GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: Bazzer on 14 October 2005, 17:45
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I just want to say that I think mk3 GTIs are excellent.
I love mine over and above the mk2 I had because I've grown up and out of the loud exhaust / speeding fine / points inducing mentality, and I think the mk3 has done exactly the same.
I loved my mk2 when I had it and everyone used to comment on how great it was. But refined? NO F00KIN WAY pal!! My mk3 has got less power to weight I'll admit. But it doesn't feel slow compared to a lot of other junk I've driven. It's more solid than either the mk1 or mk2 and I reckon the thing is built better too. For example, the grade of plastics used in the interior, the painting process, the panel gaps are smaller and so on.
In fact, loads of the mods I did to my mk2 have already been done on the mk3. Like the beesting aerial, weighted gearchange and lay flat wiper. And mine came out from teh factory with heated leather, air con and a sunroof! How many cars even these days have that??!
Driving the car is great, cos it's quiet and really stable at motorway speeds. The exhaust isn't drilling a hole in your eardrums so you can listen to the stereo. The overall impression I get from owning it is that it's the best car I could have got for the money. And even if I spent the same on a mk2 (which I was considering when I got it) it would have still been a car designed in about 1982.
So there you go. I'm not expecting any positive replies from anyone or any negatives. I'm just saying.
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all sounds reasonable to me mate ,
i bought my first mk3 8v gti as a daily runaround (even though i didnt like them!) and im now on my 4th one ,
I think they are the best value golf you can buy (untill mk 1.8t comes down a bit lower?)
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Yeah, just for the engine!! I've only ever driven a 1.8T in a mk2, not in a mk4... :shocked:
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u should try a valver :D
quiet until u slam it hehe...
talking about motorway noise.. toyo proxies have dropped the amount noise in a major way from the avon's i had on there before.. i noticed it seemed louder a while back.. but didnt associate it with the tyres when i put the avons on.. (maybe coz it could have been weeks between motorway trips).. i noticed on the toyo site about the noise thing.. and its true!
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Your right mate. I've had several mk 2's and love them but refined they are not! When the mk 3 came out I was not a big fan. I thought vw had messed up totally. Now I own one you appreciate what VW have added over the mk 2. The build is great and stuff like component speakers (Not the best on bass but great as mids if you add a sub) smoother ride and an exhaust that won't wake all the street up at 3am make it a much more practical car to have.
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Seems to me that while us mk3 fans generally acknowledge the mk2 gti was a good car, most of the mk2 boys have a very blinkered view of mk3's. Just been browsing the mk2 section and they just don't seem to appreciate how many details got better with the mk3. Although I'd be the first to acknowledge the weight disadvantage, I can't see how else a mk2 can be seen as a better car overall than a mk3. Bazzer's right, the mk3 is a great design.
Overseer, what size and model toyos have you got on your valver, I'll be needing a pair on the front soon. Still on standard wheels so hoping to get them pretty cheap - what did you pay?
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See, I knew I wasn't talking shart! :smiley:
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love my mk3 jus issues wiv cutting out making me seriously making me think of changing it
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most infuriating car I have ever owned, love it to pieces yet also hate the plucker at times as well. I will be going back to a Tubo Diesel very shortly as I need a reliable car which sadly the MkIII is not!
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These cars are lovely motors like but wen they go wrong they do it in style had 3 yrs reliable motoring out mine jus this lil issue ov it cutting out know its summit stupid its jus trying to put ur finger on it thats annoying,had my mk3 over 3 yrs now said am gonna sell it loads now still got it.mines indian red metallic wiv 16' bbs rx alloys, lowered 35mm,deep gloss paint work eye brows,propa looks the part pointless looking the part wen ya cant go nowhere in it to look the part ya na lol :laugh:
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Mk3's are sh!t hot, wouldn't swap min for owt, especially a Mk2, they're a bit too square, bit like a wooden box....
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/hardcor3_/Woodencar.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/hardcor3_/carpics215.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/hardcor3_/carpics183.jpg)
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So you'd just have to varnish that one once a year rather than polish it yeah? :laugh:
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Fair play for sticking up for your mk3s and I guess some of us can be a bit blinkered to the "newer" versions, but hey, it's all good banter. :grin: I've got to say though bazzer, you sound about 60 years old after reading your first post, words like refined, grown up and my personal favourite, stable ! :wink: :laugh: :laugh:
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60? and the rest!! Perhaps I've taken 60 years worth of knowledge into my brain, eh?? :grin:
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I have never driven a mk3 but I can imgaine what you are saying about them being quieter on long drives etc true.. however, I must say I've changed the exhaust on my 16v and taken the frist middle box out (well, the driveway done it for me) and I don't find it annoying on long journeys, I can here the stereo and people talking just fine...
Oh yeah, and I don't get the whole speeding fine / points induced mentality bit...I don't even get a second glance from the cops round here! :cool:
That's me done, thanks for listening...if you bothered that is!! :tongue:
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Yeah praps I was being a bit cynical, classing all mk2 owners the same... Thing is, I know most veedubs are built well, and it's funny that most veedub drivers kinda get along. I do get a bit angry when the mk2 chavset launches an attack on the mk3 'just cos it's heavier etc'. I absolutely LOVED my mk2 and it served a purpose in my life at the time, but I changed my values and whatever and the mk3 seems to fit with what I want from a veedub now...
:smiley:
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I think the title of this needs to be change to -
"All Golfs are fantastic! (as long as they're not driven by twits)"
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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I think the title of this needs to be change to -
"All Golfs are fantastic! (as long as they're not driven by twits)"
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I'd agree with that!! :wink:
Plus at least we ain't driving round in french or vauxhall sh!te!!!! :laugh: :laugh:
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Well maybe. But I'm flying the mk3 flag for now! ;)
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Also mk3 5 doors look good something which cant be said of the mk2 :wink:,
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I've had 4 Mk 3's, love 'em to bits. Got an Audi A4 1.8T sport now which is very very nice but might come back to the Mk3 to be honest.
Just love the whole range, personally I think the Mk5 shares more styling cues with the Mk3 bodyshape than it does with the Mk4.
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Capt dread eye agrees mi hearties. :cool:
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After my ebay special mark 2 valver failed its MOT for the 3rd time i decided to let it rot on the drivem, and asked if my dad would put me on his insurance for his 8valve mark 3! to which he did to my amazement he agreed!
I used it regularly for about 2 months and it was a really nice drive. But it wont rev past 5000rpm so i couldnt even take it to the red line and see what it was like.
I think after driving one i would be tempted to buy a 16valve mark 3 or VR6.
Has anyone put their mark 3 valver against a mark 2 valver?
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won't go past 5k? Must be sommat wrong - I get mine just past 6k quite often... But tbh there's no need to rev it...
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it hits the rev limiter at 5, it was really frustrating at times! and its rubbish on fuel economy aswell!!
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I had that exact same problem after a cowboy did my cambelt, it was highly underpowered and the revs cut in at 5000. It was so annoying, but i got the timing checked and the cambelt was two teeth out!!!! It's now sorted and the car drives so much better and more economical than before!!!
Tell your dad to check the timing!
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I had that exact same problem after a cowboy did my cambelt, it was highly underpowered and the revs cut in at 5000. It was so annoying, but i got the timing checked and the cambelt was two teeth out!!!! It's now sorted and the car drives so much better and more economical than before!!!
Tell your dad to check the timing!
ok mate, cheers, it also when you rev it up through gears it seems to miss fire a bit also! He has not had it long, and i think had a service just before he bought it so that might have been the same problem as what you had.
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I've had my MK3 now for about 2 months, and must say it is the best car I have had so far..
Indeed it is slow, doesn't handle all that well, but the built quality, ride is all superb.
I'd rather have a crash in my MK3 than my old Saxo (for Safety reason).
Cra1g
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speaking of crashes i had one on friday and it does make u feel safe after seeing hte result of my car and the other car (clio) mine has kept its shape pretty well, and the clio, well its french isnt it so u know what to expect!
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I've had my MK3 8v GTi for over a year now (a record period of ownership for me) and I can't really fault it as an all round package :smiley:. In all but outright performance terms it's a superior all rounder than my old Mk2 (which was a GL, but I have driven a couple of GTi's in the past :wink:)
The build quality and generally higher spec. is the main reason I chose a MK3 over a MK2. I like my creature comforts :grin:.
In defense of the MK2 though, I do prefer the looks of the MK2.
I did consider trading in for a Golf or Corrado VR6, one of my mates bought one recently (R reg 5dr Highline, very smart!) and I test drove it for him. It didn't seem to have that much low down grunt, but over about 3500 rpm it pulled like a train :shocked: with excellent in gear acceleration. Where as my GTi seems to have all it's grunt at low revs in 2nd gear, and by 70mph in 5th it got its pipe out and slippers on :laugh:. Comparing the two I'd say the GTI suits my style of driving better. The VR6 just kept pulling and pulling, just too tempting to go flat out and bye bye License! (which I need for work). One thing I was definitely not impressed with on the VR6 was the fuel consumption - 12mpg on a quick 3 mile thrash :shocked:.
So I'll stick with my Mk3 for a bit longer, not sure what to go for next though, would like to keep within the VAG stable. Late 90's SEAT Ibiza GTI's and Cordoba 16v's now look quite good value for money, has any one on here owned or driven one of these?
Phil.
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Late 90's SEAT Ibiza GTI's and Cordoba 16v's now look quite good value for money, has any one on here owned or driven one of these?
My other half has a '97 Ibiza GTi 8v. Same engine, gearbox etc as yours but the car is 100Kg lighter. It definately feels faster and responds faster but the build quality isn't as good as the Golf. I had an Audi A3 1.8T Sport, that was a quick motor and very well put together, but a lot of money for what they are. Have you thought of the Leon Cupra 1.8T??
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If I had the money, I'd go out and buy one tomorrow :laugh:. I know the early ones are starting to come down in price, but even these are hard to come by for much under £5k :undecided: and most of those seem to have way above average mileages. Strangely enough there was a nice black 02 reg one for sale at the garage my mate just bought his VR6 from, with nearly 80k on the clock though :shocked:
IMO the Leon is better looking car than the Mk4 Golf, and I like the idea of a 6 speed gearbox on the 1.8T Cupra :cool:.
Will be a little while before I get a new motor though, I bought my wife a Toyota Yaris 1.5 vvti T-Sport a few weeks ago to replace the boring poverty spec Corsa we had. Now that is a hoot to drive :grin: :grin:.
Would have prefered a Polo or Lupo GTi, but the prices some garages are asking for them are just ridiculous, and the Yaris is just as well built and almost as quick, just not as roomy overall.