1982 1.8 GTI Cab - Exhaust Manifold

Hi All, This is my first post here but been viewing with interest. I have now accumulated 2 x mkl1 cabs. One is a 1.8gti and the other a GL auto. The GL auto has been sat for a while on solid ground and has great body work and virtually new roof. Will be selling that one on as sort of got it by chance!

The 1.8 GTI I want to get running and have as a toy. Sat for 3 years I took the plunge. It came with a few nice extras. I started with a full engine service including cambelt water pump etc. The car came with an upgraded exhaust system or so I thought. As I delve I find a stainless steel manifold held on by a few bolts. The reason being it does quite fit!!!!!!, would need some welding fetteling which I do not have the skills. (Doesn't quite line up to the ports and would be under stress if I did manage to get it to bend into place. The rest of the system is a jetex system, brand new and never fitted, nothing else exhaust wise on the car. So question….I need to get a manifold, I would like the performance part, but don't want to pay through the nose as not sure how good the engine is going to be yet. Please can you advise what exhaust manifold to get and where from, should I go standard…….? Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. If anybody has a spare I could borrow to get it running, or if they want to sell, that would be great!

I'll be back with more posts soon, and my GL will be up for sale soon, I have the full service kit, just debating to sell before or after I get it running, it has the most solid shell I have seen on an unmolested car of this age (C reg) Its in blue.

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Hey mate,

Welcome along to the club! I'd say keep them both

As for the exhaust speak to @funkstar or Mark, he runs www.classic-Vw.co.uk should have the bits you need!

Cheers,

Si

Thanks Si, I have made contact with Mark. I already have another project car and a daily driver and the wife is tolerant but not that much so one has to go. I do love the MK1 golf cabby though. Can wait to get this one back on the road. Fingers crossed my GL will go to a great home, its ripe for an engine conversion and somebody with more skill than me will make a beast out of it!

I've just got one these via eBay for £130 delivered and was pleasantly surprised with the quality. Can't say how well it fitted or sounds yet as its being fitted as I speak! Will update on my project thread soon.

I've just got one these via eBay for £130 delivered and was pleasantly surprised with the quality. Can't say how well it fitted or sounds yet as its being fitted as I speak! Will update on my project thread soon.

sportlinecab said

I've just got one these via eBay for £130 delivered and was pleasantly surprised with the quality. Can't say how well it fitted or sounds yet as its being fitted as I speak! Will update on my project thread soon.

It's best to cover the steering rack UJ rubber boot as the manifold will sit very close to it and it can melt/catch fire! I used a plumbers soldering mat and I also heat wrapped the manifold.



Mine is slightly different to yours.

 

sportlinecab : That looks just like the one I have. I think I am missing the second flange part to be able to mount to the next ipe. Do you have this part? Could you chuck up a pic. Mine doesn't quite fit, let me know how you go

mark1gls  great idea, going to wrap mine too. I guess you have not gone too tight with the solder map so as not to restrict the steering column movement.

Random question, do you know the bolt size for the front water flange? Snapped one on removal. Have managed to get the stud out but need new bolt, I think its M6 15mm standard thread, but if you could confirm that would be awesome, not much luck with google on that.

Just looking at mobile welder to come and fettle manifold as not finding any replacements that will be much better at the mo. Just wanted to get it running, before 'pimping' it too much.

Timmay Zoom Zoom said

sportlinecab : That looks just like the one I have. I think I am missing the second flange part to be able to mount to the next ipe. Do you have this part? Could you chuck up a pic. Mine doesn't quite fit, let me know how you go

mark1gls  great idea, going to wrap mine too. I guess you have not gone too tight with the solder map so as not to restrict the steering column movement.

Random question, do you know the bolt size for the front water flange? Snapped one on removal. Have managed to get the stud out but need new bolt, I think its M6 15mm standard thread, but if you could confirm that would be awesome, not much luck with google on that.

Just looking at mobile welder to come and fettle manifold as not finding any replacements that will be much better at the mo. Just wanted to get it running, before 'pimping' it too much.

Not sure which bit you mean as didn't really look too much at the fittings - is it the stainless steel 'cup' that looks like a beaker without the bottom on it?! If so I got one of those and various other bits I believe. It's being wrapped and shielded accordingly now so hopefully no spontaneous combustion!! Fingers crossed I'll have it back tomorrow but at what cost…….????!!!!😬

Yup that's the bit. Great description! I have just brought another one as was easier than trying to fettle the one I already have. I'm sure somebody will be able to make use of this one though. Let us know how yours goes and I'll do the same, Fingers crossed i'll have mine running in a few weeks.

how did your fitting go? What did it cost in the end? Did you decide to adjust the inlets on the exhaust at all to improve airflow as the factory made stainless does not grind these to a nice airflow but usually leave a little lip.

Fitting according to my mechanic was very very tight! It's taken a lot more time to fit than the other stuff but I think part of the issue was that the rest of the exhaust was different. I had to have a new standard centre section which was in turn was mated to the original OEM refurbed rear box. The bores were different and it took a lot of time to make it hang right altogether.  The manifold seems to fit fine now but I don't know about the grinding bit - I'll ask him tomorrow. This sort of thing is past my capabilities and home facilities. As for cost - it's hard to say as I had lots of other stuff done too. I'll find out tomorrow when I pay!!

thanks for the update. Fingers crossed your wallet won't suffer too much. I have read a few posts online now about exhaust wrapping and there appear to be more in the camp for don't do it that do do it. Does anybody have anymore comments to add on this in the case of a MK1 golf with Stainless steel headers, any experience of early fatigue?

N 01021710  m6X20 for the water flange bolts

When I installed the Header on my Cabby, I used sheet aluminum and Metal wire ties, and Hose clamps to hold the sheet metal on.  

I also used sheet aluminum to shield the Power steering rack.

I had thought about wrapping, but decided that the shield would allow inspection.

After installing it I had no exhaust leaks, and after about 1.5 years it got rear ended and Totaled, so I don't have a durability report.  All I know was it felt like the car got 200 more horses after the install.    ok may be 10

It's wrapped at the minute but I'll be keeping an eye on it to see if a shield needs doing as well. The manifold required minimal filing - literally a single sweep to de-burr apparently. To biggest issue in terms of fitting manifold were the cut outs for the inlet manifold that needed some fettling. In terms of a critique of the manifold the sweep angle could have been a little better for clearance but I guess for the price there's no complaint from me.

£535 for all the work done and £100 of that nearly was extra parts I hadn't bought. Coupled to the bits I had sourced earlier I'm looking at around £900 grand total. Skint but happy. 😀😀😀

Not too bad price wise until you add it all up, I try and never do that! Sounds like you are up and running again. I'm still not decided if I am going to wrap or not. The horror stories on the net have made me cautious but I don't want the exhaust to melt anything!

I'm currently painted rocket and cam covers, from what started off as a service is going way too far!

So would I be correct in assuming that I don’t need the standard exhaust mani on my 1.6 ?

I’m sourcing a full stainless system with extractors at the moment but after just reading a thread on carby, intake and exhaust manifold maintenance I was under the impression that there are some important components on the standard exhaust mani that sound like I need in situ.