It's hard to explain

[Bflat]

Hi all,

I'd like to run by you a change in the way I view the world. The Volkswagen world, that is.

You see, ever since I bought my very own VW (a snappy little red Polo GTI, 3 years young, well kept) my perception of ALL VW's has changed.

Before I entered into VW ownership I wouldn't look twice at most older vw's. They were, as far as I was concerned, cars for those who care very little about cars and all that comes with them. Lately, however, I'm catching myself stopping and admiring simple, daily driven Golf's, Polo's and even Caddy's! I guess a large portion of this can be attributed to numerous hours trawling through this site. I caught myself yesterday looking for another VW to park next to at the local shops and found a tidy little MK4 Golf 2.0 that I pulled up alongside. I was genuinely happy for whoever owned that little dub (even if it wasn't of great significance to them, perhaps). Beaming, in front of a 2.0, I must've looked stupid.

Another example was when I spotted a dark blue Vento outside work, only to find that a girl in my department at work owned it. I then spent the next hour berating her with questions as to whether she'd sell it.
This is ridiculous. A year ago I would have considered it a boring sedan. Now, though, i'm smitten with them.

I'm over the moon with my current VW, but I can't help but wonder whether I would have had more fun spending half the money on the inital purchase price on a (hopefully rust free) MK1/MK2/MK3 and the rest on mods?

I'm assuming i'm not the only one, but has your interest in VW's been born through ownership or was it evident before that?

[Wolfgang]

I've had my Golf for only a year now and the same thing is happening to me. I would buy a Mk1 Golf if I had somewhere to park it and work on it, and enough time (and patience). Never gave Mk1's a thought until I bought a VW and joined VWW.

[ryana89]

MK6's yesterday, MK1's today and soon enough (if not already) you'll be fascinated with old Bug's, Kombi's and Type 3's.

[OEM G60]

It's cool that he 'scene' is picking up more in Australia these days! A lot of us on the forum are from the UK where the VW thing has been big for years, Australia missed out on a lot of watercooled VW's unfortunately, and so all the culture and events that went with them. At least the newer models here are sparking more interest in their history, it's a good thing! I bought my first Golf in '94 i think, ill always love them, the aircooled ones included, Splitties and Karmann Ghias...

[Cookie28]

I'm much the same, I've always liked newish VW's (mark 3 golf/vento and up) but only since joining this forum have i really started to love all of the older cars and would definitely love a mark 1 if i could afford to buy one or spend the money that i wish i had on my bora in the future i would definitely like (and this is a long shot) a mark 1 with an R32 motor and driveline swap that would be awesome fun on a track... o well i can always dream

[Bflat]

Ok good, thought I wasn't the only one haha

[rayray086]

It's good you think like that mate. I miss my Mk3 and the way it drove and the attention it used to get. Fun driving it and working on it!

[Jarred]

it's perfectly reason to drool.
it happens to all of us. I came here for mk 1's and ended up buying a mk 2 and a mk 3 (amongst other things)

Most people wouldn't be able to have a mk 1 as a daily though. Not for everyone. However mk 3's are defiately are reasonable to have as a modified daily.

You'll need to mod one a bit to make it as fast as a polo though

[Blitzen]

I look at things in the same light as the OP!! Just over 5 years ago when I started Army trade school in Wodonga, I was lucky enough to start my course with a bloke named Terry O'donnell. A bloke who used to race Baja biggies, rally Beetles, and while at trade school, Khanacrossed his T4 Kombi!!

This man realized that I had a love of Hot Hatches, and pointed me towards the then new Polo GTI... After buying my car in December 2007, I was guided towards this forum by Rhys, and I haven't looked back... Every component I have added to, changed, and modified on my car has been directly or indirectly referenced or bought from this forum.

I have met an awesome bunch off guys off here and in the community, not just he in Australia, but world wide. I have made many valuable contacts, seen some amazing cars, and been to some great shows, just because I took the time to purchase one nondescript little hatchback off the advice of an army mate...

Volkswagens aren't just a car, as I once thought, but a way of life, as I now realise...

[VR28LT]

i grew up in Belmore and went to school in Lakemba which is where Muller & Muller is located.... Every morning we drove past the workshop and i must say my first vw that i fell for was a red mk2 GTI that was always out the front ( i assume it belonged to someone that worked there ) then later on when i was about 14 we were behind a maroon VR6 that was new at the time and i told myself oneday i was gonna buy one . After many different VTEC Hondas , a couple of rotors , a few BMWs and a MR2 GT i finally purchased a VR6 because the timing was right... i always knock myself for not rockin a dub earlier haha

[blutopless2]

I had my first interest in vdubs when i was a teen... people i played squash with at the time had some beetles and they used to drive them everywhere, work on them themselves etc, one also (i later found out) had a porsche 356A in really good condition till it was written off... so my first car was going to be a beetle... but that never eventuated.... i started out with *resisting the urge to spew here* holdens etc... then dabbled in subaru and mazda and never really considered vdubs until my wife wanted to look at a new beetle cabrio way back in 2003... well we bought that cabrio (and still have it) and since have added a 1957 oval beetle, a 1974 beetle, had a 2007 polo GTI, and our daily drivers are currently a Jetta and Tiguan.... so you could say i've had the vdub bug all along... but its manifested itself as a serious obsession since getting the cabrio...
but you're right... its the way of life around the vdubs that makes it great to own them... meeting forum members, meeting interstate club members at events... we have met great people over the years and consider some to be among our really good friends... and all because we own a VW.
Something that usually stands out above all else is how much people within the VW forums and clubs are willing to help each other out.

[Smead]

For me I was doing a course with a mate who drove a Beemer. At the time I was driving (cough) a VU V8 ute (cough) So riding in the Beemer got me thinking on Euro cars. I looked around for an affordable Hot hatch, and after discarding thoughts of the Astra turbo hatch and a few others, i settled on a VW Polo GTI (9N3) and have never looked back since.

[Bflat]

For me I was doing a course with a mate who drove a Beemer. At the time I was driving (cough) a VU V8 ute (cough) So riding in the Beemer got me thinking on Euro cars. I looked around for an affordable Hot hatch, and after discarding thoughts of the Astra turbo hatch and a few others, i settled on a VW Polo GTI (9N3) and have never looked back since.

Do you find you can't help but notice almost every other VW out there now?

[Cookie28]

Yes with ten characters...

[ffoff]

about 4-5 years back my next door neighbour had a mk4 TDI golf, he never shut up about it and I kinda liked the look of them. until I saw what a mk3 looked like and then mk1's haha.

now I have a mk3 2.0, and 2 mk1's. and I'm only 19 and struggle to keep the mk3 on the road haha.