Abaddon
Active member
Hi again all,
I figured I'd start a fresh thread to record this new project from the first stages until completion… completion being in 3+ years time, if not longer. But it's underway as of now and it's time to start taking pictures and documenting specs (it's late at night here at the moment; the pics will come tmrw).
Here is my *2015* Blackberry VW Caddy 1.6l TDI, all stock.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204865919387441&l=210b622d50
STAGE 1: Basics - 75% completed
* After market floor mats
* Customised canvas seat covers
* Heavy duty rubber overlay
* Mesh wall
Still to be done is the tradie's stainless steel mesh wall, which will be fitted to the interior, opposite the sliding door. I've been given some pretty ridiculous prices for factory-fitted ones, so I've asked a good friend who's a dab hand with a welder to make me one for a few hundred bucks cheaper than quoted.
STAGE 2: Aesthetics completed
* Window tint
I'm pretty chuffed with how the vehicle looks now, to be honest, and I wouldn't change a thing from the paint to the alloys… but I've had the windows professionally tinted, as dark as is legal on the front and a 'limo tint' to the rear. .
STAGE 3: Performance 50% completed
* ECU tune
* Lowering kit**
The ECU tune has been done by [url]http://eurospectune.com - a business recommended to me by a TDI forum member. Philip has advised what my options are in terms of mods that won't void my warranty. The tune cost just under a grand (which is pretty standard, from my experience) produced 20-22kws and 42 Nm of torque. That takes the kilowatts to just under 100, and the torque to nearly 300 newton meters.
This is pretty fun for me. I never thought I'd get a diesel van to go like it does currently, let alone with a roughly 30% power enhancement! Of course, this is all that I foresee achievable right now. There is a 175 horsepower turbo + other mods option I will look at down the track.
**I wasn't sure where exactly to place this mod. I know that, at around 1300 kilograms unladen weight, the Caddy has a decent power to weight ratio which will be further improved by lowering it. But there's a limit, for me. I don't want to sacrifice too much manoeuvrability or the ability to carry a commercial load when I need to. And, due to the additional rear leaf springs, good quality lowering kits are expensive to buy and fit. So this aspect of the project may be put on the back burner for a few months.
Locally, I can now transport equipment to state comps and further assist WA Strongman. And when I compete over east I can drive across country for less than it would cost for me and my partner or a team mate to fly there and back (and without risking my health; I always get a head cold when I fly)… I can even sleep in it, so no need to pay for lodging while travelling interstate!
Also, I am something of a mods enthusiast, and this will be my second project after GET BACK. I don't want to own a track car, or something that would get a younger guy killed. But I do like the way the TDI feels and I want to make the most of my first turbo engine'd vehicle.
'Strong Belwas' is a Game of Thrones character, and an individual I identify with. I think he's a pretty accurate symbol of what I and my Caddy represent: a bit of agility with a lot of dumb strength, and resilience.
I figured I'd start a fresh thread to record this new project from the first stages until completion… completion being in 3+ years time, if not longer. But it's underway as of now and it's time to start taking pictures and documenting specs (it's late at night here at the moment; the pics will come tmrw).
Here is my *2015* Blackberry VW Caddy 1.6l TDI, all stock.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204865919387441&l=210b622d50
STAGE 1: Basics - 75% completed
* After market floor mats
* Customised canvas seat covers
* Heavy duty rubber overlay
* Mesh wall
Still to be done is the tradie's stainless steel mesh wall, which will be fitted to the interior, opposite the sliding door. I've been given some pretty ridiculous prices for factory-fitted ones, so I've asked a good friend who's a dab hand with a welder to make me one for a few hundred bucks cheaper than quoted.
STAGE 2: Aesthetics completed
* Window tint
I'm pretty chuffed with how the vehicle looks now, to be honest, and I wouldn't change a thing from the paint to the alloys… but I've had the windows professionally tinted, as dark as is legal on the front and a 'limo tint' to the rear. .
STAGE 3: Performance 50% completed
* ECU tune
* Lowering kit**
The ECU tune has been done by [url]http://eurospectune.com - a business recommended to me by a TDI forum member. Philip has advised what my options are in terms of mods that won't void my warranty. The tune cost just under a grand (which is pretty standard, from my experience) produced 20-22kws and 42 Nm of torque. That takes the kilowatts to just under 100, and the torque to nearly 300 newton meters.
This is pretty fun for me. I never thought I'd get a diesel van to go like it does currently, let alone with a roughly 30% power enhancement! Of course, this is all that I foresee achievable right now. There is a 175 horsepower turbo + other mods option I will look at down the track.
**I wasn't sure where exactly to place this mod. I know that, at around 1300 kilograms unladen weight, the Caddy has a decent power to weight ratio which will be further improved by lowering it. But there's a limit, for me. I don't want to sacrifice too much manoeuvrability or the ability to carry a commercial load when I need to. And, due to the additional rear leaf springs, good quality lowering kits are expensive to buy and fit. So this aspect of the project may be put on the back burner for a few months.
PURPOSE
Yeah, you'd be asking why I'm doing all this. Well, I'm a nationally ranked Strongman. Strongman is my greatest passion in life, next to women and my Caddy, and I wanted a vehicle that I could use for things related to my sport.Locally, I can now transport equipment to state comps and further assist WA Strongman. And when I compete over east I can drive across country for less than it would cost for me and my partner or a team mate to fly there and back (and without risking my health; I always get a head cold when I fly)… I can even sleep in it, so no need to pay for lodging while travelling interstate!
Also, I am something of a mods enthusiast, and this will be my second project after GET BACK. I don't want to own a track car, or something that would get a younger guy killed. But I do like the way the TDI feels and I want to make the most of my first turbo engine'd vehicle.
'Strong Belwas' is a Game of Thrones character, and an individual I identify with. I think he's a pretty accurate symbol of what I and my Caddy represent: a bit of agility with a lot of dumb strength, and resilience.
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