Good luck with your test, hope it all goes well.
As for the car, can i listen to the insurance company you ring as they laugh and but the phone down.
TBH if your gonna get a mk2 you have got to get a 1.6+ or its not worth it. The fact that a lot of these cars cost less than ?500 is good. BUT you will be paying ?2000+ to insure the thing. This is really not worth the hastle.
What you need to do is get a small fun car that if you like can be modified really well to give ok performace but is cheap to insure. I have seen the future and its MINI shaped. As a first car these are SOOOO much fun. With ?120 you can fit the stage 1 kit which turn the engine from a sack of sh1t to a car that is responsive and fun to drive. The mini handles like nothing else on the road.
As you may have quessed a mini was one of my first cars, actual first was a polo then uno then the mini. Mini are in a low insurance group so are cheap to insure. Loads of mods can be done on them and there are loads of them for sale. Just make sure the body work is good.
When ringing for insurance spend a good 4/5 hours calling different companies, If you do go GOLF then get a golf mag and ring the companies in there and the ones in yellow pages also
www.confused.com <- do this now with golf then mini and see the difference.
I really would consider a small cheap car for at least a year until you have a 1 years no claims, Also if you do want to get a fast car first then do all the pass plus and extra course that lower insurance.
Good luck
Let us know what you choose *cough* mini *cough then golf
buzz