Wanting a new car, talk to me. (noob questions)

[Sp00n]

Looking for some advice.

So my polo is giving up the ghost so I'm going to sort out a loan and get myself a new car, the plan is to get a mk4 golf 20vt.

The thing is, I've never really bought a car worth anything substantial, my first car was a gift and the 2nd was a company car, then this polo cost 500 quid so I never bothered checking it over, just bought it and drove it away the same day as I needed something ASAP.

My Dad said I should think about getting any new car inspected first so I have enquired about getting an inspection from the RAC and they want £185 for the privilege which seems pretty steep, AA also seem to charge roughly this, is that a normal sort of price? Do you guys get your cars checked over when you buy them or do you just use your knowledge? Would I be better off finding a local garage to where the car is being sold or even a VW garage?

If you do get them checked then what is the process, do you put a deposit down and say I want it back if it fails the checks, or do you buy the car and say I want a refund if it fails the checks?

 

[Sp00n]

Is this really worth the bother for a Mk4 Golf? All this talk of inspections and loans would be fine for a mk5 but it seems like overkill for a 10 year old hatch!

Just go and get one?

Well its still a few grand and I don't fancy get done over, it's going to be 7 years but I guess its still a fair point, I'm just worried I will get mugged off!

Take a friend with some proper knowledge, have a look on line for a buyers guide to the car.

I've sat down and looked at the common faults and joined up to some forums, trouble is I don't have any mates with mechanic knowledge, this is my problem.

 

[Sp00n]

Sorry I meant 8 years, forgot its 2011, the one I'm looking at is a 53 plate.

I don't have any (mechanic) mates

Anyone wanna be my friend?

 

[Sp00n]

Thanks BD, perhaps I'll just take a friend with me then as another set of eyes, I mean I'm not entirely inept when it comes to looking at cars but I'm certainly no pro, I guess I just need to calm down because as you say I think the excitement may get the better of me.

/edit thats a good point daz, I never checked the heaters on my polo, along comes winter and I have to wrap up if I'm driving anywhere long distance!

 

[Sp00n]

Oh thanks Gaijin, I really appreciate the offer. I've got access to around 5k but I don't really want to spend more than 4 as I'd like to put the rest towards the insurance and maybe some little mods.

So, I have been looking at these 2 examples:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...en/page/1/radius/40/postcode/bn24ta?logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...en/postcode/bn24ta/page/8/radius/40?logcode=p

The 2nd one is over-priced so I was thinking of offering something like 3.8 and my polo (if they even want it) and seeing what they say.

 

[Sp00n]

My polo isn't worth £800, trust me (its a 1994 with 116k miles, oil light is on etc...).

I want that specific car, a 1.8T 150PS

 

[Sp00n]

Yes you are right, sorry I meant the one for 4,600. Don't know what to offer on the 2nd one. I'm trying to find what the "right" sort of price is from glass's.

 

[Sp00n]

Local Octavia's to me are the same price with that mileage, I also don't really like their look.

I'm a VW fanboy through and through I'm afraid (although apparently SEAT intrigues me)

They are overpriced German tripe in my eyes. The Mk4 Golf is horrid and I have never liked them. Id much rather buy a Seat Leon 1.8T 20v and save some money. You can get hold of a 2002 1.8T leon for around £2000 nowadays.

O'rly? o_O

Also, why is it tripe?

Standard leon wheels are soooooo fugly.

 

[Sp00n]

I personally like the mk4 looks, I wouldn't touch anything other than the 20vt though.

 

[Sp00n]

£4.5k for a 2002 Golf

Well I wouldn't pay 4.5 for it.

So the fact that is has a lot of optional extras and has only done 49k miles doesn't really matter? I was looking through glass's and was trying to figure it out, the recaro leather option was 2 grand when new.

I guess I'm a little naive when it comes to these things.

 

[Sp00n]

Join uk-mkivs.net and do some homework on there, I'm sure you could get a member in your area willing to help you out.

I did, they suggested I get the 180ps lol.

I really appreciate the suggestions and comments guys, I need to have a serious think about what I actually want.

 

[Sp00n]

Lets not talk about the emissions problems, rough running and erratic idle.

Care to expand?

 

[Sp00n]

I'm not spending 4.5k, 4 tops I think.

I also don't want a car with anywhere near 100k miles and anni's are going to be a damn sight more than I am willing to pay to be honest.

 

[Sp00n]

Is it not 10k/12k average any more?

 

[Sp00n]

I would be far more concerned about the age of these cars than the mileage.

Well if its been well looked after, FSH etc... then I wouldn't have thought the age was an issue, other than the extra years of exposure to the elements surely less years or less miles is sort of the same thing?

/edit sorry if that's a dumb thing to say.

