Got it, now what do I do with it?

[sports racer]

It's been a long time between drinks but I've finally gone back to my roots and bought another MK1. I dropped off my MK2 GTI yesterday morning to the shipping company (it's on it's way to Brisbane) and went straight to Sydney to pickup this car from Gaston in Beverley Hills.











Body work is good with a few small rust spots around the windscreen and some light rust underneath that can be treated. Mechanically it needs some TLC on the electrics and a few small things (I hope) for rego.

First step is to get it registered, then drop it about 5cm. The A arms are still pointing down at the outer ends so lots of room to get the car lower without worrying about ground clearance. Wheels are 15's with almost new 195x50x15's which look good and shouldn't be too rough on the local roads.

Engine is an English spec 1.8 GTI with a hot cam breathing through a 32/36 webber and farting through 4-into-1 extractors into a big bore exhaust. It has sports shocks and springs but no sway bars, that will have to be rectified ASAP. Brakes are GTI ventilated disks up front, standard out back. Gearbox is a 5 speed.

I do 180 ks a day getting to work in Canberra and back home to Braidwood so this Golf needs to be setup for country driving. The plan is to turn it into a quick country car that can handle the local roads (and hills), get great fuel economy and be ultra reliable. Shouldn't be too hard, my MK2 GTI did it but with an Aussie spec engine it was slow. The MK1 should eat the MK2 for breakfast, chew up all the lumpy bits and give me a grin from ear to ear.

Cheers

Paul

[GRN_VAGN]

Looks great, the 1.8L really haul arse in these Mk1's
Get a long ratio Diesel 5 Speed and you'll get great economy on the HWY.

Keep us up to date

[Jarred]

Great! I reckon you'll have a blast with it!

[dom123]

congrats dude great deal that car was!

[GeorgeMK1]

Wooaahh thats a great looking car. Colour is pretty cool, and the engine specs are pretty nuts.

Keen to see whats next, im tuned

[gecko2k]

Nice one Paul!

I reckon you are on the right way: TLC, more lows and some interior work and she's fine to go!

[sports racer]

Definitely more lows and some serious suspension mods. I can't believe it doesn't even have a lower strut brace. I thought every MK1 has an aftermarket one fitted. It only takes 30 minutes and some steel bar to make one and makes a huge improvement to the turn in capabilities of the car.

Next will be a rear sway bar. I'll scout the wreckers for a front one off an old Jap car that's between 22 and 25 mm thick and wide enough to fit the rear of the Golf. Brackets are easy to make and weld to the U beam and it makes a big difference to the handling. My old MK1 used to take the turnoff from Victoria Road onto James Ruse Drive (270 degree sweeping corner going left and back under Victoria Rd) at 80 ks and as I exited I could get the car into a 4 wheel drift and just miss the cement barriers on the right side. It was very easy to drive right on the limit, if I was going too fast through a corner all I had to do was back off and the front end would tighten up through the corner and scrub off speed. If you don't think 80 ks through a corner is fast try it yourself on tyres that are 20 years old. That's how long it's been since I had my old black MK1.

I miss that car, that's why I bought this one.

[Jarred]

There was a thread on here a looong time ago, about fitting I believe a Sigma front bar onto the rear of a mk 1. With fabbed brackets etc. Might be of some interest.

Love the DIY though. Can't stand the colour!

[gecko2k]

If you are after Brackets for the swaybar have a look in the threads from Peter Jones or mikinoz, they found a shop selling them for $3-4 each!

[sports racer]

The Sigma bar looked pretty good, if I get one of those I'll be happy. Brackets are easy, just use the ones that come with whatever bar I get and weld them to the Golf.

The colour grows on you but there's only so much growing you can take. Long term plan is to do a Kemei replica or bright yellow.





I've already got this slot car so I'm .0000000001% on my way.