MK3 Golf gti 8v has anyone owned one?

[mattosmond 0]

Hi guys,

i haven't found the right rado yet, :cry: :cry:

so i think i am going to settle for a golf for another year.....

I am wanting a mk3 gti.......

I have found a 2.0 8v colour concept 3dr in black with heated black leather, fsh, 113,000 on a 96 'n' = whats it worth?

Has anyone owned a mk3 gti 8v or 16v and could you give me some advice as to what to look for.... any common faults!!!!!!!

Is the 2.0 8v the same engine thats in the late rado's?

Cheers,

Also is there anyone down in southampton who would come and look at some cars with me (for some cash) and give them the once over and possibly a service after...

matt

[Walesy 0]

Don't rush into buying a Mk3 mate, just because there's no rados about - I would have thought you'd end up dissapointed and wish you'd waited for the right rado..

 

I've had a couple of MK3's and ( without meaning to offend anyone ) I think they're terrible, i've never driven one that's had the suspension seen to, but as standard they really don't feel like a 'sporty' or 'hot-hatch' kind of car where the Mk2 certainly does.

 

The Rado 8v's used the same engine and therefore are slightly more sluggish , but I know which car i'd rather be in day to day.

 

Just my opinion of course.

 

P.S - It might be worth sending gaz the geezer a PM, I think he's from Southampton and i'm sure if he's got the time he wouldn't mind checking a car out with you - he's an approachable kinda guy :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Agreed with Walesy, the 8V GTI is an awful car. Borrowed one for 2 weeks whilst the Rado was being 'seen to'. There is a tiny little torque band, which is usefully low down, but from 3000 onwards, bugger all happens and it's a nasty, hollow sounding coarse engine aswell.

 

Handling is less than uninspiring, I think VW chose mattress spec springs for it and bicycle dampers.

 

The only good thing about the MK3 is it's build quality - compared to the Rado at least!

 

As hump back wale says, many of them have shagged suspension, which can be addressed with coillies etc but it's not worth the expenditure. it'll never compare to a Rado, ever.

[jazzdevil 0]

yeah Matt, don't settle... there's something out there with your name on it!! 8)

 

there's 8 Rado's listed within 40miles of sunny Southampton in the 'Trader alone!!

[Toad 0]

I agree with the other guys, just wait it out a bit longer, something will turn up.

 

Also I'd be more than happy to have a look at a couple of cars or service them, tbh I could do with an extra couple of quid. You might be a bit too far over though. You're from whiteparish aren't you? Dropped a Disco back there a couple of weeks back with a mate. PM me if you do want a hand....

[chrishill 0]

I think you're being a bit over critical TBH, they're nothing compared to a corrado sure, but they're hardly 'terrible' cars. Mine drove a hell of alot better than my other half's 2 year old pug 206, gear shift was better, build quaility was better and so on.

 

They really need polybushes and decent suspension to feel properly sporty, and they will NEVER compare to a corrado even super modified, but they're not terrible!

 

mattosmond, mine was a N plate 5 door with heated leather and 83k on the clock, had it up for £1500 and didnt get many takers in the 3 months it was for sale for. the market for them is flat as a fart at the moment. I wouldnt be paying more than 2k for it, even if its mint.

[mattosmond 0]

Sorry i forgot to mention the other reason why i am looknig at mk3 golf gti's the insurance is £ 400 cheaper than a 16v rado......

i WILL get a rado but for now a mk3 would do a job (it will only be for a year then i will be able to afford a nice C),,,,,, i have had a mk3 1.4l for my first car and that was super reliable etc....

Are the 8v lumps reliable?

Are the 16v lumps reliable?

the 16v suprisingly is cheaper on insurance for me but they are all way over priced compare to the 8v's!!!!!!!

Thanks Toad for the offer of help, i will pm when i know when i can go have a look,,,, :cyclops2: the guy is on holiday i think, his phone keeps going to answerphone...... Most of my miles are on the motorway steaming up and down from newcastle to southampton.... So as long as it has some high end pull that would be great.....

Keep up the good advice guys,

cheers

matt

[jazzdevil 0]

i have an Ibiza Cupra with the 2.0L 8v engine in, which is the same unit as the one my cousin had in a Mk3 GTi... and neither ever put a foot wrong.

 

the Cupra has a fair bit of get-up-and-go, but don't know that it would pull as well in the Golf as the latter obviously weighs a bit more.

 

good luck all the same!

[davidwort 0]

Sorry i forgot to mention the other reason why i am looknig at mk3 golf gti's the insurance is £ 400 cheaper than a 16v rado......

i WILL get a rado but for now a mk3 would do a job (it will only be for a year then i will be able to afford a nice C),,,,,, i have had a mk3 1.4l for my first car and that was super reliable etc....

Are the 8v lumps reliable?

Are the 16v lumps reliable?

the 16v suprisingly is cheaper on insurance for me but they are all way over priced compare to the 8v's!!!!!!!

Thanks Toad for the offer of help, i will pm when i know when i can go have a look,,,, :cyclops2: the guy is on holiday i think, his phone keeps going to answerphone...... Most of my miles are on the motorway steaming up and down from newcastle to southampton.... So as long as it has some high end pull that would be great.....

Keep up the good advice guys,

cheers

matt

 

The 16v is quite a good car as standard, really the last development of the old 16v engine VW did, and makes a big difference over the old 8v lump, that's why they go for more, plus they often have air con and other extras. Slap on a flowed head, re-chip and you'll get 170bhp out of them easily with better mid-range than a Corrado 16v thanks to the fully electronic injection system.

The 8v is not really a GTI at all, it's almost 50kg heavier than a 4cylinder corrado and needs lower stiffer suspension to handle well, having said that the 8v engines are very reliable, fairly economical, pretty cheap to maintain and easy to work on.

There was an M reg 8v at the garage I get my MOT done at earlier this year, being scrapped. The owner had simply left it at the garage as it needed about 800 quids worth of work to get it through an MOT (mostly labour - leaking shocks, worn out brakes etc.) He dumped it rather than pay what the car was worth to keep on the road, the car was actually in pretty good nick and I was tempted as they wanted nothing for it - scrap value, didn't have the time to fix it up though.

[Toad 0]

Thanks Toad for the offer of help, i will pm when i know when i can go have a look,,,,

 

No worries.

 

I was offered an 8v a couple of months back for £500, I'll try to find out if it's still floating about. Think it was black, N reg, might have been a Cat C at some point though.

[mattosmond 0]

well, the most i think the colour concept above is worth is £1850 ish......

but it wouldn't be a bad buy coz if it wasn't worth enough when i wantec to sell i could break it..... heated black leather etc....

 

Toad, i have to admit to being a bit of a stiff about things like cat recorded cars.... but worth a go all the same......

[wilkes 0]

i am driving mk3 gti at the mo while my corrados off the road,not bad cars at all ,not as good as a corrado but not dissapointing ! ,if you have a gti ,be prepared for every chav trying to race you ,i get left alone in he raddo ,but the golf seems to attract a lot of nobheads in corsa's and the like trying it on

[vdubCorrado 0]

i don't know, i guess it;s personal preference but i don;t particularly care for the MK3 golf... i had a 98 GTI VR6 in Arrow Silver with all the Drivers Edition parts on it, so it was a hell of car here and rather rare and i could honestly on stand to own the car for about 3 months and i just wasn't happy with it... which i guess the only reason i used it was to keep the miles off of my 350Z while i had it...

 

but again it's personal preference, but man i LOVE MK3 jettas with Golf fronts! i would run around in that all day long like it was the coolest car ever, aside from a corrado haha