1.8T 20v AGU-engined 330bhp 1983 Volkswagen Golf Driver Mk1
Volkswagen Golf Mk1
By day Jake Nelson works on military vehicles. It makes sense that his Berg-kitted 330bhp 1.8T powered Mk1 looks as hard as nails. You’d be brave to wage war against this one…
Words: Graham Leigh
Photos: Chuff Media
BUILT LIKE A TANK
Mk1 1.8 T Hillclimb-themed road racer runs tuned 1.8T, Berg Cup kit & stripped interior!
Twenty-six-year-old Dorsetbased Jake Nelson is a coded welder for Babcock International who support the British Army with vehicle repairs. Jake has worked there for 10 years including an apprenticeship in welding/fabrication. Looking at the standard of workmanship on this gorgeous Golf, it appears that our fighting forces are in safe hands. Jake’s head was turned by cars at an early age. Dad, Robert is a huge motorsport fan and as a young boy, Jake would join him in the garage and witness him working on an array of cars including an MG Midget and a Renault 5 GT Turbo. Jake’s uncle Nik is a selfconfessed air-cooled nerd and also had a Mk2 Golf back in the day. Jake wasted no time in getting into a Volkswagen Group product. “My first car was a Seat Arosa Sport 1.4 16V. The car was modified before I’d even passed my driving test with a set of eBay special coilovers and BBS reps. I Couldn’t have asked for a better first car, not only was it quite rare but it was also great fun with 100bhp and go-kart-like handling.”
"Hence the self-centring centre caps I made that mimic the Rolls Royce items"The peppy Seat was replaced with a Raven Blue Lupo GTI. It was here that the modifying bug started hitting hard. The mod list included a full leather Mk4 Golf R32 interior, Momo steering wheel, smoothed front bumper, V2 air ride, Oz Turbos and a remap that took it up to a useful 140bhp. Next up was a foray with a French fancy in the shape of a Renault Clio 182. Whilst fun, Jake missed the solidity of a German and returned to VW for the Mk5 GT TDI that followed. After another Clio Jake purchased his current daily, a 2011 Mk3 Caddy. Originally a plumbers van, Jake has put his own spin on it, converting the back into a day/camper set-up. Wheels, coilovers and hybrid bumpers complete the package. “I bought the Mk1 in 2017. I was on the lookout for a project, something to mess around with in the evenings. I had always wanted a Mk1 Golf but with a modern twist.
This one came up for sale on a Facebook group and I jumped straight on it. I bought the car without even seeing it and paid for it to be delivered from Wales. The car was a rolling shell with a 1.8T placed in it and minimal interior packed in boxes. I got very lucky with the condition of the car. It had the usual rot in the rear arch corners and front sills but it was a good starting point and perfect for the ground-up build I had in mind.”
After going down the show scene route with the aforementioned Lupo, Jake was keen to follow a different direction with the Mk1 and plumped for a motorsport/track-orientated build. Jake started by cutting out the rust and welding new metal into the affected areas. That impressive eight-point roll cage that links into both front and rear struts was then fabricated and welded into place along with the seat rails. The chassis represents a well-thought-out package that, thanks to powder coating on the suspension arms and rear beam, looks great too. The suspension components are fully polybushed. The rear beam has additional triangular bracing. Up front, the Mk1 is fitted with both an upper and lower strut brace. Prosport coilovers provide the aggressive stance whilst Wilwood 4 pots on the front and a rear Mk4 Golf disc conversion take care of braking duties.
The Berg Cup-style front bib and arches are off-the-shelf items but Jake fabricated the side skirts and rear spoiler which help the car to flow whilst simultaneously retaining that aggressive flavour. “I felt the Berg Cup style would take it that little further rather than a stripped-out track car. I fitted the arches and splitter many times before I felt they were spot on. One of the main problems was there were no side skirts available on the market at the time, and it just didn’t look finished without them, the only way was to fabricate some myself.”
Building up the engine was the most timeconsuming and expensive part of the project. The goal was to make 300bhp but to do so reliably. The AGU 1.8T was stripped down and treated to Pro Race Engineering forged conrods and ACL bearings. Bosch 550cc injectors were fitted and a Garret GT2860RS turbo mounted to an AKS top-mount cast manifold. A large Toyosport front-mounted intercooler heads up the system and is visible through the de-bumpered front panel.
Jake fabricated all the intercooler piping, 3” downpipe and exhaust and made the wiring harness for the Omex 600 ECU. “My favourite modification has got to be the 1.8T engine conversion. The car doesn’t just have the looks, it’s got the legs to match. The sound of turbo spooling and the turbo flutter is pretty hard to match when you’re out for a blast over the weekend.”
The BBS RMs look stunning and measure a girthy 15x9” up front and 15x10” out back. The rolling stock is wrapped with trusty Toyo TR1 rubber. “Since that first itch to own a Mk1, it had to have a set of BBS RMs. They suit the car so well. Although the car has a motorsport theme, there was still a bit of the show/stance scene in me hence the full ceramic polish and self-centring centre caps that I made myself that mimic the Rolls Royce/Bentley items.”
That functional and beautifully made cage dominates the interior. The rest of the cockpit follows the same well-executed but performance focussed approach. Jake was keen to keep the essence of the Mk1 intact and went with analogue gauges from Stack and AEM to monitor progress. Corbeau bucket seats, Sabelt harnesses and steering wheel, a flocked dash, VW Motorsport shifter, lightweight door cards and Pro Race alloy swirl pot and fuel tank make no secret of the Mk1s racy intentions.
With the build complete, the Mk1 was stripped down to a bare shell and sent to Stu at Howes Car Body Repairs who did a great job of laying down the British Racing Green. The classy hue works well and lets the styling, wheels and performance do the shouting. Once back from paint, the car was built back up for the final time before going to be mapped by Andy at Phoenix Automotive Technology. “Since the start, the goal was to reach 300bhp, which I believed was achievable but my dad felt I was being over-optimistic and made a £20 bet that I couldn’t reach the intended target. When the car came back from the dyno with 330bhp he didn’t have much to say. I’m yet to receive the £20.” The Mk1 has been a five-year project where, impressively Jake has completed most of the build himself in his dad’s single garage, only outsourcing the mapping and paint. Starting at the tender age of 20, the project has been a learning curve and the results speak for themselves. Whilst long-term plans include a possible four-wheel drive conversion and KW coilovers, for now Jake just wants to enjoy the fruits of his labour and get out to some shows and track days. Sounds good to us. Now, come on Dad, put your hand in your pocket, it’s in print now.
"When the car came back with 330bhp he didn’t say much. I've not had the £20 either"