Looking at buying a mk1 GTI Campaign model..
Discussion
Hi guys - first post so excuse the stupid questions!
I have fancied a Mk1 for years and years and last night went for a test drive in one laugh
It is a 1983 'A' 1.8 Campaign model in that nice dark blue (name?) running on P-slots with about 150k on it.
Now, as first drives go it wasn't all that good - we had a slight breakdown half way when the clutch cable popped out! shocked
So, my questions for you guys and girls are basically surrounding how much I should pay for it - or even should I walk away from it!?
Things I noticed in the dark last night;
* Circle of rust about 1 1/2" at the bottom of the windscreen, patch's on each sill, behind the GTi badge on the rear
* Needs a new bonnet
* Needs a new rear bumper
* Brakes were shocking - apparently a Mk1 feature though!
* No dash lights
* 4 bald Toyo R888's
* P-slots, straight but need refurbing
* Was Cat-D'd in 2002
* Engine sounded fairly gruff but started fine from cold, didn't appear to loose oil round the head and pulled ok-ish
* Drivers seat worn and small rip in headling
* clutch was very low, then cable popped out and after we fixed that was very high!
* has a bit of tax and mot
* gearbox was like stirring porridge but worked ok - tired linkages?
* rumbling whilst under 30 / slowing down - bearings..?
* standard springs with kn(?) adjustable shocks
So - with that little list in mind as well as the fact I like my cars original and pretty perfect what sort of area should I be in as the colour, spec and locality are good for me?
Also - what should I be looking for on a campaign over a standard car?
Also II - Any areas, common problems I need to look for?
Many, many thanks for reading my exceeding long first post and even bigger thanks if you reply! - Cheers
I have fancied a Mk1 for years and years and last night went for a test drive in one laugh
It is a 1983 'A' 1.8 Campaign model in that nice dark blue (name?) running on P-slots with about 150k on it.
Now, as first drives go it wasn't all that good - we had a slight breakdown half way when the clutch cable popped out! shocked
So, my questions for you guys and girls are basically surrounding how much I should pay for it - or even should I walk away from it!?
Things I noticed in the dark last night;
* Circle of rust about 1 1/2" at the bottom of the windscreen, patch's on each sill, behind the GTi badge on the rear
* Needs a new bonnet
* Needs a new rear bumper
* Brakes were shocking - apparently a Mk1 feature though!
* No dash lights
* 4 bald Toyo R888's
* P-slots, straight but need refurbing
* Was Cat-D'd in 2002
* Engine sounded fairly gruff but started fine from cold, didn't appear to loose oil round the head and pulled ok-ish
* Drivers seat worn and small rip in headling
* clutch was very low, then cable popped out and after we fixed that was very high!
* has a bit of tax and mot
* gearbox was like stirring porridge but worked ok - tired linkages?
* rumbling whilst under 30 / slowing down - bearings..?
* standard springs with kn(?) adjustable shocks
So - with that little list in mind as well as the fact I like my cars original and pretty perfect what sort of area should I be in as the colour, spec and locality are good for me?
Also - what should I be looking for on a campaign over a standard car?
Also II - Any areas, common problems I need to look for?
Many, many thanks for reading my exceeding long first post and even bigger thanks if you reply! - Cheers
MrMoonyMan said:
Hi guys - first post so excuse the stupid questions!
I have fancied a Mk1 for years and years and last night went for a test drive in one laugh
It is a 1983 'A' 1.8 Campaign model in that nice dark blue (name?) running on P-slots with about 150k on it.
Now, as first drives go it wasn't all that good - we had a slight breakdown half way when the clutch cable popped out! shocked
So, my questions for you guys and girls are basically surrounding how much I should pay for it - or even should I walk away from it!?
Things I noticed in the dark last night;
* Circle of rust about 1 1/2" at the bottom of the windscreen, patch's on each sill, behind the GTi badge on the rear
* Needs a new bonnet
* Needs a new rear bumper
* Brakes were shocking - apparently a Mk1 feature though!
