Is The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI The Ultimate Classic Car?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- I've never been a huge fan of the Golf, but there's no denying the legendary status of this iconic hatchback. In GTI trim, the Mark 1 Golf created a legend. Today, I get to drive a lightly modified example to see just what all the fuss is about!
Looking for a new car or commercial vehicle?
Pendle Lease can supply any make or model of car and van with a leasing package tailored to your needs, whether it be a business or personal lease. Head over to the Pendle Lease website, where you will find all of the latest leasing special offers. Once you’ve found something you like, give them a call on 01277 549500 or email sales@pendlelease.co.uk and one of the Pendle Team will be happy to help!
LANCASTER INSURANCE CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW, WITH DISCOVERY, 2019 SPECIAL OFFER
Sign up using our link for the 2019 Classic Motor Show and you could win a £50 Meguiars gift set. Just follow the instructions here: bit.ly/33sfUcB
Follow us on Social Media:
/ jayemmoncars
/ jayemmoncars
/ jayemmoncars
Support us on Patreon here: / jayemmoncars
If you're a car fan looking for local car meets, also check out the new site CARHUDDLE: carhuddle.com/
LOVE MY CRAZY SHIRTS?
Get your own from CLAUDIO LUGLI! Check out their site - www.claudiolugl... and enter JAYEMM15 at the checkout for a discount on us!
Need oil for your car?
Enter "jayemm10" in your basket at Opie Oils for 10% off your next oil order!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They were making MK1’s in South Africa up to 2009... they had an ‘R’ badged model 1.8l that does 120hp... the MK1’s with the double headlights are so beautiful. They remind me of a classic BMW...
South African here. You think that's crazy? I bet the world doesn't realise the sheer amount of special editions that were manufactured specifically for our South African market up until 2009.
I just got my dream car. 1979 Rabbit (Golf) diesel with 45k miles. I'm absolutely in love with it.
Well, congrats. With ‘only’ 45’000 miles it’s barely run in. I ‘stole’ my dad’s 1982 Golf diesel off him which he bought new and I take the kids to school practically every day in it. The old girl did about 200 miles last weekend and will do another 150 miles next weekend. She’s got +/- 300’000 miles (480’000 + kilometres - I live in Portugal now) on the clock and goes on and on and on and on.
Keep an eye on the oil and water. Make sure you change filters every year, keep her clean and polished, check for rust in the driver’s footwell and around the front and rear mudguards (‘fenders’ in the U.S. I believe) don’t push her too hard - no faster than 70mph, talk to her, get to know her, make sure tyre pressures are correct..... treat her right and she’ll do the same to you.
Just drove my 1980 2dr rabbit (golf) 6 hours,she has 217k miles. Did amazing just had to zip tie my shift linkage for 5th gear since it kept popping out. Shes a beaut, Mountain green
I remember seeing these when I was a kid. I don't appreciate them as much as i do now.
My first car was an 84 mk1 rabbit GTI and I love it. Will always have it with me.
Loved mine. Modded it by fitting a 16v mk2 engine & brakes (plus coil overs) which made it a real sleeper, and way better/faster than the mk3 VR6 (& a lot of other stuff) we also had at the same time😉
I struggle to believe your 2lt 16v dohc and beat a vr6 2.8 24v
@@WyattWilliams-dw6yr Mk3 VR6 was a really heavy car with poor factory suspension. Had both down a 1/4mile & round Cadwell. Mk1 16v WAS faster❗️
My second ever car 25 years ago when I was 18! £600 to buy, £800 to insure! Have my fondest driving memories in that car. I’d probably still have it now of my mate hadn’t written it off.
I drove a mk1 GLI (sedan) with the 1.8 engine, close ratio 4k trans & swaybars GTI with a trunk. Fun and reliable, it always started and always got me from A to B. A great reliable car!
My parents still have a '84 Golf GLI. 1.8 8v Convertible. Basically the topless gti. Its good fun to drive too. 😊
I used to own a 1983 Pirelli GTI! Still one of my all time favorite cars! The burble when you shift down and then go off the throttle at high rpm is unbeatable!
Why did u sell it?
@@stefanv9660 It was an old car at the time, the condition wasn't the best and would've required some serious cash to fix it up which I didn't have and I was also relocating to Thailand, so I sold it to a friend who wanted to fix it. He couldn't find a garage space, though, so he sold it as well. The guy who bought it broke it down to the chassis and had it painted and that's the condition it's in now. He'll might fix it up some day.
