The Reeves Mk1 - 2006/7 rebuild, Spa vid p18, Ring trip p24, PVW cover car Jan 2011

Updated Intro - December 2010

Just a little introduction to the thread, for those that know the car and those that didn't until now.

LTF 130X was bought in June 1996 (from a Paul Roberts) for use as a trackday car. A 1800cc 8-valve ex-Toyo Super Saloons race car, it was swiftly upgraded for more speed with a 16v engine from John Jones / Audigolfhits.

Over the course of time, this car kept popping up at UK VAG track events, ever faster, but folks being none the wiser as to what was on the car. It was already becoming obvious that the car was a very quick one and was gathering a bit of a reputation as being capable of making Ferrari drivers look daft!

As the pace of track days ever increased, the car was later converted to a big turbo 1.8T engine spec. In 2002, it beat Tiff Needell in a Porsche GB-supplied 911 GT2, at a one-lap shootout event at Bedford Autodrome (aka 'Howfast.com'). The car's reputation soared. This day proved what could be done with a Golf, and for those who'd never heard of it until then, the event report put it out there for all to see. Prior and since, the car was assuming legendary status in the UK and beyond - simply known as "the Reeves Mk1", type it into Google if you need to check! - continually being developed as the ultimate incarnation of a FWD circuit-going Mk1 Golf. This USA blog summarised it well:

http://wolfsburgrs.blogspot.com/2010/01/legendary-car-reeves-mk1.html

In 2006 at the annual VW Driver/Audi Driver trackday at Castle Combe, the car was lapping at a frantic pace along with the Dialynx Audi A4 Quattro, when brake failure saw the Mk1 plunge into the tyre wall, unable to scrub off enough speed in time.

With the car in for a substantial rebuild, and Maurice Reeves acutely aware of the popularity of it, the green light was given to document the story here on Club GTI.

This is the story as it happened of the 2006/7 rebuild, and subsequent events, together with history and specification.

I've known this car for over a decade, it's always been one step ahead, just a little bit faster driven, bearing out the experience of its creators who've shown what's possible where FWD logic would suggest otherwise. It's a very different car to the normally aspirated one of the '90s, but it has evolved, experience compounded and compounded, proving the worth of gradual evolution and refinement. Over double the horsepower of the '90s, it's now a case of using what can be used, rather than asking for more outright. It'll do 150mph up the hill at Spa and for 1970s origins, in a production shell true to VW, that's not ordinary by any measure.

Sit back, grab a cuppa, and enjoy the read through 15 years of determination to take on allcomers with the original hot hatch, that conveniently happens to be, at least in DNA, the original, ground breaking, revolutionary Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The Mk1 Golf GTI. Updated

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Firstly, the pre-amble, where it all started: VW Driver Castle Combe Annual Trackday, 29 July 2006. Report from VW Driver:



Sit back and watch one of the most fascinating VAG dices I have seen in some years, and the incident itself:

[video=youtube;bIuSxglBSr0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIuSxglBSr0[/video]

The incident:



satelliteone: thank you ever so much for capturing this - genius, and I will pass on.

One of the many messages received from Club members:

GVK: "We were saying that the Reeves cars are iconic in the VW scene and how gutting it was to see the Mk1 in a mess"

A pic of the car, post incident:



(credit to ewang3 for this)

Progress today:

- engine/box/intercooler/ rad etc out



- donor car found, to take front panel, inner wing front portion

- slam panel cut off

- scuttle cut out (not needed)

- strut brace left on deliberately, since this holds wings in place, whilst decision made over jig checks











- jig diagrams received from Mr Hillclimber and passed onto garage/bodyshop (cheers - much appreciated)

- still some concern that the car will need to be put on a jig - the jig guy is currently away on hols

Some pics taken today - will upload in due course.

 

Chris, i had no idea. Not been online much lately. Was there mechanical failure leading to the off?

Just read the post combe thread Chris. What a shame, its an immense car and i feel honoured to have been a passenger in it 2 years ago. Hope it returns as good as before, Trevor must have been shaken up when the brakes failed, if only there were gravel traps infield to shave the speed off.

 

Forgive my ignorance
Can someone educate me
The reeves Mk1 - tell me all about it
The way it sits, the position of those rear arches and wheels is fascinating me!

 

Brake failure then?

 

it's gona be re-built thats great news

just watched the video , man thats a big off nice to know he made it out of it ok . such a shame to see that happen to such a awesome car and driver

 

Wat made it go off? It looked an awsome wee car. is it going to get fixed no matter how much? or just a new shell?

 

Was he knocked out on impact, or just in shock?

 

Always loved to know the handling/setup on this beast for it to corner so well.

 

Good to see it's getting rebuilt.

Is it getting rebuilt to it's previous spec, or are there going to be a few changes? Might be a good excuse to semi-space frame the front end, get the engine and box sitting lower and further back, etc.

 

Arrh mate that was well unlucky you were putting that A4 in his place, that car of urs shifts like HELL!!!!!. I hope you get it fixed soon and back to kicking a*** ways.

 

the more working mk 1's on the road the better!

so what was/is so special about the handling? or has it just been so finely the tuned to the divers ability

 

The car handles amazing... and it manages to put it's 400+bhp on the road with no dramas at all.

The whole setup has been expertly developed and is a complete secret...

 

That's why i mentioned it tub's , inner circles & all that stuff .

 

any more news / pics?

 

I took some pics last Wed, but am down the garage ATM prepping for the 'Ring trip, so need to keep going with that.

Latest news is that a donor car has been acquired, originally destined for donating front panel etc.

Further inspection of the car post crash, is that whilst the damage is repairable, the rest of the shell is getting on, and rather than use that, it may be an idea to use the donor that's been acquired.

All sounds positive one way or the other, but M says he's putting it back better than it was. New dash has been acquired, which I think he's going to get flocked, and a set of new P4P plastic windows.

Knowing how long shells take to get ready, I've already said he can have a day or two of my time with the spot weld drill and nibbler.

 

Pics now uploaded in first post.

 

Good to see they're not wasting anytime, but a shame it happened even so!!!!

 

The engine was out on the Monday after. Pics were taken late that day.

 

the crumple area worked well i see, just need some t-cut now

 

nice to see it's all moving along