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Hello everyone! I'm Dave, and this is my first VW!
3/1979 Golf GLD, I am now the second owner after buying it from a German gentleman named Klaus who purchased it new from Lanock motors in 1980. Sold it as he has a crook hip and doesn’t like the manual anymore. Here he is enjoying one final sit in his faithful GLD.
Photo taken just as I pulled the aerial out after trying to extend it…
Bit of a sentimental purchase as my Mum & Dad bought one almost identical (except it was a LHD USA version) brand new in 1980 – being the same colour and interior, when this one came up I couldn’t resist! Plans are to take it back to original condition and eventually get it onto historic rego.
Good things:
- Mechanically good (sofar – touch wood!)
- Apart from a rip on the drivers seat squab, the interior is unmarked
- Came with a bootload of spares, hubcaps, starter motor, radiator, glow plugs, hoses, filters etc etc
- Registered and driving well
- Has all the nice things a one owner car should have – like books and the original keys!
Bad things
- The car has spent most of its life in Largs Bay, only 100m or so from the beach, so as you can see there is considerable surface rust. I was expecting severe body rust but went to have a look anyway – upon closer inspection the lower half of the body and the underside has almost no rust – the worst rust seems to be a hole in the passenger side front guard. Anyway, a respray is on the cards and once that is done it is going to look fantastic! The body is otherwise remarkably straight!
- Quarter window seals gone, no window catches – I suspect they’ve come unstuck - sounds like a tornado is sitting in the passenger seat over 60km/hr
- Brake pedal is VERY hard, suspect a dodgy diaphragm in the vacuum pump
- Klaus (bless him) has made several improvements to the electrical system of the car, such as removing the glow plug timer, fan thermostat and disconnecting the ignition switch and replacing them with manual switches – very practical but I will be removing most of these to take the car back to original.
- Needs a ruddy good scrub and lots of general tidy up.
My other cars include:
1964 Morris 850 – My first car, owned since I was 14, bought in 1998 for $475, now in near restored condition.
1967 Mercedes 230S Fintail – Current resto project
1980 Mercedes 280S – Current runabout, tow vehicle and about as ‘modern’ as I want to get (for now).
I’ve also owned two Mercedes Diesels (300D & 240D) so the diesel front is not totally new to me, but I am already loving the sweet manual gearbox on the Golf!
Thankyou in advance to all of you for the many questions I will no doubt be asking as I bring this car back to its original glory! Hopefully I will be able to start contributing myself in the near future! Will also be great to catch up with some local members – would love to get along to a show like the one pictured in the header at the top of the forum – looks like it was taken at Wigley Reserve in Glenelg???
PS - As I am completely new to the VW marque, I was hoping that some of the local SA members could point me in the direction of the local VW garages/workshops as I have no idea where to take the car for servicing/repairs. Cheers!
3/1979 Golf GLD, I am now the second owner after buying it from a German gentleman named Klaus who purchased it new from Lanock motors in 1980. Sold it as he has a crook hip and doesn’t like the manual anymore. Here he is enjoying one final sit in his faithful GLD.
Photo taken just as I pulled the aerial out after trying to extend it…
Bit of a sentimental purchase as my Mum & Dad bought one almost identical (except it was a LHD USA version) brand new in 1980 – being the same colour and interior, when this one came up I couldn’t resist! Plans are to take it back to original condition and eventually get it onto historic rego.
Good things:
- Mechanically good (sofar – touch wood!)
- Apart from a rip on the drivers seat squab, the interior is unmarked
- Came with a bootload of spares, hubcaps, starter motor, radiator, glow plugs, hoses, filters etc etc
- Registered and driving well
- Has all the nice things a one owner car should have – like books and the original keys!
Bad things
- The car has spent most of its life in Largs Bay, only 100m or so from the beach, so as you can see there is considerable surface rust. I was expecting severe body rust but went to have a look anyway – upon closer inspection the lower half of the body and the underside has almost no rust – the worst rust seems to be a hole in the passenger side front guard. Anyway, a respray is on the cards and once that is done it is going to look fantastic! The body is otherwise remarkably straight!
- Quarter window seals gone, no window catches – I suspect they’ve come unstuck - sounds like a tornado is sitting in the passenger seat over 60km/hr
- Brake pedal is VERY hard, suspect a dodgy diaphragm in the vacuum pump
- Klaus (bless him) has made several improvements to the electrical system of the car, such as removing the glow plug timer, fan thermostat and disconnecting the ignition switch and replacing them with manual switches – very practical but I will be removing most of these to take the car back to original.
- Needs a ruddy good scrub and lots of general tidy up.
My other cars include:
1964 Morris 850 – My first car, owned since I was 14, bought in 1998 for $475, now in near restored condition.
1967 Mercedes 230S Fintail – Current resto project
1980 Mercedes 280S – Current runabout, tow vehicle and about as ‘modern’ as I want to get (for now).
I’ve also owned two Mercedes Diesels (300D & 240D) so the diesel front is not totally new to me, but I am already loving the sweet manual gearbox on the Golf!
Thankyou in advance to all of you for the many questions I will no doubt be asking as I bring this car back to its original glory! Hopefully I will be able to start contributing myself in the near future! Will also be great to catch up with some local members – would love to get along to a show like the one pictured in the header at the top of the forum – looks like it was taken at Wigley Reserve in Glenelg???
PS - As I am completely new to the VW marque, I was hoping that some of the local SA members could point me in the direction of the local VW garages/workshops as I have no idea where to take the car for servicing/repairs. Cheers!
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