Soldato
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- 13 Sep 2003
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For being dated and not very powerful. It's only an 8 valve engine, not 16.
I'm just about to buy my first VW Golf...but
- Thread starter daveydave
- Start date
For being dated and not very powerful. It's only an 8 valve engine, not 16.
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Aug 2006
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- 11,505
- Location
- Derbyshire
a circa 1999 golf 1.6 with 114k on the clock for 3k?? I really do not understand why people buy golfs they are such a rip off. get a newer focus with bigger engine and less miles for that!!
The 2.0 isn't much faster than the 1.6 speaking from experience (simple drag start from lights and test driving it)
However, by owning a Golf mk4, you are subject to the anti-golf sayers on here who advises you to get a mondeo/focus/clio over a golf in any shape or form.
I agree that they weigh lots and mpg can be poor (mine is average 29mpg with big wheels!), however I don't think they are any more bland than a focus and also look quite smart.
I own a Diamond black 1.6SE 16valve X reg Golf.
The SE package comes with Aircon, cup holders, CD player, electric windows all round (safetys on the back 2) and things like heater mirrors. I am sure you get more for your money on a Focus however.
Mods that are seriously worth considering:
Alloys - the hubs are horrible (think you have those covered though?)
Back lights - the Tango lights date it, get some GTI ones on there. (£80tops)
Clear side clusters - again, the orange ones are dated. (£10?)
Nice Headunit - The stock speakers are really punchy for standard, so a headunit sorted me out just fine. (£170 pioneer)
Costs:
Changed Cambelt/Timing belts at 40,000 miles (~£330)
Service including oil changes and brake fluids (~£130)
Problems:
-Gearbox is worth checking as said previously as all 98-00 golfs need to have a bolt kit added so they don't fall apart (Chocolate gearbox)
Rear left light can keep going dim or not working due to the rear wiper fluid cable leaking on the electrics.
-Rear bushes weak at that mileage - get them checked
-Engine mounts can weaken after 80,000
-Knocking noises from the front mean the alloys haven't been fitted properly - found this with stock GTI alloys from dealer.
Motorway driving can be good for comfort ( I travel regularly up to 200-300 miles and its fine) and the engine is much quieter than the Company Mini that I sometimes use. However things get noisy in 5th gear above 70ish, but I am always listening to music! Generally the engine is very quite, I usually have to look at the rev counter to double check!
Excuse the bad bad photography!
I really like mine, though it does leave me wanting more from the car - But there isn't much you can do to a 1.6 engine, so just waiting for something more interesting! It is seriously worth saving the extra for the 1.8T golf, as you can remap and also have a fairly decent engine to work with.
If you want any info on the mods I have done or examples of the difference it made, I have lots of photo to show how much different the car can look from base stock parts!
However, by owning a Golf mk4, you are subject to the anti-golf sayers on here who advises you to get a mondeo/focus/clio over a golf in any shape or form.
I agree that they weigh lots and mpg can be poor (mine is average 29mpg with big wheels!), however I don't think they are any more bland than a focus and also look quite smart.
I own a Diamond black 1.6SE 16valve X reg Golf.
The SE package comes with Aircon, cup holders, CD player, electric windows all round (safetys on the back 2) and things like heater mirrors. I am sure you get more for your money on a Focus however.
Mods that are seriously worth considering:
Alloys - the hubs are horrible (think you have those covered though?)
Back lights - the Tango lights date it, get some GTI ones on there. (£80tops)
Clear side clusters - again, the orange ones are dated. (£10?)
Nice Headunit - The stock speakers are really punchy for standard, so a headunit sorted me out just fine. (£170 pioneer)
Costs:
Changed Cambelt/Timing belts at 40,000 miles (~£330)
Service including oil changes and brake fluids (~£130)
Problems:
-Gearbox is worth checking as said previously as all 98-00 golfs need to have a bolt kit added so they don't fall apart (Chocolate gearbox)
Rear left light can keep going dim or not working due to the rear wiper fluid cable leaking on the electrics.
