GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: TheFatBoy on 08 September 2003, 23:10
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I'm thinking of buying a Mk3 8v GTi from Volkswizard... Anyone got any experience with them, are they any good? The spiel on the website sounds good - "Enthusiast first and motor trader second" - but websites mean nothing ;D
The car I'm looking at is an 8v that's done 150,000 - is that a lot for one of those? It has a FSH.
The car won't be doing many miles once I have it (absolute max of 10k a year, more likely 7k), but I don't want the engine to pop... I have experience with diesels and know they're good for stellar mileages, but I've no idea when it comes to petrols!
Thanks!
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How much is it? Personally i look around for a low mileage one as there are loads around now at bargain prices.
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What age ? What Price ?
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The spiel on the website sounds good - "Enthusiast first and motor trader second" - sounds like bollox to me ;)
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Although I have never bought a car from Volkswizard I know the website you are on about. To be honest I think much of the info on the site is probably true. Having been a reader of VW Driver magazine in the past the guy who runs Volkswizard has appeared in there many times with some mint example Mk2s which he owns. From that I think it is true to say he is definitely an enthusiast but naturally you have to be wary with some dealers. Also the editor of the magazine, Neil Birkett, has recently bought a Mk4 GTI as a new project car from Volkswizard (part-exed a MK3 GTI), and so I am sure if the dealer was dodgy they would publicise it in the magazine. Like I said I have had no personal dealings, but info seems to be positive.
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The car I was looking at was L reg - but it's immaterial now cos he's taken a deposit for it.
I also looked at an L reg 8v last night, had done 120,000 miles and the guy had it up for ?2,895 (but said he'd take ?2,600 cash) - is that overpriced?
I'm having difficulty finding a low mileage Mk3... I'm going to post a Wanted ad, I think :D
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Look at www.autotrader.co.uk
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If that is all the money you have then you will have trouble . Your best bet is a low mileage Mk2 thats been well looked after
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Well, I've got enough in the bank to buy an R32, but the less I spend the better! I've got a baby on the way in November!
Did the Mk2 come with PAS? It's essential as the car's going to be for my wife, and she's damaged her shoulder in the past and can't drive a car without it.
I love the Mk2 shape, so wouldn't be adverse to getting one of them!
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You are better off spending about ?5000 if you can afford to. You will get a car that isn't too old and not too much mileage.
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To be honest, I'd rather not spend ?5k on it - it's only going to be a runaround for my wife 95% of the time, and there's things I want to do to our house that I'd rather spend the money on!
What could I get for around ?3000?
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An X reg Fiesta!
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Don't buy one of them, they are sh!t :D
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Its a nice runaround for the missus, tidy enough shopmobile, very cheap to run, fit the kids in the back.
But seriously though they are crap!
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Yep , i drove one about a year a go, the engine was so rough it sounded like an old diesel :D
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mk3 would certainly be a easier and more comfortable car to drive for your wife and i think you would get a nice k reg for well under 2 grand I did! mileage isnt that important if it has been looked after
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If you just want a runaround get a 1.4. They are not fast but good solid reliable motor. You should be able to get a very tidy early model for 2k or under ;D
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I want a runaround for my wife, yes, but at the same time I want something that's got a reasonable turn of speed on it - mainly because I think for my next company car I'll be having a pick-up truck which won't be fast at all. I want something to take for a blast every so often!
I've just bought a K reg diesel Citroen ZX for her to use until I find a Golf though!!
Anyone in Telford want to come to the Trench Lock auction and look over cars for me? ;D
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You want your cake and eat it ;)
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I've never bought a car from Volkswizard, but I have met the person the person who runs Volkswizard. He has helped me out with a few problems on my Mk2 and mk3 golfs. I have seen a number of the cars he has had for sale and they all looked pretty genuine to me. (He has a unit on the same site where I get my cars serviced.) He is quite knowledgeable about golfs.
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These sites look interesting, not knocking the cars cos they look good, but the prices are usually rather over-inflated.
