GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: LazyLunatic on 04 September 2008, 21:25
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OK, firstly i want a 16v. So no posts saying get a 8v or vr6. :evil:
I have read the buying a mk3 thread, in the info section and got some nice info from that, some good tips on what to look out for.
Is there anything else i should know when looking online? Any tricks that can be played to fool the buyer (other than those mentioned in the info thread)?
I am looking for a mk3 gti 16v - preferably a 3dr, in black/blue/green. It would be nice though to have great bodywork, as cant be arsed with body repairs. standard if possible too. Looking to get one by end of Nov, as thats when my insurance renewal is up and get more NCB! :lipsrsealed: So i have started to look now, if i do get one before then, i will tidy it up, coilies on it, clean it, get some dub alloys, clean it, fit sound system and then clean it some more!!!
Also, should i look to get one with less than 100,000? I mean what is the AVERAGE life on a mk3 gti? (500,000 :tongue: :evil: )
Cheers peeps,
any help is much appreciated,
LL ;)
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Well tbh m8 if your buying off an enthusiast then your not going to be able to 'trick him/her, as their most likely going to be well clued up, just remember people these days price there car 300-400 quid more expensive than they actually want for the car, due to the credit crunch ect, Also its a buyer's market so be cheeky with you offers you never know the buyer may give in, the worst they can do is say no.
btw good choice with the valver far far far far better than the Vr's :smug: :drool:
Good luck with your search :smiley:
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cheers, m8. Nice advice with the making a v. low offer, they can only say no!
LL ;)
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You tend to get what you pay for too - if you research properly that is. Don't get fooled by a 'bargain'. Things are usually cheap for a reason.. Set a budget, stick to it, and leave yourself enough for repairs in case you get a lemon! Most expense I can think of is a replacement gearbox or engine, so make sure you have around £400 just in case...
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all i can say is look for rust. underbody/sills, arches THE LOT
Ive had a few ABF's and they are quite rapid.
Get a late one :wink:
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All three door mk3s are more prone to rust in the rear sills/qtr panel and in the door jam area, Jacking points are weak and often buckle when using the VW Jack (Widow maker).
This is a big cause of sill rot.
Windcsreen rust caused by stone chips is a mare to put right if its got under the rubber
mk2 and mk3 valvers do tend to frag the engine mounts rear one is a pain to change but not too exp. listen for knocking when engine breaking or dabbing the throttle
Check gear change mech (cable etc) and 1st n second gears can get chompy with age/wear.
ABS unit is 300 quid recon so be sure any abs probs are sensor related.
I would look for rust as the mechs are always fairly easy to sort
But stay away from GSF cheepy bits as they never last buy German or from the stealers
VWs are pretty solid generally so if it looks good it normally is.
I know of a 96 5dr valver in dark blue totaly std just gone for £900
few bit of trim missing and 90k on the clock and no rust, Bargain! :smiley:
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awesome, nice stuff.
defo gunna get a late one if i can. Im just gunna wait for the right one to come along, and one that is near (ish) to me, so i can go see it before buying, test drive, etc.
LL ;)
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in my opinion the golf valvers are the best.
Check for blue smoke and soot around the zaust normally comes with tappet noise when cold or at idle.
when worn and smokey they do get worse quickly and frag the cat in the process.
Also rev hunting at idle when hot is a good give away to further fueling and leccy probs also high engine wear.
Good luck looking, i miss my MK2 KR more than any car ive had
When im flush thats what im gettin again although the MK3 vlvr comes in very close second.
For now im happy doin the old man in my 8v :laugh:
(http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3786/dsc00103to3.th.jpg) (http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00103to3.jpg)
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if your after a late mk 3, beware of rust problems.....thats all im gonna say
think my mate is selling his valver soon, light metalic blue like guys, forge blue not sure how u spell it lol, its a N plate 120k, no rust. if your interested i can ask him more about it
just so u know, we found perfomance isnt much over the 8v, we know as we have had both against eachother
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Are the late Mk3s more prone to rust than the early one? I thought the post 95 ones were galvanised. Going to be off on a search for a valver shortly so watching this thread with interest.
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Ive seen rust from early models to late ones 3drs are worst for sill rust, but 3 and 5 doors get the usual windscreen and rear wiper rust.
Galvanising only protects the surface of the steel so if it gets damaged or was not properly applied you get no protection.
Also paint quality on MK3 was not as good as previous or post models.
Remember though that the newest ones are 11 years old so my M plate is nearly 14! and still looks ok when washed.
Check out Fords and vauxhalls from the same period, minging.
Most cars dont last long past the anti perforation warrenty before the first spots appear!
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if it has any rust, does that mean "stay away". just wait for one that is rust free.
more and more info, cheers peeps!!
