1985 Volkswagen Golf MK2 GL

Highlights

• Increasingly rare early Mk2 Golf retaining desirable features including front quarter-light windows
• Upgraded to a five-speed manual gearbox
• One registered keeper for over 30 years, from 1988 to 2019
• Extensive mechanical recommissioning including gearbox upgrade, new clutch, exhaust and radiator
• Full exterior paint refresh with straight, dent-free panels
• Original blue dashboard and matching blue tweed GL interior trim

The Appeal

The early Mk2 Golf is becoming an increasingly sought-after classic. The 1985 model year, designated Type 19, is particularly prized for retaining features from the earliest production run - most notably the front quarter-light windows that were later deleted. In GL specification, the blue tweed interior trim and colour-matched dashboard give the car a distinctive period character that sets it apart from its contemporaries.

This example benefits from a stable ownership history. Its third registered keeper retained it for over 30 years from 1988 to 2019, storing it from 2005 onwards. Since returning to the road, it has undergone extensive mechanical recommissioning - the full scope of which is detailed below. The bodywork has been welded where necessary and treated to a full exterior paint refresh. Inside, the original blue dashboard and GL tweed trim have been retained, with the front seats professionally re-upholstered in matching blue tweed material over supportive GTI-style bolstered frames.

Key Information

• Mileage: approx. 110,000 miles estimated (the original instrument cluster stopped recording at 68,000 miles, replaced by a donor cluster)
• Country of registration: United Kingdom
• Technical inspection status: MOT/road tax exempt (historic vehicle)
• Technical specs: 1,595cc four-cylinder petrol, five-speed manual, right-hand drive
• Paperwork: Collection of original tax discs up to 2005, plenty of invoices and most recent MOT certificate

The Detail

• Upgraded from the original 4+E gearbox to a five-speed manual
• Brand-new clutch fitted
• Brand-new radiator fitted
• New alternator fitted
• New ignition coil fitted
• New starter motor fitted
• New distributor cap fitted
• Fresh gear linkage kit fitted — the vendor states it shifts well
• Brand-new full exhaust system fitted
• Bodywork welded and given a full exterior paint refresh
• Panels appear straight and well-kept
• Light surface bubbling at the bottom of two doors
• Front seats upgraded to GTI-style bolstered seats, professionally re-upholstered in the original blue tweed material
• Original blue dashboard and blue tweed GL interior trim retained
• Stored off-road from 2005 to approximately 2019
• Five former registered keepers, with the current keeper registered since April 2023

BEFORE YOU BUY

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