[BonusParts]

Doris - Cabrio VR6 Turbo

Just posting up my Cabrio. Got lucky and found it out in western colorado. Garage kept, no rust, OG top etc.

a timeline in few words, and some photos.

Here's day one in the driveway:






While in CO, it got all its maintenance completed, including coilovers and new shoes. Ecodes, smoked fogs etc.











Fast forward thru a divorce, and we're back to PA again....

First is first, shortly after arriving back home in PA, i flipped my GLX (had 65k at the time) (we will touch on this later)

and here's where the cabrio photos begin:

First state inspection and emission ^^

Then.... we went and broke down my wrecked GLX Doris, and set the engine and trans aside for later...

Then i spent a a bit of time cruising the cabrio around, enjoying efficiency of the 2.0, pups loves it

Went to a car meet one night, decided it was time to start the engine swap process....
(this encompassed bout a week after work)

Then fast forward to the friday before Cult Classic. the motor went in, with the help of my buddy Aaron and some brews on that friday night.

Then saturday was spent final details prior to Cult Classic

And sunday - to coopersburg!

and since then its just been enjoying 25+ average MPG from the VR6, now around 68k miles.

And then came winter, and she currently resides in a nice clean garage, not getting flat spots!

Can't wait to get her down off stands, and enjoy another summer with the cleanest MK3 I've ever owned, a bit ahead of the late Doris that graciously donated its heart.

Hopefully over spring and summer I'll find some extra money and time that doesnt need to go into my home, and get some more fun bits for the cabby!
Sitting for it presently I have UM630cc ProMaf File and MAF, 9.0:1 headspacer, and some other bits leaning me the FI direction.

Sorry in advance if my photo host doesnt have them consistently sized/formatted.

matt

 

[2.SlowFan]

Cool story and clean cabby btw. 🤙🏼


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BonusParts]

Cool story and clean cabby btw. 🤙🏼


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, I recently posted the car for sale, then pondered back thru my ownership of it, realized i've come too far in (by my time scales) a short period of time to change direction.

Also been thinking I'm going to finally finish polishing an aluminum valve cover and my spare plenum, dress the engine up a touch whilst the car is hanging out for winter

 

[BonusParts]

By the way, if anyone has a set of smoked bumper sidemarkers, i could use a set

 

[Mr Euro]

Legit Cabrio right there.

 

[BonusParts]

Legit Cabrio right there.

Thank you,

I've done my best to keep it clean and tidy.

 

[stevevr6]

Looks great. Nice work

 

[BonusParts]

Well, yesterday the wheels sold, now I've got to figure out what I want to run on this car, in the meantime it goes back on orlandos, then into my garage for the season. Maybe this will be the year I don't drive it, and instead pull the VR6 back out and do a headspacer, chains and start swapping rod bolts...

Stay tuned. Where this ends up, not even I know.

 

[Swordie100]

Sounds like a large bit to chew. Says the guy who is prepping his whole damn car for friggin' paint. :banghead::laugh:

 

[BonusParts]

Sadly the cabrio is still on jack stands in winter storage.

HOWEVER - I did score a set of wheels, theyre inbound from Germany as I type.

Cannot wait till they arrive and i can get em rubbered and mounted!

Stay tuned, don't know if i want to give any teasers or hints

 

[MaSeDoGG]

Love to see Vr6 Cabrios !
Hanging the wheels on the suspension like that for the winter isn’t great, I’ve read.
How many miles on the red body? Looks pretty clean.

 

[BonusParts]

Love to see Vr6 Cabrios !
Hanging the wheels on the suspension like that for the winter isn’t great, I’ve read.
How many miles on the red body? Looks pretty clean.

I've wanted to have one for quite a number of years, long time coming.

I guess something to do with the shock holding that weight up?
Either way, wheels are off and sold anyhow, its getting new shoes after it comes out of storage this weekend.

Its got 88,2xx on it. I JUST got my VR6 cluster reprogrammed to match.
Had to roll it up from 68k or something to match the cabrio!

