If you've been keeping up with Project EuroTrash, you'd know the outside of our $200 find has been killing us. The paint was faded and oxidized and had been neglected for the past few years. The moldings had seen better days, with pieces falling off because of broken clips or missing rivets. We figured it was time to breathe some life back into this aging machine.
We could have painted the car, but the problem was a decent paint job with bodywork would run about $2,000, and that would still leave the crappy moldings. So that idea was scratched and some polish was purchased instead.
After years of neglect, the roof, hood, and trunk no longer shined, and the only time the paint looked good was when it was wet. We picked up some of Mothers' Clay Bar and Showtime quick detail. With the bottle of detailer in one hand and the clay bar in the other, we started polishing. After claying the car, we whipped out the orbital buffer and Zymol polish and went to town. When we were all done, we were amazed by the difference in the finish. Sure, it still wasn't a show car and the paint didn't magically appear new, but it was damn shiny and the haze was gone.
Next on the list was to scrap the old plastics and slap on new ones. We'd already stripped the car before polishing, but there were still some parts we needed to attend to. Since we were replacing most of the old moldings, we figured it would only be fair if we also replaced the taillights and painted some of the old parts that were going back on. We used VHT OEM bumper trim paint and painted the rear plate tub and the side skirts. The skirts came out damn near a perfect color match, and the rear plate tub was now black again, as opposed to faded gray.
One of the biggest problems we had with the car before its makeover was that the front bumper kept falling off due to broken clips and a slightly bent rebar. Luckily, we solved this problem when we ordered the parts from New German Performance, and our new front bumper arrived with a spanking new rebar. We also ordered the rear bumper, side moldings, G60 flares, and the Mk3 VR6 lip from NGP. The only problem we ran into was when we needed to swap the new rebar brackets on the front bumper with our old ones to cure a fitting issue since the OEM brackets gave us more adjustment to play with.
We also installed the G60 flares, but this required a bit of trimming. You need to trim the clip in the center of the front flares to get them to sit evenly on the fenders.
Fitting a Mk3 European VR6 lip to the front bumper took us a few hours to get right. The first thing you need to do is trim the clips away from the spoiler, until you get it to fit into the slots on the bumper. Once that problem is cured, you are nearly there. However, you have to deal with the fact that the Mk3 front bumper has com-pletely different lines and is wider than the one you're dealing with. Therefore, we had to make it bend around the Mk2 bumper properly. We started at the sides and worked toward the center using a heat gun to align the sides of the bumper with the spoiler and gently heat the plastic. Once it became flexible enough, we wrapped it around the corner of the bumper and held it until the plastic cooled. With the sides aligned and all the bends taken care of, we needed to trim the center where the spoiler was overlapping. We then secured the spoiler with self-tapping screws on the inside.
The final touch would be the M3-style taillights. And if you own a Mk2 Jetta, you know that aftermarket taillights are like unicorns -- for the most part, they just don't exist. Sure, you can get OEM smoked lights, but they're pricey and immensely hard to find. After some poking and prodding on VWvortex.com, we found Concept 1 in Canada which, in conjunction with TYC, produces an M3-style light for the Mk2 Jetta for under $200. Lighting is not something to take lightly (excuse the pun). Cheap lighting can cause more problems than it's worth, but we were confident these were quality taillights thanks to TYC, which makes all sorts of aftermarket and OE lights for Japanese cars.
Fitting is very straightforward, with the old lights unbolting from the car once you have unclipped the wiring harness. To install the new ones, simply line up the bolts with the holes and tighten. It's worth clipping in the wiring plugs and checking that everything works before you replace all the trunk trim pieces, or you could find yourself repeating this process if you make a mistake.
This month, Project EuroTrash has undergone a true makeover, bringing what was once lost back to life. We are nearing the end of the project, my friends, and all we have left is to sort the interior, do some weight reduction, and get the damn motor in place. So stay tuned because we're very close to the finish.
TECH FACTS:
OEM front bumper, $139.99; OEM rear bumper, $129.99; OEM G60 flare kit, $240.99; OEM molding kit, $62.99 (each front), $47.99 (each rear); Mk3 European VR6 chin spoiler, $109.99; Concept 1 M3-style taillights, $149.00
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 There's a small clip inside...  There's a small clip inside the front fender flares that you need to remove before the flares will sit flush with the body. |
 Bust out your rivet gun to...  Bust out your rivet gun to fix the flares to the body. |
 We needed a replacement rebar,...  We needed a replacement rebar, so we had to unbolt the subframe to remove the brackets as well. |
 Once the OEM brackets were...  Once the OEM brackets were bolted to the new rebar, we reassembled everything -- making sure to torque the subframe bolts. |
 The rear flares simply slide...  The rear flares simply slide on and rivet in place. |
 After the rear flares are...  After the rear flares are installed, you can slide the rear bumper on, ensuring it clips in place. Then attach the bumper to the flares to keep the sides tucked in neatly. |
 Installing the Concept 1 taillights...  Installing the Concept 1 taillights was a piece of cake. Remove four 8mm bolts from each side, then the bulb holder before you insert the new lenses. |
 The European VR6 lip gives...  The European VR6 lip gives the car an aggressive look, and it seems to complete the lower bumper where the 16v lip looks as if it's lacking something. |
 Oh yeah, we forgot to mention...  Oh yeah, we forgot to mention we lowered the crap out of the car. We have over an inch of thread left to go, so we can go lower if you dare us. |
Project Cost to Date:
$5,936.89