`85 Postal Service Golf Restoration: 16V ITBs etc. '89 V5 interlude

Edit: I saw that I have to upload the pictures externally. I am not sure if I want to do that.

Edit Edit: Works like a charm, very nice support.

 

if you're a paid member and have a few post, i think 10 is the magic number, then you'll be able to upload from your phone without using an external source. I'm sure the admins will correct me if I'm wrong. I hope that you post more as I'm really interested in your build.

 

Hi afbiker, thanks for the kind reply. If it is not forever I think i can live with it.

Alright, so it all started with the car that I had as a Daily during my college years. Cheap, reliable, easy to maintain.

It is a 1985 postal service Golf with about 450k km on the clock, 1.6l n/a Diesel. Was converted to a 5speed 020 at some point, but who knows when?

Since the car endured some tough times with me together, I am quite emotional about it and decided I am not able to sell it.

Also an idea never really left me, and that was having a Gofl with a cool n/a powertrain. But before the glory days of shiny parts, I had to take care of the body since the high mileage and the relentless duty as postal service car had taken it`s toll.

I don`t want to repaint the complete car since the original paint is in relatively decent shape and I really adore the patina it has, I opted for dry ice blasting.

Before:


after:


First bigger rust spots also spotted:


It does not look good but I promise you it`ll be nice again

 

Ah nice, thanks you very much. It really bugs me with these external upload sites

I may carry on!

First duty was replacing the longitudinal member on the passenger side. Luckily I found a original replacement part in my storeroom, so it was quite straightforward. It had the tow hook form the later models, so I swapped that out and welded the old one back on. I blasted it beforehand witrh glass beads, so don`t mind the rust. Primer is a 2K Epoxy primer that you will see a lot of in the upcoming posts

 

Next was the crossmember in the back over the rear axle, it was not that bad but the part with the hooks for the exhaust was impacted quite heayily by rust. Fortunately Classicparts had this part available so I could also use good NOS metal and don`t have to worry about quality issues:

 

Also the other longitudinal member on the drivers side had to be taken care of, it was not as bad as the other side so I opted for partly replacing it:

 

Anybody having second thoughts about me being not a spammer?

Now - are you ready for the reaaally ugly parts?



Other side wasn`t looking any better:



And we`re still a long way from finished with rust repairs

 

That's cool, brave repairs taking place!

 

Thanks for sticking with it. That's an awesome project

 

Some great work going on there, I'm on with same on our Mk2.

 

Great progress! Nothing better than getting stuck in to some major repairs and it looking factory at the end!

 

Thanks a lot

If you like rust repairs you came to the right place

Postal service golfs don`t have a floor mat made out of fabric, but it is just on giant slab of rubber thrown into. Rubber is excellent for trapping moisture, so sure enough i had some more work to do (Yes this is already the final steering wheel ):




The foamy gel on the metal is phosphoric acid, excellent for rust removal:


The floors, especially the joint where the wheel well, beams and floors come together are one of the worst spots to work on... perhaps you can guess where this belongs:

 

the wind deflector was also damaged, I only was able to retrieve another one from a facelift (slightly different) but the facelift version offers more room for the exhaust system so it was kind of an OEM upgrade



The rear end had ever so slightly surface rust




To make sure the tail panel gaps are sealed, I used 2K panel adhesive from Sikaflex also used for bonding side panels in new cars

 

Are you a panel beater/car repairer by trade?

 

Just wow!

 

Appreciate the comments!

@Tristan: I am not, in fact I am a trained bricklayer who chose to go back to school and after college (Automitive engineering) I am working as software engineer But I have restored some cars before, and during my college years I was helping out a friend of mine at the body shop where I also restored cars, so I have some experience and I am not starting from zero. The work on the underfloor was also made in a manner considering not wasting too much time on a perfect finish, when we come to the engine bay it will look better

I forgot some spots in the last post, the only non-original replacement part which of course needed quite some modificaiton to fit properly...



Some more welding to do, I tried to replicate the original look as good as possible:

 

You must be a great bricklayer!
!

 

haha! Or not so great, hence why I don`t do it anymore jokes aside, it was more of the issue of bad pay etc. why I decided to change professions.

Anyway, so aside of some other small patches I had to do, I treated all minor surface rust with sulfuric acid and then it was time for primer, sealing and paint!
I pre-primed all overlaps etc. with a brush with thinned epoxy primer to really get everything sealed up nicely, with the pistol it is nearly impossible to flush everything properly with primer.

For those who are interested in the details:

Primer: 2K Epoxy Mipa 100-20 (it contains zinc phosphate as active corrosion protection)
Sealant: Sikaflex 529 Evo (it`s basically the same as the original sealant)
Paint: 2K Glasurit Row 68 in stunning RAL1032 Ginster Yellow

 

Final product: