Ratty - The Build Thread - Not Rat Look

Quote :

WARNING - PICTURE HEAVY

I thought I'd start a thread and go from day one up til current.

MK2 Facelift [86c] Polo Breadvan [Fox] 1l.

So I bought the car in October 2008 for 450 quid, with the plan to make it rat look, so I didn't wash it for a year, it survived the neglect and I changed my mind based on how good condition it was in and the fact that by then rat look had become some big mainstream movement and I wanted to do something different. It was completely standard when I got it, on steels with low mileage; 56,000 when I got it, but now sits at 65,000.







For the first year I never got round to doing anything more than lowering it 80mm all round on springs, but I have yet to upgrade or even replace my shocks which have now decided to die on me, no surprise there! And I swapped the interior for a CL interior which was less in your face.













I started work on making my little Ratty go 'quirky'. The plan was to go down low, out wide, cover the windows [but not bodywork] with stickers and roll on the BBS RA's that I was in the process of polishing the lips on. I since changed my mind and decided once again that BBS were too overdone and I wanted something different. Here was my photoshop idea when I wanted the BBS...



This was when I started adding stickers. Oh and I painted the steelies gold with hammerite and paintbrushes for GTI Springfest for shiggs, we did it in the dark and there were loads of missed patches haha.











The next mod I did was swap the seats for Scirocco seats that I got out of a 40k mint old Scirocco. They look exactly like these ones and are height adjustable, the rear bench doesn't fit so I'm going to have to eventually customise that but the fronts sit perfectly with a few mm between them and the doorcards and just enough space to pull the handbrake!



I'd been looking for wheels for a long time, I wanted something with a bit of dish, but not too ridiculous or expensive, after months and months of looking these wheels popped up on ebay with an hour left, at 150 pounds! I was the only bidder and they were local, I believe it was fate because they look perfect on the car. They are 7jx13, and 4x98 on 165 55 Nankangs. I still have no idea what they are from, they were sold as a VW wheel but aren't even VW fitment! I've been told they could be Maserati Bi-Turbos but are slightly different, or that they could be off an old Alfa Spider from the late 70's.





Unfortunately when we put them on the car they fitted perfect on the fronts, but the arch sat on top of the tyre at the rear. Here is how it sits at the front. Just legal, looks so good!





We tried rolling the arches but they were really solid and double skinned and there's about 10mm standing between the wheels scrubbing everywhere or fitting nicely so I've now had them temporarily flared, and then having them perfected and a respray all over

So watch this space!

Having the new wheels on made it a lot lower so the exhaust scrapes a lot more. As I left Big Bang fest at Santa Pod this year the exhaust fell off from being scraped on the grass, it just finished it off, so it's still tied on with cable ties and speaker wire haha!!!

The next modification I did was to get clear front indicators and side repeaters, to keep it all looking neat. I also bought a Golf mk2 16v splitter which fits perfectly but I can't fit it because I wouldn't be able to drive anywhere! So I'm keeping it for shows only! ;]

Got some more photo's after re-blacking my bumpers with some amazing stuff, Meguiars Tyre Gel, worked a treat!













A few pictures with my friend Lauren's mk4 Golf.







The next modification was fully legal Dubmeister pressed plates! So I had to take some more photo's of course! ;]















The next modification to come along was the bonnet bra, as I was fed up of stone chips and it looks a bit meaner!







And some more photo's at a cool location near Brampton...











If anyone is wondering why it isn't lower, as I would love it lower, coilovers for mk2 / mk2f polo's cost 500 quid at the very bottom end of the market because they are more complicated, something to do with the hub and strut being one peice, which isn't worth it.

After all the arch work I felt the car needed a full outer respray so we stripped it down!

















So we drove it to the workshop as it was, a bit windy haha!



Oh and my poor ickle windscreen cracked when we took it out :'[ so I've had a new one put in through insurance, no chips now wahey!



Excuse the bad quality phone photo's!

Nearly prepped...



Prepped



Wet paint



Got some more pics of the prepping etc on an SLR will post them up when I put them on my mac!

I found a few polaroids and scanned them in the other day, varying ages but all pre-respray!

When I had gold steelies



At the local woods



My friend's mk4 golf [and me and her]



At GTI Springfest





A little photo shoot near Brampton Hut







Hope you like it! I'm always interested in feedback, haven't had a bad comment about it in the 3 years I've had it! :]

very cool and 'quirky'

Good work

.... put down the fisheye lens.


cool car though, dont see too many these days.

Ha the fisheyes are all from one shoot couldn't be assed to take it off as it was new. And obv I didn't take the rolling shots as you can see my blonde wig bobbing about in the drivers seat

Yeah I think cuz they were quite popular with the old people, a lot of them got scrapped, prices went up for them by about 200 quid, that's like an extra 50%, after the scrappage scheme!

People always stop to read my stickers though

I live in a one way street and an irish family [irish plate] stopped in their car to look at it and caused a traffic jam a week ago hehe

attention seeker!

Haha it does get a bit of attention, I didn't actually expect it to after there's been such a boom in rat look cars which stand out more, I think mines quite understated!

Police do laugh at me as they drive past though

Love this!

V cool,

Ty

good pics keep it comin cupcake

i am not a fan of the breadvan BUT that low looks good

Thanks guys! :] trying to keep it really clean and sleek while still being quirky, there's a fine line between quirky and distasteful as I'm sure you've all seen at some point lol!

cupcake, I bloody love this car Great job on the mods & some nice pics too. I had a 1985 Breadvan in navy blue, while I lived in Portsmouth about 10 years ago. It was an absolute heap, but I actually miss that little car (despite having to push start it more times than I care to remember). I don't remember seeing a post-90 breadvan shaped polo for a while, maybe it's just me.

Hehe thank you!

Ahh I've seen a few of the mk2 ones, they are mostly standard though, which in a way is nice but a few mods is good too!

Mine has not failed on my yet [touch wood] in nearly 3 years of owning it! The biggest problems I've had are all down to lowering it, oh and it sprung a leak from somewhere that filled the footwells haha but it seems to have gone after putting some of that plasticy stuff inside the engine bay where it looked like it was coming in!

Small world Becca, I sold you those wheels, well my girlfriend did. Hope they havnt given you any grief, look good on your car. shame my car was to low to run them.

"I still have no idea what they are from, they were sold as a VW wheel but aren't even VW fitment!"

I was told they were off a mk1 but I brought them in a rush at GTI international and didnt ask the guy any questions.

Was your car at DC 11?

Ha no grief whatsoever, all 4 are really straight and run fine other than the spigot rings being the wrong size just need to by new ones!

Yeah I think I did actually see them at GTI but had no money with me! But they aren't vw, although I can see why anyone would assume it they look no different to 4x100 and actually makes no difference whatsoever!

And yeah it was

A few unedited photo's from BugJam shownshine.













These are all after the arch work and respray, I know you can't see the arches that well but they are quite a bit different to before without looking like they've been modified, Titty did a perfect job! :]

Got a few photo's of my baby at VWAction daily show n shine! New cream badges!







:] enjoy!