1976 mk1 Golf LS

[Golfer_76]

hey everybody.
i would like to share my on going project.
About 4years ago when i got home from school a couple of weeks before my 15th birthday, there was a trailer out on the street with 1976 mk1 golf LS sitting there. later on dad told me that our family friend had it sitting out the back of his work shop and asked us if we wanted it. we accepted, because it was going to be sent away for scrap metal.

as it looked a couple of weeks after it arrived (looks a bit sad and run down)




it was then moved to our back yard due to the fact we were extending our house. when it found its new home for the next 3 and a bit years, i gave her a well deserved clean



this is were the story gets a bit sad. i pulled the seats and carpet out to see if there was any rust in the floors and how bad it would be. it turned out to have few holes in the floor. nothing me and some help from my dad wouldnt be able to fix. i didnt get any before shots of the rust but i got some after i cut it all out.


i then took the drivers side door off. for 2 reasons. easier to get into the car and weld the new pieces in, and because around the hinge mount was rusted and cracked because the back end of the door had been hit. bent the door slightly and cracked the mount.
new pieces to weld in


hinge mount, before repairs


hinge mount, during repairs

[Golfer_76]

I sourced some better condition doors and a fairly rust free boot lid. Original one had rust all the way along the bottom. So once i had finished making up all the repair pieces for the hinge mount and the floor. it was time to put the new door on (after about a year and a bit), it had been sanded back and primed ready for colour.


next step was to paint the doors and boot lid in colour. so my brother took the paint code from under the bonnet of the car and went to the local paint supplier.my brother then painted the drivers door in colour. the colour the supplier gave us wasnt the same as the rest of the car. so it ended up being a long week of sanding. early mornings, dry hands, paint dust up my nose and completely covered in it every day for a week.


my brother then layed down primer on the rest of the car. apart from the roof and bonnet, we're gonna tackle that at another stage.



there was a small amount of rust under the passenger side tail light assembly so that was repaired and reshaped. and while we were putting the small amount of bog we did put on the car we removed some of the ugly join lines between the rear arch and rear valance. personally i think it looks a lot nicer with out them


next up is colour 4 coats of it


this is my favourite shot i took while it was being painted


it then had another 2 coats of clear and colour mixed 50/50. came up beautifully





its pretty much back together now. front guard is on, chrome bumpers are on, grill is on. just a few more things and it will be on the streets of adelaide.

[gt_eye]

Looking great!!
How are the mechanics...engine, suspension, etc...?
Any plans to mod it?

[Golfer_76]

thanks mate. appreciate it
engine is stock standard. runs really well. no smoke r rattles. koni yellows all round, gti front brakes. got a set of 4-1 extractors out the back just need someone to build the rest of the exhaust. 24mm front swaybar (still to be mounted). will eventually make up a lower front strut brace and get a nice weber big valve head (already have one of those) but for now. rock it how it is. im on my P's, so im kind of restricted to modding it because of the stupid new laws

[gt_eye]

Can't wait to see how it turns out..
Only criticism is the colour, I would have changed the colour when you resprayed.
But I guess that would have made it a bigger job, which would stop you from getting it on the road.
Which I am sure is your main priority!!

[Golfer_76]

the colour it is now is a hell of a lot better than it was before the respray and i like the colour actually, im one of those people that like bright colours. i like to stand out from the crowd and i know im going to in this.
it wouldve been a massive job. i wouldve had to have taken the motor and gearbox out, everything in the bay. to much work. 4 years for me is to long. i just want to be able to drive my birthday present from 4 years ago haha

[sports racer]

24mm front swaybar (still to be mounted).

Don't bother fitting the front bar on, it makes bugger all difference by itself. You just need one on the rear to really get the car handling well. In fact, you can get away with no front bar but some rego people don't like cars with only a rear bar fitted. Get out the tape measure and see what room you have to fit a rear bar then go to the wreckers and buy a cheap front bar off a Jap car that you can fit to the rear of the Golf. I've used one off a Mazda Capella and another off an old Sigma and both worked well. Plus they were cheap.

[Golfer_76]

i wasnt going to mount the front one just yet anyway. was gonna see how it drove as it is. mounting the one i have involves me drilling holes in the A arms and the chassis channel that runs under the driver and passenger foot wells.
i might try source a rear swaybar off of a cabriolet first before i have to make up any custom mounting points. rego wouldnt be problem anyway. i just need to fill out a form from department of transport pay 3 months rego and stamp duty.