Series one gti full resto. now with plenty progress photos

Hello folks
Not posted on here in absolute years. I've owned a Mk1 gti 83 for over ten years and about 8 years ago I took it off the road for a respray, long story short through lossing access to where the car was stored when it was stripped to a bare shell, and then left under a cover after being sand blasted and only etch primed for 4 years until I got my own house and garage ect, the shell was past repairing and i found a new reconditioned shell on here for sale last year which I traveled with a car trailer the length of the uk from Aberdeenshire to Essex, when asking about the shell it was sold to me as "mint" and ready to build but when i drove down for it , the paint had blisters and when getting it back home after further deep investigation the whole shell needed attention, which ever body shop had done the previous work had bodged most of the work… so over the past year with some help from a mate and i have now got the shell stripped, floor included and fixed these issues, having had the idea of a resto for years I've been buying parts for years and had everything I needed included spares, so both rear inner and out arches have been replaced, sills cut out and fixed after finding they had filled over the rust and holes will body filler. It's been a exstensive build and I've been restoring a Mk1 focus rs at the same time over the last three years which I've now completed.
So all the time can be Thrown at the golf. As it sits it's in its last stage of primer and I have have got it flattened back for its colour to be laid on. I have absolutely loads of photos through the stages from picking the shell up to as it sits now and ever little thing inbetween. I hope to get the car painted this time when i get home from work for three weeks and yes I have done all the work up till now and with help from my mate, he has painted cars before so we recon we can do just as good a job as a professional body shop but at home in his garage, we've already done the inside the shell, the under side and the engine bay, just outside and doors bonnet and boot to do.

I hope to get lots of pics added in of what I've done so far and the rest of the restoration as it goes from now on. I also have lots of fotos of my RS build if anyone is interested and the tread is on the mk1 focus rs forum.

Cheers Harvey   

Looking forward to seeing all the photo's.  You could put the Focus photos on members other motors page!

Talk about teasing us!

Without photo's I don't believe a word of it   

Ian

100% agree with Ian on this one…  pics or it never happened.  

It's always great to hear when another Mk1 is being saved.  

Fausto said

100% agree with Ian on this one…  pics or it never happened.  

It's always great to hear when another Mk1 is being saved.  

i am off shore at the moment and cant get my mk1 resto pics off the daft i cloud. The focus rs pics were already on the imgur account from posting on the mk1 focus owners club… thread is in the "other cars"  page on here for any ford lads.

i am afraid you may need to wait two weeks for the golf build photos…. unless the wifi plays ball….

till then keep disbelieving  

is it a Series one?  they are normally only to 1980, though i have seen the odd one registered newer due to importing.

Yeah it's a series one shell, to reshell my 83 gti Hence the tittle. Actually bought it off this site from a member….👍🏼 

Was working on the car today still got loads of pic of the progress to what it is now 

Wow looks great and you seem to be doing a proper job👍 The slam panel has been replaced for a s2 item at some point and also check your boot and wings because they are also s1 specific. What are your plans with it modified or standard?

Thank you, yeah going all the way with this as it's been so long in the pipe line not to do it right. Not sure what am looking for with regard to the wings ect for s1/s2 difference, plan is to keep it quite standard but With some subtle personal touches. I am not going for concours, just a very clean restored example to enjoy rather than thinking about resale. 

Fantastic work and great progress!  

Nice work, looking good so far  

Nearly finished then  

Ian

Thank you borednow, 

I am at the last bit of primer block back before paint. 

I've got the drivers side and roof to tackle again, the roof is not quite there yet, so far not counting rubbing filler I've spent 12 hours on the roof alone, before that coat of primer was put on i sprayed a coat of "reface" on to build up as there was a lot of low spots, a roof is so hard to get a 100 percent. I should of filled the whole roof in a one go when I did the filler but I wasn't up to it, I will admit, it's bitt me in the ass now. Al get there in the end. 

was replying to someone else sorry for that


 

Looks like it's coming on well,
Are you looking to make this into a Gti?  Or a series 1 GTi lokalike?  As you need to fit the big block engine mount.  Also there are a few brackets missing passenger side for the airbox and k-jet tronic.

Thanks matey! 
Was back at it today, that's it rubbed down now so some final bits and it's will be getting remasked for top coat. 

Plan is to build it back up with the 83 gti stuff, I also have my bbs body kit but am unsure about wanting to put it back on. Year the battery tray and some bits have been cut out by the pervious owner. 

Big mile stone set this afternoon!
Prepped the golf ready for paint over the last two weeks, mate bought a new devilbliss flg more or less for this job, I have done most of the body work with some help from him in the early stages and some welding, and he's let me use his shed for this one so be a bit cheeky not letting him take the glory to lay the paint on, I did the final coat of primer and reface my self and all the final block work as he broke his collar bone earlier in the year and it's not fully set right. 

Am so happy with the Finnish off the gun alone, it's great to see the paint on!

You're right about the finish, if that's straight from the gun it's fantastic.

Great build thread, looking forward to seeing the rebuild.

Thanks pistol 
Yeah the last foto there was before the paint went on as we were giving the garage a blow down so has the door open, we had 14 degrees yesterday so was a good day for painting. Going to take the masking tape and paper off this morning. Next job is let it harder up for a few weeks while away and then the rs is going it's holidays to my mum and dads new place and the shell is coming to mine to make way for prepping and painting the doors ect, then it's bolt ons and then the real fun happenes.