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The price of the cars reflect the quality. I have seen a number of extremely good mk2 and other golfs at Volkswizard. They are normally few owner, low mileage cars that have been extremely well looked after by their previous owners. You get what you pay for.
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Depends if you think paying nearly ?4000 for a mk2 8v with 100k on it is a good deal, thats just one example, not good really.
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Does mileage on a golf matter? Im currently looking for a Mk3 16v with about 60k - 70k miles on it, but most of the cars im finding in my price range have 85k - 100+k miles. Does a car with 100k perform any worse than a car with 70k? Also is the golf like my previous two cars, in that it reach's a certain mileage (85k -90K) and expensive things start to go wrong?
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Mileage isn't always important, but it is like service history if someone wants to charge sheds loads for a motor.
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I think mileage and history are very important to bear in mind when considering the value of a car.
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golfvr6, having read your posts both here and on the Club GTI forum, I appreciate that you shouldn't believe all you read on the web but I think it's fair to say I am an enthusiast.
Have you not had a good look at my web site?
Why would I go to the trouble of scanning all those brochures for other enthusiasts to enjoy? Would I spend 12 hrs travelling to collect a Mk1 Cabrio from Teeside? Would I enter track days in my 16v that I have spent hours preparing? Would I go into so much detail about the cars I sell? Would I sponsor VW Cup racing cars? Would I submit articles to VW Motoring magazine and VW Driver without getting paid?Would I start the one and only Mk3 Golf GTI Anniversary web site and organise the first ever display of the model at a show - if I were not an enthusiast?
Yes it's also my way of making a living and yes I do very much enjoy the result of all the hard work I put in, it is very satisfying when I meet customers who tell me about all the crap they have seem and how pleased they are with the quality of my carefully chosen cars.
See the above link for more documented proof of my enthusiasm for the marque.
http://www.anniversaryregister.brum.net/AndrewsIndex.htm
As for those who say my cars are overpriced, demand exceeds supply about ten fold at the moment, every Mk2 that is good enough for me to sell I can sell very easily usually for the asking price. Some people would rather spend time and money on travelling the country looking at crap, other would rather spend a little more buying from me - you pays your money...
cheers and if you have any questions for me, fire away! :)
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Funny , i've just looked at your website! Don't get me wrong i think it all looks impressive, i'm afraid it is just instinct not to trust anyone that sells cars ;)
As for your prices, i will take issue there, as you know if you know what you are looking for then you can still pick up a good one for a fair price. There are still plenty of good mk2 and mk3s out there , just got to look.
Anyway good luck with everything ;D
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I spend all my time looking for Mk2's and can only find one good enough for my stock per month if I am lucky.
I guess our standards maybe a little different which explains why you may think some of my cars are overpriced - there are a variety of factors that make up my valuation of a car and some people may disagree with them, it's a subjective thing.
A good example is steel wheels, if a Mk2 still has a tidy set of original steelies then I think that's better than a set of aftermarket alloys, not many agree but enough do - different strokes for different folks.
There is one thing I'd quite like clarification on - you mention a Mk2 8v for ?4k with 100k miles on the clock and imply that a) I am selling one and b) that it doesn't present good value.
I quote - "Depends if you think paying nearly ?4000 for a mk2 8v with 100k on it is a good deal, thats just one example, not good really. "
I don't recall having a car like this recently so maybe you can tell me (us) a bit more? I've obviously sold it if it was a while ago so go figure.
When Volks Cars was trading in the late nineties I thought their cars were overpriced as I knew I could use my knowledge to go get as good a car for loads less - there was a better choice back then ;)
Alas not everyone knows enough about cars to go buy a good un every time and there are plenty of people who love Golfs who don't want to know what a sticking calliper feels like or what a data sticker looks like, they just want to buy a good example from a reputable source at a mutually agreeable price. Frankly if you a buy a shed, what you'll save when you buy it, you'll waste trying to sort it out.
Have a look at my stock and tell me if you think anything on the site is "over-inflated" at the moment and why you think it is. I'll glady try and explain why it isn't.
