GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: E36valver on 07 January 2013, 18:33
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Hi all I'm completely new to the vdub scene & I've been on the lookout for a low milage black 5 door 16v & might have found a bargain... this is the details from the ad plus my questions & the sellers answers (bear with me pls!)
"Golf Gti 2.0 16 Valve
Black in colour
Lowered 60 mm front 40mm rear
Angel eye conversion
15 inch Bbs alloys
10 months Mot (Oct 18th 2013)
4 months tax
Induction kit
Just had new ignition coil and rotory arm
104,000 miles ( nothing for a vw )
Electric windows all round
Remote locking, sunroof perfect working order
Full Gti spec clean for year
Been fuel treated
All runs and pulls as it should.
Used daily with no probs Good on fuel 16 v versions of these are getting rare to find
Small blow/rattle in exuast at centre still sounds
great to drive
Only have green slip
£700 ono"
these were my questins & his answers:
"Hi there, I've got a few questions: what service history does it have, do you have the old mots, any advisories on last mot, is the suspension height adjustable, when was cambelt & water pump last changed, re the exhaust do you mean the centre box is on its way out? does it have the standard exhaust fitted? do all the heating/aircon/electrics work apart from drivers window? any dents/any rust patches & where on the car? anything else that would put me off if i viewed it in person? sorry about all the q's! I might want to view it in person, if thats ok can I have your contact number pls. Cheers"
"All i have with the car is a green slip and the mot that runs out oct 2013
I only bought the car to get me through christmas with my kids as my subaru died.Ive only only owned it 4 weeks selling because my cars back on the road now and no use for it
The susepnsion is not adjustable.
The car has had new sills at some point only know this as i went under it yest really good job done, no clue on belt and water pump, its a full magnex exuast system. The center bit seems to be missing a bracket and has a blow, its an aftermarket exaust jsut reckon the previos owner broke it by not fitting it properly it may actually be fixed by the time it sells as i drive it daily .
Regards to dents and scratches niothing major im in my 2nd year of paint and wouldnt have bought it if it looked a mess
Drivers door below bump strip has 2 small small bubble rusts spots didnt bother me though as its clean for its age and a joy to drive.Only other things that ive spotted would say do the tracking etc as i think the previous girl that owned it just lowered it and didnt bother to set it up. Id rather have it on coilovers if i was keeping it which i dont mind doing if it soesnt sell.
Viewing is not a problem but are you coming from manchester? cause im back to college tomm and will still be using the golf until it sells"
"Thanks for the quick reply fella. Do you only have the green slip because you're still waiting for the V5 since you bought it? Because you said you've been under the car I take it you can confirm its not a cut & shut?! (sorry have to ask cos no V5!!)"
"car tbh looks really clean underneath defo not a cut n shut im in my 2nd year of bodywork and paint trained to look for stuff like that the previous owner only had the green slip too so she just passed it on to me iw as gonan send it away to get the v5 but didnt want to cause i knew i was gonna sell it its free to get the v5 if u send the green slip with ur v62 form itsa all silly stuff wrong with it nothing major has jumped up with me :D"
I'ev checked the car reg on DVLA website & there's no VIC marker on it, will do a text HPI check as well. Assuming thats all clear as well should i be satisfied its not dodgy?
Now this could be a bargain for me because I don't mind buying a bit of a shed cos when I buy an older car I like to change ALL fluids (inc steering), bushes (will polybush it allround), drop links etc full service, fuel filter etc, braided brake & clutch lines, don't mind getting new brakes cos at least I know they're quality. This car will be a keeper so quite happy to spend some money making it a minter. Also I don't have the cash right now to get a minter so prefer to buy one for a few hundred notes & fix it up to my standards whenever I got some spare cash.
Plus it'll be a second car so doesnt matter if it takes a few wks for the V5.
Because I ONLY want a black 5 door one, low milage ones are virtually non existant so I'm thinking thisone could be jus the job for me, esp with my OCD replacing of everything when I buy a car anyway!
Just need to make sure the engine is sound, I've read the buyers guide on this site will check those things when I view it.
Only problem is its in Scotland & is a trek for me from manc, £65 train ticket 1 way & same return fare so don't wanna go view it unless I'm 90% sure I'm gonna buy it!!
Advice & opinions much appreciated, thanks in advance :smiley:
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Woah just read that back its a mammoth post sorry! but really keen on it so any advice apprecated.
BTW in terms of cosmetics, I plan to remove all GTI badges (front, sides, rear), black VW bonnet & boot badges, already bought some pearleascent black BBS 15" VR6 wheels to go on. (with old school black rubber VW centre caps) Black heated recaro leather interior... Pure stealth :grin:
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First do reg check on vehicle. Text car followed by reg to 83600.. I used this before went to view a car. Turned out to have 12 previous owners compared to 3 what the owner stater. Will also tell u if its been written off etc
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no paperwork,no history. i would keep looking mate theres loads out there you will find a good one in the end
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Cheers for the replys guys.
Yep will defo do a HPI text check. But if that comes back clear & with not many owners plus I've checked with the DVLA there's no VIC marker on the car so has not been a write off.
Regarding the service history, if I test it & the engine & gearbox is sound, & I check the engine for noises on startup etc check its smooth all accross the rev range, check the colour of the oil, check the gearbox is smooth & doesnt pop out of reverse then i'm thinking it could be just right because any other neglected parts I will be replacing anyway - I want to increase the ride hight to only a 25-30mm drop so will prolly get eibach springs & oem gas shocks (heard good things bout this combo), polybushes, drop links, track rods etc so if i can get it for £550-600 & spend a grand making it a minter & have it exactly how I want it isnt that a better option than £1500 on a FSH car & then have to spend more modding it to my taste?