Dude. Mk1 is definitely a legend. I bought one 3 years ago. New paint. Lowered. Abf swapped. Its soooo much fun driving!! Now on the the 2nd one lol.
Pretty much the only hot hatch choice we had in the USA, albeit in diluted (Americanized - built in Westmorland, Pennsylvania with many changes including a cheap looking interior) and detuned(90 hp) form. The car was still a revelation that handled and went like nothing else. Always wanted one of the German made originals. The closest I’ve gotten was a mk.1 Cabriolet which I drove and loved for several years. Thank you for the great video variety: Jaguar supercar - humble Golf....madness! Wonderful madness!
Wonderful madness is what we strive for
My uncle had an A-plate mk1 Gti campaign (1.8 & green) with the original Pirelli Alloys. As a 10 year old laddie, it felt like a spaceship. The original hot hatch. Nice example 👍🏻
Good video. I had a mk1 1.8, a mk2 1.8 8v and a Peugeot 309 GTI one after the other in the 90s. Overall, it's the mk2 I would go back to. Totally dependable, refined, quick enough and fully developed by VW. The others still had a way to go and too compromised for me. What a period of time to live through though!
We are still driving a 79 Rabbit. "I like your Jeep mister" said the young dude as we drove by
Had two of these few years ago(as my father had one back in the days). An Atlas grey, then a Lhassa green with Pirelli wheels. Loved them to bits. Your video does it perfect justice. Thanks for that.
I’m growing to love these cars
Had a white A plate mk1 golf gti campaign...quick for it's time(used to wipe the floor with xr3i's etc)..the brakes need work though but nonetheless a timeless headturner.
My old mk2 1.8 8v was a riot back in the day. Really enjoyed this James 👌🏻
2 years ago my wife bought a mk2 syncro country. Cost 2k euros, brilliant future classic. As much as I like the mk1 (I had one in my youth) I prefer the mk2.
I had a Y plate mk1 GTI in black loved it, but again typical of 80s car rust a major problem and passenger footwell looked a lake when it rained! It also had stripes along the bottom of the doors matching the upholstery. Great introduction to the hot hatch world that I still love today.
A lovely lady she is too. I definitely have the Mk1 on my list of cars to buy and restore! Despite my urge to modify most of the cars I buy (including my Hilux with its 5" raise kit and planned LS430 V8 engine swap), I would love to rebuild a stock Mk1.
Great drive sir! Enjoyed this one.
That fly by at the start was epic! Great video! 👍🏼
The way those tyres fit on those wheels is absolutely fantastic! Props to the owner.
My dad bought one of these for his first ever car when he was 17, which was 27 years ago! He still has it and has spent £40,000 over those years! It may sound biased but I’ve never been in a car which gives you so much thrill driving round in! The smell the sound is just something else! bearing in mind his has 400bhp +! We live in rural wales and he is still king of the B roads round here!
I dont understand why the production was stopped in Europe. I am from South Africa and the body of the mark 1 golf stayed in production till 2010. I say the body because over the years VW continuously updated the interior and engine and drive train. The final versions, of which I owned one, had fuel injection, abs, airbags etc. Basically you grew up in a golf, because your dad had one, you inherited that golf as your fist car, you traded it in for a newer model until your child was old enough to drive and then they got your old one. while you went straight to the dealer and got a new one for yourself. There was only one competitor who followed in the same life as the Mark 1 Golf and that was the Toyota Corola. If you ever visit South Africa, these are still the most common cars on the road. The reason they were so popular is it was big enough for you and three other people and their luggage and with the updated engines very economical. I did a 1000km economy run where I did not exceed 100kmph and got 20km per litre. Other reason they were so popular is anybody with a basic knowledge of cars could work on them and parts were everywhere. You could literally buy parts at the local cafe or filling station and then install it yourself when you got home.
Best car ever made.
Probably because they are death traps compared to cars even from the 90s, let alone 2009. They wouldn't meet any safety regulations and thus could not be produced. I'm surprised SA is (was?) so unregulated in this regard.
