Hello - New to this Forum

Hi there, joined this great forum yesterday with a view to buying a MK1 GTI in the not to distant future….cash permitting

Any tips / advice on what to look out for? I'm actually looking at a couple this week.

Thanks, Paul

I guess it's a tin top your looking for and not a GTi cabriolet?

There's a buyers guide here but the Mk1 tin tops do suffer from rust so that's the main thing to look for.

https://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/index.php?page=cedi&type=misc&id=54

Thanks Mark. Yep after a Tintop. I had a quick scan of the buying guide which was very helpful. Guess it may be difficult to spot the rust unless is glaringly obvious. I'll look at arches, sills, tailgate, bottom of the doors. Any other areas of rust to look at? Scuttle panel? Underneath.  Cheers 

Rear valance, around the windscreen, feel underneath the edge of the rear arches for any sharp bits of metal.

Check it's got plastic wheel arch liners on the front and if not the far corners of the wing.

Lift the carpets in the front foot wells if you can, remove the spare wheel and check for holes.

If it's got a factory fitted metal sunroof open the roof and check along the inside edges and around the front drainage holes.

If you look through some of the build threads on this site you will get an idea of where the rust hides as see the repairs needed.

The tin tops can rust anywhere that's why I drive a cabriolet as Karmann where better at rust proofing the cars they turned out.
Good luck with your search  

Cheers Mark. That's good advice. I'll keep you updated on my quest