Description
Sadly, the time has come to sell what has been my passion project over the last couple of years.
This Mk 1 VW Golf GL Auto is one of what I believe to be only two left in the country. It has been subject to an extensive (and expensive!) mechanical restoration - Literally no stone has been left unturned. In my ownership it has had the following works carried out:
Full engine refurbishment at a cost of £4K
Huge list of mechanical parts replaced - brakes , bearings, suspension, exhaust, bushes, and far more.
A small but necessary amount of welding, carried out by a renowned local classic car restorer.
Full underbody clean, and Lanoguard treatment.
I have files full of receipts that I do not wish to look at. I would guess I have spent over 10k on this car, but at this point I would rather not know!
The plan was to make this reliable (hence all the work) and to use as my daily driver. With the auto box, it cruises beautifully and being that I only worked 3 miles away it was the perfect choice. Something a bit different from all the Ford Mondeos in the car park. Unfortunately, I changed jobs and now work 40 miles away most of which is motorway driving, so it is not getting the use it was intended for. I also recently lost my storage, and so it is currently kept on my drive in all weathers, which as we know is not ideal for any cars, let alone one that has had so much work put into it. I cant walk past everyday looking at it under a cover, it deserves to be used.
It is MOT and Tax exempt, but I MOTed it in August and there were a few small advisories. A small amount of corrosion rear passenger side, the lights had a bad earth and the tyres had perished. The welding and lights have been taken care of, however my pockets are now empty and so the tyres although fully legal, will need replacing probably before next years MOT.
This car would be perfect for the ULEZ zone - Super reliable, tax and MOT free and not subject to ULEZ. You are welcome Mr Khan. :)
Being nearly 42 years old, and unrestored the bodywork still polishes up very well and looks great, but it does have age related "patina" the worst being a bit of lacquer peel on the bonnet. It does not detract from the overall appearance of the car. I liked the bodywork as it's part of the history and also, It has been built to be used every day and I did not want to be scared of where I parked it for fear of car park dings etc. There are a couple of minor issues that I am aware of, one is the dash pod was occasionally temperamental. It has not done it for some time and so it may have self resolved with use, but essentially the rev counter etc would just stop working and then come on randomly a few minutes later. I think it may have been a bad earth, but after all the work done most of the earth's will have been taken off and put back, so this could well have resolved it permanently. The other issue is that the windscreen wipers do not self return to the bottom of the dash. This is because the original motor failed during a previous MOT and as I could not source a direct replacement, I used a mk2 one to get it through the MOT. As far as I know they are still unavailable, but the original one comes with the car and I reliably told that it can be repaired. I just never got around to it. You just switch off the wipers when they are at the bottom!
I can arrange to use the ramps at a local garage with enough notice. I also have an HD video of underneath the car, but the file is too big and wont upload on here. I can WhatsApp if you want to see it.
I am genuinely sad to see this car go. It is one of those ordinary cars that you just don't see any more and the attention it gets is unbelievable. I recently took it to a show and was parked next to a GTI, a Beetle and a T2 but the little GL got all the attention. I think its a car that is relatable, and understated.
Viewings encouraged. I am the 5th owner of this car, the previous owner to me had the car for under a year, but prior to that it was in the same ownership since 1994. I have the sales receipt from 1994 and all the MOTs back to 1993 to confirm this. There is also a great deal of paperwork . As far as I can ascertain, until 2022, the car was in use as a daily driver!
It really stands out in the crowd and everyone relates to it. At classic car shows, it attracts admirers from all walks of life. People tell me stories about going on holiday in one with their parents, or having one when they were a teenager and going on road trips. It's a pleasure to own.
With it's reliability, historical provenance and unrestored condition I feel it's a rare find.
