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1979 Mars Red Series 1 GTI

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Ok, so I've bought a S1 GTI - Out the body shop...

Ok, this is my 3rd MK1, bought it off here on a bit of a whim because id only just sold my last one a few days earlier!

I basically thought I was moving out so I sold everything I could including my car, then we worked things out so I bought this.  As always with these things you should buy on body work but I wanted a Mars red s1 so much im going to turn it back into the car it once was no matter what!

So here it is, a non running, slightly rotten shell

In its home


Badly aligned front panel


Either a custom smoothed, or a seriously dodgy rear panel


With some rot comming through on the tailgate


So I had a look


Not too bad, so I have treated it to some dintrol800 for now, the body shop can sort that out, it is also out of alignment.

Unfortunatly the parcel shelf supports have been cut for speakers, I have a plan with tho after missing some that went for £10.50 on ebay!, my top big was £10.00 :-(


The A pillar flexes when you open the door and the door drops because of this, first I need a door pin if anyone has one for sale? then I need to get the A pillar reinforced under the wing.


Interior is missing bits and bobs, ive managed to source some under dash carpets and a under dash shelf so far


I have a special plan for the interior, nice and original so these black velour S1 seats can be for sale if anyone wants them?


The engine is tatty and in as yet, an unknown condition.




Its also missing a few parts.  So far Ive fitted an starter motor, a battery and a new battery to starter cable.  Ive bought but not fitted the intake to brake servo vacume pipe, as well as a new king lead.

Intake pipe I bought


I was on the look out for a new rear panel because as I said my is funky.  I managed to secure a Full NOS VW small light rear panel for a tidy sum, still even has the VW sticker on it!  Sorry but I have no pics.

Whilst I was picking the panel up the nice chap asked me if there was anything else I needed, I started to ream my list off and he said oh ive got some door cards, I didn't know what they were but took them anyway as I thought I could just use the fronts and get some S2 rear cards.   Turns out they are mint condition NOS swallowtail door cards! a full set too including handles and screws



Im a lucky boy!

What I havent got a picture of is the rotten filler surround area and the rear drivers side arch, I suspect the passenger side is the same under the arch so ive got to take that side off as well and have a look.  Then im off to BBT to order a pair of rear arches, a front panel and a filler repair panel.  Then its going into a body shop near me that specialises in Aircooled VW stuff but does the odd water cooled stuff, ive seen the guys work on white_78's S1 and he is good.  I don't know weather to get it painted again all over or just the bits he repairs? it has had alot of paint in the past.

Asside from that progress is slow to say the least.  Im working in London and the car is in Co Durham.  Im trying to work on it as much as possible but its difficult.  Im concentrating on trying to get it running at the min, ive got it cranking (all the ignition-starter wires were cut for some reason) Ive been looking at the VW diagram and it appears that there is only two times power is applied to the pump, on the 3rd position of the key and whilst cranking, is this the case?  Rubjohnny??? lol

Cheers!

I just need to work out where the two vacume pipes from the manifold-servo pipe.  I think one is for the dizzy and one is for the ECU? can anyone clarify that? and what size tube do I need so I can buy it from the motorspares place please? cheers

Last edit: by Lee_dub

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this the one in the garage when me and ross came up lee ??

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mAtt- said

this the one in the garage when me and ross came up lee ??

Yea that be the one mate.  Going to be a beast, you and ross helped fund the bodywork fund that now sits at about £1900 quid.  Im not sure how much im going to need really?

Right next job has been decided.

Ive cut and pasted Rubjohnnys fusebox FAQ for the S1 fusebox into word.  Im going to remove my dash and armed with a printed copy and a marker im going to go through all the wires and make sure everything is cabled up correctly.  The dash can go up into the loft for now as I wont be needing it until rebuild time anyhow.

That will be my next update!

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About time!!

Looking good mate, done alot but still alot to be done. Mine hasnt had anything done for a while as I have been working on weekends.

Good luck with the rest looking forward to seeing your progress

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Haha drakey you railroaded me into writing one! I wasn't going to bother!

Looking forward to getting my teeth into the wiring!

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Good to hear it!! I'm sure I'm not the only one that wants to see how you're getting on. I just want inspiration of what mine could look like!

Have you done wiring before or just jumping straight in the deep end?

