Mk2 owners opinions needed please.

[JC]

Both engines are very strong.  One doesn't have enough valves.  The other has an accident waiting to happen attached to it.

 

Don't rule out a non gti ! As long as the pierburg has been replaced. 

[Gavv8]

I would really like it to be a Gti, i'm not bothered if its the slower 8v if i could find a good rust free one as i don't plan on ragging it, the 16v's seem to command quite a premium but would it be worth the extra?

[JC]

Daily use ! In standard form, nah - buy what ya want. 

[Gavv8]

Yup but what if what i want isn't what i need?, i can't afford to throw four grand away and running old cars is always a bit of a gamble offset by the fact that mk2 is generally a tough old thing..

[JC]

now thats the gamble you have to take.  and there is no other way to go. 

dan apps on here spent LARGE on a Mk2 16v from a " specialist "  to run as a daily, within months it was off the road and is now scrapped. Rust was his killer , but hidden from view from any checks he could have done when buying , but something the " specialist " should have noticed. 

as for mechanical parts, you know yourself being a mk3 and ex disco owner, be it a high or low mileage car, you just dont know what could happen to ANY part of it in the next week, month or year 

its an EXPENSIVE itch to scratch Gav thats for sure, and NO ONE can tell you if your making the right choice. your cash to gamble with, and thats what it is, a gamble. End of. 

[Gavv8]

Rust is what i'm most frightened of, i've been maintaining and repairing my own cars for over 20 years so i know i could look after it mechanically but my bodywork skills are seriously limited and it only takes one harsh winter to start the downhill spiral.
I've decided that i'm going to avoid the dealers and have a good look at cars that have been owned by knowledgeable enthusiasts that may have had a lot of work done but at least i'll be able to see that its been done.

[andykram]

I've had both an 8v and a 16v GTi over recent years and have used both to do the work run. That's 31 (admittedly motorway miles) both ways and both coped well. Compared to the Mk6 there's clearly a huge difference in terms of refinement and so on but they coped perfectly well with the job and you're not travelling as far I don't think.
The problem is, that once I'd had the 8v I immediately wanted a 16v and as has been stated, you need to spend big to get a mint bodied one. That is what I did and have since spent a fortune on it since having resprays, full engine refurbs and so on. Consequently, there's absolutely no way I'll be using it as a daily. Concours duty only now and it'll certainly never go out in the rain ever again. Rust is indeed the killer and you wouldn't want to kill a minter (if you can find one) by using it in mid January. It would break my heart to do that to mine now it's so sorted.
Before I scratched the Mk2 itch I was originally looking at Mk3s and would have been quite happy using one of those as a daily - they are significantly more refined.

[JMallows]

I've owned my 1.3 (replaced pierburg now) for 11 years, dad had it since 1989 before that. I still use it as a daily (in fact i also have a new VW so every other day) and i still prefer it to the new car. Though both are different sorts of drives so hard to make a direct comparison. Did break down the other month, replaced ignition system and all fine now (so far!) A 10 year old car needs things doing to it as well, so its no different to a 25 year old car that also needs things doing. If you dont want to ever do anything, buy a new car every three years, and thats still no guarantee!

Granted mine isnt a GTI, but it is still 25 years old, 175k on original engine, and still great fun to drive!

[nealey]

Having run mk2s as dailys for around 5years I think you would be mental to spend 4k on one and use it all year round, jobs will soon start piling up and you have to think can you really be bothered to be lying on your back at 11pm when it's -5 outside just so you can get to work in the morning? I was fortunate using mine as a daily as I worked close enough to home to use alternative methods to get to work if the worst happens.

Mine also looked nice on the outside apart from a scab on the fuel filler, when I took the car off the road to switch the gearbox after the diff went I poked said scab and soon found myself looking inside the boot from the outside of the car, I then did a full body strip down and ended up needing a battery tray, small inner wing repair, a front wing, two sills, both outer rear arches and one inner arch repair and a small repair on the rear valence. After all of that it would of needed a full respray so I knocked it on the head

[Gavv8]

I'm beginning to think this might not be such a good idea but i've seen a couple of 8v's locally for around the £2650-3000 mark so i think i'm going to go and have a look.