vw mk1 reliable or not

[kidhannn]

Hi Guys,
I recently bought a mk1 cab, but am wondering now whether these cars are actually reliable or just fun to drive?

Seems like a lot of people get continous problems with the car which makes me wonder whether its worth the hastle having one..... Isnt it too expensive to own one? I know that if one is done up, it can fetch a lot of money but one is actually putting in a lot more....

Can a mk1 be used for everyday use on long distances.
I gave my car for a full service (cambelts, bushes changed as well) and although good for general use, i was adviced not to rely on the car for everyday use.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Randy

[Bronze MK1 Cab]

I've used mine everyday for the last 4 years mate  It's on 142,000 miles and I do around 13,000 miles a year. Engine parts that have gone are gearbox and carb, but the carb was knackered when I bought the car.

You'll get things like this go on any old car    As long as you can find a garage that don't rip you off and know what they are doing on the MK1 you can't go too wrong  The second hand box, new clutch and fitting came to only £150   

I have all my work done through Dubvelopments in Hereford. He's cheap, quick and certainly knows his Golfs 

[gibby]

I use mine as a daily driver and the reliability is great ( *touches wood), it flies down the motorway on long distances and doesn't miss a beat (* touches wood again) the only real problem I have had apart from wear and tear is the fuel relay switch going dodgy on me twice and the car wouldn't start, but that's in 2 1/2 years of ownership so I can't complain. On the downside I guess is that I maintain my car regardless of cost, if something needs doing I get it done straight away and don't wait for it to break down. This was rewarded this year when I had my MOT and it flew through with the garage saying "it needed a few things tightening up" so £40 for a 12 month ticket is all it cost me.  

You do need to remember that these cars are getting older now but newer cars are not without their faults and cost and if you owned another marque of the same age I guarantee that it will cost you even more in parts and repairs.  

The above is just my opinion and experience of my own car and might not be applicable to everyone.

[Madone_si]

you can't go wrong with a mk1 mate. I've got two of them -even though one is completely in parts now - (complete restore for shows) I've had loads of Mk1's (15) and I've not really had alot of problems with them - just the usual - have to replace exhaust, tyres, brake pads - but I'm like Gibby, I replace parts regardless of cost and do it straight away.

I've usually kept my mk1's for about 3 years before getting bored and selling and buying another just because I want a different model or colour. I had a white mk1 GTI (83) for 4 years and I drove it every day all over the place even to europe and it never let me down - but then again I did do regular (every 3000 miles) oil filter and oil changes and every 6000 miles spark plugs and flush of rad water. I only sold it as I wanted to go travelling - wish I still had it now...

The most important part is to find a Mk1 that has been looked after and has service history - do your homework first - find as much as you can about running a mk1 - you've started at the right place at this club/forum.

[kidhannn]

Unfortunately, I have already made one mistake of buying a mk1 without the service history.

But I bought the car for a bit less and has had no major problems... hence I dont mind spending some money making sure it is mechanically very sound. Getting all belts changed, full service, and making sure all other bits are in good condition. So, I am hoping it will do me good.

Is a car without service history not a good buy?

Thanks

[gibby]

Mine had very little service history when I bought it and I took a chance and replaced a few things, I change my oil and filter every 4k miles and full service it every 8k. If it's not riddled with holes and rust then most things can usually be sorted out. 

[Madone_si]

having a Service history helps you as the owner know the history of the car, but if you don't have any, but the car looks like it's been looked after and your get main service done - then your be ok. For my preference I like to know the service history.

[kidhannn]

I did not manage to find out details of the previous owner as I bought it off a dealer....
Although the car did have a badge of this website... gticlub... so i am assuming the owner might be a member of this forum.....

any ideas how i can find our who owned this car and whether he has any of the history of the car?

Thanks

[gibby]

What you could do is get the name off the V5 document for the previous owner and try and find his phone number and give him a ring and ask about the car and if there were any problems and why he sold it, that's what I did but I did it before I bought it. Or you could try and trace the owner on the ClubGTI website as he might have been a user on that forum, I reckon that's what the sticker sounds like, especially if it looked like this - 

[alan293]

Seriously you can't wrong with a MK1. I bought my first 1 with 105k on the clock. I put 8k on it in 6 months and it cost a grand total of £5 and one phonecall to the AA in parts. And i managed to sell for a £400 profit. (I can't say that about many cars I've owned  )

The proof is in the driving, everyone knows MK1 Gti's are one of the best driving cars ever produced!

So a lot of them have definately seen some high revs and gear action and yet the parts go on & on, the only thing seems to give in a bit easier is the bodywork.

A good tip some one passed on to me was use the premium grade fuel and replace the oil on a regular basis. You need to give them some TLC, as they are getting old now.