Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk1 Review

Well the Mk1 Golf is the best hot hatch and will be around for many more years to come. (I quote) The common mans porshe! However my personal taste with regards to the MK1 are not the late GTi shells but the early small tail light models, I believe last produced shell of this kind was in 82. These are a much simpler designed shell and are extremely light. For example, myself and partner imported a shell of this kind from Germany about 4 years ago. It really was just a shell. We were wanting to build a twin engined (110Bhp motor bike engined) car for grass racing. When we got the shell we did not have the heart to start ripping out the floor pan, se we did what we thought was best. Angle grinder in hand and lots of tea we managed to knock about 5 pounds of weight from each corner of the car and about a futher 15-20 pounds from the rest of the car. We seem welded the shell and fitted perspex windows and a T45 cro-molly roll cage. The shift tunnel was replaced with 5 mm titanium and the linkage was also replaced with titanium. The shell was so light that 4 men could lift it onto axle stands, yet the shell's intergrity was such that this process had in fact made it stronger!. We then took a 1.0 litre engine from a polo fox coupe and set about gas flowing and maching 1600cc inlet and exhaust manifolds. We fully balanced the engine and took 3.5 pounds off the flywheel! she sat pretty at 4000 revs and would go all the way to 9000 revs with no fuss. we then fitted high compression pistons and shot peened rods to the mix. follwing this we sand cast a manifold to accept a single twin 45 weber carb. the whole engine and work cost £1000 and was recorded on the rolling road at 101.1 BHP thats standard 1600 GTi performance from a 1.0 litre engine. But very light and very reliable power. once the car was fully ready we took it out on the road and this beast wasted a VTS a VTR a 1400 SR and a 1800 8valve GTi! renowned for there torque! not only this but it took a 40 mph corner at 60 mph (a very scary mistake!) and just loved it! this car is the single most fun car I have ever driven, Its better than anything I have driven including a 22B scooby, an R34 Skyline, a 1300 Rotery Mazda RX7, and even better than the mighty escort cosworth with 450 brake. I kid you not! this whole car cost £3000 over 3 years and It's cheap as chips on insurence and tax. it's current status is SOLD! and just before set a 0-60 in 7 seconds flat at santa pod. We are building another with a 1300 engine this time and I will be showcasing this car at GTi international in 2004......get ready as this car will be worth a look. The moral of my story being that this car is the only value for money classic hot hatch worth spending your beer tokens on....sod Novas and Saxos....even Fords mighty Turbo's. Get a MK1 you will never get the grin off your face and take corners as fast. Do it now and tell your kids the stories. also....engine wise......we have turbo'd every single water cooled production engine VW made.....and as aposed to fords Zetec units it's about 50% cheaper (example 1300 turbo'd unit, intercooled, ect....can be done for £600 pounds with doner parts), VW engines can take some punishment, and then some more. Do it now!