MK3 Golf - 1.8 engine guru's (aka calling Llyr!)

[IainB]

Fellow forum'ites
Im due to receive a car into my garage in need of a new sunroof and some work on the engine.
Wouldnt normally take this on, but its a friend at work and a) shes hot, b) shes into cars and c) she looks a bit like Angie in the original Tomb Raider movie!!
Anyway - it looks like we have sourced a complete sunroof unit for her one thats broken a clip, which just leaves the engine to be sorted, its been to a couple of cowboys (and now its coming to me LOL!!), so while im going through the top end I wondered a) if anyone can point me in the direction of any resources for a MK3 1.8 carb engine and b) if there is anything cheap and cheerfull that I could do whilst its in bits? (uprated carb / manifold, port work etc...but nothing OTT - shes looking for the std look but running better)
Had tried to get her to go for a GTI version whilst the engine is out - but she wants to stay with this, and wont sell the car as she 'loves' it!!
Muchos Brownie points for me if I can get this going / running right!!
Cheers

 

[L1J]

I have a spare 20V Turbo engine in the garage!

Dont know much about 1.8 mk3s sorry! If the head is coming off I'd match the manifolds to the ports. You could probably fit a 2.0 bottom end, but that's loads of work for very little reward for you!

I do have a mk3 haynes manual here for my current project so any info you need from that give me a shout.