Should my car have big bumpers?

[dubber36]

no f reg mk2 golf was made with big bumpers as the early g reg had small then later g reg had big.

Errr, not quite!

My car, Registered late Dec 1989 1.8 16v unmolested 2 owner OE car, apart from G60 wheels in this shot, and aftermarket Jetex exhaust

Thom, my car was registered on 2nd Jan 1990, so quite possibly only a few days after yours, and has big bumpers. I have seen cars as early as August 1989 with big bumpers too. I suspect that your car was one of the last small bumper cars left hanging around the dealers until someone bought it at a heavily discounted price. A bit like the odd K reg cars (mostly from Scotland) that were registered a while after the Mk3 was introduced on a J plate.

[VW BUSH]

Make sure you fit the brake ducts when you revert.

[gazareth]

no f reg mk2 golf was made with big bumpers as the early g reg had small then later g reg had big.

Errr, not quite!

My car, Registered late Dec 1989 1.8 16v unmolested 2 owner OE car, apart from G60 wheels in this shot, and aftermarket Jetex exhaust

Thom, my car was registered on 2nd Jan 1990, so quite possibly only a few days after yours, and has big bumpers. I have seen cars as early as August 1989 with big bumpers too. I suspect that your car was one of the last small bumper cars left hanging around the dealers until someone bought it at a heavily discounted price. A bit like the odd K reg cars (mostly from Scotland) that were registered a while after the Mk3 was introduced on a J plate.

but august 89 would be on a g-plate would it not?

[dubber36]

but august 89 would be on a g-plate would it not?

Yes it would, but the build date and registration dates could be months apart. It's quite possible that Thoms' car could have been built in say June 1989. If it was registered straight away, it would have been an F reg, but as it didn't get sold until December 1989 it went on a G plate, along with all the new big bumper cars being sold at the same time.

If you were picking up on my point about K reg Mk2's, that was an example of old stock of the Mk2 still being registered after the Mk3 had been launched, much like small bumpers still sold following the big bumper facelift.

[Thom89]

but august 89 would be on a g-plate would it not?

Yes it would, but the build date and registration dates could be months apart. It's quite possible that Thoms' car could have been built in say June 1989. If it was registered straight away, it would have been an F reg, but as it didn't get sold until December 1989 it went on a G plate, along with all the new big bumper cars being sold at the same time.

If you were picking up on my point about K reg Mk2's, that was an example of old stock of the Mk2 still being registered after the Mk3 had been launched, much like small bumpers still sold following the big bumper facelift.

I have the build sheet for my car, I'll try and work out when it was built.

I have a theory! based on observations, memory, and nothing more, so correct me if anyone knows any different.
Here goes...
You could buy a 16v GTI in 89 but VW would only have a small bumper car available.

If you wanted a big bumper car in 89, then it would be 8v only!

Were big bumper 16V's only available after January 1990?

So, did VW use the 16v engine as a marketing ploy, to get shot of the small bumper cars before they made the BB 16v car available? again, just guessing folks

I also have a feeling that some colours were dropped when the BB cars were introduced, anyone seen a genuine BB GTI 16v in Jade Green? i.e. built after January 1990? It seems a few new colours were introduced with the BB cars that carried over to the Mk3 (washes mouth out)

Thom

[logeyboy]

A good theory there.
I'd never thought of 8V vs 16V.

My March '89 car with Big Bumpers is 8V.

[dubber36]

I have the original August 1989 GTI brochure. Both 8 and 16V's feature facelift bumpers. The colours available for both models are,

Solid paint-
Black
Tornado Red
Alpine White

Mettalic paint-
Silver Grey
Atlas Grey
Calypso
Medium Blue
Royal Blue
Brilliant Black
Black/Blue
Oak Green

[Organisys]

The colour changes coincided with the changes in bumpers iirc.

[Waspy]

Mettalic paint-
Silver Grey
Atlas Grey
Calypso
Medium Blue
Royal Blue
Brilliant Black
Black/Blue
Oak Green

Out of interest, and a bit off topic, which of these were carried forward to the mk3? (picking up on Thom's point)

This has become quite an interesting thread. I wasn't even born when my J-reg was built. It's like a history lesson.

[dubber36]

The colour changes coincided with the changes in bumpers iirc.

Along with the change in position of the hazard switch. It's unlikely that small bumper 16V's would have been built alongside big bumper 8V's with completely different electrics.

As I've already said, small bumper GTI's on a G plate will have been unsold units built prior to June/July 1989, but sold and registered after 1st August 1989.