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General => New forum members => Topic started by: tags on 31 March 2006, 16:35

Title: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: tags on 31 March 2006, 16:35
Hi all,

I am new to this forum. I was wondering if anybody had any tips for buying a Mk3 diesel golf. What are the major problems to look out for and what can expect for c. £1000. Looking for a reliable runabout, cheap on petrol, preferably with A/C and power steering. Any tips/help would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers,




Tags
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: Agreeable Slick on 31 March 2006, 16:54
Arrow. :cool:

i am looking at the same thing. Just looking out for the same as i do on petrol motors.
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: snarf69 on 31 March 2006, 18:07
I've been driving VW/Audi tdi's for the last 8 years or so, theres not alot that can go wrong with these cars or engines but check the cam belt as been changed at around 70k miles .


Snarf
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: charri42 on 31 March 2006, 18:16
Doubt you will find one with AC - I don't think any mk3 diesels had this option until 97 at the earliest - would be way more than £1k if any has it. (it would be a TDI GL) - They will all have PAS

the basic 1.9d is horrid slow
the 1.9td (sometimes called the Umwelt) is horrid too - quicker than D, but much less economical
1.9TDI (90bhp) is a peach - it is more economical than the other 2 and much much faster - from 1994

Go for a TDI, but you will struggle to get a decent one for 1k. Make sure it is a real TDI, some people think TDI is a generic term for all diesels and advertise a non TDI as such.


Cars post 95 have colour coded bumpers.
GL is a very nice spec - amost looks VR6ish
CL is ok spec


Tend to be reliable, but you will be looking at 10+ year old cars. Even the nicest one can sting you for £200 for brake lines, £200 suspension bushes / shocks etc etc.

I have owned a few of them - I ran them as 'bangors' whilst renovating houses and I got away with zero depreciation and low running costs. Buy a genuine one that has been well looked after by a low number of owners. There are still some really nicely maintained sub 100k 1995 TDI's around which have been in the same family since new - budget about £1500
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: VWRobboVW on 31 March 2006, 18:52
Can't help you on the diesel thing, enough advice been given already anyway but welcome to the forum!  :smiley:

Robbo
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: Bula_82 on 31 March 2006, 21:28
Hello  :smiley:

Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: tags on 03 April 2006, 08:25
Thanks Charri, seems like evrything i need to know in the one post there. So, to recap, i need to spend about 1.5k, and ideally need to look for a 1.9tdi gl with few owners and a recent-ish cambelt change. I'll keep my eye on auto trader for one.


Thanks to everybody else for thier input. I'll let you know what i find.



Cheers,


Tags
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: Rhyso on 03 April 2006, 18:47
how do  :smiley:
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: >>Mart<< on 04 April 2006, 11:08
hey welcome  :grin:
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: Dinky on 04 April 2006, 11:11
welcome to the forum hun :smiley:
alex, ur gettin a mk3? :shocked:

Dinx :kiss:
Title: Re: Tips needed, want to buy Mk3 Diesel
Post by: charri42 on 04 April 2006, 23:41
Quote from: tags on 03 April 2006, 08:25
Thanks Charri, seems like evrything i need to know in the one post there. So, to recap, i need to spend about 1.5k, and ideally need to look for a 1.9tdi gl with few owners and a recent-ish cambelt change. I'll keep my eye on auto trader for one.


Thanks to everybody else for thier input. I'll let you know what i find.



Cheers,


Tags

No worries - well ideally, you wanna spend as little as possible  :smiley: - just from my experience the real TDi's that are sub 1k are sheds. These cars can do high mileage, but at 150k+ there are all sorts of anicllaries that need replacing.

Few owners and lots of history is nice to have - Lots of these have done mega miles and I'm sure many have been clocked.

Good luck - I much preferred my mk3 tdi to the mk3 Gti i had. Whack some decent suspension on the TDI, look out for 2nd hand GTI seats and you have a really nice car.