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Thread: My Mk1 Golf project - slow build thread

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Orange NSW
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    5,745

    Awesome work!

    What ever you do, keep that manual in good nick mate! They're pretty rare. I still have mine for the '77 16v.

    APR Tuned | KW Suspension | INA Engineering | Mocal Oil Control |
    Website: http://www.tprengineering.com
    Email: chris@tprengineering.com

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Maroubra, NSW
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    4,301
    Users Country Flag
    No updates in Spring. No updates in summer.

    Truly a slow build!

    C'mon bro let's get you motivated!
    2015 Multivan Highline
    1969 Sunbeam Imp Sport 930cc

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,109
    Thread Starter
    After someone posted a link to my thread on Facebook a few weeks back, I realised that I haven't updated this thread for a while. Which makes sense because I've not really done much on the Mk1. I'll give a little update here about my car(s) and personal circumstances.

    Last year and the year before I was working full-time and studying in the evenings which left very little time for tinkering with the Mk1. Although I did buy the car in 2011, perhaps I had expectations of myself which were more grand than reality allowed for.

    Not much was done to the car since the last update in October 2011. Around November-December 2011 I proceeded to strip the car further after realising just how much rust it seemed to have and removed the doors, hatch, dash, windows, entire interior, engine, gearbox, fuel tank and driveshafts; leaving me with a naked Mk1 shell showing all of the sins from its past life.

    I originally bought an engine crane from Super Cheap to remove the engine but was underwhelmed with the quality of the crane and the amount of missing nuts and bolts and returned it. I ended up using one of the large overhead beams in my garage as the mounting point for a hook and winch setup which allowed my to hoist the engine up and move the car around much more freely once the engine was suspended.


    IMG_7667 by Matthew Dart, on Flickr

    Both front floors were badly rusted. The passenger front floor was rusted out as a result of what I'd imagine started as water ingress from a rust spot near the fusebox & rain tray. This floor rust was then bogged over by the person who painted it orange I would assume. Many dusty and enjoyable hours were spent taking a wire brush to the bog. I probably shouldn't have bothered really. Driver's side floor didn't have rust, but had previously been patched up with about six separate pieces of metal tacked together over the top of the existing rusty floor panel.

    Both sides a lost cause which resulted in my buying two complete front floors from Michael (Mikinoz) and Mk1 Autohaus. I still have these sitting in the garage ready to go when (if?) the time comes.

    Around this time I also went with Matty B up to the Mk1 Drivers meet up in Brows Plains. Nice collection of cars there that day and good to see a few other Mk1s:

    Das VW Cluster by Matthew Dart, on Flickr
    Highlight of the day for me was the ride / brap up from the Coast in the Mk1 after it just received the twin carbs. Sounded amazing.

    After seeing some nice Mk1s my enthusiasm was reignited. I bought some spot weld drill bits to remove various brackets from the engine bay with a view to cleaning the look up a little. I removed the brackets on the passenger side strut tower which previously held what appeared to be a primitive diagnostic port, the air box tabs on the driver side chassis rail, and the battery tray. I only managed to remove these tabs and not really do any more body work to the engine bay after this so I only cleaned these areas up and sprayed some etch primer and white enamel to hold off the rust a little longer.


    Mk1 engine bay - battery tray removal by Matthew Dart, on Flickr

    After this stage I took a little too much on in terms of work, starting to do consulting on the side and study. Very little time was left for the poor Swallowtail. Truthfully I became quite overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work required to get the car into a state I'd be happy with, and my non-existent welding skills. Up until this stage I had been trying to teach myself to weld but wasn't confident enough to try it on the car. The Mk1 then sat in the garage neglected for a while. Again.

    Late last year my girlfriend and I were both not feeling particularly fulfilled in our jobs and needed a change of lifestyle scenery. I'd always loved Melbourne and so we both agreed we should give it a go. In November we each applied for one job on the off chance one of us would hear back. She ended up landing a job in Melbourne and we moved to Bayside Melbourne mid December last year (2012).

