Hi there right just joined as I'm leaving the army soon and my dream has always been to own and drive a mk2 golf but being in Germany driving home on weekends my e90 335d m sport cuts it okay however I need some info reference 8v buying guide price range tuning etc please please help me out
Cheers !
There is loads of info on the net. But speaking from experience BUY ON BODYWORK. And be strict about it. I went and visited one, fell in love with it and bought it. 2 years down the line and I'm dealing with rust and other issues which are time consuming to sort out. The mechanics on an 8v are easy. And when I got the car I was a complete novice. Parts are cheap and easily available.
Prices are rising quite quickly as they become more viewed as modern classics rather than old sheds. 3-4k gets you a stunner. 2k should get you a nice daily without much to do on it. 1k will get you a high miler with work to do.
The 8v is not very tuneable. There are of course upgrades which can be done to improve the drive, like suspension and brakes. But you won't get too many more ponies out of the engine. Having said that my 195k miler still has plenty of pep and pulls beautifully.
I love mine, it is a rarely understood love, people constantly look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them what I drive, and I spend a lot keeping it on the road and "improving it". But I wouldn't change it.