Ride height, handling, and mk1's - discussion

[h100vw]

I have had plenty of MK1s all GTIs. The nicest to drive quick in all conditions was a std one with 13s on. It rolled around a lot but you couldn't unstick it.

My modified MK1 finished up with a Weitec TA kit, which lowered it 40mm and Neuspeed ARBs. I ran as much negative camber at the front as you could get and just got it aligned. The handling was great everywhere but in the wet it was a handful.

You couldn't go hard, it just felt really skittish. Could be due to the amount of diesel on the roundabouts in the UK. Or the high speeds that you would be travelling at, because of the 2 litre motor with BV head etc.

Gavin

[sports racer]

I've had 3 MK1's - a 1978 GLS 2 door, a 1978 LS 4 door and a 1981 GTI. The LS was the one that I did most of my suspension mods to. It has had all sorts of strange combos including Saab shocks on the back (way too stiff and did nothing for the handling but hey, you have to try).

Best combo was Bilstein shocks and cut down springs in the front and back, Mazda Capella 24mm front sway bar fitted to the back of the Golf (I welded in all the brackets to make it fit), some orange 22mm thick bar at the front, front lower brace (homemade) and decent tyres on 14 x 6 wheels. It was very fast through corners.

With this combo I could push the car to the limit through corners and the front end would very gently give way, so predictable that it was easy to catch just by backing off in the corner. It never gave me grief and I used to run the car very quickly down some of the mountain roads out the back of Canberra. Many times it left other so called "high performance" cars behind in the twisty bits.

So much fun that I really regret getting rid of it but the dreaded rust finally got it and I sold it for parts.

[GoLfMan]

im just rolling on stock cheese cutters and Hot tununing coilovers, my thing corners flat as and grips like its no tommorow

I had stock shocks with chopped king springs before that and it was a bit soft and wallowy for my liking