My very ambitious project mk2 September 19, 2022, 12:57:25 PM Its been a long while since I have actually been on a forum rather than using facebook so I hope i remember how to do a post! I have just joined as a member so while i await my membership pack i thought i would start a build thread on my current project. I have had mk2 Golfs on and off as well as other VWs for the last 21 years. As I have got older and had to prioritize children and household stuff I had to give up cars and felt I would never be able to get another one now the prices have gone so high. I remember back when I was a teenager I used to pick these cars up for a pocket money and used to buy accessories and take them apart at weekends and have 4 different colour interiors and lights and steering wheels and all sorts, now everything is so expensive and hard to get hold of. Anyway, my chance came in July when I saw an advert on the Mk2 Golf Owners Group on Facebook. A lady was advertising this car asking if anyone wanted it before she let the scrap man have it for £200! Now usually im like 47th in line for such an incredible offer and I messaged only to be ignored. Realizing she was inundated and I wasnt first in line I was bidding on one on Ebay. I lost out on this one at the last minute and was gutted. Just then I was sent a message from the lady with this one saying she had been let down twice and was I still interested!! It was like it was meant to be and I immediately arrange to go and collect it.My partner borrowed a recovery truck from his work and we drove over an hour away to go and pick it up. When we got there it was like something out of a Horror Film or an Urban Exploring Outing... The Car had been owned by this family for 20 years. It was bought by the parents for their daughter to learn to drive and as her first car. They serviced it and parked it in the garden and here it has sat ever since. Their daughter still has no driving license so has reluctantly admitted it is time for it to go. Unfortunately over the years it has been home to Spiders, Mice, Slugs and Snails and one of the doors was left slightly open. Eventually with all the soil and leaves that were covering it the drain holes blocked and the car filled with water.Even with the car hooked to a winch it wouldn't move, it actually was so solidly in the ground it pulled the truck towards it! The wheels would not free and were completely seized solid. We worked for a long time trying to free the car, get it on the truck and get away before it became dark.First Pictures of the car.... 294306273_10159514955318411_131927172873227217_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294219723_10159514955573411_8226127273186270931_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294215207_10159514955438411_805688824376835829_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294021585_10159514955403411_2492015703794244269_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr293763663_10159514955658411_7218965420170515014_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #1 – September 19, 2022, 02:12:26 PM Wellcome, Is this the car on Facebook that can’t be lifted to remove the rear axle? If so this is an ambitious restoration. Looking forward to following this build thread.
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #2 – September 19, 2022, 02:23:11 PM It sure is! Its been a labour of love and pure lunacy so far lol It was only when we got home I realized how very mental I must be.... We got the thing on the truck... but didnt think about how we would get it off! LOL. it had to go on my driveway but with nothing to tie it to to drag it off and my drive being at a 90 degree angle we tried to put it on skids (baking trays)... this didnt work and we very nearly lost the car off the truck sideways which would have been disastrous!! In the end it got pulled off by our Passat but we broke 2 jacks and 4 baking trays in the process!294870973_10159514955858411_6247022923570516332_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294350399_10159514955973411_8062951494808465162_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294008302_10159515471013411_3352330724823078087_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr293986308_10159515470923411_7890987986142050377_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr293867103_10159515471123411_2652201344797837177_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294744537_10159515471238411_4870693784508403422_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #3 – September 20, 2022, 10:21:45 AM Thats one restoration you have taken on. Best of luck.
