Mk3 Golf GTis - owt I should know?

[Mystic Rado 0]

I'm thinking about getting a Mark 3 GTi, the 2.0 8v, as a daily. Just want something economical and reliable, I'm not too bothered about performance as long as it's fast enough not to be steam-rollered by tractors etc. Anything I should be particularly aware of with these?

 

Have to admit I've never really been attracted to the Mk 3, I have/had a Mark 2 that's on its last legs bodywork wise and I'm tempted to buy another, but it's getting increasingly hard to find sound ones and the ones that are out there seem expensive compared to Mark 3s. Plus the Mark 3 apparently does nearly 40mpg.

 

Anyway, common faults? Owner experiences etc?

 

Thanks :)

[horney 0]

Rusty sills and bootlids, avoid the earlier cars and get as late a one as possible. As with MKII's red ones fade so be wear of heavily polished ones as it'll be pink by the time you get it home.

 

Not bad cars but handle really badly in standard trim.

 

Nick

[weetos 0]

yep don't do it get a mk2 or 4

[Mystic Rado 0]

I'd have another Mk 2 like a shot, but thing is, it'll have to live on the street and with a Mk2 I'll only end up spending more sorting the suspension, etc. Then I'll end up fitting the TSR top-end that's on my current Mk2 and sorting the gear linkage and the steering and it'll end up being not cheap... I know I'll have another Mk2 some time, just not now.

 

Cheers for the input, Nick.

[Leonard 0]

Yep as a bove save a bit more and get a Mk4 they are CHEAP at the mo

[KipVR 1]

My wife has a Mk3 P reg four door. In the 2 years she's had it only one thing has broken and that was the coil, so easy fix. It's not a Gti really, but it is fast enough to overtake. It cost £1500 and had done 75k, it's now on 97k.

 

Couldn't recommend it enough, but you do have to accept that it's not a great Gti. Mind you the Mk4 is no better as a GTi but it does have a nicer interior.

[Mystic Rado 0]

Thanks guys, all good food for thought...

[Leonard 0]

Where abouts are you in the Peak m8 anyway?

 

Im in Matlock :)

[til2143 0]

I had a 98 mk3 gti as a daily driver for a while an i loved it, nice and torquey, 40mpg on a journey, and good fun to drive, only trouble i had was with the gearbox which i got reconditioned. In my opinion a great daily driver, go for it!

[Walesy 0]

As someone above said, the only thing wrong with them is that they're not really GTI's - other than that they're really good cars, nice and solid and cheap to run - the 8v engines just go on and on, for the money they go for nowadays they're a really good daily driver. I'll be looking at getting one for my missus when she goes back to work in a few months.

[M15 VW 0]

when I had mine the dodgy central locking with minds of their own and a stink of fuel when filled over half tank were quite common.

[Mystic Rado 0]

Where abouts are you in the Peak m8 anyway?

 

Im in Matlock :)

 

Glossop, me. So a bit further north :)

 

Thanks for all the replies guys, appreciated. Seems to make sense in a head over heart sort of way.

[coullstar 0]

They rust like a mofo. Ive had 3 Mk3's and theve been ok realiability wise but Ive never really liked them. Totally agree and save a little bit more money and get a Mk4 instead. Far better and nicer everyday car. 2l version is not quick but will do 40+mpg. Early Tdi's like mine are pretty much spot on for an everyday car.

[Mystic Rado 0]

I guess we'll see what happens then - it's really just a stop gap until I track down a sound Mark 2 Golf to host the decent bits from my current one, so not really a long term thing. I'd heard the early ones were bad for rust btw, but the later, better. Don't know how true that is, but buy carefully, I guess, is the way to go. Drove one today, felt nice and solid, but quite uninspiring compared to either the Mk2 or the 'rado, pretty flat. But that's good cos I won't be tempted to upgrade the thing...

[KipVR 1]

Not a single bit of rust on my missus one

[coullstar 0]

Not a single bit of rust on my missus one

Must be a good one then.

[dirtytorque 0]

20 mile drive to work,mixture of A road,motorway and town driving.

 

40mpg.

 

very rarely see it in the 20's.

 

No performance to speak of however.

[M15 VW 0]

there was no rust on my one either

[Walesy 0]

They dont rust in general, only on the tailgate - none of the MK3's i've had have had a spot of rust anywhere.

[Sonicriot13 0]

Even then it's only the early ones that rusted. They started to produce them with galvanized tailgates, forget which year though. The only one I've had with a rusty tailgate (and I've had a lot of mk3 golfs) was an early valver. The 8v engine is ok I suppose. My mum has one at the moment. Give me the valver any day though. S*d the fuel economy and get one of those! :D

[Sonicriot13 0]

Here's mine. I do really miss it actually. I got it for next to nothing and sold it six months later for more than I paid to fund my first Rado.

 

[KipVR 1]

nice golf, nicer garage. :luvlove:

[Sonicriot13 0]

nice golf, nicer garage. :luvlove:

 

Cheers dude. It's a lot tidier in the Golf picture than it is in my signature! It's spotless now though. I love that garage. My Corrado lives in there with a cover over it. I'm not obsessive. Promise....

[M15 VW 0]

this was my mk3

 

[Mystic Rado 0]

Ah, Mk3 memories, sigh. Glad I could help... I bought one anyway. Five door, very clean, mystic blue and with Solitudes... It kind of reminds me of something else ;-) It's like the Storm's porky cousin and is already known as Herr Blobby... Cyclists will know where that one came from...

 

Thanks for all the advice :-)