classic nOob stylee question

[mase]

no, it not something like 'what brand coilovers are best' or 'what size wheels can i fit to my gti'

but it is something that ive been wondering about...

why do you see some mk3s with the black plastic arch covers and black rub strips, and some with colour coded rubstrips and no arch cover things?

was there a specific year VW changed it... or was it purly owners discression?    

[Len]

Dunno - maybe they painted them?

Where's the nerds?

[adyh]

Arch Covers came only on GTI models , Painted bumpers were for Gl models .

[monkeyalan]

Arch Covers came only on GTI models ,

and the SE

i would add VR6  but that would just be sad and pedantic. 

[mase]

so it didnt go by what year they were built then?

'cause there is a purple vr6 outside right now which has colourcoded bumpstrips and no arch covers and is a N reg, and the P reg 8v gti im lookin at buying is also colour coded and has no arch covers 

[monkeyalan]

http://www.volkswizard.co.uk/vwbrochures.htm

the VR6 is probably a highline.

the gti has been modded.

[mase]

as they say.. everydays a school day.

cheers dude 

[yellowgti]

alls i know is my gti has black arches and my cl has none

[bulk66]

I know what your saying mate my L plate has the black arch moldings but i went to look at a P plate befor buying mine and that had no arch moldings and colour coded door moldings?.....

[volkswizard]

Hi,

This mystified me for a while but here is the low down on Mk3 arch trims or no arch trims;

All GTIs have arch trims

VR6 from launch to end of 1995 model year had arch trims
From 1996 model year onwards (approx Oct 05 registrations onwards) arch trims were deleted but the sill extensions remained - you can tell a 1996 model year N reg by the oval side repeaters rather than orange.

Curiously the Highline came out just before the standard VR6 lost its arch trims so there are Highlines on an N reg with orange side repeaters and no side mouldings.  Also no genuine Highline should have the sill extensions.

No other models had arch trims apart from the limited edition Golf SE (1.4 or 1. 1996/1997 which did a better job of looking like a GTI than the bare arched driver.

Hope that's put your mind and rest without sounding too geeky!

Andrew Chapple
Volkswizard