Well I posted sometime ago that I was thinking about getting rid of my 8V and moving up to a VR6 or 16V. Now for the past good 2 weeks I have looked at a good 15+ cars, and have to say, I am well and truly dissapointed with the condition and some of the daft asking prices people are asking for them. I mean my 8V is in no means 'mint/ concours show standard' but out of all the cars I've looked at over the past 2 weeks it puts them all to shame.
I have looked at a number of so called enthuiast owned cars, which were alleged to be 'mint' but upon viewing I swear ever panel has dents in, (some very major) leathered in stone chips and scratches(retouched i, in the wrong colour). Electrics that don't won't, major gaps in the service history. I remember 2 and half years ago, when I was first looked for a Mk3 Golf, after getting rid of my Mk2 and there was an abundance of clean cars but these days I'm struggling to find anything. I pretty much refuse to rid myself of my 8v no matter how humble it is compared to the likes of a VR6/16V, for a car which needs a full spray at the least and a lot of bodywork. Are there any clean cars left out there or what? Or does it just come with the territory of wanting of a VR6/16v?
I went looking at another VR6 today which on paper sounded too good to miss out on, 85K, full history, 2 owners, first being a 60 year old, last owner had it 5 years.. from the pics it looked straight and very clean(was sent hi-res ones), first to see will buy job, but travelled 2 hours+ today to view with cash ready for a deposit only to find yet again every panel dented, rust, bad respray on two panels and the biggest let down of them all was the engine... it just felt gutless. Power delivery was smooth as silk, but it just felt like it had no guts. Took it for a test drive down some nice roads, but by god it felt like it was all over the place(sloppy VR handling I know). Went down the same roads again in my car and there was no comparison really, it felt quicker and more responsive and held the road better.
I don't know, but to me at the moment after viewing and driving a number of VR6's I can say I'm not that impressed, the sound you cannot knock! Maybe I'm viewing tired examples, I don't know, but nothing as spoken to me yet and made me sell up my own. I'm in two minds now to tidy up the very small jobs that need doing to mine and opting for a engine transplant either that or jumping back into a nice Mk2 again. Finding the right VR6/16V at the moment just seems an impossible task, everything just seems to have been in the wrongs hand of the wrong people. So it's VERY dis-heartening to say the least. I mean, seriously, would you sell up an otherwise mint car for something that so obviously needs a hell of a lot of work doing it to bring it upto the same standard? Just for the sake of a few extra horses..
Well either way, I'm now in two minds... Keep my 8V, tidy up those little jobs and then consider a transplant or jump back into a Mk2 again... either that or hold out for that right car to come along, as it just seems everything these days has been 'abused'
Rant over...
