How much to budget for a full resto...?

I know Chris Santos has now performed too restorations of his mk1s, but he's understandably cagey about exactly how much it costs.

Does anybody have an idea on this? (Obviously lots!)

I'm trying to make my mind up what to do with my mk1. It's not been driven since the meet, as it needs repairs to the sills and wings etc. I'm wondering whether or not to just get the damaged fixed, or to be a bit more adventurous and rebuild her completely.

It's coming off the road regardless when her tax disc runs out anyway.

On the other hand, I'm wondering whether a complete rebuild is a good investment. My campaign is nice, but it's not particularly low mileage, nor does it have a complete set of documentation, nor is it any longer a concours car…

On the other hand it's quite a famous car now, and I've had it a long time….

So perhaps I should just keep it in good condition and enjoy driving around…

I keep going around and around on this… :roll:

Cheers,

Drew.

I think one of the problems about leaving the resto til later is the growing unavailability of parts. I work in a VW dealer and even i am am struggling to get some parts. Namely panels, fuel pipes, interior trims etc. Do it now  

Certainly I'd be collecting parts now weather you intend to restore it sooner or later.

My car isn't anywhere near the standard of yours Drew, but I have to confess to have similar concerns on the full resto issue. My car is in very good condition for its age and fairly original - certainly capable of being used as a daily driver for another year or two before requiring any significant work on the body.

I don't think I would ever really go down the concours route to be honest - I just enjoying driving the car too much. If I restore the car its more so that I can get an idea of what it must have been like to drive it when it was new / nearly new. I guess sort of like having a "new" old car if you know what I mean. If looked after I see no reason whay a well restored car should not last another 20 years with a bit of TLC.

However the parts situation is only getting worse and I plan to try and buy hard to find parts as and when I find them. Even if you end up selling the car, you would have no trouble selling the spares, and might even make a tidy sum on them if they become hard to find.

I think you have to face the fact that you are unlikely to recoup the costs of a full resto if you end up selling in the short to medium term - maybe longer term if values climb as the cars get rarer you might. You gotta do it for the love of the car  :wink:

I suspect Chris Santos has spent mega money on his Campaign resto. That full full VEGE DX engine would have cost him a grand alone, and I bet they had trouble tracking a correct DX for him - most of their remanufactured units are probably the later 1.8 heads now I would have thought.

I wish I had the skills / access to the facilities to do a decent spray job. For me this is the one biggest fly in the ointment of a full resto.  A top quality spray job is going to cost a LOT, and just about everything else I can tackle myself given enough time. If you had the skills and the facilities to do your own paint then a full on resto would be a lot less painful financially  

Chris

It depends on how far and how much you want to replace.

As an extreme in Practical Classics may-dec 2000 restore of a 1.6 GTI including labour it cost them ?11475.00 done by Kingfisher.

Most of thats cost is labour though and of cause prices of certain things have gone up due to been rare now and that car needed quite a bit work,

What i cannot believe is how parts are so hard to get for the mk1 now when you think everytime the MK5 GTI is shown by VW they roll out a mk1 GTI you would think they would do everything they could to help. If not by making the parts by a least sending the paterns to aftermarket firms to make. Its not like theres not a few mk1s out there ive seen loads latley.

When you think in the past 18 years ive restored many cars far less popular than the golf, Riley RMA. Riley Elf, armstrong siddley to name a few, and parts have not been anywere near as much headacre to try and get as the MK1 golfs is, it just seems silly.
If i had not owned my golf for 14 years and it was not like part of the family now i think i would just give up with even thinking of doing it.
But my cars getting to the point i either do it within the next year or its just going to be another banger as the body starts to get worse.
So i now have to decide what im going to do and try and find as much new parts as i can. :cry:

I just wish i had an upto date ripoff copy of the ETKA so i can see whats available and whats not as most of the time the guys at the dealers does not have a clue    Its about the only thing i really envy any fiat/alfa/citroen/pug owners as the dealers will sell you a copy of there discs so makes sorting things out far easier.

Geoff B.

Tricky isn't it.

Though if I had ?10,000 to spend on a mk1 (which I don't - ear marked for a conservatory :roll I'd be much more likely to hunt out a mint original low mileage one like that Helios blue one that did the rounds a few years ago.

I'm tempted to just tidy up the car to a 'good' standard, perhaps with a suspension kit, a slightly more interesting exhaust and a minidisc player and enjoy driving it around. I'm beginning to suspect my head will need some work soon as I think I've seen a suggestion of smoke on the overrun, perhaps time for a gas flow…  Externally standard obviously.

It's unlikely to rot away as it usually only comes out in the dry anyway, so it will be around for many years, and driving it is the best part of it anyway. That and just looking at the thing!

Cheers,

Drew.

Yep, these cars can cost a lot to restore - and can be totally disproportionate to their value.  It is probably more cost effective to buy a truly superb example than go through the rigmarole of restoring and locating parts.

My Campaign was different. There was only one like it.  :wink:

Drew, like Rich said, it's worth collecting the parts now perhaps anyway. One question is how much (and hard!) you want to drive it? If you did a Chris Santos style rebuild, would you want to be taking it out so often and on track days?

In reality, you look after the car and it isn't out through the winter, so like you say, it wont get much worse. Therefore, if you have all the parts ready anyway the cost of a full resto wouldn't be much different in a few years anyway.

How about A419 TYE becoming your track day car and spending your money on that low mileage one you talk about?! :wink:

The problem with buying the Holy Grail, mint, original 1 owner, low mileage museum piece is that it will become just an ornament. It may or may not cost less than restoring one but then you?ll feel guilty every time to add to the mileage and will be terrified of scratching the paintwork and getting it wet. Everything you do to it (using it, mending it) will reduce its originality and value. This is OK if that?s what you want but surely cars, especially mass produced peoples cars, especially GTI versions were conceived, designed and built to be driven. Granted mine leads a relatively pampered life these days with @5000 mile a year and not going out in the worst of the salty winter weather but its there to be used, taxed and insured. As previously mentioned in the old register its quite easy to go thru ?5K+ on restoration, OK if its your hobby and the car started as a three hundred quid shed but I can understand that one that cost a few thousand quid to start with and is currently in reasonable condition will be a dilemma. Spending all that money ending up with it looking almost exactly the same as when you started?

If I was Drew, I?d be inclined to do a rolling restoration spread over the next few years, fix the head, repair and refurbish bits as go they wrong, collect parts you think you might need as you go along, with a view to a complete respray sometime in the future. I'd be OK with any upgrades that are appropriate and could easily be reversed if required.

Having just bought a mk1 gti last week I find posts about which parts to start hoarding a bit depressing  :cry: It makes me wonder if I made a good decision buying a mk1, well economically anyway, the other good reasons for owning one were obvious when I drove it home from the garage.  

Can anyone let me know which parts I should keep an eye out for?

Thanks

Jon.

Basically all internal and external trim and body panels if you have the space.

Best bets are wear and tear parts like seats, carpets, parcel shelves and supports, door cards, gear lever gaiters, seals, headlinings.

Also keeping switches, fuse boxes and wiring harnesses may save you time and money.

Most mechanical parts can still be had (except wiper motors, fuel lines, wheels, early calipers, exhausts, pedal boxes and fuel distributors/air plates).

Cheers
Rajan

Thanks for that Rajan. I managed to get a rear seat from ebay for ?23, which I think was a pretty good deal, although I did have to drive 300 miles (return) to get it. My rear seat has a two small holes in the base and this one has two in the back rest so I'm hoping to swap it at some point.
I'll keep an eye out for the rest then.

Cheers,

Jon.

alright guys,just signed up.

picking up on what early1800 says…

Early-1800 said

  one that cost a few thousand quid to start with and is currently in reasonable condition will be a dilemma.   

although im not doing an original resto,i was in the above dilema.

i paid ?1800 for my mk1 5 years ago,i since spent around 11k on heavyish mods.
and it was seen as pretty damn mint and looked after

got offered 3k for it,and refused it,just wanted to rebuild it as my ultimate mk1.

its now sat in the unit,in bits and im gonna take sandpaper to the seriously shiney mars red.

but my point is that,im just happy i still own it and that im giving it the makeover it deserves.
its ok just using em and touching them up as time goes by,but if you go full on,more attention to detail can be applied.

i think if you keep pondering on this drew,then your serious enough about going for it.
may seem crazy at first but,you get to learn about your car more too,its interesting stuff. 8)