* No dash lights
* 4 bald Toyo R888's
* P-slots, straight but need refurbing
* Was Cat-D'd in 2002
* Engine sounded fairly gruff but started fine from cold, didn't appear to loose oil round the head and pulled ok-ish
* Drivers seat worn and small rip in headling
* clutch was very low, then cable popped out and after we fixed that was very high!
* has a bit of tax and mot
* gearbox was like stirring porridge but worked ok - tired linkages?
* rumbling whilst under 30 / slowing down - bearings..?
* standard springs with kn(?) adjustable shocks
So - with that little list in mind as well as the fact I like my cars original and pretty perfect what sort of area should I be in as the colour, spec and locality are good for me?
Also - what should I be looking for on a campaign over a standard car?
Also II - Any areas, common problems I need to look for?
Many, many thanks for reading my exceeding long first post and even bigger thanks if you reply! - Cheers
I could be totally wrong about this but I though Campaign's only came in Lhasa Green. I know there are a lot of people saying there's is a Campaign when it's not. I have fancied a Mk1 for years and years and last night went for a test drive in one laugh
It is a 1983 'A' 1.8 Campaign model in that nice dark blue (name?) running on P-slots with about 150k on it.
Now, as first drives go it wasn't all that good - we had a slight breakdown half way when the clutch cable popped out! shocked
So, my questions for you guys and girls are basically surrounding how much I should pay for it - or even should I walk away from it!?
Things I noticed in the dark last night;
* Circle of rust about 1 1/2" at the bottom of the windscreen, patch's on each sill, behind the GTi badge on the rear
* Needs a new bonnet
* Needs a new rear bumper
* Brakes were shocking - apparently a Mk1 feature though!
* No dash lights
* 4 bald Toyo R888's
* P-slots, straight but need refurbing
* Was Cat-D'd in 2002
* Engine sounded fairly gruff but started fine from cold, didn't appear to loose oil round the head and pulled ok-ish
* Drivers seat worn and small rip in headling
* clutch was very low, then cable popped out and after we fixed that was very high!
* has a bit of tax and mot
* gearbox was like stirring porridge but worked ok - tired linkages?
* rumbling whilst under 30 / slowing down - bearings..?
* standard springs with kn(?) adjustable shocks
So - with that little list in mind as well as the fact I like my cars original and pretty perfect what sort of area should I be in as the colour, spec and locality are good for me?
Also - what should I be looking for on a campaign over a standard car?
Also II - Any areas, common problems I need to look for?
Many, many thanks for reading my exceeding long first post and even bigger thanks if you reply! - Cheers
VW brakes have been terrible up until the MK5 in my experience.
How much is it?
