J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I am having hankerings for another Golf, but I dont think the 8 or 16 valve will cut it, have seen this on Pistonheads and am tempted, missus isnt keen and I need to sell mine but as prospect what do you reckon, I love the old Mk2's but would 241 bhp turn it into a nightmare, my Saab has a little more than that through the front wheels and it copes quite well but its bigger, heavier and a lot newer design, no point having all that power if it cant cope.

Anyone had any experience of such a conversion, I would consider a Corrado as well or anything standard looking, a bit retro with a decent wedge of power, I dont want to do it myself as dont have time at the moment and also have the wife's old Fiat 500 to sort, so any suggestions as to something similar in concept that can be bought for 5 grand or therabouts ?

Saw this on PH as being what I am thinking of,

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1586858.htm

beef-on-the-bone

iTrader: (5)

love that

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

240hp would certainly be interesting in a mk2 I'd like a mk1 myself that's had a more powerful conversion done

TX.

£4200 sold mine for £1200 in 1994!

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1376312.htm

wrighty338

iTrader: (33)

i bet it goes well, people charge a fortune for these kinda conversions too

theres a mk2 with an r36 lump init forsale on Edition38 - thats epic!

nickwrxstiV2

Bit expensive though!

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1617662.htm

Matteeboy

That 20VT is a stunner - not a fan of red but it's otherwise a complete minter.

The R36 has gone OTT - amazing but I bet it's hard work to run.

The red 20Vt could probably just about be used daily and would be comedy quick!

Bealescooby

iTrader: (36)

I'd have a look on the edition38 forum if your looking at 1 of these a couple of these pop up quite regular on there
Its the scoobynet of the VW world and full of enthusiasts

Has for experience of them they are very fun and can be made very quick , i would try to find 1 that has been converted by a decent company as with any conversions any future problems could be rectified easier as it hasn't been bodged up

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Have spoken to the owner, he is just sorting an issue where he has sent the ECU back to the suppliers and then I can have a go, have told him I need to have a go to see whether I can go back to a Mk2 and that I need to sell my car and he is ok with that, his answered all my questions well and I think the car looks mint, I dont need a mile muncher but saying that I found the Mk2 GTI actually quite good in that respect considering, with twice the power, 80/90 mph cruising should be quite easy, even on a standard box.

What I need to avoid is a money pit, I need to buy a turnkey, not a Turkey !

The Saab moves quite well, with 247 bhp, what a car at 500 kilos lighter with similar power and less refinement is like god only knows but I would like to try it.

Only reall problem is the other half, she gets all funny about my cars, she likes safe and sensible, at odds with my preferences !

Matteeboy

J4CKO - once in a lifetime opportunity I reckon. I have mates with similar cars that utterly batter very quick cars on their annual 'ring trip.

If you get it, I'll be rather envious. Surely it's worth getting just for that reason ;-)

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Its just an itch I want to re-scratch, I find my Saab, though its probably fast enough, pretty dull, I want some rawness and as I cycle to work, do very little milage and we have another car I can do it, the wife is less than keen and I can see why but im 40 this year, so sod it, I can always get another Saab, for the twenty miles or so I actually drive a week its not worth having something I am not into, I think she worries it hasnt got all the modern safety stuff but in the day they were considered safe and the times the kids will go in it will be limited, we wont go anywhere as a family in it when we have the Galaxy.

Oh, and attaching it to the back of a 335d, who's owner has seriously misjudged the situation could only be good fun

Matteeboy

That would also be rather amusing. Could probably do the same to some gimp in a mildly "hot" up Saab too...

paulwrxboro

Now now girls
i rather like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-1988-E30-3...item3efee124da

Matteeboy

Hmm - that BM would make me nervous.

The Golf looks a far "safer" bet.

Andy M3

That golf looks great, DO IT!

paulwrxboro

It is a bit "Gangster" but evan i can see the rear wheel drive fun that could be had in that

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Just trying to go and see it at the mo, the owner is waiting for the ECU back after reprogramming, something about changing the rev-counter over, so have asked him to give me a shout when its back in and up and running.

