5k: Minty Mark 1: 1984 Volkswagen Golf GTI
The Volkswagen Golf GTI Mark 1 was first available for the US market in 1983 and lasted only two years before the Mark II Golf was introduced. The Mk1 version is still considered by purists to be the best GTI and is prized for its quick reflexes and simplicity of design. Find this 1984 Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1 for sale in Jupiter, FL via ebay for the buy-it-now price of $6,500 with 6 days to go.
The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf (re-branded as the Rabbit in the US) was one of the world’s first successful mass production front wheel drive hatchbacks since the original Mini. The Golf is the spiritual ancestor to every basic economy hatchback since, from the Honda Civic to the Hyundai Veloster. The GTI is a hopped up version of the Golf and can be considered the granddaddy of every hot hatch from the Civic SI or Veloster Turbo.
The GTI is powered by a 1.8 liter transverse mounted inline-4 cylinder engine that puts out 90 horsepower into the front wheels via a 5 speed manual transmission. The funny looking container strapped to the hood is a vacuum reservoir and while it looks strange we’ve been assured by our VW expert that it is indeed stock and OE.
The GTI was available with a few interior options in 1984 and one of them is the crazy red color scheme with velour seats! This particular car is claimed to have only 45k original miles on the odometer and the inside looks minty clean for a 30 year old car, even if it does resemble a velour jumpsuit you’d likely find on one of the working ladies at a Tijuana brothel…
This car has had one recent repaint, which is probably why no-one has hit the buy-it-now button, at this price an original paint low miles classic would be worth the risk of the distance sale…but with a new paint job it really needs an in-person inspection.
See a better silver rabbit? email us here: tips@dailyturismo.com
Somebody hit the buy-it-now button already.
On the surface, this seems like one of those "if" cars:
If I had seen it earlier…
If I would have been in a position to inspect it in person…
If it actually was what the seller said it was…
Realistically though, there's certainly more to this than the listing tells us, because $6500 for a Mk1 GTI with 45K miles is such great condition as we are led to believe is an absolute steal.
The interiors were either the red velour with red stripes or blue velour with red stripes. For an "original" car it's lacking the original stripes on the lower side and the molding on the upper fender, door and quarter panel. All but the black cars had satin black on the rear hatch around the windows. Also the original larger aluminum bumpers have been replaced.
I had a '83 from new for six years. Great, great car from an era not full of compelling choices. I don't recognize the vacuum canister on the hood but I didn't have a '84. Best cost effect mods I thought was the Audi 5000-based larger throttle body for performance – or allowing the power to not fall off a cliff at higher RPMs. Second, far better than the more common upper strut tie bar was a lower unibody tie bar.
Fly GTI,
Doug
Gone fast and no surprise. A lot less money than the one listed BaT recently, and in far better shape. Great choice. In addition to what Anonymous said, the bumpers look like a Euro replacement. Not just the lack of overriders, but they seem slimmer.
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