I'd ring fenced a portion towards a toy. At that point I was torn between getting the caddy sorted, spunk the entire budget on a Leon Cupra or get another Scirocco.
Eventually I opted for the Rocco, something I can honestly say was the best decision I reckon. With that I set to work....

[Mr Funk]

October 26th.

A lot of people have already pointed out the similarities between the old Beast and the new Roc (which Groove has already nicknamed The Bandit).
"Oh" They say. "Why are you doing the same thing again? Why not do something different?"
Well, there's a good reason for this.
No matter how I look at it I sold the car when the time was right. After nearly 7 years I'd reached as far as I could feasibly go without ripping more parts out and starting again. I needed something to divert my attention.
Which the truck did well. It diverted attention and cash.
Looking back I still wouldn't say the truck was a bad choice. The wrong choice quite possibly but you have to be philosophical on these kinds of things and get up, brush yourself down and carry on. I think I knew from fairly early on that there was little chance of me actually finishing but the need to play with something caused me to keep pushing on until finally, and I remember it really clearly, I'd had another beer with the welder, came in and thought "F**k this." Working on it had taught me an awful lot on bodywork, electrics and other stuff that'll come in handy so it wasn't a total loss and it was all paid for with money I'd saved so it wasn't like we weren't eating or giving the cat wine.
I'd still been a fairly regular member of the Scirocco Register (still one of the friendliest forums you are ever likely to go on) and every time I'd looked in the garage I wanted another Rocco. I could have gone for a Mk1 golf as they're still my favourite car of all time but I realised that I just wouldn't be able to put the time and effort in to get a well priced car back into show condition.
So a roc it was, and specifically a black one.
Why Black? No idea. But I think they look pretty aggressive to begin with so anything I did to it would only improve the looks.
A couple of quiet Pm's turned up a few candidates, I still wasn't tellign people that I was on the lookout as I was well aware of people would say until, almost by accident, I came across the car that I'd eventually buy.
She isn't perfect.... yet. Only half the Mfa works, the factory fit tilt and slide needs adjusting, there's a leak in the rear somewhere and there are some small aprking dents that need pulling but other than that it's a top project. It already has the injection lump so when we come to rebuild it (I still have the reworked engine from the truck) we won't have to mess about with injection conversions and other gubbins. An she needs a bloody good clean.
But it's all simple (ish) stuff. Stuff I can do on a sunday morning with a hangover after misreading the autocue on a saturday night.
And yes, I'm well aware that'll it'll look suspiciously like the old one once I'm finished. And why the hell not? I built that one exactly as I wanted and it properly stood out from the crowd, and by the time the show season comes round having it in your rear view will make you think it wants to screw your wife and eat your dog.
Think of the old one as a blueprint. or a greenprint depending on your take on things. A jump off point for what the Bandit will ultimately become.

Now, where did I put that toffee wheel.....

[Mr Funk]

November 8th.

Today ha really been the first day I could get out and start playing properly but the weather has been a bit cack so I didn't get as much done as I'd have liked.
8am this mornign the interior came out, I wa surprised at just how good a condition it was in. Unfortunately the bolt that held the winder on got stuck and had to be drilled so I'll be looking for another mech unit unless I can find a good leccy window kit as the new leather is from a storm which had it as standard.
Next up was polishing a few parts. Unfortunately last week I prssed a little heavily with the toffee wheel and some of the laquer came off. The paint work is still fine but I polished up the area to keep the water out for the time being. Depending on what happens with the rest of the vinyl it may all need spraying.
Then this afternoon I whipped the side strips off. ten minute job with a heat gun and some careful pulling (something I am dead good at) Found some tiny surface rust on the drivers wing (pictured) but it's nothing to worry about and will get done when the boot is smoothed.
If the weather isn't arse tomorrow I'll bin the fog lamp, get rid of the rest of the goo from the side strips and get on with the toffee wheeling.

[Mr Funk]

So today I attacked the side strips and the vinyls.
It's not as easy as it first looks as I found to my cost a couple of days ago when I went hell for leather with the toffee wheel and took off the top part of the lacquer on one of the pillars so I was understandably quite nervous.
Started on somewhere fairly small, the back of the drivers door next to the pillar I'd messed up and it worked a treat. used it gently and the paintwork came up incredibly smoothly so I was pretty chuffed. Still not sure if I trust it on the glue problem on the side strips but it's worth a squirt and it'll save both my sanity and my nails.
The worst thing about those bloody side stripes is the fact that I always chose to do the in cack weather. Today was changable, and by that I mean it changed from being heavy rain and squaly winds to just the winds. So imagine the joy I felt at burning my flesh with a heat gun, scratching off the glue with a thumb nail then coating the blisters/cracked skin in various chemicals designed to get rid of the glue.
Still, it worked.

[Mr Funk]

November 24th

So this weekend I actually put some time away, got up hilariously early for a wekend and got some more work done. Wednesday the new bodywork guy came round (proper garage and much closer than Graham) and priced up everything I need, came to an excellent arrangement and now on the lookout for a few bits I need.
Spent part of saturday rewiring stuff. This is partly because I'm losing the rear wipe and I needed to change the Mfa but also because the alarm was choppy at best. Just how choppy was demonstarted when I armed it, opened the door, got in the car and started waving my arms about. It is less than fantastic.
Also removed a lot of water from one of the rear lights and traced the leak in the boot and bodged the toffee wheel back together enough to get some more of the goo out.
Plans wise Si it's going back on Borbets.
So here's a few pics from where I had to move it this evening:

As you can plainly see I have removed some useless parts and put on this very rare and complicated go faster orange vinyl not only looks the part but also makes the car go faster.



This is currently my very expensive and form fitting bucket seat. It'll be up for sale soon.

[Mr Funk]

It all went a bit quiet over Christmas and I spent my time sourcing parts but mostly getting (thieving) ideas and discussing them with my body shop guy.

January 16th.

Update:
Went tot he garage today to see how work was progressing. Only this to report:

A couple of people have pm'd regarding prices and whatnot and I now have Gareth's contact details if anyone wants them.
I know what some people are thinking (and posting) and yeah, it is a lot to spend on outlay on what is a 20 year old car. But frankly I reckon it's worth it. It'd be easy to have it as standard and keep it as "god intended". I know I'll never ever get what I invest back but by Odin pointy beard it'll look better getting there

*As an update to this the Jag you can see finally left the bodyshop in March this year. It was an absolute monster and better pics can be found on my Vagingit build thread. It was a pure track day beast and was sporting a v12 nitros engine!

[Mr Funk]

January 24th





February 1st


Well, did my weekly trip to the workshop with Groove this morning and come back a bit glum for no real reason.
It's looking like the car won't be ready until late late february and while this really isnt the biggest problem in the world I'm getting itchy feet and desperately want to play! I've got the insurance company just waiting to start the policy and the alarm fitter standing by to fit the central locking and cat 1 system. The work really is top notch and it's gettign the best part of a complete respray.
had hoped to spend a whle weekend mid Feb at Blind Mo's Toy Shop putting all the shiny bits on but that's been delayed.
If I'm honest I don't mind, it means I have another month to save and buy a few more bits, I'm currently debating whether to go mental and fit a Wilwood 4 pot kit or stick with the master cylinder/servo/280mm upgrade I've been sorting. That and the stereo equipment!
Ah well, they start the door handles next saturday, that'll be fun.

[Mr Funk]

February 7th



What you can't see in the pic is just what a massive curve the door has. That was bad enough but there's no strengthening in the doors of Sciroccos unlike modern cars so if you're not very careful the heat can warp everything*




*It was actually this main point that made Gareth (the body guy) to tell me he'd probably never attempt something like it again. The end result is undoubtedly fantastic (see later on) but it was horrendously user intensive. Luckily for me we'd already agreed a price and I'd paid up front.

[Mr Funk]

February 14th

Moomin and I went foraging for bees early this morning and visited the garage while we were there.
Went down to the workshop again today and came back like a grinning child.
Apparently the bonnet was a bit pitted and the doors were starting to scab under the paint so on first inspection it looked fine but within a year or two the hardwork would have been ruined. Everything has now been stripped back, fixed properly and is being readied up for primer during the next week. To say I'm excited just doesn't cover it.
What really blew me away was this:

This'll look totally original by the time they're finished.



*It was also around this time that I was looking at the controversial X1 kit. Ultimately I decided against it as it was just too aggresive and while I wanted a good hard look I needed an element of subtley. I did, however, seriously consider something beautiful by Reiger.
It was also around this point that Moomin (adam) got involved. He was the guy that took the caddy and also happens to be head of department at a local college and specialises in what used to be CDT. The end result is a custom dash board and stereo build.

[Mr Funk]

So now we fast forward a bit to this week. April 2nd.

So anyway, it's been a while.
Nearly four months as it goes and, all being well, I get the Bandit back Good Friday. Normally at this point I'd post a load of the photos i've been taking but I reckon I might save them until the car is fully finished.
Have been down a few times and it's looking fantastic. Everything major is back on and the alarm and boot pop have both been plumbed in and work superbly with the boot now on the alarm fob rather than a button hidden somewhere. This also brought up quite a fundamental issue that's now happily been rectified.
We've had to hide an override. Due to the car not having any locks we thought it wise to fit something that allowed me to get into the car in the event of me doing something stupid (which I inevitably do)
So to wet the appetite here's a picture of me at work:



And while I'm at it here's a pic of none other than Barack Obama endorsing my work:

[Mr Funk]

So tpday it finally left the spray shop and I can honestly say that the four months it's been there haven't been wasted.
But before we get to the petrol porn here's the blurb:

days like today are always hit and miss. I was incredibly fired up this morning and even more so when I pick the bandit up as it looks, frankly, stunning. Gareth the spray guy has done an amazing job and it' been well worth the wait. But once we got it to the other end the problems started to occur.
Nothing big, but I think I was so excited I completely forgot that I wouldn't have everything finished today.

We delivered it down to His Mojesty's and set straight to work (after a brew)

First to go on where the new smoked indicators. Now I know that these have be custom done over in italy but, to be honest, the build quality isn't amazing at all. They do the job but for the money I'd expect the whole finish to be near perfect and these simply aren't. After fiddling around they fit OK but it's the little things that really bug me. The rubber that surrounds them isn't the same width, meaning I've had to remove it completely and effectively re do it, the mould is pretty ropey and there's flash all done one side.

Still, they do the job and the amount of miles I cover every year I doubt it'll really matter.


next on the list where those mental brakes and another problem. The Wilwoods are simply gargantuan. So ig in fact that I'm going to need pretty massive spacers to be able to fit the borbets. Either that or I look at different wheels with a bigger offset.

While these were being fitted I wire wheeled the uprated servo and primered it ready for a spray on Monday.

Oh yeah, then we had to remove them.
Why? I hear you ask. Do they rub?
No, not at all at the moment. But like the bellend I am I forgot to pick up the brake pads.

A couple of hours and a Macdonalds later the suspension was on and it was piccy time. Now bear in mind that the suspension has't been set up yet and the camera I was using was terrible:





So now I home and showered. it's been a long and superb day despite the problems. But to be quite honest the best part of it where these two gimps:


His Mojesty and the Dr Ranthadimus Moomin.
They put up with my insesent idiocy and smiled and nodded in all the right places. Top work fellas, see you monday

[Mr Funk]

So now I have an engine.

[Mr Funk]

So thanks to a cancellation I managed to get down and get a load more done.
The car is now (mostly) road legal. all it needs are wing mirrors and the numer plates putting on! Whoop!

[Mr Funk]

Jesus Christ......

Just taken the bandit out for it's first proper run. But first.....

Sunday: Groo. Really wanted to make it but time was definitely against me. The Borbets are still shady to say the least and added to the fact that I had no wing mirrors and had only just applied for online tax I didn't really want to risk it.

The Engine: By God it's swift for a clunky old 8 valve. I know what you're thinking but bear in mind I drive a diesel work horse all week and, as anyone that's been in a car with me will tell you, I drive like an old lady. I like the feeling of speed but I'm honestly thinking that perhaps the 8 valve is enough for me. Uprate the cam, get a nice manifold etc and I reckon I'll be done, easy to maintain and without the fun of petrol pissing out the back. Which kinda makes the 16valve on trumpets kinda redundant. Also need to change the engine fan. it rattles like a pill ridden pensioner.
The Brakes: Come worship at the altar of Wilwood. Not only do they look superb but the difference is massive. Although I really need to swap the master cylinder/servo as the one that's on there just isn't doing the four pots any justice. The rears need totally redoing.
The Wheels: I'm still not sure. the Borbets are superb but I can't help thinking there may be something nicer out there. Suggestions on a postycard please. Oh, and the lesson for today is that if you plan to lower your rocco 80mm then it's probably a good idea to roll the front arches as well as they are almost guaranteed to rub.... Unless you raise the suspension. And that ain't going to happen anytime soon.
The Dash: The speedo works as do the rev counter, petrol indicator (I had originally thought this was buggered until I realised that I hadn't got any fuel), water temp and, bizarrely, the mfa. But not the mile counter. Best I sort that. Also had to change the momo steering wheel back to the original. It's fine driving round using a leather bound button to steer but I think I need something bigger. Also the indicators are flakey to say the least. Most of the time they work fine but sometimes they just buzz until I jiggle the steering wheel. Dirty connections?
It still has a rear view mirror. I've owned it for six months and it's still attached. This has to be a record.

Dear God it's a good car. Even in the state it's in I felt fine pulling up next to more expensive cars and still felt better getting there. And it turns heads.

jackpot.

[Mr Funk]

What an uppy/downy weekend.
I finally picked the Borbets up from lepsons in Gillingham (£65 per wheel and CANNOT be beaten. Quality is superb) and was frankly astonished at the quality of the work they did. The main rim is a gorgeous shadow chrome whilst the back and the bolt holes are plain black which really makes everything stand out just that little bit more. Unfortunately in my haste I made a school boy error trying to put the tyres on the rears which has ultimately resorted to a dictionary of profanities and one of the wheels going back for a touch up so I couldn;t get any [pics of them fitted but rest assured they'll follow next weekend. With the fronts fitted the front end is pretty much sorted. Next week I'll raise it a little, fit the lower front brace, change the indcators back to the originals (still not happy with the fit) and try and sort the bloody turning signals. The hazards work a treat but the turning lights just buzz at me, got a feel the stalk is ballsed. Hoepfully I'll also get a little more tof the interior sorted but, to be honest, that won;t be finished until way into the winter.
Then there's the engine and exhaust.......
It's going to be a long year.

Brakes are superb (reminds me, must do the servo and master cylinder). Really glad I got the black ones rather than a garish colour, makes the car a bit subtle. Repeaters need changing as well. Oh, and it needs raising. Never thought I'd say that.

Finished front end. STill not happy with the fit of the indicators but it's spot on.

Money shot. Incidently the door isn't open to show off the handles but becuase it's still got the tatty old lenos on the rear until the big Borbets come back. Oh, just thought. Need centre caps.