Pete Longden’s Mk1 Mechanical shows how a one-man enterprise mixing modern and classic proves a success.
Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911. If you were to name an ultimate trio of iconic German cars, good luck trumping that line-up.
A workshop full of icons
I’m greeted by this Euro threesome at Mk1 Mechanical on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, a one-man band VW and Audi servicing and repair specialist owned by Pete Longden.
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The blue Golf is the boxy Mk1 generation and looking every inch the street-registered race car; the Beetle’s in pieces but with a hot rebuilt engine in its rear, while the left-hand-drive 1981 911 looks immaculate and ripe for long distance sports touring.
Pete’s workshop is spacious and well laid out, giving ample room to operate and house parts, panels and spare engines.
I’ve seen city shops fit a dozen working mechanics into less space, so it’s unusual to find just one man on the tools here.
“I don’t want the headache of having an employee,” Pete said. “I’ve got a couple of friends who’ve had staff, and I’ve seen them change; seen it almost wreck them. I thought if I’m going to be a failure here, it’ll be because of me, it won’t be anyone else.”
A niche that works
The system’s working well from what I saw.
Mk1 Mechanical has been around for a dozen years, the business named after the first generation VW Golf. I don’t know about you, but I can’t recall the last time I saw a Mk1 Golf on the road.
Old Beetles and Kombis? Yep, they’ve everywhere. But the legendary Golf hatchback in its earliest form has become a proper unicorn.
Surprising, really, as when it was first introduced in Australia in 1976 (half a century ago now), it was Wheels Car of the Year and almost 4,500 sold. I have a 1977 edition of Wheels magazine and its new car price guide has the entry-level 55kW three-door Golf listed for $6648.
Feels pricey when less money bought a Holden LX Torana SLR, 3.3-litre Ford Falcon 500 Wagon or a Leyland Mini and Moke. The little Golf was a desirable thing, so it’s strange they haven’t survived in higher numbers.
It didn’t help that the hero MK1 Golf GTI version was never officially sold here: any examples you see are private imports.
Pete’s is one: a 1976 three-door, making it one of the very first examples of the hot hatch.
With 16-valve engine, 190hp at the wheels, race seats and roll cage it’s had a colourful racing life, all the while remaining street legal.
Built to be driven
It shifted a concrete barrier block at Noosa’s notorious hill climb; got friendly with barriers at the Mt Cotton hill climb, and there are wall-hung paint-swapped panels as a souvenir from racing in the 2017 Queensland Touring Car Championship.
It’s a GTI that’s used enthusiastically, and is deceptively fast: that’s what an 820kg kerb weight will do.
From parts desk to workshop owner
Pete started his career straight from school in 1990, working for 13 years in spare parts at Nambour’s Volkswagen dealership in Queensland.
After marriage and kids, he hit a career crossroads: play drums professionally in a band, or become a motor mechanic.
Oily bits won out over full-time gigging.
“I’d been working on cars at weekends, and on VWs in my backyard shed,” Pete said.
“I didn’t actually go through an apprenticeship, I got RPL’d (Recognition of Prior Learning), and the guy evaluating said ‘we can’t teach you anything, you’re all good working on Volkswagens,’”.
He set up shop close to home for a good work/life balance, and “stayed in my lane just doing Volkswagens pretty much.”
“It’s been successful because of the gigs I don’t take on,” Pete said.
“Some of this stuff can smash you. The other week someone came in and the car needed an adaptive cruise sensor – just go to the dealer. Same with the big stupid sunroofs that leak. You don’t touch them. That’s part of staying alive here; dealers have the proper tools for those jobs, so you go to them.
“Servicing Golfs and Amaroks pays my bills – timing belts, brakes and servicing – and it gives me time for mine and my mates’ cars.”
Passion projects and personal cars
He points to his beautiful California-import Platinum metallic 1981 Porsche 911 SC, bought from a friend who helped with an engine rebuild, and recently enjoyed on a Great Ocean Road trip with his wife, Tash.
“It’s not that fast, but there’s nothing like driving it. It’s the car you had on your wall as a kid.”