Mk1 for the win 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Excellent video James. I have an early (1985 on a C) Mk2 1.8 8-valve which I have owned since 1996. It's black and in similar condition to the lovely Mk1 shown here. It's standard spec bar a stainless steel exhaust and uprated Bilstein dampers. As you say, you don't often see early GTIs on the roads - almost without exception someone will come up to me when I stop for petrol, perhaps as good an indication of classic status as any. Mine is my everyday car, a role it is more than happy with, as hinted at in your video. OK, it lacks power steering, air-con and many other things we take for granted yet dynamically it really does not feel like a 34-year-old car and more than keeps up with modern traffic. It is genuinely fun to drive, so good is the performance and handling. Our family has more modern cars but I still love driving this. It's also extremely reliable and rattle-free. In those days VW didn't give you many gizmos as standard but they did give you superb build quality. Many, including myself, would say that while the Mk1 is undoubtedly the original, and deservedly so, the Mk2 makes a better all-rounder as it is just that little bit more refined, while still retains those classic looks of an early Golf (many people - including my partner - cannot tell the difference between a Mk1 and Mk2!). What's more, prices of the Mk2, although climbing, are still affordable. If you would like to drive a Mk2 for comparison the keys are waiting for you (I live in Billingshurst, West Sussex). Grahame
Drop me an email on talk@jayemm.com - I may take you up on that offer
I grew up with mk1 golf GtI’s, had loads of them, loved them to bits. Then a few years ago bought a mk2, loved that too and a bit easier to live with.
Sounds better than a Golf R and most modern day performance car.
Vw should know they are not serious again and this is so sad.
Memories... My dad had a black MK1 GTI and my mum had a Gunmetal Grey MK2 with red trim... Beautiful cars
I had a mk1 gti. Great car miss it loads.
Always wanted one. My first car was a Mark 1 Scirocco. I wish I had held on to it!
Thanks sir about this video l really enjoyed. I owne 1981 Mk1 l love it so much it's so powerful people keep stopping ✋ they like my big boy, just sports it you will never regret 🎉
You have driven now quite some vehicles, how about a Top10 of your favorites and why?
Great cars and so simple and easy to work on unlike today's nightmares. Only the very early 1979 cars had 4 speed gearboxes. Couldn't help but notice the dashboard clocks on this golf aren't GTI ones ;-)
Had a 1983 Lhasa green MK1 GTi in the mid 90s, Kent fast rd cam, Vernier, etc etc, went really well too back in the day, wiped the floor with xr3i's etc etc. My sister's old 106gti reminded me of the MK1 the way the back end behaved, smashing fun cars, can't beat a good hot hatch to put a smile on your face , bhp isn't entirely everything 😎
I loved my mk2 so much but until my best mate lent me his mk1 i was astounded thay are just incredible.
Well, i'd argue the Mk2 is a better classic because it is WAY more affordable than the over inflated cost of the original these days.
@@VietnamEli I am a bit worried about that when I drive mine around some parts of South London...
@@VietnamEli One of my friends had a nice 3 door MK3 VR6 Highline a few years ago and was almost dragged out of it. He fought with them and they battered him until his face was so swollen he was nearly unrecognisable. He says the only reason he was able to stay inside was because he had the seatbelt on and they couldnt get both his hands off the steering wheel.
I agree..having had both nk1 and 2 gti's the price people are asking for mk1's totally takes the piss...but.......mk1 def the better looker..
Proud owner of a 1987 MK2 Golf here!
The MK1 looks better but the MK2 handles a lot better and the 16V engine is better as well! Both cars look sexy, though!
Shame about the wheels, they totally mess up the ride.
tris7 I agree the original P slots look nice.
Disagree , I think they suit the car , the OEM wheels are stink looking
And the altered suspension.
Can forgive the exhaust, but where are those classic Tarantula alloys
Had 3 GTIs - great do everything car.
That golf is identical to the one I had in 1989..
It's obviously much nice with the wheels and restoration.
But mine was a 79, from Ireland, it had a different dash to most, the dials had a pointy kinda lens on them, and it had a 4 speed box, and it whipped along like a scolded cat, and handled like a house fly..
I miss it so much and driving to acid house party's in it...🎉
Loved my Mk1 Golf GTI. My only dislike was the poor brakes. Was not a fan of the Mk 2 and jumped to a UR Audi Quattro
The MK1 Golf, probably one of the most iconic cars of its era. I'd kill to get my hands on a Mk1 GTI today. I grew up in love with them but never was able to put hands on one that wasn't rusted away to pieces.
Lovely Jubbly, best Golf ever. Shame about the silly aftermarket wheels.
I just bought a 79 GTI so excited! Do you know what kind of wheels are on this car? And the dimensions? Thanks!
The Golf Gti was and is a legend, although I do not include the mk4 2.0, 115bhp in that legend status because a standard 1.6LX Ford Focus of the time could match it pretty much with 15bhp less. I am drooling at this mark 1, he's made a fantastic job of it.
