OMS Restoration
At Online Motor Store Headquarters, our passion for auto-motion has a much deeper heritage than the founding of OMS in 2013 and is certainly not contained to just parts and products!
We have a keen understanding of the conservation aspect of the vehicles we love and cherish. Our passion for Volkswagen both as a brand and in the metal has transformed us into the business we are today.
In the background of supplying our parts and products to our fantastic customers 7 days a week, we always find time to hunt out the rare and special projects to work on and bring back to their former glory, normally sporting a VW badge on the grille!
This is our most recent restoration project, we will be keeping this lovely little Caddy and transforming it into our OMS Parts Truck! We hope you enjoy reading and looking, if you have any questions or would like to get in touch, we would love to hear from you!
Volkswagen Caddy MK1 Pickup 1990
A Caddy MK1 pickup has been on our wish list for a long time now, it took many years to find the example we wanted. As with most Volkswagens, the fan-base is so large and the modification scene within it even larger which made our task much more difficult! We love to see peoples personalities displayed on their pride and joy, but in this instance we wanted a real original truck, just as Volkswagen intended as it left the Wolfsburg factory nearly 30 years ago.
In June 2018 we found the truck that we had been looking for, albeit 300 miles away, she was worth the journey.
We love knowing the pedigree and heritage of a vehicle, this Caddy offered a great story. G342 LAH was registered and owned by Simpsons Volkswagen, a small independent Volkswagen authorised dealership in the Suffolk area in 1990. Simpsons used the vehicle as there parts delivery truck with a canopy over the bed. The gentleman we purchased the truck from actually worked for and drove this very vehicle when he was at Simpsons in the 90's! The original build sticker has even been retained on the cab bulkhead along with Simpsons Volkswagen badges on the windows, truly amazing after all of these years!
Sitting proud on her original, unaltered rear leaf springs, boasting the factory spec 1.6 petrol engine and 4 speed gearbox, having covered only 85,000 miles in her 28 year working life!
The 1980's utilitarian design of the interior truly strikes a cord with us, we feel it would be sacrilege to change such a perfectly naive, use-able piece of design which just oozes of the era it was commissioned. Instead we will be endeavoring to source the original material to repair the drivers seat. The retro analogue instrument dials and clock next to the original Cassette radio, sitting in the perfect condition dash are very cool!
The rear tailgate showcasing its pressed metal VOLKSWAGEN logo is the synonymous part when it comes to the Caddy MK1, we love it (with the exception of the garden gate hinges which have been added at some point!) The rear bed has been preserved by the canopy cover it had when new, tonneau cover at a later date and also by the sealant its former owner has used, we have grand plans involving a bespoke wood bed conversion for the rear!
All in all this example is in good mechanical order and boasts solid bodywork, most importantly to us incredibly original with the provenance to reinforce it. We always had in mind a sympathetic restoration including a visit to the coachworks along with various replacement parts which will bring this MK1 back to life after living out her 28 years as a working vehicle.
Work Begins
We have been busy sourcing the now hard to find parts required for our truck, a shopping list which is naturally being added to by the day!
In the meantime the Caddy has paid a visit to our trusted coachworks for a careful and thorough touch of their expertise. Boy does she look good..
We have added only a handful of tasteful extras including the chrome waistline and sill trims and window winder handles for that bit of subtle jazz!
Now that the 14 inch steel wheels have been powder coated they are really popping in the sun!
She of course retains her original colour, Alpine White, a very crisp shade.
She is now in for mechanical tinkering including new timing belt, water pump, full service and other touches to get the most out of the reliable smooth and pokey 1.6 petrol! We can't wait to get started with the rear bed and our bespoke wood lining, watch this space!
Back to her Prime - 23/02/2019
We couldn't have hoped for a better finished project, this Caddy has come together so well. Finished firmly to the highest quality, whilst retaining utter originality throughout, exactly how Volkswagen intended 29 years ago when she left the Wolfsburg factory. Keep an eye out for us at the shows!
