Lots of fluids to be replaced
Lots of parts from Kerma, Borg Warner, IDParts, and DieselGeek. I also purchased a Motive Power Bleeder which made bleeding the brakes an easy task. However the left rear caliper has a frozen bleed screw that someone in the past round off. I didn't have the time to mess with it so I bled the other calipers and will probably take a further look at it in the spring. Just flushing the other 3 corners has greatly improved brake pedal feel.
I was super happy with this box from Sonic Tools. It's actually meant for MX racers but looking at the spec it contained almost everything the shade tree VW DIYer would need and it was $1,300 less then a S8 box. It proved to be a great investment and will serve me well during future projects and maintenance.
Car up on stands and ready to go.
What came out of the front right fender liner - left side was just as bad. POR15 was painted onto the area as a preventative measure. There was very little rust.
Left side fender liner was blown out pretty good so it was replaced all together - right side will be replaced in the spring with the vented version when I replace the intake system
Windshield cowl was warped just enough to let water get down near the ECU and cause a no start/hard start after a heavy rain. New cowl seals the gap by the windshield much better. However, while trying to get the right wiper arm off I broke the arm - DOH! $45 mistake. While the cowl was off I cleaned the connections at the ECU with contact cleaner and put a small amount of dielectric grease on them as well.
Dieselgeek Sigma 5 shifter - super easy install following the directions and I love how shifts now
Since I had the car lowered slightly and it was missing the belly pan and engine bay side skirts it got the Full Metal Jacket and Panzer Plate treatment from DG as well. It must have had a plate on it in the past as the Rivnuts were already installed.
All put back together and looking good.
It's come a long way since I first got it two months ago. It was already in good shape so a little elbow grease was all it took to make it a great daily driver. My Kerma Stainless Steel 2.5" exhaust should be arriving any day and will be installed later this month along with the lower EGR pipe (replacing it will be much easier when the downpipe isn't in the way). I thought ahead and while I was under the car sprayed PB Blaster on all the exhaust bolts and broke them free (and obviously re-tightened them lol). Hopefully that will speed the removal process of the old exhaust. The paint is also getting a good polish and sealing before the winter hits. Then that's it until the spring when I plan to replace intake hoses, tubing, intercooler, and rehab the cooling system. When I switch over to my winter tires and steel wheels I'm taking the factory 15" rims to be refinished and brought back to factory condition (and getting rid of the stupid keyed lug bolt on them too).