Slim's Rado Turbo

As promised here's my build thread, bear with me as it's been 6 years work in progress and still ongoing!

I originally brought her back in '04 off a mate as a favour. His missus was pregnant and could no longer get in or out of it so he needed something more family orintated.
was pretty standard, apart from some lowering spring and a set of 17" wheels.

(I'd fitted the debadged grill by this point)

Shortly after, one of the rear springs snapped so it was time for coilovers followed by having the charger S4'd, with chip and pulley to match.

Have tried loads of different things over time, and here's a few pictures.
Not really in any order.

Original Wheels

Tried out some TT seats

Followed by standard Recaro's

Borbet A's

Landrover TD5 intercooler

Custom Intercooler




Then it was new engine time.
Quick spec is:
1.9l rebored PG lump
Big Valve head (8V)
VF22 IHI turbo
Haltech E6H standalone management
adjustable boost (0.5-1.5bar)
306.3bhp - 472Nm torque



And now some new wheels, Compomotive CX-R
Needed something light and big enough for some bigger brakes!


In the not to distant future it'll be tie for some new brakes, plan on going for 312mm TT fronts with redrilled discs.
and eventually would like to have NOS, but need to save my pennies for that!

Good work! Really like the look of the TT seats.

What made you got for a turbo instead of the charger?

ace. do you still have the borbets?

Sorry dude, Borbets went before Xmas to fund the new wheels

I loved the TT seats and still kind of kick myself for selling them, they added a modern touch to the cockpit.
The short answer for the Turbo is power, I was planning a big spec rebuild on my G60, which would have seen about 250bhp.
This setup came along at about half the price so I couldnt resist. I miss the sound of the charger, but the power of the tubby makes up for it!

Mate its official i love your car, awsome, cant wait to see it. Shame about the Borbets as i think the car looked better with them, the customer intercooler looks the same as mine which me and Lemski fitted. Have to agree that a charger does sound soooooo much nicer then a turbo

some one say my name. i looked at this earlier, its cool as fuck. am gunna snoop round it on sunday and compaire to caisters mk2 turbo, and see which i like better.

I'll pop open the bonnet on sunday but you have to bear in mind this car is built to be driven, not looked at
Yeh it did look ace on the borbets, but the weight of them and the fact I couldnt get any other brakes under them ment they had to go.

mines also built to be driven, my engine bay is a bit off a mess, might just start cleaning wires up at the meet.

slimg60 wrote:I'll pop open the bonnet on sunday but you have to bear in mind this car is built to be driven, not looked at
Yeh it did look ace on the borbets, but the weight of them and the fact I couldnt get any other brakes under them ment they had to go.

So basically you are and guy who prefers a car to be fast and handle better then it looks (even though urs looks as good as it should drive)??? Thats why the light weight wheels, is that another reason you went turbo as the set up is lighter then the charger set up? Iv got a funny feeling a new love relationship might start between Lemski and slimg60

DubaHolic wrote:

slimg60 wrote:I'll pop open the bonnet on sunday but you have to bear in mind this car is built to be driven, not looked at
Yeh it did look ace on the borbets, but the weight of them and the fact I couldnt get any other brakes under them ment they had to go.

So basically you are and guy who prefers a car to be fast and handle better then it looks (even though urs looks as good as it should drive)??? Thats why the light weight wheels, is that another reason you went turbo as the set up is lighter then the charger set up? Iv got a funny feeling a new love relationship might start between Lemski and slimg60

what, build a car to be driven not sex weed on at shows.

Ha ha, I want more power now! Need to get to stealth before the season starts. Next week, turbo off- re build then book her in :-)

lemski wrote:

DubaHolic wrote:

slimg60 wrote:I'll pop open the bonnet on sunday but you have to bear in mind this car is built to be driven, not looked at
Yeh it did look ace on the borbets, but the weight of them and the fact I couldnt get any other brakes under them ment they had to go.

So basically you are and guy who prefers a car to be fast and handle better then it looks (even though urs looks as good as it should drive)??? Thats why the light weight wheels, is that another reason you went turbo as the set up is lighter then the charger set up? Iv got a funny feeling a new love relationship might start between Lemski and slimg60

what, build a car to be driven not sex weed on at shows.

Thats the one, I cant see the point of parking a car in a field at a weekend whilst scroats try and pinch bits off it.
When it's parked up, it' not puttig a smile on my face

As for the turbo being lighter than the G60, I have no idea, it may be but not by much. I should really fork out for a carbon bonnet to save over 20kgs at the front, but they're bloody expensive and well down my to do list

caistor_bmx wrote:Ha ha, I want more power now! Need to get to stealth before the season starts. Next week, turbo off- re build then book her in :-)

What turbo/setup are you runnig dude?

Kjet with a k-star piggy back unit with a garret .44 turbo (iirc) with extra injectors

Now then mate I came to get them TT seats for my mate. He's gone back to standard seats in his mk2 now (even though its been off the road for well over a year now), I wouldn't mind buying them off him for mine

awsome car love it but i do agree it loks beter with borbets but needing bigger bigger brakes and lighter wheels is all good i supose plus with the lighter wheels ur saving on unsprung weight so its always a bonus i'll easy be goining lemski on snoping around it at the meet good ride

Yeh was sorry to see the borbets go but they had no caliper clearance. Plus there are so many Rado's on them.
At least with the Comps I recon I'm the only one with them

I remember Adi, you were in your Jetta. Quite an act getting all the seats in from what I remember!

It was a vento They aren't the most practical car for loading stuff in thats for sure! I'm back to mk2s now anyways, I tried the whole mk3 thing and I wasn't too impressed You coming tomorrow to show us the TSW venoms (sorry Compos )

Vento, I couldnt remember the name of them
Yeh I'll be there tomorrow, and they're not Venoms, venoms are cool......

could be worse, you could have a rado with a vr init. atleast youve got the g60 lump. me n ian definatly having a snoop around this.

g60 = my future love em gr8 engine and possibly be the owner of one 1 day

just seen this and it looks awsome,keep at it dude!

wont be there to see it at the meet tomorow but im sure il make it to many more in the future

Taxi for shoozy, big shout out to the grimsby massive for help! Oh and turbo FTW

i would've braught him to the meet but now my car is fookd taxi 4 me and shoozy

hes got other commitments sam or i could get him a lift of someone coming from that direction.