hello from the new guy

congratilations on a superb site, very impressed so far.
just bought a mk1 1.8 gti 1983, always wanted one, out driving along with a pal, talking about dream cars and i said mk1 in green and threre it was at the side of the road.
asking price ?1050, paid ?950  12mths mot no tax

complete impulse buy but somhow i seem to have come up trumps!

at some point in its recent history its been owned by a mechanic, and seems well looked after.
body rust free but reprayed. tailgate not original and badly fitted.
interior original, drivers seat patched, door cards good.
engine 121,000 mls m.o.t.s and reciepts to prove it.

and now for the questions!

is the clutch supposed to be this heavy?
why can i only select first sometimes?
what wheels should she be wearing?

at the moment she's got s very tidy set of bbs crosswires.

sorry if this is long winded and thankyou for any help

is it considered modifiying if it improves the car?(brakes,interior,etc)

Hi Jay, welcome to the forum!

The clutch on Mk1 is quite heavy, but check the cable is in good condition and runs in a smooth curve.

If you are finding 1st difficult to select, you can adjust the linkage underneath the car (see posts in the transmission section). It maybe worth overhauling the linkage at the same time as repair kits are relatively cheap.

Your car should have 13" 9-spokes (for non-Campaign models) or 14" Pirelli P-slots (for Campaign models). You can check if your car is a Campaign or not in the Campaign Checks section.

If you alter the car from standard specification then of course it is a modification (also check with your insurance company). While some modifications may improve the car's performance, be aware it may make your car more difficult to sell on and you will not get back 100% what you spend on it. It is down to you, but seek advice on the forum first as there is always someone who has tried it.

Cheers
Rajan

Hi jay - words of wisdom from dubboy  8)  

Don't worry about asking lots of questions - you'll usually get an answer here.

jay said

and now for the questions!

is the clutch supposed to be this heavy?
why can i only select first sometimes?
what wheels should she be wearing?

at the moment she's got s very tidy set of bbs crosswires.

sorry if this is long winded and thankyou for any help

is it considered modifiying if it improves the car?(brakes,interior,etc)

Welcome Jay! As already mentioned, clutches are a little heavy.However, when I bought my Campaign I thought mine was too bad. Turned out that the clutch cable was wrongly routed around the engine (only ever so slightly) but shifting it to a better curve as Rajan mentions can make a big difference.

I agree on the linkage kit - it's cheap and easy to do. Try GSF for the parts as about the cheapest.

Car Parts & Spares -- Buy Online with Fast UK Delivery | GSF Car Parts

..and if your linkage is worn will make the world of difference!

As for the wheels, Rajan is correct but if they are the RA's (BBS) then I don't think you can get much better looking wheels on a MK1

Final bit of advice - be bloody carefull if buying parts on eBay. If they are new MK1 parts then chances are you'll get somewhere else MUCH cheaper!

Hope you enjoy your Golf experience
Andy

thanks for the answers, linkage kit sounds like the way to go...

jay said

thanks for the answers, linkage kit sounds like the way to go…

Yup! Do the bush kit and linkage rods first as this is the cheapest starting point. If your change is still sloppy you can look at doing the relay lever (although a mate of mine with a MK2 just wrapped his up with gaffa tape!!) and the bearling plate at the bottom of the gear lever but for a late MK1 this is about ?33 + VAT and you can only get it from VW.

It's all well worth it tho

Hi Jay and welcome to the club.

Pay attention to the points above, and any more questions, no matter how trivial, ask away.

Another point to be aware of, to avoid getting water inside the car Make sure these are clear

Happy Mk1 motoring    

I had my gear linkages done on my old car and it didn't make selecting gears any easier it just made the gearstick return to the middle. great.

My gearstick is now so loose but I can still select all the gears.

Maybe your linkage needs adjusting. Bit of a s D of a job, probably worth enlisting someone who's done it recently if possible.

See also GBMK1s recent post.

http://portal.campaign…rums&file=viewtopic&t=134

Peter.