    This meant we really only had around 3 weeks to give two weeks notice at work, pack our house, then drive two cars down to Melbourne. It was an exciting but stressful time. We were going to move into a small townhouse without space for three cars, let alone the Brown and Yellow Mk1s. So these were sold off, and sadly the 3dr MK1 had to be left in Queensland. With help from the girlfriend I was able to put the engine and gearbox back in the Mk1 before we left for Melbourne so that if it needed to be moved around it wasn't such a hassle. It probably would have made more sense then to put the steering column back in so that it could be steered around if necessary. Oops .


    On the road - Parkes, NSW by Matthew Dart, on Flickr
    I took this photo on our journey down to Melbourne after we stopped near the dish near Parkes, NSW.

    We've now been in Melbourne for almost exactly six months now and our decision to move has been the best decision we have ever made. We arrived not really knowing anyone, and since our arrival have been welcomed by everyone we've met. Thank you everyone.


    Melbourne Dub Crew *Photo taken by Matt Cincotta on Australia Day this year. Nice photo mate.

    Although I miss my VW friends in QLD, there are a truly great bunch of dubbers down here in Melbourne who I am proud to now call my close friends.

    GOPR0015 by Matthew Dart, on Flickr


    Lowering it by Matthew Dart, on Flickr
    This happened to the Mk4. It'll happen some more in the future too


    MAD-VIC-JAN-2013 by Matthew Dart, on Flickr

    DART by HOTWTR, on Flickr - Thanks for the pic Woody!

    I've got my Mk4 in Melbourne, but there's only thing that's missing in my life now - my Mk1 Golf. I hope that this will change when I have access to some more space. The passion for Volkswagens is definitely still with me and I miss having the Mk1 to play with and learn about.

    Until next time....
    Mk3.Mk4.Mk1
    My Mk1 Project

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne VIC
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    6,781
    Oi Dart update ya thread!

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Melbourne
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    Thread Starter
    No updates to this Woody. After a quick visit to Queensland a month or so back I cracked the shed door and yeah - it's still sitting and waiting patiently for some attention. I hope this happens in the next few years.
    Mk3.Mk4.Mk1
    My Mk1 Project

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Braidwood, rural NSW
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    Users Country Flag
    After reading the whole thread again you sound like you've realised what a big job you've taken on and how hard it is going to be to repair. OK, so what if you don't do anything for the next 5 years, it will always be waiting for your circumstances to change and your skill levels to improve. Doesn't help that it's at the other end of the country.

    One day you'll have room in Melbourne to park it then all your mates will hassle you more so you'll just have to get them involved. You'll be surprised how much enthusiasm you get when there's like minded people around you to help.

    Cheers

    Paul

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Thread Starter
    Cheers for the encouraging words Paul I really appreciate it. You're definitely not wrong about that feeling of biting off too much to chew. I definitely haven't lost enthusiasm for Mk1s - just last night I was riding my bike with a few of the guys and trying to look at a clean early Mk1 on a small street in Port Melbourne. I may have fallen off with my feet still strapped to the pedals and not broken eye contact with the car on my way down. I was just trying to check out if it was a swallowtail or not

    For now I think pretty often about the car and go over different options for engine/gearbox combos, paint, style (full resto, driver, thrasher to be enjoyed, blend of styles etc etc). It's fun to think about at an intellectual level, but I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it once more. Good mates will definitely give me a kick up the arse about it - some of them already are

    Since not having a good garage and a Mk1 to tinker with I've realised how important tinkering with stuff is to my sanity. More space is definitely a consideration for the next place. That - or figuring out some kind of communal setup I guess.

    Were you there at GAD on Sunday a week ago? I should've realised you might have been and kept an eye out.
    Mk3.Mk4.Mk1
    My Mk1 Project

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Braidwood, rural NSW
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    I had my MK2 at GAD but the last thing you would have wanted to do was talk to someone about how we both haven't done anything with our MK1's.
    Last edited by sports racer; 28-09-2015 at 11:42 PM.

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne VIC
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    6,781
    Now with a new owner, would be good to see what happens next!

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
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    1,109
    Thread Starter

    Quote Originally Posted by Water Boy View Post
    Now with a new owner, would be good to see what happens next!
    Paging new owner - any movement on this???
    Mk3.Mk4.Mk1
    My Mk1 Project

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