mk1 Golf Owners Club Forum will give you all the info you need 
to get rid of the rust at the bottom of the window....... best to weld a new panel in really, bonnet, wings, screen & dash would need to come out I'm afraid
my brother did this to his Caddy recently..... took a day or so
Rust on the tailgate's probably a pretty easy repair
you'll be able to get a good second hand bonnet off any Golf/Caddy......only the very early bonnets are different
you can get a new rear bumper (from CrazyQuiff)...... or get a second hand one, beware that some non GTI mk1's have grey bumpers & late South African mk1's have different bumper (not too many of them in the UK though)
Brakes ....... THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH MK! GOLF BRAKES....... LOL ........ the linkage across give crap feel, but you should be able to lock the brakes up if you stamp on them
Grooved disks & fast road pads from Euro Car Parts are a worth while mod..... throw away the front disk dust sheilds (helps get air to the brakes)..... make sure the calipers are working OK
Rebuild the rear brakes... all new bits..... check the load valve on the rear axle is working
Bleed the brakes REALLY WELL..... like once you think there OK, bleed them again
No dash lights..... maybe bulbs, but mk1's are really good on bulbs..... my mk1 that I've had for 5 year & only put a couple of bulbs in it
P-slots...... make sure theres all the centre caps with them.... 2 cap's can be worth more than 4 wheels without caps
Newton commercials are doing retrims for GTI seats & headlings
Stick a new clutch in it, and a new cable.....make sure the cable ain't pulling through the bulkhead....... the metal is too thin really on the drivers side & the metal can split around were the cable goes through...... maybe worth welding a plate on the inside when the dash comes out for lower screen repair
Repair kits are available for the gear linkage
rumbling whilst under 30 / slowing down - bearings..... pretty deffo that will be bearings
Various suspension kits are available if you don't like the current setup..... I have a cheap G-Max kit on my mk1, not too low & rides really well (not too stiff)
Paul
to get rid of the rust at the bottom of the window....... best to weld a new panel in really, bonnet, wings, screen & dash would need to come out I'm afraid
my brother did this to his Caddy recently..... took a day or so
Rust on the tailgate's probably a pretty easy repair
you'll be able to get a good second hand bonnet off any Golf/Caddy......only the very early bonnets are different
you can get a new rear bumper (from CrazyQuiff)...... or get a second hand one, beware that some non GTI mk1's have grey bumpers & late South African mk1's have different bumper (not too many of them in the UK though)
Brakes ....... THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH MK! GOLF BRAKES....... LOL ........ the linkage across give crap feel, but you should be able to lock the brakes up if you stamp on them
Grooved disks & fast road pads from Euro Car Parts are a worth while mod..... throw away the front disk dust sheilds (helps get air to the brakes)..... make sure the calipers are working OK
Rebuild the rear brakes... all new bits..... check the load valve on the rear axle is working
Bleed the brakes REALLY WELL..... like once you think there OK, bleed them again
No dash lights..... maybe bulbs, but mk1's are really good on bulbs..... my mk1 that I've had for 5 year & only put a couple of bulbs in it
P-slots...... make sure theres all the centre caps with them.... 2 cap's can be worth more than 4 wheels without caps
Newton commercials are doing retrims for GTI seats & headlings
Stick a new clutch in it, and a new cable.....make sure the cable ain't pulling through the bulkhead....... the metal is too thin really on the drivers side & the metal can split around were the cable goes through...... maybe worth welding a plate on the inside when the dash comes out for lower screen repair
Repair kits are available for the gear linkage
rumbling whilst under 30 / slowing down - bearings..... pretty deffo that will be bearings
Various suspension kits are available if you don't like the current setup..... I have a cheap G-Max kit on my mk1, not too low & rides really well (not too stiff)
Paul
Guys - thank you very much for the answers there particularly you Paul!
So armed with those, the info from some people on gti forum as well as the guy who has worked on the car for the last few years I'm going to work out how much the car needs spending on it.
Reckon I'm going to need to pay about £3-400 for the car for it to be a worthwhile project. Don't think that the owner will want to let it go for that though..
Hmm..can see this being a whole load of pain if I don't do it right.
Also, bearing in mind the age of the car - if I get it perfect do you think that the Cat D will always hold back the value?
So armed with those, the info from some people on gti forum as well as the guy who has worked on the car for the last few years I'm going to work out how much the car needs spending on it.
Reckon I'm going to need to pay about £3-400 for the car for it to be a worthwhile project. Don't think that the owner will want to let it go for that though..
Hmm..can see this being a whole load of pain if I don't do it right.
Also, bearing in mind the age of the car - if I get it perfect do you think that the Cat D will always hold back the value?
Can I just say....
Don't remove the front brake disc dust sheilds, it can be bloody lethal. I did it thinking it would help keep the brakes cool.
What it actually meant was that if you are driving on a wet motorway or dirty road if you don't need the brakes for a little while when you come to use them they are drenched or covered in filth and don't work at all.
After a very frightening wet motorway incident I went straight to GSF and bought two brand new ones.