LL ;)
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Are the late Mk3s more prone to rust than the early one? I thought the post 95 ones were galvanised. Going to be off on a search for a valver shortly so watching this thread with interest.
the galvernisation process was crap, the late cars are not as well protected with waxoil as they thought they didnt need to with the galvernised thing going on (where in reality using less waxoil was a cost saving thing)
the 3 doors go on the inner sill under the rubber where it joins, manufacturing fault, they all go here, some very bad
5 door cars suffor on the inner rear door where the connector for all the wires goes, very thin metal here and once it rusts it basically leave a huge hole, its not visible so you reall have to check for this by moving the grommets
bonnets, door bottoms and above the screen affect the car, mostly on late models
tailgate around the screen, early cars had faults with a fauty seal, so can go here due to build up of water, late cars were supposed to have sorted this but iv seen them go around the wiper hole, and above the number plate behind the plastic strip which has the lock on it
they also go on the holes where the plate is held on
also seen some cars with rust behind the rear lights, altho its rare
another huge one, missed by many is the front sill and lower front wings, you need to remove the inner arch trim to get to this, right at the bottom, in the corner where the sill meets the arch, gets absolutly packed with muck, stays damp and over the years rusts from the inside
all these points are for any mk 3 not just a gti/Vr, if you know your mk 3's you will be fine
minor rust isnt a put off if the price is right, if its on a door, you can alays pick up a new door on ebay for 25 quid etc, same with bonnets, bumpers grills etc etc....
its the parts you cant easliy change you need to worry about
a well looked after mk 3 will last years, my 1993 L plate is completly rust free and feels like it will last forever, VW went metal with the vaxoil on it by the looks of it :cool:
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''also seen some cars with rust behind the rear lights, altho its rare''
I'm special!! :grin:
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''also seen some cars with rust behind the rear lights, altho its rare''
I'm special!! :grin:
lol do you have this then, your in the elite club :grin:
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Is there much difference in stifness or weight of the 3 dr vs 5dr shell? It sounds like a 5dr is likely to have less rust.
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Is there much difference in stifness or weight of the 3 dr vs 5dr shell? It sounds like a 5dr is likely to have less rust.
5 door will handle better as its stiffer.not sure if you will be able to feel the difference or not but thats what iv been told..im not sure on weights.
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''also seen some cars with rust behind the rear lights, altho its rare''
I'm special!! :grin:
Mines same and so is Mikesters!! Shall we start our own club?? :wink:
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^^^^ I think so, what shall we call it??? :grin:
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Five door stiffer 3 door lighter not much in it really.
If i got no rust behind my lights i reckon its the only place i aint!.
Ive had loads treated and so far 18months later it all seems good apart from the new bits :grin:
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Five door stiffer 3 door lighter not much in it really.
If i got no rust behind my lights i reckon its the only place i aint!.
Ive had loads treated and so far 18months later it all seems good apart from the new bits :grin:
how old is the car out of interest?
cant believe mine is totally rust free....was full of parking dints when i got it but had all those removed just after i bought it, was one of the reasons why i bought the car (not the dints hahah, i mean no rust)
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Mines a 95 M,
2nd owner full VAG history loads of work done Last service bill was for £1800 the mechs are all in good order.
Found underseal peeling back where axle brackets are last week!
Took two hours to fix and 1 can of under seal.
Reckon im gonna weld up the jack points this winter, some twonk bent the sill good an proper both sides( Defo check any golf mk3 here as weak)The only non Vag service bill was at a Caterham Trye centre so he gets the blame!
i beat them out straight 18 mnths ago and treated the rust there but needs doing proper if it going to last.
Never use the VW jack except to change wheel or let garage jack straight on the sill edge!
Maybe there should be a MK3 buying guide covering all those niggles?
:laugh:
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dont talk about jacking points!! I had to use my widow maker jack today (its too low to get a good jack under now!!) and it was ok until the jack tried to part company with the car....now 1 jacking point rather well adjusted (well nearly flat!) I'm really :angry: (why dont we have a pissed off smiley??)
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Yeah mabye there should be a smiley for bent jacking point!
I got a bit of wood in the boot i put under the jack t keep it on a flat surface when jacking.
Fortunately the old man is a mechanic with a low profile 2t jack and all the stands and stuff, also a pigmy trolley jack he keeps in the boot so he does dot ever have to use the Audi widow maker.
So many MK3s have bent sills at the jacking point when looking to buy this one all 5 of the gtis i saw had bent sills and mega rust due to it.
Mine was the best of the bunch :shocked:
I am keeping my eyes open for a small scissor jack so i can jack from the wishbone, must fit inside the spare though.
If the jack points are bent i would defo walk away this time.
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mine are ok, driver side one is slightly bent but not damaged, its been waxoiled too so no rust, i never use standard jacks, troyy jack only for me, and i also use bits of wood
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I am going to pry the sill back straight and run a weld along it!! with lots of waxoyl.... oh and throw the jack at something and see if it breaks!! both points were fine until the jack gave up!!
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I would defo buy a valver for all the extra bits of wood and crad in an 8v gotta slow it down :grin:
But i think a VR would need a whole log with that lump in it! :laugh:
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or maybe this instead of the log! :evil:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-61432-Tonne-Inflatable-Jack/dp/B0001K9XR0/ref=sr_1_1/202-5648559-0021417?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1220803857&sr=8-1
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ooo vr with inflatable jack, that would be quick!!!
again, cheers for this info actually helpful, knowing that little bit extra bhp in the valver compensates for the all the jacks/wood, etc is the best!!!
really cant to get one, as plain and simple - the 1.4 engine is sh!te, in terms of power. In terms of engineering, it is da bomb!!!! But you wont find many mk3 1.4's that sound like mine :evil: ;)
LL :D
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My Funking jacking points are the same!! all four of them! :undecided: oh well its only a bent sill, as long as it doesnt cave in on me, i'm not really bothered :rolleyes:
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just looking at them now, is the 16v really worth the extra dough?
you can pick up valver for around £1000, but they have a few things that need sorting. Pay an extra £500-1000 and you get a mint condition valver. Not sure what to do. Guess it depends on what the problems are and if they would cost much to fix.
Mileage, i will try and get under 100,000 but not too bothered as vw engines are bomb proof! :cool:
LL ;)
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i wouldnt wanna pay much more than a 1k in this current climate, id be looking to pay 900 for a decent one i could clean up
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I'll have to spend at least twice that out in Holland :sad:
Bloody inflated market.
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just looking at them now, is the 16v really worth the extra dough?
you can pick up valver for around £1000, but they have a few things that need sorting. Pay an extra £500-1000 and you get a mint condition valver. Not sure what to do. Guess it depends on what the problems are and if they would cost much to fix.
Mileage, i will try and get under 100,000 but not too bothered as vw engines are bomb proof! :cool:
LL ;)
Obvious thing to do is try and get a drive in both to see what YOU think, i'm more than happy with my 8v (£750 on a P Plate), has a few things to do but it's a solid car.......
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Is there much difference in stifness or weight of the 3 dr vs 5dr shell? It sounds like a 5dr is likely to have less rust.
5 door will handle better as its stiffer.not sure if you will be able to feel the difference or not but thats what iv been told..im not sure on weights.
Hehehe, stiffer. . . another 85Kg's stiffer maybe!
3 doors ftw!
I'd say too stiff don't do you any favours anyway to be honest, I can't jack up a corner of my golf, its one side or nothing!
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How can too stiff not do you any favours hahaha WTF?????
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Are five doors stiffer in the morning?
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btw the psot i made earlier when i said are 16v worth it, ERROR, i really want a valver, will pay the extra.
I meant to ask if the 16v ANNI is worth the extra dough?? Rare??!
cheers all for the advice.
LL ;)
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They're rarer but still just a 16V with a fancy cloth interior & a red GTi badge on the front! :wink:
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They're rarer but still just a 16V with a fancy cloth interior & a red GTi badge on the front! :wink:
not worth extra in my eyes, interior is one of the worst iv seen, so for me it would have to go, hence no point to me having a anniversary :evil:
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Well least i can say i've only got 1 of 150 in the uk!! You common folk with your regular Gti's :tongue: :grin:
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ohh is that it, the interior and a set of cool gti badges!!! Hell yeah its worth it!!!!
OK not really, the interior is cool, but not worth the extra dough. If i see one that is the same price as a normal one, i'd choose the anni, but i aint paying extra. Thought it might have had a cool red stripe around it or something, would look good on black valver.
Still on the look for one.
I am going to try and clear the garage on the weekend and take out the side bench so a car fits in there. Then if i do buy one before i get 1yr ncb, at least i got somewhere safe to keep it. Probs get a thingy of petrol to fill it up, so i start it up everyday!!! hear those 16v's!!! Take it out onto the drive for a clean too >>>>>>
I might keep my 1.4 for a future project and leave that in the garage once the valver is my regular car. Its my first car and it is coming along, would like to finish it totally really, so it is mint condition with virtually no probs! Keep the valver OEM, with a few subtle mods.
LL ;)
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No mate it isnt just a red badge with different seats, it has the red stitching in the gear gaitor, hand brake and steering wheel, golf ball gearknob (which i like alot), red calipers, red strip on the front and rear bumpers, Different exhaust, vr type splitter, smoked fogs and indicators, white/silver dials and not forgetting the bbs wheels which look far better than any other standard gti wheels.
So i got my point accross :grin:
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ooooooooo, i want an anni now!!!!!
LL :D
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Or buy a standard one like mine and use a selection of anniversary mods to make your car special....choose the good anni bits and keep the good normal bits (loose the interior trim etc!! and make kells happy :wink:)
oh yeah the red bumper trim and red badges..... They were especially reserved for anni models until I did mine!! Now look how many are done like it!