1985 GTI on a college budget

[MustangluvR1967]

Picked this up the other day, Needs work but hey it's 27 years old... Replaced the rear wheel bearings, pads and rotors, new front tires, and ordered some weather stripping to replace the drip rails which are toast and leaking. Runs great other than an idle issue which I'm working on.

Progress will be slow since I am in college, most of the work will have to be done on weekends. anyways here it is....













I thin the front pas. side fender is the wrong year or something... the driver side curls in at the end and the pas. side is more straight. Not sure, that's just something to add to the list...

[PDXGTI8V 2.0]

Thats probably not a fender problem..it appears you need to loosen up your core support and align it, as the grille is completely out of alignment...

[steveo27]

funny, my fenders fit JUST like thats as well

[MustangluvR1967]

I think it's the fender and the core support combined. when you look at the fender vs. the hood it doesnt line up quite right but the grill looks off too

[black gti]

cool car

paint the lower grill strip and the lower valance red when you have the chance

is the roof painted black?

[MustangluvR1967]

Yes the PO painted it black for some reason A paint job is in her future but not for a while since as the title states, I'm a broke college kid haha

[99VWJETTA]

Good start

[MustangluvR1967]

Thanks


So I cleaned the ISV and then decided to take a look at the TB which I found to have oil on it. Then I started pulling hoses and everything had a bit of oil on it all the way to the MAF. Found out that the PCV system was sucing in a little bit of oil. It also had a lot of condensation coming out of it. some of the oil was yellow/brown and there was some water that dripped out as I started pulling the PCV system apart. the tube that goes from the PCV to the MAF was clogged full of the yellow stuff There was also a nice little blob of the yellow oil on my air filter (which was trashed anyways).

SO....
Cleaned all the oil out, got a new filter, cleared all the PCV hoses, cleaned the MAF, sprayed carb cleaner into the Intake manifold and TB to clean it off.


Result....
Runs BETTER, but still has a small idle problem (dips down below 950 and the car vibrates a bit before the RPM's return to normal) and still have a problem when starting after the car has been warmed up. COld starts great, but if I drive to the store and come out to start it it gives me trouble, acts like it's missfiring a bit and tries to die unless I hold the RPMS up untill it is warmed up more.



No pics sorry I wasn't thinking about it

[steveo27]

did you ever think of painting the lower portions under the bumpers like an 87-88 GTI? it could be ddone really easily, and it would look really good in my opinion

Like so -

[MustangluvR1967]

I havn't put much thought into paint yet because I'm trying to get it running better but that could be a good way to get that lower section looking better without paying for a paint job. Thanks for the tip I'll keep it in mind

[mykrrrr]

Damn...you've got the front lip spoiler I want for my GTi race car.

[MustangluvR1967]

Yeah I love that spoiler, It's seen it's better days but no biggy

[Hater GTI]

Get some raclands " there cheap" a westmatlan front end and some bbs RA " there cheap" and call it a day 👍

[Hater GTI]

westmoreland****

[MustangluvR1967]

It's Lowered on HKS struts right now and has a Eurosport strut brace in the front.


Updates today...
-ALMOST got a headliner, then found out it was trashed
-Worked on the Body fittment up front. moved the fenders, core support, and hood around a little
-Put the first coat of tint on my restored junkyard tails

Pics soon

[MustangluvR1967]

I know the grill is off but alignment is better, and the plastics got the heat gun treatment....


Started waxing with Turtle Polishing compound, will finish next weekend as long as it's nice. New drip rails should also be going on this weekend

[gti3097]

looks good

[MustangluvR1967]

looks good

Thanks man she's gettin there


Forgot the interior pics. Has a couple of rips in the driver seat and missing a headliner but other than that it's just little things....

[jimothy cricket]

I'm in the same boat, college budget and what not.

[jeffrw]

[MustangluvR1967]

Check the DIY thread for drip rails. I bought it from JC whitney, $30 for 10ft vs. $100 per side sounds like a win to me.

[jeffrw]

I wonder if thats a part you could pick up and a local auto parts store. I'll find out.

[MustangluvR1967]

Doesnt seem like it but It would save a lot of trouble if you could. Good luck

[Hater GTI]

[itschrisb]

If I could find pictures from my old Jetta I replaced the drip rail with something similar to the JC Whitney stuff from a local auto part store I think I found it at autozone for under 10$ it worked wonderful.

If you just go into the auto body paint section they usually have universal weather stripping in bags hanging up. Look at them and pick which one you think would work out best.

[Hater GTI]

[/QUOTE]
This really don't look bad at all.

[MustangluvR1967]

This really don't look bad at all.

Thanks It needs some love but it's a good start for sure! The seats need some love I may be buying some from the GF's dad soon, havn't decided yet. Leather buckets with the forward tilt and recline and on rails. Look sweet but idk yet

[avengerxix]

automatic seatbelts?????????


SWEET '85 though

[itschrisb]

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=267100_0_0_

thats what i used. It says $20 but i know ive seen similar things for much cheaper. That one worked out the best for me. hope this helps.

PS i like the interior a lot!

[MustangluvR1967]

automatic seatbelts?????????


SWEET '85 though

I HATE the seat belts... they will be changed to 3 points sooner or later I just need to figure out how.They are unsafe and a PITA. they are not automatic though they just stay put

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=267100_0_0_

thats what i used. It says $20 but i know ive seen similar things for much cheaper. That one worked out the best for me. hope this helps.

PS i like the interior a lot!

Thanks! Already got my weather stripping but this might help out down the road. And other than the big rips in the driver seat and lack of headliner I love the interior too!

[MustangluvR1967]

Updates from this weekend:

-Lower Drip rails replaced (wind noise is much quieter now)
-Chased a water leak, found that my vapor bariors were toast, patched them up
-Went to the junk yard and found an 85 jetta which I robbed of it's 7 slat grill, pass. headlight, and 3 point seatbelts
-Been sick for a week now
-Drove another 300mile round trip with no major issues

Pics as soon as I get done being sick

[MustangluvR1967]

3rd post in a row, no shame...

pics

[MustangluvR1967]

Well finally got a bit of an update. It's spring break so hopefully I'll get lots of work done. Went to the yard today and picked up this headliner backing that's pretty beat up, but It'll work with some love. Did some more work to my DIY half tint tails. blah blah blah nobody's reading this anyways...


after a few repairs with 5min epoxy, more to come, then some FG resin to finish it up before getting new fabric...




Trim pieces that dont match, need to be painted black....



Dome light works now .......but not the door sensors



Roof is hopefully to be painted this week... Gloss black. and hopefully fix the sunroof seal to get rid of the tape

[MustangluvR1967]

Thanks for the feedback guys



Started painting the roof. Prepped to 400 grit, will get wet sanded at 600 before clear coat. More work on the headliner backing, 3 point seatbelt swap done, tail lights on (pics later), got some materials










Felt strip to redo the sunroof gasket....





Black Micro-suede for the headliner....

[MustangluvR1967]

DOnt know why I'm still updating this, nobody seems to care


Finished the roof and headliner, went out to take pics with a buddy....