Airlift MK1 Performance Air Suspension Kit : AP Manual/P4/3p/3h : 78503 / 78603

When Volkswagen needed a successor to the wildly popular Beetle in the 70,s they developed their first water-cooled, front-wheel-drive chassis called the MK1. This platform was perfect for the gas-rationed era, and was looked upon as nothing more than cheap daily transportation.

Fast-forward 30 years, and the MK1 platform has become the “hot rod” of the VW world. This chassis is highly sought after for everything from restorations to motor swaps—all the way to all-out race car builds. I am sure VW never dreamed their little economy car would be part of such a customizing movement!

The first thing you may notice when checking out a MK1 is the huge amount of wheel gap, which we find completely unacceptable. Sure you can help that issue with a set of lowering coils or coilovers, but do you really want to sacrifice ride quality just to go low? Air Lift Performance has recognized the desire to slam this car and has the developed the best all-around suspension on the market. Now you can a have a lowered stance, killer handling, and amazing ride quality—all in one suspension package.

After all, what vehicle doesn’t look better with a 5-inch drop up front? To achieve this much drop in elevation, the engineers at Air Lift Performance chose a progressive-rate, sleeve-style air spring mounted atop a black, powder-coated threaded body strut that replaces the OEM setup. This combination not only allows you to adjust the height with the air spring, but also allows you to change the length of the strut by adjusting the lower mount position, so you can really fine-tune the ride height you desire. Featuring adjustable camber plates carved out of T6061 red anodized aluminum, and 30 different levels of damping, this suspension will give you enough adjustments to turn your MK1 into a corner carver—not just a hard parker.

We used the same style of progressive-rate springs in the rear kit, giving you that smooth ride for daily use, and 30 levels of damping adjustment when it’s time to hit the track. The sexy, black chromed steel shock bodies—coupled with the bright red anodized end caps and lock rings—add some nice flair to the undercarriage of your MK1. All of this adds up to 4.9 inchesof drop from stock height.

Detailed instructions will help you to have your VW slammed within a few short hours. If you have the ability to wire a stereo or swap out suspension parts, then you should have no problem installing this air suspension. If you do happen to run into a snag, the Air Lift Performance tech support team is top-notch, and can walk you through any questions you may have.

In order to bring the most durable air suspension possible to the market, Air Lift Performance tortured the components of this kit to one million cycles (equal to approximately 100,000 miles) on their hydraulic test rig at temperatures from -30 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Couple this test lab work with thousands of miles of on-road testing—not to mention the one-year manufacturer’s warranty—and this is a kit you can count on to handle whatever the road throws down!

Isn’t it time you had the option of getting a killer lowered look without giving up ride quality or having to worry about scraping your ride? Ditch the springs and get to an entire new level of low.

Model Fitment:

1980-1984 Volkswagen Cabriolet 1979-1992 Volkswagen Caddy (pickup) FRONT ONLY 1974-1984 Volkswagen Golf 1976-1984 Volkswagen GTI 1979-1984 Volkswagen Jetta 1974-1984 Volkswagen Rabbit 1974-1982 Volkswagen Scirocco

Installation Details:

Modifications Req. Front: Some frame modifications required for axle clearance Modifications Req. Rear: NONE

Kit Features Front

Drop = 127mm/5.0
Progressive rate sleeve style air springs
30-way damping adjustment
Adjustable camber plates
Threaded body shocks
Monotube construction

Kit Features Rear

Drop = 125mm/4.9
Progressive rate sleeve style air springs
30-way damping adjustment
Threaded body shocks
Monotube construction

Modifications Required: Some frame modifications required for axle clearance.

Included with Each Kit

Pair of threaded body air over shocks with 30-level damping adjustment
Stainless steel air lines
1/4? & 3/8? PTC fittings
All mounting hardware
Detailed instruction manual

Air Lift’s 1-year warranty and excellent customer support