£500 VW Golf - A PH thing to do??
Discussion
Still haven't found the right car for the right money in the "Six Grand for a bit of Evoness" saga, but Mrs Zee needs transportation. She's suffered on the bus for long enough now...
Yesterday morning, I saw a VW Golf for sale, 1.6CL E Reg, 118k miles, looks tidy enough for a car of it's age - only 1 month tax & 2 months MOT so that's where I can immediately knock him down from £500 to £400.
I know it's boring as hell, but it's beer money for a car that'll go for a while, will be reasonably sturdy for it's age, I'll get back what I pay for it in a few months when our 6k Evomobile finally comes along, it'll cost nothing to insure and I'll get a bit of peace
Meeting the guy to give the car & paperwork a coat of looking at in the morning.. I've had VWs before but never a Mk2 Golf - any specific things I should look out for on these cars?
Yesterday morning, I saw a VW Golf for sale, 1.6CL E Reg, 118k miles, looks tidy enough for a car of it's age - only 1 month tax & 2 months MOT so that's where I can immediately knock him down from £500 to £400.
I know it's boring as hell, but it's beer money for a car that'll go for a while, will be reasonably sturdy for it's age, I'll get back what I pay for it in a few months when our 6k Evomobile finally comes along, it'll cost nothing to insure and I'll get a bit of peace
Meeting the guy to give the car & paperwork a coat of looking at in the morning.. I've had VWs before but never a Mk2 Golf - any specific things I should look out for on these cars?
[sensible]
Mileage is not a great problem and the MK2's will cope with well over 100,000 miles without major problem. However it is advised to have the head removed at the 100,000 mile marker to have the valve guides, valve springs with the 1.6 models, and oil seals replaced.
It is always advisable checking for the following known Mk2 problems:
Rear sill corrosion.
Check that corrosion has not eaten away at the rear sill/wheel arch section. Repair here is costly as it will involve the removal of the rear suspension. It is a common MOT failure.
Wing Corrosion.
Corrosion of the wing itself is not a great problem, but if serious corrosion has occured where the top of the wing is bolted to the chassis you have problems. The cars rarely handle the same after the major operation has been completed.
Other Corrosion Points
Check the bottom edge of the hatch, and the bottom of the doors. Neither is a great problem to repair.
Suspension Bushes
Check the condition of the front suspension bushes. As a rule of thumb, if you can get your finger between the bush and the top mount it will require replacement.
Filler Neck
The fuel filler neck is extremely prone to corrosion leaving holes in the pipe. This will lead to rust and water entering the tank with potentially disastrous consequences to the fuel injection system.
Fuel Lines
The fuel lines run the length of the offside of the car. Check these have not corroded as this is another common MOT failure point.
Dropped Doors
A common fault is the door dropping slightly when opened. This is due to the door mount and is easily fixed.
Gearchange
Often the gearchange will appear soggy and loose. The nylon bushes in the extensive linkage wear easily, but a replacement kit will bring back it's precision at minimal cost.
Gaitors
Perished or holed driveshaft and steering rack gaiters are common problems but are easily fixed. These will be an MOT failure though if not checked.
Interior
The edges of the drivers seat often take a bashing, but otherwise the interior is sound.
[/sensible]
Mileage is not a great problem and the MK2's will cope with well over 100,000 miles without major problem. However it is advised to have the head removed at the 100,000 mile marker to have the valve guides, valve springs with the 1.6 models, and oil seals replaced.
It is always advisable checking for the following known Mk2 problems:
Rear sill corrosion.
Check that corrosion has not eaten away at the rear sill/wheel arch section. Repair here is costly as it will involve the removal of the rear suspension. It is a common MOT failure.
Wing Corrosion.
Corrosion of the wing itself is not a great problem, but if serious corrosion has occured where the top of the wing is bolted to the chassis you have problems. The cars rarely handle the same after the major operation has been completed.
Other Corrosion Points
Check the bottom edge of the hatch, and the bottom of the doors. Neither is a great problem to repair.
Suspension Bushes
Check the condition of the front suspension bushes. As a rule of thumb, if you can get your finger between the bush and the top mount it will require replacement.
Filler Neck
The fuel filler neck is extremely prone to corrosion leaving holes in the pipe. This will lead to rust and water entering the tank with potentially disastrous consequences to the fuel injection system.
