1st golf- need some help with wheels?

hi, looking at getting my 1st golf very soon! (hopefully tomorrow) the car im looking at is a 1982 mk1 git. what id like to know is would ats classics fit straight on? looking to get some coilovers and some new rims asap after getting the car. i like the wider real wheel look so was looking at

front 13x7 4/100 et20
rear 13x8 4/100 et1

not to sure what the '4/100 et' bit actually means?? + good place to get rim and tyre package??
also (possibly a stupid question) are all coilovers adjustable?
thanks in advance for any help

No they won't fit, plenty of people have tried and failed. They'll stick out the arches and/or rub. Yes, you can modify the car to make them fit, but the work would be extensive….

ok, thanks (that was quick!!) would the 13x7 all round fit? one of the cars im looking at tomoz has coilovers and rolled arches??  just ive kinda fallen for the ats classics! haha

There's lots of threads out there on this kind of topic, and a few different opinions. Influencing factors include amount of lowering, whether on coilovers (and which brand), slight differences in Clipper kit arches and earlier cars, and also some cars are slightly different than others.

Also some people seem happy to accept wheels/tyres rubbing a little (its an MoT fail, if they find it, or evidence of it eg scrubs on the bodywork or tyres) and some seem to accept the wheels sticking out the arches as okay.

Nothing wrong with standard alloys IMHO.


http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=search

If I was buying a 30 year old car I'd be more interested in making sure it was serviced and mechanically sound and reliable before worrying about fat wheels  :dontknow:  

Perhaps I'm too old and not wiv da yoof anymore?

hi, no offence meant here because im sure you are trying to help, but do you not think that would be the first thing i would check when buying a car (regardless of age) im guessing that by yor sarcastic reply youve automatically assumed ive over looked this?? well, i havent. im buying (or looking for) a 30year old car because i want to look cool as fc*k! 'fat' wheels therefor are very important to me! having zero experience when it comes to lowering a 30yr old golf gti, im here for some advice! (dont think im jumping down your throat here) ive seen alot of mk1s on ats classics, n would just like someone to point me in the right direction………peace.

The problem is, "fat" wheels are simply a transient fashion trend, based on looks alone. They don't actually improve the handling of the car. The car was designed and specified with 5.5" wide wheels, which work perfectly well to give the GTI a good blend of handling performance and driveability.

Personally, I've never seen the attraction of messing around with wheels but it seems that lots of people like to change the wheels, I guess its an 'easy' mod to do to personalise the car. I guess some wheels even look nice, most look a bit out of place though. I'm not bothered though, its not my car so I don't have sleepless nights worrying about it. AND - it leaves the standard stuff at a reasonable price for the rest of us if we want to buy fresher wheels etc.

I've suggested many times, a database of wheel fitment/compatability is set up. It doesn't need to be too onerous or complicated.

One last question - and I'm sure you understand, if you can't put your hand on your heart and answer honestly, then maybe you shouldn't be altering the wheels too much - why do you want wider wheels at the back, on a FWD car?

the best handling mk1s i have driven, have had 15"x6" standard mk2 golf alloys on or p slots.

type 'mk1 golf ats classics' into google images and you wont need to ask why! haha. put simply, it looks the dogs (in my opinion) not ever gona be racing the car so im willing to sacrifice handling for looks. (everyone prob shaking heads) lol. but that is my 'hand on heart' answer. so is arch work the only way i can fit classics? been searching forums and im struggling to get a straight answer?

No worries, if its for looks then that's fine and a good a reason as any!

I think the straight answer is, 8" wide wheels definitely don't fit without EXTENSIVE modifications. I've not got the measurements to hand, but the space in between the strut/rest of wheelarch and the outer bodywork (ie where it would stick out, if wider), is less than 8", its about 6.5-7" at the most. Basically, the wheelarches simply aren't big enough.

I think ATS classics look fantastic and can totally see why you would want them on your car. Having said that, I had some nice deepdish alloys on my mk1 when I bought it and they totally ruined the way the car drove. I ended up changing them for standard wheels in the end, 'cause although they looked good, it was awful to drive. A nicely set up, sorted mk1 is fantastic to drive. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't underestimate how much difference aftermarket wheels will make. Like i said though, they do look cool, so I can see where you're coming from.