MK2 Golf 1.8 8v – Atlas Grey – 99,724 genuine miles

October 02, 2026, 05:44:36 PM

For sale is my MK2 Golf 1.8 8v in Atlas Grey, registration E578 ARC, with a genuine 99,724 miles.

I have owned the car myself since 2008, when I bought it as an MOT failure. I got it through its MOT, serviced it, fitted a new timing belt and rear calipers, and had a blissful year of daily driving before buying my first house. The house needed serious renovation and I also needed something bigger for tip runs, so the Golf went into storage for the first time.

After finishing the house and having a double garage built, I finally started the restoration. I stripped the car and, as I worked my way through it, replaced anything that wasn't up to the standard I wanted.

As is common with MK2s, I found rust in some of the usual areas, so the car was sent away for welding. It has had new sills, rear arches, fuel filler area and rear valance, as well as repairs to the area underneath the windscreen rubber and the battery tray.

Then came the second house and children. The MK2 came with us, but unfortunately it has never seen the light of day since the day it arrived until this week when I finally took the cover off to take the photographs for this sale.

It isn't an easy decision. I haven't paid for storage and transported this car from place to place over the years just to see it end up like this. I bought it when I was 26; I've just turned 44, and I've had to accept that with a young family I could well be in my 50s before I realistically have the time to finish the restoration.

The car

The Golf is 39 years old, having been registered on 21/09/1987.

I have all of the original paperwork from when the car was purchased from Bristol Street Motors, Nottingham, including its history from when it was originally sold. Interestingly, the paperwork records a white XR3i being traded in against it. The original service book is stamped by dealers and specialists up until 01/10/2002, when the car had covered 79,598 miles. Combined with the MOT history and service documentation, this confirms the genuine mileage of 99,724 miles.

The car is complete. Everything removed during the restoration has been retained, labelled and stored ready for reassembly. The car was running well before I removed the fuel tank to allow the welding work to be carried out. It is now being sold as a non-runner and will need to be collected by trailer.I have tried to source replacements for anything that wasn't up to the standard I wanted, rather than simply putting worn or tired original parts back on. The parts that come with the car are generally in excellent condition. The original brake lines have been retained as templates for making new lines. My intention was to replace them and have the car looking as close to factory fresh as possible. The dashboard has a crack, but I have a spare genuine dashboard from a 16V which is included. The wings have some minor rust that could be repaired, but I will also include two genuine replacement wings in excellent condition. The bumpers are genuine and in near-perfect condition. I also steam-cleaned the entire underside, treated the areas of surface rust and reapplied stone chip where appropriate. The underside has subsequently been fully protected, and the heat shields have either been replaced or refurbished. The rear axle was shot blasted and powder coated, then refitted with new bushes.

There is a huge amount of work and detail in this car that I could probably write a book about. I wanted it to be right, so I tackled everything I could, often painstakingly slowly, and did it to the best of my ability.

This isn't a car that has simply been parked up and forgotten about. It has had years of work, parts and time invested in it, and the intention was always to build a really nice, factory-looking MK2.

Price

I'm asking £3,000 for the car.
It is being sold as a non-runner and will need to be collected by trailer. The car, parts and documentation can all be viewed before purchase.

Additional parts

I also have the following MK2 parts available separately, should the next prospective owner not wish to purchase any, I will put them up for sale.
•   BBS wheels and centre caps – P/N 191 601 025 AA
•   B-Star RA wheels – Silver with diamond-polished lip, 8.0 x 16", 2 x ET35 and 2 x ET25
•   Full genuine big-bumper kit with fog lights
•   MK2 power steering rack, including pulleys and ancillaries
•   Powder-coated front axle and anti-roll bar
•   Pair of tail lights
•   Smoked bumper and wing indicator lenses
•   Single-headlight grille
•   Twin-headlight grille

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Re: MK2 Golf 1.8 8v – Atlas Grey – 99,724 genuine miles

Reply #1 – October 03, 2026, 10:34:38 AM

This is a lovely bit of history, and the paperwork trail is the sort of thing that really adds to a car like this. Being honest though, the price is going to raise eyebrows with a non-runner that still has a lot of work left in it, especially with the rear axle and fuel tank still to be refitted. Anyone thinking about it should check the welds on the sills and the battery tray area carefully, and it'd be worth asking for photos of the underside once it's back together. Good luck with the sale, and it's great that the parts are all being kept together.