-Rear bushes weak at that mileage - get them checked
-Engine mounts can weaken after 80,000
-Knocking noises from the front mean the alloys haven't been fitted properly - found this with stock GTI alloys from dealer.
Motorway driving can be good for comfort ( I travel regularly up to 200-300 miles and its fine) and the engine is much quieter than the Company Mini that I sometimes use. However things get noisy in 5th gear above 70ish, but I am always listening to music! Generally the engine is very quite, I usually have to look at the rev counter to double check!
Excuse the bad bad photography!
I really like mine, though it does leave me wanting more from the car - But there isn't much you can do to a 1.6 engine, so just waiting for something more interesting! It is seriously worth saving the extra for the 1.8T golf, as you can remap and also have a fairly decent engine to work with.
If you want any info on the mods I have done or examples of the difference it made, I have lots of photo to show how much different the car can look from base stock parts!
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Considering I owned a Mk4 and sold it to my mother with a fsh and a large folder full of recipets dealer fixes and new parts fitted that were not required ( bought it off a golf nut) it has not done so well.
for the whole of its 125,000 miles it has done nothing but be on the motorway and iin that time its had the electics all short, various mechanical bits break, waterpump. rad, exhausts, gearbox is on its way out. But the worst thing is that for 3 months the steering lock would come on while going round roundabouts. No one knew why and it just stopped
Ecu problems and the windows falling into doors. so to summarise with 3K you could do a lot better than a T reg Mk 4 same as ours. Get a mondeo a focus or even another clio with a bigger engine.
I did however get a 1.8Gti which was perfect. Make of this as u will but I think the miles and the age will affect your 1.6
for the whole of its 125,000 miles it has done nothing but be on the motorway and iin that time its had the electics all short, various mechanical bits break, waterpump. rad, exhausts, gearbox is on its way out. But the worst thing is that for 3 months the steering lock would come on while going round roundabouts. No one knew why and it just stopped
Ecu problems and the windows falling into doors. so to summarise with 3K you could do a lot better than a T reg Mk 4 same as ours. Get a mondeo a focus or even another clio with a bigger engine.
I did however get a 1.8Gti which was perfect. Make of this as u will but I think the miles and the age will affect your 1.6
I have a Mk IV GTI 1.8T and it is still going well after 9 years of ownership. This is the Mk IV GTI to have rather than the 2.0. MPG over 40 on a run.
General issues to look for.
Windows dropping into the doors as the plastic clips break. Test this by putting the window half way down and grab the window at the back and then the front of the glass. It should not really move up and down. Clips break if the window is opened when iced up. Later models had metal clips. There are 2 clips but the window still works with 1 clip. When this one breaks your glass falls into the door. As posted earlier it is a DIY job but you do need to get hold of various torque and star drivers to undo the bits. There is a big saving by fixing it yourself but could be a good bargaining tool if one is on the way out. Here is the guide that I followed to fix both of my fronts.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1015107
If it is a 4 door model look at the glass in the rear doors. The quarterlight is separated from the main window by a vertical black metal strip with a triangular bit at the bottom. The triangular bit goes rusty. Again this can be fixed fairly easily.
Cheers, PeterT
General issues to look for.
Windows dropping into the doors as the plastic clips break. Test this by putting the window half way down and grab the window at the back and then the front of the glass. It should not really move up and down. Clips break if the window is opened when iced up. Later models had metal clips. There are 2 clips but the window still works with 1 clip. When this one breaks your glass falls into the door. As posted earlier it is a DIY job but you do need to get hold of various torque and star drivers to undo the bits. There is a big saving by fixing it yourself but could be a good bargaining tool if one is on the way out. Here is the guide that I followed to fix both of my fronts.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1015107
If it is a 4 door model look at the glass in the rear doors. The quarterlight is separated from the main window by a vertical black metal strip with a triangular bit at the bottom. The triangular bit goes rusty. Again this can be fixed fairly easily.
Cheers, PeterT
thats brilliant info and exaclty how i want my car to look! do you how much the gear box mod costs.....
