1991 Mk2 Golf GTI 16v
Discussion
Long time reader, first time poster. Today my 1991 Mk2 Golf GTI 16v began it's journey to getting back on the road. Here she is shortly after I bought the car, around January 2006 next to a long since gone Mk3 8v that the Mk2 replaced.
The 16v was my daily driver for 18 months, over which time she never let me down. I probably put close to 25k miles on in that period including visiting my girlfriend (now wife, who cannot believe I still own the car.....) every weekend for a 120 mile round trip. In September of 2007 I moved abroad for work, initially for 2 years and parked her in the garage you can see in the background. The car was on 156k back in 2007 and the engine was pulling strong.
Two years has very quickly become 12 and I'm still not yet home, but a combination of available funds, a very helpful uncle (more below on this) and an understanding wife mean that I'm able to take steps to get the car back to it's former glory.
Here she is where she didn't move for 12 years.
And today, finally pulled out and off for some TLC.
I'm very lucky to have an uncle who is both retired and a huge petrol head who has in the past owned several Delta Integrales, kit cars, old Alfas (I have fond memories of family holidays in the south of France with my uncle and family in his Alfa Sud Sprint and my family in a slightly less exciting Montego saloon). He is currently very involved in the Pug 205 gti scene and has a pretty special 1.9 205 gti. He has very generously offered to project manage this for me and working closely with the body shop/car restoration firm that is owned by a friend of his who will be doing most of the work.
The restoration firm has already had a good look at the car a few months ago and for now we're not going for a full respray as the paint is strong and there is only minimal amounts of rust (around one of the arches, scuttle panel around the windscreen both need attention), but who knows what will be found when they pull it apart. The plan is to have the car back on the road for when I am next in the UK in August. The car will be very close to OEM as possible with some subtle improvements.
The preliminary work planned is as follows:
- Engine/gearbox rebuild and possibly polished/ported head. We'll be using a firm in Northamptonshire who my uncle has worked with on other projects.
- Suspension, Bilstein B12 kit, which is only slightly lower than standard ride height.
- All brake components, lines etc replaced, calipers/carriers refurbished.
- All fuelling components replaced/refurbished
- All cooling components like pipes/radiator to be replaced
- Interior is very good. Just needs a good clean.
- Exterior trim is not in bad shape, but more to come when it is pulled apart. I'm sure some of the seals will have perished and need replacing.
- May add a Milltek SS exhaust with 4 branch manifold. They make one that has the OEM look tail pipes. The exhaust was relatively new some time in 2007 so I'm secretly hoping it has fallen apart in the time it has been garaged.
- Alloys were pretty good so probably will not need a refurb. Clearly will need new tires.
I've collected a pretty good pile of parts over the last month or so for the components that will need replacing that I've sent off to the restorers in the back of the car this afternoon.
Here it is on the road to it's new home for the next few months.
The 16v was my daily driver for 18 months, over which time she never let me down. I probably put close to 25k miles on in that period including visiting my girlfriend (now wife, who cannot believe I still own the car.....) every weekend for a 120 mile round trip. In September of 2007 I moved abroad for work, initially for 2 years and parked her in the garage you can see in the background. The car was on 156k back in 2007 and the engine was pulling strong.
Two years has very quickly become 12 and I'm still not yet home, but a combination of available funds, a very helpful uncle (more below on this) and an understanding wife mean that I'm able to take steps to get the car back to it's former glory.
Here she is where she didn't move for 12 years.
And today, finally pulled out and off for some TLC.
I'm very lucky to have an uncle who is both retired and a huge petrol head who has in the past owned several Delta Integrales, kit cars, old Alfas (I have fond memories of family holidays in the south of France with my uncle and family in his Alfa Sud Sprint and my family in a slightly less exciting Montego saloon). He is currently very involved in the Pug 205 gti scene and has a pretty special 1.9 205 gti. He has very generously offered to project manage this for me and working closely with the body shop/car restoration firm that is owned by a friend of his who will be doing most of the work.
The restoration firm has already had a good look at the car a few months ago and for now we're not going for a full respray as the paint is strong and there is only minimal amounts of rust (around one of the arches, scuttle panel around the windscreen both need attention), but who knows what will be found when they pull it apart. The plan is to have the car back on the road for when I am next in the UK in August. The car will be very close to OEM as possible with some subtle improvements.
The preliminary work planned is as follows:
- Engine/gearbox rebuild and possibly polished/ported head. We'll be using a firm in Northamptonshire who my uncle has worked with on other projects.
- Suspension, Bilstein B12 kit, which is only slightly lower than standard ride height.
- All brake components, lines etc replaced, calipers/carriers refurbished.
- All fuelling components replaced/refurbished
- All cooling components like pipes/radiator to be replaced
- Interior is very good. Just needs a good clean.
- Exterior trim is not in bad shape, but more to come when it is pulled apart. I'm sure some of the seals will have perished and need replacing.
- May add a Milltek SS exhaust with 4 branch manifold. They make one that has the OEM look tail pipes. The exhaust was relatively new some time in 2007 so I'm secretly hoping it has fallen apart in the time it has been garaged.
