Early Rabbit/Golf GTIs--do they hold up?

RallyJon · 06-12-2007, 06:56 AM

While the aging baby-boomers lust for the Camaro that dad would never buy them, I've been thinking back to the '83 GTI of my youth. It actually belonged to a friend who let me drive it now and then.

I owned a '92 watered-down GTI (crap), and a '95 VR6 (fun, but much more modern) since then, but I've always put the Mk1 version up on a pedestal. I had another friend ~10 years ago with a Mk1 that he could make fly, but I think that was more insane driving than actual performance.

Anyone owned/driven one recently? Now that family sedans go 0-60 in <6 sec and 185 section tires are only found on shopping carts, is there any magic left in the purity of the first "pocket rocket"?

kaisen · 06-12-2007, 07:11 AM

They're lightweight and simple, which is *so* unlike VW today. The Germans treat MK1's with cult status. As original cars, they disappoint, IMO. But as a canvas for a hot-rod, they are iconic and the perfect anti-ricer.

Drop a 2.0T in there and build a little 2200lb canyon carver.

kaisen · 06-12-2007, 07:27 AM

arerrac · 06-12-2007, 07:27 AM

I owned mine for 10 years. Sunroof, cruise control and every Neuspeed part made for the car. Some Zender stuff too. What a blast. Went to a Jetta VR6 then the P-car.
Liked to keep it in the family!
-W

kaisen · 06-12-2007, 07:28 AM

the · 06-12-2007, 07:31 AM

I really, really wanted an '83 GTI, I was 16 when they came out, and I remember the excitement they caused here in the US.

Yeah, it was a different performance era, the hottest sports sedan at that time (the 320i) did 60 in 11 seconds. The GTI was considerably quicker to 60, I think around 9. And with it's better gearing, it felt much snappier than the BMW.

And those cool 14 inch wheels (when the BMW only had 13s!). Yeah, they weren't the monster 16 inch wheels that a 911 had, but 14s were big for a small car back then. And those cool sports seats!

I remember test driving them a couple of times at the dealership. Man, they were fun! But at around $9500, they were a bit too steep. So I never got one.

I'd LOVE to have one now. But it would have to be bone-stock, stock wheels, stock interior (including the cool golf ball shift knob!), maybe some upgraded shocks and springs, and in perfect condition. I wonder if that car would even exist anymore.

Superman · 06-12-2007, 07:57 AM

I owned three Rabbits. My '84 had 350K miles on it when I sold it, and it had the original clutch disk. No, I'm not kidding.

I'm not sure what a MK1 is, but I found the later Golf 16-valve car to be substantially more spunky than the SOHC engine. Then again, my favorite to this day was the '79. For some reason, that car was just "slippery." It felt lighter and more anxious to 'go.'

BeerBurner · 08:20 AM

I used to have an '82 Scirocco which I autocrossed and DE'd. The car had 275k miles on it when I sold it.

The thing was generally very solid, although it had a drivability problem that was likely either an air leak or a bad ground. I didn't have the facilities to tear it apart at the time, otherwise I'd probably still own it. Seriously, I still have dreams about it...

The car was very light and tossable, and I could predict everything that it would do. This was the car that made me love lightweights and it also showed me that FWDs aren't as bad as the "wrong wheel drive" crowd claims. Strengthening the front end of the car is a must, thought, because things get pretty flexible up there!

BB.

island911 · 06-12-2007, 08:59 AM

I've had a few. (way back) The OE sheetmetal can NOT take the loads of performance mod's. I had to weld-up and weld in extra sheetmetal around the motor-mounts, strut-towers and A-arm mounts.

hmmm.. decades later

I still have parts in the basement. Does anyone need an early, low mileage, close ratio GTi gearbox? ..sportseats?

Nostril Cheese · 06-12-2007, 10:16 AM

+1 on stiffening the MK1. You do any major power upgrades and you are talking welding.

They are very fun cars. Wonder how much Rabbits are going for these days? Might be fun to gut one and drop in a 16V.

Soterik · Soterik's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by island911
I've had a few. (way back) The OE sheetmetal can NOT take the loads of performance mod's. I had to weld-up and weld in extra sheetmetal around the motor-mounts, strut-towers and A-arm mounts.

hmmm.. decades later I still have parts in the basement. Does anyone need an early, low mileage, close ratio GTi gearbox? ..sportseats?

