Caddy Kombi LA5W GTD build

[VAG-TEK]

I’ve been looking for the ‘right’ caddy for a while, it needed to be a specific spec and price. Wanted LA5W blue, kombi, tailgate, half decent spec ideally, but must be AC, electric windows, fairly straight but high miles to make for a cheap purchase! After months of searching found this slightly abused 212k miles 1.6 2013 model that ticked all the right boxes. After being relieved of a mere £2000 I happily proceed to limp this vehicle home. I own a VW Audi Group repair business so know my way around these and have a long list of things I want to do with it. Like all mechanics I have several vehicles, 5 golfs, a transporter and a crafter. I’ve had my current transporter since new and it regularly gets used driving up and down the country and Europe facilitating my hobbies. However it’s too nice sometimes to take certain places and has obvious transporter costs associated to it. I justify these vehicles to myself as the more I have the more I can spread the mileage out and keep the value of each vehicle higher mechanic logic

So, enter the caddy…
Plans for the caddy is my own take on a GTD caddy. Nearly all my vehicles are currently DSG and being a VW specialist have a lot of work with the DSG and a lot of admiration for it also. Being in my mid 30s and doing a lot of long journeys I find a manual vehicle far too irritating! My next purchase…the ‘right’ mk6 golf CFGB 170 engined GTD DSG with as low as mileage as possible, to be grafted into the caddy along with as many other mk6 parts I can get into it. GTD/caddy hybrid front bumper, honeycomb grills, GTD badging, S3 brakes, stage 1 map, suspension refresh, GTD tartan heated seats, heated windscreen conversion, Caddy life mirrors, LED headlights, car play, mk 4 tailgate, tail lights and rear bumper conversion. Interior needs a spruce up and the double caddy rear seat is currently missing. Sound deadening, insulation, carpeting etc also required. Plenty to do but will be a rolling advert for my business also for the sorts of conversion work that can be done along side all the usual VAG servicing, repairs and diagnostic work.

While I’m awaiting the donor golf I may well service and stick a cam belt on the CAYD 1.6 and carry out a few of the repairs it needs to be roadworthy and see what mileage can get the little lump up to until injectors or gearbox or turbo or something that wouldn’t really be worth fixing takes it back off the road and awaiting its 2.0 170 DSG transplant. Never done a build thread before for any vehicle so will upload as and when work takes place. Will get some more photos of van to show its current state of untidiness.

[kobat79]

Sounds good mate. Looking forward to following along. God bless your patience in holding out for such a specific list of wants!

[PJD]

Some pictures to see what £2k got you would be welcome

[VAG-TEK]

I wasn’t in a mad rush for one but was always looking and when it showed up I knew it was the one. Pictures to follow, just trying to work out picture uploads, build thread is a new venture for me!

[HeftyDanielson]

Needs some pictures!

The end goal for mine is GTD swap, I'm looking forward to see how it progresses.

[VAG-TEK]

https://imgur.com/a/6X7wsi3

Hopefully an image can be seen in the link above!

[PJD]

That's a lot of van for 2k. Looks like its a highline.

How many miles and when you say limped home, was there actually anything wrong with it?

[VAG-TEK]

I was very happy with £2000 for all of that van, looked for ages as had a fair list of what I wanted. Yes has all the usual highline comforts which is a nice place to start from, will be topping off the options with as many retrofits as I can. Currently amassing a pile of parts as things become available.
Journey home with the van started ok once some wind added to the black circles and the oil was taken from nothing on dipstick up to the max mark. After a few miles a rear pad lining broke free resulting in metal on metal, followed by a broken front coil spring shortly after. Stopped to check how bad the spring breakage was, removed the broken piece and carried on. The van returned 50mpg even with the brake issue which took a recent disc replacement down to about 6mm of disc thickness remaining.

Next up will be make the vehicle useable, brake repairs, coil spring replacement, cam belt, service and MOT test due next month. It also needs a thorough deep clean. The inside is not very pretty at all!

[VAG-TEK]

Currently still working my way through MOT test failures when time allows without spending too much money on it as also building up complete overhauled aluminium front subframe/shocks etc. Many used parts from my stores being fitted to make it temporarily road worthy. Still on the lookout for a reasonable mk4 tailgate. Have a rear mk4 bumper and s3 8v front brake set up to go with overhauled sub frame.

I buckled and put new 288mm discs on also albeit temporary but can’t stand warped discs. Missed out on the right donor mk6 gtd DSG, knocked about a bit but at the right money with a low ish mileage which was only about an hour away also which still hurts a bit to even think about but on the look out for the next right donor vehicle to appear.