My Mk2 GTI - the road to rego

[Matt P]

Hi All

Figured id better start a thread as ill need some help from you all

Bought forum member Mischa's car a couple months ago now. Got it home and in for a blue slip so i could get a "worklist" of what needs doing.

Main issues were - these will NEED to be resolved for rego
* Tyres were unroadworthy and wheels were damaged (Sorted - picked up some 15" alloys and tyres from a friend of a friend)
* Shocks/struts buggered and front strut top rubbers are deteriorated - need replacing
* Fuel pump housing is leaking - unsure if it is the pump, housing, etc... at this stage.
* Front left blinker bulb/plug etc.. missing

Stuff i want to do in time
* Second genuine key - on its way from the UK at the moment
* Respray passenger front guard and bonnet (pretty sure the car has been in a left front prang at some point in its life)
* Badges back to chrome - someone has resprayed them to matt black at some point
* Grille to be taken out, repaired (cracked in a few places and heavily faded), sprayed and red stripe reapplied
* Replace passenger front wheel arch trim and missing side skirt jack cover
* Paint side skirts and wheel arch trims - these are far too far gone to rejuvenate so best course is probably a respray
* Stereo replaced (from an early 00s sony) to a modern unit with bluetooth for calls and all speakers replaced (have all the speakers already from previous cars)
* Need to pick up a jack and some tools for the boot.
* Sleeve some of the wiring in the engine bay and perform a major service including plugs, leads etc..

It also has an intermittent idle issue which may be a faulty connector as a friend who is on here with a MK2 has had the same issue and has resolved it

Once i can rectify the first batch of issues, it'll be good to go for rego then once its registered, i'll start to tick off the second batch of issues

Once all the above is done, it'll be a very well sorted car.

Cheers
Matt

[sports racer]

Welcome to the world of old Golf ownership. Expect lots of little issues to continually plague you but at the same time make it more enduring to own.

The shocks/struts/springs are the same as a MK3 Golf which might make it a bit easier for you to find replacements. If you're young, masochistic and have a good back, fit some cheap e-bay coilovers. They do wonders for the handling but are rough on anything except a smooth surface. If you’re rich go for adjustable dampening coilovers. I’m running Sachs springs/gas shocks which are a good compromise for comfort/handling.

The leaking fuel pump housing might be difficult, depends where it’s leaking. On mine it was the block that all the fuel lines go into and needed a bit of trickery with Araldite and clamps. You could do away with it completely and fit aftermarket plumbing.

Camden GTI have a MK2 they are wrecking which should have a blinker assembly.

For the idle issue check all the connectors on the engine, including the ones that attach to the water hoses. They may seem unconnected to your problem but even the one on the top radiator hose affects performance if not wired correctly (poor or broken connection).

When it's registered DRIVE IT! They get better the more you use them, even as a daily.

And post lots of pix.

Cheers

Paul

[golfmeup]

Welcome aboard!
As Paul said above.
Mk2's are tonnes of fun to drive and makes up for the days you wanna light a match and watch it burn lol.
Actually not too hard to work on, but getting some of the parts can be the challenge.

Let us know how you go with the top mounts- I tried doing it one night last week and found the top nut impossible to crack with my tools.

Idle could be as simple as a leaking pressure hose.

All the best.

[Matt P]

Thanks for the comments

Suspension wise, im tempted to go these https://au.vwheritage.com/shop/mk2-g...umbStartRow=17

Free shipping over $250 so that'd make them extremely cheap landed, but again i might just buy struts/shocks and replacement parts for bump stops etc.. (as mine are past it). Probably come out about the same price really. The 18 year old past self wants coilovers, the 33 year old present self wants comfort :p

Blinker assembly is a piece of cake, i just have to order them. Readily available online. The current ones are heavily smoked, i dont think i like this so i'll replace both at the same time to a clear lens.

When it comes to fitting the suspension gear i'm just going to let a mechanic do it. The car is currently in Sydney and all my tools are in Adelaide. I need (want) to get it registered before i put it on a truck to bring it over.

I'll use this thread as a bit of a build history i suppose and mention when i buy/fit/improve/break anything.

[benough]

Don't buy pisso no name brand suspension.

Out H&R cup kit is bang on. Make the ride height proper, the the wheel gap is parrallel all the way round the wheel.

Much better on turn in but over damped to the point where it bounces.

[Matt P]

any tips on where the hr cup kit can be bought/shipped cheaply?

[benough]

Good suspension and cheap are seldom in the same sentence.

ECSTuning will probably do the best price and BWA Auto do import from there often. I got my KW V3's and our CupKit though them

[Rallyenoel]

I also run H&R, you won't be disappointed. But if you going to keep it at standard height try get 16v shock and springs. (10mm lower than 8v)

[benough]

Our drop was 35mm to make it parallel. You gotta pay to play though.

[Matt P]

I did a few dummy orders on suspension today

First one was at VW Heritage for quality gas shocks (Bilstein i think) and new strut top mounts, camber bolts, pretty much everything that the suspension touches excluding control arms







Cheap coilovers are out

I did another at ecs for the H&R Touring Cup kit and a front suspension install kit and rear suspension refresh kit. (and i think thats in USD!)



I'd love the h&r kit but its a damn big difference. The install kits do give me more bits than i'd have ordered from VWH but once i take into account currency conversion, we're approaching what i paid for the car.....

[benough]

Are the Bilstein's lowered or just replacement suspension?

Who ever said owning a MK2 was economical?! haha, they are a labour of love.

[Matt P]

just replacement

I must admit i'm hesitant to go lower, i've had a low car in the past and it sucked

[sports racer]

You can go lower without it being a bad thing. Mine sits low enough to handle well and looks OK without sacrificing practicality. I do 1000 ks a week going to work and home each day with two 15 year olds in the back and the ride is quite firm on lowered Sachs gas shocks and springs. My kids complain more about the harsh ride than I do so I'm going to fit standard shocks but keep the Sachs lowered springs.

I figure expensive adjustable shocks only alter the shock settings, not the spring, so it's the shock that controls how hard the ride is, not the springs. By keeping the springs the car stays low and doesn't lean through corners which keeps the gocart cornering ability and fitting standard springs will give me a soft ride.

[benough]

Re read what I wrote. It made the wheel gap parallel. Our GTI never scrapes or hits anything.

[Matt P]

sports racer where did you get the sachs gear?