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #4 – September 20, 2022, 11:07:41 AM I was so proud despite the state of it I just had to give it a wash! 294380628_10159515476978411_7318389398492401091_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrThe first job I had was to try and free up the wheels and get it to roll so we could get it on the driveway!294205060_10159516192693411_5075690805708520450_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr295044280_10159516192353411_3053257558288834522_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrWe had to smash the calipers off it in the end and take out the brake shoes jut to get it to roll, everything was just fused together!Next I wanted to get the passenger door to shut as it was seized up partially open... Took a while of spraying it and working with it but eventually it opened...295046634_10159516192483411_4462036394804299146_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294961394_10159516192638411_2909154271560321498_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #5 – September 20, 2022, 11:14:03 AM Now safely on my driveway the investigating could continue...295005004_10159516192948411_3124987687278054492_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrUH OH!294894715_10159518578653411_5468124800246061390_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrGot Henry Hoover out to help with the soil and crud in the engine bay..295070975_10159518578508411_2695210200474562958_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrAnd the soil, leaves and spiders on the inside...295490878_10159521385748411_355330268922292896_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr294654446_10159518578888411_7617338927584659980_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #6 – September 26, 2022, 12:53:19 PM Not sure what to say other than a big GOOD LUCK. 1 Likes
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #7 – September 26, 2022, 02:12:21 PM When the car has more rust inside than outside 296946194_10159534395548411_1212179765635471003_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrI was still on a mission to dry the car out so had to take all the carpet and sound proofing out which was absolutely soaking wet. The floor is surprisingly solid so that was painted. 297550059_10159539731668411_1332162826216054706_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr300507357_10159560155448411_4642770229899847641_n (1) by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrThe blower motor was buried under a load of soil and water was coming in..299192678_10159558465863411_2220174389780890230_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrAnd the dash had to come out because there was so many spiders, slugs and a nest of mice behind there!....300517513_10159560155333411_9036480598931926378_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #8 – September 26, 2022, 02:16:55 PM Although we got the engine to turn over we decided it was just so rusty on the outside i would rather change it than have to rebuild it and buy all new hoses and bolt on parts...so out came the original 97k engine...301589132_10159571193378411_5345656974059696276_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr300620351_10159571198438411_398621900743664942_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr301357070_10159571277123411_321955455858283476_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #9 – September 26, 2022, 02:22:57 PM Sourced a 1.3 engine with 54k miles from another mk2 owners member and took a little weekend trip up North to collect it :-DFitted same weekend with new engine mounts.305199146_10159582697448411_5279791235958741474_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrI painted the crossmember and the slam panel and it had new lower arms fitted too305145806_10159589582258411_5889359579665910440_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickrshiny new radiator and horn also in the pic
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #10 – September 26, 2022, 04:09:52 PM Wow!Fair play, not only are you taking on a HUGE project many people would shy away from, but you're really cracking on with it! 1 Likes
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #11 – September 26, 2022, 05:15:45 PM Thank you. Its so nice to have support from all the mk2 owners though, its been a great help in finding parts and keeping the motivation!
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #12 – September 26, 2022, 05:16:39 PM Impressive progress and nice to have a runner. However, don't you need it on a rollover jig to fix the underside?Edit: having caught up with your pictures. this looks like it was a good car before it was abandoned in a garden with the door slightly open. Shame but looks like you are doing it proud.Edit 2: Looks like it has been modified by a previous owner, GTi wheel arches, GTi wheels, radio with removable fascia. What are your thoughts, restore it to factory or as it was when it was parked in the garden? Last Edit: September 26, 2022, 05:29:33 PM by PWardy 1 Likes
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #13 – September 26, 2022, 05:30:27 PM We are doing the engine and the interior bits we can do on the driveway first then when my partners work closes over Christmas it is being recovered to the Garage and we will be doing all the welding. Its going to have sills both sides, rear corner sections (where the rear axle mounts), front corner sections of floor and jacking points, a whole boot floor and a couple of little patches here and there... The fuel tank only had 1 strap left holding it on, the other 2 had broken off and all 3 were in a terrible state so its had 3 new tank straps 307443677_10159601769908411_2191024192264975315_n by Michelle Hodder, on FlickrIts also had the flaps in the air box cleaned and wrapped in silver tape to try and restore them and a new heater matrix...306321212_10159601769493411_2426876082208733435_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr306270539_10159601770098411_3132387105493361191_n by Michelle Hodder, on Flickr 1 Likes
Re: My very ambitious project mk2 Reply #14 – September 26, 2022, 05:33:50 PM Quote from: PWardy on September 26, 2022, 05:16:39 PMEdit 2: Looks like it has been modified by a previous owner, GTi wheel arches, GTi wheels, radio with removable fascia. What are your thoughts, restore it to factory or as it was when it was parked in the garden? The wheels were given to me by the previous owner, he had them in his garden too so i put new tyres on them and stuck them on this car so it can roll. It originally from the factory had 13" steels but came to me with battered teardrops which i sold as they needed some serious resto.Im not sure who put the arches on, they were properly riveted on, looked factory/dealer but im not sure. The guy said he bought it like that. Im going to restore it to factory bar the wheels. I cant stand those 13" disc looking things lol... im going to get an original stereo and everything :-)
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