"Barn find" advice
Discussion
Hi all,
Just after a bit of advice, I have become aware of a bit of a classic in need of a bit of tlc. The car in question is the very first RHD Mk 1 Golf GTi. It is on just under 100k miles but hasnt been used for over 15 years.
The car is owned by a close family friend and has sat in an open shed for much of the last 15 years so i'd expect it to be quite badly affected by tin worm, the engine used to be started regularly and run till warm by my father, but this has not been done now for a number of years
I will be in a good enough financial situation to take on such a project in the near future, so long as the costs are not astronomical!!
What sort of issues would i expect to find on a car which has sat this long?
It has been off the road before SORN came in, how would this work with regards to registering it again and would it retain its old VRN?
No pics at present as 1. Its not mine and 2. Im currently about a thousand miles away
Cheers
Duncs
Just after a bit of advice, I have become aware of a bit of a classic in need of a bit of tlc. The car in question is the very first RHD Mk 1 Golf GTi. It is on just under 100k miles but hasnt been used for over 15 years.
The car is owned by a close family friend and has sat in an open shed for much of the last 15 years so i'd expect it to be quite badly affected by tin worm, the engine used to be started regularly and run till warm by my father, but this has not been done now for a number of years
I will be in a good enough financial situation to take on such a project in the near future, so long as the costs are not astronomical!!
What sort of issues would i expect to find on a car which has sat this long?
It has been off the road before SORN came in, how would this work with regards to registering it again and would it retain its old VRN?
No pics at present as 1. Its not mine and 2. Im currently about a thousand miles away
Cheers
Duncs
iva cosworth said:
Does the vendor have proof of this ?
Take it with a pinch of salt otherwise.
There is probably a dozen or more "very firsts".
Yes, i believe so, it has been in his hands for a very long time, possibly from new?Take it with a pinch of salt otherwise.
There is probably a dozen or more "very firsts".
In a different barn at the opposite end of the country, he also has a Facel Vega!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DuncsGTi said:
iva cosworth said:
Does the vendor have proof of this ?
Take it with a pinch of salt otherwise.
There is probably a dozen or more "very firsts".
Yes, i believe so, it has been in his hands for a very long time, possibly from new?Take it with a pinch of salt otherwise.
There is probably a dozen or more "very firsts".
In a different barn at the opposite end of the country, he also has a Facel Vega!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
williamp said:
If the provenance can be proven then well worth saving and posdibly financially visble too.
If mearly a very early one then maybe one for the keen enthusiast only. But either way worth saving*
Absolutely, no stancing happening here!!!!!!!!!If mearly a very early one then maybe one for the keen enthusiast only. But either way worth saving*
- pleae, dub scene. Leave it well alone. Original only please. No stanced or other scene b
ks
I'm a year into my mk1 resto, it's a car I've had for nearly 15 years but it had been off the road for 8. I probably should of sold it but it has too many memories.
Check out the sill to rear beam axle area, in f act all the sills!
Heritage vw sell a lot of bits but it isn't cheap.
Sounds like a great project though.
I would worry about the engine for now but I'd probably take the head off as part of a restoration, at the very least, to check wear and clean recon it.
The fuel lines are a pain in the arse and are routed under the floor, these rust too!
Good luck
Check out the sill to rear beam axle area, in f act all the sills!
Heritage vw sell a lot of bits but it isn't cheap.
Sounds like a great project though.
I would worry about the engine for now but I'd probably take the head off as part of a restoration, at the very least, to check wear and clean recon it.
The fuel lines are a pain in the arse and are routed under the floor, these rust too!
Good luck
LuS1fer said:
I find all this "first" heritage interesting but, ultimately, who cares? It's like famous owners, why do people really care.
Given a choice between a rotten "first RHD GTI" and a good 234th GTI, I'd take the latter, every time, it will be the same...
I have to agree. In this instance, given the amount you may have to spend resurrecting this car vs the premium it might command for being the first RHD in the country (which I don't really think is a significant selling point beyond being a novelty) then I reckon you'd either be better taking it on purely because you WANT to (as a project or whatever, and he gives it away at a fair price) or just buy one already in good condition and put it away. Given a choice between a rotten "first RHD GTI" and a good 234th GTI, I'd take the latter, every time, it will be the same...
I'm a year into my mk1 resto, it's a car I've had for nearly 15 years but it had been off the road for 8. I probably should of sold it but it has too many memories.
Check out the sill to rear beam axle area, in f act all the sills!
Heritage vw sell a lot of bits but it isn't cheap.
Sounds like a great project though.
I would worry about the engine for now but I'd probably take the head off as part of a restoration, at the very least, to check wear and clean recon it.
The fuel lines are a pain in the arse and are routed under the floor, these rust too!
Good luck
Check out the sill to rear beam axle area, in f act all the sills!
Heritage vw sell a lot of bits but it isn't cheap.
Sounds like a great project though.
I would worry about the engine for now but I'd probably take the head off as part of a restoration, at the very least, to check wear and clean recon it.
The fuel lines are a pain in the arse and are routed under the floor, these rust too!
Good luck
Time for a wee update, today while I was up visiting family, my aforementioned family friend popped in for a cuppa. She mentioned that she had just sold her "London runaround" and I said I had just been admiring another of her old cars. Her reply was "That old thing? You can just have it if you want!!"
So I seem to have acquired it.
It's going to take time, patience and probably a fair bit of funding to get it to a good standard but tbh I'm looking forward to the challenge.
I got a couple of pics of it as it stands now.
So I seem to have acquired it.
It's going to take time, patience and probably a fair bit of funding to get it to a good standard but tbh I'm looking forward to the challenge.
I got a couple of pics of it as it stands now.
Wow, she looks a beaut!
There is a wealth of information available on the mk1 golf owners club forum.
I highly recommend contacting Crazy Quiff (golfmk1.Co.uk) if there is anything you need, I've known him for 10 years and he's a guru when it comes to mk1 golfs, parts, and repairs!
Classic-vw.Co.uk is imo a better parts place than vw heritage too, and often much cheaper!
Good luck!
There is a wealth of information available on the mk1 golf owners club forum.
I highly recommend contacting Crazy Quiff (golfmk1.Co.uk) if there is anything you need, I've known him for 10 years and he's a guru when it comes to mk1 golfs, parts, and repairs!
Classic-vw.Co.uk is imo a better parts place than vw heritage too, and often much cheaper!
Good luck!
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