- Alloys were pretty good so probably will not need a refurb. Clearly will need new tires.
I've collected a pretty good pile of parts over the last month or so for the components that will need replacing that I've sent off to the restorers in the back of the car this afternoon.
Here it is on the road to it's new home for the next few months.
Edited by bdaBen on Saturday 2nd March 18:06
That looks lovely, it'll be excellent once recommissioned.
If you're going to do the heater matrix, make sure the foam inserts in the heater box haven't fallen apart. They almost certainly will have by now and you won't be able to direct air or select hot/cold properly. You'll need to glue some plastic inserts in there and it'll be good as new with a shiny new heater matrix. Check my Mk2 Golf thread out for pictures of the process.
If you're going to do the heater matrix, make sure the foam inserts in the heater box haven't fallen apart. They almost certainly will have by now and you won't be able to direct air or select hot/cold properly. You'll need to glue some plastic inserts in there and it'll be good as new with a shiny new heater matrix. Check my Mk2 Golf thread out for pictures of the process.
Absolutely love it. I have had many MK2's and many cars but there was just something about one of my old GTI's that I just loved and should never have sold it. This was many years ago and now prices have shot up. I ended up getting an E46 M3 and didn't use the MK2 as much as I liked.
What I would give to have another one again. I would love to be in your position and start from scratch with one. Good luck with it. It will be worth it.
What I would give to have another one again. I would love to be in your position and start from scratch with one. Good luck with it. It will be worth it.
mak250300 said:
Absolutely love it. I have had many MK2's and many cars but there was just something about one of my old GTI's that I just loved and should never have sold it. This was many years ago and now prices have shot up. I ended up getting an E46 M3 and didn't use the MK2 as much as I liked.
What I would give to have another one again. I would love to be in your position and start from scratch with one. Good luck with it. It will be worth it.
Looks fantastic. Sold now I assume?What I would give to have another one again. I would love to be in your position and start from scratch with one. Good luck with it. It will be worth it.
TheDukeGTi said:
Looking forward to this one. My mk2 8v was always the one that got away for me. I've had some interesting metal since, and still always find myself lusting after the mk2's again.
Will it be going abroad once it's complete? Where are you now based?
I'm from Derbyshire and the car will be staying there when completed. I currently live in Bermuda, so zero chance of ever bringing the car over here.Will it be going abroad once it's complete? Where are you now based?
I have the option of the garage it just came out of, but don't really want the to burden my parents with running it now and again and the upkeep (nor do I want it to have boxes, tools and other general rubbish being left on top of it again), so I'll likely have to look for another option.
The engine is now out and all wrapped up ready to be send to the engine builders on Monday. Apart from almost 28 years' worth of dirt the engine bay is apparently in pretty good shape. The battery tray doesn't look great in the pictures but I'm told it is fine and just needs a clean.
Credit for all photos to the shop doing the work
Credit for all photos to the shop doing the work
Small update. I spent some time today down with the shop doing the work.
Progress has been slow while we waited for the engine build, but that has progressed well. All machine work has been completed to the head and it should be built by the end of September. Photos to come.
In the mean time the shop have been checking for rust in the usual areas, the worst of which are below in the photos. For a 28 year old car they were surprised how well it has held up. The scuttle panel looks worse than it actually is. The ending bay is filthy but solid under all the years of grunge.
Progress has been slow while we waited for the engine build, but that has progressed well. All machine work has been completed to the head and it should be built by the end of September. Photos to come.
In the mean time the shop have been checking for rust in the usual areas, the worst of which are below in the photos. For a 28 year old car they were surprised how well it has held up. The scuttle panel looks worse than it actually is. The ending bay is filthy but solid under all the years of grunge.
It's been a while but time to resurrect this thread. Much progress has been made in the last 3 or 4 months and seeing another thread on here (an 8v gti in black) prompted me to make an update.
All rust (thankfully not too much, just arches, filler neck and a little around the windscreen) was cut out and dealt with, paint is done, brake calipers refurbished (courtesy of Bigg Red), new wheels sourced (original BBS RA will be refurbished at a later date and put away somewhere safe), various bit and pieces of running gear stripped and repainted, full Bilstein suspension kit purchased, plus many many other bits and pieces that are too numerous to list (most things related to cooling system, fuel, braking all replaced or refurbed).
Now just a matter of putting it all back together. Engine/gearbox all ready and the plan is to get it in the weekend after next. Hope to have the car on the road by the summer. I'll let the pictures do the talking.
All rust (thankfully not too much, just arches, filler neck and a little around the windscreen) was cut out and dealt with, paint is done, brake calipers refurbished (courtesy of Bigg Red), new wheels sourced (original BBS RA will be refurbished at a later date and put away somewhere safe), various bit and pieces of running gear stripped and repainted, full Bilstein suspension kit purchased, plus many many other bits and pieces that are too numerous to list (most things related to cooling system, fuel, braking all replaced or refurbed).
Now just a matter of putting it all back together. Engine/gearbox all ready and the plan is to get it in the weekend after next. Hope to have the car on the road by the summer. I'll let the pictures do the talking.
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