88 Cab GTI - Correct Wheels & Bumpers

Hi everyone,

Sorry to ask what might be totally obvious to most but I'm trying to find out what wheels my 88 Golf Gti Cab should have as standard and should the bumpers be colour coded? The car goes into the Bodyshop on Wednesday this week and I want to get it back to stock if possible. It's quite solid but it's been poorly messed with. The bumpers are currently painted white but very poor job and the lower front spoiler is also white. Should this be left grey / black as I need to replace it.

Finally, does anyone know where I can get a upper o/S rear quarter repair panel for around the filler area quite quickly as it's had a really rough repair. If not I'll have to get creative and make one but I'd rather not.

Any help really appreciated.

Cheers 

Simon 

All Cabriolets from 1988 on left the factory fitted with a "Clipper" bodykit that featured smooth body-coloured bumpers, wheel-arch extensions, and side skirts.

I believe that the standard alloys was a colour coded AVUS (but not 100% sure on this)

Many thanks for the information! Mine is missing the side skirts.

My bumpers look like they should have a trim insert which isn't there. Is it fair to assume that the bumpers are not the correct ones?

errr. thats not the big bumper kit, just painted normal small bumpers. There were some special editions that had body coloured small bumpers. Whats it say on the log book?

I'm still waiting for the log book to come back but when I checked it sure it was just Golf Gti cabriolet. It's actual registration date was August 87 if that changes anything?

So yours is an 87 not 88 then……

The model year changed in the summer hols so 88 models would have arrived in UK sept 87 onwards

In '87 ther was an all-white edition, does it have white seats and roof?

No, it has a black roof with white headlining and grey  purple patterned fabric trim.

Going back to the bumpers, should they have a chrome trim insert?  The bumpers have definitely been painted but I don't know if they've been repainted white or were originally black?

Thanks for your help on this 

Cheers 

www.cabby-info.com . has a plethora of information.

Cheers 

Thanks for your help 

This is the 1987 brochure.

You can see the wheels and painted bumpers and no chrome inserts in the pictures. 

I don't think the number plates should be screwed into the bumper either…. there should be a number plate holder fitted just below the bumber.

The roof skin would of been replaced a number of times in the cars life, about 10 years is a good life for a vinyl top..
White cars had white roof' white seats, white bumpers and white Avus/snowflake wheels unless some one spec'd the car different.
As your car is a run out model it could of had different things added to it, to help with selling it when the body kitted version was launched…

There should be a paper sticker in the boot on the strengthening bar between the rear turrets which will have the engine, gearbox, interior etc codes printed on it…    

mark1gls - 1987 was the year of the Quartet so there could be 64 different choices but Alpine White paint and roof with a Lasky White interior fabric looks favourite. 

 Check out the brochure link. 

Yes I did mention that as VW or dealers would do a "drive through Halfords" and stick allsorts of stuff in/on there cars to sell old stock when the new version comes out…

So best check the build sticker…  

Many thanks for your help, the build sticker is still intact so I'll have a look and see what's been changed.

Incidentally, I'm going to replace both front wings. Are all MK1 wings the same or different for the cabriolet?

Cheers 

I believe the wings are all the same, except the post 1986 which have the holes for the side repeater.

I've just fitted an early type wing and measured/drilled the holes for my '91 Cabrio, without any problems

Interesting.

With the wing mirrors also being white, it'd suggest to me that the bumpers and lip were also white from the dealer. The bumpers probably got scratched over time and someone painted them with a rattle can to make them look better.

Ian