Floppy topped Pineapple magnet obtained. Less reliable than Allegro

[Alexg]

Summer's well and truly here shitters (is it bollocks!) and my quest for short term drop top shitting is finally at an end. 'Tell me about Jensen Healeys' I said a few weeks back.... yeah, well twas a f**king mental idea clearly. I then spent a lot of time hunting sub £2k Midgets in nice condition.... still not happening.

 

Bizarrely, on a random what's local to me type search I find myself looking at a Golf Cabrio, then phoning the owner, before going round to view and shoving a deposit in his hand.

 

 - What the fook happened there then? I've never had any inclining toward one before. Well, it had appeal...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-VOLKSWAGON-GOLF-CLIPPER-CONVERTIBLE-PRICE-DROP-PRICE-DROP-/221823735120

 

Note the abundance of paint on EVERY panel, the absence of DUBWAY transfers and faux German plates, wheel trimz (!!!) and standard ride height - It's been a right plucky little Hipster dodger! Being a Clipper it should have chunky bumpers which obviously have been ditched at some time in favour of these (handsomer IMO) slimmer jobbies so clearly not original. It's also been a popular car and seen more keepers than London Zoo, well into double figures! Still a deal was struck and I arranged to collect after work on a dank Friday.

 

I recognised the street in the above photos, I could walk there in 25 minutes, which spurred me on when mulling it over. Annoyingly though it was kept at the sellers daughters house in Snodland 12 miles away. The seller agreed to collect me from home and drive me over on Friday evening, although time was tight as he had an engagement later that night. He collected as promised, drove me to the car on a flipping miserable evening, only to realise he'd left the keys at home... So another 45 minutes of wasted time and I've got the keys, I head out onto a treacherous M20 and this happens-

 

 

If only everything in life was as reliable as.. etc . No tools with me so sod it, on I go.

 

Made it back without any other issues. The car drives OK, pulls really well, sounds quite sweet thanks to the stainless exhaust, It's alright!

 

 

Work commitments and shite weather meant that Sunday evening was the first chance to crack on with cleaning it up. Scummy roof and dash the first to get a spruce...

 

 

 

 

 

Then found this...

 

 

The whole drives side carpet is soaked. First thought the roof, we've had about a months worth of rain over the weekend, but blocked bulkhead drainage seems a more likely culprit, now cleared. Carpet will have to come out annoyingly.

 

Dash grime, nice-

 

 

Next: finish cleaning it up, dry out the carpet, replace that HORRID chrome trimmed monstrosity on the front (plain pre-2001 font already arrived) and wait for some sunshine..... still waiting.

 

[fred]

A raggy top, full marks for braving the Blighty weather massive sir - true hero

[dieselassist]

nice cabby- odd that someone would 'de-clipper kit' it - its had earlier cabby GL/Mk1 Gti style arches put on which have been painted body colour;  spose ye'll never what they are hiding till ye take em off.  is it carb or injection??

...not a lotta love for the mk1 cabby's, but they are the strongest, best built mk1's with the most metal - reinforcing - sills, a pillars n below the b-pillars; hardcore watercooled lads call them 'skips', but its the usual ill-informed pidgeon holing...

[Bucketeer]

That looks smashing, should come up a treat. I too have never had any inclination towards these but this has me gently inclining.

[Bear]

Clippers with small bumpers did exist. Not that I'm saying this is one, they'd be E/F plate from memory - but they did exist.

 

Gotta love a Mk 1 Cabrio, I still miss my '91 Clipper. It had a power top, for comedy value, but so did the Rover 114 Cabrio.

[Noel Tidybeard]

this seems familiar

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/10538677573

[Jon]

I think it looks miles better with small black bumpers, tbh; the point at where they meet the white arch covers isn't too incongruous, either. I wonder how much better it could look with a single headlamp grille too, or is that just a little bit too much? Pleasingly, these persevered with the small tail lamps throughout production, so should really have some sort of following from VW fans for that reason alone.

 

Top marks.

[Cavcraft]

What caused the RLOD to come on?

[purplebargeken]

That is rather neat. Like it lots.

[320touring]

woop!burd has a gti one of these in a bazillion bits.

 

watch for faulty oil pressure senders/poor earthing on dash circuit and clutch cable/bulkhead interface tearing.

 

well bought!

[Taff]

Nice score, I'm slightly tumescent just looking at that car.

[Alexg]

What caused the RLOD to come on?

