Finding a MK1 for a project / daily driver

[DIDZ]

Hi MK1 guys (and gals if there are any hiding about!!!)

Sorry for the long post in advance.

I've been reading your build ups and resto projects (especially Peter Jones and Preens) and I've been mightily impressed. It's entertained me for hours after work when I'm poring over the effort you guys have taken to get these little masters back on the road, or in other cases the track.

Since I've had my MK4 I've lost much of my enjoyment of owning a car and the fact that I haven't done too much hands on action as in past cars I've owned is giving me itchy fingers. Reading into some of the rides in PVW hasn't helped either

I want in again !!! I've looked at escorts, but I like the MK1.a

I want to find a MK1 that I can restore and have the missus drive about it. The problem is finding one.

My plan:

I will be stripping the car back to shell, and respraying the car (I've already got silver in mind). Suspension work obviously to follow. The motor isn't really an issue at this point of time, but I'll happily take advice. The interior I'd be redoing (keep the dash) but new carpet and upholstering the rear seats. New bucket seats definitely for the front. I'd like a two door, but if a nice four door came along I wouldn't say no.


Now, I ask for a little bit of advice:

- What is the going rate for a manual MK1 these days ? I imagine it would be a PITA to find a straight and rust free body.
- What would be the best platform motor wise for the MK1 ? I'm looking at petrol (unleaded would be great) and diesel.
- Parts wise; easy or hard to source ?

Looking in the classifieds, tradingpost and forums, I have seen a few interesting cars and wonder if going interstate may be the way forward.

I'm open to ideas and opinions, so don't hold back

Cheers,

Didier.

[Jarred]

well. lets see.

a relatively rust free shell. will set you back 500 bucks, or more for a running car, in the same condition. completely rust free doesn't exsist (except barn finds!) so chances are you'll have to have some rust repairs done.

it's easiest to stick with manual (if that's what you want) as its a PITA to sway and auto to a manual. (faily involved conversion)

parts are easy to source. if Golf Loon doesn't have it, it doesn't exsist! hahah nah, matts not the be all and end all, but he's great for parts. heaps of stuff is available from overseas. hoses, seals, engine parts etc etc etc, US has it all.


if you want a carb car, then it doesn't matter what base you start with. if you want to go injected, best look for a diesel, as it's easier to convert to fuel injection. mk 1 diesels automatically command a higer price (up to 1000 bucks in proper working order, maybe 3-500 for one with a blown head gasket)

ebay is also good to find mk 1's. they pop up every now and then.

thats all i can think of atm.

you should be able to get a decent running (maybe not reg'd or RW tho) for 500-800 bucks imo, thats with a bit of rust thou.


just my 2 cents. might add more later, if i think of anything, and if someone hasn't already mentioned it!

[DIDZ]

Thanks Jarred

I'm not expecting to find a completely rust free MK1 so that's not really high on the priority list. The car will have to be manual, there is no question about that.

Golf Loon is a five minute drive from the parents place, I don't think I'll have a problem popping down there

I'd like to find one that has or can be rego'd as I'd be using it whilst getting a few things together.

This is what I'd like to end up with:

[Preen59]

Look for NO rust in the A pillars is a good start. They were fairly prone to it unfortunately, but rust in the A pillars is a sign that there may be more much worse elsewhere. When you go to look at one, pull up the front carpet, check the front floor pan too, as they rust there.

I wouldn't worry too much about the engine if you want to update it later, but like Jarred said diesels are cheaper to convert if you want to go the injection route, because they have all the lines etc already.

Good to see that you understand that this will take work. Remember however that it will NEVER be like a new car, and this is going to take a lot of effort and money. Having said that, if you are prepared to put the effort and money in, it is quite rewarding. Nothing will be easy and sometimes its hard to find the parts you want. Just remember that if you are unsure about ANYTHING, please post your questions, someone will be able to steer you in the right direction.

To an extent, cars are like buses, if you miss the one you want, don't worry because another one will come along soon. What i mean by this is make sure you do your homework. Take a good look around at what is available. You will be far better off spending 2000 bucks on a running car in pretty good condition than getting something for 500 bucks with knackered everything and full of rust. Don't buy the first Mk1 that comes along unless you are positive it is the best car you can get and its a reasonable price, if you jump at the first one you find, you may very well regret it.

Look on Ebay, carsales, Trading post, your local paper, anywhere you can think of. Also, if you haven't already, post a wanted in the cars wanted and forsale section.

Hope that helps.

PS, good to see people following our projects, and thank you.

[WABIT]

take this advice from a guy thats building one ATM:

buy an ebay special that has already been done up, if it has a bad bodykit, so what!! it always comes off and you can always do it the cheap way and rub it back and respray it, try not to start off with a OG car, because 99% of the time, its going to turn out expensive!

dom

[Peter Jones]

Glad to hear someone's reading my posts
I'm not sure my work is as good as some on here, it's just that I write it up.

For your search don't forget the MK1 GLDs (Diesels) .

They're easy to convert to petrol and have generally had a pretty easy life because it's pretty hard to go fast in a 1300 diesel!

Diesel buyers tended to pretty conservative types anyway, it was hardly a perfomance buyers car.

Compared to a petrol car the diesels have:

• Stonger gearbox
• Diesels got the 17mm balljoints before the other models.
• Heavier front spings
• A Clock instead of a tacho !
• A high flow fuel tank with a return line.
• Lots of sound deadening

The box seems to be a rumour, it carries the same codes as the early 1500/1600 golfs maybe the casing is a better casting?

The 17mm balljoints are a much discussed "advantage" but in reality most of the GLDs in Austalralia were made in 1979 by which time all Golfs had the 17mm balljoints anyway.

The front springs are heavier though, you need to change to petrol springs or the front ends sits really high.

The wiring is a bit different in a diesel but can be easily adopted to petrol specs.

The diesel fuel tank is popular for Fuel injected motor conversions because of the large diameter fittings and the return line.

I have one with a MK III motor and it's really quiet to drive with all that sound deadening there.

As other have mentioned above try and get a complete car. Buying something that somebody else has pulled apart is never a good idea you'll end up on an endless search for parts.

Rust - A pillars, base of windscreen, bottom of doors, tailgate, spare wheel well, floor, mirror bases, top corner of front guards. Perhaps the most critical is the front crossmember that the front engine mount bolts too this one and the A pillars are structural, the rest is cosmetic.

Good luck with the project, we're here to help!

Pete

[99gti]

Matt was looking at selling his Mk1 with a 16v good to go!

Drop him a PM: golf loon or I'm sure he'll chime in here sooner or later.

[evorobin]

Matts 16v rocks and I've been on at him for ages to sell it to someone to enjoy rather than having it sat around doing nothing

[Jarred]

this is a bit of a side note: but if you're going to do a rolling resto, i find it's a better idea, that you paint it last! ( i wish i had done it that way...)

[DIDZ]

Matts 16v rocks and I've been on at him for ages to sell it to someone to enjoy rather than having it sat around doing nothing

I've seen his thread in the FS section. It's beautiful (and would be daily drivable). The price stretches my pocket a fair bit though however at this point of time.

I've been trying to gauge pricing as well. The pricing for these buggers vary from state to state ? Why is that ?

Didier.