hi, i'm a bit new to vw's and also this site. i have a mk2 16v golf i'm interested in looking at this week. is there any sort of buying guide on here giving out tips on what to look for. this is the first time i will of looked at a vw. are there any common rust area's i should be looking for ?
Hi I'm no expert myself! But common rust spots on top are around fuel filler front and rear wiper holes.underneath inner areas of wheel arches . Those are a few of the places that have gone on a c reg rot box I bought unseen off eBay lol but my other two don't seem to bad rot wise .got a non running doh track 16v dodgy injection and a 5door project ill never do! But that's that's life when you're 42 with two little girls
These are the most common bits you can find easily Rear arches under the plastic GTI Trim, both sides Under plastic sill trim if its a big bumper or under vinyl sticker on sill redundant wiper hole on RHD later than about 87 ish Tailgate behind number plate and around wiper/washer holes Rear panel and rear panel corners, get underneath on big bumper cars to see fuel flap aperture, nrmally shows as rust spots inside filler neck area, but is usually worse behind Sills along complete length and where they meet the rear arch Battery tray (under battery) Stuff thats harder to see and only normally when you strip bits off Inner flitch's under the front wings (bottom sections) A pillar upper and lower sections Scuttle panel under the screen connecting to A Pillars Front Chassis Legs both sides Floorpan around the jacking points Now this all may seem a lot and i'm sure there are a few bits i may have missed but this is worst case Most Mk2's wont have all of this rot and some wont have any, it all depends on the previous owners Also Look for moody wiring and badly fitted 'Mods' A lot of these cars have been played with by Halfords bolt on goody boys , attempt to get an as original as possible car I bough an original 8v Gti with 3 owners 2 of which are form the same family, the body is not great in places but the mechanicals are good and every part is original Good Hunting Steve
many thanks steve. as for origionality i believe it is totally standard, down to the wheels. it's in dark green which i believe used to be quite desireable in it's day. it apparently has a good history pack with it including the fully stamped service book and the current owner has hardly used it. 50 miles since last mot. thought my usage was low approx 500 per annum. seems a little over priced compared to some on the market, but as the saying goes "you get what you pay for"
Whilst I would not deter you from prospective mk2 16v ownership, I bought one on the basis that is was a low mileage example with healthy history and minor details to be fixed. Turns out reason it was low mileage is it's the least reliable vw I've ever owned! When they work well they're brilliant, when they aren't they can be a nightmare, especially if you have to pay a garage. My experience tells me that golfs are built to be driven, it's when they parked up they go wrong. Seals dry out and shrink causing leaks, water sits in exhaust system etc Keep it well serviced and take it by the scruff of the neck periodically and you'll not go wrong. Take someone who knows these cars or at least someone mechanically savvy to view with you. Dark green colour is called Oak Green, allegedly most desirable colour, but I wouldn't pay extra for it, code is L94E Covers the basics http://thegolfgti.com/golf-mk2/buyers-guide/ http://www.matey-matey.com/golf_buying_guide.shtml Best of luck