Worth re-shelling for later CE2 electrics? (and other problems!)

Hi All,

After breaking down on me three times for various reasons, I've finally decided to take my trusty old MK2 off the road - it's just not reliable anymore for a 40 mile a day motorway commute.

The plan is to go the 20vt engine conversion route once my new garage is built, and I have a pile of parts already plus a few grand to throw at it.

My dilemma is that it's a 1989 car with the early CE1 fusebox. The rest of the car seems pretty solid, but it does need quite a bit of bodywork to correct some rust patches - new front wings, lower rear nearside quarter, leaking and corroded windscreen seal that's ruined the original fusebox, etc, etc.

To make the 20vt conversion with Corrado clocks easier, it just seems better to strip this shell completely of all useable parts, and try to get hold of a straight and tidy CE2 shell to re-build from scratch?

I'm quite attached to the old chap, but the bodywork alone is going to cost more than a tidy rust-free shell from a cheap 1.3/driver MOT failure? Plus the complication of splicing everything into the old electrics as I'll be doing most of it myself...

Rambled on there a bit, sorry! But your thoughts would be welcome - I just can't decide what to do with it!

Cheers!
Tim.

 

yeah if your not bothered about the gti lable just get a good condition late spec driver and put your gti bits on it etc, makes most sense you can throw money at rust but often it just comes back

only issue is insurance ive heared somewhere it can be more for a converted driver even if its spot on the same spec as a gti, makes no sense but thats insurance for you

 

Cheers Steve and RJ.

Yes, I've been looking at it more closely now it's in the garage, and there's quite a few rust holes that will need expensive attention - I'm sure it'll be better to just re-shell and be done with it. Insurance isn't too much of a worry as I'll be doing an engine conversion anyway, plus all my GTi parts should bolt straight onto the driver/1.3 shell.

Keeping my eye out for one!