Name: Ian Cushway
Job: Editor
Drives: AmD tweaked A6 1.9TDi Avant

What’s occurring?

I’ve been swapping tyres back to front on the Audi this month and encountered a problem removing the plastic wheel nut caps. There should be some tweezers in the toolkit, but – you guessed it – mine were missing. Apparently, they are only 70p from Audi dealers, but in the meantime I managed to prise them off using the piece of hooped wire for removing centre caps. Not a good move as it turned out as I ended up scratching the alloys.

Name: Sarah Harrington-James
Job: Regular freelance contributor
Drives: 2001 modded Lupo GTI named Kojak

What’s occurring?

Intermittent fault sorted on the Loop. Process of elimination meant we traced it back to corrosion inside the HT lead connectors where they pop onto the coil pack. A good clean up here (and a bit of DiY) has meant the Loop now runs much better. Still going insane with the wind noise from 40mph which seems to be coming from the door mirrors since the respray. I reckon the bodyshop didn’t refit the door seals properly... some of the sound insulation was missing too. It’s amazing to think it’s seven month’s on and we’re still discovering bits that have been bodged or missing on the Loop since its doomed bodyshop experience – and it was done at a main dealer! You live and learn.

Name: Steve Cresswell
Job: Brain
Drives: Octavia vRS, Polo GTi, Mk2 16v, Mk1 GTI, ‘72 Beetle

What’s occurring?

I have put the finishing touches to a Corrado repspray and fitted a nicely powder coated subframe and wishbones. Then we suddenly had to do another one and as good used subframes are scarce we thought we would see if we could get a genuine one. Guess what, it arrived in a week!

Name: Gavin Williams
Job: Ad Executive
Drives: BMW E24, E46 Sport, Porsche 968 Sport

What’s occurring?

Took the 968 Sport to Chelsea Auto Legends where it was warmly received, shame about the weather! It was also ready for Westside but after seven hours of detailing I slept through my alarm and missed the event. There’s always next year! The E24 also came out of hibernation to be paraded amongst the E24 owners club display at the BMW Festival, Gaydon.

The only problem with owning a rear-wheel drive car though is winter which is almost upon us now and after sending the E46 Sport daily off to Lepsons for a wheel refurb I’m playing with the idea of an Audi allroad to avoid being stranded again.

Alas I had to make a decision on both the Audi 100 and the Mercedes280s, they both needed recommissioning in the way of light restorations. I wanted to keep them both but the arrival of both the E24 and 968 earlier this year meant that I have run out of storage space and storage fees would have eaten into the resto budget. So unfortunately I parted with them both through Barons Auctions a couple of months ago. Hopefully they are in good hands and to be showed at a concours event near you next year!

Name: John-Joe Vollans (JJ)
Job: Regular contributor
Drives: Mk2 Golf 16v GTI (track car)

What’s occurring?

I have gutted the Driver and dumped in the 16v loom and ECU (yes, you still need it on twin carburetors). This weekend’s task is to swap the front subframe for the polybushed 16v one and pop in the engine and gearbox. I may even have it running if things go well... About time too

Name: Phil Weeden
Job: Editorial Director
Drives: Mk2 GTI
What’s occurring?

My GTI is looking fine at the moment: I’ve just spent the weekend giving it a good spruce up, plus it’s recently come back from Volkscars where it’s benefited from a new windscreen (at last!) and the entire underside was wax treated to keep the winter gremlins at bay. At 144,000 miles, the Mk2’s still proving to be a fantastic daily driver.

Name: James Wallace
Job: Raving freelance contributor
Drives: B4 Passat Estate / Mk1 Golf / Mk3 Golf 16v

What’s occurring?

It’s been a month of reading and learning about stereo installs and composite materials for me after looking at Paul Simm’s Mk3 VR6. Crafted some custom made MDF and fibreglass door builds for some JL Audio 6.5in components, built a fibreglass moulded sub box to fit perfectly into my Passat estate and even got down to the nitty gritty of sound deadening flexible panels, adjusting crossovers and setting the CORRECT gains on my amp. Instead of whacking everything to half way and being happy with it my daily now sounds like the Albert