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Topic: Trying to track down a car (Read 1132 times) previous topic - next topic

Trying to track down a car

Greetings,

A friend of mine suggested I try to forums in trying to track down a beloved family car. "Don't underestimate the power of social media and a concentrated group with a love of a particular thing"

So soppy back story ahead..
Back in 1991 my mum bought a brand new MK2 Golf driver in Tornado red. It had the twin light GTI grill with red band, a seat trim that I've not really seen on many in the classifieds, and so on. She had this car for many years. We would drive to Wales from Northampton at night to see her dad, and little me would be sleeping across the back seats. (it was the 90's).

She eventually sold this to my older brother who lives in Kingston Upon Thames. He owned it for a good few years, but neglected it massively. Other than putting some little TSW wheels on it, it remained standard. The paint started to fade, it had some mould growing inside. There was always a plan for me to have it off him, and I would restore it with my body shop studies I was doing at the time. By now it's about 2006/07, I had a job in a garage with recovery so I eventually got the key from him to give to them and collect when in the area. By now the car has no tax or MOT.

Now he lived in an end terraced house on Cambridge road, and next door to him was a wine shop. Majestics. The back of the shop was actually facing the main road. He had an aggreement with them to park it on their "driveway". (You can see where this is going)
Well Majestics left that unit, and the landlord didn't take kindly to this car being parked there. From speaking to my brother, the landlord was an asshole and said he had the car taken away, "at much expence!". Why my brother didn't make any effort I don't know, other than he doesn't really care for cars.

So that was it in my mind. Either my borhter bullpooted me and sold it, or a scrappy had it. He didn't have the v5c, or much else in the way of documents. Couldn't even remember the reg. Well fast forward to present day, I'm now 30 and still sore about this, and cry when I see the price of MK2 now. I still have the key for it. I was chatting to mum about it, and she suddenly remembers the reg! I check the DVLA website, and holy poo, there it is. Still on the books! The MOT expired 2006, as did the tax.

Now I'm not an idiot. As much as it hurts to say it, I know that it's probably long gone. Part of me hopes that maybe, just maybe, there's a chance it's sat somewhere. I realise it's unlikely a scrappy would go about registering it as scrapped, and would just shred it.
I know it's a tall order, and I've probs got more chance of seeing Jesus. But since finding out he reg, and seeing it still on the books, I have a tiny bit of hope.

My brother is being no help at all. "I don't have time to speak to the DVLA". I've called a few scrap yards in the area, none were interested in helping at all. Only one actually listened and tried to offer advice.

So now I reach out to you guys, what do you think? Is there a chance? Have you seen anything?  :(

TL:DR

The Reg is H966 EBD
Golf Driver in Tornado red.
Last seen in Kingston Upon Thames area..... 14 years ago...

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #2 –
Thank you. I can't say that I'm confidant. Just a tiny sliver of hope. I just hope someone can give some good advice, even if that is to drop it and move on.

DVLA were useless by the way. No suprises there. Forgot to add that in my original post.

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #3 –
Well drop it and move on might be sensible. You have no idea of the state it’s in. It’s been off the road for years and if you were to find it you would 99% for sure buy it based on sentiment regardless of it it was the right thing to do. It could well be too far gone and you’d enter a world of pain and non-viable financial commitment.

I would say find a good one and make new memories.

I wanted to relive my 87 white 3dr GTI, I got a car that was the exact same spec and as close to it as I could... you can read my story from the link in my signature. I knew my original one was long gone. My current one, is my fourth. I can say they’re all great, I’m sure you could love another one even if it wasn’t that actual one. Best of luck. 

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #5 –
So. I've taken the advice and started looking at other mk2's. Going to view one today. 1991 1.8 8v 4 door. Let's see how this goes.

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #6 –
I bought the car!

I'm now the proud owner of a 1991 white 5 door mk2 gti 8v. Drove it back from South London today and it was as good as gold. I would post pics but it requires a URL and I'm not on any photo sharing sites.

It's been looked after but it has a couple of lil surface rust spots and small dents. Underneith is solid though. All standard bar the VW alloys. First thing will be to sort the rust patches. Deffo needs some pressed metal plates on it! Want to try and leave it pretty standard though. Any suggestions on things I should do with it?

It already has an alarm, and lock door plates.

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #11 –
I wonder if the chap I bought it from is here? That'd be interesting.
 

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #12 –
Don't use Imgur so may well be an easier way once signed in.

If you right click on the image in your Imgur album that you want to post it'll offer 'copy image location' or something similar.

Back to the forum and in edit select the 'insert an image' icon then paste in the copied Imgur link into the URL field.



  

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #13 –
Quote from: DerKommissar on
I wonder if the chap I bought it from is here? That'd be interesting.

It's not a car I recognise and with that red stripe and those wheels I think it would stand out if I'd seen it before. looks tidy though. Well done.

Re: Trying to track down a car

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Eddypeck on
Quote from: DerKommissar on
I wonder if the chap I bought it from is here? That'd be interesting.

It's not a car I recognise and with that red stripe and those wheels I think it would stand out if I'd seen it before. looks tidy though. Well done.

There's a couple little spots of rust. Mainly on the roof (not where the sunroof draining channels are). The wiper plug, and a lil spot on the bottom of the door. But overall the car is solid. Underneith is really clear. I'm waiting on some paint ot tackle the spots. Might call upon some tips here. It's now siting under a decent breathable cover right now.