2022 and they are going up and up in price.... Love my 83 gti
Great looking mk1 😎👍
There will never be a better version of the golf than the MK1, yeah VW made improvements on the successive models, but the 1st version remains an icon that transformed the car market forever
I am on my 8th Mk1 golf now having Owned many versions of it, it’s raw compared to new cars for sure, but it still has that look be it a standard Gti cabriolet or a genuine original Gti, unlike the one in your video which hasn’t quite remembered what year it’s from yet 😂
Cool car, I'd love one in red 👍
Nice car always
I’ve just read on Gran Turismo 7 that this is generally considered to be the first hot hatch.
VW golf GTI hatch: released April 1976 with 108hp
Holden Torana SL hatch: released February 1976 with 185hp
It was followed up in 1977 with the 240hp Torana A9X, with well beyond double the horsepower of the GTI it makes the GTI not seem like a hot hatch at all.
Just because it wasn’t sold world wide doesn’t mean that Holdens didn’t exist.
It isnt the first Hot Hatch, Talbot I think made one before but it was the first successful one
@@JayEmmOnCars oh I agree with you, just that the Holdens a more convincing early hot hatch than the GTI being earlier and a lot more powerful. But there are certainly cases of earlier hot hatches, but I doubt any were nearly as powerful as the Holden Torana. Especially the 1977 A9X Torana which was really a race car.
And thank you for your content. 😊
I get emotional just watching this. My dream car. £££££ now though, sadly way out of my price range.
owned two mark one golf gtis also owned three mark one Sciroccos which handled better than the golfs
The sciroccos get no love.
@@TheShanguin good car tho,!
I love this car! AYGO WE NEED MORE HP!!!
as a child, all my dream cars consisted of were Lamborghinis, Porsches, McLarens etc. but now that I've grown up a bit (14 now) that mindset seems to have shifted towards the likes of the MK1, the Trueno AE86 and just classic cars in general. I don't know just thought it was quite interesting
dream car
The car looks so good
I have had 4 of these in the past ,,,,The original and best GTi,These are what started the whole Golf movement. even the Mk2 which is a lightweight by today's standards do not come close to the agility of a Mk1 ,They weren't perfect especially the brakes because of the way the car was built for LHD but i have had some of my best days behind a steering wheel in a Mk 1 GTI....Does anyone remeber or have one of those bars that TSR produced to take up the slack in the brake linkage???
Yes it is
That's a lovely, clean little Golf. That said I've never been into them though. I'd sooner take a Lotus Sunbeam but maybe that's a little unfair as it's in a different performance league.
Also waiting for someone to point out it's not a 'proper' hatchback.
Those are felgenworks rims!!
My 09 Swift is a fly by wire throttle, it really does not want to heal and toe, my old 2003 MX-5 would, I miss that
cirian75 my last clio 197 wasn’t very good for heel and toe and was fly by wire, but my mx5 was great as is my current 182
Also depends on where the pedals are, “normal” cars aren’t designed with that in mind. The only way I can rev match my corsa is if I’m not braking
@@sammysev16 how does the 182 compare to the 197?
cirian75 not as sophisticated in the way it handles but a bit quicker in a straight line so 95% of the performance with about 50% of the running costs haha
@@sammysev16 oh, why is it cheaper than the 197?
This Golf was the one that was being given away as a prize at last year’s Classic Car show at the NEC. Sadly didn’t win!
2:19 Thats the sound !!
Number one reason I love these cars that sound
Perfect!
the perfec sound
Could you do a car review through the ages video. Now you have done the mk1 golf do them all together in one episode. 🙂👍🏻
You don't see them around because they're all in South Africa 😂🤣
Most of the contemporary cars against the Mk1 Golf from other makes were scrapped decades ago.Just think of BL Maxi, Metro ''wedge' Princess, Allegro and Maestro.
I prefer from mk 1 to 4 but if im gonna choose one then its gonna be VW Golf MK2 GTI 16v
yes it is!
Yep, no denying a Boni fide classic. But where have all the NON GTi Golfs gone????, I've seen about ten GTIs over past five or so years and not even one basic golf ie 1.1/CL etc etc.
If i remember right both the golf n Alfasud where designed by the same man, for me the Alfasud 1.5 sprint was the better car as it actually handled better (till it rusted away) the steering on the Golf would talk to u, you always knew what the front wheels where doing, but handling the Peugeot 205 GTI for me was way Better even the 1.6 the 1.9 was really a little rocket build quality of course was the VW's driving pleasures the 205 GTI, on fast curves specially with some negative camber i never felt safe in the golf but i did in the 205
"Whatever you can imagine, someone's probably made already"
My dream car
Nice car!
