Smyth Utes Check In Here..

So I have been tossing around the idea of buying up a clapped out Jetta TDI and converting to a Ute to daily drive and to just knock around it.. haul trash and sticks.. that sort of stuff..

Curious how many of these are built and on here..

Curious if anyone has attempted to make a toneau cover for one..

Also curious if anyone has MPG and weight figures for one.. Was curious if anyone had put adequate miles on one to determine a gain or loss in economy.

Thanks,

Not sure i understand. Want to make a Jetta into a pickup? If so, hack away and post pics. To keep it from folding you may need to strengthen the body.

bmali98 said:

Not sure i understand. Want to make a Jetta into a pickup? If so, hack away and post pics. To keep it from folding you may need to strengthen the body.

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You need to catch up and read here:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=413722

There's a kit.. That's what I was referring to.. Those who have done the conversion.. This isn't an advertisement for the kit..

http://www.smythkitcars.com/#!untitled/c1o

vortex has some builds also if you care for that site.

dlai said:

You need to catch up and read here:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=413722

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That's awesome. Had no idea.

Much cheaper to just buy a nice Jetta and an old truck. I wish there was a small pickup made with a diesel though.

I wanna build one.
Need to find me a GLS without a sunroof, TDI of course!
My wagons are super handy but this would fill in between the wagons and the Cummins.

I'm building one. It's pretty fun. I never seem to have the time to actually work on it.

Good luck finding a non-sunroof car. The project has made me notice how many of these poor cars came equipped from the factory with a large hole in the roof to leak water and make road noise. Quite sad. I went ahead and deleted the sunroof on my UTE.

Here is an iCloud photo stream link:
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0aG6XBubBvFCz

Great pics Rob.
Can't wait to start on one, looks like something I could do.
I've owned/drove two '01 GLSs without a sunroof but they are hard to find.
What color have you chosen?

runonbeer said:

I'm building one. It's pretty fun. I never seem to have the time to actually work on it.

Good luck finding a non-sunroof car. The project has made me notice how many of these poor cars came equipped from the factory with a large hole in the roof to leak water and make road noise. Quite sad. I went ahead and deleted the sunroof on my UTE.

Here is an iCloud photo stream link:
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0aG6XBubBvFCz

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pics are out of sequence but i think i understand. car looked better than mine when it was fresh.

Yes Apple photo stream is sort of dumb. It puts them in the sequence corresponding to when they were uploaded. Think of it more as a stream than an album.
I will put an album up on my website in a sensible mostly chronological sequence with captions once it is complete.

I'm sticking with the original color. Its unusual and I like it. LC6X

I'm handing it off to the body shop soon. I've pretty much done everything I think I would do a good job on. Now someone with skill/experience needs to jump in and make it pretty.

The car was a beautiful, perfect MKIV. I really had to think long and hard about cutting it in half. Came with a OEM steel skid plate, Hella headlights with fogs (euro switch) and an Old Navy CCV (only a handfull of you will even know what this is). There was also a Vintage TDI Parts.com business card in the glove box from back before Dan passed it on to Peter.
I really would like to know who the original owner was. Very much an enthusiast. I feel lucky to have found it.

Moar pictures when you get it back from the body shop! I like that color too.
Are the quarter windows functional or do they get upholstered over inside?

There are some holes in the b-pillar support plates that will presumably allow you to see out a bit. Mostly just for appearance. Haven't driven it enough to say whether or not they are useful. From what I have seen on other ute's, I prefer the windows over non-window.

Lightflyer1 said:

Much cheaper to just buy a nice Jetta and an old truck. I wish there was a small pickup made with a diesel though.

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Torch, welder, tape measure, maybe a machine shop for gear box mating issues.

Using a lathe bed to find/check center and a full floating chain hoist I was easily able build my own bell housings. I used alh disk and what I needed for spline issues I just welded in the appropriate center for whatever input shaft. Trick is to make sure things are centered. Lathe beds and chucks makes everything less difficult.

All have fuel sipping universal burning alhs...


