My 16 y/o son is mad keen on VW now.........dunno where he gets it from! He has nagged me into buying this Mk1 for him to restore. It's a 1.3 Driver non-sunroofer. Got some work to do I rekon ! He now works (for the moment) for a well known VW Van Conversion Specialist and has access to a local paintshop etc. I better get locking up my stash of sacred hard-found spares!!
Just modify it suttley if he does! Look forward to seeing the project develop My first car was a bit of a project and its extremely satisfying driving round in something a bit differnet that you have done alot of work into. Dave
yes his first car.....my 4th car was a mk1 ha! Back to stock i would say yerr. A driver in mint condition would be worth a few quid. The previous owner to last had it in a barn for years and last one in a garage for one year. I rekon total strip and repair any issues then repaint. So small and simple....thats the beauty!
Well it's been delivered!! First impressions - OMG that's gonna take alot of work!! I've had a 5-minute look over the areas that would normally rot and on the face of it, the car seems solid......pretty decent actually. It looks like an angle grinder has been taken to the swage lines down the sides for some reason - to remove paint!!?? FFS! Tailgate looks typically rusty along drip edge and perhaps will need replacement / metal repair. Suspension has the 4x4 stance for some reason.....easily sorted i'd say. There sure isn't alot of stripping to get done - the car's basically stripped inside and all the parts just laid in there. I rekon for the money paid, it's something he can't lose on - and all the effort and money he will put into it should pay off.
Yer it's rough on the paint side......Stevie Wonder has been moonlighting I rekon......but it'll sort. No serious rot found.......yet. All the structural areas look good on the face of it.
I see nothing terrible even under bonnet. As someone already said - most important structural areas. It's more easier to get car repainted only than reweld it as later you must use rust treatments and finally put powder coat. As everyone knows, welded spots won't last so long as factory stitches does. Btw, I wish luck for you as a long journey is facing you
Slow but sure progress. Engine and tranny removed. All glass out. All removable panels.......erm..removed. Rear outer wheel arches are a bit thin in places due to rust so will need replacing. The floor pan drain plugs (around 4" diameter) are rotten and have been removed including 1/2" of the surrounding floor pan. A little rot under the n/s rear light due to previous minor dent repair which was fillered over. Might replace whole lower panel, as there is also some rot around the towing eye and lower joint with the tyre well. A bit of rot where the rear seat plinth steps up (under the car there is a ledge which collects crud and never gets clean - this is the cause). Have decided to try a newer engine from a 1.3 Polo coupe which we will hook up to a carb and water heated manifold from a 1.3 mk2 golf. Have picked up a genuine replacement (used) o/s wing, a really well galvanised rear beam, and new front wishbones, rollbars F&R - all galvanised too. Pics due soon................
Not a heuge amount of progress - some welding..... New inner and outer arch. Some replacement of floor drain hole plugs (the 5" diameter ones!) Plating up of the usual rot behind the fuel tank "ledge". A major repair to the rear beam hanger member and inner sill offside. The entire structural panel was removed and replaced (where the beam hanger bolts to). And yes all four beam hanger studs sheared when laddo undid them with a breaker bar! Drilled and tapped - they are now converted to bolt fixings We picked up a galvanised rear beam, anti roll bar and front wishbones last year. A new fuel tank too and stainless tank straps. The polybushing has started too.... Rear beam hangers here with new bolts Rear beam getting disc conversion using my 16v as donor parts :/ New polo stone guarts again out of my stocks..... :/ :/ The car's now back on it's wheels after about 3 months although there's a bit more minor welding to do but only odds and ends.
Yer - you hope now.........wait until they get one - then the fun starts! My lad has a mk1 and a mk2 ! He can't drive yet lol.
