Hello to the forum! I've been lurking for a while and reaslied there is a mine of information here and so joined. I do not own a MK1...yet - but intend on doing so in the near future - of course sepcifically a mk1 gti. Looking for one now is an absoute minefield - I do not consider myself a total noob yet definitely no anorak - but it is not easy finding a clean mk1 gti out there. Hence my first of many questions - may I have you thoughts on this delight? Aside from being slightly dear, any issues immediately noticed? http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C192290/ Oh, and would you consider it a deal breaker if the engine and/or gearbox has not been reconditioned after 100,000miles? I run an air-cooled porsche and this is almost considered mandatory if one is to purchase. Or is just a recent cambelt service good enough and go on evidence (smoke on start up or revving etc)...... cheers.
Hi there, I've had MK1's with over 250,000 miles on the clock which have run better than one's that I've owned with 70,000 miles it all depends on how its been looked after and how well serviced its been, mileage is generally not a problem for MK1's. There are plenty of buying guides around which I recomend you read as there are so many things to look for its hard to explain them in a quick post. For that money I would be looking for little to no rust, an engine that starts perfect and is quiet and smooth with no smoke or tappet noise it should pick the revs up from cold to about 1500 rpm then settle down to about 850rpm when warm. There should be no fluid leaks around the engine and the gearbox should not crunch between 1st and second and be easy to get into reverse. You really want to check that the car does not have any water leaks and that the sunroof has no rust anywhere near it. From the pictures it looks sound but until you start looking at chassis mounting points and taking it for a test drive its very hard to tell. I would also check for leaks make sure the electrics are sound. Check for repairs, paint oversray etc etc, the list is endless unfortunately. They are getting so hard to sourse and parts are getting harder to get so its definately worth spending the right money and spending time to find the right car. I will try to answer any specific questions you have, I have bought over 7 mk1's in the past 10 years so have a wealth of knowledge of buying pups and good ones. Cheers Paul
thanks matey. i'll definitely be looking at the buyers guide but another pair of eyes never hurts! given your experience with various mileage cars, what work would you expect to see on a 170,000mile car if it has been looked after? Appreciate it may be a piece of string question, but are there certain components that would need reconditioning or replacing irrespective?
thats a very open question, someone would have either cherised it or not cared for it at all. you need to look round it and ask questions/see paperwork to back it up
I'd go for one with a clean shell over good mechanicals, it's fairly easy to get a mk1 driving spot on as lots of parts can be found relatively easy still, if it's rusty though, especially around any structural areas it'll be a lot of work to sort
Hi mate, I'd do as the others say & search for one with a good shell, check the arches, sills, under the sills on the jacking points. Ask them to jack each side up to see if they have trouble jacking it up, & also get a good look at the underside aswell. Check the rear wheel well, the ridges running along the roof(that channel water & where the roof rack clips on. Check the engine mounts & make sure the front and rear suspension has no rust on the actual frame. Lift the front carpets to see if there's any water that may be leaking in. As above with regards to revs, gears etc Good luck with finding one, for that price you could find a real gem. There's a mk1 on eBay now I think at 3.5k & it's truly a beautiful mk1 campaign edition. I'll repost the item number
As Jon P said its such an open question its hard to answer as a well looked after 170K motor other than a head refresh, if its not already been done, should see another 100K of careful use. When I say head refresh. The Valve guides, head gasket etc would probably be getting on there last legs with 170K. If your keeping it stock your not talking much money to sort that out. On the other hand an abused 170k motor could have killed the head and the bottom end which will mean its pretty much screwed. It's failry easy to tell this if buying a mk1, there will be oil leaks, blue smoke or black smoke on deceleration, knocks and lots of tappet noise. As Dan W said body work is probably the most important area to look at as most mechanical parts are cheap and easy to sort. However the only thing that has caused me a lot of problems when working on other peoples mk1's or my own is I've seen quite a few heads where they have been massively overheated or are running too much advance and the head has cracked between every inlet and exhaust valve. Also I've had a few bottom ends where the piston distortion is so bad that when stripping the bottom end a new set of pistons is required and a rebore. The issue being I can't seem to find reasonable priced pistons for MK1's anymore meaning its an expensive rebuild. Luckliy there is still a lot of mk1 engines for sale but knowing the condition is always a risk so I would always try to get a proper inspection read all the guides and ask any questions you have on hear if you don't get any luck. The knowledge people have on this forum is amazing and should give you a lot of help. Cheers Paul
err... me too please! and thanks very much for the advice. it really is appreciated and I will keep all informed regards progress....
Nice find! Not a fan of the seats though.. bit of a spoiler and I am after as original as possible but that is still recoverable! what do you make of that rust bubble by the front windscreen? And has he changed the front splitter at the bottom? Seems smaller.....oh, and didnt the campaign have the twon headlight setup?
that black mk1 looks like a bit of a bargain, very tasty, even makes me think of wanting a black mk1 now....
Lol if you end up buying it I'll part ex you with my seats which are original & in near perfect condition I can't see no rust bubble, I think you are looking on the passenger side? There is a small indent in the actual panel that they all have. I think the cars had a recent respray & they've done an amazing job. You'd have to get in touch with him, I messaged him on eBay & he's really helpful, called Neil. I wanted to know where he got his front & rear GTI badges with the red lettering, & he told me of a decal kit that can be bought from mk1 owners club, I can post the link if anyones interested, they also do other colours. I think it's a neat little touch anyway. You need to ask him for pictures of the plate that will confirm if it a genuine campaign model.
