THE_Liam - Octavia VRS - Project Sleeper!

[THE_Liam]

Thought I'd sort out a proper project thread for this now I've had a think about what direction I wanna go with it

I'd been looking for a new car for quite a while, and I'd decided on one thing; it was gonna be a VAG 1.8 turbo engine. I couldn't find anything better for a compromise between power, economy, tuneability, reliability and bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarpability :mrgreen:

I looked at Golf GTIs, Leon Cupras, A3/A4 1.8t Sports, Boras and even a Toledo, but I couldn't find anything for around £2000 that was in good condition with a reasonable mileage, and I looked at loads. Eventually I went to Dubbers Sports VW in Slaithwaite near Huddersfield to look at yet another A3, which turned out to be another dog. I told the guy I'd looked at loads. and he suggested I look at the Octavia VRS he had in...

It was £2295, which was a bit of a stretch, but the guy said he'd had it a while and would negotiate, so I took it for a spin and loved it! Couldn't believe how nimble it was for a big car, it was massively roomy, and it looked very sleeper, so I decided I wanted it. Bit of haggling and I got it to £2000, £1600 cash and £400 for the Calibra I spent £300 on

So, the car...

- Totally standard
- Full Skoda service history, including a cambelt and waterpump in the last 200 miles, a turbo and a clutch .
- Full MOT
- 6 months tax
- 108k, miles read 73k but it's had a fully documented clock swap done by a Skoda dealer, who I phoned to check it was legit.
- EW
- EM
- Climate
- Half leather
- Spotless. No, really!

Pics taken in Halfords car park quickly before it got dark today :roll:











Love the green calipers!



As said, mileage isn't right...



MINT interior







And a quick 30-70. Looks a bit slow, it was on soaking wet road with the traction off. I couldn't put my foot flat down because the power just span away, and with the traction on it just cut loads of power and made it uber slow. I'll do another when it's dry...



The engine management light is on in that video, it came on the day after I bought the car :nope:

Took it back to Dubbers who fitted a new thermostat, new temp sensor and a new seat adjuster, now the light is back off and the car is running perfectly, and driving perfectly. All it needs is an AC regas :mrgreen:

Plans? I'm swapping the original wheels for some anthracite ones in a couple of weeks because Dubbers have another Octavia coming in and because they like to sell standard cars I'm swapping my wheels for theirs, I'm having tints done, doing some subtle colour coding and going for aero wipers and decent bulbs, and that's about it, true sleeper!

Under the bonnet? FMIC, decent exhaust, induction, new fuel pressure sensor from an S3 and a good remap should give around 230 bhp, and that's probably how it'll stay, it's my daily after all, and I'm after a 306 for a track car anyway...

[samass]

looks nice mate! gotta say, bit of a fan of these, id love one!

[Flynn]

Tower blocks, urban deprivation, must be Leeds In regards to the vehicle, a very competent chassis, the same one was used in the WRC and achieved some decent (by Skoda's WR team standards) results. Essentially a poor man's VW, but that is nothing to be scoffed at, the Passat from the equivalent era looking quite bland and dull in comparison. Overall a reasonably refined and smart car, beating it's more expensive stable mate in some areas and matching them in most.

[ginge191]

loving that interior mate - absoloutely gawj!

[Kezzieboy]

As Ginge said, interior looks mint, tidy cars these, I usually prefer Skoda to the other VAG equivalents tbh!

[hbomb1905]

Tower blocks, urban deprivation, must be Leeds In regards to the vehicle, a very competent chassis, the same one was used in the WRC and achieved some decent (by Skoda's WR team standards) results. Essentially a poor man's VW, but that is nothing to be scoffed at, the Passat from the equivalent era looking quite bland and dull in comparison. Overall a reasonably refined and smart car, beating it's more expensive stable mate in some areas and matching them in most.

Octavia is on the Golf platform not the Passat

why does everyone always make this mistake?

Really nice car mate, if and when I have the money ill be looking for one of these or a mondeo st tdci! Probably an Octavia tbh cos Mondeos still fetch silly money for what they are!

Woop woop its the sound of da police! :character-smurf:

(couldnt be arsed to go through 11 pages of smilies for the police one so settled for a smurf)

[THE_Liam]

Thanks everyone! I'm really chuffed with it, just wish I had some cash left to start modding it :mrgreen:

Tower blocks, urban deprivation, must be Leeds

Why such a downer on Leeds? You from Wigan or something? And by the way, that's a supermarket in the background, not a tower block, use your f**king eyes.

