'77 MkI Rabbit content inside!

[ben312]

Are they worth a shit, though? Or are they going to come apart in 6 months?

I know a few guys who run them and they seem to like them other then the ride being kinda stiff, but if all your going for is looks then price for price these are your best buy.

[SamE30e]

I have a Mk1 upper strut bar kicking around in my garage.

[M42Technik]

Subscribed! I can do some photoshop work, I'm bored...

[E30SPDFRK]

+1 to racelands. I know some e46 guys running them that like them a lot. I've heard they're stiff though.


Don't do that vinyl wrap you were talking about a few pages back, you could easily do a full respray for that much and have it come out way better.

[ben312]

if its going to be little more then a go to meets show car kinda whip then do the following.
fix rust
buy racelands and get low, meaning sway bar deleting oil pan ripping low.
cut out the rain gutter
get corrado dash and racaro seats (or e30 dash, its been done)
tuck as many wires as possible

[M42Technik]

+1 to racelands. I know some e46 guys running them that like them a lot. I've heard they're stiff though.

You think those would work on E30's? Sick price for a coilover setup!

[ben312]

You think those would work on E30's? Sick price for a coilover setup!

they don't have any for the e30 last I looked. but if you find a pair on the site for a car that has the same mounts as an e30 then post a link cause I would rock them.

[Pedro]

I have raceland coils on my rabbit. super stiff, when i pull into steep drive ways 1 wheel comes off the ground. The driveway at my apt complex is so steep that for a milli second the car is only on the RF & and the LR wheels.

The ride doesnt bother me. Cheapest kit you can get. Look in the vortex MK1 threads about them. some people take off the helper springs and others dont. also the stock wheels will rub on the springs so you will need spacers or find a offset that works. I put spacers on for now but im in the process of buying some wheels.

[Jand3rson]

Nice, then that's probably what I'll go with.

[Pedro]

Heres my rabbit right now. i want to go lower but the oil pan is only 3 1/2" off the ground.

[Bishop]

OT: But if you resize that photo Pedro, it would make for a much nicer sig ;)

Josh, do you have like a vision of what you're trying to get to, like one specific car you're trying to replicate or get close to?

[Simon S]

Don't do that vinyl wrap you were talking about a few pages back, you could easily do a full respray for that much and have it come out way better.

Addressing body work would be a slippery slope on that car. Beginning to appreciate why so many dubs are of the rust/rat variety (which is cool in my book). Either do it all up right or 'mostly right' - or don't do it at all would be my take too. If I'm reading you right and you're wanting to find the good compromi$e - I think you'll be happier in the long run with paint work to certain target areas.

Around the windshield, we're going to fix those holes, and then once I get the paint polished out, try to find as close of a match as I can and spray it.

This would be the route I'd go. Prep it well. Rattle cans from automotivetouchup.com or wherever. If you have friends with proper spray equipment - even better. I know aerosol isn't real popular, but one can pull off amazing results with good effort in prep and careful wetsanding afterward.. and for hella cheap.

I'm skeptical about that vinyl man. Be brave. Use paint. Let the roof have rust - but that area around the windshield should get solid prep work and the candy coating of paint. You're on the right track getting original cleaned well to first access thee color of the car - or for that particular area at least. Paint can be color-matched.

Summary:
a) $100-200 in paint > $100-200 in vinyl
b) color-match with paint > color-match with vinyl
c) which to you think will withstand sun-fade better: paint or vinyl?
d) will vinyl do more harm than good in the long run?
e) paint will look like nothing happened. an over-grown sticker might look like an over-grown band-aid.

[JeffNJM3]

You've got that car so far apart, its really a good time to paint the whole thing. If you don't your gunna always says, damn i shoulda just painted it back then. You could just do an exterior respray with the hood, doors and fenders on. If you go single stage you probably would'nt put you more than a couple hundred outside of your budget and it would be an awsome learning experience.

Awsome project by the way im very jealous of that find!

[Massive Lee]

Great project. Nice Mk1. Keep it as original paintwise.

e30 wheels are a bolt-on as they share the same et25 offset, 4x100 bolt pattern, and 57.1mm hub.

Lee

[Jand3rson]

I know you guys mean well, but I'm just not getting into doing a full respray on the car. I want to keep the original paint and the only areas that will need new paint are the cowl and the roof. Also, if I do vinyl on the roof, I can change it later. I'm thinking about doing something like a checkerboard pattern, or something else fun. I think some of you guys underestimate how good a good vinyl application can look. I've seen cars done by this shop in town that you'd swear were painted until you see the edge of the vinyl. And I'm going to be sanding, primering and prepping the roof and cowl, so if I decide to paint them later down the road, I can.

Pedro, that looks pretty good. Do they have the ability to go lower, or are you cranked all the way down?