Autoshite -> Retroshite -> My Shite - Favorit 'VRS'

[oingy_boingy]

Probably about time for a thread, probably as much for my own selfish needs as anything (foreshadowing)

Have had the wonderful ex @Yoss and ex @grogee Favorit with a Polo GTi engine dropped in since mid December after being the second lucky winner from Retroshite, it certainly made a day of funeral planning more interesting!

So I guess getting to the good stuff, wot went wrong. So far not a great deal, have had some cosmetic work done on some blown filler on the roof and some rusty tin underneath for the princely sum of £360 pounds. It looks significantly better there are some cracks appearing in the paint again...

In further cosmetics, the rear badge taken out by an unfortunate wheelie bin related incident has now been changed with what I think should have been there from factory. Still not got round to adding the New Old stock Favorit badge, but it's on the list.

Once the sun finally came out, I figured a nice trip up to Caffeine and Machine might be a good test to shake the car down properly. So of course, it wouldn't start. Replaced the battery with no success. Whipped out a multi meter to check power was getting to the starter. Of course the car then dutifully fired up and has been doing so ever since! I did acquire a new starter but of course I bought the wrong one (got the correct one for the engine and not the Felicia gearbox it is connected to... probably should have taken it out first before ordering!).

As a reward for working again, I gave it my first ever oil change. Have done pretty much no work on my cars but have always wanted to so any advice is welcomed! Not a fan of the dipstick having both two indentations and a hatched area within it, have taken the assumption the top of the hatched area is full but who knows. Has oil pressure and it aten't ded yet so 🤷‍♂️

So that's kind of where I'm up to with it at the moment, it has been out for a shakedown to visit family and to a local meet which was a nice way to finish off the bank holiday. Love driving it (might go for a spin later if I don't have other plans that I'm not aware of yet...) so will be continuing on trying to make it a little nicer than it is today.

The current issues list stands at:

• No Radio or DAB signal for some reason - was working fine, but now isn't (hopefully not Cat Piss Tarp related injuries)
• Isn't happy running with the MAF/MAP sensor plugged in. Will lose idle eventually or will do if provoked with some revs.
• The headlight switch sometimes won't stay in. Mildly concerning when I drove home as it was getting dark but it was light enough the front fogs were enough
• The sunroof whistles above 40mph and has let in water during particularly strong rain (hence Cat Piss Tarp)
• The interior cover on the bootlid  has fallen off. Some new clips may help for a little while, but it looks like some have pulled through the plyboard.

[grogee]

As per my reply to your first post about "Sammy" - leave the MAF disconnected except for MoT emissions test. 

DAB might be the Chinese antenna splitter I put in. Small black box behind the radio with an FM in, FM out and DAB out. Plus a power feed. 

I need the number of your bodywork man if he sorted that for £360, that's a good price. It bothered me too. 

I'm not sure if sunroof can be adjusted to clamp it down a bit more. The whistle suggests that's what it needs. @wesacosa did you ever attempt any adjustments with your Fav sunroof? 

[wesacosa]

8 minutes ago, grogee said:

As per my reply to your first post about "Sammy" - leave the MAF disconnected except for MoT emissions test. 

DAB might be the Chinese antenna splitter I put in. Small black box behind the radio with an FM in, FM out and DAB out. Plus a power feed. 

I need the number of your bodywork man if he sorted that for £360, that's a good price. It bothered me too. 

I'm not sure if sunroof can be adjusted to clamp it down a bit more. The whistle suggests that's what it needs. @wesacosa did you ever attempt any adjustments with your Fav sunroof? 

mine doesn't have such luxurious features as a sunroof !

[wesacosa]

those push buttons are a bit of a pain, my hazard lights have started to not latch all the time but thankfully the lights are behaving 

@Yoss may know if there is a way to fix them but might be worth looking for a replacement or swapping the lights to a less critical button 

[Zelandeth]

A looooong time ago, but we had a Favorit through the garage where one of them wouldn't latch.  I was bored that afternoon as it was pissing rain and dismantling to see if I could fix the switch was a good way to look busy.  I think it was just dried up grease causing the pawl to be lazy as once it was cleaned up and put back together it worked perfectly and latched far more positively than all the others.

Just beware there is one spring that I'm pretty sure made a bid for freedom over my shoulder when I dismantled it.

[Marm Toastsmith]

5 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

A looooong time ago, but we had a Favorit through the garage where one of them wouldn't latch.  I was bored that afternoon as it was pissing rain and dismantling to see if I could fix the switch was a good way to look busy.  I think it was just dried up grease causing the pawl to be lazy as once it was cleaned up and put back together it worked perfectly and latched far more positively than all the others.

