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Model specific boards => Golf mk1 => Topic started by: GemGTI on 02 February 2006, 17:43
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My little baby went for its mot today and sadly failed. It wasn't anything small either. The garage told me he couldn't believe it was the same car when he looked underneath. He said I barley had a chassis!! He said ideally it needs a complete rebuild! But for now it will need welding plus a few other bits an bobs. Quoted £400 which I didn't think was that bad but that was an estimate. But now I am really worried that I have bought a car that looks mint but really isn't anywhere near! Have I been driving an unsafe car? I really don't want to get rid. I can't imagine life without my Aubs. So what I want to know is this...
How serious is this?
Anyone else had a similar problem?
Should I rebuild? and if so how much will this cost? and anyone know anywhere near Leeds who could do it?
Was my car a death trap?
Oh yeah and he said my car is covered in tar underneath so its a bonfire waiting to happen!! I've just had all my seats done!!!
Please someone make me feel better!!!
A very upset Gem.
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Without being able to see it then its going to be very hard to tell you good news. IT might be the case that the guy you took it too thought,
"old car, young girl driving it.. i can make a few bob here"
As shameful as it sounds it is possible. Then again saying that he could be spot on and there could be a lot of welding being required. It is more likely to be things like floorpans and seals and not major structures. As far as i am aware, mk1s are not known for needing a new chassis, but if that is the case then i would look for a new shell as a pose to forking out for it all to be repaired, (lets be honest how can a f**ked chassis be fixed?)
If i was you i would take it to a few garages to be looked at, as this bloke could just be trying to pull a fast one.
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I don't think he is as someone else I know looked underneath a while ago and told me it was squashed. Also its my brother in law's uncle who is doing the work so I don't think he is trying to pull a fast one. I got the feeling he was being honest but I might be too naive for my own good!!
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ok then - how about getting some pics for us to look at then? That'll give you an idea of whether or not it's honest info you've been given...
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ok yeah ill try and get some pics
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Devastating, but lets face it most garages are full of ****, u get the odd decent few but some think that if the face fits they'll take advantage! Def get it checked out at other garages but dont tell them that there could be something wrong with the chassis. Its worth spending money on another mot just to be sure! It might be true it might not but otherwise you may have to spend £400, so get it double/triple checked!
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Need to see pictures to help out really....
I understand your in leeds, so your not too far from the TVRgolf man Joe - his an ACE Welder and knows all about CARS... might be worth popping your car over to him - PM TVRGolf to see if he can help.
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Chassis welding is a piece of p!ss, not a terminal disease. I would much rather need a bit of chassis welding than bodywork as, with the chassis, you cut out rot, weld, and slap on some tar. With the body, you need a bit of finesse, such as welding, grinding, filling, rubbing, priming, rubbing, spraying, rubbing. lacquering, rubbing etc.
Give me a rotten chassis any day. The only problem is access, but if it is going in to a garage the will have a lift or a roller.
Hope this helps !
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Thats good thinkin si, get on to joe to see if he can help. The guys is a genious and if he can build a monster like he did im sure he'l be able to ease your worries.
Whatever happens tho, even if you do need a new car, your seats will always come out of that one, the pannels will come off and you will be able to put them on the next mk1 you buy. Its not money wasted!
Really gutted for ya. hope it turns out ok
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Thanks guys. Starting to feel a bit better now. I love my car little car
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and so u should. Its a lovely little thing. These things do start do wear out as they get older, dont they len :wink: but im sure itl be fixable somehow.
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Gem, if all it costs to get it through the MOT is £400 then dont worry about it as I know how much you love that car so just get it done. Mine needed a new petrol tank a couple of weeks ago and that cost me £440 to buy and have done (I got the filler neck done too). :cry:
By the way, is he mistaking the tar under the car for waxoil ? :undecided:
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I think its the underseal he is talking about. So u think it'll be ok then?
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Oh yeah forgot to say I asked the guy to take some pics of the underneath so i'll post them up when I get them
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When it's fixed it should be ok, I see no reason why not, because at the end of the day, he cant legally give it an MOT if it's a death trap. I've spent more than £400 to get cars through MOT's before today.
Saying it will cost X amount of pounds to fix means you need to be positive. Yes it has problems, but it can be fixed. When they say, "sorry love, you're cars unrepairable and you need to scrap it", that's when you need to start crying.
