1981 Mk1 Golf GLS

Model: Mk 1 Golf

Spec/Trim option: GLS

Year of manufacture: 1981
Mileage: 51,000
Price: £3900
Location: West Midlands
Contact details: PM on here initially
Condition: Very good
Service history: Lots
Mot expiry Date: NA - exempt
Taxed or sorn: Currently taxed although exempt if I get round to applying for it!

Description:
My Granddad died back in April, and we are just getting to sort through some of his stuff now - He used to be a VW main dealer from the 60s through to early eighties, so there is all sorts of interesting stuff there!

We have gone back and forth about whether to keep this or not, but me and my brother have come to the conclusion that we don’t have the space to keep it at the minute (not to mention we still need to sort through all the other stuff of his too) so its going to have to go up for sale, somewhat reluctantly.

The Essentials (before I start waffling):

1981 5 Door GLS 1.5 Auto
2 previous owners (3 on V5 as they made us change it into our name when Granddad died)
MOT and Tax exempt (Is actually currently taxed – I need to apoply for the exemption)
Just over 51k miles (may go up a bit as we are using it every now and again)

The waffle:

Granddad used to look after and service etc this Golf for the previous owner, who he had known for years and years, she’d had it since 1986, and it was her husband who was the first owner.  When she stopped driving we ended up buying it from her (although I cant quite work out exactly when that was – Granddad must have had it for about 15 years at least at a guess), and he kept it as his daily alongside his T25 and mk4 Golf up until he died in April 22, albeit he hadn’t driven it for a good 18 months at least as he had gotten too ill to do so, so all in we have ‘known’ TEA for a long time!

Just over a year or so ago, while he was pretty ill, and had got past being able to do work on his own cars, he asked a mate of his, who resprays lorries for a living, if he could do a bit of welding and tidying up etc on the sills, and stick it through an MOT for him.  Knowing how ill he was, Paul agreed, but actually ended up doing the sills, arches, rear clip, tidied up a few other bits and then gave it a full respray as a surprise for Granddad, hence it, bodily being so tidy (there are pics of all the work he did, so nothing is hidden) as a bit of a ‘car SOS’ on a private scale.

The Negatives:
 

• - It needs the heater matrix doing – As soon as the car warms up it p*sses water everywhere!  It’s a cheap and easy enough job, but fiddly and time consuming, which both of us dont really have time for at the minute
• - A few years back, Granddad had some issues with the electrics, and so has done a few ‘old man’ modifications to some of the wiring that probably wants undoing in the long term
• - Again, for reasons known only to himself, he got obsessed with fitting Mk4 Golf ‘Gamma’ radio and CD changers to everything (he has done it to his T25 too), which I would be pulling out and sorting properly personally if I was keeping it, as it looks absurd.
• - We haven’t done huge mileage in it (partly due to heater matrix) but it seems to have a strange intermittent starting issue when warm.  Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.  If I had to guess, it is either related to the best part of 2 years not being used, or the aforementioned electrical modifications that have been done!
• - The interior is in really good condition, as you would expect given the low mileage and low number of owners, but weirdly, while clean and the fabric etc is in great condition, the seat covers have gone a bit ‘baggy’ (see pics) and with the aforementioned ‘old man’ mods, the dash isn’t completely mint.
• - Slightly weird, and slightly annoying (although also amusing) point – The supplying dealer was a rival dealership to my Granddads, so even though his has been shut for 30 years, he couldn’t drive round with their sticker in the back and name on the number plates.  The plates were no big deal, he just covered the name with electrical tape, and then got round to getting new plates made (the originals are included).  He did, however, I assume with some sort of psychopathic rage, scratch the whole of the tailgate sticker in the back window away, other than the VW roundel, because frankly sometimes, he could be a nutcase.

The positives:
 

• - Hopefully you can see the ‘story’ and the history of the car is a good one!  There is a massive stack of receipts etc (in fact, there are probably even more that I will find over time – his filing system left a lot to be desired).
• - The engine runs nicely and the gearbox (while a typically rubbish 80s 3 speed auto) changes nicely etc.
• - A few years back, having grown tired of trying to get it to run nicely Granddad junked the rubbish auto-choke pierburg carb and swapped it for a manual choke weber, that has probably only had about 500 miles (if that) put onto it since.
• - As you can see from the pics, bodily its great.  He did the respray for free, so it wasn’t a glass out etc job, but anyone is welcome to see the pictures that Paul took as he went along, and you will see it’s a good respray (including doing all the underside in stonechip etc – It wasn’t just a blow over)
• - Mechanically it all seems good – Granddad was an ex-main dealer and while he wasn’t the best at writing everything down he did, he tended to ‘over-look-after’ his cars, so it will have been serviced more often than needed, and stuff sorted ‘properly’ when it needed it
• - The numberplate is a cracker!
• - Other than the seats (and to a lesser degree the dash) as already mentioned, the low mileage means the interior is in really good nick – Roof lining, carpets, door cards etc are all really nice.
• - Last MOT only ran out on 17^th Nov, and it literally didn’t move between the last one and until we brought the car over to my brothers house, because he was just too ill to drive (or even leave the house) by that point, so although its now MOT exempt, it hasn’t been sat around for years un looked at.

In an ideal world, my heart is saying we should keep it and do a manual gearbox and fruitier engine conversion on it – It would make a cracking base to start from.  Unfortunately both of our heads say we dont really have anywhere dry to keep it, both have young kids and various other things going on, and there are 8 other vehicles and 84 years worth of car/boat/building work style hoarding to sort out.  It will sit for at least 5 years before either of us are free enough to really get started on it, and that seems a shame when its so tidy at the minute.

