After I'ved got a few bits cleaned and replaced on the engine I'm planning on getting a few performace parts for it aswell, for that bit more power and a better sound. it's a bog standard 1.4 8V MK3 golf CL. (first car you see cheap to insure!) i don't want to go OTT but just a few bits like filters, exhaust, stage 1?? all help aprieciated and if you could give me a rough guild on price aswell.
My first car was a 1.4 and as everyone does with their first car, I wanted to slightly tune it too. But the gains you would get, it would be cheaper to drop a whole new engine in. My advise is to do what I did, I got the car looking alright and a stainless exhaust system did make a nice difference. But start saving and building no claims. I bought a mk3 16v GTI when I was 19 with 2 years NCB. Sold old Golf for 1000, bought this one for 2500 (well under book price for its condition) and insurance was only 350 extra. And i just swapped all non engine mods accross bar the alloys.
whole new engine aye....a 1.6 can fit in there right!? I'ved got insurance on my Mums as for me to insure that car fully comp was a touch under 2k which is stupidly high even if i am a new driver. The body and running of the car is pretty sound, having done 110k miles I was considering dumping a 1.6 refurb engine in there if i fell in love with it! I'ved seen some prices on Magnex complete exhaust sytems in the 250 mark. If I was going to put a refurb in there I would make sure upgrades like this would be of use to me on the 2nd engine aswell. until then though i'd like to consider putting a few hundred into the engine.
Why swap in an engine when you can already buy a Mk3 with one already in!!! Makes no sense financially?? If you have money to spend on a engine swap then you must have money for the insurance on a better car.
a descent 1.6 seemed alot harder to find. why go through all the bothers of finding a new car when you can just change the engine, as long as the change over goes smoothly it would be alot less hassle. This is all still vague random thoughts buzzing aorund in my head though.
The mk3 is aheavy car and anything below 100bhp isn't worth the conversion. Being on your mums insurance then why couldn't you find a 1.8 90 bhp model or a TDI, wouldn't be much more to insure under parents name. If you havent got the insurance in your own name then it'll be a while until you can afford insurance on a GTI. But that quote of 2k seems rather steep. My 1.4 mk3 CL cost me 645 to insure for 12 months TPFT, ah the advantage of having a Pass Plus. Go get one
even with pass plus i doubt i could get it THAt low, that well cheap, for TPFT the lowest i found awas 1300 ok will forget about the engine change and just have a bit of fun with mine. then maybe once i have a year or 2 of driving under my belt with no past accidents should be able insure something a bit better realistically. I was looking for a 1.4/1.6 but the GTi's are quite a bit higher on the insurance group rankings going from 6 on my current car to group 14 on a GTi!!
