Author Topic: molegti - '89 8v GTI  (Read 21681 times)

Offline jv

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molegti - '89 8v GTI
« on: 11 December 2009, 12:16 »
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Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #1 on: 11 December 2009, 18:57 »
Thanks JV.

I bought my car about a year ago and it was always intended to a project. However the day before I was due to collect her the cylinder head gasket blew in my daily driver (Rover 200 who would have thought), so I was forced to press the Golf into service. Heres a picture of her as she was before I collected her.



Specification:
Golf GTI 8v
Seat Wheels (sprayed black no primer)
Lowered (chopped springs :shocked:)
"Racing" seats (Ripspeed type recliners)
Jetta front end
Few ripspeed bits and pieces (ariel, gear knob, handbrake cover)
Single wiper (modified linkage)

Not a big fan of cars modified in this way but a really nice clean car to start a project.
« Last Edit: 02 March 2012, 22:52 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #2 on: 11 December 2009, 19:14 »
I've worked on old cars for a number of years and know from bitter experience that a easy job can turn into a nightmare with siezed on/ broken / rounded off bolts etc. so I refrained from doing anything major to the car while I was using it. Even though getting my Rover back on the road should have been my priority I still felt compelled to tinker.
Despite how much I hated the seats they stayed with me until the summer, one of the first jobs was to replace the wing mirrors with proper Golf ones. I changed the door locks, switched back to dual wipers, changed the gear knob and handbrake back to standard. Replaced the light up washer jets and silver ariel with plain back ones and eventually switched the Jetta front end back to standard. This is the car the day I took her off the road.

« Last Edit: 02 March 2012, 22:53 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #3 on: 11 December 2009, 19:24 »
By this time the decision was made to at least replace the g60 arches with standard ones although I had been toying (and have now decided) with going back to small bumpers. I already knew the tailgate was a bit nasty (see below) and upon removing the arches discovered that the nearside wheel arch wasn't much better. I also had a dent in the drivers side wing which I'd partially knocked out but was still stopping the grill sitting properly.

Decisons are still to be made but my current list of jobs seems to be as follows:
Sort body work (both wings, deep scratch in the bonnet and tailgate).
1) Replace suspension
2) Replace discs and pads all round (on the limit)
3) More than likely replace hard brake linings (might do flexis as well)
4) Go back small bumpers
5) All the other jobs I cannot even think of yet.
6) Service and ready to re-MOT
 
« Last Edit: 03 March 2012, 08:29 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #4 on: 11 December 2009, 19:36 »
That brings me up to now.  First job I decided was the nearside wing which looked like this:

I had three maybe four choices with the wing. A)A new original one if available B)A second hand one, C) A pattern wing or D) repair the old one. The first option was too expensive and perhaps not possible. I didn't really have time to source a second hand wing and I've heard the fit with pattern wings isn't very good. This left me with trying a repair, which after all would be cheap and I could still consider my options again if it didn't work. 

So after scrubbing the rust away with an angle grinder fitted with a twisted wire brush I was left with this:

I then cut the rust out and welded new metal in. I was a bit mean with cutting so ended up chasing the weld a bit. I welded using a series of tack welds to avoid distortion, changing sides and eventually joining them together. After I welded the new metal in I used a p40 flap disk in the angle grinder to flat the welds flush leaving me with this:
 
Next was a skim of body filler. My last experience of this was in my teens sticking it in great piles over rusted holes then half-arsed sanding it down. This time I used just a skim, light sanding with P40 grade sandpaper and a block, then a guide coat, sanding again until flat and then using P80 to smooth. This is my first effort doing it the right way and I'm pretty pleased with the result.
 
« Last Edit: 03 March 2012, 08:31 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #5 on: 15 December 2009, 16:04 »
Just a quick update because I've finished repairing the dent on the driver side wing. This was kind of my second attempt because I drifted most of it out when I fitted the golf slam panel and grill. The pictures more or less speak for themselves and I got a chance to try my ebay panel beating set. Once I get some primer on I should have a better idea whether i've done a dent enough job.




« Last Edit: 03 March 2012, 08:33 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #6 on: 04 February 2010, 19:37 »
An update to show the repairs to the tailgate. This isn't anything different in terms of the type work to what I've already carriied out so I'll let the pictures tell the story.


« Last Edit: 03 March 2012, 08:34 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #7 on: 19 April 2011, 08:04 »
I cant believe its been this long since i updated. Nothing much happened for a while and since the new year the works started and i haven't taken the time to take photos. The tailgate is on with a new decal and the damaged wiring has been repaired. New springs fitted rather than the chopped ones, small rear bumper and rear arches. New discs and pads on the front. I'll get a photo up as soon as I can.

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #8 on: 24 April 2011, 21:30 »


This shows the front with the wings back on still sporting the high build primer. I've fitted a front panel inline with my small bumper plans.
« Last Edit: 02 March 2012, 22:54 by molegti »

Offline molegti

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Re: molegti - '89 8v GTI
« Reply #9 on: 24 April 2011, 21:40 »


This shows the rear with repaired tailgate and small bumper. You can just see the new arch trim, sadly theyre a pattern part so the fit could be better.
« Last Edit: 02 March 2012, 22:55 by molegti »