Classic Cars / VW (Volkswagen) / Car for sale

Prime Example of a Non-Restored, Daily-Driveable Cabby

Sale price: $5,995.00 make an offer

Seller's notes: "Please see below videos of the car starting, etc. If you'd like any additional photos or information please do not hesitate to contact me."

Sale type: Fixed price listing

Technical specifications, photos and description:

Year:
1989
Mileage:
142,000
Engine:
1.8L 1780CC l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
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Prime Example of a Non-Restored, Daily-Driveable Cabby for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2.15) based on 285 votes
 Up for sale is my 1989 Volkswagen Cabriolet. oftentimes referred to as a MK1 Cabriolet (Mark 1 Cabby) as the car is based off the A1 Golf Chassis; despite being sold much longer that the original MK1 Golf. My reason for selling is simple; I do not have the dedicated garage/car port this Cabby example deserves.

Here is the quick take-away:

Two-Owner car. including myself. The previous Owner had the car from new in 1990 until 2011 (21 years!). All significant paperwork from date of purchase (window sticker included!) to current No Rust! Never in a major accident. garaged in the two winter's it has experienced. Everything works. the car starts everytime and runs perfectly once warmed (video of cold start below) Factory A/C Installed and blowing cold (as cold as MK1's get!!!) Heater installed and blowing HOT VW OEM Cabriolet Floor Mats Original interior in great condition Original Paintwork in great condition Newer black vinyl top with boot cover Newer ST Coilovers Includes two sets of wheels; aftermarket with OK tires. and OEM steel wheels with good Michelin Pilots Odometer reads 142XXX Miles. but is broken. Newer stainless steel borla exhaust New exterior window scraper seals installed (includes new but uninstalled)Bentley Manual Included
Car will be delivered fully detailed. with a fresh oil change. and the OEM wheels on at a ride height higher than shown on the aftermarket wheels.

Modifications are:
Hella dual tone air horn Techtonics Tuning Borla 2. 0” resonated stainless steel exhaust VW OEM dual downpipe K&N drop in filter New Performance plugs and wires MK1 Scirocco Wolfsburg Steering Wheel ST Coilovers & newer bushings Newer Pads and Slotted rotors 15x7 Deep Dish Drag Wheels with Custom Center Caps and spacers Hella Polished Aluminum Locking Gas Cap Single Round conversion with badgeless grille and E-Code Glass. Crosshair Headlights Period Correct Fifft Smoked Taillights Upgraded interior speakers with Period Correct Cassette Headunit MK1 OEM Golf Ball Shift Knob Eurosport 4 Point Lower Sway Bar (Really stiffened things up but hangs very low) Eurosport Upper Sway Bar Period Correct lamb skin seat covers for the Front (seats are mint underneath). Tons of spare parts provided
Here is the abbreviated story of the car:

I bought the car from a gentleman in California about three years ago. one Mr. Thor. Thor. as he went. was a rather meticulous German National/German car collector and was the original Owner since day one of this car. Thor kept thorough records on all repairs and modifications to the car. and regularly drove/maintained the vehicle. After a thorough vetting of me by Thor he agreed to sell his beloved Cabby to me.   He explained the car had lived in the Mid-West for a short period of time due to a job relocation. he was a traveling engineer for a large chemical company.   He assured me the car was never exposed to snow/salt.

Prior to my purchasing the car I had it inspected and tuned up in California by a reputable shop. The shop Owner. who has seen many MK1's. said he couldn't believe how straight and rust-free the car was. The shop replaced the head gasket. serviced the air conditioner. and installed all new engine belts. spark plugs. and oil. After the car was running. I arranged shipment from California to MD. where the car has lived for the past three years.

Upon delivery of the car there were several minor issues which required correction:
Motor mounts were shot (ordered new OEM mounts and had them professionally installed by NGP racing) Speedometer was not functioning (Installed a new speedometer cable) The car needed a detailing/polishing (Clay bar. and 3 stage polish. shines wonderfully for OEM Paint) The original windshield was pot-marked (Installed a brand new OEM VW windshield) There was a small crack in the paint on the front bumper (The car has original paintwork. with the exception of one previous repair on the drivers rear quarter panel and recently the drivers front fender/bumper; more on that later) The battery was weak (New Battery) The front suspension was leaking (Installed new ST Coilovers) The glovebox lid had developed a ‘bubble' (Purchased a good condition used one) Window scraper seals were toast (Installed new front ones) Ignition switch crapped out (Installed a new ignition switch) Oil pressure buzzer was going off in warm weather (replaced the oil with 20w50) As of current the car looks and drives wonderfully. The car is currently fairly low in ride height. but the height can be adjusted to the buyers taste with the coilovers. The car has never left me stranded. and I daily drove it for 2 years. The 1. 8 in this car is bulletproof if you stay on top of it. easy to fix. and the parts are cheap.