Please can i reitarate I DON'T WANT A FOCUS
I'm not sure how much it costs, because my car wasn't affected by it. Not sure if any of the other golf owners will come out of the woodwork, but I expect it to be £120 tops? (inc labour)
What colour Golf are you looking at? and do try save for the 1.8T!
Don't touch the 2.0l GTI - it's not a GTI in any way shape or form and they don't offer any noticable performance increase over mine. They originated as the Golf Highline and when they didn't sell, VW whacked a GTI badge on there to shift them.
See MrSix, I really don't like the Mk4 Golf but yours looks very smart - I think it's more the colour (and photography) than anything else.
Thanks mate
I think because I've kept mine looking very much stock and not fitted big wheels (they are 16" over the standard 15") it looks different to a lot of the Golfs you see on the road. It's neither chavvy or standard or even OEM, it's somewhere in between.
I think it'd look better if it was slightly lower, maybe 30-50mm lower.
I <3 My Golf though...
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Why on earth would anyone spend £3k on a 120,000 mile 8 year old hatchback? Thats more than I spent on my 99 Mondeo. Oh, 3 years ago. With a better engine and loads more kit.
How does NO sound. Rubbish value.
If you like the Mk4 Golf PLEASE find a Bora or a Seat Toledo instead becuase they are better value. £3k for a car that would be £2k if it had any other badge on it and £1500 if it said 'Ford' on it is daft.
How does NO sound. Rubbish value.
If you like the Mk4 Golf PLEASE find a Bora or a Seat Toledo instead becuase they are better value. £3k for a car that would be £2k if it had any other badge on it and £1500 if it said 'Ford' on it is daft.
ok so the 1.8T is a better car? they are going for similar prices too so i'm willing to change my target to one of them if its a better car. This gear box issue concerns me though...so is it all mk4's between 98-00 or isit a specific model?
It's the 1.4 and 1.6 MK4's - they run the same gearbox and it's simply not good enough for the 1.6.
If I could afford it I would have a 1.8T - if you find one with 6 gears it has 180bhp, otherwise it'll be a 150bhp model.
They have a different gearbox and I've not heard any reports of them failing.
The other plus with the 1.8T is that they are relatively 'under tuned', so you can get them remapped to see 190-200 reliable BHP and if you want to go further, then an uprated turbo off the Audi TT, bigger intercooler and breather mods will see you nearer to 250 reliable BHP....I'm sure if you need advice on modding the engine then you can talk to L1J on here, he has a 1.8T engined Mk2 Golf pushing around 260bhp I believe.
If I could afford it I would have a 1.8T - if you find one with 6 gears it has 180bhp, otherwise it'll be a 150bhp model.
They have a different gearbox and I've not heard any reports of them failing.
The other plus with the 1.8T is that they are relatively 'under tuned', so you can get them remapped to see 190-200 reliable BHP and if you want to go further, then an uprated turbo off the Audi TT, bigger intercooler and breather mods will see you nearer to 250 reliable BHP....I'm sure if you need advice on modding the engine then you can talk to L1J on here, he has a 1.8T engined Mk2 Golf pushing around 260bhp I believe.
Actually a Bora makes a naff taxi becuase they are not actually that big and cost more than other larger, more suitable minicabs.
But it takes a proper Golf fanboy to claim 120k mile 8 year old Golf 1.6's for £3k are a great buy. You can buy similar aged BMW's and Mercs for that (Not for one minute suggesting you should, just putting it into perspective).
But it takes a proper Golf fanboy to claim 120k mile 8 year old Golf 1.6's for £3k are a great buy. You can buy similar aged BMW's and Mercs for that (Not for one minute suggesting you should, just putting it into perspective).
Agree with fox on that, and thats from somone who has had 2 mk4 golfs
The 1.8T is the one you want, Much better.
is the 1.8t the same as the 1.8gti???
Yes, the 1.8T is a varient of the GTI badge that VW stuck on the golf and this included the 2.0 let down.
I think the above is correct, somebody feel free to let me know if that is wrong!