AT6 OYEH! Reflex Silver T6 SWB Kombi with added ABT

[John A]

Now then

I’ve lurked for a while as Facebook groups have generally taken over forum activity, but thought I’d start a thread on the van, as I expect it will go through some small, continued transformations….

We bought our 2016 SWB Highline Kombi in March last year when then littlest one came along, and we discovered that there wasn’t the room in either our Qashqai or A4 Avant for three kids to travel comfortably.
I do a bit on VDub Radio, so it was a foregone conclusion really that we would get a T6. I’d have like a T6.1 but was out of budget.

I found this one on eBay within 10 miles and it ticked the boxes for mileage (50k), price, 2 front seats and a rear bench, twin slider and tailgate, and had already been carpeted in the back and fitted with Vibe speakers in the rear. It’s a EU5 140 6 speed manual, previously owned by a tuner, so has a map and feels like it is about 180bhp/330 ish lb ft.




Usual Highline kit (heated screen, air con, electric windows and mirrors, auto lights/wipers/dipping mirror, rear OPS).
It also has high beam assist, headlight washers and heated washer jets (don’t know if they were standard). It also had some ABT treatment, so has LLL supplied “ABT” embroidered leather (or probably pleather, but can’t have been cheap), a removable tow hitch and tow prep, ABT front skirt, ABT CR 20s, plus side bars, a generic rear spoiler and rear LEDs (these might have been ticked on the options list from new).

I’ve fitted Vanstyle headlights with Philips LEDs (they call them ‘V4’ but they’re remarkably similar to THQ V3s) and then, after we went to VW Bus Festival in Hanover, I sourced and fitted some ‘Bulli’ badges (when I say “source”, I found them on Amazon….) and then some chrome trimmed (Caravelle?) side repeaters and Silvervision bulbs to get rid of the fried egg look.



I’m not a massive fan of shiny chrome but I think these look ok



I fitted a new gearknob and gaiter (from VW) as the old ones were a bit tired, and the usual stuff like the wiper blades have been done, it’s had a timing belt and water pump because I believe they were due (regardless of whether VW now recommend 15+ years and 130k)

I put a Discover Media MIB2 in, for CarPlay and aome LV carpet mats. I managed to code in the mirrors to fold on the key (eventually).

I have some fancy brakes to fit, I’d like some coilovers too - it was on Eibach ‘Raceline’ springs until one was discovered to have snapped. I swapped them out for a set of H&R 50mm, but I’d like some coilovers. I’ve messaged @CRS Performance on Facebook and hoping for a reply.

I am getting ‘insufficient flow’ on the EGR, so it might be time to swap it. I really don’t want to blank or map it out as I believe, like the DPF, it’s there for a reason and I want to keep it that way.

It also has to support the odd camping trip at the VW festivals we go to with VDub Radio, so I bought a second hand Infinity Customs bed and a SIM, which is fine for the 3-4 weekends per year it’s actually used.

 

[Chippie1]

Loving the plate

 

[Sackmycook]

Asking for a fine with the plate unfortunately but nice van

 

[CAB]

Don't rely on FB, give Steve at CRS a call tomorrow, he's better on the phone!

 

[John A]

Asking for a fine with the plate unfortunately but nice van

That's just a show plate - I've got proper plates

 

[John A]

Without question, the best money I've spent is on having this van ceramic coated
It makes it so easy to clean and means that the pre wash stage remove 90% of the dirt before the contact wash.





I also finally got around to fitting the brake kit that I'd put together, but not without making sure I carelessly put them back in the box first to scratch the finish and the logo before I'd got around to fitting them.

I bought some DB9 calipers from a chap breaking a DB9 on his drive, I bought the (Vagbremtechnic) brackets, pads, lines and bolts from Alex at AKS Tuning in Bedford, the EBC discs were from eBay and then took the calipers to Dave Baird in Northampton to have them rebuilt and repainted, including a set of fully refurbished rears to match, rear Brembo discs and pads, and some new rear flexis (just to make them easier to bolt up) came to something like £1204 and meant that I could buy a bit each month.

I think the whole lot has come in around £250 cheaper than SF-Tuning charge for just the fronts - granted they have to take into account their overheads and stuff like VAT, etc., but I think the whole kit of 4x calipers, 4x discs, 2 pairs of pads, a refurb and all the hardware to put them together is pretty good. Of course, now I want some Akebono 6 pots on 380mm discs....



The wheels are knackered with a lot of the powder coat now failed, so that will need to be addressed PDQ.

Lastly, with OYEH being pressed into service for the thrice-yearly festival appearances, some extra space was needed and an Olpro Snug Breeze ("Breeze" being the airbeam version) orderd. Olpro do some pretty good discounts at various points of the year, this coming in around 30% cheaper than buying the same item from Decathlon or another reseller. Never mind that I also bought a ground sheet, carpet, 12v inflator pump, 2 new chairs, etc.
I feel like I have achieved total camping w-anchor nirvana.




Sailed through the MOT yesterday (15 July) and was serviced as a reward....
Next on the list (other than the bigger Akebono brakes and some bigger rears) would be a wheel refurb, front OPS retrofit and a reverse camera. I'd also like to upgrade the speakers, but generally this isn't essential and I reckon sorting the EGR is probably bit more important.

 

[John A]

EGR done - was clearly mucky and had a reached a stage where the spray cleaner would no longer do anything.
I bought a Wahler version from GSF, which came in a Borg and Beck emissions system box and cost £360 - less 15% discount and less £108 surcharge for sending the old one back so it topped out at £250 ish. I paid £120 to have it replaced including the antifreeze.
My tech said it was a pain in the arse of a job and it had clearly been done before, because it was missing the two inside bolts. It was also Valeo branded, which indicated to me that it was also aftermarket.
Didn't take any detailed photos or split the cooler from the valve unit.



I'm also trying out some carbon mirror caps as I think they suit a silver van.
The original RH mirror had clearly been whacked or had been removed and refitted in the past, as all of the internal clips had broken. Add to that a couple of clips on the base cover were broken as well.
I order the latter from Vanstyle (genuine OE for about £15 delivered) and have now tried three sets of carbon covers. The first ones I ordered from a well know retailer didn't fit (they reckon it was operator error and it may have been, but I could not line up the clips), the second set from Amazon were nearly 40 quid and look like they had been cut out in a year 7 design and tech class with a blunt scalpel blade. The third set - pictured - just don't line up properly. They don't fit around the inside edge, next to the side window and there is a sharp edge along the front where it meets the lower casing.

I have looked at hydro dipping and it's getting on for £100 (plus the price of a pair of plain mirrors to be dipped) and I just don't think I'm that into it.





Next on the list is some of CRS's own H&R coilovers and some narrower tyres.
I am tempted to sell one of the bikes to fund, seeing as I haven't done any cycling for at least 2 years...

There are lots of things I could take photos of, but probably can't be bothered.
I tried a couple of replacement gear knobs and gaiters, but didn't like any of them until I bought OE Sportline items from LLL Parts.

The Leighton carpets have gone - I didn't like that the rear bench's mat didn't go under the seats and the heel pad on the driver's side was in the wrong place.
I bought a full replacement set from Harrison's Trim Supplies, as you can spec the rear seat mat to go under the seat (+£20). The heel pad is in the right place, but they are in the van getting on at least 6 weeks now and the rear mat won't lay flat. There is a slight overlap between rear and middle mat and the rear mat is not cut out for the lashing points, which is a bit of a pain as I like to strap the bed down when I am using it (on the three occasions per year).

I've also developed a rattle (not me, the van), which is definitely coming from the back and seems (IMO) to be brake related, as it goes away under braking. I reckon it's the pads rattling in the caliper. EBC, in their infinite wisdom, don't supply replacement pad anti rattle springs or caliper bolts in a set of rear pads, which every single other pad maker seems to do. I've got some new springs/shims and will get these fitted, except I didn't order any caliper bolts (and don't seem to be able to find them as a standalone product).

 

[John A]

BusFest tomorrow, I've just had a week off and not even had time to get the van clean since we came back from Ireland (gratuitous ferry shot...)



I've ordered a new Reflex Silver mirror cover for the driver side (as all the tabs were broken), but it is 2 weeks and counting now since it was ordered, so god knows if it'll turn up.

I am sad enough to keep a record of every penny spent on our vehicles, because...well I don't really know either, but anyway I do.
So far in our ownership, I've done £6k
At least £3,500 went on "vanity projects", £700 on fixing stuff I broke and £1k went on fixing stuff that went wrong (new springs, pair of shocks and an EGR valve).
A service, timing belt and a couple of MOTs make up the rest. I'd have preferred to not have spent money on replacing a set of springs for one broken one and a pair of shocks for one blown one, especially because I would like to do a set of coilovers, but it is what it is.

I can see another couple of grand being spent on a decent set of coilovers, a set of 245/45 tyres and a wheel refurb.
I'd also like to swap out the DB9/340mm brake setup for an Akebono setup from an Audi and a bigger rear setup.

I'm sure there was a point when I started writing this, but I can't remember what it was now, as I've been interrupted three times.

 

[John A]

Not much to report
After months of deliberation, the van is booked to go to @CRS Performance on Wednesday for some MOAR LOWERR. In preparation for a coilover kit, I have had some narrower tyres fitted. Nexens again as I though the Nexen SU1s that were on it already were very good, especially at the price point compared to a Conti or a Michelin (I ran exclusively Michelin Pilot Sport 4 or 5 on my previous car and the current car has Bridgestone S001s on it, which wear out very quickly and seem to offer little in the way of wet grip currently).

And some pictures if you like that sort of thing



The "I'm glad we've got a van because this would have been a squeeze in the car"


The "I stole this from BusFest....."

The only think I bought at BusFest (other than an ice cream and a couple of pints, and the most expensive tent pegs in Malvern) was some Van-X lower dash mats. I already had the door pocket rubbers, but bought the dash mats to finish off the set. I was surprised there wasn't a show offer on as they were priced the same as they were online, but it's not the end of the world. I may go for the top dash mat just for completion

The "why do I need this much stuff for two nights?" (Note the unnecessarily professional shotgun microphones)



The "this is the tidiest I've ever had it so I might as well make the use of it"



The "where did all this water come from?"


And finally, the "I suppose I should probably take a photo before I completely pack away"



Those bubbles went absolutely everywhere and I'm surprised they weren't really slippery when it chucked it down.
That angle makes it look quite low on 50mm springs, but there's more arch gap than that to delete

 

[John A]

Arch gap deleted




After a trip to @CRS Performance on Wednesday last week, OYEH is now wearing one of their H&R kits.
Am amazed at a) the speed the work at b) James’s knowledge and c) how different the ride is. I reckon if the van ever carried any weight it would be even better but a 70mm drop and it has some of the driving characteristics is a car. Its remarkable.

I’ve also fixed the pesky bonnet switch - the plunger looks like it had got stuck under the rubber sleeve.
I have tried to do the same to the towbar electrics as it thinks a trailer is attached til I press the brake (to make the OPS system work). I need to take the connector apart but the screw head has gone rusty and Won’t separate from the bolt. Specialist needed…

 

[John A]

And those who enjoy a game of spot the ball may have noticed that I've put an original matching mirror cap back on.




The original silver cap didn't fit properly and it was only when I took it apart the first time did I notice that all of the clips had been snapped, as well as some of the clips on the base of the mirror.

I had been running with one of the carbon mirror caps fitted, because after fitting them and deciding I didn't like the fit, I only bothered doing one until the replacement silver item arrived. It came from eBay, is advertised as (and appears to be OE) and arrived in the VW packaging. The painting has been done by the seller as it's not finished on the inside of the cap the same as factory, but whatever. £63 for the mirror cap and £15 for the base from Vanstyle (I think).

I keep a record of every penny spent on the van and it's the stuff of nightmares (even if only 1/3 of it was strictly necessary spending....)

 

[John A]

Probably overdue an update but mostly because I cannot think of what I’ve done since October. Probably not cleaned it anyway, as the poor old van is looking a bit dirty.

I had (until very recently) an Audi A6 Black Edition - and very bloody lovely it was too. The T6 was always going to be the other half’s daily because of ferrying the kids about - more on that to come - so I had an A4 and then five years of running A4, I bought the A6 in April last year.
More recently I saw these…


And bought one and put it on the car to chintz it right up.

Then I thought…what can I get for the van?
I bought an Ali Express special Porsche cap which I knew would need to be modified. But then I thought I could go one better…


I’d seen this done before but the cap needed modding the same as the Porsche ones, as they’re a quarter turn to secure, whereas these have a thread.
I found that the mid-00s Flying Spur and probably the Continental had a direct fitting fuel cap. They were a decent cost option when new, but fortunately this was a LOT less.

The Abt wheels were starting to look a bit scabby - lots of corrosion and Mrs John had managed to do each one against a kerb. I sent the van off to Northampton Wheel Refurbishment who did an excellent, drive in/drive out job for £240.

I was very pleased and I even managed to track down the fancy VW valve caps….





Then less than 36 hours later, Mrs John tells me she has scraped a wheel. In terms of over-reaction, this is probably up there with McCarthyism…
I was so annoyed that I decided I would start driving the van as a daily. My (beautiful) A6 wasn’t suitable for the Doris because diesel, AdBlue, DPF, etc., not great on a 1.5 mile commute (although the van was pretty good with it tbf). So on the Friday, about 10 minutes after I learn about the wheel, I’ve advertised the A6 for sale. By half ten on the Monday it’s gone and by half two, I have a replacement with a petrol engine…

---

It’s good. It’s not as nice or well made as my A6 was, but it’s ok. I’ve had an earlier one and they are on a par quality wise.

And I found somewhere to put the Ali Express Porsche filler cap…



Back to the T6:
I’ve not got to the bottom of the towbar wiring.
I am going to do a front OPS retrofit.
I have a plan to replace the side bars for side skirts.
Something I’ve wanted for a while is incoming:



And Camper Mart this weekend. I’ll be there with the VDub Radio crew.

 

[John A]

The other thing I did, which I almost forgot about, was change out the LED 'bulbs' in the (aftermarket) headlights.

I bought mine from Vanstyle - they look remarkably similar to THQ V3s, except with less cable hanging out the back, and rather than using an H7 fitting for the dipped headlight, they use an H8/H9/H11 fitment, which doesn't rely on a spring clip to hold it in, but a twist fitting with a weather seal (as they normally go into foglights).
I had bought Philips Ultinon H11s which, in the projectors, weren't much better than the stock headlights. They had dead spots in them and weren't very bright at all. The recommendation seems to be to turn the bulb in the holder, which is supposed to help, but you can twist the bulb in an H11 fitting.

Looking online, I came across Twenty20 branded 'lenticular' units from Auto Bulbs Direct at around the £70 mark including a discount, but were out of stock.
They are apparently designed to sit behind projectors and improve the light. I did a bit of digging and came up with these on Amazon for £43 and everything I could find about them appeared to be identical to the ABD's Twenty20 offering and that of another online retailer I found.

Fitted they are much better - they're not as bright as you would except from the crackers 10,000 lumen rating (I think they've pulled that number out of the air), but the dead spots are gone and there is a really sharp cutoff to them. They are maybe more in line with what I'd have expected from putting an LED into one of the V1/2/3 projector type headlights. Sure they won't be as good as the OEM or the HBrite/Travelin-Lite/THQ version in the process of being launched, but they weren't far off the factory LEDs in my A6 and they have cost half the price.

 

[John A]

I climbed over the rear passenger seat (it's a bench, so I can't fold a single seat forward and climb in) to see if I could open the tailgate from the inside. I could, so came to the conclusion the external handle switch was finished. I looked online at prices (around £63 + shipping) before trying the dealer in Kettering and getting a price of £57 and in stock.
Not a complicated thing to swap out, but it was cold so I couldn't be bothered taking pictures.
Most fiddly thing is prying the painted plastic trim from the switch to reassemble onto the new switch, and reconnecting the actuator rod when putting it back together.

The other thing I got around to doing was changing this:



to this:



I thought I'd done it before and was expecting there to be some complicated HEX code that I had to change. But I went back into the long coding in 5B and picked Transporter from the list, and there it was.
I need to get to the bottom of the trailer electrics thinking there is a trailer connected.
I changed the connector for a proper 7-pin VW-AG branded one


It's all wired up right and has been checked with a trailer wiring tester that I bought that shows that everything, bar the fog light on the trailer side works, however when there is nothing connected, I get a fog light on the van, as I would expect.

But every time I put the van in reverse, I get the trailer connected on the display until I dab the brake and (presumably) open a circuit. If anybody has any thoughts, please feel free to share. There is a Jaeger module under the bonnet which had a Brink connector and a Westfalia hitch. It all worked fine for at least a year, until I towed a trailer with it and it's not gone back to normal.

I have the van in the body shop on Monday for a small addition and it is crying out for a good clean.
And that is it..If I ever break my association with the VDR lot, I will probably move it on and go back to a car.

 

[John A]

I have just had delivered (by the Amazon man, wearing a full DPD uniform...)

One of these



For keeping these in place



A nicely powdercoated set of GP Steels which I will probably not keep....
This cover is supposed to waterproof, but I'm not so sure


Next to them is my set of Azev A 90s Max Power specials ready to go on the Corrado (they look a bit like Speedlines tbf)

And also a bag of ferrets.


Sorry, I don't mean ferrets, do I....
I read a post on this forum the other day about ferrite cores being used around dash cam cables, LED headlights, etc. I put some on to a dashcam cable in the past, and it made no discernible improvement in DAB reception on that car.
I thought it was worth a go to fit one to each end of the dashcam cable, one to each main headlight connector and one to each connection to the LED (actually I've missed off the main beam, so let's see what's what).

Turning the radio on, it immediately registers DAB BBC channels, whereas before it would switch to FM.
I also tried a commercial station on one of the SDL National multiplexes and immediately got a solid reception, so I'll test a bit more when I go out to do the shopping in a bit and see whether it has made a difference.

Interestingly, my vRS has factory DAB, factory LEDs and front and rear dashcams and the radio reception is golden.

 

[John A]

Well I spoke too soon on the DAB.
Even with the ferrites fitted to every loose bit of cable in the van, it’s still sh1t. So I think an aerial is the order of the day.

Anyway, back to this box

Something I’ve wanted for a while is incoming:

View attachment 272543

I found an unopened/unused ABT grill for sale on Facebook Marketplace of all places, for less than half of what Vanstyle are asking for them with VAT and delivery.

I didn’t trust myself to stick it on, so I left it with the professionals (a local Bodyshop, not Bodie and Doyle).


Still need to fit the badge but I now have a. ABT grill (overlay).
I’m oddly underwhelmed by it - sure it goes on for ‘completeness’ but I think it would be more standout on a different colour van.

Black badge next I think. The one on the back is already black.

 

[John A]

When I spotted the temperature was up to double figures AND it was dry, I was out into the office car park with the alcohol wipes to fit the Abt badge that came with the grille.



Yes I know, it’s not that exciting but it finishes it off.
Now, black badge or not?

 

[JumpShip]

Yes , black badge

 

[Bav]

I would say yes - the VW badge looks a bit "shouty" next to the ABT badge.

 

[John A]

First clean of the year and certainly since the wheels were refurbished, and the grille overlay fitted.