Then there’s the in-pieces Beetle that’s had a high-performance engine transplant sent from a Swedish tuning shop.
Next, a waiting LS-motor is destined for a mate’s Holden VS ute, and there’s a sublime Euro-look modified Mk1 Golf GTI awaiting attention out front. Plenty of variety on show here.
Modern cars, modern challenges
Later models? Pete isn’t about to recommend a modern Volkswagen.
“I’ve got a Mk5 Golf GTI (2004-09), and won’t buy anything newer,” he said.
“When I get asked what car do I buy for my kid, I say a Hyundai i30, Mazda3 or Toyota Corolla. I’ve had people in tears in here due to VW bills. A mother and daughter had a VW each at the local dealer with engines apart, and $13,000 and $18,000 quotes to repair.”
He offers advice to those considering a second-hand modern Volkswagen.
“You really need to go into everything, because it’s highly likely something’s wrong with it in some way, or not yet reared its ugly head,” he warned.
“The cars themselves are great, I’m only really talking about the drivetrain and gearbox.” The VW Group’s DSG gearbox, as most know, was hardly a byword for reliability.
A lifelong connection to Mk1 Golfs
Pete’s passion for early water-cooled VWs remains strong. He had his first taste of the Mk1 Golf when he borrowed his boss’ wife’s example when starting out.
“I took off down the road and I just went ‘wow,’ what a zingy little thing,” he said. “I never got stuck on Beetles, but I did on Golfs. I had probably a dozen Mk1 Golfs in my backyard at one point, and still own one of the only 236 Mk2 Golf GTIs that came to Australia.
“It only cost me $20,000 at the time.”
The workshop features a treasure-trove of VW parts. Boxes of mechanical bits, panels hung on the wall, doors on shelves and all those in-stock consumables that make Pete’s shop a go-to place for the Volkswagen crowd.
The reality of working solo
While the work’s rewarding, Pete admits it often becomes lonely on his own.
It’s something I’ve heard numerous times from solo-ing mechanics – mobile ones and those with commercial workshops — and a reminder of how important it is to try and have relationships or at least regular contact with local jobbing mechanics.
They may be rivals to some extent, but sharing experiences, bouncing around ideas or just having a good old fashioned bitch about the industry is vitally important.
“When diagnosing an issue with a car, it can be hard when you’re bumping stuff off Google rather than off the guy working here and having a chat about it,” Pete explained.
The challenges of modern engineering
Aspects that have proved frustrating on modern VWs, in Pete’s eyes, include the complexity of driver aids, and the abundance of brittle plastics in the engine bay.
He also acknowledged EVs have their place, but not to dominate in Australia yet. “But I’m a mechanic, and I’m going to like the sounds of an engine and how it all works,” he reminded.
Looking to the next generation
What about the next generation? Are there those who’ll be willing and able to work on old Golfs and Beetles in future?
“Kids need to get a taste of working on a car they own and in their own time, then drive it and think it’s great,” Pete said.
The gratification of fixing or creating something yourself, basically.
Pete references rebuilding his Porsche 911’s engine, while mentioning he was glad it wasn’t his first rodeo.
“There’s no better feeling than making something go better,” he said.
And that doesn’t happen if it’s a customer’s car. It must be your own.
“If you don’t get to drive it, or rock up at a show and have people asking about it, your car, there’s not the same satisfaction.
“It’s often hard, sometimes it’s boring as hell. I had a friend’s son in for work experience and told him it’s going to be rocker cover on a V6 Amarok day. First thing he did was undo the sump plug and burn his hand on the oil. Well, I wasn’t going to just get him to sweep the floor.”
Advice that stands the test of time
Pete says he’s buoyed to see young people still working on their own cars, even if the scene isn’t as cool as when he was picking up Mk1 Golfs for next to nothing.
“I’m so happy to be a 1972 model,” he said with a grin.
“I know what a carburettor is and how it works.
If I could give any advice to the next generation, it’s do your homework and read old stuff.
Old car books. And be fussy on your parts; check where they come from.”
And, as his enduring affection for Mk1 Golfs proves, work on the cars you love.