Love your vids jay you should be on tv
needed a turbo....compared to others of that era it was alwazs missing the dump woosh...
Which competitors were turbo'd?
@@ebenrootman9694 rs turbo, r5gt turbo,,metro turbo.. etc..
Yawn😂
@@ebenrootman9694 more yawn than an old golf GTi...cmon...
Bjorn Marley those aren't what got hot hatches to the masses, a GTi has never been about having the most power but being the most all rounded car. I have 2 GTi's, a 1990 16 Valve and a 2014 mk7, the bench marks of their time. A metro with a turbo, that sounds like a boosted POS😂😂😂😂
We have too many of these still on the roads here in South Africa. Citi Golf..... :(
Paul Roux how is that ' :( ' ?!
@@rv9990 they kept making Golf Mk1 until 2009 here.
@@Rouxenator is that a bad thing?
@@sytran666 the people who drive them are hooligans
Next up. An XR3 (Not necessarily an XR3i 😉)?
205GTI, XR2 ?
I’m so incredibly jealous, it’s impossible to find any 80’s hot hatch within 500 miles of me. Why must I be obsessed with these 🥲
Hell yeah it is
Mk1. Mk2. Mk1 Scirocco. Mk2 Scirocco. Pick yer poison. All spectacular.
Um.... connection to a Jag? How about the Bugatti Veyron uses a gasket from the mk1 gti. Little more impressive than also being done in secret like a crappy failed jag.
MK2 16v in Oak Green my grail... MK1 - Great, MK2 - Awesome, MK3 - Dog shit! MK4 - OK, MK5 - Back to great again.
Mk3 vr6 was good tho
When you tell your gf “i drive an old Volkswagen,”
Ultimate ? A Golf ? Yes it wasn’t bad in it’s time, but ultimate....What about the Mini, bug, Scimitar, XR2, Nova, Sunbeam, Scirocco, 205 GTi.......
look at the sales to answer your question
@@soundofeighthooves Tesco's has more sales than Waitrose but I know where I would rather shop 😂
Bang on, charade GTiti souped up Imp, maestro turbo fiat Uno turbo this list is endless but spare me the overated Golf.
@jonathanrichards99 my friend had the corolla back then and later the Almera GTi which is a forgotten car that had a
reputation as good handling car. Some may think I have a chip on my shoulder but when I was in the army in the early eighties the officer's drove them. The idea they are some sort of people's car is a joke, the average bloke back then would not of been able to afford one.
@jonathanrichards99 The interest rates back then we're horrific, A XR2 I got on Ford finance in 1986 was something like 29-30 APR . The Golf must if been more and I can't imagine many working class people have the wedge to pay for Golf cash. There wasn't even a big VW dealer network then, the only one I remember in Essex was Kenning VW in Chelmsford.
I’m about to buy one for 2000
anyone know what kind of exhaust that is?
Shame about those tasteless wheels on it. Ooof.
I drove almost all the fords and competition yrs ago , and I liked the golfs best, couldn’t stand that fiesta ,, I saw it as a woman’s car , cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧
Unpopular upinion: I like the Peugeot 205 more then the Golf.
skurt me too but I’d like both
The 205 - I presume you mean the GTi version - is a great car. I've driven both but own a Golf GTI Mk2 (contemporary with the 205 so perhaps the fairest comparison). Peugeot more fun to drive, a real hoot, but where the Golf scores is as an all-rounder. Plus, it has the edge on build quality, proved by vastly more survivors than the 205. That said, I would never put the 205 down, it is a truly great car, possibly the best Peugeot ever made.
My MK1 Rabbit needs a little more punch.
For a golf fan maybe
Certainly not, they're far too expensive now, lovely what they are.
Whats their price range?
@@cessarflom8664 Emm one in mint condition could get go for about £20,000 I seen one a few months ago for that but if you go onto Uk EBay now there’s a red one fully restored and it’s going up in price atm I think it’s at £15,000 atm
Nice to see the chubby chappie driving a MK1 GTI 👍😎
Answer: YES!.
I've just bought this very car😂😂
I like all the Golf Gti's apart from the Mark 4. It was too flabby...😂🤣
DoubleDeckerAnton I like them all apart from the Mk3 I think they’re the ugliest lol
🤔just like my ex-gf🤷🏻♂️
Nice