The worlds biggest OEM manufacturer put them there for a very good reason.
Don't remove the front brake disc dust sheilds, it can be bloody lethal. I did it thinking it would help keep the brakes cool.
What it actually meant was that if you are driving on a wet motorway or dirty road if you don't need the brakes for a little while when you come to use them they are drenched or covered in filth and don't work at all.
After a very frightening wet motorway incident I went straight to GSF and bought two brand new ones.
The worlds biggest OEM manufacturer put them there for a very good reason.
For me I'd never buy a Cat D, as it will quite often mean chassis damage and therefore no matter how nice it looks on the surface there will always be that niggle about the structure.
But to be fair it would depend on when it was Cat D, as if it was a year ago by the sounds of it just some toe rag keying it would right it off! If it was done when the car would have been fairly valuable then it's quite likely had chassis damage in my opinion. I have no insurance knowledge in the slightest and thats just personal thoughts.
But to be fair it would depend on when it was Cat D, as if it was a year ago by the sounds of it just some toe rag keying it would right it off! If it was done when the car would have been fairly valuable then it's quite likely had chassis damage in my opinion. I have no insurance knowledge in the slightest and thats just personal thoughts.
It was only Cat'D a few years ago due to a bump that seems to have involved a dinked bonnet and rear bumper.
It was because of the recentness of the bump that I considered looking at it but a Cat D is a Cat D at the end of the day so no matter how good I get the car it will always be just that. Shame - it could've been avoided really - I recently had the insurers write off my car but one strongly worded letter later and it was removed!
Anyway, cheers for your thoughts on this - I'll get a mk1 one day, just not this one sadly.
It was because of the recentness of the bump that I considered looking at it but a Cat D is a Cat D at the end of the day so no matter how good I get the car it will always be just that. Shame - it could've been avoided really - I recently had the insurers write off my car but one strongly worded letter later and it was removed!
Anyway, cheers for your thoughts on this - I'll get a mk1 one day, just not this one sadly.
lhasa green is the only way to go.
Fairly easy to fix anything which is wrong with them but start with a nice corrosion free example if you can, the rot gets worse and worse.
I've got to be honest, whilst I liked my Mk1 and was sad to see it go there are plenty of better cars out there for the money- perhaps an oak green 3 door Mk2 big bumpered 16v on bbs crossspokes?.
Fairly easy to fix anything which is wrong with them but start with a nice corrosion free example if you can, the rot gets worse and worse.
I've got to be honest, whilst I liked my Mk1 and was sad to see it go there are plenty of better cars out there for the money- perhaps an oak green 3 door Mk2 big bumpered 16v on bbs crossspokes?.
Mmm, that red one is rather nice looking.
At that price it also points out how expensive the 'often tracked' one I found was at £1250.
I am dead set on getting a mk1 despite the rather poor first drive in one. And a mk2 will be added to the collection, my rough plan is to the collection all the 80's hot hatches that are worth having y'see.
I drive past the one mentioned most days and it really does look good from a-far at 30mph but the corrosion seems to have set in on it too which combined with the D is just a no go.
Are the 1.8's rated higher than the 1.6's generally?
At that price it also points out how expensive the 'often tracked' one I found was at £1250.
I am dead set on getting a mk1 despite the rather poor first drive in one. And a mk2 will be added to the collection, my rough plan is to the collection all the 80's hot hatches that are worth having y'see.
I drive past the one mentioned most days and it really does look good from a-far at 30mph but the corrosion seems to have set in on it too which combined with the D is just a no go.
Are the 1.8's rated higher than the 1.6's generally?
missing the VR6 said:
My mate rates the 1.6 over the 1.8 but I've had two 1.8 Scirocco's and couldn't imagine having less power. Never driven a MK1 so I've probably been of no use to you.
The 1.6 was only 2bhp less so not much difference. Big difference was the gearbox 4sp vs 5sp. The interior in the 1.8 is also much better IMOGassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff