Bathurst Mk1 GTIs?

[Golfboy666GTI]

Does anyone have any pics/info/specs/where abouts of the MK1 GTI Golf that racing at Bathurst in the late 70s early 80s?

Were they factory cars? I was told they were owned and raced by a Sydney VW dealer back in the day?

[EndlessMKI]

Wow would be great if someone had pics.............I never thought about the MKI's racing at bathurst. I guess back then it wasn't just a two car manufacturer sence.

[gtimk5]

Hi and a big welcome to you on joining the forum!
The Golf ran at Bathust from 77-80 I think. It was entered by a dealer out near Parramatta and was driven by Chris Heyer. It was an LS built up to 1.6GTI specs except it had quad throttle bodies with Hilbourne mechanical injection. The longe range fuel tank took up the whole boot area up to the parcel shelf!
It was always very quick and in one Bathurst race it was 1 1/2 laps clear of the next car in its classbut unfortunately it suffered mechanical problems often. A fuel fire during refueling one year and a broken accelerator cable of all things another year!
20v kitcar on this forum now has that GTI but he doesn't get on the forum much these days. Golf loon could help you with contacting Steve maybe if you wanted to check it out one day?
I had a ride in it years ago, with the Bathurst gearing on a country road in the dark. No headlight lenses and sitting on a slick tyre for a passengers seat made for an interesting ride!!!! :D
Fantastic car though with a lot of history.
I hope you enjoy the forum, good to have you here, cheers, Andrew :)

[gtimk5]

They had it on ABC lagends last friday night from an old race at Sandown.
It finished 3rd or4th I think. Looked great!:)

[Golfboy666GTI]

Hi and a big welcome to you on joining the forum!
The Golf ran at Bathust from 77-80 I think. It was entered by a dealer out near Parramatta and was driven by Chris Heyer. It was an LS built up to 1.6GTI specs except it had quad throttle bodies with Hilbourne mechanical injection. The longe range fuel tank took up the whole boot area up to the parcel shelf!
It was always very quick and in one Bathurst race it was 1 1/2 laps clear of the next car in its classbut unfortunately it suffered mechanical problems often. A fuel fire during refueling one year and a broken accelerator cable of all things another year!
20v kitcar on this forum now has that GTI but he doesn't get on the forum much these days. Golf loon could help you with contacting Steve maybe if you wanted to check it out one day?
I had a ride in it years ago, with the Bathurst gearing on a country road in the dark. No headlight lenses and sitting on a slick tyre for a passengers seat made for an interesting ride!!!! :D
Fantastic car though with a lot of history.
I hope you enjoy the forum, good to have you here, cheers, Andrew :)


Thank you for the welcome.

Ive never seen pics of the car, I had a 75-85 Bathurst video and all it shows is the fuel fire but the car cant be seen.
Id love to have a look at the car (pics?) but sady I live to far away (NZ)

[roccodingo]

Good to see this car still survives :)

I remember seeing it racing on the TV years ago and always wondered where it ended up...A local golf with a racing pedigree... nice ..:D

[EndlessMKI]

would kill for pics hey.

Loon hook up some pics for the needy bra : ).

[gtimk5]

It was on ABC2 "legends" show the other week. Alan Grice won the race at Sandown in an RX3 followed by 2, 3 litre Capris and then the 1.6 Golf ran 4th!!!!!
We need pics of it, surely someone here can dig some out? I might try google? Cheers! :)

[aliasmk2]

i have seen the actual whole race on a (optus) pay tv sports channel about 3 years ago
i can remember the comantary giving a lot of praise to the new breed of VW
it is a pity that the mainform of motor sport in this country has sunk to the level of world championship wrestling, by just promoting & protecting 2 substandard manufacturers

[static1800]

pity that the mainform of motor sport in this country has sunk to the level of world championship wrestling, by just promoting & protecting 2 substandard manufacturers


post of the year right there.

It's a shame the production car class the r32's were running in have kinda disapeared, you never see it anymore on tv, It was awesome seeing them leave wrx's and evo's behind :)

[gtimk5]

it is a pity that the mainform of motor sport in this country has sunk to the level of world championship wrestling, by just promoting & protecting 2 substandard manufacturers[/QUOTE]

And egos too! Well put.:(

[Golf Loon]

I actually could have had a ride in this Golf last time I was up at Steves place, but it had run out of Petrol!!!

I`ll make the pilgrimage up there with a Camera and some petrol and post em up.

Its a mad car, Swallowtail 76, never road registered, was a race car from new. Has crazy injection system and some mad stress fractures in the body. Looking a bit sad these days, but the glory is still there.

[gtimk5]

Yes, Mullers had it painted up in the "Sprite cola" colours when I saw it. It hit the wall in practice at Bathurst one year very hard and you could see where it had been repaired. It would be great to restore it tos original deep red paintjob. Hillborn mechanical injection gives an induction noise like the racing BMW M3s used to make. Awesome sound, made the hair stand up on the back of my neck!! :)
And Loon, the slick tyre for a passengers seat isn't all that comfy either!!!;)

[syncro]

I have some photos:D

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/11/bathurst-1.jpg

[gtimk5]

Thanks for that Syncro. That was the later paint scheme which it ran on the ABC thing the other week. Yellow with red :)

[Golfboy666GTI]

Thanks for that Syncro. That was the later paint scheme which it ran on the ABC thing the other week. Yellow with red :)

I think you will find that the above pic is of the earlier paint job.

I have just come across an old Wheel Mag (Feb 1977) that has an article of this car in it in the above colours, also in the same mag it has a feature of the Wheels 1976 car of the year which turns out to be a Mk1 Golf.

[phaeton]

I know this is a tease but I have an article from Wheels (Dec. 1980) of the Lennock Golf racing at Bathurst 1000.
It failed due to a fire in the pits.

Great picture syncro :D

PS tease because I don't have a scanner, well its broken :(

[gtimk5]

I remember that fueling fire. It was about the only coverage it got on that years seven telecast. Buggers!!! :(
I nearly turned the TV off at that point....

[static1800]

so this car raced at bathurst? and the aussie touring car series?
technically now it is over 30 years old we can race swallowtails in the historic class?

[20vkitcar]

great to see such an interest in the old girl looks like i need to fire her up and do a few laps ....it was last used at oran park about 6 years ago and ran in the vw club of nsw sprint day...it was the fastest vw on the day its 1600 cc and handling showed a clean pair of heals against some hotty 2.0l plus bugs cheers ..gear days at goulbourn sound like a go? cheerds steve..ps wish it was whie again

[evorobin]

Bring it to the Nationals. Much respect :cool:

[gtimk5]

Good to see you back on here 20v. :)
Yes, that car has the most amazing induction noise that you could ever hope for out of a Golf! Maybe we should both dig out our golfs and fix em up for a meet up somewhere??? :?
Love that golf of yours Steve! :)
Cheers, Andrew

[20vkitcar]

luv you andrew....it was that speacial bonding whilst sitting on a 13in slick revving its balls off at about 8500rpm late at night with headlights that were more parking lights...funny how both headlight lens unglued and fell out on the road.....syncro has a great video of the old girl at nambucca heads on two wheels at full song ..come on phil post it up the lads would love the noise cheers steve

[gtimk5]

That is a ride I will never forget Steve! Awesome car and a great ride mate. That Golf has a lot of history. :D
Come on Phill, better download that video for the fans mate.
Cheers, Andrew:)

[syncro]

You mean the video where Muller stuffs it and gets stuck up against the fence?:D
(Sorry Steve, I couldn't help it.)

[20vkitcar]

yeh yeh thats the ones ....see I am human !!!

[GoLfMan]

wheres the video dammit!!! :D

[gtimk5]

You? Human??? LOL kitcar 20v!!!! Now theres a revelation!! Just kidding friend. You didnt mention damaging it mate???? :D

[tassie_euro_mk1]

ok, i just read this thread today and im very keen to see this golf!!!

[evorobin]

Come to the Nationals in Sydney like everyone else :cool:

[static1800]

I was bored looking for old bathurst vids on youtube and may have stumbled on a few seconds of footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEs6hmRTsUs&mode=related&search=

skip to 3:53, i think i see a mk1 on fire...

[Oneofthegreats]

Pissa.

There's a story somewhere on here about this car, but they didn't say anything about being a fireball.;)

I heard it had driveshaft problem's but that could have been another year too.

[gtimk5]

It had a pit fefueling fire one year.:(
Another year it was 2 laps in front of the next car in its class and the accellerator cable broke!:(
Another year it hit the wall big time and was repaired.:(
It is still in one piece and living in NSW.
Andrew :)

[static1800]

I saw it not to long ago, needs to be restored and back out there again!

[gtimk5]

That it does Static. Steve took me for a run in the dark years ago in it. No headlight lenses and the slick tyre as a passengers vseat was damn uncomfortable!!! Great sound though with the Hilborn injection and the quad intakes!!! :D

[static1800]

This car is really not in a good state atm.. a real shame.

[gtimk5]

It is painted in Sprite cola colours these days, no writing on it though

[20vkitcar]

guys its only the paint .....FYI it runs two acc cables...one to the pump and another to the throttle bodies ...hey mat just needs a battery mate!...plans are to restore it to its former colour scheme cheeres steve

[BarneyBoy]

it is a pity that the mainform of motor sport in this country has sunk to the level of world championship wrestling, by just promoting & protecting 2 substandard manufacturers

Yup, the Big2 didn't mind other makes competing at Bathurst - right up until they started _winning_ too much (damn Datsuns!). They should paint all the cars yellow and put For Hire signs on them.

The famous Jim Richards speech ("you're a pack of arseholes...") summed it up, really. I remember being at the presentations one year where they presented trophies to the Class C or D winners (a Corolla, I think) and the crowd BOOED! Good sports, eh?

[Preen59]

Glad to hear that the car will be restored! Gives me a chubby one just to think i'll get to see it in it's former glory!

20v, make sure you do it! Hell, we should start a kitty to make sure it happens!

[evorobin]

one year where they presented trophies to the Class C or D winners (a Corolla, I think) and the crowd BOOED! Good sports, eh?

I have never EVER witnessed an Australian winning something without people booing. Sore losers or what...