Cleaned Ibiza FR

So this car has been approved for a while now and you may have seen it in various pictures on the blog and on our FaceBook page but we’ve been a little slack in drawing up a feature for it but we feel now is the right time. Josh Codd bought this SEAT Ibiza FR PD130 as a daily work horse back in 2009 and slowly but surely we’ve seen it develop in to a very clean looking ride. We had a chat with Josh to find out more about the car……

So Josh, how did your ownership of the Ibiza come about?

I was looking for something as a reliable daily as I was (and still am) doing over 350 miles each week with work etc, but I also wanted something with a bit of go about it, so I thought a sporty diesel would be spot but I had no clue as to what to go for, so I did a generic search on AutoTrader for a diesel hatch, under £10K, with a minimum of a 1.9 lump and the first result was a black FR TDi which then got me looking for a red or white FR. By complete luck I found the prefect one in a local garage 3 days later! And after scouring the internet for someone who would insure me at 18 years old I eventually found the only insurance company who would insure me at all before turning 21!

Got a tad lucky there then! What convinced you that the Cleaned/Euro look was the way to go?

Well I originally intended to go down the performance route, going for a good handling set up, with remap and possible hybrid turbo, FMIC etc etc, but doing so many miles each week and not wanting something that would be a killer to keep running I decided against it. I then joined up to Cleaned-UK as recommended by a friend and nearly everything I know about the Cleaned look came from there. Seeing so many Dubs/Euro hatches which looked amazing, I thought I'd take some inspiration from them and do it on an Ibiza, which seem to be fairly uncommon in the Cleaned ‘scene’.

A big turnaround from the original intentions then, we think you definitely chose the right path! What’s your favourite mod on the car so far?

I’d have to say the wheels, particularly the rear 9J’s! Everyone said Borbet’s wouldn't look right on it but I took a punt and made an impulse purchase on eBay of a set of 4 7.5J Borbet’s and loved the look of them on the car so then set out to find 2 9J’s. Since then I’ve had them mirror polished and I really love the way they look on the car!

Can’t fault you, they do look spot on! Anything you don’t like or regret?

Nothing I don’t like as such but the coilovers have been a pain in the arse as this is my fourth front setup and they’re still not sitting quite how I would like!

What shows can we see you and the Ibiza at this year then?

Well so far I’ve only been to Modified Nationals which was a good crack, next I’m planning Trax with Cleaned-UK and possibly Edition 38 in the same weekend and most likely pay a visit to Volksfest Wales as its local!

Sounds good, we’ll make sure to keep an eye out for you then! Any future plans for the car?

Well this is all up in the air at the moment as I’m very indecisive, but most likely I will be selling the car in September as I am moving out and closer to work so will be doing very little mileage, in which case I would look at buying a run about/toy, possibly a MK1 Golf turbo conversion or similar but also considering going over to the dark side with something Jap!

If I was to keep the car, long term it would be 9J’s on the front, back seats out to make way for a build incorporating my subs, amp and spare wheel (also a Borbet A), Porsche Tombstone seats and the whole thing trimmed in red/grey alcantara/leather. Would also look into smoothing the front and rear bumpers, a possible full wrap in a new colour and also a new suspension set up in the form of air or hydro’s! This is all dreaming slightly though and would be long term, but realistically I’ll have a new car come September!

Would be epic to see those plans come to life, but needs must if you need to move on! Anyone you want to thank or give a shout out to?

Well my parents have helped me out with insurance money and bought my first car which helped me to then purchase this myself! As for people who have helped out on the car various friends and the guys on IbizaOC.com have helped with the mechanical side of things! Also all the guys on Cleaned-UK have been a huge help when it’s come to advice and inspiration for the car so a huge thanks to them! Oh and eBay, as I think everything on the car was from the bay!

Well thanks for speaking with us Josh and hopefully will see you about at the shows this year! So then Josh’s Ibiza FR, definitely…..

Full Spec list;

Engine;

1.9TDI PD130

Straight through, de-cat, turbo back exhaust.

Uprated air filter.

Chassis
TA Technix coils on the rear (bottom half of adjusters in only)
AP Coils on the front
Borbet A 7.5x16's on the front with 195/45's
Borbet A 9x16's on the back with 195/45's
Lego valve caps for Lulz!

