New Owner to a pair of MK1 GTi, Needs introductions and help !

Hello All,

New to this Forum and also new to the Mk1 GTi, I currently have 2 examples. Both Series 2 cars with 1.8L engine, one with 4 Speed and the other 5 Speed.


I am here to learn this car and any members here can provide some tips of restoring these cars? I.E any notable failures or problems from OEM components?

Moreover one of my Mk1 has a busted Fuel Distributor as the exhaust keep bursting out white smoke and yet the engine runs well. I cannot seem to find this particular part anywhere else


Thanks

Welcome to the club first of all.

Wow 2 GTI's, how cool is that.
Well you said you need advice so you're in the right place believe me.

Over the coming days we shell try to shed some light on your problem but in the mean time please tell us a little about yourself and lots about your Mk1's.

A few photos speak volumes!


Sent from my Smartphone

That's unusual, a 1.8 with a four speed box?  Thought only the very early 1.6 GTI had a four speed.

What years are the cars?

Car 1.
Car 2.

One has 4 front lights and the other had 2. Im based in HK and got a few more special hot hatches but i guess these are the stars here

I bought a "4 speed" caddy as my first car, drove fine  then one day it went into 5th, turns out only the gear knob was 4 speed.  the previous owner had travelled all across Europe without knowing it had 5 gears.

easy way to tell is 5 speed gear box mounts have 2 bolts, 4 speed has 4 bolts

sporttrucker said

I bought a "4 speed" caddy as my first car, drove fine  then one day it went into 5th, turns out only the gear knob was 4 speed.  the previous owner had travelled all across Europe without knowing it had 5 gears.

easy way to tell is 5 speed gear box mounts have 2 bolts, 4 speed has 4 bolts

sporttrucker

Maybe he was keeping it as a spare in case he couldn't get into 1 or 3!


Sent from my Smartphone

Cool stuff.

HK? Hong Kong?

What are the others then? Or are you just teasing us?  

Ian

Golf Cabrio said

sporttrucker said

I bought a "4 speed" caddy as my first car, drove fine  then one day it went into 5th, turns out only the gear knob was 4 speed.  the previous owner had travelled all across Europe without knowing it had 5 gears.

easy way to tell is 5 speed gear box mounts have 2 bolts, 4 speed has 4 bolts

sporttrucker

Maybe he was keeping it as a spare in case he couldn't get into 1 or 3!


Sent from my Smartphone

I remember him telling me he was planning to fit a 5 speed box but never got round to it.

Thanks and i will check again

Anyway any thing i should pay attention to?

sporttrucker said

I bought a "4 speed" caddy as my first car, drove fine  then one day it went into 5th, turns out only the gear knob was 4 speed.  the previous owner had travelled all across Europe without knowing it had 5 gears.

easy way to tell is 5 speed gear box mounts have 2 bolts, 4 speed has 4 bolts

Now that's funny… the car must of been screaming away at motor way speed…      

IS there a way i could check if i have a 1.6 or 1.8 engine?

Normally the 1.6 has the top radiator hose outlet between cylinders 1 and 2 and 1.8s have the outlet between cylinders 3 and 4.

Cylinder 1 being the cam belt end.

This all depends on if the head is original.

The way to check the engine block is check the engine code stamped to the engine block underneath cylinder 3.

DX is 1.8
EG is 1.6

Ive cheeck the engine and gearbox, confirmed its a DX (1.8L) and 7G (5 speed box)

So the question lies to why it won't get into 5th or it feels like the 5th never existed?

shaun_ccxr said

Ive cheeck the engine and gearbox, confirmed its a DX (1.8L) and 7G (5 speed box)

So the question lies to why it won't get into 5th or it feels like the 5th never existed?

shaun_ccxr

Well it's perfectly feasible.
We had a member who just the other day thought his Golf was a 4 speed box and was driving it the other day and as it is a normal reaction he headed for 5th and it went in.

Turns out his was fitted with a 5 speed box and a 4 speed knob!


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i physically tried to put it into 5 and to won't go in thats why at first glance i though it was a 4 speed

So any mechanical problems that are commonly known to cause problem on shifting to 5th?

The linkages wear or not been adjusted properly could be why you can get 5th when driving.

Try selected 5th at the gearbox end, you can work out the gears from someone selected the gears in car and you looked at the gearbox then try it by hand to see if it goes into 5th.


If you need more advice it's best to start a new thread in the right section as advice etc my help others at a later date.