Will the GTI gearbox fit into a 79? Glenn, one of the cars stuffed into that "weeping" garage in eastern WA is my old 79 rabbit that my 13 year old wants to get his hands on... It's got a "weber" throttle body on it, Recaro sport seats, bilstein suspension, euro plastic bumpers, and steel widened 6 x 13 wheels on it! It's mostly OG paint, very little rust!

What's an easier swap, a 16V or a 1.8T or 2.0T?

Eric

sand_man · 06-12-2007, 10:38 AM

Having owned MKI, MKII, and MKIV GTIs, I can say that the MKI was so very basic and fun to drive. It's the one I miss the most. I'd like to have another, but if I bring home one more car that my wife is unable to drive, I'll be living in it!

I always wanted to build a MKI "race car":

island911 · 06-12-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Soterik
Will the GTI gearbox fit into a 79? ..

Yeah, it will bolt right up. I suppose that gearbox would be great for a kid as it's theme is quickness (not top end). So if your looking for some learning experience for your kid, I also have a 1.8 (NA) that wiped a cam bearing. (free, and will deliver to Fremont or Magnolia)

berettafan · 06-12-2007, 11:19 AM

my 1st car was an '82 Rabbit. 4dr, mint greenish in color with 4spd, gas engine and sunroof. enjoyable car, particularly in the snow.

deathpunk dan · 06-12-2007, 12:47 PM

Shine Racing in Walpole MA sells all the chassis stiffening stuff you need for mk1s.

You don't even need a 16v swap, never mind forced induction. You need a 93-95 2.0 8v engine from any golf or jetta (went to cast cranks in 96 and got progressively crappier).

You can run CIS with cobbled-together fuel enrichment module along with the original JH code head. Clean it up, port n polish, big valves, good sized cam (the hotter the better with something like a 4k code transmission to keep the revs up/gears tight...ie a 280 or 288 cam), run a good header or port matched dual downpipe manifold out to 2 1/4" exhaust of your choice.

As any early 911 or 914 enthusiast knows, you don't need tons of hp when your car weighs 2000 lbs. You can easily slap together a 140+ bhp 8v motor for short money.

Bigger brakes up front and run scirocco 16v rear discs if you're feeling saucy.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 06-12-2007, 01:03 PM

I was at Dick's (Shine Racing) just the other day. They had a killer gen 1 Scirocco roller with full (an I mean full) cage on the floor. It was a work of art.

}{arlequin · }{arlequin's Garage

they're awesome. used to have a '91 gti and few years back i bought an '83 on ebay. it's bulletproof. acts as my backup car/tire hauler during track season. lives outside on a curb. i won't touch it for months and months at a time, and it fires up w/ the first crank. it's incredible.

it has manual-everything so there's not much to break.

+1 on the mk III 2.0 though a nicely built 16v will really spin up

both rides hanging outside

here's mine on the way to the tire shop

and somewhat cleaned up...

it's hard to find a more fun car. i keep on behaving like a hooligan in mine.

paid $1500 for it though i've seen much much nicer ones go for 3-3.5k on ebay

}{arlequin · }{arlequin's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Shaun 84 Targa
I was at Dick's (Shine Racing) just the other day. They had a killer gen 1 Scirocco roller with full (an I mean full) cage on the floor. It was a work of art.

if it's a white one, last time i was there they told me it's their rental. 'arrive and drive' if you want...

TimothyFarrar · 06-12-2007, 02:03 PM

I learned to drive on the larger sibling of the GTI, the Jetta.

Also got my first speeding ticket in that car while de-accelerating from a top-speed attempt.

Nothing like having front wheel drive and an open diff. It is about as fun to drive as bicycle without a seat.

But we did refer to the car as "the Tank", at least until my brother fell asleep at the wheel driving cross country, jumped the median, went air born, and landed in the ditch on the other side of the road, kept on driving (trying to keep a good trajectory), until the ditch ended abruptly... he walked away without injury from the totaled car.

Forget the GTI, get a RWD Miata, or something else that actually handles well.

Jim727 · 06-12-2007, 02:20 PM

We still have the wife's '84 GTI; original owners. It now has about 300K on the odometer and the engine is still strong. Have to agree that the engines are better built than the bodies. Needs a headliner, seat covers, some other things so we're debating what to do with it. Hard to complain about a fun car that has driven the distance to the moon and kept going beyond.