 

[Sp00n]

The 182 doesn't really interest me as it's 2 door and I don't like how it looks, I prefer the golf size because I have a dog and I wanted to start putting him in the boot rather than trapsing mud all over the back seats. The LCR is more money than I want to spend and the normal cupra is coming in at around the same sort of money with low mileage plus I would have to change the wheels. Admitadly my search skills aren't fantastic but I've been looking on autotrader and pistonheads.

I'm not saving the money, its a parental loan and I can pay back 4k over a couple of years which is the sort of timescale I am looking at without hindering my saving too much.

My opinion has always been that it's age thats harshest to a car not miles.

I mean last week I drove 1200 miles in my 530i. In a normal week I'd drive only 50

I wonder which harms the car more?

I don't get the question (I haven't been awake long), are you asking which does more damage, the 50 miles or the 1200 miles? Am I wrong when I say the 50 miles?

Gaijin, are you around today perchance?

 

[Sp00n]

I'd even take an earlier S3 over the 150 Golf GTI. You might even get a facelift model?

The Cupra is looking like a good option actually but its gonna cost me another £500 a year to insure (I'm 25 but no NCB) due to it being 180bhp I guess, they are coming in cheaper but I'm gonna have to travel a fair distance to find one with the nicer wheels (there are "cupras" with the horrible multispokes) and a decent colour. The S3 is also around the same price to insure (weird seeing as its 210bhp).

Thanks for the post Fox, it makes sense and thinking about it this golf would be coming right up to the point where its going to need the cambelt changed so I think I'm actually better off finding one with more miles but has passed the camblet and water pump threshold, I could do with a list of the service intervals, need to find one.

I do want a golf, that much I know and I realise I will take flack for it but I will spend less on one.

/edit what about this one? http://pistonheads.com/sales/1899010.htm

I'm concerned about buying private, am I at more of a risk?

 

[Sp00n]

Mk4 golfs, well standard things are Front anti roll bar bushes going. To test if they are, go up the road in the car, rock the steering from left to right, if it knocks everytime, chances are its the bushes. Fairly cheap fix, bushes + clamp are whats needed.

Another things is rear Axle bushes, these will be fairly difficult to diagnose for you, but if you can, try and raise the rear of the car and check for play with a lever bar.

Rear road springs are common to snap on the back, they snap right at the bottom usually and easy enough to tell.

Servo pipes, the connections / junctions are always splitting and i believe there was a recall to fix this. But Just have a check around the connections and you will see if they are cracking / splitting. Also you will hear a hissing noise if you get someone to put their foot on the brake.

If its fitted with a sunroof, make sure the carpet is dry and the inside isn't all steamed up, as the drains tend to clog up very easily as its a crap design ! But can easily be fixed by snipping the bottom of the drain grommet off.

Rear washer not working, the connections tend to come apart around the rear n/s light cluster and the rear n/s head linning, just make sure its not wet around there, and obviously make sure the rear washer works !

Some of the weather we have been having the past few weeks, it might be worth checking the front wipers work at full speed, as the wiper linkages tend to seize up slowly and slowly and the wiper blades will tend to go really slow even on full speed.

Thats most of what i can think of, coming from experience as a vw main dealer tech.
Hope this helps, but as previously said, dont be spending 4k on a mk4 golf, thats madness !

Thanks man, thats very helpful

Anyone got any opinions on that golf from PH?

 

[Sp00n]

Edinburgh... lol, cars are a fair bit cheaper up north

 

[Sp00n]

Whats wrong with and how old is your Polo? I'm just curios as i'll be looking at cheap cars in the summer and old polo's are on the list

The things that I know of are the front right caliper needs some attention, it needs re-fitting with the proper spacers as there is movement in the caliper, I bought the parts but haven't got the space to do it myself and don't want to pay a garage to sort it. Oil pressure light has been on for a month or so now, oil smell if accelerating hard, oil leak (few ml over the course of a day). It sounds bad but I just don't want to spend any money on it and I was planning on driving it till it died but I'm fed up with having such an old car and I want some I can poor my attention in to again.

Its a 93 M 1.6L with 117k miles, engine still runs alright, no nasty noises.

Dunno if this is of any help... but they are niggly cars to own and always need money spending. The newer you go, the more sensors you'll have to go wrong too. If you're not remapping it they aren't quick cars by any means and feel pretty boring... but then again if you don't mess you'll have less problems.

I collated a list when I bought my 1.8t of things to check, which may be of use to print out and jog your memory when viewing cars.

Click here for word doc

As mentioned, knackered door modules are common so no interior lights, car doesn't know the doors been opened etc... and can play havoc with your locks working properly. 80 quid part but a ballache to fit.

Very handy, thanks!