 

[BonusParts]

Okay, I've got a quiet moment here, time to touch back on "Doris" my former DD and soul donor for the cabrio.

I accidentally found the car on christmas day, 2013. I inevitably fell for the car, as when we met she had a meager 44xxx on the clock. WOAH.
It was all a matter of stupid luck, the guy driving it was the son in law of the owner. She let him borrow it as it was the only spare car, his wifes was in the shop and she couldnt drive standard. so there he was waiting in a parking lot for his wife in my future jetta. We exchanged information and a few days later I was in contact with the actual owner, a fine lady named Doris. (ah hah) Anyways, 3 months elapse until I can finally pry it from her hands. In that time I learned that it had a rebuilt title, circa 1998, 13k miles. (this puts total ACTUAL mileage at about 59k when i got her). It lived in PA, just miles from where I lived. An EF0 Tornado came thru Willow Grove, and knocked her chimney onto the car. Heres a photo of 4 photographs she gave me of the incident

She claimed the insurance company just wanted to fix it. she said she made them total it and she bought it back and had it redone.

So anyways, picked her up for 3k. Not bad IMO. Here's an assortment of photos from when I first got the car home, added a couple little things and doing some maintenance

Now, following that a bunch of stuff happened. Got married, moved to colorado (car got trucked out) , got a divorce, drove it back across the country (around 61k on the clock), and then comes thanksgiving 2016.... been home for a month or two living at moms while i waited to settle on my house, and i racekor'd a bit hard in the weeeee hours of thanksgiving. I was sober, but not buckled, and definitely moving too fast (xxx). Anyways long and short, rear came out around me some, went diagonally across the road, thru a fents, no burshes, but i did manage to snag a guy wire and rip it from the ground.

I was unscathed and sitting on the sunroof when we came to rest. Not even a scratch. entirely unbelievable, but thats what happened.
here are some photos of my oopsie. (65,800 miles on the dot at this point)

I dont have photos, but the vento grille flew off and was damaged, ecodes intact and AC was still charged, no coolant leaks either!

If youll notice, this is the rear passenger floorboard. you will see where the wire's stake made some clear contact...

So with that, I finished pulling anything useful from my dearest doris, and said my farewell to her physical existence.

Next post we will get back to the cabrio.

 

[BonusParts]

Got her back from storage, rolling on the rabbits Type T's presently... as i mentioned the blades are gone...

broke out my festool, began smoothing a spare plenum to polish up for Doris.

.... but wait! there's more!

I have wheels coming to replace the blades i sold... two are here, two more lie in wait at customs for some government employee reason i assume.

heres a little tease, wont show what they are yet, but they fit good. rears look to be receiving a small spacer.

With any luck the other two will get here in a week or so, tires can go on and my rabbit can have its wheels back!

 

[BonusParts]

Update:

New wheels are here, tires are mounted and they're on the car.

im very happy with how they look

HELLO 90s!

 

[Mr Euro]

Looks great on those :thumbup:

 

[hookdub]

Yo, epic story dude! Cool thread.

& the wheels have an OEM freshness to them


(O o)==(>3)==(o O)

 

[staingang]

Awesome story behind the GLX and the swap into the Cabrio!! Love the build :thumbup:

 

[BonusParts]

Looks great on those :thumbup:

Thanks! I was trying to picture how they'd look mounted up while i waited for them to arrive. They met and exceeded my visual expectations

Yo, epic story dude! Cool thread.

& the wheels have an OEM freshness to them


(O o)==(>3)==(o O)

Thank you, I was looking to stay OEM+ with things, and I believe I've accomplished it.

Awesome story behind the GLX and the swap into the Cabrio!! Love the build :thumbup:

Not the lead in story to a build I'd have wanted, but at least the heart of my noble steed lives on!



This week I am working on finishing smoothing the intake plenum to 180 grit, as well as a finish sand and priming my new grille. Also have a euro lower glove box and knee bar to install.

 

[BonusParts]

Sanding will complete this evening on the grill, and hopefully I can lay some primer before storms and humidity creep back in tomorrow.

heres a couple photos