The swap begins.
Because we have a 100% complete 52k-mile donor car under the same roof as our Cabrio, we can expect a very straightforward swap. Though the convertible Mk3 Golf goes by its own name (Cabrio), don't be fooled into thinking it's anything but all Golf underneath, though of the 4-cylinder variety. Luckily, both 4 & 6-cylinder chassis are pretty much indentical. This means that a 6-cylinder driveline swaps into a 4-cylinder chassis with basically zero modifications. And even though our Cabrio came from the factory with puny 10" front rotors, drums in the rear, and 14" 4-lug wheels all around, the GTI's 11" front and 9.4" rear discs and 15" 5-lug wheels bolt right on.
The VR6 cars used a different and beefier transmission compared to their lesser counterparts. The 5-speed 02A trans is of the cable-shift variety whereas the Cabby's 020 trans came equipped with a rod-type linkage. Of course we'll be swapping into the Cabrio that 02A and the fact that VW built the Cabby with the firewall passage required by the 02A's slave-cylinder means that these components will also bolt in with no fuss. Do you get the feeling that VW might have at some point envisioned a production version Cabrio VR6?
The VR6 cars were also built with a different suspension than the 4-cylinder versions. This "Plus" suspension was designed to offer the VR6 cars a wider front track and geometry configured to mitigate torque steer (back in the early '90s the idea of a 6-cylinder front-wheel drive hatchback with over 170 lb-ft of torque was pretty radical!). The Ginster Yellow GTI VR6 will also give up its Plus suspension components to the Cabrio.
Other items to be swapped will be the GTI's instrument cluster and associated wire harness, turn and wiper stalks, and some other odds and ends. After all that, it'll be time to paint the exterior and install the new top.
We have no deadline for this project, as we're also working on several other projects concurrently with this one. Still, we, along with our anxious customer, expect this project to move along quite nicely over the upcoming weeks. Keep in mind that unlike for our more northern customers, fall and winter are truly convertible weather around these parts.
Because we have a 100% complete 52k-mile donor car under the same roof as our Cabrio, we can expect a very straightforward swap. Though the convertible Mk3 Golf goes by its own name (Cabrio), don't be fooled into thinking it's anything but all Golf underneath, though of the 4-cylinder variety. Luckily, both 4 & 6-cylinder chassis are pretty much indentical. This means that a 6-cylinder driveline swaps into a 4-cylinder chassis with basically zero modifications. And even though our Cabrio came from the factory with puny 10" front rotors, drums in the rear, and 14" 4-lug wheels all around, the GTI's 11" front and 9.4" rear discs and 15" 5-lug wheels bolt right on.
The VR6 cars used a different and beefier transmission compared to their lesser counterparts. The 5-speed 02A trans is of the cable-shift variety whereas the Cabby's 020 trans came equipped with a rod-type linkage. Of course we'll be swapping into the Cabrio that 02A and the fact that VW built the Cabby with the firewall passage required by the 02A's slave-cylinder means that these components will also bolt in with no fuss. Do you get the feeling that VW might have at some point envisioned a production version Cabrio VR6?
The VR6 cars were also built with a different suspension than the 4-cylinder versions. This "Plus" suspension was designed to offer the VR6 cars a wider front track and geometry configured to mitigate torque steer (back in the early '90s the idea of a 6-cylinder front-wheel drive hatchback with over 170 lb-ft of torque was pretty radical!). The Ginster Yellow GTI VR6 will also give up its Plus suspension components to the Cabrio.
Other items to be swapped will be the GTI's instrument cluster and associated wire harness, turn and wiper stalks, and some other odds and ends. After all that, it'll be time to paint the exterior and install the new top.
We have no deadline for this project, as we're also working on several other projects concurrently with this one. Still, we, along with our anxious customer, expect this project to move along quite nicely over the upcoming weeks. Keep in mind that unlike for our more northern customers, fall and winter are truly convertible weather around these parts.
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