knackered head gasket

[l1ncs]

It sounds like the head gasket has probably gone on my mk2 8v gti. Only bought her a few weeks ago from someone on here and paid too much as it is. I should have spotted it before buying really but blindly listened to a friend of reckons he knows a bit and the sales patter of the guy selling it. Live and learn I guess. It has got me a bit down and I am tempted to just get rid and take the hit and go back to jap where I have never had any problems. My question is how much would a car with a bust head gasket fetch? The car still runs ok, has a full MOT, loads of history, no rust, cd player etc. On the same note if anyone is after a cheap project please let me know.

[...joe]

8 or 16v? to be honest with a knackered head gasket you'll get sweet fanny adams, they're easy enough to fix so probably worth doing it and then flogging it if you don't want it anymore. who sold it? name and shame!!!

[cняis]

yeh name and shame, i thought we were a caring bunch 

[leedub]

i bought the car off bluefox ran it for 4 months without any problems? only sold it cos i'd bought a TDI. sorry guy's if that makes me a bad person  i wouldn't of sold it with a head gasket problem.

[dabill]

to be fair though, the guy who sold it wasnt to know the head gasket was gonna go... it might have been running perfectly when it was sold, just have to take a risk, especialy with an old car like mk2's best thing to do it check reciepts and servise history etc and see if its had a new head gasket recently and wheather its a decent one at that...

[...joe]

how very honest!

[DarnPB]

Its a bad start to Golf ownership, but don't dismiss Golfs because of that. Fix the gasket and see how the car is. If it is still bad then be more carefull when buying the next one. Once you get a good one, you will enjoy driving it, and hopefully your opinion will change.

[E405]

If its just the headgasket might as well fix it and keep it cos it'll be one less thing to  worry about...(along with the timing belt cos it has to  come off any way) - I just bought a Gti with a blown headgasket myself as the rest of the car is sound (and only £100) and so far doen't seem a bad job - definatley agree it worth doing cos you'll end up with a nice car(with added value of a new head gasket and timing belt!)

[tom26]

maybe the guy you bought it from will help you with the headgasket? does seem a shame to write it off over a problem like that. I'm sure we all go through times when we just feel like turning our backs on these old cars! At least get the work done so you can take it for a proper drive and then make your mind up on whether or not you want to keep it? needless to say you'll get a much better return on a running car

[robiwill]

fix it they are not a hard job to do unlike newer cars and if only just going and you havnt let the car overheat chances are the head will still be ok so wont need skimming,
new gasket, headbolts, tensioner and cambelt and your away although as the head is off worth replacing the valve seals etc.

we are doing a customers 1.6 cabriolet today headgasket etc  £200 plus VAT and we are a garage so if you can do it yourself easily done for a lot less and the satasfaction of know its good for another 80 thousand miles