My dad had a Passat of similar age with the same 1650cc direct injection diesel engine.
Compared to todays diesels these are not very sporty engines to say the least, but pull well on the motorway once up to speed.
They are super economical even by todays standrads too.
On the subject of smoke comming out of the diptick/filler cap hole, unless it is significant I wouldn't worry, even my 2 tear old diesel A4 would probably smoke a little bit if it was running from these points.
I am surprised that ANY major surgery was needed on this engine if it has genuinely only done 129K, so I would be suspicious here.
In summary however, £500 is quite a bit for a 24 YO car, however as someone else said, if the body and interior are tidy, and it drives well with a full years MOT it is probably worth somewhere in this region.
On another note, if it is a turbo diesel which some of these were, the thing to look out for is blue smoke on revving the engine when hot, as this signifies a bad turbo. Dont worry about a bit of black smoke unless it does it at idle, or there are absolutely clouds of it !
I know the MK1 Golf has more or less classic car status now especially amongst our younger community, so I say again, if this one is rust free and tidy it is probably woth buying.
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this engine looked like a carburettor engine to me. i think its only 1588cc and not 1650cc however I may be wrong...but it was definitely not injection.
As regards to mileage there are only the lsat 3 or 4 mots present. no service book etc.
the car did feel tough and agricultural like a tractor on the test drive.
bodywork appeared very tough and straight.
What MPG can be acheived out of these cars?
can any diesel be run on veg oil?
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it was definitely not injection.
£100 says it was, if it really was running on diesel.
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well i may be wrong.
but it had a carburettor looking airfilter box.
I know it was definitely diesel.
So can anyone confirm from knowledge if this car is an injection or carburettor?
It had one of those things under the bonnet that if you kind of push twist it, you can rev the engine from under the bonnet....dont know what its called :)
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That will be the diesel pump. No diesel engine uses a carb, they are all injection of some kind.
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I dont think it was a pump of any kind.
If you pressed the accelerator pedal from inside the car it pulled a cable on this "thing" and the engine would rev. you could also do this by hand.
do you know what i mean?
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It's the accelerator cable. Perhaps in this case it should be called a notsoslowerator. It is connected to the fuel pump one way or another.
It's a 24 year old car, of course it's noisy. Think how much technology has advanced in that time.
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It's an injection of some description by definition.
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your probably right in saying its a diesel.
would a shot of diesel injector cleaner help reduce the smoke and maybe even quiten the beast down. it was loud like a tractor!!!
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This is a very old technology diesel engine, it will be noisy compared to almost anything.
The cable you see moving will most probably be the direct link to the pump - no fly-by-wire on this age of car...
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can any diesel be run on veg oil?
see
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=21749&...#
Lots of information in this thread plus many other discussions on this subject - some Back Roomers are currently using veg oil IIRC
Do "Forum Search" using the link the right hand panel of this page.
Officially you should pay tax on the veg oil !!
Jacks
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Is it possible to run these cars on veggie oil? how does it work do i just pour it in the tank?
I would assume an old diesel like this would run well on veg. oil, in summer. In cold temperatures there is the risk of the veg. oil thickening so much that it blocks fuel lines etc. To avoid this people do various things: use a diesel/ veg. oil blend, add petrol to the veg. oil to thin it (?), or the proper way is to fit an extra heated fuel tank for the veg. oil. Check out this link: snipurl.com/w8vl , scroll down to the references to VW Rabbit. And for more discussion: www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/forum/index.php . And of course to do it legally you are supposed to pay HM revenue and customs the duty for using cooking oil as a road fuel. I have never used veg. oil myself but did some rersearch on it and found it wouldn't work in my car.
going to uni and back (from home in leeds to edinburgh) every other weekend so it will be a round trip of about 550 miles.
Leeds to Edinburgh every other weekend, is he mad!? ;o) When I was at Uni in Brighton I used to go home to Sheffield once per term, sometimes didnt bother at all.
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----Leeds to Edinburgh every other weekend, is he mad!? ;o) When I was at Uni in Brighton I used to go home to Sheffield once per term, sometimes didnt bother at all.----
So how did you get the washing back home for Mum to do Rich ??
Far too much to pay for a 24 year old car , particularly a noisy diesel Mr Linekar ( Not Gary are you?) even with an MOT.
As somebody else suggested , if you feel you are dealing with a genuine non trader make an offer a couple of hundred less and if he accepts then use the saving to buy junior sufficient extra pants and socks so he doesn't have to make the journey home more than once a term......
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----Leeds to Edinburgh every other weekend, is he mad!? ;o) When I was at Uni in Brighton I used to go home to Sheffield once per term, sometimes didnt bother at all.---- So how did you get the washing back home for Mum to do Rich ??
Had a rather smelly laundry basket, occasionally cured by trips to the dreaded launderette! ;o)
In the final year our house had a twin-tub but it went bang in the first week and wasn't replaced... Ah, student life..
A mate of mine had a Mk1 Golf diesel in the mid-90's and I recall it being a rattly, crude, slow thing, but it had GTi alloys on it so he was happy enough (I will have compared it with petrol engines in those days).
There's currently a Mk1 1500GL on eBay (in Bradford); the seller says he paid £850 for it 6 weeks ago: snipurl.com/w924
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All diesels are injection of some sort, whether it be direct, indirect, common rail , pumpe-duse etc.
They have to be to inject the fuel oil at high pressure on the compression stroke.
Some diesels do however have a butterfly valve in part of the air intake which does look a bit like a carb after a fashion, however thts where the similarity ends.
If it is a diesel, it should have the following :- a glowplug in each cylinder which would have a fairly heavy duty electical connection to them and also an injector to each cylinder which should each have a very sturdy looking pipe bolted to each of them.
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An old-fashioned diesel so dont expect it to drive like something modern. Usually plod on for years, even with shot engines aslong as they pass the MOT. If your worried about the engine, budget to get it rebuilt or atleast checked by an expert.
Dont think of it as a 24 year old car - the MK1 Golf is sought after by enthusiasts and you can pay alot more than 500 quid for a mint one.
I missed out on a nice on Ebay as it went way over 1000 quid with loads of people fighting over it. Its worth 500 quid, perhaps not to someone who drives modern motors, but an enthusiast would prob give you that in a second.
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Remember that if HM Rev and Customs catch him running it with veggie oil they'll confiscate it, crush it, and then fine him mega-bucks.
What is he doing coming home every other weekend? The whole point of going away to uni is to build-up 13 weeks' washing, hunger and beard all at once, and then come home.....
Edited by Webmaster on 26/10/2007 at 01:38
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Is your son mechanically mided?
Are you?
As a student I drove cars that were 20 years old (or more) and I learned to do mechanics.. because I had to.
Modern cars should NOT need engine rebuilds after 100k miles and if they smoke oil from the engine they are worn out.
And any 20 year old car will have rust underneath . You have looked underneath? Carefully? And checked all the suspension mounting points?
Putting it brutally you don't have the faintest idea of the difference between a diesel and a petrol car. So imo you have ZERO chance of finding out what is wrong with it -if anytjhing before you buy it. And we here have no chance because you don't know where to start looking..
At £500 for a 20 year old car you could easily spend £1000 on welding and brakes for the next MOT.. and then again for the one after.
I bought all my own cars as a student and made my own mistooks. A £500 mistake is likely to be a PIA.
Walk away is my advice..
(And nice old gentlemen may either be crooks or know nowt... so no help there).
madf
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Think you should take madf's advice.
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Did you see the car start from cold? Engine breathers could be blocked / collapsed, was the engine leaking oil or was it dry? Old car with an old engine, could soldier on for weeks or years. I bought a Haynes manual yesterday for MK1 diesel by mistake from the car boot, let me know if you buy the car and would like it.
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This Jetta (Golf with a boot) specifications of a 1980 model is most likely to be the diesel engine involved (there was also a turbo version):
www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=40...n
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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thanks guys for your informative opinions.
I have passed all info on to my son.
Its his money and he makes his choice. I think its the MK1 golf scene that he cant get enough of. I dont understand it.
Well if he buys lets hope it turns out to be a good un.
What oil do these old cars use. Would semi synthetic be too thin?
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"What oil do these old cars use. Would semi synthetic be too thin?"
Cheap and available in quantity I suspect.. cos it is likely to burn it by the litre every 500 miles.:-(
Semi synthetic is too good. cheapest oil that meets the grade : about £7.50 for 4 litres - try supermarkets.
madf
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Sounds like his heart is set on the car, ask the seller to take the car to a MOT station of your choice (the one you use) and you pay for the test, if it passes alls well and good for 12 months, if it fails you've only lots £40 or so
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OP has already told us it's got 12 month's MoT, btw.
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OP has already told us it's got 12 month's MoT, btw.
Not from his trusted source it has'nt, "past this year mate, but will need £1K worth of welding next year, time to get rid mate"
Son wants it, father is'nt too sure about what to look for, £44 gets a road worthy (ness?) report from a trusted source.
Who's now going to suggest an RAC / AA inspection costing £120 on a £500 (asking price) car?
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It's one thing to buy a £500 banger (because, trends aside, that's what this Golf is) as a runabout and scrap it if it fails next year's MOT. Its another thing to buy it and spend well in excess of its value on modifications, as the OP's son seems to have in mind - if it fails the MOT, he's then faced with a much greater loss, or another big bill to get it back on the road.
Besides, a diesel Golf Mk1 is to all intents and purposes a passenger-carrying tractor, and a modified tractor is still a tractor. I had a friend tried making a GTi-alike out of a Golf Mk2 - an amazingly expensive, amazingly unsuccessful, venture.
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Were you lot born old?
He's not taking out £15,000 of finance for his dream car, the asking price is £500.
He'll find out what a dipstick is for, how heavy cars are to push, how to jack up a car, how to change brakes, how cold it is working in the street in winter and a million other things about cars / life, but he won't be in a pile of debt
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Frankly if he's going to be doing trips from Leeds to Edinborough would you really be happy with him in an old banger of a small car like this?
I personally think now is a great time for me to pimp the Mondeo as ideal student transport. Mines brilliant at Uni becuase:
a) Everyone thinks its posh 'cos its got leather seats
b) It's got loads of room for all my stuff and my mates
c) It'll do anything well - trip 200 miles up the Motorway? No worries
d) It's been reliable
e) They are ridiculously cheap, the same £500 will buy you one a third of the age of this Golf
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Mike, stop. You think someone who wants a Mk I Golf would be the slightest bit interested in a Mondeo?
You like them, I like them (the quick ones anyway) but I guarantee you that he won't.
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I would rather get the train than drive a Mk1 Golf further than 5 miles. I might actually survive any accidents I happened to be involved in that way, as well.
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Me too. But he's different.
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What, he's made out of rubber and can thus survive high speed motorway accidents in a 25 year old Golf citycar?
:p
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When does the sale start at Greenwoods?
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Worth bearing mind that modding the engine on a diesel of this age is impossible, and putting in a petrol engine will be complicated by the need for a new tank and fuel lines, as well as the electrickery for the engine itself. Dropping a bigger lump into an existing 1100 or 1300 petrol powered Mk1is relatively easy.
End result is that the diesel Mk1 really does not have much of a market, except to those who don't realise the above, or are planning to strip the entire shell and start over.
It won't use much fuel, but that's because matey won't want to drive it very much...
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Once upon a time everyone with a lesser model wanted a GTi look a likey, now the trend is slammed 5 doors, de trimmed, early chrome bumpers, chrome handles, chrome wiper arms and a wooden roof rack. The fact that this car has a diesel engine just adds to its eccentricity, its show not go that matters
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well hes bough the car for asum of £450
any things he could do to increase longevity of the car?
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Fill it at the correct pump/with the correct fuel.
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Don't thrash it. Treat it like you would a good woman lol
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would servicing every two months help?
any suggestions on a good type of oil to use. handbbok states 20w50. is that oil still available.
does a diesel use special oil?
is injector cleaner going to help?
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Only change the oil every 6 months and a drop of injector cleaner won't hurt. Get the wynns diesel injector cleaner. It's a very old car so no need to go over the top with servicing.
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locked, as I believe the author of this thread is just a time waster. DD
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