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I'm an electronics engineer by trade so have no problems getting stuck in, I just needed the guide to know where the wires should go.  I noticed whilst I was looking at the ignition wires that some of the fuse box fuses have been remoted out so there has obviously been issues here before that have been worked around.  I have a spare S1 fuseboard which I'm going to install but before I do that I'm going to take each plug on the rear and check every wire, it makes sense to do really.

I'm just looking forward to getting a few good solid days on it, I've got the funds, got the tools and know how but never got the time unfortunatly.  As soon as I know the condition of the engine I can get it in the bodyshop

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I wouldnt be surprised if my engine is in a similar state if not worse than yours tbh! When I first looked I was told it didnt have one at all!!

See I have no know how so its just time and money. Dad knows a bit about mechanics and electrics just not when its in a car. And I don't have a lot of choice as my loom has been cut horribly.

Anyway, good luck with it all and the bodyshop. Sounds like it will be finished in no time, so the pressure is on me now.

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right………………

Wiring.  :banghead:

I just had a quick 5 mins in the garage poking around, It looks like the plate for the fuel pump relay has actually been removed, the one I thought it was was actually the rear wiper!

So I looked underneath the car and the fuel pump is in a different place to the s2 one.  I need to have a good look at this, im going to make my own fuel pump cct using a diagram ive knocked up from the wiring guide and from searching on here.

I promise ill get some pictures later or tomorrow, got to convince the missus to let me loose for a few hours so I can look at this properly.

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looks good mate, nice lilttle project here. :)

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Cheers dude

Im really sorry for the bad quality pictures, is my crap blackberry. (I do have a camera on charge!)

The wiring is a complete mess, so I removed the fusebox to start again


I was left with this


I had made a diagram from the fusebox faq and from searching the forum so I knew what wires I needed to find to make a fuel pump cct

Does anyone know what wire I need to take a feed off on the coil to trigger the pump?


I managed to locate and label some wires too using my multi meter.

to Fuel pump
to AAV/CSV
to rear wiper

It all helps! I put a 12v feed to the fuel pump wire and it pumped, so hopefully if I can get another good go at it I MIGHT be able to get it running.

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i also have a 79 s1 gti, in mars red, with twin lamps lol, didnay think they come with twins but now yours is another i seen with em, keep the progress coming

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They didn't come with twin lamps mate so your right! Mines going back to singles for when it's on the road!

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Update

Thanks to advice from paul and John found here
http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=97482

The fuel pump relay cct is now in and working.  It primes the pump on the 3rd click of the key for a second then when cranking it primes constantly, cant test the running bit because it doesn't run yet.

Got to buy some fuel and a king lead and I should be able to try and see if it runs tomorrow!

woop!

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good luck with it lee :)

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Good luck getting it running!! Hope it starts first time for you!

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Right, I went out and bought a load of stuff for the car this morning, new HT leads, a can of fuel and some vacuum tubing.  I came across two problems…

1 I bought this intake manifold - brake servo tube


The bit on the left of the picture that goes into the servo doesnt fit my servo? My servo has a bit that sticks out to except a pipe and this looks like it screws into a servo? Is this because I have a s1 servo?

2 It didn't start :-( I have no spark, I ripped the ignition loom out the car and buzzed it all out, the green/white wire that goes from the TCI to the Hall sender doesn't buzz out (has a 1800 lump fitted) and upon further investigation its actually the ignition amp that doesn't buzz out between the two middle pins.  Should it buzz out? if so its new ignition amp time

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Ok so ive not had chance to work on the car since last time I posted an update but I will be able to put a shift in this week when im home so ive been making a list of stuff I should tackle to better use my time.  Im skint as well so its all got to be stuff I can do for free!

The list

  1. Replace HT leads with the set I bought
  2. Re-install the ignition loom then carry out the fault diagnosis according to the haynes
  3. Check that fuel is reaching the engine
  4. Remove the NSR arch trim
  5. make a list of the electrical stuff that doesn't work on the car

Fingers crossed another meaningful update by next weekend! Oh and ive had my camera on charge so ill take some proper pictures.

Cheers!

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  1. Replace HT leads with the set I bought
  2. Re-install the ignition loom then carry out the fault diagnosis according to the haynes
  3. Check that fuel is reaching the engine
  4. Remove the NSR arch trim
  5. make a list of the electrical stuff that doesn't work on the car

6) post fuel lines to Matt-  :wink:

keep up the good work Lee you'll get there  :D

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yes number 6 will happen Matt, im sorry mate im an international man of mystery at the moment!
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