My first German: Mk5 Golf GTI
Discussion
Just last week I picked up this lovely Mk5 Golf GTI - I know there are a fair few of these on here already, but there are a lot of them about for a reason; they’re brilliant!
I’d had a MK5 GTI on my ‘will own someday’ list for ages but was happy enough with my Celica 190 for a long time; that was until things started going wrong; power steering pump failure, minor oil leak, sticking rear caliper, air pump, detaching engine undertray and heat shield…etc. I'd had it for five years at this point and was hankering after something new anyway, but didn't want to put all that time/effort/cash into the car just to sell it immediately after fixing it. I ended up selling it to a mate with the cost of repairs subtracted from the price. So not for the first time I found myself looking at GTIs in the classifieds, difference being that this time I was actually looking to buy!
The thing about Golf GTIs is that they seem to be owned by everybody from respectable middle-aged sweater vests to the #stancenation backwards hat crotch grabber crew, so the cars on sale have lived all sorts of lives and range from the pristine to the downright abused. One I test drove had been remapped (which the advert didn’t mention) badly and torque-steered like a bugger, and also had a plethora of marks/scrapes and bits of trim missing (which the photos didn’t show) including a snapped bonnet release handle and even a cracked interior mirror. Needless to say I ran a mile from that one.
Regarding spec, I knew I wanted a 3-door car with tartan seats rather than leather, but apart from that I really wasn’t fussy. Initially I was leaning towards the 17” Monzas rather than 18s since the 18s are diamond cut, prone to corrosion and expensive to have refurbished. The car I bought does have 18s but they were just refurbished earlier this year so it wasn’t an issue. Speaking of the car I bought, here it is:
It’s in remarkably good condition for an ’05 plate – apart from some small age-related stone chips on the bumper/bonnet and a couple of tiny scuffs, it’s like new. Both front wings were replaced by the previous owner under warranty, and I’ve already mentioned the recently refurbished wheels. The exhaust could probably do with a spruce up and polish at some point but apart from that the car is in fantastic nick.
I also wasn’t overly bothered about a specific colour, only ruling out resale value silver as there are far too many silver cars on the road these days. I’m loving the steel grey I’ve ended up with; very cool colour and the red of the brake calipers and grill stripe look fantastic set against it.
The interior is in equally great condition. Apart from some very minor wear on the gear knob and drivers’ seat bolster, it’s showroom fresh inside.
The car doesn’t have heated seats or cruise control (not that bothered about either) but it does have xenons which are absolutely brilliant.
I haven’t had the chance yet to really stretch its legs on a long drive, but it’s been great fun on the shorter drives I’ve managed. I’ve heard of GTIs being really quite tyre-sensitive but thankfully mine came with Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2’s so no troubles there, it feels extremely planted and sure-footed through twisty stuff.
Being turbocharged, the engine is completely different in character to my old Celica which essentially didn’t get out of bed until 6,000rpm and then had a firework under its arse all the way to 8,200. Comparing power figures, the Golf only has roughly 10bhp more but it’s the 70 lb/ft extra which really makes the difference. From 2,500rpm the GTI effortlessly surges forward; I’ve never had overtaking this easy!
Even managed dead-on 40mpg during its first day on commuting duties. No hypermiling involved, just sticking to 70 on the motorway and avoiding mashing the boosty pedal.
I’d had a MK5 GTI on my ‘will own someday’ list for ages but was happy enough with my Celica 190 for a long time; that was until things started going wrong; power steering pump failure, minor oil leak, sticking rear caliper, air pump, detaching engine undertray and heat shield…etc. I'd had it for five years at this point and was hankering after something new anyway, but didn't want to put all that time/effort/cash into the car just to sell it immediately after fixing it. I ended up selling it to a mate with the cost of repairs subtracted from the price. So not for the first time I found myself looking at GTIs in the classifieds, difference being that this time I was actually looking to buy!
The thing about Golf GTIs is that they seem to be owned by everybody from respectable middle-aged sweater vests to the #stancenation backwards hat crotch grabber crew, so the cars on sale have lived all sorts of lives and range from the pristine to the downright abused. One I test drove had been remapped (which the advert didn’t mention) badly and torque-steered like a bugger, and also had a plethora of marks/scrapes and bits of trim missing (which the photos didn’t show) including a snapped bonnet release handle and even a cracked interior mirror. Needless to say I ran a mile from that one.
Regarding spec, I knew I wanted a 3-door car with tartan seats rather than leather, but apart from that I really wasn’t fussy. Initially I was leaning towards the 17” Monzas rather than 18s since the 18s are diamond cut, prone to corrosion and expensive to have refurbished. The car I bought does have 18s but they were just refurbished earlier this year so it wasn’t an issue. Speaking of the car I bought, here it is:
It’s in remarkably good condition for an ’05 plate – apart from some small age-related stone chips on the bumper/bonnet and a couple of tiny scuffs, it’s like new. Both front wings were replaced by the previous owner under warranty, and I’ve already mentioned the recently refurbished wheels. The exhaust could probably do with a spruce up and polish at some point but apart from that the car is in fantastic nick.
I also wasn’t overly bothered about a specific colour, only ruling out resale value silver as there are far too many silver cars on the road these days. I’m loving the steel grey I’ve ended up with; very cool colour and the red of the brake calipers and grill stripe look fantastic set against it.
The interior is in equally great condition. Apart from some very minor wear on the gear knob and drivers’ seat bolster, it’s showroom fresh inside.
The car doesn’t have heated seats or cruise control (not that bothered about either) but it does have xenons which are absolutely brilliant.
I haven’t had the chance yet to really stretch its legs on a long drive, but it’s been great fun on the shorter drives I’ve managed. I’ve heard of GTIs being really quite tyre-sensitive but thankfully mine came with Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2’s so no troubles there, it feels extremely planted and sure-footed through twisty stuff.
Being turbocharged, the engine is completely different in character to my old Celica which essentially didn’t get out of bed until 6,000rpm and then had a firework under its arse all the way to 8,200. Comparing power figures, the Golf only has roughly 10bhp more but it’s the 70 lb/ft extra which really makes the difference. From 2,500rpm the GTI effortlessly surges forward; I’ve never had overtaking this easy!
Even managed dead-on 40mpg during its first day on commuting duties. No hypermiling involved, just sticking to 70 on the motorway and avoiding mashing the boosty pedal.
Edited by thatguy11 on Monday 31st October 20:35
Edited by thatguy11 on Monday 10th July 16:54
Thanks guys - yeah i have heard that they can use quite a lot of oil, my old car didn't use any at all so i will need to remember and keep an eye on it!
No real plans for the car, just tidy it up a bit; give the exhaust a good polish etc. Also i have never used clay before so i'm wanting to give that a go, i think this grey could look fantastic if i can get a deep shine out of it
No real plans for the car, just tidy it up a bit; give the exhaust a good polish etc. Also i have never used clay before so i'm wanting to give that a go, i think this grey could look fantastic if i can get a deep shine out of it
Edited by thatguy11 on Saturday 17th September 19:55
As an 11 year old Golf the mileage is far from low, but I’m really struggling to keep the digits down; I just can’t stop driving it. Think I’ve put nearly 1,000 miles on it in two and a half weeks! The non-linear power delivery is a hoot and full of character, even if the noise is sadly lacking a bit. The grip is great and the steering is very communicative, as well as nicely weighted.
But then when you just want to get to/from work as painlessly as possible, it’s as comfortable and refined as you would need; the seats are supportive, the ride is brilliant and the auto lights and wipers aren’t half bad either (never had either in a car before).
In short, the perfect hot hatch dual personality!
But then when you just want to get to/from work as painlessly as possible, it’s as comfortable and refined as you would need; the seats are supportive, the ride is brilliant and the auto lights and wipers aren’t half bad either (never had either in a car before).
In short, the perfect hot hatch dual personality!
Edited by thatguy11 on Monday 31st October 20:44
si_xsi said:
Looking good OP, glad you are enjoying it. How many miles has it done? Here was mine... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
As an alternative to some form of halfords cleaning product, I can confirm ceramic top oven cleaner works well on sooted exhaust tips, or CIF (formerly Jiff!), agitated gently wire wool brillo pads, then rinsed off.
It's on 127k miles, didn't concern me though as it's a very well looked after example. Yours looked like a great one too!As an alternative to some form of halfords cleaning product, I can confirm ceramic top oven cleaner works well on sooted exhaust tips, or CIF (formerly Jiff!), agitated gently wire wool brillo pads, then rinsed off.
Definitely giving the CIF a try on the exhaust, the tips are properly manky.
Kaj91 said:
Rensko said:
Surprised there isn't some kind of easy cruise control install you can do
Quite a simple job, just buy an indicator stalk with the cruise control function and get it coded to the car.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-V-VI-PLUS-JETTA-...
Edited by thatguy11 on Wednesday 28th September 12:27
In the words of Clarkson, a great tragedy has befallen me. While driving home from work (on an nsl back road) I had a run-in with a deer; I narrowly managed to avoid hitting it, but had no choice but to swerve off the tarmac and onto the rough and rocky roadside - at 60mph. THUMP! The result was one shredded tyre and a damaged wheel…
Apologies for the extremely crap phone picture but it was getting dark plus stellar photography wasn’t exactly the first thing on my mind
All things considered the outcome could have been a lot worse, so I’m thankful I got away unscathed and the car only suffered minor injuries.
Regarding tyres I might as well take the opportunity and replace both fronts, as they only had a few thousand miles left in them anyway. I’m hoping the wheel is refurbish-able, however I’m not too confident. I’m planning on taking it to The Wheel Specialists to see if they can work their magic on it – if not I’ll be needing to buy a new one, plus the additional cost of getting the replacement wheel powdercoated to match the rest.
This is especially annoying as the previous owner had only recently had the full set refurbed and powdercoated, and I didn’t think I’d ever have to be worrying about the state of the wheels; oh well, things happen I suppose!
Apologies for the extremely crap phone picture but it was getting dark plus stellar photography wasn’t exactly the first thing on my mind
All things considered the outcome could have been a lot worse, so I’m thankful I got away unscathed and the car only suffered minor injuries.
Regarding tyres I might as well take the opportunity and replace both fronts, as they only had a few thousand miles left in them anyway. I’m hoping the wheel is refurbish-able, however I’m not too confident. I’m planning on taking it to The Wheel Specialists to see if they can work their magic on it – if not I’ll be needing to buy a new one, plus the additional cost of getting the replacement wheel powdercoated to match the rest.
This is especially annoying as the previous owner had only recently had the full set refurbed and powdercoated, and I didn’t think I’d ever have to be worrying about the state of the wheels; oh well, things happen I suppose!
Edited by thatguy11 on Monday 31st October 20:47
So thankfully my pessimism was unfounded - the rim was repairable, happy days. The car is rocking the space saver donut just now, but I'm getting the rim back from the shop and new tyres fitted in a couple of days so all will be right with the world again 
I think the car deserves a deep clean once it's back to its old self...
I think the car deserves a deep clean once it's back to its old self... 
At the weekend I replaced the third brake light as I'd noticed it wasn't working. Ah, the famous MK5 GTI third brake light. For a car which is essentially a family hatchback, a couple of the maintenance costs are the sort of eye watering sums usually only reserved for more esoteric mid-engined stuff. If you aren’t familiar with the appalling design flaw that is the GTI’s third brake light, let me enlighten you (pun fully intended).
The third brake light is housed in the underside of the boot spoiler and needs removing from its perch in order to change. No problem, you might think, the fixings must be easily accessible? First mistake. The screws which hold the light fixture in place can only be accessed by removing the spoiler entirely. Ok then, we’ll take the spoiler off. The fixings must be on the underside of the boot lid? Second mistake. You can spend all the time you want looking for the spoiler’s fixings, but you won’t find them. Because there aren’t any. The entire spoiler is bonded onto the car, and removing it means the rather brutal act of ripping it off the boot lid.
What VW would like you to do when your brake light needs changed is bring the car to the dealer so they can prise the spoiler off the car, swap out the light fixture and then re-bond the spoiler, plus touch up any paint they’ve inevitably damaged in the process. They will then ask you to empty your wallet to the tune of anywhere from £400-500. To replace a brake light.
Fortunately car communities are excellent at discovering methods for repairs which are quicker, cheaper and just as effective as the “official” procedure, and any GTI forum worth its salt will have a third brake light replacement thread. All you need is a new brake light unit (costs from £35-50) and tools.
The method is pretty straightforward and should only be a 45 minute job. Please note this is only a rough summary and not a comprehensive guide!
- Firstly drill a pilot hole in the front of the old light casing (I used a dremel for accuracy as it’s relatively easy to skip and damage your paint).
- Then, using a pick/flathead screwdriver/trim removal tool, break off the outer plastic for access to the LED strip.
- The LED strip is then removed , leaving only the black plastic rear casing.
- The rear casing is held in place by two screws and a clip on the rear. Pulling the casing down will disengage the clip and the plastic is malleable enough that, with some wiggling and bending, it can be pulled over the screws.
- The screws can be removed and binned.
- Next is the fiddly part. Remove the rubber grommet holding the wiring in place and pull forward to reveal the retaining clip. This can only be pulled forward until it is just proud of the spoiler, so be careful not to pull it too far as it is fairly delicate.
- Unplug this and bin the old fixture. Plug the new one in
- Test the new light actually works before going any further
- Feed the wiring back into the spoiler, and get the grommet into position. This can be tricky as it’s a tight area and you will need a torch to have any hope of seeing what you’re doing. I used a pick for removing and replacing the grommet.
- Once the grommet is securely in place, tuck the excess cable into the remaining space and push the new light fixture into position. It will snap into place and should feel every bit as secure as the previous one, even minus the two screws.
Job done! You’ve just saved yourself several hundred pounds and stuck two fingers up to VW’s poorly thought out design.
The third brake light is housed in the underside of the boot spoiler and needs removing from its perch in order to change. No problem, you might think, the fixings must be easily accessible? First mistake. The screws which hold the light fixture in place can only be accessed by removing the spoiler entirely. Ok then, we’ll take the spoiler off. The fixings must be on the underside of the boot lid? Second mistake. You can spend all the time you want looking for the spoiler’s fixings, but you won’t find them. Because there aren’t any. The entire spoiler is bonded onto the car, and removing it means the rather brutal act of ripping it off the boot lid.
What VW would like you to do when your brake light needs changed is bring the car to the dealer so they can prise the spoiler off the car, swap out the light fixture and then re-bond the spoiler, plus touch up any paint they’ve inevitably damaged in the process. They will then ask you to empty your wallet to the tune of anywhere from £400-500. To replace a brake light.
Fortunately car communities are excellent at discovering methods for repairs which are quicker, cheaper and just as effective as the “official” procedure, and any GTI forum worth its salt will have a third brake light replacement thread. All you need is a new brake light unit (costs from £35-50) and tools.
The method is pretty straightforward and should only be a 45 minute job. Please note this is only a rough summary and not a comprehensive guide!
- Firstly drill a pilot hole in the front of the old light casing (I used a dremel for accuracy as it’s relatively easy to skip and damage your paint).
- Then, using a pick/flathead screwdriver/trim removal tool, break off the outer plastic for access to the LED strip.
- The LED strip is then removed , leaving only the black plastic rear casing.
- The rear casing is held in place by two screws and a clip on the rear. Pulling the casing down will disengage the clip and the plastic is malleable enough that, with some wiggling and bending, it can be pulled over the screws.
