Day 17; Start, start you barsteward!
Took me 3 hours to get the old starter off. its got more brackets on it than an Ikea wall. New one fitted, battery fitted and some fresh fuel and the car starts ok, if a bit lumpy.
Day 18; Ticking over nicely
Yesterday was spent fitting the exhaust manifold and getting the car to run properly. Some stiff linkages and mixed up vacuum pipes were hampering the tickover and the manifold had a 50p sized hole where the heat collector met it.
Some swearing and a hammer sorted that out.
Day 19; I can see clearly now.
Screen out, screen in. Got a screen supplied thx to a very helpful Maxxd member and I fitted it, with help from the missus in less than 45 minutes. Just need to refit the chrome trim to complete the car for the MOT now.
Got a door handle chrome (its that word Olstar- calm down!) insert locally too.
I already got's them! 
Coming along nicely man wicked!
sounds like youve put alot of time into this !
get some newer pics up.
Day 21; It shines again.
Well 20 days have come and gone, but to be honest - I haven't actually had 20 full days at the car. I spent day 20 doing houisehold related crap like DIY and cleaning to keep Kate sweet. She loves the car but other things have to be done too.
It took a week to actually get it home so I am going to take liberties and 'adjust' my deadline for the weekend - which is when I wanted it done by anyway.
I've sprayed up a better front bumper as the one on it was badly scuffed. Also received a new column trim and underdash pocket (missing) from Crazy Quiffs Mk1 shop.
The only other buys today were lots of tins of satin black, Gambia Red (off the shelf too), bumper paint and furry dice from Hell-frauds and a proper 80's retro fade sunstrip from a shop in Kirkby.
Today I drove it - yes, its a nice feeling - round to the front of the house and began to polish it. My buffer has died so I hooked a car battery charger up to one of those cheap hand polishers and gave it a go. Despite the shite nature of the polisher it was actually working with some G6 and water enough to convince me there was hope for the body on the Golf anyway.
I borrowed a mates buffer and bloody hell - the shine has come back. I have done 2/3rds of the car already and I am pretty happy. 19 years in storage had faded the sides pretty badly but it's coming up a treat.
Roof and sides to sill level have been done with the tailgate part completed. Tomorrow I will remove the bumpers and do the front and rear and the sills.
Hoping Aidan (can you hear me Aidan?) will have his wheels off for me soon as I am hating the steelies now.
P.S. - No pics as my phone has died yet again (crap Sony touchscreen) but I will borrow one tomorrow and post up pics of the shinyness.
I'm bored so I have rejigged the Photoshop image to reflect a few new ideas I have had since the last one.
The cooler has changed colour as I have now found that original Dr.Pepper coolers are in fact light green. I'm on the lookout for one but at over £200 it can wait a while.
Other changes are german style plates, 13" BBS rims and amber tinted headlights - giving that 70's/80's continental vibe. I've also changed the colour of the furry dice and added a the Carnell's tax disc and holder
Just ordered some german style plates from EuroPL8. Ones with the plakettes on and a cool sticker for the back window too. Crazy Quiffs are doing me proud and are sending out a replacement front spoiler and some springs for the front (yay!-I can lower it for the weekend now).
Hope you approve
I like the red cool box but suppose it needs to be right or you'll get some retro expert commenting about it being incorrect all the time.
Thx for that Al. Think I am gonna hold out for a cooler. If I don't get a 'Pepper' one Coleman did some cool retro ones in cream/maroon/red.
Day 22; Polish and paint.
Just got in from another day of polishing and more.
Stripped the rear end down,as well as the front and buffed up the paint. Some rust issues around the number plate holes and front wing seams but nothing scary.
Refitted the repainted bumpers and grille and did some more buffing on the sills and passenger doors. Still got some to do on the roof and one wing where there were stonechips but thats a job for tomorrow.
It's looking shiny now - need to sort the bonnet and get the roofrack on.
cant wait to see this, but am worried it will tip me over the edge and ill go and do a compulsive buy and get a retro german wagon
Vee haf vays off making you buy.
Not sure if we are keeping it but doing it has been an experience for sure. I'd certainly have a go at another retro wagen.
Day 23; Coming together.
Haven't done much today as I have spent the day on the phone to insurers and working on another VW.
I have received and fitted the front spoiler and number plates (in german style plate frames) along with 2 Maxxd stickers and another cool dub related one.
Been and ordered the Dr.Pepper graphics from Offscreen too.
Going to finish off the buffing and look at lowering it tomorrow as the front springs have arrived too.
I've lost the day count now. Due to the truck theft I have fell behind with the Golf but only a little.
The bonnet now has it's first coat of satin black which looks better than expected. Another few stickers have been added along with the lower dash trim that was missing.
Offscreen did a truly fantastic (and cheap) job of the Dr.Pepper graphics and once the sides are completely buffed I will be fitting them. I changed the design a little - using the 80's font and a stripe going across the rear quarter - like the original for that period.
It's literally just rims, springs and the rack now to get it as the Photoshop. Updated pics tomorrow.
WOW
I cant belove how quickly you have turned this around!
Took it for an MOT today not expecting great news.
Luckily the guy who tested it is always thorough and lets me know whats wrong and lets me have a good look underneath when its on the ramps.
As expected it failed - but not on anything drastic:
Front brakes - sticking on (due to 19 years in storage)
Rear brakes - doing nothing (due to 19 years in storage)
Indicators - inoperable (think there is a problem with the indicator switch sticking the relay on)
Fog light - inoperable on one side (we think it only has one as it was made before April '81, but the regs require it to have 2 as it was sold post that date. Easy fix, one wire from side to side )
Horn - think the horn ring needs cleaning
Thats all! The brakes were expected and the indicators have been an intermittent fault so I knew about them anyway.
On inspecting under the car it was declared a minter with no chassis rust at all. Just minor cosmetic panel rust to attend to. Happy Days.
It's in for the brakes to be freed off on Monday and the other minor issues sorted before I take it for the retest.
I can't wait to see this finished, this is what i'm trying to come across!