Advice on this car buying situation; nothing serious

[Diabolik]

Evening all,

I've been looking at a particular car, it's not in the PH classifieds but an owners club site - the advert was good, plenty of pictures clearly showing they are enthusiastic about said car, car looks in spot on condition for it's age (had a respray mind, as many have), full history, etc.

All seemed good at first, and I sort of 'set my sights' on the car, as there are so many crappers of this particular model, I sort of told myself if this car isn't right, I'm going to quit looking; however now I am starting to get a bit wound up.

After digging round some of the blokes old posts, I found out a car he owned failed it's MOT for rust in December. Doesn't mention what car and I know he has other old cars so I sent repeated emails asking for the necessary details to fill in an MOT history check - I was told he would find them but he never got back to me after asking repeatedly.

The car has run out of MOT (which leads me to believe it could be the car that failed just a few weeks earlier in Dec), and I have been told the seller will put one on - in a response he told me "it should be booked in for Tuesday"(this Tuesday, was told this a week or so ago), today came and he updated me after chasing him "it was booked in but they were too busy, should be done tomorrow". This has never happened to me before, is it even possible?

If he gets back to me tomorrow, then fair play I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as he did say he's been busy, but I just get fed up when sellers seem like they aren't even bothered if they sell the car or not!

Head says walk away, but car cravings tell me (from the pictures) it's the nicest one about.

Anybody made the same mistake? It's damn hard when you've set your sights on one, guess you always have to be prepared to walk away!

[xcentric]

walk unless the MOT appears rapidly.
there will be others.

or

trust your judgement, and budget/haggle a decent sum to get it through any unexpected problems.

it's your call on the risk. Me, I'd walk, at this point.

[Efbe]

I wouldn't trust the MOT to be honest.

check and double check the car for rust. did his posts say where the rust was?

most likely if a car has rust in one spot, it will have it elsewhere, you will need to get right under it and check what framework you can.

I know of places that will issue an MOT for mates regardless of condition, so don't solely rely on them.

how much is the car going for?

[mybrainhurts]

Don't trust owners' clubs.

I bought one from a well known member who appeared to be well respected. Needed the cash for a house deposit, was the story. Missing an oil temperature gauge, which he'd sent back under warranty, so a new one would be winging its way back, sharpish.

I took all the forum good regard for the car at face value and didn't investigate thoroughly. Even paid over the odds for what should have been a good example.

Big mistake. Gearbox oil cooler was held on with plastic ties and fell off at high speed, oil temp gauge never turned up and Mr Jolly Nice-Bloke never replied to emails.

Later found an old post in the forum about the front tyre that blew at 165mph.

This is why the front wing doesn't fit, probably, and why the car feels unnervingly vague on fast right handers.

It appears chummy didn't need the cash for a house. He immediately started building another one.

Lesson learned.

[Diabolik]

The more I'm thinking about it now, the more I am put off.

Forgot to mention, in the guy's post about the rust, which was round one of the seatbelt mounts, he asked if he would get away with sticking some metal over the patch so the MOT'er wouldn't find it - luckily everybody advised against it but it's worrying as a general attitude.

I've got nothing to lose by waiting til tomorrow to see if there is any update, but if not then I will go for my second option, which is incidentally a very different car.

Car is a 26 year old Golf GTI, at £1700 which I guess is why I'm having the problems I'm having.

[Efbe]

mybrainhurts said:

Don't trust owners' clubs.

I bought one from a well known member who appeared to be well respected. Needed the cash for a house deposit, was the story. Missing an oil temperature gauge, which he'd sent back under warranty, so a new one would be winging its way back, sharpish.

I took all the forum good regard for the car at face value and didn't investigate thoroughly. Even paid over the odds for what should have been a good example.

Big mistake. Gearbox oil cooler was held on with plastic ties and fell off at high speed, oil temp gauge never turned up and Mr Jolly Nice-Bloke never replied to emails.

Later found an old post in the forum about the front tyre that blew at 165mph.

This is why the front wing doesn't fit, probably, and why the car feels unnervingly vague on fast right handers.

It appears chummy didn't need the cash for a house. He immediately started building another one.

Lesson learned.

you should burn it down:P

but am surprised to be honest, hope you ruined his reputation on that board, not much else you can do

[paulrussell]

Diabolik said:

The more I'm thinking about it now, the more I am put off.

Forgot to mention, in the guy's post about the rust, which was round one of the seatbelt mounts, he asked if he would get away with sticking some metal over the patch so the MOT'er wouldn't find it - luckily everybody advised against it but it's worrying as a general attitude.

I've got nothing to lose by waiting til tomorrow to see if there is any update, but if not then I will go for my second option, which is incidentally a very different car.

Car is a 26 year old Golf GTI, at £1700 which I guess is why I'm having the problems I'm having.

I'd have a very good look at the car as that is the only way to tell if it is as described.

[Diabolik]

Will do. Would be so much easier if I had the bloody V5 reference number so I could run a MOT check, instant info/peace of mind!

[skeggysteve]

Diabolik said:

...he asked if he would get away with sticking some metal over the patch so the MOT'er wouldn't find it...

If the seller is thinking of doing this ask yourself what esle had he/she done/not done.

If you are really set on a GTI you will, in time, be able to find a better looked after one.

[icepop]

That'd be a mk2 GTI I'd guess. Is there something special about that one, my son got an absolute minter MK 4 GTI turbo for £2700 last year,85k, and they are availble for around £2k now. That's with the 20v AUDI engine, bulletproof. Regardless, the whole thing sounds odd, when there are better later models available for around that price.

[Diabolik]

Insurance for 19 y/o on a 1.8T is a joke....the N/A 2.0 is said to be slow?

Edited by Diabolik on Wednesday 12th January 01:14

[icepop]

Yep, see where you're coming from, 1.8T is quite high insurance for my lad at 26, and yes the 2lt is OMG soooo slow, what a travesty to call it a GTI. Been there, done it, he's had two Impreza's between the ages of 21 and 25, one a MK5 UK 300 tuned by Andy Forrest, 300 bhp, followed by a std STI MK6, bhp again 300, luckly both were insured by CCI, on a track car insurance for less than £1k each one. If I might offer one piece of advice, drop the search for a GTI Golf and get a 105/130 TDI version, high milage is no problem on the 1.9 engine, maybe chip it, (that'll be up to you ), lowered, rs4 wheels, nice motor, and more importantly affordable, leaves more beer vouchers at the end of the week.

[rallycross]

Of course it will have needed some bits of welding in it's life as long as it's done ok what's the problem ? And welds for seat belt mounts can be a simple job just check it's nicely done and has been undersealed.

[rallycross]

Most 1985 golfs will have needed some welding by now for Mot work

[300bhp/ton]

Diabolik said:

Car is a 26 year old Golf GTI, at £1700 which I guess is why I'm having the problems I'm having.

No offense, but if you are having issues at looking at such cars, then don't buy one at all. Just stump up for a finance deal on a 12 month old car instead.

Any classic or older car should be inspected and driven. Take it for what it is. In this country all old cars will require work at some point or another and as far as I know, steel rusts - period!

Also it's only a £1700 car, if you've been bombarding the seller with questions and emails and not really given any indication that you are likely to hand money over - then you might have just pissed them off and come across as "just another time waster...."


I'm not sticking up for them, or trying to shoot you down. But have you actually been and looked at the car yet?

[GreatGranny]

Is that an early MK2 or late MK1?

£1700 is cheap for a good MK1, prob about right for a good small bumper MK2. All to do with condition though. Go and have a look and your gut will normally tell you if its worth buying.

[300bhp/ton]

icepop said:

That'd be a mk2 GTI I'd guess. Is there something special about that one, my son got an absolute minter MK 4 GTI turbo for £2700 last year,85k, and they are availble for around £2k now. That's with the 20v AUDI engine, bulletproof. Regardless, the whole thing sounds odd, when there are better later models available for around that price.

No offense, but the MK3/4 look lardy and drive lardy.

[300bhp/ton]

doogz said:

300bhp/ton said:

icepop said:

That'd be a mk2 GTI I'd guess. Is there something special about that one, my son got an absolute minter MK 4 GTI turbo for £2700 last year,85k, and they are availble for around £2k now. That's with the 20v AUDI engine, bulletproof. Regardless, the whole thing sounds odd, when there are better later models available for around that price.

No offense, but the MK3/4 look lardy and drive lardy.

People may say the same about some American cars.

Maybe, but different sort of car and bought for different reasons.

But I'm fairly confident that despite how "modern" a MK4 Golf might feel, I doubt it's as much fun or flighty as a MK1 or 2. And for me that'd make it one huge disappointment


Oh and besides, a nice V8 and a rather decent turn of speed make up for a lot of things with a pony car And many are no more lardy than a BMW 3 Series

[icepop]

Call it a gut feeling, but do you purchance own a big American car . You are correct however, the mk iv was not the best of it's mark, but makes an excellent and generally reliable second hand buy, 1.8T, good on fuel too.

[300bhp/ton]

icepop said:

Call it a gut feeling, but do you purchance own a big American car . You are correct however, the mk iv was not the best of it's mark, but makes an excellent and generally reliable second hand buy, 1.8T, good on fuel too.

No I own a fairly small American car...



Not wanting to get into a debate on the pros or cons of a MK4 Golf, but I just personally don't see one as offering the same things a MK1 (or MK2???) does. You'd buy them for different reasons.

MK4 because:

-you are a chav
-you think having a Golf makes you superior
-you need a mode of transport to get from A to B and don't really care or know about cars
-you think its fast because it has a turbo

I know you can tune the 1.8T to pretty good HP, but it still leaves the rest of the car...


If you are considering a MK1 (maybe a MK2, although they aren't quite their yet IMO):

-You are buying it because you WANT it
-like it's heritage
-because its a modern classic
-because you can get classic insurance on it
-because you are an enthusiast
-you like the less isolated and better drive and feel it offers compared to most modern hatches
-because they are known as drivers cars

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Wednesday 12th January 12:20

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Wednesday 12th January 12:20