Bronze Beauty

Welcome to the restoration of my 1978 1457cc GLS in the super-70s hue of Bronze Metallic! This is the second time I have restored this car. Here's the backstory…
My Dad (RIP) bought this car brand new from Rye Mill Garage (High Wycombe) in June 1978. I think he was replacing his old Holbay Rapier H120.

When it came to buying cars, he was quite an impatient man. He wanted the Golf GLS in Silver Metallic; the garage had one available in Bronze Metallic. He took that one. The fact that he bought the car in June on an 'S' when he could have waited a little over 6 weeks and had the new 'T' registration is further proof of his desire to press on, no waiting!

He immediately used it to whisk his fiancée up to Gretna Green, to make an honest woman of her. In February 1979, I appeared on the scene! (Don't do the maths!)
The car would be his daily driver for 4 years. In 1982, my sister was born, and Dad bought a brand new Renault 18 GTL Estate to cope with the growing family. The Golf was not part exchanged. Instead, he put it in the garage - I suspect he thought it would do for Mum if she learned to drive. She did not. I don’t believe that any special measures were made for the Golf’s hibernation. It was simply parked up and left, with 46K miles on the odometer.

We moved house in 1986. A friend of Dad’s had a car trailer, so the Golf was loaded up and transported to a new, triple garage, and once again, forgotten. Fast forward a decade. I was 16 and chomping at the bit to learn to drive. The prospect of the Golf becoming my first car was very strong, but it needed plenty of work. Thankfully, I had the time and Dad had the knowledge, so the first restoration began! Of course, back in the mid 90s, replacement parts were cheap and plentiful. The Golf was treated to a new battery, exhaust, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, timing belt, fan belt, fresh oil and filters etc. With little effort but much fanfare, the engine ran once again! The Golf flew through its MOT with no issues and after excitedly arranging tax and insurance (and passing my driving test, of course!), it did indeed become my very first car.

I used the Golf to get to and from school during my A-level years, and even took it up to Warwick University in the third term of my first year there. The car also took me to GTI International, the VW Show Day at Stonor Park and VW Expo ’97 in Hertfordshire (where it placed 2^nd in the “other watercooled” Concours competition). The 2^nd year saw me living off campus in Leamington Spa. I would be the only driver in a house of 5, and we were to be living 10 miles away from the uni. I couldn’t subject the Golf to that sort of taxi duty! So, I scraped together my savings and bought my second car, a stealthy Peugeot 405 1.9 GRi – which went very well (on the occasions it was actually running!). I was on first name terms with the man from the AA! The Golf was returned to the garage…now with 53K miles under its belt.

Fast forward to now, and its second resto! The list of jobs is long! Many of the components are original – suspension, clutch and even the Michelin XZX tyres (though these have been replaced to get the car rolling again!) So, the work has started, and the car is now registered as historic. Watch this space for resto updates! I will have to go some to bring it to this year’s VW Golf Mk1 Owners Show, but I am motivated so who knows?!?

 

I am looking forward to this restoration, I was fortunate to have the silver 1977 Golf 1.6 GLS. My first VW in 1978 when stationed in Germany which I owned for 4.5 years. I loved the Series One dash and even towed a caravan with it in Germany and when I returned to UK.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to keep it when children came along. After an Audi 100 and a Passat, became a life long Golf fanatic.
 
I now have a Mk6 and a restored silver 1983 Mk1 GL1.5. See my links below.

I hope all goes well with your restoration.