...

That's the handbrake light. The highlighted problem is on the outside...

[cms206]

WHERE DOES THE ROOFRACK FULL OF SHIT GO?

[Vince70]

It looks a lovely little motor .. It might of been sitting around awhile before being sold as I had an F plate gti cabriolet on small colour coded arches and bumpers but I think the actual cut of date was around 86/87 sometime when the big bumper models arrived.

 

Get a cover put over the drivers seat mine was an all white edition and the bloody seats would mark by just looking at them, but I guess it didn't help with me being a printer at the time and for some reason it was always Cyan coloured ink that I would get on my upholstery so my major recollection of the car was the smell of 1001 carpet cleaner and damp seats lol.

 

Plus You've got to obviously work out how to use the brakes an hour in advance now using a crystal ball or buy yourself an anchor to chuck out the window.

 

I will say though those little old 4 pot Volkswagen engines are bulletproof as I went though a flood with mine and had to take to plugs out and while I was turning it over to restart it I'm sure water was coming out the spark plug holes and the air filter was just a soggy mess and I think I had a few fish living in the exhaust and the car still managed to restart without any damage..

But while your having a look over the car check the filler neck for rot and I think a normal golf one can be bought cheaply and cut down to fit if memory serves me right.

[barefoot]

Another VW that was actually built by the nice people at Karmann and so will probably never rust.

[cort16]

Now you need to figure out how to attached a roof rack to a soft top so you can fill it with old bakes bean cans and wheel barrows.

[fordperv]

That's a handsome little thing with those slim bumpers,

 

Vince70 your spot on about the filler neck, i used to advise this and sell loads of the tin top ones when I worked in the panel shop.

[Bear]

Normal fillers can be adapted, or the problem can be eliminated with a stainless steel one - that's what I did. I think it was about £80, which seems a lot but is worth it to just never think about it again.

[Felly Magic]

A non pineappled Golf floppy top? Crumbs! Looks rather nice, good luck with it, and those bumpers look jolly spiffing. I think the Mk1 cab looked shite with the chunky colour coded ones tbh

[Alexg]

this seems familiar

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/10538677573

 

Yeah, found that whilst doing a bit of google detective work. That is from 3 years ago. Interestingly the ad states 'Service History' but there's bugger-all here now.

[HillmanImp]

It is rather nice seeing a Golf that has not been 'scened'. Forgot that they were actually quite hansome things.

 

Personally, the convertibles are still 'hot older bird' cars in my eyes. Just don't think they look right driven by munters and blokes as they seemed to be soley owned by well of bits of crumpet when I grew up but thats probably just me. 

 

Admittedly, birds that are older than me are not likely to be hot anymore though are they either, as time has moved on and made fools of us all. I probably need to get with the program.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Now you need to figure out how to attached a roof rack to a soft top so you can fill it with old bakes bean cans and wheel barrows.

You don't think that VW would have missed out on catering for future pineapplers do you ?

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

Me like Goluf of basicness.  Topperst bomben.

[HMC]

Love this, especially the colour which puts me in mind of it featuring in a 1980s pop video.

[Cavcraft]

...

That's the handbrake light. The highlighted problem is on the outside...

 

{FACEPALM}

 

Soz.

[EssDeeWon]

I have never seen one of these as late as 'G' still on small bumpers - The big bumper kit was introduced as standard in 1988 (E REG) *edit Just seen your comment about it being De-clippered.

 

I used to have one of these in GTi form, they feel so well screwed together and weigh about 2 ton. They do leak, often down to the roof sills. Heavy clutches can pull through the bulkhead. Cambelt replacement is easy IIRC and can be visibly checked easy by unclipping the engine side cover. Check the fuel filler neck for rot, and consider upgrading the filler cap as the originals were crap and used to let it rain water.

 

Certainly built better than any modern VAG.

 

[Junkman]

I can't say that I don't like it.

Must see my doctor.

[320touring]

I can't say that I don't like it.

Must see my doctor.

Originally designed before '86 see.

 

and you are never wrong!

[Junkman]

That doesn't mean I can't fall ill.

I do not like every car designed before 1986 and the Golf was hitherto one of the ones that weren't on my like list.

[320touring]

That doesn't mean I can't fall ill.

I do not like every car designed before 1986 and the Golf was hitherto one of the ones that weren't on my like list.

you can change your opinion and still* be right;)

 

 

*see most every woman ever