@@Markko1986 this was my first welding project lol. I had never welded before attempting this and there is a lot I would change if I had to go back and do it over again

@@juanlj9339 I wish we got the N/A 20v in the states

@@Leakyvws Home Made

I definitely did not give the ABA enough credit in this video. Over the last few weeks I’ve become very interested in building a high rev aba with bike carbs or itbs. Definitely the plan if I can find a decent scirocco shell for it to go into

@@Leakyvws I’m building one to hopefully turbo soon, with low comp pistons, metal head gasket and head studs:)

You would need a new gas tank or fuel cell. Also possibly a different cluster so you can have a tachometer. Other than that the vr6 will bolt right in with the swap kit

@@Leakyvws okay thank you so much I’m sure I will start posting it and I’ll update ya on the build your advice really helped me I appreciate it

⁠@@Leakyvwsdo you know of any kits for the cluster and all the wiring?

I believe I wet sanded with 2000 grit but you can use whatever grit the compound you choose to use will polish out

Thanks it’s currently home to a corrado and misc other VW parts hoard

I sometimes miss the simplicity of this car. Don’t get my wrong, I love the way the car looks now with BLQs and bags but sometimes I think back to the roots of this build when I was a broke kid

They are the 16x8 snowflakes and I’m running 195/45 16. They do rub a bit at the current height but I am running a 3mm spacer in the front to clear my coilovers and a 10mm rear axle stub spacer. I also have not trimmed my fenders at all which would likely eliminate most of the rubbing

@@Leakyvws Thanks, hard tires to find right now!

@@zbomb33 yep unfortunately the smaller tire size choices are getting scarce

It’s an rcd330 clone I got on eBay. The exact link I bought from doesn’t exist but similar ones are on there and Amazon. I actually purchased an eonon head unit for my r32 which I like more because it has wireless car play

I’m not to familiar with the ADY. Idk if we got it here in the states. Only reason I put the aba below the other options is lack of availability here and power in its stock form compared to the other options. That being said I love my aba in my cabrio and would never swap it for a different motor

07K THE WORLD BABY! they rip na in light chassis'

I agree 07k is definitely the easiest engine to get parts for out of all of the options since it is the newest. I’m looking forward to comparing my friends 07k once it is done to the VR6

@@Leakyvws I am interested in seeing a comparison from a swap standpoint. I gotta find a mk4 vr6 to compare to my 07k swapped one haha

I wish 16vs were easier to find nowadays. I’d love to do a 16v with ITBs or bike carbs in an early German rabbit

Currently doing endos with my corrado brakes lol

@@Leakyvws vr6 + mk1 = flipped mk1 is an ooolldd running joke from my days on vwvortex. some dude put his on its roof just after doing the swap and it took off from there lmao

@@draggonheddI remember looking through old vortex posts while researching the swap and seeing it a few times. I wish I could have been around when vortex was in its prime

Once my cabrio is completely rotted (it’s very bad lol) my plan is to rip its aba out and have it live on in another car. Likely a s1 scirocco if I can find one and maybe turbo it in the process

While I am not a big Honda guy, the k24 is a great engine and any k series with itbs sounds amazing

The 07k was close second to the VR6 for me. I managed to convince a friend to swap his rabbit to an 07k so that build will be coming to the channel soon

@@Leakyvws I used to drive a mrk3 glx vr6. Sold it freshman year in college. I miss that car a lot. Both engines are unique and have tons of potential. Will be looking forward to seeing the rabbit come together. cheers

@@Leakyvws Any interest in authoring a book on rebuilding VR6 engines?

I definitely gotta give the diesels a try at some point. Can’t beat that 50 mpg

@@Leakyvws ya they arnt all slow lol. We have ranger with a alh in it and a golf with a stage four and it hurts alot of feelings haha.

@@rzmod4766 the main reason I’ve stayed away to this point is that I don’t have any prior experience with diesels. I’d love to have a caddy with an ALH some day. Just can’t justify building one with the other 4 VWs I have at the moment lol

​@@LeakyvwsThe ALH is a great platform for those new to diesels. It's an extremely simple, 8v SOHC engine with tons of aftermarket performance parts. My 2003 Jetta ALH with a Kerma tune, gt1752v turbo, exhaust and mild nozzles is surprisingly quick. The turbo and intake are a little tricky to take off, but generally speaking, they're easy to work on.