Here are some prices of recently sold cars;
91/J Mk2 8v, Pearl Grey, 75k miles, no paint repairs, tidy, ?2950 to a proper enthusiast from Leeds - within 1 week
98/R Golf VR6 5 door with a/c, 43k miles, FVWSH, 1 lady + demo - sold to Glasgow policeman ?7490 - within 5 days
95/N VR6 Highline, 117k miles, FSH, ?4700 to London solicitor within 1 week
I'm sorry to get heated but my job is my life, it's as simple as that, I hope that does not sound like bollox. I take a lot of pride in what I do and as a result it is going to bug me when people without any first hand experience of me start damaging the reputation I have worked very hard to build up.
Sorry for the rant all.
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Golfs have always been expensive in the used market, but if you buy from a dealer like yourself Volkswizard is there vat to be included in the screen price? Also are warranties given on all your cars that you sell?
Not got an axe to grind just askin.
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Hi Glen,
With used car sales there should be no mention of VAT on an invoice though it is included in the price based on the margin.
So if I buy a car for ?2500 and sell for ?3000 I pay 17.5% VAT on ?500 (as well as 22% tax!)
In a nutshell the price you see is the inclusive price, no more to pay.
As for warranties, these are mainly offered by dealers to make more money and can be of little use especially when the law protects you anyway (though VW dealer warranties are great but look at their prices!)
Your statuatory rights under the Sale of Goods Act which mean a car should be of reasonable condition and fit for the purpose with no significant faults.
Anybody who buys any car from a dealer gets the benefit of this so it is worth paying the extra if you are not as savvy as some on this forum, as you have some come back, something you absolutely wont get buying privately. You also get come back if it's a ringer or on HPI.
If you were to buy a car from me and had problems, I'd simply say bring it in and we'll take a look and try and come to a satisfactory conclusion. This has not happened yet touch wood apart from one e/window motor on a Mk3 which was intermittently playing up and to which I fitted a new motor to. I check everything out before sale and if there is a non-crucial fault that I know of that I haven't sorted, I'll tell you and you can choose whether to pay trade prices for a fix before collection or to sort it out later.
Hope this explains things Glen.
PS You say you haven't got an axe to grind, does that mean you think 'someone else' has ;)
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No not at all I dont think thats on anybodies agender here, just Golf drivers giving their honest opinion right or wrong drawing on their past experiences of garages/dealers.
I bought my Golf from a dealer paid a little more as you would expect, what with the dreaded vat (inclusive) and that, got a few bits sorted on the car that I wasnt happy with before i picked it up and got a 3 month warranty, didnt need it luckily so I cant say how 'comprehensive' it was but that bit of paper was a bit more reassuring than a ''Just bring it back if theres anything wrong with it mate''
I can appreciate that you may be a 'good un' but not all of you are, are you?
Hence the scepticism, I dont think it's anything personal.
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I agree and that's what made me start in business.
The motor trade generally isn't very good with dealing with enthusiasts, that goes for VW main dealers and most general motor traders who think people who are fussy are timewasters.
I'd personally never go see a car that says 'no timewasters'.
The motor trade is actually relatively honest these days thanks to these laws, it's buying privately and at auction that you need to be very careful. I can tell you some stories about private sellers...
In any case - "buyer beware"
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I never disputed the quality of your stock or your honesty, BUT i'm afraid to say my experience of garages in general over the years has been very disappointing. In the general if a trader can get away with not doing something he will, even to the point of total dishonesty. Of course i'm not implying that you are like that in any way. As for pricing i personally would go for a cheaper car with a good body shell and history, and do any repairs myself. I suppose thats because i have the tools and knowledge to do so, other people aren't so lucky.
The car i was quoting was a 91J 8v in oak green with 105000 miles on it, which for nearly 4k i thought was a lot, maybe if it were a 16v i might not say that. Anyway this car was on golfs galore not your site, so sorry if i implied it was, i was just quoting golf selling sites in general. Oh dear it looks like i could of been a bit misleading there :'(
Anyway the point i was trying to make originally was don't trust anyone when buying a car, if they say its good go and check it properly for yourself.