Plus I will sell the magnex exhaust & fit a oem one so more savings there.
cheers again.
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Just be careful with no history etc and check he has not started the engine before u arrive. U want to see it start from cold :wink:
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My advice would be to walk away, there is no sevice history and modified cars with no paperwork cause me to worry. The seller has already mentioned the rust spots which are the biggest problem for this MK of Golf.
Plus, who sells a car with no V5 document?!!! I know he has the green slip but if it was me selling I would be waiting for the V5 to arrive first.
and
Why buy a 16v GTI if you only planned to have it for a few weeks over the xmas period? Again this would cause me to worry.
The clincher is the statement re the tracking being out.
There are plenty of these cars on the market for a simalar price and mileage with service history etc etc
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Plus, who sells a car with no V5 document?!!! I know he has the green slip but if it was me selling I would be waiting for the V5 to arrive first.
and
Why buy a 16v GTI if you only planned to have it for a few weeks over the xmas period? Again this would cause me to worry.
yep 2 very good points mate.
just concerned low milage mk3 16v's are becoming rare (esp. as I only want a black 5-door) & dont want to spend the earth on one cos it'll be a second car.
But I'm leaning towards walking away it seems a bit too dodgy & don't want a 5 hr drive back home in a car I'm not 100% sure is in full working order!
Cheers all, keep the opinions coming :smiley:
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I have a 5dr black 16v for sale once i've sourced rear arch trims for it, after some local scrotum decided he wanted them! It has lots of paperwork with it, MOT until July, currently SORNed.
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I have a 5dr black 16v for sale once i've sourced rear arch trims for it, after some local scrotum decided he wanted them! It has lots of paperwork with it, MOT until July, currently SORNed.
ok mate keep me posted - pm me with approx price & details etc, cheers.
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I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
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I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
Yep I've decided to pass on this one its TOO sketchy. But thanks for the confirmation, hearing it from someone who did the same thing Im sure its the right decision.
Good luck with yours hope you get it where you want to be! At least there's the consolation of knowing that when you finally get it sorted you'll have a mega relaible cheap to run classic.
IMO few golfs are better looking than a subtley done Mk3 GTI. The plastic trims make all the difference, look much better than the colour coded VR6's etc, just my personal opinion that :laugh:
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I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
I payed 300 for mine ,bought it blind on ebay,3 owner, good service history no t+t,i know it was a gamble but its been a good car(over 2 years),sills are rust free and straight on the jacking points,its a bit tatty in places but I just havnt got round to doing any bodywork on it
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nice one, yeah service history makes the difference. if it's been well maintained over the years but slipped last 12 months or so that's not so bad. maybe if this one was £300 & closer to me I would've taken a punt but it's £600ish & over 200 miles from me.
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You need to post 3 more times so I can PM you :smiley:
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Lol yeah i figured it was something like that. Strange that you need 10 posts to pm people but can post in the calssifieds with no previous posts!
how many miles on the clock mate, don't want more than 100kish really
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It has around 127k on the clock. Bear in mind mine has over 156k on the clock and is still going strong :wink:
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I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
I payed 300 for mine ,bought it blind on ebay,3 owner, good service history no t+t,i know it was a gamble but its been a good car(over 2 years),sills are rust free and straight on the jacking points,its a bit tatty in places but I just havnt got round to doing any bodywork on it
out of interest are yours 8v or 16v you bought for £250 & 300?
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If I was buying again I'd buy on bodywork alone. The engines are strong, reliable, and there's plenty in breakers yards for spares. It's rot that is the major problem, particularly on the GTI models due to the arch and sill covers.
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I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
Mines a 95 16v :)
I payed 300 for mine ,bought it blind on ebay,3 owner, good service history no t+t,i know it was a gamble but its been a good car(over 2 years),sills are rust free and straight on the jacking points,its a bit tatty in places but I just havnt got round to doing any bodywork on it
out of interest are yours 8v or 16v you bought for £250 & 300?
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I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
I had the same thoughts as you, buy cheap and sort to my own likeness. Mine was £250 with pretty much the same story. Mines turned into a pretty bad buy! I'd find a better one! If i was you, id at least find one with service history...
Mines a 95 16v :)
I payed 300 for mine ,bought it blind on ebay,3 owner, good service history no t+t,i know it was a gamble but its been a good car(over 2 years),sills are rust free and straight on the jacking points,its a bit tatty in places but I just havnt got round to doing any bodywork on it
out of interest are yours 8v or 16v you bought for £250 & 300?
16v £3OO,even had the fail sheet ,which was plate light out, leaking rear shock and a tyre all sorted for peanuts :grin: spent a bit on mods lately though :laugh:
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christ thats cheeeeep!
even if you factor in worst case scenario a replacement engine it'd still probably be worth it.
Callum_K the bodywork sounds like its a major plus point of the car I'm looking at - its had new sills & underside of the car is clean apparently. Plus a mate has a bodyshop so bodywork won't set me back too much. Re the engine I think the same as you - also golf parts seem to be so cheap, compared to BMW E36 parts.
When I bought my current car a BMW E36 it had minimal service history, bushes were shot, engine oil was black & not been changed for a long time, but was a unmolested factory sport model in the best colour (Avus Blue) in mint condition inside & out, full leathers, parking sensors, BIG spec, only 60k miles.
I bought it, polybushed it all round, replaced the drop links & ball joints, new track rods / tie rods, dropped it, wheel alignment, all new fluids & oils, filters & lots of other small improvements & it drives & handles beautifully, really hugs the road & the engine runs puuurfectly. I can't fault it at all.
Only problem was I overpaid for it - i paid what you'd pay for a minter with FSH :embarrassed:
I'm open to doing something similar with a 16v but gonna hunt high & low for a bargain this time :laugh: