My First MK1 GTI

Hi all, first post to go with my first MK1 Golf GTI…I've had a mk1 before some 25 years ago as my first car which sadly got written off (not my fault though!)

Anyway - I've a few questions about my recent purchase and hoping you guys can help! I've bought a decently restored 83 GTI tintop in the best colour of red. Main question refers to the ride and vibration of this thing which isn't unbearable but then again isn't the greatest. Car is running a 1.9 with a ported and polished head, piper fast road cam and Audi 2.2 throttle body with a power flow exhaust. Handling wise its been polybushed, and is on bilstein shocks and eibach springs. When its ticking over its vibration is quite bad, the idle sits at 1000 and the dash and the whole car shakes.

My question is how to make it more bearable? Im guessing its a mix of the polys and the large cam in the engine - thoughts are to revert back to standard rubber bushings. My old mk2 was on bilstein/eibach and was a lovely ride so hoping by just changing the bushes I can sort this a bit. I did get the original DX with the car and am taking that to a engine builders next sat to quote - so that is an option further down the line but looking for an improvement sooner!

Thanks

If they used POLY mounts on the engine and tranny, then right there is your issue.

Now I don't know what the mounts look like on a non-oem engine as the 1.9 or 2l wasn't factory on these critters.

I don't know if the different engine has a different mount set up but if they are Poly.  I hope you have a good dental plan.

On a Factory set, you can reduce the torque loss by inserting large fender washer between the front valance and the cup makes the front mount tighter to the engine.

You can also insert a piece of the old mount on the Left (tranny mount) and Right (engine mount) side reducing the movement of the thing when the mounts go.

Ah - thanks for that. 
I had a look underneath and around the engine yesterday, the front engine mount is poly, as is most of the others (wishbones aren't) 
Ordering up standard bushes today and will have them in on my next day off! 
It's a 1.8 engine bored out to 1.9, so utilises the standard mounting points 👍

Welcome to the club Phil (?).

I think you've sussed that poly bushes will produce a firmer ride (that's what most who use them are looking for). 

If you're thinking about a standard 1.8cc engine, do you really need the poly stuff. As VW spent fortune designing the original suspension it may be better to return to that in time. 

Cheers - just in the process of ordering all standard bushes for it…off to Germany in a month in the car and it would be costing me a flight home for the mrs if I kept it as it is!

Dano said

Welcome to the club Phil (?).

I think you've sussed that poly bushes will produce a firmer ride (that's what most who use them are looking for). 

If you're thinking about a standard 1.8cc engine, do you really need the poly stuff. As VW spent fortune designing the original suspension it may be better to return to that in time. 

I have a similar set up on my mk1 and its not bad at all. I've got standard rubber engine mounts with polybushed wishbones, roll bars, rear axel and steering rack with Bilstein B4 shocks and Eibach springs, top mounts are standard too.

I had issues with my front bump stops only giving minimal suspension travel and I have since changed them for shorter ones witch has helped the ride and handling no end, so that will be worth checking if you haven't.

Are you going to Germany for the GTI show at Wolfsburg? Theres a few of us going over too if you are. 

Memorextape said

I have a similar set up on my mk1 and its not bad at all. I've got standard rubber engine mounts with polybushed wishbones, roll bars, rear axel and steering rack with Bilstein B4 shocks and Eibach springs, top mounts are standard too.

I had issues with my front bump stops only giving minimal suspension travel and I have since changed them for shorter ones witch has helped the ride and handling no end, so that will be worth checking if you haven't.

Are you going to Germany for the GTI show at Wolfsburg? Theres a few of us going over too if you are. 

Yesterday I replaced all the bushes that were red polybush and it's a massive improvement on what it was. Found the wishbone bushes are black polybush (the actual polybush brand) but can't find them on the website to see the compound of them. I've a feeling the engine mounts are the same so they'll be getting switched out at some point too - but pleased with how it is now.
Yes I'm off to Wolfsburg - 2 cars going from Doncaster, we've the hull to Rotterdam ferry on the Thursday night and return Monday night.
When are you going?

Guessing the red ones are those Bugpack ones, mine came with a unfitted set but I never used them as they were rock hard, I used Polybush branded ones and Superpro on the rear axel after fitment issues with the Polybush ones.

Going from Doncaster also and a mate is going from Halifax way out, doing Hull to Rotterdam Tuesday night to Tuesday night, the rest of who I know are going are going on the tunnel. Will have to keep a look out for you there.

They have polybush moulded into them - and are rock hard.
Top mounts on the rear are red poly - but I can live with them for now and time isn't on my side until the 25th…

I'm going with Simon and Jess with the Lhasa mk1, mins red with an almost identical number plate. 

I'll keep a look out for you both, sure I'll bump into you at some point. Mine's also a red Y plate but with BBS ra's on.