Mr Volkswizard, i do rather fancy that G60 you got :-*
I should come up and have a look at your cars one of these days, as a fellow golf fan i'd quite enjoy that.
When did i write on club gti forum? i never have before :-\
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Yeah sorry, it wasn't you on Club GTI, must have been someone else saying my cars were expensive ::)
I had a 130k 92/J Oak Green 8v and that sold for ?3400, it had been loved, 2 owners, chap had had it for years, took it to BRM exclusively, it had Bilstein shocks and drove superbly. Well stuffed ring binder full of bills including the letter from Mr Ricketts saying that BRMotorsport were shutting down! Bought it in London and sold it to a Londoner!
That G60 Syncro (dont forget the Syncro) is a nice car. It was originally going to come to Inters but the owner couldn't get it from Italy to the UK. I eventually got my hands on it just last month. Someone drove it and liked it but is seeing cars at Supergolfs this weekend, a normal G60 and a Rallye all for a bit more.
Now GolfVR6, I'd love to know what you think of Supergolfs!
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hey mr wizard like your site, your cars are nice but not to my pocket, i like your parts section on your website, bu ti wonder if all the bits you sell idicate the cars you sell arent as wholesome as you make out, ie, they havent all been standard original examples and sometimes your 'doctor' themback to originality???????? jut a thought, ive been a car trader and have friends who still are, if as you are on your website your selling spares dose it not look 'dodgey'? like before you had them they were actually abused examples buy boy racers etc? just a thought
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^ ha ha ha ;)
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I Bought a Passat 1.8 from this guy, hes genuine. mines got 117k on clock and runs lovely. he doesnt seem to buy wrecked high milers but ones that have been looked after
:smiley:
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I'm thinking of buying a Mk3 8v GTi from Volkswizard... Anyone got any experience with them, are they any good?  The spiel on the website sounds good - "Enthusiast first and motor trader second" - but websites mean nothing ;D
The car I'm looking at is an 8v that's done 150,000 - is that a lot for one of those?  It has a FSH.
The car won't be doing many miles once I have it (absolute max of 10k a year, more likely 7k), but I don't want the engine to pop... I have experience with diesels and know they're good for stellar mileages, but I've no idea when it comes to petrols!
Thanks!
Personally, a Puma 1.7 would be OK. They go pretty well, stop pretty well and handle pretty well. Another option could be the 306 XSi, even the 8v's are good motors - watch for the head gasket being shot though.
If its a Golf for definate, then a Mk3 8v will do fine to be honest and they are well in your price range and come with Power Steering, Airbags on the later ones, door bars etc etc etc. You might even get one with Aircon, very handy in the Winter to clear the mist off the windscreen and handy for those 3 days of summer when you're belting round the back roads near the Wrekin... My personal favourite is the road from the old A5, past Wroxeter and on to Ironbridge. I used to have a hoot down there in my Audi 90 20v and my Mk3 Golfs (all 8v's) :smug:
Another option, same engine, is a Seat Ibiza 2.0 Gti 8v. My wife has one, it goes pretty well to be honest, its lighter than the 8v Golf by 100 Kg and it does make quite a difference. She gets 30 mpg commuting 5 miles to work, gets 40 mpg on the motorway at 80 and its cheap as chips to put right. Its not built to the same quality as the Golf and you can definately see where they saved the money but its a very good car none the less. Shes had hers 3 years now and theres no sign of her ever selling it.
I've never used the Telford Motor Auctions myself, never heard a bad thing about them though. Sounds like you've got the time to look properly, personally I wouldn't worry about the miles but I would worry if the service history and loads of bills + old MOT's was missing. That sort of info cannot usually be replaced and shows that the car has been pampered all its life.
Good luck, BTW, I'm orginally from Dawley but now live 5 miles outside Blackpool.
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after two and a half years he's probably made his mind up :grin: