What should I know about my car?

So mine is a W reg 1980 1.6 gti. Pretty standard besides suspension and wheels. Original 8 valve, original gbox etc.

I see some mention series 1 for this year but mine is not I don’t believe as the dash is like my old x reg models I used to have years ago.

So is it a hybrid of old s1 running gear in a different set up?

Would be great to understand what I have a
little better just because really.

Some random pictures to help.



As I go through the years to come I shall change all sorts I expect but all focused on bolt on or take off approach and nothing hard to put back to original. Should I preserve anything special from a fairly early mk1? Which is not a series 1.


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Backinblack

To answer your question Ian, "What should I know about my car?"

Well for one it's yours mate.

Might sound a bit cheeky but that's the point because let's start with the fact you think it's a "Hybrid", well the only way to find out for sure is to pay I think £50 or so to the VW Museum in Germany and get in return a certified document about that one chassis number etc… Then you will know what it was built with pretty much but I don't think it can tell you what dash it left the factory with.

If you have that information and it is a bit of an Oddball then at least you know for sure.

I use the term Oddball because I watched 'Kellys Heros' last night with a host of stars from Hollywood. Including Eastwood, Terry Savalas,  Donald Sutherland. Donald plays a tank commander who would rather make love and not war, his Sherman tank sometimes fires bright pink paint shells but I'm off topic!

Your going to make it your own and keep I guess for a while so just change whatever you want to make it look and feel the way you want it.

Do keep key items like lights front and back.
Grill, seats etc… just so you know you can put it back to original if and when you want to do that.

Anything like a modern stereo and stuff that's there now that you know doesn't belong there sell it or bin it mate!


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Yours is from the crossover year from S1 to S2.

It's a S2, has a 17 digit VIN, think S1 had 10 digit. Large rear lights, newer dash etc, they all ran 1.6 engines until 82(ish?)

Might get corrected on some of that.

Might do the museum thing and see what it tells me. It’s a curiosity thing really don’t believe it has bees heavily changed in the past so assume it is one of the S2 version from 1980. With you on keeping original bits. Hmmm Now where is my original front grill


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Don't waste your money on the museum stuff. It'll tell you a build date but looking at the date yours was registered November 1980 tells me its likely to be an S2 as anything from August 1980 is more likely to be an S2.

Useful link here also: http://classicregister.com/id-guides/how-identify-1976-1983-volkswagen-golf-mk1-gti