Fuel issue

So last night in the storm I decided not to get petrol on the way home and ran the gti well into the red… Sadly when no more petrol station s could be seen the car started to lose power , get lumpy and although she would rev to 3k had no drive…. Felt like a blown head gasket kind of drive.
To my surprise my "running out of fuel" lasted 9 miles and got me home!
This morning I went straight to the petrol station, with no power and hazards on. Put 25 quid in….. And she failed to start. Turns over, pops bangs, sounds a bit like a boat, and stops.
my fuel pump seems quieter than normal, although does cut in. Do these just stop or do they lose pressure and wear out? ( bought a new one just in case!)
If I've sucked dirt in from running so low on fuel where is the best place to find it?

I changed the plugs and cleaned it leads and dizzy in case the got "washed" in the storm water, made no difference as it seems to be a fuel problem but at least I can say ive tried!!
oh and answers needed asap as I'm away until Wednesday leaving just Thursday to sort it for the agm.

Do you have an in-line fuel filter? If so check there. The plastic in-line ones get blocked really easily.

There is no clear plastic inline filter on the Gti just a big fuel filter in the engine bay so I would start by changing that and looking inside the fuel tank at the fuel pick up, next there is a little filter built into the main fuel pump which is a pig to get to then it's the main fuel filter.

You could also try undoing the fuel lines and blowing back down them to clear any blockages.

Running the fuel right down into the red is not a good idea if your fuel tank is old and crusty inside as it causes all sorts of problems with the Kjet fuel system and fuel injectors.

if the fuel pump sounds 'quieter' and your cabrio is later than 1984 you probably have a dead main pump and only the lifter is working.

take off the inlet pipe and clear out any crud, this thread has a good guide and also shows the mesh basket most pumps have:
View topic: Fuel Tank cleaning *HowTo* clear that blockage - The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

you might have success if you run the pump backwards to push out any debris that got inside it. then its just a case of clean the tank and external swirl pot out till spotless and cross your fingers

Cheers guy's. Hopefully by this time tomorrow all will be clear and the car will be loaded!!

Update: New leads, plugs, fuel pump, ignition thing on bulk head has been changed. New piece of rubber pipe on inlet manifold, New fuel filter,
lift pump checked, compression check shows no leaks, injectors checked and cleaner in fuel…
fuel reaching injectors and idle is fine but runs a bit… Flat. Under load it will rev but lacks power. Any suggestions?!

ignition timign all good? worth checkign the vw part number in the dizzy to make sure its correct