[Ian]

Looks good mate. Don't do too much to it, some cars look best left alone, this be one of em.

[THE_Liam]

Got another little problem with it, started it up this morning and the fuel and temperature gauges were dead, back to the dealer again methinks...

[THE_Liam]

Right, the dials are a bit more of a problem than I thought. Basically, this is a really common problem on the mk1 Octavia, the soldering on the circuit board for the dials is really poor quality and degrades over time. It starts with the temp and fuel gauges failing, then it's the speedo and tacho

So normally, you can just get a new cluster, right? Wrong. The immobiliser is part of the instrument cluster, and is coded to the car, and it costs around £300 to get a new one coded, plus the £100 for a second-hand cluster :o

My options are:

1. Get a new cluster fitted and coded by Skoda - £700
2. Get a used cluster re-coded and fit it myself - £400
3. Send the existing cluster off to get repaired by an online specialist I found - £200 and the car is unusable for a week because it won't run without the cluster
4 Try find an electronics expert to re-solder the dodgy connections - £???

Anyone know someone that could do the job? I was told to check for this problem when I went to look at the car, but it was fine, looks like I've just been unlucky. It's not bad for now, the fuel light and temp warning light still work, but when the speedo dies it's a different story...

F**king VAG :roll:

[tomcannon]

Very nice, I was looking at the Fabia VRS but slightly out of my price range at the moment and not ideal with the dog and all. Shame about the poor dial cluster, hope you get it sorted and as cheaply as possible!

Tom.

[Connor]

Speakbto cully about electronics and soldering

[THE_Liam]

Very nice, I was looking at the Fabia VRS but slightly out of my price range at the moment and not ideal with the dog and all. Shame about the poor dial cluster, hope you get it sorted and as cheaply as possible!

Tom.

I looked at a Fabia, but for one in the same condition as my £2000 Octavia it was £4000, for a much smaller, slower car. The saving on fuel and insurance just wasn't worth it...

Thanks mate

[THE_Liam]

Speakbto cully about electronics and soldering

Is he good with that stuff then? I'll drop him a PM dude, ta

[Connor]

Speakbto cully about electronics and soldering

Is he good with that stuff then? I'll drop him a PM dude, ta

Oooooooooooooh yes rep to anyone that gets it

[Toms306]

Oooooooooooooh yes rep to anyone that gets it

Lol....that new idea of his gonna scare any kids in the following cars haha! Oh and you cant rep people. :p

[Ian]

Liam, forgive me if this has been asked already but can't you take it to the dealer you bought it from to get it sorted under warranty?

[THE_Liam]

Liam, forgive me if this has been asked already but can't you take it to the dealer you bought it from to get it sorted under warranty?

You don't really get a warranty at this price mate. They've already done about £300 worth of extra work on it, I doubt they'll do any more. I'm learning to solder though, gonna fix it myself

[Jonny b]

Shame your so far away bud I would have soldered that up in a flash

[THE_Liam]

Shame your so far away bud I would have soldered that up in a flash

Christ mate, if you could I'd be more than happy to throw some beer tokens in your direction, I'm terrified to touch it! Electrics scare me

[Hitchos]

know how you feel mate they scare me 2 if i cant use a hammer im knackerd

[THE_Liam]

know how you feel mate they scare me 2 if i cant use a hammer im knackerd

Baaaahahaha yeah me too, hammer and WD40

[THE_Liam]

Oh yeah, one great thing I've noticed is that when I'm in the fast lane on the motorway, people tend to move out of my way. I thought it was because it wasn't an Audi or a BMW, and then it clicked...

These were used as unmarked cop cars

[Hitchos]

yeah thats how i use to start my escort WD40 on everything hit starter motor woth hammer pull out choke and cross everything did at 1 point have 2 escorts sat there (mine and my mothers) and which ever one started i used



I had a white s40 mate it was great seeing peoples bumpers practually scraping the ground as the hit there brakes so hard thinking mine was a cop car when they actually got close enough they realised it wasnt

[hbomb1905]

Stick two blue lights on the front but don't wire them in cos you might get in trouble! lol

[Rippthrough]

One day you'll buy a decent car

[Jonny b]

I would do Liam but your like 4 hours+ from me bud

[Connor]

One day you'll buy a decent car

Yeah, these petrol things are a load of malarky

[THE_Liam]

One day you'll buy a decent car

Get back to your primered 3 cylinder deathtrap you!

[THE_Liam]

I would do Liam but your like 4 hours+ from me bud

Think I'm gonna get my lasses grandad to have a go, he's great with a soldering iron apparently