Fuel Lines
The fuel lines run the length of the offside of the car. Check these have not corroded as this is another common MOT failure point.
Dropped Doors
A common fault is the door dropping slightly when opened. This is due to the door mount and is easily fixed.
Gearchange
Often the gearchange will appear soggy and loose. The nylon bushes in the extensive linkage wear easily, but a replacement kit will bring back it's precision at minimal cost.
Gaitors
Perished or holed driveshaft and steering rack gaiters are common problems but are easily fixed. These will be an MOT failure though if not checked.
Interior
The edges of the drivers seat often take a bashing, but otherwise the interior is sound.
[/sensible]
A friend had a Mk2 16v GTi (88 E) which had swallowed up 150k miles worth of tarmac before getting to him. A little ticky top end, but no major probs through 2 years of owning. Rust no issue on it, although interior was rather creaky.
From what I've heard from other sources they are pretty bulletproof.
From what I've heard from other sources they are pretty bulletproof.
This is so dull I hardly dare suggest it, but what about a H/J-plate Rover 216 for around the same money? Reliable Honda mechanicals, well-trimmed and equipped, very few rust traps. I picked up a '92 216GTi for £650 a few months back, and in that time it's done 5K miles and only cost me a fiver for a new rotor arm. Pipe & slippers image + 130bhp DOHC 16v engine surprises a few Max Power kiddies too 
The quite complicated carbs are absolute pigs on those cars.. I had one many moons back exact same model and year and the times it let me down. Auto choke would stay on for ages and it would get rich n stop, or after 10 or so miles ot motorway speeds it would get rich and stop, then if you tried to hustle it it would get rich and stop, or if you drove it quick round a long right hand bend it would blow out blue smoke (why????)then get rich and stop... after cooling for a minute it would be fine. I had 2 carbs one for summer with auto choke shut down and another for winter, neither worked very well. It also went through 5 steering racks in 3 years and unpteen cv joints. then the heater matrix went and covered my feet in hot antifreze and steamed the car up one busy rush hour on the way home. another time it caught fire outside my office. It looked like somone ahd lit a bonfire inside. I rushed out and seeing no flame opened the door and popped the bonnet and undid the battery terminal ..wished i had let the thing burn with hindsight.. nice RAC man took it home for me and after some chin scratching and earlobe pulling I reconnected the battery to see what would happen and it was fine..never did find out what it was but the light for the clock never worked again.. in the end I gave it away to a motor trade mate on the condition he didnt sell it to anyone local to me and I havnt seen the thing since... I really hated that car. But dont let me put you off mate !!
Oh and the VAG sunroof leaked so it smelt of mould.
Oh and the VAG sunroof leaked so it smelt of mould.
CarZee, I've told you, you could have my baby for 6k. Do you want a pic? Email me if you do. She is very lovely but I am changing my life a bit and am either moving to Poland to be with my gf full time until she finishes studying, or going to uni to get my computing degree 
to fund the Tuscan. Either way, the grale will have to go.
to fund the Tuscan. Either way, the grale will have to go.
As is an E30 M3 
My mate runs a Mk2 GTi with 150K plus on it, a few comments;
The rear suspension can sag badly if the mounts above the shock absorber wear out - there is a lso a metal plate up there that can rust away casuing the suspension to collapse.
The steering on the Mk2 was always VERY heavy without PAS - I would get the missus to try this before considering purchase.
The carb models (as stated) can be a pain, the injection is also a pain if it starts going wrong because the simplicity of the K-Jet system means it needs cold start valves/auxillary air valves/etc to run properly when cold. Make sure you see the car before its been run, diagnosing poor cold running will cost more than the cars worth and make it a pain to own in winter.
It its got a sunroof check it doesn't leak - they all do and then the carpets rot.
Check the spare wheel well - water collects in there and rusts it away.
If there's wear in the rack its a pig to change.
As has been previously stated a sloppy gearchange can be fixed with a new bush set and a new ball at the bottom of the gearstick - but don't underestimate how long it takes to fit that AND you have to re-align the shift afterwards. Did this to my Mk1 race car and it took bloody hours.
If the filler neck is rusty I'd avoid the car - the tank will be full of shit and therefore the carbs will be too.
There are more interesting (and simpler) cars around for £500.
