Golf VR6 - any tips?
Discussion
My brother has just sold his MR2 and wants to get one of these as he needs 5 seats now and can't face the idea of buying anything slower 
Anything specific one should look out for when looking at these other than the usual stuff? Finding an unmodified one is proving harder than I thought, although I understand the suspension is a good mod to have anyway due to the mk3's soft setup.
Anything specific one should look out for when looking at these other than the usual stuff? Finding an unmodified one is proving harder than I thought, although I understand the suspension is a good mod to have anyway due to the mk3's soft setup.
I went from a 92 MR2 Turbo to a 93 VR6 - albeit the 3 door. (and then back to an MR2 N/A)
cracking car -
check for the obvious accident damage etc, shutlines and all that.
the usual CV boot checks etc, head gasket etc.
i believe its a cam chain on the MK3 VR6 - no belt change
I lowered mine which of course stiffened the whole experience up - just as I like it.
in all honesty nothing major to report, I had 3 party warranty cover and didnt need it once, and this was on a car that was probably circa 8 years old with 80k on the clock. Oh tell a lie, the non VAG alarm used to play up a but. And the clutch used to stick too - seemed to sort itself out though?!
go for Full VAG history - and of course a tasteful example
theres plenty out there.
enjoy
(FYI they are pretty much on a par with a normally aspirated MR2 IIRC)
cracking car -
check for the obvious accident damage etc, shutlines and all that.
the usual CV boot checks etc, head gasket etc.
i believe its a cam chain on the MK3 VR6 - no belt change
I lowered mine which of course stiffened the whole experience up - just as I like it.
in all honesty nothing major to report, I had 3 party warranty cover and didnt need it once, and this was on a car that was probably circa 8 years old with 80k on the clock. Oh tell a lie, the non VAG alarm used to play up a but. And the clutch used to stick too - seemed to sort itself out though?!
go for Full VAG history - and of course a tasteful example
theres plenty out there.
enjoy
(FYI they are pretty much on a par with a normally aspirated MR2 IIRC)
I'd agree with pretty much everything that's been said, albeit a full VAG history wouldn't be on my list if it had been serviced by someone else with a good reputation. In fact, I'd prefer to buy one that's been looked after by someone like Stealth rather than a main dealer.
It's common sense really but take your time before taking the plunge. If you're prepared to wait, you'll find that there a lot of really good VR6's out there, it's just that their owners tend to want to hold on to them or they only come out to play when the show season kicks off from about April onwards. When the summer comes round, more people are wanting to buy houses or get married so sacrifices have to be made and the car's often the first thing to go. That's how I got mine...
I looked at some right sh!tters beforehand and ultimately found mine at the GTi Festival, Santa Pod. It's coming round again soon, April I think. If you can wait that long, you should take a look. You're bound to see some tasty examples and chances are they'll be owned by enthusiasts.
Common areas for rust that I found were the rear arches, occasionally the bootlid round the bottom of the window, the front grille (granted, usually an end result of stone chips that have been allowed to fester) and around the side skirts.
Good luck!
It's common sense really but take your time before taking the plunge. If you're prepared to wait, you'll find that there a lot of really good VR6's out there, it's just that their owners tend to want to hold on to them or they only come out to play when the show season kicks off from about April onwards. When the summer comes round, more people are wanting to buy houses or get married so sacrifices have to be made and the car's often the first thing to go. That's how I got mine...
I looked at some right sh!tters beforehand and ultimately found mine at the GTi Festival, Santa Pod. It's coming round again soon, April I think. If you can wait that long, you should take a look. You're bound to see some tasty examples and chances are they'll be owned by enthusiasts.
Common areas for rust that I found were the rear arches, occasionally the bootlid round the bottom of the window, the front grille (granted, usually an end result of stone chips that have been allowed to fester) and around the side skirts.
Good luck!
Another place to look for rust is under the boot handle where the number plate lights are, our '93 VR6 went there.
Gotta say it was a cracking car, we bought it with 80K on the clock and eventually sold it with nearly 140k no real big bills we had it services at a main dealer (cos it was practically next door to my work and they were pretty reasonable) and I don't remember having to change timing chains or gaskets.
In fact we liked it so much we bought another one a bit later on.
Gotta say it was a cracking car, we bought it with 80K on the clock and eventually sold it with nearly 140k no real big bills we had it services at a main dealer (cos it was practically next door to my work and they were pretty reasonable) and I don't remember having to change timing chains or gaskets.
