RE: SOTW: Volkswagen Jetta GTI

[thewheelman]

dbdb said:

I don't really get the great enthusiasm so many feel for VWs of any age; I think they are competent but don't really excel at anything. The Golf my mother had was worthy but dull. I must be missing something because there is a huge scene for them.

I agree with you, i find them dull. There are plenty of hardcore VW fans around, but i've never seen what all the fuss is about. My girlfriend is getting a company car this month, so we looked at several options, she hated the Golf, said it was boring to look at, boring to drive & the interior was cheap.

[thewheelman]

Harry Monk said:

The Golf GTI Mk2 is widely held to be one of the finest hot hatches of all time. This is just a Golf GTI Mk 2 with a boot that merely serves to improve the handling balance.

Yes, it is a mere 110bhp but that only makes it more relevant in this day and age, does it not?

You're confusing that with the Mk1, the Mk2 never lived up to the Mk1, & the Mk3 was even worse.

[rallycross]

Nonsense the mk2 was a much better car due to better brakes and refinement in particular. The mk1 is great because it was the first proper hot hatch but it's no where near as good to drive as a good mark two. And I've had loads of mk 1,2,3,4 and 5 Golf gti's so I know these cars well.

[Dino D]

tommy1973s said:

Given that there was almost no Jetta GTis sold, some of the “knowledgeable “ comments on this post make me wonder.

Plenty were sold as 'Jetta CLI' in 1,8 and 2.0l (both engines came in 8v and 16v versions and there were small bumper and big bumper models) in South Africa...

[macp]

I can understand the vdub scene.I had an 88 Mk2 Golf GTi 8v for over 7yrs and I still think it was one the best cars ive ever owned.Lovely to drive great gearbox and torquey motor & well built.Never ever let me down no idea why I sold it as I still havent found a car that gives me the same feelings as that car did.

[JB!]

aka_kerrly said:

matchmaker said:

DubBoy said:

Hi All, Just like to say this was my car until 2 months ago when it was written off by a coach that hit me from the rear on the M40.

and

DubBoy said:

It was very minimal damage

Right................

Remember it's a 20 year old car, so in less the owner has an agreed value then the insurance company will value a Jetta GTI at less than £500 so if only takes 30% of the cars value to get it written off id say even a dented bumper and scratched boot lid would cost an insurance company more tahn £500 to put right.

dave

quick check = boot sticker.

[aka_kerrly]

thewheelman said:

dbdb said:

I don't really get the great enthusiasm so many feel for VWs of any age; I think they are competent but don't really excel at anything. The Golf my mother had was worthy but dull. I must be missing something because there is a huge scene for them.

I agree with you, i find them dull. There are plenty of hardcore VW fans around, but i've never seen what all the fuss is about. My girlfriend is getting a company car this month, so we looked at several options, she hated the Golf, said it was boring to look at, boring to drive & the interior was cheap.

I can only assume that "DBDB's" mother had a 1.4 mk3 and that "thewheelman's" girlfriend was looking at a mk6 TDI so not really in anyway related to a mk2 jetta GTI.

Personally ive owned/driven plenty of cars from the 80s/90s and the only hatch which i will entertain as being closely comparable to a mk2 GTI is the 205 but that feels tinny and cheap but is redeemed by being a little more direct and agile than a mk2.

I have always believed that the people who go around saying 80s VWs are awful have only driven one particularly bad example or have never driven/owned one before. Find a nice GTI and go for a spin and then jump into a modern hatchback an tell me that a golf is boring or dull!!

dave

[Limpet]

That would be fantastic with a healthy, possibly mildly tweaked VAG 1.8T under the bonnet, a suspension and braking refresh, but left otherwise visually standard. If you did the work yourself, you could have a properly quick, great handling, subtle sleeper for a couple of grand.
It doesn't have the historic significance or value of the Golf GTI, so it's not like you'd need to worry about desecrating a classic.

[dinkel]

Stippolyte said:

Takes me way back. I used to have an 8v gti on an E plate. Had a BBR 2.0 ltr passat engine conversion @ 37k, ran it for several years and sold it @156k. Apart from service stuff, the heater recall and the fuel pump replaced, nothing broke, failed or fell off. Was much better track day car than the Golf gti it replaced even before it was upgraded. Many happy memories......

The great thing about 80s and early 90s cars is: they are so simple there's nothing that can fail.

The electrics spoil it nowadays . . .

[Liquid Knight]

When I was a Superteen we shared Snetterton with the Vento VR6 challenge and ever since liked them. This one's a bargain.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1993-VOLKSWAGEN-VENTO-VR6-MA...

[Ganzales]

.

[IceBoy]

Interesting reading from you all.

I agree and disagree with what has been said, maily because there seems to be such a split.

I have owned many mk1's mk2's and even 1 mk3 vr6.....

....I have to say both the mk1 and mk2 in any GTI disguise, were and still are (if you find a good strong example) the most fun you can have on the UK roads.

I know 112bhp doesn't sound much fun but jeez, everything else makes up for it. To be fair the balance of power and real-world drive-ability is excellent.

"Lame", someone said lame ! Lame.... the figure VAG put out to press were very pessimistic (sp?) What I mean is the performance figures. Even today my mk2 8v (big bummper - 1990 model) Which puts out 120bhp, will see off most much more powerful cars with up to 200bhp....Over 100 leptons it is more difficult though.

Drive one and see for yourself. Great cars.

IceBoy
Mk1 GTI sportline cabrio - 8v k-jetronic
Mk2 GTI big bumper - 8v digi