Golf 3 Variant

Not translated yet :(

Our starting point is the 1995 Golf estate in the foreground. A moose gave it a little kiss. The front-end panels, roof and one door need replacing.

Under the bonnet is completely the wrong drivetrain too: a 75 hp 1.8 petrol engine with an automatic gearbox.

Just a couple of days after crashing the previous project, Pekka went to collect another roof. A suitable one turned up reasonably close by in Ostrobothnia.

As a bonus, the roof came with roof rails and an electric sunroof. Some small parts, including a TDI intercooler and pipes, came along too.

Parts from the wrecked car were already finding a new use :-)

This was the first proper use of the two-post lift Pekka had bought that summer. No more crawling on the floor under a car supported by a jack. Pekka had a busy weekend: he got properly started on Friday, four days after the crash, and by Sunday the roof was already replaced. The rear arches had a few knocks and needed attention too.

Front three-quarter view. The square indicator opening has been cut from the wing to make way for a newer oval one. A replacement door came from another damaged car in the same yard.

The vent is from the previous project, installed much the same way as before.

The roof joints are at the bottoms of the A-pillars and the tops of the B-pillars...

...and at the back only the roof skin was changed, so the joint runs underneath the roof trim.

We are now more or less getting ready to send it for paint.

Amazingly, the wheels survived intact even though the mk2 in the background was badly damaged.

The project was moving so quickly that the photographer could barely keep up. Pekka had good reason: a 50 km commute each way. Fortunately his kind older brother usually lent him the Vento, and sometimes he even got to enjoy the commute in his brother's head-turning Kastenwagen :-)

We spent ages considering colours again... eventually deciding to try the intriguing Audi TT Nimbus Grey.

Before admiring the colour, though, the inevitable preparation...

On both wings.

The weld seams in the door openings needed a little finishing.

Then into the booth for paint. This time the roof was painted first...

...along with the door openings.

Then the doors and lids were fitted, the painted areas masked and the rest painted. Only the base coat is on here; clear coat is still to come.

Painted and back home.

A little assembly still to do: the windscreen and bumpers are missing. Pekka fitted GT arch trims and side mouldings found through a friend.

These wheels are temporary; the car's own wheels were briefly on loan to a friend. You really need to see the colour in person, on a clean car :-)

Three weeks after collecting the replacement roof. The car is fully driveable, with its windscreen and headlights fitted. It didn't even need an inspection because it had remained registered throughout—it was bought privately. Just fit the plates and reactivate it for road use. This photo shows a temporary bumper while the final ones were being painted.

Side view. Still rather tractor-like at this point...

Exactly four weeks after wrecking the previous car. While waiting for the final suspension kit, something temporary had to go on to bring it a little closer to the ground. The front includes the Bilsteins from the crashed mk2. The brakes were upgraded at the same time to its 256 mm ventilated discs.

The bumpers are painted too. Kamei eyebrows on the headlights, and a Bonrath grille spoiler over the badgeless grille for now. We'll see how long that stays... The original fog lights are fitted already. The lower spoiler is still original. The side repeaters are clear mk4 items, again the same ones used on the crashed mk2.

The obligatory high-angle shot.

And a rear three-quarter view. Pekka is so lazy he couldn't even be bothered to remove the VW badge from the tailgate :-)

The headlights are Hella mk4-look units supplied by Kenny's Car Styling. No Kamei eyebrows in this photo yet.

The steering wheel also came from the crashed mk2. The interior is still a horrible cream colour for now... a change to black is underway as soon as we collect the parts.

A friend also had GTD badges to replace the original GT badges on the side trims... although the petrol engine is still under the bonnet at this stage.

The JP Group VR6 front spoiler bought from Kenny survived less than a whole week. One little knock and a proper crack. Long live genuine parts!

A couple of seat photos. The original seats were quickly replaced with rather more supportive Recaros.

The rear seat. Pekka added the headrests; these seats originally had none.

It took a while, but at the end of October there was finally time to sort out the drivetrain too. The old 75 hp 1.8 petrol engine was replaced with the 1.9 TDI familiar from the spring mk2 project. The automatic gearbox became a manual as well. The swap finally began on a Friday evening in October, although the TDI drivetrain had already been removed and was waiting for the right moment.

The drivetrain ready to go in. Note: the oil on the floor is not from this engine :-) Peksi also changed the clutch disc while the drivetrain was out.

The old drivetrain removed and the engine bay already painted. The automatic pedals have now been replaced with a three-pedal manual setup.

Removing the front end is quick: six bolts, radiator hoses and a couple of electrical connections, and the whole assembly lifts off in one piece.

The TDI drivetrain installed. Not far from starting it now: mainly refitting the front end and a little wiring. Peksi wanted to drive it on Saturday evening, and it did end up running at an indicated 230 km/h—although with the wheels in the air on the lift :-)

The modification inspection went smoothly too, with emissions comfortably below the limit even with the 'overly hot' tuning chip.

Photos from spring 2003.

In early summer 2003 the car also took a longer trip, touring a little of Europe. Stops and routes included Europe's largest VW event, Wörthersee Treffen in Austria, the Via Baltica, a crossing of the Alps, German motorways and Sweden's Bug Run...

The car got a few upgrades for the trip: dark interior trim, electric windows, an inverter for charging portable electronics, a roof box and lighter wheels...

Sold in summer 2003.