Just beware there is one spring that I'm pretty sure made a bid for freedom over my shoulder when I dismantled it.

I would spray the switch with Servisol (now called KONTAKT CHEMIE | Super 10) and hope for the best.  It definitely won't do any harm, and you might not need to take it apart.

[Yoss]

53 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

those push buttons are a bit of a pain, my hazard lights have started to not latch all the time but thankfully the lights are behaving 

@Yoss may know if there is a way to fix them but might be worth looking for a replacement or swapping the lights to a less critical button 

No not really, they are supposed to be just a tight fit, there is nothing to clip in to and then as the years go by they just get a bit loose. My advice is just press them more slowly! For added fun all six buttons (yes it only has six buttons. You don't need any more) are physically identical apart from the icons so you can swap them all around to really confuse anybody you might let drive it. 

On my sunroof the seal had split in places so I bought a length of washer jet tubing and fed it all the way round to plump the seal up a bit. Worked OK for a while until the handle broke (mines different to yours. As mentioned elsewhere mk1 and mk2 share surprisingly few parts considering they look identical to the untrained eye) so I just sealed it shut with clear silicone. If I ever find a replacement handle I may unseal it again. 

I never refitted my badges after the respray. For some reason the UK cars have unique badges and I don't really like them, I find them a bit clunky and unnecessarily large which is why I put modern ones on yours. What I really want is some European badges, they're a lot smaller and more subtle. I have found some for sale in CZ on sites that are in Czech so I don't understand them. I'm just waiting for some to turn up on ebay though I might have a long wait. 

They come in black on silver or silver on black. 

[Zelandeth]

Wondered for a second there if the black on silver Skoda one was the same as the one they slapped on the doors of the 135RiC.  Looks different though on closer inspection.

Would probably look the part though...though most likely 700921 times more difficult to find given there were only a handful of these made!  No idea if they ended up on other Rapid variants as I've only had the one.

[oingy_boingy]

14 hours ago, grogee said:

As per my reply to your first post about "Sammy" - leave the MAF disconnected except for MoT emissions test. 

DAB might be the Chinese antenna splitter I put in. Small black box behind the radio with an FM in, FM out and DAB out. Plus a power feed. 

I need the number of your bodywork man if he sorted that for £360, that's a good price. It bothered me too. 

I'm not sure if sunroof can be adjusted to clamp it down a bit more. The whistle suggests that's what it needs. @wesacosa did you ever attempt any adjustments with your Fav sunroof? 

'Sammy' has been named the 'Caribbean Queen' by a friend owing to the colour, not sure I'm onboard with that though 😅 I thought the MAF advice was that it was more boring with it plugged in, noted.

It's a bit of a trek to Swindon but can certainly pass the details on.  I'm really happy with the price and the work, even if it is starting to go again. He gave no guarantees (which is fair enough given how much filler is in the roof) but much more reasonable than the 'blank cheque' first quote!

Sunroof looks like it's been stuck down before and it might be my eyes, but looking at the pictures it looks like the glass curves more than the roof does? Could it be another part from another different car?! 😂

Will give the various suggestions for the switches a try. I have grabbed a 'spare' from ebay but it looks like it's actually from a Felicia. The actual switch is very similar, just the button on the end is different.

15 hours ago, Yoss said:

I never refitted my badges after the respray. For some reason the UK cars have unique badges and I don't really like them, I find them a bit clunky and unnecessarily large which is why I put modern ones on yours. What I really want is some European badges, they're a lot smaller and more subtle. I have found some for sale in CZ on sites that are in Czech so I don't understand them. I'm just waiting for some to turn up on ebay though I might have a long wait. 

That was my initial plan, I had found a Silver on Black Favorit badge without the model designation on ebay but unfortunately it got lost before it got to the post office (supposedly...). Then saw the correct UK one as new old stock and thought I might as well, definitely want it to look a bit more standard in places.

Ideally I think I'd want the rear spoiler a GLXIe should have (might be wrong on that, but I like it) and then it's just trying to figure out wheels. Initial thoughts were E30 Bottle Tops, but being 14" it might be a struggle to fit over the 'big brake kit'. There are some Lupo wheels I'm quite liking at the moment that should fit fine.

[Yoss]

Your car would have had the spoiler from new but the guy I bought it from, who did the engine swap, put another tailgate on before painting it and decided to leave it off. 

I'd be interested to know if 14" wheels would fit. I would try and borrow one before spending good money on anything. If you do get something else you should get good money for the Team Dynamics. 

[oingy_boingy]

Not a lot to add at this stage really, preparations for moving house are well underway so the Favorit has taken a bit of a back seat. 

