Mk1's should be left to the concours arena?

I like many bought into the mk1 dream. Driving it hard everyday and smiling all day long.

But now it seems that I have mk mk1 at a very nice condition (not concours by any means) and more and more I am deciding not to drive it because it is raining, or damp outside.

Is it a case of drive it now and dont worry about it rusting to pieces by the time it gets home, or should it be left to driving as a 'show car for the original GTi?'

How many of you drive it everyday?

As soon as i pass my test my mk1 C will be my daily driver, hopefully for many years to come. In my oppinion a car is for driving. This may mean looking after it especially well but then so be it. Ive scanned my floorpan for corrosion and slapped on a fresh layer of underseal so i know its well protected. The arches and fuel filler 'tube' have been protected so i know they are ok. Thats the best you can do at the end of the day. I wouldnt not drive the car for fear of it rusting. Its much more fun to be driving it that wrapping it in cotton wool. 8)

EVERYDAY! :mrgreen:  like overmind said a car is for driving. if you look after it, it will look after you. a friend of mine has a "show car" but that has no mot tax or insurance and is kept in a secure insured holding, till the show days and trailered there with his old faithful.

Drive it every day dont be a woos :roll:

theres the technology and materials available to restore your mk1 and make it last another 25 years of everyday use if you look after it.

It does make me smile when I see so called resprayed and sorted cars for sale on other more show oriented forums with "slight bubbling" etc…

deal. so, aslong as i keep it clean and well serviced etc, and get some proper underseal on, then I should just drive it.

At the moment, i drive it once a month, and only when it is dry. And then only go on round trips so i dont have to park it anywhere. Pathetic huh?  

Everyday for me, and i love every mile of it (most of the time).  Like has been said, there is the resources and technology to keep them on the road, so might as well take advantage of that.  Maybe it will be different in a few years, but while i can, im gonna keep driving her.

I can't see the point of owning one and not driving it. Having said that, I'm in the fortunate position of mine being a second car.

everyday.
 no point in owning one of the best cars ever made and keeping it under a sheet for 350 days a year.
 get out there and drive the old girl!

what overmind said

I'd be inclined to agree with the opinions posted so far - its there to be enjoyed and driven  8) .

The only thing I would say is just be aware that the security needs a bit of updating if used as a daily driver. Nothing worse than getting your Mk1 nicely sorted only to have some numpty nick it!

Chris

One for the non-daily drivers here. Prefer to preserve condition and mileage. Makes the Mk1 trips more exciting too.

My daily is a lot quicker, more reliable, safer, cheaper (for me), better handling and has more creature comforts. This suits me fine for the daily commute and long distance journey.

errrmmm… I ended up putting that much sweat blood ? and tears in the GTI resto that I don't like taking out on wet dirty salty roads. Same for the cabrio really as well, esp as the previous lady owner wintered in Portugal leaving it in a nice warm garage so its never been out in the worst of a British winter.

I'd also be wary of leaving either of them parked in Rotherham town centre all day….. and I have limited milage that would would only last @1/4 of a year.

I used to use the Caddy all year all weathers and miss it

I do about 3-4000 miles a year in the MK1s so they are not complete ornaments, Plus they are taxed and MOT'd all year and do get run, I was out in both over Christmas.

I keep toying with the idea of getting a late MK11 GTI with PAS and running that as my daily driver. A golf with some mod cons that you can service and repair yourself but without the potenial pitfalls of running a nice MK1 all year.

Early-1800 said

I keep toying with the idea of getting a late MK11 GTI with PAS and running that as my daily driver. A golf with some mod cons that you can service and repair yourself but without the potenial pitfalls of running a nice MK1 all year.

my sentiments exactly!

i drive mine everyday , its 20,000 in 1 yr. Still going strong

Personally i've never really gone for the concours show car thing…

I'm with a lot of others in that the Mk1 is my daily driver, it's a cabby and in this weather i've been arriving at my destination a little damp, but i love every minute of it.

At the end of the day, it's up to you the owner to decide when, where and how you drive your car…

Im lucky to have a jetta TD i use every day,its looked after and gets used as a works car too,my mk1 TD i built is in a garage until the spring,my citigolf is also garaged,i do like to use them but the winters here are bad for a 20 odd year old car,so i choose to lay them up,plus im at work 50+ hrs a week and theres no point getting them out when i can walk to the unit in 3 mins  :roll:
The passat PD tdi ive got sits on the drive and gets used once a week,waste really,but it does 3000 miles when i go to the south of france in it,and its nice to have a modern car like dubboy said.
Bert
Oh,if your wondering,yes i spend too much money on tax and insurance but mot's are not a problem  :roll:

i always used my mk1 daily but after putting so much time & effort into it i decided to get a mk2 as a daily runner and preserve my mk1 as much as i can.  i still drive my mk1 every week but pureley for pleasure of driving it . i can't see the point in spending all that time restoring it only to leave it  in car park at work for some idiot to bump or scratch ect. so  now  i only use it for driving 8)   ……..why make a racehorse plough a field. in a cantona style quote.

I also used to use my mk1 daily, but as time had progressed and funds have allowed I now run my mk2 as a daily.  The Mk1's always have T&T and insureance and they are used frequently, just not in really bad weather.

DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE…

By the time I finish my Sierra Sapphire ( owned 12 years ) it will have been off the road for 6 years being welded, modified and restored.. All by my own fair hand.  It will be used!!!

Our FormelE get's used all the time, 180K on the clock. Hardly showing any mayor body deteriation so Can't see any trouble in the next 25 years..

My FormleE -2- Digifant  will be used as soon as it's ready.

And my daily driver is a 2.9 24v Scorpio, which are becomming rare! probably more so than MK1 Golfs…


If it's truely MINT concourse then probbaly best keep it clean and off the road, but it does also depend on the value of a good' vs 'very mint example…

TT

Every day!  8)

It takes me to work, tescos, wherever.
I think it's a case of drive everyday but look after it, rather than not worry about it.

I have the Golf because I love driving it, so seems pointless to me to have it and then not drive it.

I am lucky enough to be in the position to have a hubby who I've converted, and is able to do most of the work that needs doing at any time, so costs are kept down that way.

Each to their own, though