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Hi,
Sadly, it's time that the GTI and I parted company.
It's been a great car, and it still is.
I could easily keep running in supersprints - it runs all day with both me and my son driving, and doesn't miss a beat.
Thing is that it is at the stage where it really needs someone with more time than I have to
restore it properly.
The car is a 1984 1.8 GTI, privately imported into Australia from the UK in 1995.
Being a UK car, the speedo is in miles - it's got about 122k on it at the moment.
Being a '84 GTI, it could be a campaign, but I'm not claiming it is (the guy I bought it off claimed it was).
It has some of the features, but it's a bit inconclusive. The chassis number might be a touch early.
The campaign was never an official model though, so I'm not sure that there is any real consensus anyway...
I believe that the engine is standard - certainly I've never touched it. The power is in the mid-range, so I don't think anyone has changed the cam.
It's 1.8 mechanical K-Jet fuel injected, like the early BMWs. I've never had to touch the fuel injection either - it's always worked fine.
Goes just as hard now as when I bought it. Doesn't use use/burn/drip oil.
It can hold an early MX-5 NA down the straight at Wakefield Park.
Gearbox is a five-speed. Never touched that either - never needed to.
The only thing I've done is to fit spherical linkages for better feel. They are also adjustable too, which helps when lining up the planes...
The clutch is fairly 'sharp' on the take up, so I'm guessing that someone has fitted a sports clutch at some point. Still works fine though.
I have changed the brakes. I've put a TSR big brake kit on the front. This uses the original callipers, but use custom 270mm Black Diamond disks. The callipers are moved outwards using adapter plates. The disks are therefore offset a bit further in, which meant losing the dust shields...
The rear brakes are MkII Golf disks, off Static's old green car actually. I haven't done anything to change the brake bias, but it doesn't seem taily under hard braking (it does have the GTI height-sensitive pressure limiting valve).
The brakes work, trust me. I go through the kink at the end of the straight at Wakefield Park absolutely flat, braking halfway to turn 2. No brake fade all day with both of us driving it.
The front pad a Pagid fast road pads. The backs are stock golf pads I think.
The car has a full competition Bilstein rally suspension under it - custom built for the car by Heasmans (almost $3K there...) From memory (don't quote me) the springs (Eibach) are 270/150 I think - reasonably stiff.
The car certainly handles ok around Wakefield.
I'm including the second set of white wheels, with some well-worn Dunlop R spec tyres on them.
You might be another one or two track days out of them, but they're well used.
Exhaust system is 1 3/4 inch - still uses standard GTI headers.
The car has a 'Z' struct brace under the front. Never got around to putting a top strut brace on it.
Helps the car turn in nicely.
The interior is still pretty standard. It's in reasonable shape considering the car's age, but you would need to plan to strip it out, and re-do it I think.
I would also suggest replacing the instrument cluster with a metric one from Germany. There are some electrical gremlin - instrument lights are on the blink, and the tacho dies when you turn the head lights on...
The car does have a reasonably good Pioneer stereo.
I'll leave the four-point racing harness in the car - it's easily removed if you don't want it.
Ok, some photos.
These were taken at Oran Park in December 2009 - one of the last track days there.
IMG | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
DSC00095 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
DSC00097 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
When the Dunlops were new:
DSC00097 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
At Wakefield Park earlier this year :
2012-02-19 14.24.53 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The car is capable of low 1:18's around Wakefield Park - that what my son does.
(I'm a bit slower...) That's in the middle of a whole bunch of MX-5's I run around with...
Engine:
2012-08-05 11.24.45 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Interior:
2012-08-05 11.23.35 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
2012-08-05 11.23.06 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
2012-08-05 11.22.31 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The road wheels are Enkei alloys (14's) with plenty of rubber left on them.
These is is an old photo, but this is what they look like:
125_2510 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I honestly don't know what the car is worth.
1800 GTI's are pretty rare in Oz. There are some 1600's, but I've not seen many 1800's.
I'll start at $3500 and see how it goes.
The important thing is that the car goes to someone who values it...
Thanks,
Ian.
