golf gti 8v

eracer2006

eracer2006

eracer2006

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19 Dec 2006
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about to buy one, does anyone know what to look out for mechanically ?

are they ok to drive, run and own ? And what can be done tuning wise ?

it has a scorpion exhaust system and a k&n induction kit, lowered 30mm.
 
What year is it? if its a Mk4 then no, they are awful in nearly every possible way and dont deserve to wear the GTI badge. That goes for all Mk4 GTIs.
 
panthro said:
What year is it? if its a Mk4 then no, they are awful in nearly every possible way and dont deserve to wear the GTI badge. That goes for all Mk4 GTIs.
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I hear this all the time... have always wondered why? I mean its fair enough to say that if you have a valid arguement/experience of the car, but i think people generally spread bad stuff about it and don't really know enough to justify their arguement.

I'm saying that your one of these "people". Yet I have never understood why people say they are aweful? could somebody elaborate as I too would like to understand why they are bad so i can spread the word too :)

Eg. I have heard they dont have a great engine? :confused: - Anymore detail on this?
 
I hear this all the time... have always wondered why?
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I think you'll find most people just take offence to the fact that its been badged as a GTI as its a slow beast that really doesn't deserve the GTI badge. Now if it had come out labelled CL or Driver or something along those lines than people probably wouldn't get as worked up as they do over the whole issue.
 
eracer2006 said:
its a mk2 1.8 8v
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Great cars IMO. I've had 2 of them and the one I have now is a 1988 model. I paid £270 for it in October and it just cost £70 to get another years MOT.

Not fast by todays standards, but great fun cars which are very easy to fix and maintain. From 1988 onwards they also moved to electronic fuel injection(Digifant). Although this reportedly leads to slightly poorer throttle response than the earlier K-Jetronic mechanical injection, it gives significantly better fuel economy. People often say who cares, if you buy a GTI you don't care about MPG. Well I do, and my GTI will return 35MPG in mixed conditions, 40MPG on a run and not much under 30 when driven hard.

Check for rust everywhere as these cars are getting on now. Other than that the usual mis-matched panels and crash damage. A slight crunch when changing into 2nd gear when cold is very common and not a real concern.

Tuning wise with that engine, it sounds like most of what can be done has been. Don't bother spending money trying to get more power out of it, it isn't worth the effort. If you have the cash and want to make it faster, put a 1.8T engine in it, or a VR6 just for the noise! :)
 
Booner! said:
I hear this all the time... have always wondered why? I mean its fair enough to say that if you have a valid arguement/experience of the car, but i think people generally spread bad stuff about it and don't really know enough to justify their arguement.
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It's bad becuase it's a Golf GTI - a car which, in 1997, was known for being a brilliant hot hatch. The Mk1 and Mk2 were great, the 16v Mk3 was also, whilst a tad soft, still a GTI. Quick, hot hatches.

Then the Mk4 GTI comes out - and has a 2 litre 8v engine developing just 114bhp. This is a pathetic power output even compared to mundane and normal 2 litre cars - a 2 litre Vectra or Focus developed more than 130bhp - but to then offer it in a car badged as GTI was travesty.

So, it performed like a slug - it couldn't even haul itself to 60 in less than 10 seconds - it was embarrased off the line by diesel minicabs. Not very GTI.

Then there was the handling. Now, the Mk4 Golf platform in standard form does not a great handling car make - it's acceptable, which is fine for going to the shops, but as a GTI, the platform needs some work (Work that Seat, for example, have shown is possible). But VW didn't bother.

So, it wasn't very fast and it wasn't particularly great at handling. Uh oh, not good so far.

Enter the third reason why the GTI sucked - it looks rubbish. Not totally rubbish, just rubbish for a car with a GTI badge. The only exterior difference between a regular Golf and the GTI was the alloy wheels it wore. And they were not even particularly sporty wheels, either - they were the sort of wheels you'll now find, and even found then, on regular cars.

So, it didn't go like a GTi, it didn't drive like a GTi and it didn't look like a GTi either. GTI had turned from a legend and surefire guarantee of a fun car to nothing more than a trim level which merely meant 'alloy wheels and Sports seats'. VW were trading on the GTI name to sell a regular car. Infact in the rest of Europe it wasn't badged GTI, just 2.0. It's only over here that we got conned into think it was a GTI.

There was also a 1.8 20v - this offered 125bhp, but to be honest, an extra 11bhp made no difference, it still sucked.

The 1.8 20VT at least helped with the pace a bit, but it still didn't look like a GTI.

VW sort of made amends in 2002 with the 1.8T GTI Anniversary, with 180bhp and a bodykit. It actually looked and went like a GTI this time. But this was only a rare limited edition model when infact it really should have been what EVERY GTI was like.

Happily, though, the replacement - the MkV - is once again, a decent car. During the develop of the Mk5, VW even admitted that they screwed up with the MkIV.

These comments refer only to the Mk4 - the Mk2 8v is a different kettle of fish, which other forum members know far more about and are in a better place to advise you on than me.
 
Mk2s are ace check for rust and water leaks on the rear windows. Also make sure the cambelt has been replaced at the required interval. check for accident damage to the chassis, especially the front end as this can be hidden quite easily as you can basically unbolt most of the front end panels without to much bother.

I can also confirm they are built like tanks. From personal experience I can safely say they can withstand quite a fast head on into a stationary object without to much fuss.
 
[TW]Fox said:
It's bad becuase it's a Golf GTI - a car which, in 1997, was known for being a brilliant hot hatch. The Mk1 and Mk2 were great, the 16v Mk3 was also, whilst a tad soft, still a GTI. Quick, hot hatches.

Then the Mk4 GTI comes out - and has a 2 litre 8v engine developing just 114bhp. This is a pathetic power output even compared to mundane and normal 2 litre cars - a 2 litre Vectra or Focus developed more than 130bhp - but to then offer it in a car badged as GTI was travesty.

So, it performed like a slug - it couldn't even haul itself to 60 in less than 10 seconds - it was embarrased off the line by diesel minicabs. Not very GTI.

Then there was the handling. Now, the Mk4 Golf platform in standard form does not a great handling car make - it's acceptable, which is fine for going to the shops, but as a GTI, the platform needs some work (Work that Seat, for example, have shown is possible). But VW didn't bother.

So, it wasn't very fast and it wasn't particularly great at handling. Uh oh, not good so far.

Enter the third reason why the GTI sucked - it looks rubbish. Not totally rubbish, just rubbish for a car with a GTI badge. The only exterior difference between a regular Golf and the GTI was the alloy wheels it wore. And they were not even particularly sporty wheels, either - they were the sort of wheels you'll now find, and even found then, on regular cars.

So, it didn't go like a GTi, it didn't drive like a GTi and it didn't look like a GTi either. GTI had turned from a legend and surefire guarantee of a fun car to nothing more than a trim level which merely meant 'alloy wheels and Sports seats'. VW were trading on the GTI name to sell a regular car. Infact in the rest of Europe it wasn't badged GTI, just 2.0. It's only over here that we got conned into think it was a GTI.

There was also a 1.8 20v - this offered 125bhp, but to be honest, an extra 11bhp made no difference, it still sucked.

The 1.8 20VT at least helped with the pace a bit, but it still didn't look like a GTI.

VW sort of made amends in 2002 with the 1.8T GTI Anniversary, with 180bhp and a bodykit. It actually looked and went like a GTI this time. But this was only a rare limited edition model when infact it really should have been what EVERY GTI was like.

Happily, though, the replacement - the MkV - is once again, a decent car. During the develop of the Mk5, VW even admitted that they screwed up with the MkIV.

These comments refer only to the Mk4 - the Mk2 8v is a different kettle of fish, which other forum members know far more about and are in a better place to advise you on than me.
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Good stuff! Now i understand why people always go on about them. Put me right off!

cheers for clearing that up :)
 
Make sure the heater works. They fail all the time and its a nightmare to fix.

I've had mk2s for years and see no real reason to buy anything else. They are that good, and even GTIs are motoring at its cheapest.
 
Awesome cars and now have one as a DRT!!! Great drivers car. Always brings a smile to my face around the ring!

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flat-6 said:
Make sure the heater works. They fail all the time and its a nightmare to fix.

I've had mk2s for years and see no real reason to buy anything else. They are that good, and even GTIs are motoring at its cheapest.
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in the words of my dad, "I'd rather give the car away for free and buy another than do a golf heater again."

*n
 
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