NAF

Thinking of buying one of the above . .
Whats the difference between the models ?
What should I look out for ?
Is the 8v better to get than the 16v ??
so many questions
Any help appreciated !

TheBigMan

For what purpose??

Daily drive?? Track car??

Answers questions with questions....!!

NAF

lol
Daily drive ..

TheBigMan

Was looking at these as a track car. Mk2 16v is quickest by a long way. Mk1's do cost due to the fact they are older cars, older technology. There are quite a few known problems that can be reasonably pricey.

Hopefully there are some experts on here.

If it was me, Mk2 16v every time.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

For daily use, unless you can get a very original and tidy one, a MK1 is not really a good idea, the brakes are crap and they are now at least 21 years old ! The Mk2 is a better bet, still my favourite, have had six Golf GTI', 2 Mark 1's and 4 Mark 2's, the Mark 2's are easier to live with but a well sorted Mk1 is just plain mental, mine was about 150 bhp, GTI engineering 1.9, also had a 1.6 MK1 as an 18 year old when all my mates had Capri's and Mantas, The Golf so much faster in every area.

Engine wise, I prefer the 8 valve having had both due to the low down grunt, they feel quicker than the 16 valve most of the time, except when you really want to go for it you miss the top end of the valver. The best would be a tuned 2.0 MK3 16 valve in a MK1 shell, best of both worlds, really Mk1's need a lot of fettling to get them up to scratch, not just the engine, brakes as mentioned before, replace all the suspension, bigger wheels etc etc and it can get mega expensive, having been there !


Get the best Mk2 you can afford, drive both an 8 and a 16 valve and see what you prefer, drive a few as a good 8 valve can be as quick as a tired 16 valve, a tired 8 valve is just plain ****, they should still feel reasonably brisk, the earlier MK2's (84 - 86) had mechanical injection (same as the Mk1) which is ok when new but gets worn and looses performance, go for the later Digifant electronic version, or sod it and fit throttle bodies.

Some people have been bunging the 1.8 T engines in. My old one ended up with a VR6 unit in, never got a go but I am sure that was fun if a little nose heavy.

Avoid anything with a G60 blower on it, i.e. the G60 or the Rallye unless you are very keen, or its had a new one as its expensive to replace.

Watch out for rust, my last one which we had from new went under all four wheelarch covers, rotten, had to fit new wings, cheap enough but a big job. The earlier Mark 2's seem better protected than the later ones.

If you do want a Mark 1, spend some dosh on one thats already been done, I spent a fortune, sold it to a mate, he spent more and he sold it to another mate who has had it in his garage for 7 years in bits having spent a fortune !

TheBigMan

J4CKO - funny you say about the G60's being expensive. I've seen many articles saying how they are no more expensive (minimally more) to run than a 16v. The supercharger is a cheap re-build job, contrary to common belief.

I still like the VR6, with uprated suspension - yum. Find a good one though!!!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Oh and forget the five door, the shells have the rigidity of a snotty hanky, especially after all this time, I had one five door and you couldnt open the door with it jacked up, well you could, just couldnt shut it again !

Watch out for wet carpets, the windows leak on some and its a pain to sort out.

16 valve quickest by a long way ? nah, have had both and the 16 valve was quicker but only right up the rev range, the 0-60 was only about half a second quicker anyway, the 8 valve is easier most of the time but the 16 valve does have a nice top end rush. There doesnt seem to be much price difference between them.

scoobydooooo

iv'e had 2 mk2 8v golfs and loved them , my lodger still has my last one and it still goes quite well , i loved the handling it saved my life on a couple of occasions . it must be hard though to find a really good one these days , cos they have all been thrashed

SKool

typical things to look for on the mk1 are rusty fuel filler necks and rust around the fuse box which is common... both need replacing..

I personally prefer the looks of the mark 1, take alook at this site and see what has been done to the body work to some mental golfs...

http://www.cleaned.be/gallery/index....&action=images

barrybudden

http://www.supergolfs.co.uk/
http://www.matey-matey.com/index.shtml (This has a very good buying guide)
http://www.golfgti.co.uk/
http://www.volkswizard.co.uk/
http://www.wagenwheels.co.uk/

I've had 3 GTI's and it broke my heart to sell the last one, it was a great car. If I was buying one I would go for a 1992 run out 8v 3 door model, with FVWSH and as low miles as I could get.

Make sure the MAF still works, check inside the boot there should be a factory sticker on there under the lock if not its been smashed. Check the carpets as the doors leek this is easy fixed. Take off the door cards and replace the plastic. Or it could be the dranes from the sunroof these clog up and you will need to push a long piece of wire through it. Make sure the sun roof works properly. Check the boot door and doors for rust. All the usual other checks pannel gaps etc, engine.

I personaly wouldn't buy a modified car with big wheels etc. The standard ones are worth more and theres less chance it would have been thrashed than the max power muppet motor.

They are a great car and easy to run and look after. When I get my hous built if there is any oney left I'll get one.

barrybudden

If your wife/girlfriend will be driveing it make sure it has power steering as they are very heavy, if it isnt check the tyres haven't been over inflated.

crofty

I have got a 1990 Gti convertible effectivley the Mk1, great car has had a lot of money spent already but looks stunning for its age, has a few issues which i am in the process of sorting out. worth considering.

Andrew Dixon

I'm on my 3rd Mk2 8v GTI. It really is a superb all round daily driver. It's still relatively easy to find a 'genuine' un-messed-with Mk2, as opposed to trying to find a good Mk1 GTI! £3000 should buy you an absolutely mint late 8/16v - dropping down to around £1000 for something still perfectly usable.

Personally I prefer the torquey feel of the 8v to the 16v, even though the 16v is ultimately faster and (usually) better specced. The 16v is the better choice for track day use - later model have bigger brakes too, and the 9A 2 litre 16v engine drops in without too much trouble.

I bought my current on from Mark at GolfsGalore, and I can throughly recommend him to source you a good car.

The Club GTI Forum is a good place to find information, and there are often well looked after cars up for sale there.

Good luck. Find a good 'un and you won't regret it. Promise!

CLSII

I had a well run in Mk II 16v on an F plate several years ago and it was brilliant. I tried a new 8v at the time and it seemed pedestrian. The Golf did need a few miles on it though to loosen up. Top Gear did a 'shootout' if I recall between two standard 16v cars. One had about 60,000 miles on and the other was just run in. The one with the miles on left the other standing.

Mine was pre catalytic convertor and used 4 star....those were the days. It pulled like a train and handled brilliantly.

CLS

Mr Sympathy

I had two MK 2 GTi's both 8v and can vouch for their all round ability, I seem to remember there being a particular issue with running the 16v engines on unleaded or converting them was tricky and expensive, sure specialists as above will help you out, then i test drove my first scoob, never looked back. Fond memories of GTi's though

NAF

fantastic response guys ... you've been a great help
decided on the mk2 then
Still not sure whether to go for the 8v or 16v tho !

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

J4CKO - funny you say about the G60's being expensive. I've seen many articles saying how they are no more expensive (minimally more) to run than a 16v. The supercharger is a cheap re-build job, contrary to common belief.

I still like the VR6, with uprated suspension - yum. Find a good one though!!!
\

Yeah, not as expensive as it was, Jabbasport will recon one for about 600 quid, thats your unit stripped and rebuilt but thats till 600 quid more than the Supercharger on the 8 valve or 16 valve !

If left to long and the G-lader splits as they are prone to doing then its game over and you are into big money for a replacement.