Hi,
I am considering buying a mk3 golf gti 8v. There are two that I am looking at. They both have full service history, one has 160,000 (1997) miles and the other 120,000 (1996)
The body work is excellent on both.
I have never owned a golf before, is there anything I should look out for when buying one of these cars.
Many thanks
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Not a lot to look for, they are pretty much bomb proof. Check for cambelt changes - I'd do one along with water pump anyway unless it is clear they have been done recently. Do do a HPI - may have been smashed in the past.
Do they have air con or a sunroof? This was an option.
Otherwise as long as the engine/clutch/gearbox is smooth and the paperwork is in order trust your instincts.
Don't expect it to drive like a true GTI though - these are relatively underpowered and a bit 'stodgy'. However they do have that 'cut from rock' feel of solidity VW's are/were famous for.
How much are you looking at paying? A really good one may still fetch £2K, but at these mileages I'd probably not pay more than £1300 unless its one owner/FSH.
Overall a really good car, just not the hot hatch it wants to be!
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A work colleague has a 1997 P reg 8 valve GTI which he's owned from 3 yrs old. Now done 150,000 miles and still looks like a new car. It's looked after, but driven hard and not mollycoddled. Totally reliable, and still very presentable, as I said. Not a quick car, or the last word in hot hatch handling, but has a certain "something" about it, unquestionably.
My father in law had a CL TDI 90 PS the same year which he sold with 182,000 miles on it and that too drove beautifully and gave virtually no trouble. They are very solidly made cars.
Just the usual VW story - you pay through the nose for them. Four figures for a 12 year old mass produced small hatchback is pretty crazy if you think about it for too long.
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We have a 1994 Golf Mk 3 1.4 petrol. It's done about 80,000 miles.
It's very well built - has not needed any welding to date. The 1.4 petrol engine is its weakest point. Ours needed a new head gasket and the cylinder head skimmed.
Other than that the problems have been minor - the cable-operated manual window winders are not very durable , the engine is a bit spluttery and stally until it's warmed up. Also had annoying electrical problems.
I would recommend the Golf Mark 3 as a car, but would go for a 1.9 TDI diesel engine.
We have a 1994 Passat with that engine and it just goes on and on and on.
A 1.9 TDI Golf Mk 3 should do at least 55 mpg - our Passat does over 50 mpg.
Bear in mind that a lot of diesel Golf Mk 3s were 1.9 TD, not 1.9 TDI. The TD is an older type of engine, indirect injection - so less efficient. Go for the TDI (turbo direct injection).
Edited by Sofa Spud on 08/11/2009 at 11:53
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I missed in the original post that it was a GTi you were after. So you might not be after a TDI! But the excellent build quality but annoying little faults is probably common to all Golf Mk 3s.
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I had a Mark II TD GL. It was superbly economical contrary to the above. 54 mpg constantly unlike my current Octavia that gets the high 40's at best.
What to look out for?
When I sold mine ~ 12 years ago rust was bubbling through a front wing.
If you hit a bump /compression in a corner , the back end will snap sideways.
As said above, the GTi was not really one.
Edited by Glaikit Wee Scunner {P} on 08/11/2009 at 12:13
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If it was me, I'd either look for a very late Mk 2 GTI or a Mk 3 VR6. The Mk 2 is more of a driver's car than the Mk 3 (and I still regret selling my immaculate 1991 Mk 2 GTI 16V), but that wonderful VR6 engine makes the Mk 3 into an enjoyable and comfortable cruiser. I would check for accident damage, ensure it's not been chip tuned and make sure the rear brake calipers haven't seized.
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be aware they do rust
in particular the front subframes to the point of dangerous where the suspension arms bolt on
most s/h outlets do a brisk trade in selling used good ones
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I am an owner of MK3 Golf 2.0 GTI 8v.
The engine itself has brilliant low down torque being an 8 valver, will pull up hills in 3rd without fuss.
However like many VW's they go through ignition coils like loo paper!
Post N-reg models were update with minor different features like bee-sting aerial on the back & trim changes.
Do check when the cam-belt was last changed, as I believe they have a 60k mile lifespan, unless it's a VR6 it'll have a chain.
Check for rust around the windows & the bottom sills.
Have a look on golfgtiforum.co.uk
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I have had several Mk3 golf Gti's including a VR6.
One thing all four of mine did suffer from was intermittant firing faults. This may require a new set of leads or a new coil pack which is bolted onto the side of the head (RHS when looking from the front.)
The coil pack fault usually becomes more apparant when driving in the rain.
Apart from that and the good info above, they are very reliable motors. My mate has got one of my cast off 8v Gti's and still going strong on 140k.
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No doubt you'll have checked the car-by-car breakdown section info, but here's my 2p based on 11 years running a 93L, now at 145k mi.
The only problems have been: a gearbox (final drive bearing) repair, new starter motor, and several electrical problems ? windows, sunroof and stereo ? but that's all other than expected wear and tear items. No HT coilpack issues here.
Although it is only a warm hatch, I find the performance completely adequate, and as mentioned, the low end torque makes it flexible and driveable. Economy has been good, often over 40 mpg on longer trips. Still no wear present in the seat fabric, and the engine uses little oil.
Noisy tappets /may/ be cured by running up to a litre of ATF in with the oil for a couple of hundred gentle miles before an oil change, according to owner sites (mine are still quiet).
I would definitely buy another if the maintenance history was there and everything was working.
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