In fact we liked it so much we bought another one a bit later on.
I have both an MR2T and '96 Golf VR6 so can give a back-back comparison. Both are stock. The VR6 has more poke than I was expecting, has as much grunt as you'll really need in a road car, and in-gear acceleration is not all that much off the pace of the MR2T. It is easy to drive lazily in town with all the N/A torque and doesn't need the same cog-swapping as the MR2 does to keep it on-boost. The VR6 suspension setup is, as mentioned, awful. It is underdamped and bounces around unnervingly on poorly surfaced back roads. Although it has plenty of wet and dry grip, the steering feedback isn't great, and feels rather vague when the car is loaded-up in a corner, particularly in the wet. It feels like it's about to understeer when in fact there's plenty of front grip left. Otherwise it's a great car, built like a Panzer, loads of room, reliable and fun to drive as long as the road is smooth. The MR2T with more power/torque, better suspension and fabulous brakes would utterly, utterly destroy the VR6 on a dry road or track, but is a cramped, high-octane-fuel-guzzling twitchy oversteer death-trap on a wet, drizzly Monday morning on the way to work. That's why I have both.
Oh, and I'll take the VR6 warble (drilled and unrestricted airbox) over the MR2's whooshes and dump valve noises everytime.
>> Edited by speedtwelve on Saturday 18th February 13:59
Oh, and I'll take the VR6 warble (drilled and unrestricted airbox) over the MR2's whooshes and dump valve noises everytime.
>> Edited by speedtwelve on Saturday 18th February 13:59
I've had a low- mileage (62k) '96 VR for 3 years and found it a great drive so far!
Not much more I can add to all the other advice on this thread . They are quite thirsty though , reckon you'd be Lucky to average more than 23mpg in town (at worst, 17 in serious city jams) but a better 30+ on open roads.
Also check that the 'full closure' alarm system works ok. Quite useful as it closes windows & sunroof automatically (looks cool too)
I've had two-miles-a-minute cruising pace on trips abroad with ease. 'Autobahn able' indeed!
>> Edited by A10ARF on Monday 20th February 17:49
Not much more I can add to all the other advice on this thread . They are quite thirsty though , reckon you'd be Lucky to average more than 23mpg in town (at worst, 17 in serious city jams) but a better 30+ on open roads.
Also check that the 'full closure' alarm system works ok. Quite useful as it closes windows & sunroof automatically (looks cool too)
I've had two-miles-a-minute cruising pace on trips abroad with ease. 'Autobahn able' indeed!
>> Edited by A10ARF on Monday 20th February 17:49
Buy a decent VR6 and you'll never regret it!
I used a low Mk3 VR6 as a daily driver and had an excellent time with it...it has loads of torque, is quite fast, has a superb growl (K&N cone), good feul economy and cheap running costs...it's the car that gave me the greatest pleasure of all cars I owned up to now, when considering the price/running costs.
Don't drive them nervous like a GTI 16V but drive them relax, let them roll, use the torque and you will be rewarded in double:-)
I'll never forget mine, they're just awesome.
Pay attention for a rattling chain (replace the tensioner at about 100k miles), keep an eye on the oil surgery (might take a litre per 1000 miles), use half synthetic oil and avoid full synthetic as the engine isn't built for such thin oil. I also had to replace two elements of the cooling system (car was 13 years of age). Be aware that the cable-gearbox is very sensitive so change gear with care!
Good luck and enjoy!!!
I used a low Mk3 VR6 as a daily driver and had an excellent time with it...it has loads of torque, is quite fast, has a superb growl (K&N cone), good feul economy and cheap running costs...it's the car that gave me the greatest pleasure of all cars I owned up to now, when considering the price/running costs.
Don't drive them nervous like a GTI 16V but drive them relax, let them roll, use the torque and you will be rewarded in double:-)
I'll never forget mine, they're just awesome.
Pay attention for a rattling chain (replace the tensioner at about 100k miles), keep an eye on the oil surgery (might take a litre per 1000 miles), use half synthetic oil and avoid full synthetic as the engine isn't built for such thin oil. I also had to replace two elements of the cooling system (car was 13 years of age). Be aware that the cable-gearbox is very sensitive so change gear with care!
Good luck and enjoy!!!
By the way here's also some ' Engine Tech ' stuff on the VR6:www.autozine.org/technical_school/engine/tech_engine_packaging.htm
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