Had a good run out  on Drive It Day (not that I knew what Drive It Day was at the time, wondered why so many cars were out and about) after fitting the  Favorit badge an hour before setting off. Obviously I worried about the badge falling off which it didn't, unfortunately however Skoda badge which had been on for months at that point did! Has now been replaced with another, but I definitely do not recommend 3M Press in Place adhesive, just use the VHB foam and be done with it.

Also went out to another local meet and figured I'd make another cosmetic upgrade and have stuck on some reproduction Flairline decals on the C Pillar. Really happy with them and how it looks. Not really sure why I like them so much, but it just looks right to me. Parked up and was immediately asked if this was the Retroshite Favorit 1.6, apparently I wasn't the only person here to grab a few tickets 😂

Sadly the repair in the roof is going again, cracks are appearing in pretty much the same place as before. I guess it's the filler not expanding/contracting at the same rate as the metal underneath as I can't really think of what else it could be given the gaps behind the bootlid were sealed.

More sleuthing has uncovered some more details about the car - the guy who built it has said that 14" wheels would fit and the front calipers are from a Sierra of some description. 

Still on the look out for wheels, have no idea how far to go with the offset. Like the idea of some Cavalier SRI Fanblades but the offset being ET49 or so makes me think they'll probably not fit. 

[grogee]

Pretty sure @Yoss told me the front brakes are from a Kia Picanto. It would be odd if these were identical to a Ford Sierra's front brakes, but stranger things have happened I suppose. 

I'm glad you're out and about in it, it's fabulous fun. Sad about the roof repair cracking though, I suppose it wants a paint and filler removal + weld job which will be megabucks. 

Or just live with it! 

[oingy_boingy]

Hidden away in the comments to a photo on a post from 2019 - really was some sleuthing 😂 Could have all changed of course but I don't think it has.

It really is brilliant fun, it's nicely set up to go through the bends and is surprisingly spritely when pushing on. I think the only thing I need to really sort is the steering vibrates a bit at motorway speed which might be a problem when I drive it the three hours to the new house. Oh and the grumbly coilovers but no idea where to even begin there!

I think living with it is the plan for now, it has a cover for now and hopefully the larger house will mean it gets priority in the garage above random tat.

[Yoss]

I don't think you can go much more on the offset. I had a set of Ronal Turbos on it, same 15x7 size and tyres. Can't remember the offset but a bit more. It was fine with just two people up front but if you loaded up for a holiday with the dog they did rub on the rear wheel arch lip (mind you he is 46kg, he's a proper dog) whereas the Team Dynamics are fine. 

I would post a picture but currently seem to be getting some sort of error message. 

[Yoss]

It's working now. 

[yes oui si]

46 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I don't think you can go much more on the offset. I had a set of Ronal Turbos on it, same 15x7 size and tyres. Can't remember the offset but a bit more. It was fine with just two people up front but if you loaded up for a holiday with the dog they did rub on the rear wheel arch lip (mind you he is 46kg, he's a proper dog) whereas the Team Dynamics are fine. 

I would post a picture but currently seem to be getting some sort of error message. 

Et49 on the cab wheels mean that the wheels will sit further in rather than further out... So you can use spacers to bring them out to where you want them, @oingy_boingy. Presume these like et35...

[oingy_boingy]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

It's working now. 

 I think I've seen it before! A set of those is certainly an option, they look great!

1 hour ago, yes oui si said:

Et49 on the cab wheels mean that the wheels will sit further in rather than further out... So you can use spacers to bring them out to where you want them, @oingy_boingy. Presume these like et35...

Can't believe I didn't think of spacers, thanks! Sounds like 15mm would probably get them to where they'd need to be.

I do have one other idea for wheels but the centre bore is 73 mm which seems a bit far from 57.1 to be ok even with spigot rings. Never used them though so could be absolutely fine.

[yes oui si]

2 hours ago, oingy_boingy said:

 I think I've seen it before! A set of those is certainly an option, they look great!

Can't believe I didn't think of spacers, thanks! Sounds like 15mm would probably get them to where they'd need to be.

I do have one other idea for wheels but the centre bore is 73 mm which seems a bit far from 57.1 to be ok even with spigot rings. Never used them though so could be absolutely fine.

Spigot rings are perfectly fine, they see no load in operation.

I'm now wondering what's 4x100 and 73mm CB - OEM or aftermarket?

[oingy_boingy]

Definitely aftermarket, I have no idea what car has anything close to a 73mm centre bore (unless the seller can't measure of course!).

It's a set of Dunlop iSpeed wheels apparently, I do love a 3 spoke and they have that late 80s/early 90s look I'm after.

