Engine number, is it the right engine?

Hi all.
I was just having a look at the engine of the 1988 GTi cabby that I'm restoring & noticed the cylinder head appears to have a build mark of 8-83 if I'm reading the circle thing correctly, this set alarm bells ringing so I cleaned up the engine number to have a look & it's DX 032 679 (might be a 1 where I've left a gap between 2&6, it's not clear).
This is a much earlier engine number than the one on the V5. Is it still a 1.8 GTi engine? Thanks.
Neil.

On my late 1983 DX block (Golf GTI) the stamped numbers have a noticible gap between the third and fourth digits, plus there are only 6 numerals in total, so it may be that you're the same and the number you've quoted is correct / complete?

My head's roundal is also late 1983.

The blocks number begins 092… I've no reason to doubt they're both not original to each other and the car.

I've no access to ETKA or the like so can't check, but if the block numbers were sequential that'd suggest yours is earlier than even your own late 1983 head, but by how much I can't say.


 

So it looks like the complete engine is 1983, so the original in my 1988 car has been changed at some point for an earlier engine.
Any idea if it's still a 1.8 gti engine?

My car was manufactured in Sept. '83.

Numerically your block is sequentially almost exactly 60,000 units earlier.

Judging by the manufacturing dates on the main ancilliaries of my engine it's probable VW didn't stock pile components but used them relatively soon after their being made.

Mine are all marked as made within weeks of each other and collectively at most no more than two months before the  date of leaving the production line.

Having said that 60K isn't such a big number, the DX was fitted to more than just the Golf so VW were producing tens of thousands of engines in short spaces of time.

If you can find some one with ETKA access they can narrow down engine number production dates to the month of year.

Your heads casting date is more or less a given as it's marked August '83, though it may have gone into a car weeks / months later.

The reverse of the block may have 1.8 cast into it in large figures, sometimes there's a letter instead.

(That's not my original DX, but a later EV, however the blocks are more or less identical)








 

Thanks, so I gather it's still a 1.8GTi engine, albeit 4 or 5 years older than the car.
Will it be solid tappets rather than the hydraulics my car should have?
Any other things that I should be aware of? My inlet manifold is dated late 1987 so obviously the original from my car. Are there any parts that arent interchangeable between the 1983 & 87 engines?
Thanks.