Exterior
Colour coded side strips
De-badged rear
De-badged front grill
LCR splitter
6K HID's
Lamin-X yellow fogs
Colour coded rear light clusters
Pressed plates
Stubby ariel
Graphite wing mirror caps

Interior
Red air vent inserts
Cupra handbrake
FR mats
Pioneer amp and 2 subs (approx 3500 watts total)
Vibe SEK components up front

Modified Nationals 2011

Modified Nationals is one of the biggest events on the UK car show calendar, and every year it never fails to bring in all sorts of modified metal from all ‘scenes’ imaginable. For 1 weekend every year, Peterborough rings to the sound of back firing exhausts and scraping chassis’. For us, this made it the perfect show to debut Balla Approved, because as you know we love anything that looks the part, whether it’s designed to go sideways or low and slow.

As usual there were a few familiar faces in the top 25 arena and our very own Jeff Creedy’s VX220, proudly representing BA in the Acclr8 arena.

We thought we’d take this opportunity to hunt down some more cars worthy of our seal of approval and we were very pleased with our new recruits to the BA family.

This smoothed Clio may be familiar to a lot of you in its former guise, but now with a new look, some rejuvenated rims and a fresh coat of paint, Sam Coleman’s Clio was looking awesome at Mods Nats and having heard the story of how this car was turned around and the problems Sam faced bringing it back to life, we felt it was very worthy….

Looking forward to more updates from Sam in the near future.

We also spotted a very cool and original looking MK3 GTI, which has been, as owner Ash Morrell explained, inspired by the US scene. We love the nose down stance this Golf executes so well sitting on these rare Super Advans sporting a somewhat ‘different’ colour combo. And after watching Ash plough his way through the fields of the campsite, tearing up chunks of the showground as he went along, we thought he had to get our seal of approval.

Also doing the rounds at the show and campsite were 2 very cool, different generations of the SEAT Ibiza. Gavin Fox’s MK2 Ibiza looked very clean decked on Porsche Teledials and we really don’t think the pictures do this car justice….

On the same stand as Gav was Josh Codd’s Mk4 Ibiza FR, a car which has previously been approved by us and is due to have its own feature in the near future. Mods Nats was the first time Josh was showing off his new 9J rears and fully polished Borbet A’s, which we loved, and having spoken to Josh we love the sounds of his future plans for his interior and other works.

A second Golf MK3 which caught our eye this weekend was Kyle Collins’ 5 door (for more whores) which was sporting some sweet Teledials which really set the car off. Simple, yet effective….

As well as projects nearing completion, we also love those that are right in the middle of a work in progress and after spotting the huge potential behind Ben’s Astra GSi, which is soon to be sporting a fresh, and no doubt very sweet paint job in a stunning shade of purple, we felt Ben’s Astra demonstrates what Balla-Approved is all about, the have a go modifier, not afraid to tear their pride and joy to pieces on the way to building something awesome! We can’t wait for Ben to finish this one off and we’ll definitely be doing a full feature on it when it is….

As well as a load of newly approved cars at the show, we also spotted a few previously Balla-Approved cars, proudly showing of their seal of approval, around the show ground….

Micky Sneath's Euro inspired Fez was looking as awesome as ever!

Jeff's VX220 offering something different for the visitors to see in the Acclr8 arena, and Mods Nats was Jeff's first proper chance to show off his new custom front end in the flesh, and as expected, it looked awesome!

And of course, Jeff was repping Balla-Approved all weekend.

Finally, the real reason why we travel from all over the country to be at these events! If we could give her our seal of approval, we would! Maybe in the form of a tatoo, I wonder how well that would go down.....

Keep an eye out for more full features on some of the cars displayed here plus more, very soon.

Peace out for now, BA.

Devil's in the Detail

Here at Balla Approved we love something with style, power and originality. Jeff Creedy’s VX220 turbo certainly has all 3 of those bundled into one little mini supercar package. Jeff used to own a red VX220 N/A, but before deciding to go all out creating a custom masterpiece he felt he needed more power to play with first and so sold on the N/A and upgraded to the VX220 turbo and then the mods began.

We spoke to Jeff in order to gain some insight into the car....

How did your ownership of the car come about and why did you choose the VX?

Wanted more power so sold the N/A for the tubby, I know the ZLET engine inside out so was a sensible option.

What look are you going for, where did you get the inspiration?

Supercar VIP! Inspiration from your typical tickled supercars, Lambos running image wheels etc that sort of look.

And what would you say is your favourite mod so far?

The coilovers, they're 90% responsible for the stance on standards and help the car cain anything in its way.

Can’t argue with that, it does sit lovely and holds a great road presence! Any future plans?

Enjoy it now I reckon, it’s at the stage I want it.

Good to hear it, a car like this needs to be enjoyed and no doubt driven properly! What shows can we see you at this year?

All of them!

Good stuff, will certainly be keeping an eye out for you then and who knows, the VX should be wearing our seal of approval very soon!

Finally any people or clubs you want to make a shout out or thank you to?

Nobody’s really had an input if I’m honest so no thanks, but a shout out to the Future Shock family for opinions along the way and always making shows what they are... one big drinking session!

A real awesome bit of kit this and cannot wait to have a good look at it at Mods Nats this weekend.
So our first Vaxuhall makes it onto the BALLA-Approved list. Good work Jeff!

Full Spec list;

Exterior
-De-fogged
-Custom Supercar style front clam (Bumper section)
-De vee'd and meshed
-Rebadged with Opel
-Custom Side repeaters
-Small Plate
-Spoiler
-Large side vents
-Corner spats,
-Colour Coded window surround
-Track spec TAT 4 fin diffuser
-Imaculate paintwork profesionally corrected.
etc

Chassis
-Stanced on 'Gaz' Gold Track spec adjutsable dampening and ride height coilovers.
-7mm Spacers all round
-Drilled and grooved Discs
-Mintex 1144 Track Spec pads
-Lower profile rear tyres to aid stance
-Colour coded 2 pot AP Racing calipers

Engine
-Full Exhaust consisting of...
-2.75" Precat
-2.5" pipework
-3" Twin inward rolled Exit
-200 cell race Cat
-80mm AFM to Airbox Pipe (Polished)
-Baileys Twin Piston DV 26 Dump Valve (Polished)
-K&N Panel filter
-Derestricted airbox
-EDS Stage 2 software upgrade (Boosts performance from 200bhp to 250bhp)

-Ed Hardy themed rocker cover

Interior
-Full white leather interior with supercar styled stitching
-White leather dash with Porsche white fascia inlcuding Ed Hardy designs.
-Retro fitted heated seats
-Full retro fitment carpets
-Fire extinguisher

Audio
-JVC KD-AVX55 DVD/CD/USB with UltraWide screen
-Pioneer Active Bass Cannon finished in Porsche white with Ed Hardy designs to carry on the theming
-Blaupunkts Coaxials

Rat gets Classy!

You may have seen this doing the rounds this year at shows such as Ultimate Dubs, and ever since we first saw it posted on Cleaned-UK we just loved the originality of the car and how well the look has been executed. We spoke to owner Dale Masterman and in line with our new feature style, we are pleased to bring you the story behind this sweet Beetle.

So Dale, how did your ownership of the car come about?

I bought the car after seeing the ad for it the night before. I drove from Leicester to Bristol for it. As soon as I saw the limited edition Alaskan Green I just had to have it.

Can’t fault you there, it is a lovely colour! What look are you going for and where did you get the inspiration from?

The look I wanted to achieve was a mix of CAL and Hot Rod. The inspiration came from spotting the 18" Empi style wheels on the internet. They just got my brain thinking of a tough looking ‘girls’ car with modern takes on a retro style.

Achieved the look perfectly so far, and very original, we like that. What would you say is your favourite mod on the bug?

My favourite mod is the orange arrow tipped pinstripe. The orange goes really well with the green and it's a subtle feature that gets people talking.

Can’t argue with that, the pinstripe is a lovely touch! Any future plans for the car in mind?

Well, not sure about that one. Happy with the car so far but I always keep my eyes open at shows for new ideas and inspiration.

What shows can we see you and the Beetle at this year?

