Question about Mk1 Golf doors

[Erik_NL]

Hello,

I'm Erik and I live in the Netherlands. Recently I was offered two new old stock original VW doors for a three door Mk1 Golf. The doors were said to be for the Australian Mk1 Golf. The difference I saw was an additional horizontal bar inside the door. Apparently to protect the passengers better from a side impact.

I'm thinking of buying these doors and put them in my european Mk1 Golf. However, as the Australian doors weight noticably more, I would like to now if the A-pillar of Australian Mk1 Golf1 is different (read inforced) compared to European Mk1 Golfs.

Does anyone know this?
Or has anyone pictures from the A-pillar of an Australian Mk1 Golf so I can compare them with my Mk1 Golf?

Kind regards,

Erik

[EndlessMKI]

all a-pillars the same.

the door will fit ur MKI.

[gtimk5]

I thought the hinges were different actually. Might pay to check on that. Australian golfs were only produced in 1976.
Cheers!

[gldgti]

i'm not sure if it stricly applies to australian doors and other, but there are also some doors that have a slightly different internal skin shape around where the door lock mechanism is - this means that the door wont close - at all. the inner skin will foul the b-pillar.

just another thing to watch for.

[Jarred]

I thought the hinges were different actually. Might pay to check on that. Australian golfs were only produced in 1976.
Cheers!

Yes, They were. my aussie built 76, and 79GLD have different hinges. I didn't think the early cars had intrusion bars though.

TO the OP:

What year model were the doors for? can you find out at all?

[gtimk5]

If they are for an Aussie assembled Golf they would be 76ers.
The door locks are different, forgot that gldgti

[Erik_NL]

Thanks for the replies so far.
If I buy them, I want to fit them in a model '83 Golf GTI.
Unfortunately, I don't know from which model year the doors are.
I know the hinges from model year '78 (or was it '79) until '83 were different from the hinges of earlier model years.
I also know that earlier model year cars (those with doors were the door lock was fitted from the inside) have a slightly different B-pillar. Therefor doors were the door lock is fitted from the outside, do not fit (door lock will touch the B-pillar before the door is fully closed).

The A-pillar is not allways the same. Earlier model year cars have different fittings for the hinges on the door and are fitted with two bolts per hinges. A-pillars of later model years have hinge fittings with one bolt per hinge.

Because the seller of the doors lives about 300 km away, I can't easily check if the doors will fit.

Has anyone a picture of an A-Pillar and or the inside of an Australian Mk1 Golf? Or a link on the web to such a picture? So I can check for (other) differences?

Kind regards,

Erik

[ontarv]

i have an 76 and 77 mk1's
doors do not interchange they bolt up, but latch
set up is different they will not close, on a 4 door anyway
hope that does not confuse things more?

[Erik_NL]

Hello Ontarv,

I don't understand you answer.
The doors 'do not interchange' means a 76 door can't be fitted in a 77 model one and vice versa?
'they do bolt up and latch' meaning you can fit a 76 door in a 77 chassis (and vice versa) !?

Kind regards,

Erik

[ontarv]

from 77 upwards they use a different style of latch
which is mounted to the door in a different spot and has a
larger hole and latch is larger as well
a 77 door latch hits the pillar when on a 76
a 77 pillar has a larger recess for the larger mechanism
didn't try it the other way but you would need the 76
latch assemble and and rods ect
and then it may not line up ( the latch )
hope that is a bit clearer