Silver anniversary for my silver Scala!

[wreckgar]

Hi all, according to the DVLA my Scala will be 25 on October 18th 2016, if you go by registration dates. Because of this, I have decided to make it my new years resolution to make it as nice as possible, as it needs some TLC :) below are the things I would like to sort by then - I will update this list with progress/photos as and when I get bits done! First, since I have had the car it has had the following parts replaced:

Blower motor - the bearing had worn through on the old one and it didn't do a lot apart from make noise
Fuel pump
Gear linkage
new (reconditioned) gearbox

These are some pics before I made any changes - it is already a fairly clean car with a decent interior and mostly rust-free bodywork (although I'm scared to look under the bodykit)




Things I want to do
1) get rid of the BBS replicas and replace with stock wheels - DONE
2) Fix or replace the broken wing mirror - DONE
3) replace the rear light clusters, because someone added blue NIPPLES to them?? - DONE
4) Replace the non-VW rear view mirror with a factory one
5) Fix the rust around the door handles
6) get a new fuel tank/filler neck or repair the existing one which leaks and stinks
7) fix the water ingress in the boot
8) replace the rubber seals on passenger and driver side windows
9) remove and replace the vinyl on the B-Pillars, plus get new Scala badges
10) restore the badges which have gone black, repaint them silver
11) remove the multiple scratches on the roof, which my DIMWIT friend added when he slid a boxed microwave from the roof (last time I help him move)
12) either have a full respray or a blow-over done in the original colour

[wreckgar]

So 3 bits done so far - firstly I had a look at the mirror and really the black surround was the problem, save for a small crack in the colour-coded part of the mirror. I sourced an old mirror from a red GT and removed the surround. I had to do this carefully so I didn't damage it, but once the first bit of glue gave way the rest came away quite easily.

Then I bought some replacement rear light clusters - they are not tinted like the Scala ones should be, but I hate the look to be honest and will keep them as they are, I can always mask and paint them later if I need to.Unfortunately the replacement clusters had sustained damage in transit and there was a hole in one of the reversing lenses, plus some bits missing from the edges of the indicator on one side. Luckily, the little pieces were in the packaging still so I pain-stakingly glued them all back in, you wouldn't know now that there was ever an issue with them.


Bye bye nipples

Next I dealt with the wheels - I got a set of scrap 'snowflake' alloys off eBay for about £90, and then spent a further £250 having them de-buckled and restored. I think the result is fantastic, and it really helps bring the car back to the stock look. I liked the mean stance the fake BBS wheels helped to create, but the handling, ride comfort and road noise have all been improved massively by putting stock wheels back on. there are some progress pics below.


Before




After - excuse the blurriness of that last one

More to come in the new year :)

[mark1gls]

Sounds like you have a plan and the with the "bit between your teeth" made a good start.
I much prefer the Avus (snowflake) wheels they look well worth the money.
Keep us updated on progress.

[connorj19]

I was liking the poke of the old wheels, perhaps because I've just bought some bbs reps