Its been for sale for a while according to PH, I suppose its a niche market car, might take a little while longer as I will need to sell my car as i cant take the risk of buying that and havign the old one sat round so it largely demands on whether I can sell mine and I have a trip to the States with work to fit in.

Saab hasnt been a bad car, its just always been a compromise, Saab's and Volvo's being a vehicle to sneak something quick but with wife approval in, I have told her though that after two Saabs I am getting what I want, not what she approves of, I pay all the bills, I do my bit so I will get what I want, after all she bought that manky old Fiat, I am not asking her to spend every spare hour working on a Golf, wheras I spent a long long time on the Fiat.

Matteeboy

Tell her your other option is a stripped out kit car like a Westfield. That'll make the Golf seem like a luxurious limo in comparison.

hail-hail

Just scratched that particular itch myself, went for the Mk2 with a a 2.8 VR6 conversion. Runs about 170bhp so I imagine 240bhp will be quite frisky.

There are more 2.0VT conversions about now as the engine is lighter and can be tuned a lot easier, but you are paying 2k on top of an equivelent VR6 conversion.

Here is mine. Paid 1.5k for it and I will have spend a grand before its is mechanically sound.

Be aware that simple issue can take a lot of fixing with these cars. My water pump bearing went and it was a engine out job to replace.

Makes me smile every time I drive it and makes me cry every time I have to change gear (must get that Hydraulic clutch conversion done )

benny3800

i have had vw for 15 years and have done alot to mine in the past iv only last month bought my first impreza and i love it! iv had an 8v mk2 8v mk3 16v mk3 and a couple of corrado and an old t25 van. mk2 would be ideal 16v with a bbm turbo conversion is good for 500bhp plus then you would have to look at new diffs but its quite big money, a supercharged 8v or just a mk2 g60 engine would see you with a little tunning a nice 250bhp you would need a 16v gear box as the are stronger and a different diff.then the key with the mk2 g60 would be suspension roll bars and wheels, set up the suspension properly with a 250bhp g60 motor and you would nail most things round the ring.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Its funny, have had quite a few cars but its always the Mk2 GTI that just felt so right, not the fastest or the best handling but just a rightness and it made good use of that 112 bhp, I may be getting misty eyed and nostalgic and then hate it but I enjoyed cycling as a kid and then have had two years since going back to it and enjoy it greatly, the Golfs were viable day to day cars back then, things havent changed that much, the 20VT is used in things like Audi's and Passats so it wont be highly strung.

I think the Golf's have an eathiness, that my Saab, though 250 and quite quick by normal standards just feels inert, i think the relative refinement, fly by wire throttle and dual mass flywheel rob it of some feel, that and its a Vectra underneath, the Golf has a throttle cable, no PAS, single mass flywheel, less sound deadening and weight.

I think, even if this one goes I will sell mine and keep looking for the right modded but standard looking and solid Mk2, hail hails/hodgy's Golf looks ace, I had kind of ruled out a VR6 conversion as I drove a Mk3 one and it left me a bit cold but I suspect with the right exhaust in a Mk2 it would be great, I think the tunability and lightness of the 20VT has overshadowed it a bit but thinking about it, its still a characterful V6 with 170 bhp in a car that weighs a tonne, does it affect the handling much though ?

My problem now is I want to advertise mine but am away next week for a week with work in Atlanta, so I cant very well advertise it and then dissapear so will do it when I get back, would hope to see four grand, maybe five for the Saab as its low miles, in good nick and has a £600 remap/hand held tuning module, new tyres, loads of tax and MOT, just depends if people are buying, but no panic, I am not giving it away in a panic, there is always another car, im not 19 any more and in a frenzy to get something new, it has to be the right one at the right money and when I have sold mine.

benny3800

the vr6 is ok for normal driving but is to heavy for anything else. if i was to go back to a vw it would be a mk2 8v g60 or have a normal 8v converted with a bbm charger or lysom. good 250bhp nice small motor and the way it sits in the engine bay leaning back as it does gives a good waight up front, my last mk3 had was a tuned 8v and the suspension was set up so well that there was no understear if you went to far with it it would overstear. and that was just some new anti roll bars, vmaxx coilovers £300 and a good camber set up! £35 cheep cheep fun, that got used daily. 1.8 20v are good but not as good as the hyp.

benny3800

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VOLKSWAGEN-MK2...item19bb8a700c take a look at that i would proberly offer 3k in the hand for it and keep the rest, maybe 500 o make it mint. i spent 8 years in germany and these a commen in gti modle but rare as roking horse crap in g60s

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Benny, I had seen that and watched the videos, I appreciate its a Special Edition but its LHD, not the end of the world but as I am going out on a limb to get one I think a RHD might be more appropriate, really need to advertise mine and then look with cash in my pocket.

The interior is a bit er, unusual as well.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

And there is this, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-MK2-Golf-VR...item439e939631

benny3800

fair one i dont like it either but g60 is the best route value for money and performance wise and they sound the nut with a good intake and pipe, but its all down to personal prefrence. im very euro style but in the uk they arnt that easy to live with need to get the speed bump tech squared away then your laffing,

benny3800

what are you looking for out of the car? the odd track day, daily driver or show car?

Matteeboy

Jacko - that VR6 is utterly lovely.

Tricky one...

We had a mk2 Gti (8v) in the family for 12 years of which I had it for the last 3. It was utterly bombproof, fun and fairly quick. I've driven better handling cars and many quicker ones but it did everything with no fuss. The bad points were pants brakes, terrible security and a bit of a lack of any safety kit. But then it weighed naff all.

Matteeboy

Jacko - that VR6 is utterly lovely.

Tricky one...

We had a mk2 Gti (8v) in the family for 12 years of which I had it for the last 3. It was utterly bombproof, fun and fairly quick. I've driven better handling cars and many quicker ones but it did everything with no fuss. The bad points were pants brakes, terrible security and a bit of a lack of any safety kit. But then it weighed naff all.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Benny, looking for something interesting I can just get in and drive, that has plenty of grunt, preferably enough to keep me interested, something that has that raw edge I miss but without being stupidly hard or noisy, something a bit retro without being totally ancient.

I have had six Golf's GTI's before, couple of Mk1's and the rest various Mk2's, never found them hard work but the missus didnt like the non pas ones, which is funny as I love them without.

I will consider VR6, 20VT or G60, it needs to have a decent wedge more grunt than standard 8 or 16 valves, the main thing is that it isnt knackered or sporting some of the more unpleasant styling mods that were visited on the MK2 in the 90's, early 00's like smoothed tailgates, lairy paint, massive ice installs, single wipers and any kind of bodykits, nice wheels, limited lowering and other subtle work is ok, the best are just standard and I have a thing for the 14 inch steelies (we had one from new in 88 with them).

I would track it if it felt up to it, or at least make it so it could.

I know what Matteeboy is saying about the brakes, lots can be done and I would hope any I would buy that have upgraded engines would have appropriate braking, with regards to the safety kit, I ride a push bike most days to work so its a lot more solid than that but I would be mindful of the fact its old, not that strong, fast and has no driver aids, I survived the last six and we have a modern Galaxy as well for carting the kids about, plus I do very low miles, 7,000 in three years in the Saab, I want someting I want to just get in and go for a blast, the Saab is ok but I have very little urge to drive it.


and other subtle mods

Matteeboy

Jacko - just spent about £750 on my bike (the Stumpjumper) - more than I've spent on the cars this year! Now under 22lbs though and rather "trick" which is nice.

Learn to handle a powerful mk2 well and you won't need safety kit - you'll have the best safety system available - the ability to avoid crashes!

Mods did get a bit "samey" for a while - the ones you mention were on almost every GTi. I too prefer them to look as stock as possible.

I think G60s need a lot of looking after - heard supercharger horror stories. VR6 can be trouble too - not the same but a mate had to spent £4500 on his (old) VR6 Corrado due to multiple engine issues.

20VT might be a safer bet?