Hello. Just taken delivery of an early Mk1, it’s number 12231. My question is should I fix it or break it. It needs a heap of welding, new wings, sills, arches, hood, respray, floor chassis rails, front panel and major undersealing/waxing. It’s got the short nose crank too which I think is a disadvantage.? I can do all the mechanical /welding work myself, but not the respray.
Subframes are out and are crusty but salvageable.
What are the forums thoughts?
You didn’t mention if it’s a runner and how good a runner?
Been in a garage for 6 years but starts and runs done 113k kilometres, imported in 2003 with original hardtop
Would be a shame to see 12231 disappear into a load of other cars 
if broken. But of course it’s up to you about the investment put in.
Sounds a good deal of work to be done, if you’re up for it go for it. Of course after you’ve done the hard graft think how much the respray will cost on top of your expenses of fixing it up.
How much are you willing to sink into this car, money wise?
Yes that’s what I think, can’t make up my mind if it’s worth it!
If you count your time then definitely not.
Will have to bite the bullet and decide soon😳
Probably cost around £3k + respray, only £300 outlay to buy the car, I’m stripping the car down to bare shell so there are no surprises later on. I am assuming they are increasing in value!
Only unmolested cars are increasing in price, they have to be really good to fetch good money.
I’m guessing if you sink let’s say £3k into this car you’ll be hard pushed to get that back + profit.
Are there any in unmolested cars left!? It’s 31 years old
Seen a few for sale more recently, asking price around £10k even more, unwelded original low miles.
I assume as its in kms, its a Eunos Roadster. Chassis numbers o Roadsters started at NA6CE-100021, so you are missing a number.
Assuming it’s actually NA6CE-12xxxx, then it would have been built in May-June 1990, around the 12th month of RHD production.
In terms of short or long nose crank, there was a change in engine at NA6CE-110083, but another change at NA6CE-127441, when the final 1.6 iteration came in.
So, it might not be that early a car, but it might also be past the crankshaft issue.
Thrussington Garage restored an early UK car (March 1990) that was in a Motorpunk blog.
It was probably in a worse state than yours, thanks to more UK winters, but turned out ok.
Hello, it’s NA6CE-11xxxx, and it has only one hole in the bonnet landing panel. I’ve looked at the pictures on the link you sent and there’s not much difference in the condition of my car!
Thank you
I don’t know if my pics are on this new site but I finished my mk1 V Special a few month ago and it was a total rot box from the start but now it was well worth the effort of doing it
And I love it.
Ps.Did cost s a few bob like 
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Did I pass that VS disease to you, or you to me?
You to me a reckon
Jim,
You’ve fallen into a potential nest of avid nut job ( like me) Mk1 restorers regardless of costs, future investment considerations, or much else.
Be afraid…
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My VS is the 4th one I’ve done but I’m keeping this one lol.
Plus the others were no where near like what this was.
Only thing is I never do anything with the engine bay lol too idle.
And this one got the short nose with 174000 on it,
And it gets some stick but never flackers
It’s a heart Vs head dilemma I recon, scrap it and you save time money and probably some grief but lose the work already invested, restore it and you will still think of it it your old age with satisfaction, in my younger days I did this with a Beetle I rolled and a mk2 Scirocco that was rear ended and written off, did the work myself selling both for more than I paid for them, the Scirocco now being given tlc by a young VW enthusiast who loves it and still tells me of how it’s going, at 61 I won’t be doing this sort of work again though! will leave the big stuff to a good repair shop and stick to plugs and oil etc. Good luck with your decision.
Hello. After much prevarication I’ve decided to rebuild the early mk1
Photos attached. As you can see there wasn’t much sound metal to weld the new sill onto, so much fabrication was required. One side is ready for final welding and it’s been a steep learning curve so hoping to be able to do the other side quicker!