Old VW Restoration Help

[Quomodo]

Hello, my good people!

I'm trying to restore my grandfather's 2-door Golf MK2. Can you suggest a garage or a place for this project?

It's not a rust bucket, but there's some work to be done. My idea is to completely dismantle everything, sandblast it, and then proceed with tinkering, painting, etc.

What do you guys think? Does anyone know of a specialist in old VWs?

TIA!!

[iRage]

Where are you ?

Now...here is the reality of restoring cars in Sri Lanka.

Skilled labor, especially for bodywork, is non-existent. Only a handful of tinkerers have the skill, and they have plenty of work that they really don't care about taking on more work, let alone even think about finishing a new project.

You will have to run around to multiple garages and constantly keep track of the progress. There is no one-stop shop for restorations in SL. One garage will be good with engines, another with suspension, another with electronics, another with sandblasting, etc. The list goes on.

Finding parts for restoration within the island is an absolute pain, especially after all the import hoobla.

If you are going to do a proper restoration, it is going to cost twice as much as you initially expected it to. Why? Because once the car is stripped, you are going to discover more work. Then, once you do one thing properly, you realise all that effort is a waste unless you fix something else properly as well, and it is a domino effect. Then, the costs of parts change drastically. So be prepared for all this.

So...do not take on a restoration job unless you are fully committed and willing to put in the time and effort.

Now. Should you do it ? Considering the sentimental value it holds, you should. Also, if you are into cars and mechanically inclined it will be an amazing learning and growth experience for you

 

[Quomodo]

6 hours ago, iRage said:

Where are you ?

Now...here is the reality of restoring cars in Sri Lanka.

Skilled labor, especially for bodywork, is non-existent. Only a handful of tinkerers have the skill, and they have plenty of work that they really don't care about taking on more work, let alone even think about finishing a new project.

You will have to run around to multiple garages and constantly keep track of the progress. There is no one-stop shop for restorations in SL. One garage will be good with engines, another with suspension, another with electronics, another with sandblasting, etc. The list goes on.

Finding parts for restoration within the island is an absolute pain, especially after all the import hoobla.

If you are going to do a proper restoration, it is going to cost twice as much as you initially expected it to. Why? Because once the car is stripped, you are going to discover more work. Then, once you do one thing properly, you realise all that effort is a waste unless you fix something else properly as well, and it is a domino effect. Then, the costs of parts change drastically. So be prepared for all this.

So...do not take on a restoration job unless you are fully committed and willing to put in the time and effort.

Thanks for the reply, Machan! I'm located in Kandy, so it's an absolute pain to find a proper garage here. I gave up and am now thinking of bringing the car to a restorer in Colombo. I know it's going to be a hassle, but I'd rather take that chance.

Luckily, the engine is in top-tier condition, and I have a good mechanic who can handle the suspension, electronics, etc. As for the parts, I found a place called Golf House, which specializes in VW parts. The only trouble I'm having right now is finding a place that can do proper painting work.

6 hours ago, iRage said:

Now. Should you do it ? Considering the sentimental value it holds, you should. Also, if you are into cars and mechanically inclined it will be an amazing learning and growth experience for you

Absolutely, Machan. I'm in love with this car, so I can't wait to get it up and running.

 

 

[iRage]

58 minutes ago, Quomodo said:

I'm having right now is finding a place that can do proper painting work.

To be quite honest...painting won't be a problem. Your problem will be doing the tinkering work. and by that, I mean everything from fixing rust to removing dents to smoothing out the surface. 99% of the tinkering guys in the country just want to fill the car up with filler/catloy.

[chathun]

Select a good workshop carefully otherwise you will  suffer specially tinkering guys are very dangerous. I have lot of experience of that I restored a classic car and waste lot of money and time on wrong people.