New and got questions...

[SilverGTI]

Just posted this in new member section but thought i'd get better response in here..

I'm new to the forum and i've got a few of questions about Mk2 Golf GTI's, will start with these:

1. I get mixed reviews from different people concerning what GTI I should have got and was wondering what the major differences and advantages/disadvantages of owning either an 8v or a 16v are.  I've just bought an oak green '89 16v which I do love even though it has a few niggles, but at the price I paid didn't expect a perfect machine..  The year of my car leads me to the next question..

2. What's the difference between pre'90 and post '90 GTI's? Is it just the power steering function and addition of big bumpers or are there a lot of other things to consider if i'm say for example, buying a scrapped mk2 GTI to cannibalise?

Hope to get some good info on here, will have a few more questions soon..   

[Haribo!]

welcome by the way

1, from what i gather, an 8v is revvyer if thats a word, but all things concidered if its got more valves then its a faster engine, itll make you to higher speeds and itll do it quicker than an 8v, i was recently told that the 8v injection system wasnt as good as the 16v one too, but that might not be true, im certainly no expert

2, on a pre 90 spec youll have small bumpers, your electrics are different,the popular example is your hazard light switch, on a pre90 its a switch on the dash and on the 90 spec its behind the steering wheel, on a post 90 youll have arches which join to sill extensions which all go nicely with the bigger bumpers that they have, they are also a fair bit lower, i think by 20mm but im not sure, you get a load of that stuff on some 8vs known as run out editions or something like that,

theres a whole load of other stuff im sure,thats all ive remembered since posting here, be prepared for some far more detailed posts on the subject ide have thought, or just run a few searches and youll find near enuf any question you might have has been answered at some stage or another, have fiun mate

[Agreeable Slick]

1, from what i gather, an 8v is revvyer if thats a word, but all things concidered if its got more valves then its a faster engine, itll make you to higher speeds and itll do it quicker than an 8v, i was recently told that the 8v injection system wasnt as good as the 16v one too, but that might not be true, im certainly no expert

16v is by far the more revvy engine. Basically the valver engine is better if you want to go places on the edge of your pants, cos once they go past about 2.5k they just want to go everywhere quickly.

8v has electrical ignition (digifant) whereas the valver has mechanical (k-jet) the valver i would say has the easier ignition to work on and diagnose so could be called different, as with all electrical ignitions is something goes wrong it is a process of elimination.

Everything on golfs is interchangeable regardless of year, although it might require changing other bits as haribo said like the position of the hazard switch etc.

[SilverGTI]

Thanks for the info.. 

welcome by the way

, on a post 90 youll have arches which join to sill extensions which all go nicely with the bigger bumpers that they have, they are also a fair bit lower, i think by 20mm but im not sure, you get a load of that stuff on some 8vs known as run out editions or something like that,

That was one other thing I was thinking of doing, I was going to purchase some G60 arches and maybe a big bumper body kit.  I would like to keep the small bumpers though as I feel it gives the car a more agressive angular look, and would probably only use the side skirts from the big bumper kit to fit the G60 arches more snugly than the standard small bumper kit.. But do I actually need the big-bumper side skirts to go with the G60 arches or will the standard ones already on my car be ok?

[Organisys]

I might be wrong but I think the small bumpers wont line up flush with 90 spec or G60 arches.

[rubjonny]

The small bumpers will go with the 90 sepc arches ok, in fact the late Golf Countries had this setup as standard

[Organisys]

......well there you go then !

[Gambit]

u can check and see if you have the 256mm or 239mm front brakes

small bumper cars came with 239mm, whereas the later 90 spec big bumper came with 256mm setup

but some of the last pre 90 small bumpers also came with the 256mm setup.

easy way to check is if both brake pads are the same size. on a 239mm car the 2 pads per disc are different sizes

[Haribo!]

ive got the small bumpers and the 90 spec arches, its not as snufgg as the picture above tho, you have to cut your front splitter up abit to make it line up and then find a way to make it stay put, i used cable ties

[Gambit]

i owuldnt bother with g60 arches unless you have wheels to fill the extended arches. otherwise it looks daft IMO