- The screws can be removed and binned.
- Next is the fiddly part. Remove the rubber grommet holding the wiring in place and pull forward to reveal the retaining clip. This can only be pulled forward until it is just proud of the spoiler, so be careful not to pull it too far as it is fairly delicate.
- Unplug this and bin the old fixture. Plug the new one in
- Test the new light actually works before going any further
- Feed the wiring back into the spoiler, and get the grommet into position. This can be tricky as it’s a tight area and you will need a torch to have any hope of seeing what you’re doing. I used a pick for removing and replacing the grommet.
- Once the grommet is securely in place, tuck the excess cable into the remaining space and push the new light fixture into position. It will snap into place and should feel every bit as secure as the previous one, even minus the two screws.
Job done! You’ve just saved yourself several hundred pounds and stuck two fingers up to VW’s poorly thought out design.
p4cks said:
xjay1337 said:
p4cks said:
How's the car? I'm going to get one and wondered what are the common problems to look for?
Read my post about 4 posts above..Well the honeymoon period is well and truly over! The recent MOT did not make for happy reading...both rear calipers were sticking and needed replacing, along with a couple of other minor niggles such as the backing plate for the front offside brake disc being damaged (probably a consequence of my offroading experience at 60mph to avoid that deer).
With everything addressed in the MOT I naively thought it would be plain sailing for a while, but a couple of weeks ago the battery stopped holding charge and only manages about ten starts before it gives up and the car has to be started on a booster pack i've been lugging around with me wherever I go. The booster pack readout says the battery itself is fine, so it may be an issue with the alternator...
With everything addressed in the MOT I naively thought it would be plain sailing for a while, but a couple of weeks ago the battery stopped holding charge and only manages about ten starts before it gives up and the car has to be started on a booster pack i've been lugging around with me wherever I go. The booster pack readout says the battery itself is fine, so it may be an issue with the alternator...
PaulJC84 said:
Get a voltmeter and you will be able to check if the alternator is working as it should be.
There's a specialist just a few miles from me who gave me a free diagnosis; turns out it is just the battery needing replaced rather than the alternator, so I'm happy!On another note I was up north last weekend but neglected to take nearly any car pics - here's the one I did manage, at Loch Turret. I have to say i'm impressed with how this car deals with snow/slippery roads, even on summer tyres.
Edited by thatguy11 on Friday 17th February 17:50
New battery arrived today - quite possibly the most boring way to spend £75 on your car
Only a 10 minute job to whip out the old unit and connect up the new one
Also means I can stop carrying around this boulder of a recharge pack....
To be honest the GTI has been irritating me lately...the really expensive MOT right before Christmas, then the battery issues which meant I really haven't been driving it much, plus the heater randomly refusing to work for about a week before magically coming back to life. Hopefully all is well now and I can start to enjoy the car again!
Only a 10 minute job to whip out the old unit and connect up the new one
Also means I can stop carrying around this boulder of a recharge pack....
To be honest the GTI has been irritating me lately...the really expensive MOT right before Christmas, then the battery issues which meant I really haven't been driving it much, plus the heater randomly refusing to work for about a week before magically coming back to life. Hopefully all is well now and I can start to enjoy the car again!
epom said:
va1o said:
Mr Scruff said:
Interesting car I think, the mk5 GTI. On one hand it really is the jack of all trades, on the other it really can be master of none. I've owned mine for a few months now, I still can't decide if I love it or not. I definitely like the way it looks but not entirely sure the performance warrants the 28-34mpg that I average!
I used to find similar with mine, had a bit of a love/ hate relationship at the time but after I sold it I really missed. Similar to you and the OP the mpg wasn't great and it suffered from niggles along with an MOT failure. As an overall package though they are very difficult to beat. 4 cars later my M135i is the only that comes close. It's definitely got the nicest interior, which I think is a too-often overlooked attribute in a relatively inexpensive car. To be fair I came into my GTI from a Celica so the interior seems like a palace in comparison, but I just love the layout and appearance of the Golf inside
Did a small mod today, removing the numberplate surround to tidy up/smoothen the front end a bit.