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Here are some pics I took. Hope they help
(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9427/pic12se.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Offside:
(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/818/pic23se.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/77/offsidesill2hu.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3387/offsidesill27uc.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9100/chassis9nc.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Pics of the new near side sill halfway through being welded on
(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8783/newsill6dv.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7168/newsill21xb.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Any opinions welcome
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The pictures show that there is alot of underseal on there, looks like someone wanted to cover/protect the car. The repairs look sound, you will should have a solid car when the repairs are done.
Steve.
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thats how mine looks! :laugh: just had mine mot'ed in december, cost me 300 quid for some welding and to fix the sterring rack! :grin:
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Glad to see its getting fixed and will be back to A1 again shortly... lovely car Gemma.
Mk1's rule. :cool:
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Think of the money spent as an investment, rather than a loss. £400 isn't exactly loose change but having the work done will give you a pukka car that's solid, looks great and is worth £XXXX. Don't spend the cash, you've got no MOT and an unusable car with a value of £XX.
Unfortunately as we've all found out, owning a Mk1 can be an expensive experience. However, what we are actually doing is preserving an increasingly scarce bit of true motoring history and having a blast driving the thing as well.
Does your car put a silly smile on your face everytime you look at it or drive it? Do you get a funny feeling in your tummy when you catch a glimpse of your ride in a shop window as you cruise past? What price can you put on that? From the pics on here your car looks amazing and you should be very proud! Would you feel as proud (and slightly smug!) in the equivalent age XR3, Astra GTE, 205 GTI? Nah, me neither!
Think of the summer, the shows, the meets and the whole dub scene and how you're doing your bit to keep the GTI spirit alive and it's money well spent.
This may sound all philosophical and stuff but don't get down about it, we're in this together!
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Thanks Phil, and yes I do usually have a silly smile on my face when I'm driving! Especially when people stop and stare! Its definately a head turner. Juat wish it had a stronger chassis! Thanks for comments though, greatly appreciated.
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Just got my car back!! But why does it always feel like a different car when you get it back after someone else has had it? There is a really loud rattling noise when idling. There was before it went in but now its even louder! Anyway he did me a really good deal on the labour as he'd my brother in laws uncle. £60 labour! not bad at all considering it took him a day to do the welding! £500 total so I suppose thats good but what the hell is the rattle?!!
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If it's coming from under the car and not the engine bay, it may be loose exhaust brackets. Easy to fix. Linked to this it could be a loose exhaust manifold heatshield - over time the bolts holding this on rust through and as a result it starts knocking. Awkward to get at the bolts but repairable never the less and not catastrophic.*
Or it may be baffles in your exhaust system - they break off and fly around inside the exhaust. Is it worse when running rather than idling?
*Don't quote me on that.
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Its definately coming from the engine bay. It has always rattled a bit when idling but now its really noticable and i can even hear it slightly when running too??
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Does it disappear when you depress the clutch? If so then its the clutch release bearing.
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I think I know what this is - if you can hear it inside the car at idle.... the fuel filter just behind the battery - sits in a clamp and this moves and rattles against the body work - I bet if you open the bonnet and pull it together the engine - the ratting will stop - this happens when the clamp get a little loss - just tighten it up....
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Thanks ill try that. I hope thats all it is. The noise quietens when I accelerate as I slow down it gets louder and very loud when stood in traffic.
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Take your foot of the pedal might help!!! :laugh: :smug:
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Anyway he did me a really good deal on the labour as he'd my brother in laws uncle. £60 labour! not bad at all considering it took him a day to do the welding! £500 total so I suppose thats good
Thats not bad got my car today with a £1500 bill from dubsport :cry:
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this is exactly what i fear for my next MOT, ive woken up thinking about this from a dream and it really annoys me.
I dont know if mine is too good either, only time will tell. Its my only car and i want to keep it as long as possible.
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Yeah me too, This is my first car and I keep telling people its my first and last car and they laugh and say "you won't be driving very long then!"
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Yeah me too, This is my first car and I keep telling people its my first and last car and they laugh and say "you won't be driving very long then!"
i said that once, i'm on my 4th mk1 now and its deffinately the last one (unless i have to get rid of it or a better one comes along :laugh:)
to be honest its a really hard thing to do but it might be worth thinking about getting rid of your current one now and looking for a better one - i sometimes wish i had, i could of bought a nice porsche with the money ive thrown at mk1's over the last 10 years. once the rot kicks in its a never ending cycle :cry: better to sell it on while its still worth a few bob :smug:
I'd get that tar (or whatever it is) off and check the chassis out all over - see whats been done to it in the past and get it checked out by a decent car restorer, preferably one thats worked on mk1's in the past, im sure someone on here can reccomend someone near you :kiss: