A65 GLD strip clean and rebuild

So, it's been a while since I've been active on here. I've been popping back every so often, mainly just hovering in the distance.

I've had my MK1 for maybe 8 years now? I always regret selling a couple of mk1s I had, so spent a while searching for the right one. I wanted a white GTi 3 door non sunroof. One just happened to come up local to me so I viewed and bought the same day!


Had it a year.. done less then 500miles  maybe not even 200! It just sat in the garage whilst I was working.. renovating a house.. and occasionally I'd shoot to the shops to grab some food and that would be it.

I decided I wanted to 20v.. so that went ahead,  took maybe a year or so to do with it in-between house renovations going on..
Was never really happy with it If I'm honest, yeah it was quick. Like stupid quick was from memory 250bhp but the gearbox was 02j.. no diff, it was like a cat on lilo! And if I'm honest felt it was to new for the car.


So after a while of it just being sat there, again getting used a handful of times, the decision came.. although the paint was ok for the age.. I wasn't happy. And decided to go bare shell. The idea was, if I stripped it back and the shell was rotten it was getting cut up 4motion and the 20v going back in forged and being a track car.

If it was clean, it would go back to a clean looking MK1 standard ish with a few tweaks. OEM+ I believe it's called nowadays?!



So it took a while. Still house renovations going on.. and full time work. And trying to have a social life to keep myself from going crazy.

So it needed a small patch of welding on the rear spare wheel well and a tiny bit where it was jacked up wrong on a cill and crushed.

With this all done it was acid etched epoxy primed and raptor paint the floor arches and Inside

Then ontop due to raptor being hard and not Flexi, dinitrol was used as a rubberised underseal.

Some gen second hand wings where sourced and a bonnet as mine was a little scabby. These where the. Dipped prepped and recoated.

After a long time I think it was almost 2 years.. maybe longer. We got it in primer inside out



Meanwhile whilst I was at home and fell on things not being able to do I was sorting stuff like an ABF wiring loom and tidying all my interior loom wrapping with OEM tape


And literally a week before we got locked down, the car was painted and polished etc etc etc and came home


In the meantime I built this..


I ended up collecting 3 ABF engines so I've. Built one up with new gaskets stem seals cleaned all the head block etc and ready to throw in to use.. if it's ever finished.
And I've got a other one that I'll build as I've always fancied doing a 2.1 with cams etc and one incase something goes wrong 🤣🤣

So now I've started some bits slowly rebuilding it.
Just sent some bits off for the powder coated.



Stripped the vent windows repaired the frames and getting them all done the matt colour they should be

Hope you enjoy the read 👌

Awesome! Great work! 

Had a call to say the bits where done at the powder coaters..


Love how the wipers and window channels have came out! Need to get hold of some sort of aerospace solid rivet gun to put some solid rivets back in now.

So been a while since updating, got a few things back from the powder coaters and a few more bits ordered etc. Been fairly busy and no had alot of time as much as I'd liked to get on this.

So here's a few pics
 














Got the splits back, happy with the colour.. they are in storage now until the time comes when I need to sort the lips and stance out,

Managed to get the SA style brake bar fitted and built up along with the servo and 22mm master. Managed to grab a resivor with a clutch take off pipe so I'll be plumbing into that for my hydro clutch and making it look OE as possible.

Grabbed some Rocco 16v calipers and carriers! Got these of mark at classic vw 😎

Built up all my steering column that came back all fresh and powdercoated.. love a powdercoat I do!

Managed to bag some Kent cams for the abf lump at a right steal.. two adjustable rear pulleys. Front adjustable pulley and pair of cams brand spanker so these where chucked on the shelf and where ready to go in.



Also managed to grab some late cabrio door grommits for the wiring, as it always annoyed me how it never looked right! Slight mod and these slipped in and look loads better



Managed to get a mate over who's into trimming, he helped me trim the headlining with the Newton kit. Looks really smart!







Managed to grab some time and get the Kent's dialled in today! And rebuilt all back up! Such a shame I can't flick the key and hear it running but time will come I suppose! 😤😤









Also managed to grab a couple of CDA gesrbox casings aquablasted so I can get these sorted now and hopefully get the box built up.



Failing that I do have a spare box that's scrap that ive built up bare so I can atleast get the lump mounted to carry on with plumbing and wiring.

Looks lovely. Always liked the Gti in white. Don't worry about time, my project has been ongoing for 20 years. Best thing to come out of this pandemic will be the fact I might get it finished this year!
Keep the posts coming!