Moonstone GTI - 6

[j_carter]

So, this is my 306 gti6. pretty standard apart from battery relocation to the boot, Manifold back stainless exhaust and an induction kit.

short term - hoping to get a new suspension setup and get it on track this year with maybe a few choice visual upgrades.

Long term - with a spare head sat in my garage i think it would be rude not to cam and boost it, unsure what route to go down yet TC or SC, low boost or high, but we will see.

one pic of my previous car also thats currently in the way of me starting work on the 6. renault 5 turbo powered mk1 clio.

[JethroJay]

Stick a blower on it, would be SICK mate, run high boost just make sure the internals get changed before hand unless you plan on keeping it under 250BHP!

[Piggy]

Looks veeeery tidy. Right colour

[eddy_gti6]

Your good upto around 330bhp tried and tested by a couple people on a standard bottom end with ARP rod bolts. I know of 2 people running 205 gti6 turbos on standard bottom ends 1 with 344bhp fot 4 year and one with 315bhp for the past year and a half both on track quite oftern too.

[7057sam]

Looks good

For track solid rear mounts and bigger tb's are a must

I've had a low boost before, power and toque was insane

[j_carter]

Thanks for the comments and the advice. 330bhp sounds a nice figure although i thought that figure required more bottom end work so that intresting to know, thanks.

[Eeyore]

Looks nice and tidy. Will be epic to see another 6 make it to boost status! Good luck. That clio is fairly interesting too.

[procta]

moonstone 306s really look the part!

[j_carter]

So my clio is now sold meaning i could get the 6 in to the garage, still not done much as been busy with work.

I have managed to black mask my headlights and spray my bonnet badge black.

Also de wipered the back as the wiper snapped last year in the snow.

Changed the rear pads today also, handbrake is pretty crap to be honest and would benefit from some new cables but i will see if it passes MOT in a couple of weeks for now and then change them at my leisure.

Couple of pics from my first proper drive in the 6 for about 8 months..

[attachment=15588]

[attachment=15589]

[attachment=15590]

[7057sam]

Looks great

Is it still running standard ride height?

[mcvite]

Very nice looking gti you have there.

[j_carter]

Thanks for the comments.

@7057Sam, yes it is standard ride height i believe, it just has spax adjustable dampers on.

Coilovers are next on the list.

[7057sam]

Yeah a little bit of lows would do it a world of good

Any plans to track it now the renaults sold

[j_carter]

yes, i just want to get some coilies and stiffen her up a little and then see if i can get out on track sometime this year.

Nothing too serious as im sourcing parts to charge it eventually but really just want to experience some track action.

[7057sam]

yes, i just want to get some coilies and stiffen her up a little and then see if i can get out on track sometime this year.

Nothing too serious as im sourcing parts to charge it eventually but really just want to experience some track action.

Yeah before the astor I had a full blown track car which I lost the love for in the end.

Now with the astor keeping it oe look apart from lows and exhaust but with all my track specs bit hidden underneath

[j_carter]

im pretty sure i read your project thread on your last one, was it charged? was a good read anyway. wish mine was an astor

[Tom]

Looks tidy, love a nice moonstone

[j_carter]

Very little progress,

Stripped all the front end down and have ordered some ap coilovers and compbrake top mounts. For budget coilies the reviews on them wernt too bad.
Hoping with abit of camber and castor they will perform OK.

Since ive owned the car it has always seemed lazy when turning over, the battery has been relocated to the boot by the previous owner so thought i would check the connections, plus i didnt like the way the cables had been routed.

[attachment=16103]

After i had cut all of the insulation off, the cables fell out of the block so would of been causing a slightly high resistance joint.

I re routed the cables and connected them up properly, the yellow insulation is just the first base of insulation, i will get some black this week and go over the top so it dosent stand out like a sore thumb, turned her over and she fired rite up, not sounding lazy at all

[attachment=16104]

As i cant really do alot to the car as it is on axle stands with no suspension etc i decided i would have a go at "detailing" one of the wings.

I washed the wing, then used some 2000 grade wet and dry followed by some of halfords rubbing compund, washed it again and then super resin polished it.

Before

[attachment=16105]

After

[attachment=16106]

Did it all by hand and didnt take much effort at all.

I did get a little bit stressed stripping the front end and whoever decided it was a good idea to put these bolts in to hold the bottom ball joint in is an absolute penis..

[attachment=16107]

Working away now for a while and have a list of parts on order
Drop links
Bottom ball joints
Steering rack gaitors
Adjustable top mounts
Ap coilovers

Hopefully they will all be here by the time im home then got to get them fitted, rear beam lowered slightly and get the old girl mot'd. all in time for FCS.

Also i believe my headgasket has gone no other symptoms other than the water system pressurising, it has been like it for a while to be honest but ive just ignored it, so will see if it will hold out for a couple of trackdays but i have started cleaning up a spare head ready for a rebuild which will go on late on in the year as it gets boosted.

[Tom]

Pretty sure thats what peugeot used on balljoints!

[j_carter]

yep, all OEM Joints come with them. they wont be going back in with them thats for sure!

[Tom]

Dont think i used a torx bit to remove mine, clamped the head in the vice lol!!

[C.A.R.]

Yea I was delighted when the Lemforder replacements were a 'proper' bolt and none of this torx bollocks!

Car is looking lovely fella. Can't wait to get the black masks on mine

[j_carter]

Not much of an update as im working down under in Australia for the next few months, was all abit last minute to be honest which resulted in me missing FCS.

Good job really as my new suspension was only delivered this week, the lovely mrs did send me a sneaky pic though (of the coilover box)

And also my compbrake top mounts with the top hat washers.

[attachment=16810]

[attachment=16811]

Next update will be in a few months hopefully with a gti6 on coilovers.

[j_carter]

Hi any one that decides to read this.

Been back from oz two days and she is now on coilovers

Thought i would do a small write up on the fitting of the coilies and compbrake topmounts to hopefully assist someone else in the future..

So started off with this
[attachment=18734]

Firstly i just lashed them together to make sure everything fitted correctly.. guess what.. it didnt. so the topmount comes with a threaded nut thats sort of like a bush that you have to knock through the inner race of the top mount bearing and there was about three threads on it when i screwed it down onto the strut. obviously i wasnt happy with three threads holding my strut into my topmount so i took it apart and investigated...

Noticed that this top piece on the strut had a split round it, as if it was seperate to the main strut body. so i got the robogrips out and luckily... it split and unthreaded off the strut giving me those few extra threads for my topmount nut..

[attachment=18735]

Then i started building them back up. First of all fitted the spring top that is an additional purchase from compbrake that allows the movement and fitted the bush on the top of that that fits into the inner race of the topmount bearing and sits up to the threaded bush.

[attachment=18736]

Then fitted the top mount.. so this looks like it isnt hanging on by very much and i agree, but there is atleast 20mm worth of thread that the nut has sit into and i have also used abit of threadlocker on there.. just incase. Will let you know if it falls to bits

[attachment=18737]

both built up.

[attachment=18738]

went to fit them and then noticed..... origanal topmounts are held in place with three m8 bolts.. these topmounts on the top and bottom fixing do not have a threaded hole.. they have a clean hole with a diameter of about 6.5mm. i was not comftorable using an m6 nut and bolt so i tapped them out to m8 so i could use just a bolt with no need for messing about with nuts from underneath.

[attachment=18740]

And fitted. Now these fit pretty well, no gaps around the struts etc but... these are looking like a very standard camber setting to me.. seems to have slight more castor. but if i want to add more camber and castor/ (obviously camber and castor are proportional to each other on these mounts) i will have to drill my own top and bottom holes to be able to swing them around.. but this will then create a hole through my strut and topmount.

[attachment=18739]

All in all, these topmounts are fantastic.. if you want to pay expensively for a diffrent looking to standard topmount. to be honest i might aswll use them as a garden ornament as atleast then you can see them properly.

Morale of the story... buy baker bm.

Thanks for looking

[Bigyin306]

Clean looking motor mate

[RetroPug]

Agreed, lovely car!

[mattsrallye]

Does look very tidy this, how much lower than standard are you going with the coillies?

[j_carter]

Thanks for the comments. wont be going too low, maybe about a 30 - 40mm drop.

[Bigyin306]

40mm drop would like nice, I'm hoping to drop mine by that

[Iceman299]

Very clean car you have there, looking good