So far I've been to Ultimate Dubs , early Edition and Stanford Hall. I think GTI international (25/26 June) and Edition (September 2^nd - 4^th) are my next two marked on the calendar.

Very cool, will be sure to keep an eye out for you then and any new additions to the car!

Finally any people, or clubs you want to make a shout out or thank you to who may have helped the car get to where it is today?

Big thanks to my Dad , Neil 'the vision' Masterman! Without him pushing me I’d have a silver polo or something you see all over the shows. My girlfriend Amy who has been dragged to many shows and many early starts.

All my boys at Dubclique (www.dubclique.net ) especially Shaun my Bro, Dan Young and Danny Robinson. Cheers boys see you at the BBQ. Also, Sam Travis for the sick pics of my Beetle (http://travisphotography.co.uk)

Thanks for sparing the time to speak to us Dale, keep up the good work and we’ll see you around at the shows this year.

Dale’s Beetle, most definitely, BALLA-Approved.

Full Spec list;

Engine: 1.6 Petrol

Chassis: 18” EMPI Alloys – Rusted with Verometal paint. 225/40 Falken on the front and 235/40 Falken on the rear for the Old Skool look.

Coilovers.

Exterior: Smoothed front end, red reverse light on the rear, black/chrome badges, orange pinstripe along both doors.

Interior: Standard winter pack interior.

Cheeky Little Ibiza

Recently, we at Balla-Approved decided we should add something else to our features on the blog, so when Lloyd Fyfield sent us some pictures we decided it was time to add the pen on paper style stuff. We started off by asking Lloyd general questions about the car, then some specs. Here is how it went.

So Lloyd, we like the car, we want some general info on it if you would be so kind?

  The car was purchased with aid from my parents  back in 2006 so a 1.4 16v lump was suitable at the time which has only been fettled a little bit with the textbook CAT back exhaust and k&n air filter fitted. Ideally a larger engine would be a great but running cost and ever increasing fuel prices make it an unrealistic desire.

That’s understandable, fuel prices as we all know, are erm certainly rubbish to say the least! What was the aim you’ve had with the car? 

The aim of building this car was to just improve its appearance without conforming to any particular style or genre. It was never intended for the show field as it was purely built to please my own interest in the whole VAG scene and constantly developing cleaned scene. It’s used on a 36 mile daily drip to and from uni and I intend on keeping in that way.

Body modifactions have been kept to a minimum as they can often overwhelm the car and take away from the actual purpose of the car itself (my personal opinion), but i've removed or added aspects  to give it a cleaner and smoother exterior.

Sounds spot on dude, you’ve definitely got your head screwed on right where you want it, full respect for that! 

So, what’re the important bits, the mods etc?

Important bits.......
1) Chassis:
-Modified AP Coilovers
-Compomotive TH Mono wheels made to specification directly from the factory (8x16 et 25)
-15mm spacers on rear and 6mm on front. Final fitment 8x16 et10 on rear with minor camber dialled in, 8x16 et 19 front
-195/40/16 tyres to aid fitment

2)Interior:
-Original seats trimmed in red
-Momo 280mm
-JVC AVX820 double din HU, complementd by hertz and focal audio

Sweet! Really liking the way you’ve done it, certainly looks spot on! Looking forward to getting some more interior shots!

Have you got anymore plans for the car coming up?

Future plans:
-Bagyard struts and easy-street management (waiting for arrival of parts and then its off for fitting!)
-Hidden exhaust system with carbon fibre diffuser.
-Finish interior off
-More Carbon Fibre goodies here and there on the exterior
-On the hunt for a set of 17" Gotti g1001 17x8 and 17x9 wheels

The car has taken a bit of a backseat recently as postgraduate work is dominating my life but I promise to get back into gear when time is free.

Shout out:
Malcolm and Gillian (parents) for support and mechanical help when things have broken
Lee at Sonic Frontiers
The guys at Automotive Leather interiors
Luke at plush for future work to come
Friends and fellow forum chums for support

Brilliant Lloyd, certainly looking forward to seeing it on air, make sure you send us some updated pictures once its done!! Understandable with Uni aswell, but its coming together really well, especially for a student!

Thanks for your time! Your Ibiza is most certainly Balla-Approved!