The rear suspension can sag badly if the mounts above the shock absorber wear out - there is a lso a metal plate up there that can rust away casuing the suspension to collapse.
The steering on the Mk2 was always VERY heavy without PAS - I would get the missus to try this before considering purchase.
The carb models (as stated) can be a pain, the injection is also a pain if it starts going wrong because the simplicity of the K-Jet system means it needs cold start valves/auxillary air valves/etc to run properly when cold. Make sure you see the car before its been run, diagnosing poor cold running will cost more than the cars worth and make it a pain to own in winter.
It its got a sunroof check it doesn't leak - they all do and then the carpets rot.
Check the spare wheel well - water collects in there and rusts it away.
If there's wear in the rack its a pig to change.
As has been previously stated a sloppy gearchange can be fixed with a new bush set and a new ball at the bottom of the gearstick - but don't underestimate how long it takes to fit that AND you have to re-align the shift afterwards. Did this to my Mk1 race car and it took bloody hours.
If the filler neck is rusty I'd avoid the car - the tank will be full of shit and therefore the carbs will be too.
There are more interesting (and simpler) cars around for £500.
Thanks for the pointers Peter.
I had a proper look at the car this morning, checked all the usual things and the rust hotspots mentioned previously.
There's no rust on the car at all, even in any of the above mentioned places. It seems to have had sills in the last year or two - the underside is unmarked, it has a practically new full exhaust system. The gators all look good.
I was very surprised when I drove it at how heavy the steering is..
Really it's a surprisingly good car for the money. Just a bit of a culture shock even next to my Primula. So, I've told the guy that if he can get it a fresh MOT by the weekend, I'll have it. For less than the asking price.
Even if Claire doesn't like it, I can use it on the few days she does need a car and she can use the Primera, and I'd put the VW straight in Loot. With a 12 month MOT on it, I won't lose any money on what I'm prepared to pay, especially after a bit of a polish.
The time for prevaricating has passed. If the MOT is done without hitch tomorrow I'll have it. The one or two things I'm concerned about should be picked up in a (straight) MOT test and if they're not, they'll quickly become the next owners problem, but at least he'll have a car with a long MOT.
Nonetheless and in case this falls through, I'd be interested in what other £500 suggestions you have Peter?
I had a proper look at the car this morning, checked all the usual things and the rust hotspots mentioned previously.
There's no rust on the car at all, even in any of the above mentioned places. It seems to have had sills in the last year or two - the underside is unmarked, it has a practically new full exhaust system. The gators all look good.
I was very surprised when I drove it at how heavy the steering is..
Really it's a surprisingly good car for the money. Just a bit of a culture shock even next to my Primula. So, I've told the guy that if he can get it a fresh MOT by the weekend, I'll have it. For less than the asking price.
Even if Claire doesn't like it, I can use it on the few days she does need a car and she can use the Primera, and I'd put the VW straight in Loot. With a 12 month MOT on it, I won't lose any money on what I'm prepared to pay, especially after a bit of a polish.
The time for prevaricating has passed. If the MOT is done without hitch tomorrow I'll have it. The one or two things I'm concerned about should be picked up in a (straight) MOT test and if they're not, they'll quickly become the next owners problem, but at least he'll have a car with a long MOT.
Nonetheless and in case this falls through, I'd be interested in what other £500 suggestions you have Peter?
£500 quid sugestion Seat Toledo GT just got one for the missis last week, 1993 80K fsh, great body & mint interior. Its basically a vento gti and has mk 3 golf 8v gti engine and box. but coz of the Seat badge rather than being worth over £3k like a '93 golf gti is worth sod all, its no rocket but about as nippy as my old hack mk2 golf gti but with a fair bit softer suspension.
Just got to sort the registration out from Northen ireland, any one know if im gona get any hastle/import duty doing that?
Just got to sort the registration out from Northen ireland, any one know if im gona get any hastle/import duty doing that?
Thats right about them being a bit leaky.
My brother owned mine before me and he was giving some mates a lift last winter. It was so cold that the water in the rear footwell froze and the lad getting in slipped and banged his head.
Matey mateys site has a good 'anti-leak your golf' page.
Good luck.
My brother owned mine before me and he was giving some mates a lift last winter. It was so cold that the water in the rear footwell froze and the lad getting in slipped and banged his head.
Matey mateys site has a good 'anti-leak your golf' page.
Good luck.
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