I think I'm to old for coilovers

Not sure if its me or the car (both 33) but I either cant drive a car on coilovers or a mk1 for the road just doesn't work.

I dont remember these issues in my late teens with Polo G40's but the dash feels like its going to go through the windscreen every time the surface changes

Admittedly Prosports arent renowned for their ride quality but I think set height spring and shocks are the best move.

TA Tecknix are only a touch over £150 a set with a 60/40 drop or £300 for the AP versions

Or . . . Raised top mounts £165 delivered, where is the money best spent?

You need to spend money on coilovers if you want a good quality ride. 

I use BC's which adjust on the body, as opposed to the spring. And they are 30 point damping adjustable. 

But they're also 750 quid. 

Raised top mounts are brilliant, but they don't help crashy rears.

Cheap coil overs are always very hard and will ruin the ride and handling of the Mk1 golf as roads are not smooth and flat.

A good set of springs and shocks for a comfortable ride and good road holding…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eibach-Lowering-Springs-Bilstein-Gas-Shocks-Bumpstop-Kit-Golf-Mk1-Cabrio/232018793570?fits=Model%3AGolf+Cabriolet&epid=2223520749&hash=item360565d462:g:0eMAAOSw9KhZ-hQy

Crashy rears I dont mind so much as I wont feel it through the dash.

As much as I love the Golf it wont ever be driven hard and I cant justify big money on a car that may only cover 200 miles a year

The AP racing kit is £300 with a 60/40 drop which is probably close to what I've lowered it anyway

Only thing is do you encounter arch issues with the wheels as the setup will be allowing more movement

As a youth I rocked MG's and Sprites, sitting low and jarish ride on the Armstong lever action shocks were ok, and I didn't mind the jarring and all the power that 948 or 1100 CC's could bring no feeling every little rock in the road.

Mid years the increased ride height of my Diesel Bunny  over my Toyota was nice.  I wasn't getting beat to death as the cars were my work rides….

My older years I find that OEM spring/shock are just right and the height is tall enough to make getting in and out of the Cabbies just fine.

Riding in my oem set up is still bouncy on rough roads but no bone jarring,  yes I have the Strut bars to make the frame a wee bit stiffer, and yes I love to drive it at 85-90mph… It is just that I like a smooth ride.

With that said you get what you pay for, you buy cheap and the ride is going to be a bit more Jarring.  We over hear in the south don't get the pot holes like the folks in the north do, but in the summer we get pot holes that develop from the Asphalt blowing out from heat, we also get the choppy ride of big rings sitting for lights so much that the asphalt under their tires get depressed so that you are on a Washboard approaching the stops.

I like the OEM, and I enjoy a less than bone and teeth rattling ride topless in the sun.

Besides I bought all my suspension from a place that offers LLW and I am on my second set of struts…still free, and local to me, I don't have to wait on refunds or validation that strut cartridges are bad…. I am never down more than an afternoon.

my two pence.

I've recently taken off a set of AP Coilovers from my Cabby. My son had fitted them when he owned it. I've replaced it with new OE Shocks and springs. He thinks I should have experimented with different settings but I couldn't be bothered. I like the softer ride !  Currently got the AP coilovers up for sale.

I think I'm going to go for the AP shocks and springs.
Hopefully thats a happy medium

It has occurred to me that as mk1 owners we are all getting old and our hips/spines can no longer take the beating.


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 liking the comments on here… my Golf is running on standard & the wife thinks it's quite tough - especially as my daughter's in the front on a Motorway drive  I've recently bought a T5 to convert & there's coilovers on that & it's not so much my body but the bloody sound of it hitting a bump/hole & impact on the van can't be good!! makes me cringe! i picked up  standard springs & shocks Saturday to go on - just waiting to book it in to be changed! Currently on something called v-maxx autosport!   Don't like it at all! This was on 20's 2 weeks ago as well so you can imagine what it's like on UK roads!!! 

As good as I can imagine a T5 on 20's and coils looks, it sounds like hell to drive.

Im starting to feel middle aged

I had vmaxx on my Mk1. 

Was like driving  shockless until I put raised mounts on…. the difference was night and day. 

Try driving a beetle that's body pan is literally on the floor… framehead taking chunks out of the road….. that's painful. 

But this had raised strut towers and the subframe was raised too… running static on short body bc's. 

It honestly drove as good as standard.

Roach are raised top mounts really that good?
I dont want to spend the money and then find out I still should of gone to shocks and springs

Yeah. if you like running low, but hate hitting the bump stops on decked coilovers then they're essential. 

This was my Mk1 running vmaxx with raised mounts.. it rode really nicely…. without them it was horrid. 

Thing is mine isnt actually overly low, mainly because I dont want the duck bill to catch on anything its just that its so damn hard and crashy

I tried to test for arch clearance on the tyre by jacking up underneath the wishbone to push the wheel up into arch but all that happened was the whole side of the car lifted up, back and front!

In that case yeah go for shocks and springs… but what happens if it looks too high?

I thought the same.

I removed my JTL coilovers (that I paid around £350 for) and after much umming, ahhing and comparing prices of spring and shock kits finally found these Vogtland coilovers

http://lowerks.com/coilovers/volkswagen/golf/golf-mk1.html

This is the cheapest I found them, even cheaper than from Vogtland themselves! Other sites list them at between £500 - £650ish

Springs by Vogtland, who have been making springs for over 100yrs and dampers by KW apparently.

I like the fact that they aren't adjustable! I have adjustable ones on my Derby and tbh with 30 setting on the front and the rear I'm lost! It's either hard, soft or in the middle surely?

Anyhoo. With the Vogtlands on the mk1 now rides like my 2017 Passat estate.  

If you have better suspension you'll use it more 'cos it's comfy. Trust me on this!

Ian

Roach said

In that case yeah go for shocks and springs… but what happens if it looks too high?

Exactly my concern!

Right according to Prosport the Mk1 coilover kit lowers front / rear from 25mm-80mm

If I measure how much spare thread is left unused on my coils I should be able to work out how much lower than standard I am.

From there can hopefully find a shock / spring combo of the appropriate drop

I think . . .

I went for bc racing coilovers spec'd to me engine weight too.

Rides hard but I've adjusted like that for traction.

Really good setup though.