Rather than letting the pictures "speak for themselves. I will point out every minute. insignificant known flaw of the vehicle.  Here are the current known issues and things I would fix. if I keep it! I am being very honest and thorough. if you'd like additional information please contact me.

I have new rear window scrapers as well as BRAND NEW OEM VW Vent Window Seals (very hard to find and rather expensive @ $200). I would have these professionally installed. as well as the front window scrapers as they lift slightly in the heat (see picture). The drivers side vent window pivot mechanism is broken. therefore the window will not stay open. This is an easy fix with a $10 part. VW Part No. 171837455 The hood has some hard water spots and slight imperfections which will likely polish out. The tires for the aftermarket wheels are getting tired. still driveable but tired. The new strut mounts and bearings installed last year are already a bit noisyThere is a small bit of worn paint at the very top center of the windshield frame from where the opening/closing of the top over the years has worn it away. The car needs a little gas input to start up and sputters for the first 30 secs until warm. Once warm she runs like a champ. When re-starting the engine after warm. the same initial gas input is required to start up and get going. This may be the Cold Start Valve/Injector leaking a bit. but it has been this day since day one and hasn't left me stranded so I assumed it comes with a 20 plus year old. mechanically fuel injected vehicle. The odometer does not work all the time as the internal gear is split. This can be replaced for $20 and some patience. The speedometer works most of the time. and in the winter when cold make a screeching noise until things warm up a bit. The tachometer is bouncy but functions well. The top leaks very slightly from the driver b-pillar seal when driving in heavy rain (a common problem due to chassis flex). The boot leaks from an unknown area in heavy rain (cabbys have been described by fans as ‘wet cars'; hehe) The panel underneath the passenger glove box sometimes falls down and needs to be placed back up. Not a big deal. just being thorough. The black body trim around the car is a little faded. I would like to replace it eventually!The rear view mirror has a little haze on it from age and topless days. There are two or three very minor/small deformations (I wouldn't even call them dents) in the hood which are visible when the light hits the polished car just right.  Look to be from acorns or the like falling on the car at some point in its history. Re-install the timing belt cover.   I left it off as it is tricky to get off without hand tools. and this is a part I like to visually check every oil change.   Does not affect the car at all (it will be provided to the new Owner).
If you don't like the single round conversion I still have the ORIGINAL Grill and inner hella headlights. The grille still has the kamei brow installed. I also still have the ORIGINAL. yes ORIGINAL. exhaust!
The car has had only two minor repairs to the bodywork over it's 20+ year life; no accidents as evidenced by the Experian Autocheck above.

One prior to me. as explained by Thor. whereby a shopping cart careened into the drivers side rear quarter panel. He touched it up with paint which shows to this day. Two years ago. some jerk performed a hit and run on the drivers side front fender while parked in a parking garage. I was very hesitant to have the paint touched up so I went to a paintless dent removal professional and sadly the paint cracked when the dent was removed. So. the original fender was saved. and in perfect shape. but the fender required paintwork. I interviewed several of the local body shops and settled on one. They did a flawless job matching the 20+ year old paint. A testament to the overall condition of the original paint. I have the full service records for this work. Otherwise the car does exhibit some rock chips here and there. specifically on the front end. This is to be expected with a car of this vintage and OEM paintwork.

At some point in its life I think the car was fully rust treated. the coating still appears to be in tact to this day. When the exhaust was being installed they dinged up some of the coating and I demanded the shop epoxy over the exposed areas to prevent rust. To my knowledge. the car is still rust free and the epoxy areas have held up.

Typing this up has made me realize how much I love this little car. and how special it is. If I had a garage to park it in. she surely wouldn't be leaving. Maybe she will make it back to me down the road. but one thing is for sure; whomever the new buyer is. they are sure to have a gem of a MK1 Cabby.

Please reach out with any additional questions. or if you'd like to see the car in person in Maryland. or the greater DC Area.



Also published at eBay.com

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