ALL RISE

Should have done this ages ago, been busy/lazy.

So, the cab and dead VR were now in the same place East bound and down and the process of putting the good bits of the VR into the cab began.

I'd been into these Mazda wheels for a while, they're rarely seen, used to be popular with RX7 guys in Japan, superlight and you can fit mad brakes under them, just tracking a set down proved quite tricky.

As is always the way with these things, just as I was about to order some via yahoo auctions in Japan and take the risk on them and set turn up in Kent! job done.  So now, I had wheels and a theme was starting to take shape.  I wanted a kind of Pacific rim vibe, some JDM touches but an American style.

I'd seen a cab on the net stateside with a roof rack, and being partial to a bicycle or three this seemed like an ideal mod, again, where the hell do you find one?  Eventually a chance visit to VW turned one up in the storerooms of a dealership down in Devon, apparently, no-one in VW UK could recall fitting one to a customers car, we'd find out why in time....

And, one last mod, no-one liked the idea, the rest of F6 were firmly "out" on this one and I was on my own, I wanted an origin bonnet homage.  I love the Origin kitted S13 sporting the Hokusai print "'Under the Wave off Kanagawa" on its bonnet, so, with a bit of photoshop to match the colours in the image to the cab I bit the bullet, guessed the size of the bonnet and ordered my giant sticker...

Loads of other parts were obtained, I pity the Thule windjammer from Merika, black leather to replace the sick enducing beige, little bits n bobs

Daz and his spanner ferrets worked their magic and we set off North to collect the cab with its exciting new engine and noises, of course it rained but Paul and I insisted on driving it roof down.

Once the TORRENTIAL FUCKING RAIN stopped for a few minutes, we set about getting the modding on.  Roof rack first, that'll be at least half an hour, get it out the way.  O - Kay then, 6 hours later.....

2 return visits to B&Q, 4 egg sandwiches and an imperial shitload of tea and the fucker still wasn't attached.  We began to see why you don't see these, 17mm hole through the pillars of you brand new cabriolet madam??  It took us well into the next day, but somehow we got the thing on, it's permanent now, I'm not taking it off....

Loud.

Obscenely loud.

much better. It was sounding awesome now, the neighbours LOVED it. Honest.

Alex used to work for a vinyl signwriting place and under his expert direction we had the bonnet sorted in an easy 4 hours and my measurements had a arse clenching 1mm to spare.... idiot.

The sun came out...

Done. Time for the drive home:

It's awesome, I love this car, I've tried to bring myself to sell it a few times but I don't think I can live without that noise in my life, plus, I've got next summer to ride around with the roof down, I can't sell it now.......

James