Hi Guys & Gals

[MAFFA]

Cheers guys. I've been looking into the MkII's & I was loving them to bits until I saw this thread:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=56651.0

Now from a non-VW owner I look at the initial pictures & think..."that looks reasonably clean" until I read on & saw how much rust there was 

Is this a big issue with the MkII & if so how the heck would you ever know it was there?

I gotta say that a MkIII is starting to look more tempting on account of the age & less likelyness of rust. If the handling is the only issue then there will be coilovers going on it anyway + bigger brakes + strut braces + lightweight alloys & eventually a full strip. Like you said the MkIII price is falling & you can get a decent 1996 for around the £1-£1500 mark.

Any comments about my views would be greatly appreciated

MAFFA

[MAFFA]

I think i'll change my mind again!!!

Just been speaking to the guy that owns this beauty:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/303598.htm

Looks like the complete package ready to go. Does anyone on here know this car or what do you think about it? 150BHP at the wheels & 210lb/ft. Is that a lot in a MkII?

Cheers

MAFFA

[Dinky]

Thanks Dinx. Whereabouts are you in the Northeast? I used to live in Lincolnshire before moving back down south

MAFFA

I live in sunny south shields...pretty northern to most on here..

Maffa as with all makes/models of cars, it depends on how much previous owners have looked after them..i mean, how many new cars have had recalls?! not exactly the same/..but u get the gist
Dinx

[MAFFA]

Crikey that is up north!!

I thought Lincolnshire was north but that's miles further! Mind you i'm from Chichester so anything above the Watford Gap is north as far as i'm concerned 

MAFFA

[Dinky]

Its ok Maffa....your not alone in thinking I practically live in Scotland..

Dinx

[MAFFA]

They'll never get you...there's water in the way!! 

[Leon R]

I'd recommend the Mk2 16v too but maybe one already converted to a 2.0 16v.
Adding a stainless manifold and exhaust system with a rolling road setup with a well known tuner called Stealth, you should get about 160-180bhp with a few more cheap, select mods.

You can play around with inlet manifolds from the Corrado which are 42mm or keep the standard Golf one which would change your torque curve to your track day style, maybe convert to throttle bodies and megasquirt? There are lots of articles about.

The Mk3 feels a bit heavy driving about, the Mk2 is definately much lighter and from my experience, more fun.

As for 8v vs 16v, there are so many opinions about which is better and not but drive one for yourself to see what would suit you! With the 8v you feel the torque lower down the revs but when you go higher it doesn't pull as much whereas the 16v is the opposite. Some 8vs do push a lot of power, 150bhp is very good for a Mk2 8v.

That Scooby engine bay... wow!

[MAFFA]

Cheers Leon.

Thought i'd just do a few insurance quotes to see whether that would sway me either way:

MkII 1.8 8V = £230pa
MkII 1.8 16v = £240pa
MkIII 2.0 16v = £300pa
MkIII 2.8 VR6 = £320pa
MkIV 1.8 (125) = £230pa
MkIV 1.8T (150) = £330pa

All quotes are fully comprehensive.

God i'm gonna save a fortune as the insurance on the M5 is £800pa & on the Scooby before that it was £550pa.

I agree totally with what you're saying but my only concern is the bodywork condition. Should I be so worried? Is it really that big a problem?

Also i've seen a few choice mods out there for the MkIII and you can get a 1997 2.0 16V for very good money. Bear in mind it will probably eventually be stripped bare and made as light as possible for the track.

I was suprised on the insurance for the VR6. That could be tempting What are they like in terms of performance, economy, reliability & tunability?

[MAFFA]

Oh & thanks for the comments on the Scooby. Lot of hard work went into that & it demolished GT3's at Bedford Autodrome

Here's the current family car that I just sold  (It's a sad day)



MAFFA

[Leon R]

Did that M5 have service history at Hexagon of Highgate dealer? I'm so sure I've seen it at work!

Most Mk2's have rust, ones without are priced accordingly so if you are prepared to pay the premium, get it wax oiled and it should be ok. Mine wasn't that bad, it just had one bad one, but where Mk2's normally rust it had nothing.

This should help:
http://www.matey-matey.com/golf_buying_guide.shtml