My new Shuttle

[Paynewright]

So, just joined the forum as my new T6 arrives on Thursday.

The original plan was to buy a panel van and convert it to kombi spec and I had a fabulous offer of a delivery mileage T26. However, after getting on the bathroom scales with seats and totting up weights of conversion items, people, bikes, luggage and camping gear I felt it was too close to the max weight so cancelled. This was after I'd already brought some seats (see for sale)!

Then after what seemed like days trawling the internet, VW commercial and ebay I found what I thought was a low mileage startline shuttle with aircon and parking sensors. Compromise was it had barn doors but was reasonably priced and lots of warranty left. Turns out it is a 9 seat window van and has heat / aircon piped to the rear like some of the more up market models.

So the plan is to drop to 8 seats (reduces insurance by £1K ). Also SWMBO doesn't like the front double seat (win;win). Tint the rear windows, Amarok 18" steels, sportline springs and towbar. Then creature comforts for the kids - some rear storage, USB charge points, cup holders etc.

I love a project!! Look out in Team Silver once its arrived!

Regards

Ian

 

[Paynewright]

Its arrived....

 

[Tourershine]

Amarok 18" steels, sportline springs and towbar.
I love a project!! Look out in Team Silver once its arrived!

Regards

Ian

First of all, welcome to the forum.

I would never argue with a steel wheel choice, and the 18" Amaroks are up there with best, but consider a slightly different suspension set up, depending on your budget and what you want to achieve with your look.
Reason being, in my experience the Sportline springs are only a 30mm drop, and this often disappoints people if they wanted to lower their vans, when in reality it's barely noticable between stock and 30mm. Consider saving the money you can spend on the Sportline springs, and opt for a coil over set-up. There are several available in different budgets, but by far the most popular is the Bilstein B14, which will give you full adjustment to go low and hard, or not quite slammed, but a slight drop and a much nicer drive. There is also the formidable Solow set-up sold by local to you Transporter HQ which is the same set-up as the B14, using Bilstein shocks, but even more adjustment to really drop the T6 on it's belly, if that's your thing.
More importantly, you will have the luxury of adjustment, meaning you have level out your T6, when often just springs will make it sit higher or lower at one end, which will annoy the hell out of you.

If that was mine sat there, it would be on Solows, dropped as far as I could get it, levelled up, Banded 18" Amaroks in Black, Black out all the rear windows in a limo tint, and that would be me done. Don't colour code the bumpers, because the commercial look is a big trend at the moment, and coupled with the suspension and steel wheels, it will look stock, low and fat but that's just my recipe for a cool looking T6.

If you do want to go down this route, and you want to drive one that's on B14s with several other modifications, and as low as they will sit, I also live in Leicester, and you're welcome to take mine out for a drive to see if it suits you.

 

[Paynewright]

First of all, welcome to the forum.

I would never argue with a steel wheel choice, and the 18" Amaroks are up there with best, but consider a slightly different suspension set up, depending on your budget and what you want to achieve with your look.
Reason being, in my experience the Sportline springs are only a 30mm drop, and this often disappoints people if they wanted to lower their vans, when in reality it's barely noticable between stock and 30mm. Consider saving the money you can spend on the Sportline springs, and opt for a coil over set-up. There are several available in different budgets, but by far the most popular is the Bilstein B14, which will give you full adjustment to go low and hard, or not quite slammed, but a slight drop and a much nicer drive. There is also the formidable Solow set-up sold by local to you Transporter HQ which is the same set-up as the B14, using Bilstein shocks, but even more adjustment to really drop the T6 on it's belly, if that's your thing.
More importantly, you will have the luxury of adjustment, meaning you have level out your T6, when often just springs will make it sit higher or lower at one end, which will annoy the hell out of you.

