Carry on or make a 1.1 wishes come true? You decide.......

Hello folks, the restoration of my 1983 1.8 has come to a skiddding halt. I've come to the conclusion that the rear end round the rear beam mounting points is just too rusty to justify carrying on, coupled with the rubbing down around the scumroof and finding more filler than your average XR3i and the rear towing eye falling off in my hand     (luckily i discovered this before fitting the new sills and arches to replace more of the dreaded worm)   :?
However, i was wondering if anyone had done the job of converting  a 1.1 to fit all the GTi components? The reason being is that i have found a solid 1.1 no Sunroof model thats beggging to be made into its bigger brother!!   
So if anyone has any advice/tips on doing this I would be grateful. I know the engine mount has to be changed, but is that the only difference between the bodies? also can fuel lines from the littl'un be used as these are a tad rusty    Otherwise the old rusty shell is really the only bit wrong with the 1.8, it has brand new rear beam, brakes, wishbones, ARB, polybushes, suspension, exhaust, brakelines, a shiny chrome engine…..  ops: all just waiting to be plumbed in along with a mint interior.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as would opinions on whether to do this conversion/act of desperation! or just carry on with the relentless grinding, weding and searching for good metal on the old body. Its not a campaign, so i'm a bit more reluctant to try and keep it in the original shell, but your opinions are welcome.
Cheers people
Luke

If you have a complete Gti as a donor, then it is certainly a feasible conversion (I have done it…).

The engine mount is the only mod required to the shell, though everything off the gti will be required, including the fuel lines. The 1.1 lines are too small.
You might like to fit the airbox mount too, though the airbox will actually sit in place without it.

Sounds like the Gti owes you something, so get the other shell and do it!!!

GO for it Luke at least another MK1 stays on the road , some times is just is not cost effective to repair a car that has secome to the rust worm .

 


Cheers…………

I?ve often had a moan  :cry: on here when someone states ?I have an 1100 golf and my mate has just pulled a 1800 GTI engine out of the canal and I?m going to make a GTI?. There are lots and lots of other things to change, see previous posts.

However I also stated that the only time I can see this being really feasible is exactly like this.  Knackered but complete GTI and a sound small-block shell. You can swap over the parts replacing and refurbishing as required and although a big job you?ll have an almost good as new GTI at the end of it.

Early 1800, thats pretty much how i see it, sometimes big decisions are the only way to keep the old girls going! Like i sadi everything is there from the GTI, just wondered how big of a big job it was. The GTi doesnt really owe me anything as I bought it for cheep cheep, hoping it wasnt going to be as bad, but as per usual as soon as you start cutting more rust appears as if from nowhere     but it has got a lot of decent donor parts. I've done a few mk1's before so im not going in too blind, but have never transferred to a small block shell. So unless someone out there has a nice big block/GTI shell with a knackered interior and engine then i think this is prob the way to go. Sad that it will mean another DW chasssis going to the great scrapheap in the sky, but at least the soul lives on and it doesnt go to ebay for parts…..    :mrgreen:

The shell just isnt the same, ive done it myself and compaired to driving a original GTi things just arent right.

There is alot more metel in a gti, more Strengthening in the floor ect….. the conversion is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but i would say either buy a gti thats in better nick or just restore the 1.1…..

 :mrgreen:

Blimey, is that right X5??? I was always thinking that they were the same. Dunno if i want to go to all the hassle of changing the lot then be gutted by the handling.  :cry:
Has anyone else out there found the same probs?
Thanks for the warning tho X5, might have just saved a bunch of tears….. and swearing!!

The shell just isnt the same, ive done it myself and compaired to driving a original GTi things just arent right.

The most successfull MK1 conversions have used basic Golf models [usually because they are in better condition] and are the same SHELL  [VW were not daft , think about how the original Gti came to fruition]  uprated using modern parts . Lukic go for it with no worries .

Cheers ………….

I think the basic shell is the same. The suspension is up rated, diff springs, shocks with anti roll bars etc. I?m willing to be convinced otherwise if someone can point out which bits are different?

Dropping a GTI block into an 11/1300 and leaving the 11/1300s running gear probably causes some disappointment to some people.

As we?ve ranted before simply swapping engines doesn?t make a GTI

Well, im going to be putting full gti running gear into a driver soon too. That is all the way down to the wiring, suspension, arb's etc. Just using the driver shell essentially. So unless there are actual welded in strengthening plates from VAG, i cant see there being any difference.

x5pea said

There is alot more metel in a gti, more Strengthening in the floor ect…..

Where on earth did you hear that from!!!!

The shells are identical apart from the engine mount and airbox mount in the engine bay.

If you have done/driven small block chassis cars with gti engines that felt inadequate, then it was all down to the suspension/ARB set-up and Wheel/Tyre choice…

The shells are not identical, the floor has thicker metal and more strengthening in it.

I didn't hear it from anywhere, I know as I have cut many golfs in half during a project to make a Mk1 Trailer and trust me there was a lot more cutting in a GTI Shell. You'll see pics on my website

I found the STD GTI to be a better car compared to a 1.1 conversion I did. We had a mint 45k mile 1.1 and a worn out GTi. After changing everything from engine to running gear inc many new parts its just wasn't the same.

Like i said its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and im not doubting the fact that there are alot of good converted Gti's out there, only speaking from my pers experiance

Just my 2p worth AL_mk1 :?

x5pea said

The shells are not identical, the floor has thicker metal and more strengthening in it.

I didn't hear it from anywhere, I know as I have cut many golfs in half during a project to make a Mk1 Trailer and trust me there was a lot more cutting in a GTI Shell. You'll see pics on my website

I found the STD GTI to be a better car compared to a 1.1 conversion I did. We had a mint 45k mile 1.1 and a worn out GTi. After changing everything from engine to running gear inc many new parts its just wasn't the same.

Like i said its better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and im not doubting the fact that there are alot of good converted Gti's out there, only speaking from my pers experiance

Just my 2p worth AL_mk1 :?

Does anyone else believe this ? as this is first time i've EVER heard anything like this.

What year was the car you cut up ?

Im not convinced to say the very least !

anyone else ?

Belive it or dont belive it i dont really care….

Read the autodata on both cars, where a Std car had 2 skins a GTI has 3..

Only sharing my experiance, cars ranged from 80 - 83

x5pea said

Belive it or dont belive it i dont really care….

- OK

x5pea said

Read the autodata on both cars, where a Std car had 2 skins a GTI has 3..

- Where might i find this data !?

x5pea said

Only sharing my experiance, cars ranged from 80 - 83

No problem, chill out man - just saying i've NEVER heard this before, and i've been doing VW's for years !

And so have i mate

Autodata is a technical information book for automotive professionals

x5pea said

And so have i mate

Autodata is a technical information book for automotive professionals

Excellent, care to explain more !?   8)

Theres no more to expalin, autodata holds information about cars for automotive professionals. the information you are disputing will be in there.

I found out that the cars are not the same by working and modifying Mk1's myself….

Its information listen to it or dont   

I've heard of a book like that before. A garage I took my car to for wheel alignment swore by it.

What puzzled me was the chap said the tyre pressures for my cabrio should have been alot higher than what I had them at. I had them at the pressure stated on the sticker in the door shut! My wheels/tyre sizes were standard.

Whats the deal? is this book definately accurate?

Its the leading publisher of auto data in europe….
ive never know it to be wrong..