VWwA Used Car Guides (Type 1J) Golf 1998-2005 GL, GLE, Sport, Generation, GTI & R32

[spritle]

Model: Golf GL
Year: 2000
Gearbox: manual
Mileage: 114K kms

Owned since new.

Mods:
Koni FSD's @ 70K kms
Poly bushes in lower control arm (front and rear) @ 70K kms
decent wheels and tyres @ 10K kms (which accountant decided to put 175/80 tyres at the design stage )
tow bar
tint
wooly seat covers


Problems:
Gearbox self destruction @ 85K kms (new box @ $4K). Systemic issue with DUU gearboxes for 1.6 manuals due to alloy rivets in diff wearing out, popping out and destroying the box.
Coolant sensor replaced. Known Mk4 issue.
minor seat bolster wear (therefore wooly covers)
rear wiper stopped working (electrical issues somewhere in the body, can't be arsed to fix).
rear boot light doesn't work (probably microsensor in rear lock mechanism, but can't be arsed to fix)
now got an ocassional rattle/clonk from the front suspension
driver's side window regulator (and had the passenger one changed too)


Pro's:
1.6 alloy engine's lighter than the other iron engines so it feels a bit better balanced
interior design and quality
mine got built in Germany
Lots of support forums
Still can't find something that I like enough to replace it (yes, driven a Mk5 GTI; Mk4 GTI; company Astra, Corolla, Falcodore, Aurion)


Con's:
1.6 lacks bottom end torque. Hec, it just lacks.
being wary of the low alloy sump
1.6 manual's a rod shift and feels a bit more clunky than the 1.8/2.0/1.8T cable shifter
wondering if it'll make it to 200K kms?

[balkanac]

Model: VW Golf R32 (044/200)
Engine: 3.2L narrow angle V6 (15 degree).
Power: 177kW @ 6250rpm
Torque: 320Nm @ 2800-3200rpm
Year: 2004 (2003 Build Plate)
Mileage: ~96000km

Modifications:
- Flapper Mod
- BMC CDA CAI
- EBC Red Stuff brake pads all round (Martini brake fluid)
- Slotted OEM front brake rotors
- HPA Short Shifter (40% throw reduction)
- TST Rear Stressbrace
- European spec blue tinted aspherical side mirrors (heated)
- Seat Leon Cupra R front lip
- Audi R8 oil cap
- Blue tyre valve caps
- VAG Tacho distance to empty enabled
- VAG Tacho dash cluster illumination enabled on accessories and ignition
- 42 Draft Designs white LED parking lights
- Blue and White LED combination interior lighting
- Polo Aero rear wiper

Modifications waiting to be installed:
- H&R front and rear swaybars
- H&R sports springs (~30 mm drop)
- Koni Yellow Sport Adjustable front and rear shocks
- Audi S3 front lower tie bar

Modifications to be procured:
- New stiffer engine mounts
- Haldex controller
- ECU upgrade (likely to be dependant on forced induction plans)
- Exhaust upgrade (the distant future, full Milltek system planned)
- Shrick Cams (the distant future)
- VF Engineering Stage 2 Supercharger kit (the distant future)

Problems:
- None mechanical
- None build interior build quality
- None exterior build quality

Grumbles:
- Stock USA spec suspension (softer and unmatched springs and shocks as well as thinner swaybars, soon to be rectified though)
- Australian spec muffler produces peak power at higher RPM and means sound isn't quite as good as European spec
- Stock it is inclined to scrape on steep driveways and parking concrete barriers will take even the stock front lip off (new suspension will only make this worse)
- Whilst wheels are fantastic, they are an absolute nightmare to keep clean
- As with most Golfs it produces a vortex behind it due to the shape which sucks massive amounts dust and dirt onto the rear hatch lip and rear windscreen, lets not even get started with how filthy it gets if it's raining
- The mystery scratch, who knows where, when or how it got there but geez it's deep and ugly (whole front bumper needs to resprayed anyway due to previous owners scrapes as per height grumble)
- Fuel economy ain't that great, to be honest it's quite apalling (CAI has helped though and who really cares anyway)

Pros:
- The noise
- The looks
- The noise
- The quality
- The noise
- The heated leather front Konig bucket seats
- The noise
- The fat leather stearing wheel
- The noise
- The fact that every time I drive it, it puts a great big smile on my face and it is just plain awesome
- The noise
- The fact that barely anyone has a clue about what it is (aside from the two 12 year olds riding through the servo one day on their skateboards who said I had an awesome car and the senior high school student where my GF is a teacher who knew that it was an Edition 200 R32)
- The noise
- Everything else about the car even the above grumbles
- The noise
- The fact that at this years Brisbane motorshow I didn't see a single car that I would rather have other than maybe the R50 and the usual supercar exotica
- Did I mention the noise

Cheers,
Trent

Great review mate, i was gonna write something similar but there is no point now
Can you please explain how did you get the distance to empty to work? Or at least point me in the right direction. Thanks mate

[Treza360]

Great review mate, i was gonna write something similar but there is no point now
Can you please explain how did you get the distance to empty to work? Or at least point me in the right direction. Thanks mate

Cheers for comment (and to JVLR32 as well). You need to track someone down who has or buy yourself a little device called a VAG-Tacho cable and software. Have a bit of a google for it. There was also a thread about it on here that a search would find.
Cheers,
Trent

[balkanac]

thanks Treza, i'll look it up

[geoff_gti]

Nik if you find someone local with a VAG COM, let me know cos I'd be interested to see this too. (Plus a few other settings...)

[phaeton]

Just thought I'd post what happened before I left my current job, we had 2x Golf 1.8L N/A with strong fuel smells in the cabin.
It was traced to the fuel pump unit under the rear seat - the nozzles that the fuel lines go onto had a hair-line crack and fuel would squirt out.

The way to solve it is to replace the whole fuel pump assembly and new seal.

[Clarkee_vw]

Model: Golf Mk4 GL
Engine: AVU 1.6L
Gearbox: Manual
Km's: 164,000
Owned: 3 1/2 years (93,000km)

Getting ready to turbo the motor

Now for my list of problems...

Problems
Coolant temp sensor replaced at 101,000km
Thermostat housing replaced at 110,000
Broke the gearbox at 124,000 the rivets in the diff gave out :/ got a rebuolt gearbox with bolts in the diff and strengthened.
Heavy duty clutch put in at 130,000 due to old one failing
Water pump replaced at 120,000 with an all alloy pump.
Cv joint starting to fail now on drivers side
O2 sensors need replacing as well as the coolant temp sensor AGAIN :/
Factory tint peeling on all windows
Clear coat peeling on rear quarter panels and roof
Rear seat material has come apart at seams
Front rotors needed replacing a few months ago

Think ive got it all lol...