 

[yes oui si]

Want. Actually need those.

[yes oui si]

How much is the seller wanting for them?

[Yoss]

I'm thinking of getting rid of my Ronals if you want them. I was going to put them on the Up! But when I dug them out of the garage they had deteriorated quite a lot. 

I mean they look okay from here. 

But when you look closer there are lots of flaws in the lacquer like this. 

Even on the lettering. 

And kerbing. 

And one has a scratch on the shiny bit. 

Obviously they are going to be very difficult to refurbish properly as they are diamond cut then laquered. 

 

The tyres are all Avons but whilst not that old (2017 and 2019) and with plenty of tread, have cracked quite a lot. 

And this, rather than the condition of the wheels themselves was why I decided not to put them on another car. 

But as I say they look okay from a few feet back which kind of applies to the whole car really. 

I'd say about £80 for the four if you want them. I was going to put them on the for sale thread anyway but I thought I'd ask you first. 

[Brigsy]

26 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I'm thinking of getting rid of my Ronals if you want them. I was going to put them on the Up! But when I dug them out of the garage they had deteriorated quite a lot. 

I mean they look okay from here. 

But when you look closer there are lots of flaws in the lacquer like this. 

Even on the lettering. 

And kerbing. 

And one has a scratch on the shiny bit. 

Obviously they are going to be very difficult to refurbish properly as they are diamond cut then laquered. 

 

The tyres are all Avons but whilst not that old (2017 and 2019) and with plenty of tread, have cracked quite a lot. 

And this, rather than the condition of the wheels themselves was why I decided not to put them on another car. 

But as I say they look okay from a few feet back which kind of applies to the whole car really. 

I'd say about £80 for the four if you want them. I was going to put them on the for sale thread anyway but I thought I'd ask you first. 

Might be interested in these for my Extra van if no takers. Guess 4x100 et30 ish?

[Yoss]

45 minutes ago, Brigsy said:

Might be interested in these for my Extra van if no takers. Guess 4x100 et30 ish?

Yes 4x100. Not sure on the exact et but they're not deep dish or anything so should be fine for most FWD stuff. Popular with VAG people. 

[Matty]

By christ @Yoss. At that money its worth  buying the wheels then finding a car to go with them later. Mega barg.

[Yoss]

24 minutes ago, Matty said:

By christ @Yoss. At that money its worth  buying the wheels then finding a car to go with them later. Mega barg.

Well that was the plan really. I've thought about buying some new ones for the Up! but the old ones would have to go first as I have limited room in my garage. By limited I mean there's already too much stuff in there, there's no way I'd get another set of wheels in. 

To my eye they're really not good enough to sell at a sensible price even if they look okay from a few feet away. 

[vaughant]

Dirt cheap and would look amazing on @Brigsy extra van.

I think I paid £150 for a set painted matte black 🤣🤣🤣.

Pretty sure 1 had a big dent in it but there are 5 of them.

I did give one a quick refurb and it came up lovely mind. Would really need a lathe to make it perfect though, tiny skim would save a ton of polishing .... Might go and see how big the bed to chuck is on our new one and send a hillbilly 3 phase supply into it🤭🤭🤭🤭.

I was well happy with £150 so those are incredible value.

[Yoss]

27 minutes ago, vaughant said:

Dirt cheap and would look amazing on @Brigsy extra van.

I think I paid £150 for a set painted matte black 🤣🤣🤣.

Pretty sure 1 had a big dent in it but there are 5 of them.

I did give one a quick refurb and it came up lovely mind. Would really need a lathe to make it perfect though, tiny skim would save a ton of polishing .... Might go and see how big the bed to chuck is on our new one and send a hillbilly 3 phase supply into it🤭🤭🤭🤭.

I was well happy with £150 so those are incredible value.

I've seen a few sets painted. I think proper refurbishment is beyond most people unless you have a diamond cutter lying around so they just paint the whole thing. 

[Brigsy]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

Yes 4x100. Not sure on the exact et but they're not deep dish or anything so should be fine for most FWD stuff. Popular with VAG people. 

Definitely interested. Be ideal for road wheels.

[oingy_boingy]

On 25/05/2026 at 10:34, yes oui si said:

How much is the seller wanting for them?

Not sure if the link will work but they're £500 on facebook marketplace in Chippenham. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/957244020283594
 

On 25/05/2026 at 16:57, Yoss said:

I'd say about £80 for the four if you want them. I was going to put them on the for sale thread anyway but I thought I'd ask you first. 

I'm very interested indeed - will send a PM.  

They would look amazing on the Extra Van!