Old 94 2wd Dakota 5sp

Old 91 1/2ton with a nv4500 ( granny gear for those grunting take offs when loaded)

Old 88 4wd gmc 5500 shortened chassis with sm465 turning a np203 turning a np205 gear, turning 6.72 closed Rockwells. That's my log skidder for the property. Dual xfer case for my lack of power. 20k# can tug hard at times. I've bent that chassis so many times, broke a spindle, ripped tire chains off.. The list continues and is updated every winter.

When everything is in low range and locked , something will happen...


Yeah. Mad scientist stuff.





Sent from my One using Tapatalk

runonbeer said:

There are some holes in the b-pillar support plates that will presumably allow you to see out a bit. Mostly just for appearance. Haven't driven it enough to say whether or not they are useful. From what I have seen on other ute's, I prefer the windows over non-window.

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Yes, the windows would be a must have. Could the spaces between the four holes in the B pillars be removed to make it more useful or would that weaken it too much?
Does the extruded aluminum of the bed floor come out to access the spare tire well or is it functional?

Nah, you wouldn't want to go cutting on those b-pillar plates. They're pretty important.

Yes the bed floor can come out. But unless I have a blow out in the middle of nowhere I'd just go buy a new tire.

Rob, Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
Got a couple more for ya, if you don't mind.
What is the actual width between the fender wells?
Also, between the top bed "rails"?

I don't know off hand. It uses a ford ranger flare side tailgate. That ought to give you some idea. It's pretty small.

runonbeer said:

Good luck finding a non-sunroof car. The project has made me notice how many of these poor cars came equipped from the factory with a large hole in the roof to leak water and make road noise. Quite sad.

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Both my '03 Golf and my '00 Beetle are Non-sunroof models, and that is why I have them. Perhaps they're more common up here in Canada...I dunno.
Both cars have nice dry interiors with no moisture related issues that I've come across yet. I had an '03 Jetta wagon with a sunroof, and good grief that car leaked like a spaghetti strainer...I swore to god I'd never have another one.

We need a sunroof delete mod.

Stealth conversion (not sure about the water drainage on this):

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=4689306#post4689306

Rxfire said:

We need a sunroof delete mod.

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I've seen more than one Mk4 with the sunroof seams duct tape mod...lol.

I have an ALH with an 01M that I'm going to convert next year. I was going to sell it, but nobody wants an auto ALH. Having a ute would take the load off my F350 for small things that I still need a truck for. I've been using a harbor freight trailer, but I think this will be cooler.

The Boss sells antique furniture and is always "can you bring your truck and haul a dresser or bed frame or table etc. for me". Too big for the wagon and way light weight to use a 3/4T pickup, the UTE would fill in nicely between.
The best part is she agrees!

Yes it will be cooler and more expensive. My ute Jetta lived its first 200,000 miles as an auto.

runonbeer said:

Yes it will be cooler and more expensive. My ute Jetta lived its first 200,000 miles as an auto.

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I've been thinking about it, and I agree. I decided not to build the ute. I'll just keep using a cheap light trailer. This way I also keep my back seat area to store stuff inside and out of the rain. I think I'm going to take my seats out to give me some more room. Save myself $3500 and lots of time..
Thanks.

Ran across an air powered pop rivet gun that works good. Any reason why I couldn't use it for installing panels on the Ute?
It would sure beat pumping my manual rivet tool on all those rivets.

I didn't find the manual tool to be a big hardship. Drilling the holes takes far more time and energy.

And in terms of the project as a whole, you'll have bigger fish to fry. Spend some money on a 10 pack of good quality 3/16" drill bits.

KCTDI said:

Ran across an air powered pop rivet gun that works good. Any reason why I couldn't use it for installing panels on the Ute?
It would sure beat pumping my manual rivet tool on all those rivets.

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If you get one, make sure it's a GOOD one. A few years back, one mechanic at the shop I take my truck to was put in the hospital by an air powered rivet gun. The pull rod broke, and the piston flew through the bottom of the tool and slammed him in the gut. High pressure air is no joke.