Mk2 Golf 16V ground up rebuild
Discussion
I bought this car back in April of this year (2016). Its my third mk2 but my first gti. My first Mk2 was a 1.8 auto which I adored and the car that made me fall in love with mk2's. I've never drove anything modern I've been into older cars as far back as I can remember (I'm 29).
The next step had to be a Gti. When I was looking I found many 8valves but not many 16valves. Went to see a few 8valves but I just wanted the 16V and one came up for sale that had a hidden secret
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/HCiZCaEi[/url]
Now for the bad bits, of which there are many:
Discovered thanks to the mk2 owners club that someone had installed a mk1 campaign wheel which is a whopping 380mm which makes steering and finding the brake pedal with a manual rack quite a danger more than anything.
When I got the car it had a rattle at the top end, the rattle eventually turned into a knock and then several knocks until it had more knocks than a van full of jehova's witnesses. I've covered 3500 miles in 6 months. Its now on 151,000 miles. I got it for £900 with an mot would you believe. Did manage to have some fun though
Camping in the summer.
Didn't do much to it apart from fit period correct small bumpers as when I bought it it had a big bumper conversion which were held on with cable ties! And also give it a complete service.
Getting to more recently. Started looking for places to restore her, she's named Ellen by the way (due to the licence plate) planned on doing some of the work myself but lack of time, space and general expertise on such a build made me realise that I was delusional.
Took her to Deutsch Doctors down in Stoke (I'm in St Helens) who were very good and nice guys too. They had a hoard of mk1's and mk2's
Only issue was distance so had a chance call into somewhere 10mins away. Quest restorations in Orrell. Examples of their work:
Again very impressed, they had space for one more car, very good set of guys who love what they do. That was it, Mind made up. Work will commence beginning of December so can't wait to see the first steps. Meanwhile I originally wanted the current KR to be rebuilt but something came up in the form of this...
A Mk3 16V ABF engine but I've seen it running a few times because I've followed the owners build thread on cgti, it's had a top end rebuild and the only reason he's changing it out is because he's going with a Vr6t. So I know it's running well. Also I'm able to retain the mechanical fuel injection (k-jet) which is essential for me so it will look completely stock but with about 40-50bhp extra so I'm quite happy and it's saved me around £1000 too so I'm a happy man.. for now.
Oh yes the reason I bought the car:
It's hiding (under that awful respray) monza blue which just happened to be my favourite mk2 colour so call it fate I happened to run into this car. Around 1000 monza blue's where sold in the UK so it's a very rare colour and I didn't even know it had been resprayed until I went to view the car so when I saw the original Colour I thought s**t I will have to buy it now...
The next step had to be a Gti. When I was looking I found many 8valves but not many 16valves. Went to see a few 8valves but I just wanted the 16V and one came up for sale that had a hidden secret
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/HCiZCaEi[/url]Now for the bad bits, of which there are many:
Discovered thanks to the mk2 owners club that someone had installed a mk1 campaign wheel which is a whopping 380mm which makes steering and finding the brake pedal with a manual rack quite a danger more than anything.
When I got the car it had a rattle at the top end, the rattle eventually turned into a knock and then several knocks until it had more knocks than a van full of jehova's witnesses. I've covered 3500 miles in 6 months. Its now on 151,000 miles. I got it for £900 with an mot would you believe. Did manage to have some fun though
Camping in the summer.
Didn't do much to it apart from fit period correct small bumpers as when I bought it it had a big bumper conversion which were held on with cable ties! And also give it a complete service.
Getting to more recently. Started looking for places to restore her, she's named Ellen by the way (due to the licence plate) planned on doing some of the work myself but lack of time, space and general expertise on such a build made me realise that I was delusional.
Took her to Deutsch Doctors down in Stoke (I'm in St Helens) who were very good and nice guys too. They had a hoard of mk1's and mk2's
Only issue was distance so had a chance call into somewhere 10mins away. Quest restorations in Orrell. Examples of their work:
Again very impressed, they had space for one more car, very good set of guys who love what they do. That was it, Mind made up. Work will commence beginning of December so can't wait to see the first steps. Meanwhile I originally wanted the current KR to be rebuilt but something came up in the form of this...
A Mk3 16V ABF engine but I've seen it running a few times because I've followed the owners build thread on cgti, it's had a top end rebuild and the only reason he's changing it out is because he's going with a Vr6t. So I know it's running well. Also I'm able to retain the mechanical fuel injection (k-jet) which is essential for me so it will look completely stock but with about 40-50bhp extra so I'm quite happy and it's saved me around £1000 too so I'm a happy man.. for now.
Oh yes the reason I bought the car:
It's hiding (under that awful respray) monza blue which just happened to be my favourite mk2 colour so call it fate I happened to run into this car. Around 1000 monza blue's where sold in the UK so it's a very rare colour and I didn't even know it had been resprayed until I went to view the car so when I saw the original Colour I thought s**t I will have to buy it now...
Edited by Coakers on Tuesday 8th November 00:54
Edited by Coakers on Tuesday 8th November 01:22
will follow this one. whatever you do, don't scrimp on aftermarket / pattern parts. always get genuine ones if you can. so much more better quality and fit. had a few MK2 GTi's over the years but luckily, all have been minters so not needed any work like you are undertaking. good luck 
Thanks for the kind words and advice guys, it has took a lot of planning regarding budgeting. Have to make a lot of sacrifices over the next 12 months but I may never get this opportunity again and you only live once. There are other cars I'd love to own Ford Capri mk2/mk3, BMW E30, I even want to own a Morris Minor but my heart is in the mk2 for the foreseeable (for the money I'm putting into it it has to be).
She isn't going to original mind. For suspension I'm going with KW variant 3's. Stainless steel exhaust manifold from Tsr and either a custom or trackslag exhaust and obviously the ABF. A bit more than Oem+.
Oh yes not long after I got her me and my girlfriend drove upto the lakes for the weekend during the summer and this happened.
Heater matrix blew up, doing about 80, extremely hot water suddenly peppered me and my girlfriend through the vents. I think she said something along the lines of.. 'pull the f**k over before I get scalded alive' not good.
Managed to pull over without further incident.. Just. What hurt more was having to fork out £140 to the RAC for them to bypass the heater matrix which is a simple thing to do by the way. When I told the Rac guy where we were going he said 'in this??.. Your brave' Nearly slapped the taste out his mouth Haha. But anyway also bought some Melber Mahles recently. Seen these on a car on cgti and they looked beautiful. Apologies for the poor quality ebay screenshot but don't have any good pictures of them.
They will eventually look like this
Did test fit them but with the really low profile tyres they looked just a tad ridiculous.
Also here are some shiny parts that are on the engine. It was a bitter pill to swallow not to keep the original engine but the advice I've been given and from what I've seen on other builds has told me this is the logical route to take. And I have really dropped on with this particular ABF.
She isn't going to original mind. For suspension I'm going with KW variant 3's. Stainless steel exhaust manifold from Tsr and either a custom or trackslag exhaust and obviously the ABF. A bit more than Oem+.
Oh yes not long after I got her me and my girlfriend drove upto the lakes for the weekend during the summer and this happened.
Heater matrix blew up, doing about 80, extremely hot water suddenly peppered me and my girlfriend through the vents. I think she said something along the lines of.. 'pull the f**k over before I get scalded alive' not good.
Managed to pull over without further incident.. Just. What hurt more was having to fork out £140 to the RAC for them to bypass the heater matrix which is a simple thing to do by the way. When I told the Rac guy where we were going he said 'in this??.. Your brave' Nearly slapped the taste out his mouth Haha. But anyway also bought some Melber Mahles recently. Seen these on a car on cgti and they looked beautiful. Apologies for the poor quality ebay screenshot but don't have any good pictures of them.
They will eventually look like this
Did test fit them but with the really low profile tyres they looked just a tad ridiculous.
Also here are some shiny parts that are on the engine. It was a bitter pill to swallow not to keep the original engine but the advice I've been given and from what I've seen on other builds has told me this is the logical route to take. And I have really dropped on with this particular ABF.
Liking this.
Have you had the boot carpet up to check the build sticker and that the boot floor is also monza blue if not it may just be a replacement bonnet. There is a chance it is a Monza as nearly all the ones I've seen are D and E reg (86/87) cars.
At a wild guess did you get those Mahles from James aka COPE on cgti, he spent aaaages refurbing those to be proper shiny!!
Have you had the boot carpet up to check the build sticker and that the boot floor is also monza blue if not it may just be a replacement bonnet. There is a chance it is a Monza as nearly all the ones I've seen are D and E reg (86/87) cars.
At a wild guess did you get those Mahles from James aka COPE on cgti, he spent aaaages refurbing those to be proper shiny!!
Oh yes definitely monza, (picture below) is a part of the scuttle after a bit of a clean And if you look at the rusty pictures you can just see some blue under the black. Unfortunately the boot is a replacement so no sticker. It was Copes car where I first saw them wheels! 
and when I decided I wanted them on mine.
and when I decided I wanted them on mine.I must admit I was also quite keen on those wheels to go on my G60 but restrained myself and had some BBS RZ in 7j form instead.
As a little teaser then, here is my mates ABF powered monza
and this one was owned by another mate (Chris who runs the mk2golf owners club)
It's a cracking colour an looks so right on a early skinny bumper GTIs.
As a little teaser then, here is my mates ABF powered monza
and this one was owned by another mate (Chris who runs the mk2golf owners club)
It's a cracking colour an looks so right on a early skinny bumper GTIs.
they look stunning. I had a Monza Jetta a hundred years ago.
aka_kerrly said:
I must admit I was also quite keen on those wheels to go on my G60 but restrained myself and had some BBS RZ in 7j form instead.
As a little teaser then, here is my mates ABF powered monza
and this one was owned by another mate (Chris who runs the mk2golf owners club)
It's a cracking colour an looks so right on a early skinny bumper GTIs.
early small window ones too. quite rare now. both look great.As a little teaser then, here is my mates ABF powered monza
and this one was owned by another mate (Chris who runs the mk2golf owners club)
It's a cracking colour an looks so right on a early skinny bumper GTIs.
MDMA . said:
early small window ones too. quite rare now. both look great.
Absolutely, both are early examples of 16v models as the first ones to arrive in the country were late 1986 to end up on "D" plates and by mid 1987 on "E" plates the full size front windows/relocated wing mirrors were brought it, along with changes to the interior, the rubbing strips changing from being taped on to ones being clipped on, the position & style of the rear badges changed among many other little differences.I used to own one of the earliest 16v Golf GTIs in the country but sadly the tin worm got to it and at the time I didn't have the skills required to fix it.
Ahh inspiration, thanks for the replies, I've seen the latter pic before, it's also the look I'm going for. Earlier seven slat grill with the thinner side mouldings. The thicker side trim from later small bumper just looks ugly. Not strictly period correct but it's my car and I'll have it the way I want Haha, here's another completed example.
AJB88 said:
Following! I have just picked up a 89 GTI 8V with TDI conversion
Is it a TDI from a mk3 Golf AAZ 75hp or 1Z 90hp or a later PDI from a mk4? I know a fella who built some Caddys and mk2s which have PDI 130hp engines an always fancied a drive to see how a far lighter mk2 would feel with modern tdi power.
[quote=iguana]My old Monza tracker, had a high compression 1.9 flowed head etc, 190bhp, very different to the ABFs & 9As in sound & delivery.
Interested to know how different your engine was to a standard abf? Was it a Tsr pack? Caldwell or similar. Gather you must of gone with forged internals.
I have took delivery of the ABF at the weekend.
And got a rare early gti 7 slat grill with an even rarer 16v badge. Made up with it.
Interested to know how different your engine was to a standard abf? Was it a Tsr pack? Caldwell or similar. Gather you must of gone with forged internals.
I have took delivery of the ABF at the weekend.
And got a rare early gti 7 slat grill with an even rarer 16v badge. Made up with it.
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