I’ve really struggled to price it – Partly due to a lack of other ones around, partly due to the fact that we are torn on keeping it rather than selling, partly due to it being so good body wise, but needing some other bits doing and the seats being a bit rubbish having sagged.  I’m sticking it up at £5000, given that’s cheaper than any other 5 doors I can find other than any that are way worse condition, but am open to sensible offers – Really we could do with it being out of the way so we can get on sorting some other of his stuff, but equally value wise, if it drops to a certain point, I think it probably turns our mind back to finding somewhere to store it and we can decide what to do at some point in the future.  If people think I am miles off price wise, feel free to tell me, I wont be offended!

It does drive, is taxed and insured, but personally, given the age of it, the issues as listed, and that it has essentially not been used for 2 years at least, personally I wouldn’t be driving it home (or definitely not without breakdown cover) if I was going more than a few miles!

Its currently at my brothers house in the West Midlands for viewing etc – Any questions feel free to shout, just bear in mind I/we can be as helpful as we can, but may be working slightly from 3^rd hand knowledge given its not my car, if you see what I mean.  There are more pics (plus all the resto pics) available, just ask if you want to see them.

I think that covers everything - I am sure I will remember other stuff, and as I say, possibly find other bits and pieces for it as we carry on clearing his place – Will update things if/when I do!  Sorry for the massively verbose advert – You can probably tell it’s a car we have a lot of affection for.

Cheers

Dan
                   


 

Not in the market but it sounds like a great car with lots of interesting history!

paceman said

Not in the market but it sounds like a great car with lots of interesting history!

Cheers mate.  Have been sorting through some of the stuff, and although the first family that owned it bought it from the rival dealership to Granddads, it turns out they had at least some of the servicing done at his dealership Probably doesnt mean that much to anyone else, but was nice for us to see anyway

Still here - I am a bit surprised actually - Time of year maybe? I thought people would be knocking the door down, but although a few people have shown interest, no one has actually managed to get to see it yet    Genuinely open to suggestions if people think we are asking too much/its not the right time etc etc

For the record, while clearly we don't want it to go for peanuts (would rather find storage and keep it than that) we are not averse to offers - Its currently sat outside, and I would rather it went sooner rather than later instead of it just sitting in the weather for months, if that makes any sense  

Rather than just a 'moany' post, some pics - I did say he had a minor issue over the whole 'bought from a rival' thing and driving round with their name on his car - See below the original number plates (which of course come with the car) and his genius cover up method, plus the not-so-genius way he got rid of the dealer sticker - I did say he could be a nutter sometimes  

Still available?

Darzvw1 said

Still available?

Hi Mate,

Yep, still here at the moment

Hi Dan thanks for reply 
Nice to see your  grandad kepted it in such good condition I'm trying to buy one as mine had one before he passed been saving up little by little. I know it's a throw in the park would 3k be aylt any interest.
Thanks.
Hope to here back. 

Darzvw1 said

Hi Dan thanks for reply 
Nice to see your  grandad kepted it in such good condition I'm trying to buy one as mine had one before he passed been saving up little by little. I know it's a throw in the park would 3k be aylt any interest.
Thanks.
Hope to here back. 

Hi again - Thanks for the message, and no harm in asking.  To be honest at that sort of level though we would just keep it and do an engine conversion etc when we had the time.

If you wanted to come and have a look at the car and talk offers (quite a bit) closer to the asking after having a look at it, you are more than welcome though

 

Cheers

Dan

Hi no worries only looking to spend 3k as I would be in dog house if spent and more off to see a gti mk1 later.

Darzvw1 said

Hi no worries only looking to spend 3k as I would be in dog house if spent and more off to see a gti mk1 later.

No worries mate - Hope the gti is a good one for you - best of luck

This is still here - We have had a few things come up that mean we could do with it gone sooner rather than later, so am dropping it to £4500 to try and get it shifted (and his T25 Doka will be going up for sale soon too as soon as I can get some pics etc sorted!) - Plenty of pudding in there for a trailer home etc that way for people.

Any questions, anyone wants to come and have a look, just shout!

Dan

Hi mate,

Is this still available?

Thanks, 

Harrison

Harryj180 said

Hi mate,

Is this still available?

Thanks, 

Harrison

Hi Harrison - We still have it at the minute (although in theory someone is coming to take a look tomorrow) - Drop me a PM if you want to try and sort coming to take a look, and if the guy coming tomorrow doesnt end up taking it, we can sort something out

Cheers

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the reply.

Would like to say I'm sorry to hear about your grandad first of all.

I'm very new to the forum so still unsure on how to use it fully. I believe I've sent you a message on here but not sure? Would be easier to talk via text?

Thank you 

Just in case you havent seen your messages fella, I have sent you a reply

Dan

So this is still here - A few life complications mean I still havent been able to get the heater matrix even bypassed, and now have even less time than I did before.  Insurance is now up, it is SORN'd, and it really needs to be out of the way.

A few people showed interest but then never actually turned up to view it, people seemed to think the price was OK-ish, but the fact it is still sat on the drive would suggest its a bit punchy, which is fair enough, so in the spirit of getting it shifted (or at least someone to actually come and see it!)…..

£3900 or near offers and hopefully that will get it gone.  Have found more bits of history and pictures etc in the meantime, which is a good thing I suppose!

Shout if you are interested or any questions and we can take it from there

Dan

Sold Pending actual collection - Will update when it is gone from the drive!

The new owner should be able to change the car to an historic vehicle so the road tax will be £0 so you don't have to SORN it and if it's got an original engine then no yearly MOT but it's advisable to get it checked at least every couple of years if you look after the vehicle or yearly if you don't know what your doing with a spanner.