If that was mine sat there, it would be on Solows, dropped as far as I could get it, levelled up, Banded 18" Amaroks in Black, Black out all the rear windows in a limo tint, and that would be me done. Don't colour code the bumpers, because the commercial look is a big trend at the moment, and coupled with the suspension and steel wheels, it will look stock, low and fat but that's just my recipe for a cool looking T6.

If you do want to go down this route, and you want to drive one that's on B14s with several other modifications, and as low as they will sit, I also live in Leicester, and you're welcome to take mine out for a drive to see if it suits you.

Wise words and a path I’m familiar with on other cars I’ve owned. I think whilst it is under warranty I’m happy to stick with upgrades from the OEM parts bin. My main themes are subtle and practical. Happy to fit the springs myself so its only a modest outlay that I’m happy to ‘throw away’ in a couple of years if I go for fully adjustable.

Its still all new and learning lots!

Yesterdays task was collecting a matching single front seat from Exploria in Brighouse and fit, so I’m down to 8 seats and cheap insurance!



Thanks
Ian

 

[Long tall John]

Love your van. I prefer the clear glass, the steel wheels, barn doors, black wing mirrors and black bumper.... and if your gonna lower it... don't go extreme..... basically, in my eyes..... don't change the exterior!!!!!! I'm soon to get a new highline red panel van with barn doors. I would love the glossy red bumpers to be black plastic but can't justify the cost of the change. I was going to store the red bumpers in mint condition until I sell it. The black ones don't care if they are scratched and dented... adds character whereas shinny gloss ones look terrible with damage as do the wing mirrors.

 

[Long tall John]

and if windows is the name for her... its a perfect name!!!

 

[Paynewright]

Mods will be subtle! Tinting is important to us to give some privacy and not worry about having stuff in the van. Still undecided on shade - prob 20%

Hadnt thought of a name - it will probably be ‘the bus’. Windows was just a play on the infamous operating system!

 

[andys]

Mods will be subtle! Tinting is important to us to give some privacy and not worry about having stuff in the van. Still undecided on shade - prob 20%

Hadnt thought of a name - it will probably be ‘the bus’. Windows was just a play on the infamous operating system!

20% tint or 20% transmission? If it’s 20% tint then you won’t get any privacy from it, in fact you’ll hardly notice it has a tint. For reference, the cab windows come with 26% tint from the factory (meaning you can’t put any tint film on them at all or they’d be illegal). Any windows behind the B pillar can be as dark as you like and 80% tint (ie 20% transmission) would be a good place to start as it’s difficult to see in, while still looking fairly clear with good visibility from the inside. Full limo is around 90% and makes it almost impossible to see in while allowing you to see out, albeit noticeably darker inside.

 

[Long tall John]

I hang my head in shame cos we are getting tinted windows fitted like you for the privacy... I just think the clear ones always look nicer. Both my wife and I are torn over it. We don't mind people seeing our mess, we just don't want them to see us!!!

 

[Paynewright]

I had limo tint on my old car and in daytime it was fine but at night was difficult to see anything when reversing so thinking to go one shade lighter - 20% transmission.

 

[Spaghetti]

Love your van. I prefer the clear glass, the steel wheels, barn doors, black wing mirrors and black bumper.... and if your gonna lower it... don't go extreme..... basically, in my eyes..... don't change the exterior!!!!!! I'm soon to get a new highline red panel van with barn doors. I would love the glossy red bumpers to be black plastic but can't justify the cost of the change. I was going to store the red bumpers in mint condition until I sell it. The black ones don't care if they are scratched and dented... adds character whereas shinny gloss ones look terrible with damage as do the wing mirrors.

Annoyingly, I know a member on here who had the black bumpers and paid for red colour coded ones recently, and had the black ones kicking about.

 

[Long tall John]

We may well post in The Wanted thread if we decide to upgrade to H7 lights and fit them then. There should always be some kicking around because a lot of people will be changing them for whatever colour. We would want to keep ours for when we come to sell the van as most people would want the colour coded on it, in a pretty much unused state.