Started working out the loom today. This is the full vehicle loom that came with the new engine. It’s a full GTI engine and interior loom, including an alarm/immobiliser. Not shown is the OMEX engine loom that I have test fitted to the engine in the engine stand. There isn’t much in this picture that will have any use to my setup, but it has confirmed the wire that controls the tacho/rev counter.

I’ve already partially stripped lightened my interior loom, but once I strip the interior out I’ll remove a few more wires and gubbins that are now redundant. I’ve decided that I want to relocate the battery and engine fuseboxes to the interior before I do the other works so that way I can isolate any changes issues resulting from this on the electrics from the engine swap. Need to get a few bits and check a few things out.

A couple of photos from the 106 Rallye Register North West section drive out into the Peak District…

Wheels are shod with Eagle F1s and fitted. I know wheel choice and colour is a very personal thing, but I am really pleased with these. They’ll go very nicely with the Bank Holiday weekend surprise that’s coming at the end of the month.

The metal flake in the powdercoat on the wheels means they change colour a lot depending on the angle of the light (see rim photos). They look darker in this photo that in natural light. Oh and the car needs a clean and polish!

In all this set of wheels are a whopping 14kg lighter than the Speedline Chronos that came off. I know it is often talked about but it really is noticeable on the handling of the car, especially on the steering.

I’ve also been researching a bit to calculate exactly what weight saving the Hi Spec brake conversion will deliver. A Lucas 266mm caliper comes in at 5.2kg. The Ultralights with mountings etc… come in at just over 1kg. So the saving is 8kg per side in unsprung weight over the 266mm set ups with the caliper. This is offset against the increased weight of the discs which are 3kg a pair heavier, but that’s still another 5kg reduction in unsprung weight.

Right been a while without any updates due to holidays and other things. Tyres are being fitted to the Ultraleggeras on saturday morning. Some bits have arrived to including Anodised P clips for the coolant hoses.

Brake master cylinder blanking plug with crush washer from Speedflow. M10 x 1mm stainless steel niceness. I need this to blank off the redundant rear hose port on the master cylinder. Fitted finger tight at random for these photos. Finally I ordered some replacements for the Goodridge hoses as they were the wrong fitment for the Hi Specs. Now have everything needed to fit the brakes except DOT fluid.

Ultraleggeras are back from powdercoating and refurb at The Wheel Specialist. Now looking rather amazing in Anthracite… I’ll hopefully get some tyres on them next month…