Sadly, it's time that the GTI and I parted company.
It's been a great car, and it still is.
I could easily keep running in supersprints - it runs all day with both me and my son driving, and doesn't miss a beat.
Thing is that it is at the stage where it really needs someone with more time than I have to
restore it properly.
The car is a 1984 1.8 GTI, privately imported into Australia from the UK in 1995.
Being a UK car, the speedo is in miles - it's got about 122k on it at the moment.
Being a '84 GTI, it could be a campaign, but I'm not claiming it is (the guy I bought it off claimed it was).
It has some of the features, but it's a bit inconclusive. The chassis number might be a touch early.
The campaign was never an official model though, so I'm not sure that there is any real consensus anyway...
I believe that the engine is standard - certainly I've never touched it. The power is in the mid-range, so I don't think anyone has changed the cam.
It's 1.8 mechanical K-Jet fuel injected, like the early BMWs. I've never had to touch the fuel injection either - it's always worked fine.
Goes just as hard now as when I bought it. Doesn't use use/burn/drip oil.
It can hold an early MX-5 NA down the straight at Wakefield Park.
Gearbox is a five-speed. Never touched that either - never needed to.
The only thing I've done is to fit spherical linkages for better feel. They are also adjustable too, which helps when lining up the planes...
The clutch is fairly 'sharp' on the take up, so I'm guessing that someone has fitted a sports clutch at some point. Still works fine though.
I have changed the brakes. I've put a TSR big brake kit on the front. This uses the original callipers, but use custom 270mm Black Diamond disks. The callipers are moved outwards using adapter plates. The disks are therefore offset a bit further in, which meant losing the dust shields...
The rear brakes are MkII Golf disks, off Static's old green car actually. I haven't done anything to change the brake bias, but it doesn't seem taily under hard braking (it does have the GTI height-sensitive pressure limiting valve).
The brakes work, trust me. I go through the kink at the end of the straight at Wakefield Park absolutely flat, braking halfway to turn 2. No brake fade all day with both of us driving it.
The front pad a Pagid fast road pads. The backs are stock golf pads I think.
The car has a full competition Bilstein rally suspension under it - custom built for the car by Heasmans (almost $3K there...) From memory (don't quote me) the springs (Eibach) are 270/150 I think - reasonably stiff.
The car certainly handles ok around Wakefield.
I'm including the second set of white wheels, with some well-worn Dunlop R spec tyres on them.
You might be another one or two track days out of them, but they're well used.
Exhaust system is 1 3/4 inch - still uses standard GTI headers.
The car has a 'Z' struct brace under the front. Never got around to putting a top strut brace on it.
Helps the car turn in nicely.
The interior is still pretty standard. It's in reasonable shape considering the car's age, but you would need to plan to strip it out, and re-do it I think.
I would also suggest replacing the instrument cluster with a metric one from Germany. There are some electrical gremlin - instrument lights are on the blink, and the tacho dies when you turn the head lights on...
The car does have a reasonably good Pioneer stereo.
I'll leave the four-point racing harness in the car - it's easily removed if you don't want it.
Ok, some photos.
These were taken at Oran Park in December 2009 - one of the last track days there.
IMG | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
DSC00095 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
DSC00097 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
When the Dunlops were new:
DSC00097 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
At Wakefield Park earlier this year :
2012-02-19 14.24.53 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The car is capable of low 1:18's around Wakefield Park - that what my son does.
(I'm a bit slower...) That's in the middle of a whole bunch of MX-5's I run around with...
Engine:
2012-08-05 11.24.45 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Interior:
2012-08-05 11.23.35 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
2012-08-05 11.23.06 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
2012-08-05 11.22.31 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The road wheels are Enkei alloys (14's) with plenty of rubber left on them.
These is is an old photo, but this is what they look like:
125_2510 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I honestly don't know what the car is worth.
1800 GTI's are pretty rare in Oz. There are some 1600's, but I've not seen many 1800's.
I'll start at $3500 and see how it goes.
The important thing is that the car goes to someone who values it...
Thanks,
Ian.
i may be tempted earlier tho. depending on finance.
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