Ireland Road Trip. Was it Worth it??? lol

Well after a 4am start on Tuesday morning I set off from Lancashire for a road trip to Northern Ireland to pick up my new Golf GTI. Arrived at Hollyhead to get the 8.15 ferry to Dublin!







Then had a 200 mile+ drive up into the nothern part of northern ireland (with a broke sat nav) and picked up the new car, a 1979 right hand drive swallow tail GTI!







Story goes that the owner in Ireland swapped his BMW E30 for the car 4 years ago and put it in his garage and its never moved since. Started first time and drove on the trailer but the brakes had gone!!

Then drove back down to Dublin to get the 9.15pm Ferry back and just made it after the refixing the car 3 times on the trailer a piece of metal falling off the trailer and it hitting a passing car!





Got back at 3.30am this morning and so fooked! was it worth it???

Well the car needs work and prob looks better than it is







Had a good poke round it now ive had sleep and after such a long day with many problems i think it was. the car has nearly every bill from new and was a magazine cover car once



Even comes with the original 1979 receipt from Leathwoods VW to the original owner in London who was a Doctor and got the options of a Radiomobile radio, the sunroof, zeebart rust proof and extra wing mirror. Cost just over £5k new!!!!

 

plans are to start tidying it up. its had a bad respray at some point and a front end which needs sorting but bit by bit il start trying to get it sorted and get out and enjoy the thing.

Scott

Great buy Donut!!  8)

After a long time in the air cooled wilderess you've finally thrown the towel in!!  :wink:

I didn't realise that it was such a long drive in Ireland….. you could have done with a co-pilot. Seriously, it looks good for the age. Get your £15.00 out and save money, I'll do the polishing - you do the spannering!!

Oh, and start your project thread in the right section!!  :mrgreen:

They always are not as good as they look.  But the important thing is that you have all the original hard to find parts already there, so all that's needed is bodywork I'd imagine 8)

Nice find

Very nice find.  :mrgreen:

It's a series one gti not a swallowtail though :wink:

well worth it feller. ill be over the moon with that. bet you cant wait to start giving her some TLC.

ans4r said

Very nice find.  :mrgreen:

It's a series one gti not a swallowtail though :wink:

Oh right brill that was just what I was told. Learn something new everyday! What is the difference if you don't mind me asking?

its always worth travelling to Ireland to get the right car, i did, see my sportline link below :-)

but that ferry is a nightmare, and ontop of the driving takes it out of you dosnt it!

car look nice mate

An ireland trip is always worth it !!
Like richy said his car came from the dark side and i was carzy enough to tag along. Lucky enough we only had to put up with the ferry one way as we flew over on the morning. Still ours was pretty much a 24 hour trip with no sleep.
Car looks wicked mate and was def worth the trip!

(another) Scott

Well done on your purchase. Car looks great. Colour looks good too. I hope u enjoyed our Irish roads and hospitality!

I love the ferry trip over…

Shughy said

Well done on your purchase. Car looks great. Colour looks good too. I hope u enjoyed our Irish roads and hospitality!

I love the ferry trip over…

yeah the people where really nice even irish customs who pulled me at dublin asking y i had an empty trailer. tgey said it was weird someone coming to ireland to get a car as its normally the other way round!

Shughy said

Well done on your purchase. Car looks great. Colour looks good too. I hope u enjoyed our Irish roads and hospitality!

I love the ferry trip over…

This was the car I was asking you about.

Yes I thought that, I have never seen it before... (not that I have a photographic memory or anything) but as the new owners says it has sat in a garage for a few years. Best of luck with the TLC!

What is the difference if you don't mind me asking?

Here is some info on swallowtails mk1's CLICK HERE not sure how acurate it it  :dontknow:

Shughy said

What is the difference if you don't mind me asking?

Here is some info on swallowtails mk1's CLICK HERE not sure how acurate it it  :dontknow:

thanx for that hugh. i did sone digging myself just out of idel bordom and come up with the back panel differance but interesting seeing the other differances.

Shughy said

What is the difference if you don't mind me asking?

Here is some info on swallowtails mk1's CLICK HERE not sure how acurate it it  :dontknow:

thanx for that hugh. i did sone digging myself just out of idel bordom and come up with the back panel differance but interesting seeing the other differances.

wee car looks well best wishes for it

Nice find and good luck

Just clicked on this from the "find me a series 1" thread you posted in mate.

Gotta say she looks like a beauty, you're a lucky fella. I'd be gutted to part with her tbh but if needs must.

   

   Nuffield said

Fine looking car, better find than the Staffordshire Hoard..