GOLF MK1 – BELGIAN GREEN FROG

You can easily notice someone with taste and there is no need to do too much to have a cute little Volkswagen that stands out. This picture of an outstanding 1976 model restored to the perfection by Guy proves it. Nowadays, the trend is to get as close as possible to the original look. Sometimes, just by ameliorating or modifying the running gear, the mechanics or the interior, you can get a stunning result!

“It was difficult, but for every problem there’s a solution; you just have to believe in it,” a sentence that Guy often used for a lot of documentaries about his wonderful Volkswagen MK1. Thinking about it on the way home, this sentence makes a lot of sense, I realize how life can change suddenly. Guy’s story is the perfect example; he managed to overcome all those challenges and continued to live his passion to the fullest.

I remember the conversation I had with Guy about his motorcycle accident with his Ducati when he was 22. This event changed his life completely and made him stronger and more determined for the projects he undertakes. His courage and his determination had a big impact on me. The restoration of his golf was no easy task but Guy managed to complete it almost by himself. His professional career did not stop there, he kept his job at the port of Antwerp and it is not unusual to see him in the evening restoring one part or another.

Winner at the Vw Days with his beautiful manila green (name of the colour) Golf.

Guy already owns some cars from the VAG group and his enthusiasm for the little Volkswagen golf 1 is not new. He had been looking for one for quite a long time. One day, he came across a Golf from 1982, the car fitted more or less to the project he had in mind but that was not exactly what he was looking for. However, he started to restore it little by little while keeping an eye on every small ads of Volkswagen golf 1.

A few months later, without stopping to scrutinize the small ads on the Internet, he found and instantly fell in love with that little “manila” green golf. “I was perusing ads on the internet and found one that was Manila green, exactly what I was looking for. It was an automatic as well, so things were looking up,” he said to me. He was exactly looking for this kind of Golf, colourful and with and automatic gearbox.

It was a very good deal, a golf 1 from 1976, almost the first series of golf called “swallow”, with little lights, little bumper, three doors and an automatic gearbox. The ideal base for Guy, who did not hesitate a second to turn it into an exceptional car. It is not absolutely necessary to have an expensive car to have taste and create the amazement. An incredible pair of wheel rims, a custom-made air lowering kit, a complete restoration and that’s it.

New chrome-plated bumper for the golf that just came back from the painting.

The restoration began a few weeks after Guy took the car back home with the help of his friends. He started by disassembling some parts and worked on some points of the body. And just like every other old car restorations, a disassembled part, then a second one, then a third one, and you have the entire car disassembled. A complete and detailed restoration could then begin.

The work done was not always easy for Guy. The motorcycle accident left him with a functional disability in the right arm. He explained to me that he tried as hard as he could to deal with the restoration all by himself. But, when two hands were necessary, in particular for the hardest tasks and the final reassembling, he had to ask the help of his friends who, of course, always showed up.

Contrary to the rest of the car, which was fully restored, the interior was spared and really well preserved for its age. A disassembling and a big cleaning of the seats were enough.

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