Buyers Guide? Advise?

[twr]

Hey all,
Newb to Golfs (Though have driven 1 or 2 over the years. Learnt to drive in a 5 cylinder Passat back in UK many years ago!..but never owned) thinking of a Mk2 or Mk3 GTI as next daily.
Is there a buyers guide? What to look for all in one place etc
Any recommended VW shops in Melbourne?
Been checking some of the other posts (will continue to do so) but advise appreciated.
What parts are hard to come by, what has to be shipped in?
Been looking recently and saw this one on Car Sales
Thoughts, feedback, advise welcome
Cheers
T

[ryana89]

Hey there Mr/Ms T, welcome to the forums

Hanging around forums and reading up is a great way to teach yourself and get your own idea of a 'buyers guide'.

Quick history, all Aussie delivered MK2's are standard spec 4 door, 1.8L 8V engines.

There are a few 2 door, 16v, personal imports from Europe/South Africa
We also didn't get MK3 GTI's, just CL's, GL's and VR6's.

Parts can be tricky and expensive to come by (they're old cars), but if you do your research and plan ahead then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

There are a few other GTI's on this forum going for a bit less money than the one posted too.

Have a look at these threads.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...ons-44683.html

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...gti-50635.html

[Mk1_Citi_Golf]

Team T!
Mk2's and 3's are a gud start! As said above, the white Mk 2 is priced a bit steep. Having owned both Mk 2's and 3's, I now have 2 Mk 2's. The Mk 3 was a Vr6 and really thirsty (this tho is coming from a pom who drives a Tdi powered Mk 2 that will easily do 100km on 4.5 litres of diesel!). A few things to look out for on the Mk 2 is:- 1, when viewing try and see the car started from cold. Look for blue smoke on start up and 'tapping' cam followers. If it's silent with the usual condensation from the exaust then all is usually good. If tappy with a whisp of blue, then it's done a few hard kms! 2, Drive it also from cold, paying attention to second gear. It will crunch if the synchromesh is worn (common though). 3, Also look for rust around the screen and wiper blanking grommets. I just picked up a 4 door Mk 2 for $4250, so they are about for half way sensible money. Good luck! Simon aka GTDTdiMk2!

[twr]

Thanks guys,
Soaking it up like a spounge

I noted some threads advising to put a Mk3 exhaust onto the Mk2....Easy to source? How much? Just header/manifold or complete system?
I also noted advise to check for idle speed - is this to check there's no hunting/surging at idle?
Whats the problem? and if present, how to solve?
What other practical mods do people do and why (reliability, drivability, economy etc)
What maintenance schedule should be looked for, any 'must service' items and receipts to be on the look out for?
What parts cannot be sourced in Melb/Aus and really have to come from OS?
What fuel economy do people get (ok, all in the how of the driving, but urban, sensible driving !)

I'm getting the sense that the $6k being asked for by the seller is a little unrealistic. Whats a reasonable price range?
I'm looking for the best possible, this one looks to have low k's..I've also seen some mk4's for not a lot more...

Appreciate any old car car not be considered hassle free, but my '89 Mitsu has been uber reliable daily transport for several years and....starting learning curve from scratch.

Thanks again fellas,
Cheers
Tim

[walshydub]

A good MK2 is just as reliable as any Mitsubishi as long as you keep it serviced and on top any issues.
Reasonable price range is $4-6k for a rego'd car, i wouldn't pay more than $3,000 for an un-registered car.
The idle issue is not present on every car but is easily solved by a good mechanic.
All parts, can be sourced in Aus but will cost you more than if you shop around OS.
Fuel economy is generally very good, they are light cars with 4 cyl engines...
Maintenance should be general servicing, oil changes etc.
As for the MK3 header, the stock one is fine but if you want more power then get a MK3 header.

Overall just do the usual checks you would for any car, ie; check the oil levels, listen out for any strange noises, blue smoke and check for any rust under the arches and around the a pillar.