Had a stage 2 mk4 ALH wagon and realistically it was low HP but the torque is insane. Had a MK 12v VR swap and that was fun but once i drove an ALH i was hooked. Ill never drive a gasser again

Hey and that’s fair too. Thanks for watching!

I love the vr6 platform. The engine has a lot of personality compared to the modern generic 4 cylinder turbo engines

A mk7 is the only generation of VW we are missing from our driveway. The IS38 is a great choice for any of the newer Volkswagens

It’s definitely a learning process especially based on what prior sewing knowledge you have. Depending on the car, I would recommend just getting a pair of aftermarket seats or buying a set out of another car. You’ll save a lot of time and headaches they way

I’m planning on making a video covering the pros and cons of the most popular swaps for the mk1s as well as the expected cost. I have other videos on my channel going over disassembling and rebuilding the VR6 for this car. S&P automotive is my go to company for mk1 swap parts. I would recommend having a swap harness made by them or TDC shop to simply the electrical system and save a lot of time

Thanks, sounds like your fan switch might be going bad

I’m not sure of exact measurements but the vr6 is a pretty tall engine. It barely clears the hood and the oil pan is about 3 inches from the ground at the current ride height

I get about 30mpg going about 70mph on the highway and 21 to 25 normal driving

@@LeakyvwsYou did an amazing job hiding your shiftknob. Judging by your fuel consumption you drive a manual correct ?

Thanks! iPhone 13 and adobe premiere

I used 2k clear coat. It’s the spay can that has the hardener in the bottom. Looks way better than regular spay paint clear coat and gives a similar finish to clear out of a spray gun

Mk4 cabrio? If so it’s technically still a mk3 platform. I daily drive one currently. If you are referring to the vr5 engine I am unsure since we never got them in the US but I’m sure someone has attempted it at some point

Thanks man we put v8 in Vegas German seem meteoric I just got get ecm tune it if possible

How deep do you want to go into the rebuild? Do you want to replace everything possible or just a refresh?

I'm assuming you're taking about tuning and going catless. I keep my cars under 5k a year so they are emissions exempt

@Leakyvws no need to go catless, stage 1 is a stock upgrade. I forget the increase specifics, but an upgrade to torque and hp for $400ish. Also got a cheap clutch stop from etsy for $10, highly recommended.

@@sikth8213 I’ve been meaning to go stage 1 for a while. EuroCustoms is actually pretty local to me but other projects have been taking priority. Really focused on making my vr6 mk1 as fast as possible right now

Hi, I'm in the UK, have the 1.6 2000(W) SE. They do look better than the mk3 overall, but like was stated in this video, finding parts is a nightmare, especially here in the UK, still looking for some bits for mine(hydraulic hood lifter(ram)and nearly all of them are in the US. Over here, the better option is the mk3 as it's now considered a classic, easier to get parts, whereas the 3.5 is in no man's land. The biggest benefit I see from the 3.5 is it's going to be very rare as only enthusiasts are going to be prepared to hunt the world for parts to keep them on the road. Thankfully, I can get repair panels for the lower wings, from a well known auction/seller site, so are still totally original. I could go on all day so going to say great video, hope you still have the car, with further spec's. Wheels look great aswell. I would advise going to a VW dealer/parts to get manufacturers part numbers for aftermarket parts, some look the same as mk3 and mk4 but have slight differences. Also just found my hydraulic roof ram's, bought both(£300) so I have a spare, not for sale, sorry.

Best bet even in the US is to just buy an entire parts car since they are still pretty cheap and not very sought after by enthusiasts

Tops are a pain to replace especially if it’s the power top. Depending on climate rust can be an issue even with low miles. The window seals also crack from being in the sun and can leak. My driver door seals are bad around the mirrors and the water gets into the door and rusted the bottom of the door. Fenders are also nearly impossible to find so if they are rusty at the bottom they will need to be patched instead of just replaced. The aba is super reliable especially with a manual transmission. The auto isn’t as good. Very simple cars so for $1500 you can’t really go wrong

@@Leakyvws thanks man I’ll make sure to look at the seals I’m getting it from a coworker they bought it brand new when it came out and it’s been garaged all it’s life the other downside is that it became a salvage title only because the top was ripped other than that everything looks good, wish it was a manual though lol plus I only want it to use as a commuter

I’d pass if salvage

It’s a 2000 and they are 16x8 et 20 wheels with 195 45 tires