7 years and a Callaway GTI later
After a long hiatus (I never really left but was VW-less too long), I finally have a GTI. I have been hunting for a good GTI to do a full restoration/restomod on for the last 8 years but never found a good candidate. I have met a ton of people on here and in the community along the way and about 7 years ago made contact with a local guy from a Craigslist ad. He bought the car new and put a ton of time and money building what was to him the ultimate GTI. It was so clean with 51k original miles I finally got it together and took it home. Last registration was 1997! My wife thinks I am absolutely insane but to me it's like coming home!
My story
My first car @ 16 was a 1979 Rabbit purchased dead with a hole in the side of the block. For reference that was 30 years ago! On a starving student budget, a subscription to VW and Porsche magazine for motivation, and no mechanical experience I slowly transformed it with a scirocco engine, a diesel 5 speed transmission conversion, a used Bilstein kit and a GTI interior. I had to learn how to fix things myself (sometimes twice!) and believe me I had to touch just about every nut and bolt on that car. I had a ton of fun and converted a few American muscle car friends to the VW side after competing in non-sanctioned street hill climb events! After selling it I went American for a change but immediately regretted it. Then just before college I lucked upon a really clean 83 GTI from the original adult owner but with a blown head gasket. I purchased an almost brand new cabriolet that was rolled from a tow yard and swapped out the engine in the driveway.
That GTI was really something and I had untold life experiences including meeting my girlfriend & now wife (coincidently she owned a 1980 Scirocco S at the time so you can start to see the power of the VW influence on me). By buying and fixing up broken MK1's and2's it helped pay for part of college and gave me some great life skills. This attachment to old VW 's baffles my friends a bit and seems immature in some respects, but I don't care and have found kindred spirits here on VWV. I can relate well with Mr. Spratt, vdubspeed, echassin, racerlance, scirocgvnr, and just about everyone else here in some way so excuse me for the babble as I get to the next chapter on my new GTI.
The GTI
The original owner was in in the SF Bay Area VW scene showing this car in the late 80's to 90's and I'm certain I crossed paths with it a time or 2. It is ultra clean with 51k mi, has a perfect body, zero rust, a mint full Recaro interior incl door panels, Callaway Stage 2+ with intercooler and Microfueler, oil cooler, Koni's, Neuspeed, Zender, Hella, Momo, etc.
Basically it's a time capsule of all the period performance parts you could want back in the day. I want to be respectful of it's past but make it my own. Outside of the maintenance of recommissioning a car that's been off the road for 15 or so years, the first changes I want to make include ditching the 16" wheels in favor of some 15" RML Snowflakes, ATS's, or Zender Phase1's. Mid-term I'm debating going back to stock on the body and removing the Zender kit. I know that seems absurd to some but I'm more of an OEM plus guy and love the stock Westy look. I'm gathering parts to accomplish this (thanks Leo, Ron, and Shawn!) and so far have picked up NOS badges, amazing original front and rear seats, an air dam, stock VDO panel, and a bunch of small items.
I'll update my progress as I get it sorted and legal. I can't wait to get this roadworthy and hit the coast and mountains this summer.
Hoffa
After a long hiatus (I never really left but was VW-less too long), I finally have a GTI. I have been hunting for a good GTI to do a full restoration/restomod on for the last 8 years but never found a good candidate. I have met a ton of people on here and in the community along the way and about 7 years ago made contact with a local guy from a Craigslist ad. He bought the car new and put a ton of time and money building what was to him the ultimate GTI. It was so clean with 51k original miles I finally got it together and took it home. Last registration was 1997! My wife thinks I am absolutely insane but to me it's like coming home!
My story
My first car @ 16 was a 1979 Rabbit purchased dead with a hole in the side of the block. For reference that was 30 years ago! On a starving student budget, a subscription to VW and Porsche magazine for motivation, and no mechanical experience I slowly transformed it with a scirocco engine, a diesel 5 speed transmission conversion, a used Bilstein kit and a GTI interior. I had to learn how to fix things myself (sometimes twice!) and believe me I had to touch just about every nut and bolt on that car. I had a ton of fun and converted a few American muscle car friends to the VW side after competing in non-sanctioned street hill climb events! After selling it I went American for a change but immediately regretted it. Then just before college I lucked upon a really clean 83 GTI from the original adult owner but with a blown head gasket. I purchased an almost brand new cabriolet that was rolled from a tow yard and swapped out the engine in the driveway.
That GTI was really something and I had untold life experiences including meeting my girlfriend & now wife (coincidently she owned a 1980 Scirocco S at the time so you can start to see the power of the VW influence on me). By buying and fixing up broken MK1's and2's it helped pay for part of college and gave me some great life skills. This attachment to old VW 's baffles my friends a bit and seems immature in some respects, but I don't care and have found kindred spirits here on VWV. I can relate well with Mr. Spratt, vdubspeed, echassin, racerlance, scirocgvnr, and just about everyone else here in some way so excuse me for the babble as I get to the next chapter on my new GTI.
The GTI
The original owner was in in the SF Bay Area VW scene showing this car in the late 80's to 90's and I'm certain I crossed paths with it a time or 2. It is ultra clean with 51k mi, has a perfect body, zero rust, a mint full Recaro interior incl door panels, Callaway Stage 2+ with intercooler and Microfueler, oil cooler, Koni's, Neuspeed, Zender, Hella, Momo, etc.
Basically it's a time capsule of all the period performance parts you could want back in the day. I want to be respectful of it's past but make it my own. Outside of the maintenance of recommissioning a car that's been off the road for 15 or so years, the first changes I want to make include ditching the 16" wheels in favor of some 15" RML Snowflakes, ATS's, or Zender Phase1's. Mid-term I'm debating going back to stock on the body and removing the Zender kit. I know that seems absurd to some but I'm more of an OEM plus guy and love the stock Westy look. I'm gathering parts to accomplish this (thanks Leo, Ron, and Shawn!) and so far have picked up NOS badges, amazing original front and rear seats, an air dam, stock VDO panel, and a bunch of small items.
I'll update my progress as I get it sorted and legal. I can't wait to get this roadworthy and hit the coast and mountains this summer.
Hoffa