The grill was stupidly easy to remove; two screws on the top and two on the bottom. The area underneath where the surround had been was pretty scratched up, but some t-cut and polish did a great job of removing as much of the ugliness as possible
Before
After
As well as just screwing the plate back into the grill, I used some VHB double sided tape on the back of the plate so it would sit flush to the grill's curve a little more effectively
Before
After
Looks pretty good I think!
The grill was stupidly easy to remove; two screws on the top and two on the bottom. The area underneath where the surround had been was pretty scratched up, but some t-cut and polish did a great job of removing as much of the ugliness as possible
Before
After
As well as just screwing the plate back into the grill, I used some VHB double sided tape on the back of the plate so it would sit flush to the grill's curve a little more effectively
Before
After
Looks pretty good I think!
Last week a few friends and I drove the North Coast 500. Actually, it was more like the North Coast 850 as we started and finished in Edinburgh. If anyone hasn't experienced some of the roads that the Scottish Highlands have to offer, then do yourself a favour and make plans to head up there ASAP. It simply can't be beaten for the combination of stunning roads and breathtaking scenery.
One of the cars on the trip was my old Celica now owned by a mate, was great to get the opportunity for a quick 15 minutes behind the wheel again.
The GTI was an absolute star. Supremely comfortable environment for driving 850 miles in 48 hours, but then more than willing to roll up its sleeves and give the twisty single-track B roads a serious thrashing. I've never driven it as hard as I did up north, and had no idea how much grip the chassis could generate when cornering on its door handles. I never found it lacking for grunt either; 200bhp and 207 lb/ft of torque is all the shove you need up there on those roads. Plus a point-and-squirt turbo engine is perfect for overtaking campervans!
One of the cars on the trip was my old Celica now owned by a mate, was great to get the opportunity for a quick 15 minutes behind the wheel again.
The GTI was an absolute star. Supremely comfortable environment for driving 850 miles in 48 hours, but then more than willing to roll up its sleeves and give the twisty single-track B roads a serious thrashing. I've never driven it as hard as I did up north, and had no idea how much grip the chassis could generate when cornering on its door handles. I never found it lacking for grunt either; 200bhp and 207 lb/ft of torque is all the shove you need up there on those roads. Plus a point-and-squirt turbo engine is perfect for overtaking campervans!
Edited by thatguy11 on Monday 16th October 14:53
kayzee said:
Just read the whole thread great car. I nearly got one last time I was looking, but ended up with a superchared MINI. It's a lot of fun, but so damn small! Will definitely be getting something bigger next time, and I think the GTI is top running at the moment. It's between that or an Astra VXR or Focus ST really, but I've not driven those two yet. Anyone done so and can compare the 3?
I actually test drove a Focus ST, to be honest more just to confirm that I wanted a Golf rather than to seriously consider the Focus. I liked it more than I was expecting to but it did feel bigger and a little more cumbersome than the Golf, and despite the extra 25bhp it didn't really feel any faster but then it was a pretty short test drive and I didn't stretch the car's legs. Plus to my eye the interior is a little too drab (I know the Golf's interior is hardly Bentley-esque, but it's just the one I find a bit nicer to look at.) great car. I nearly got one last time I was looking, but ended up with a superchared MINI. It's a lot of fun, but so damn small! Will definitely be getting something bigger next time, and I think the GTI is top running at the moment. It's between that or an Astra VXR or Focus ST really, but I've not driven those two yet. Anyone done so and can compare the 3?One thing I will say is that it produces a more interesting noise than the GTI due to the 5-cyl engine.
Edited by thatguy11 on Thursday 27th July 16:50
The GTI's just been through an interval service and the car was all ship shape for the most part, save for a few minor things. Namely the rubber beginning to perish on the n/s CV boot and a small leak developing in one of the turbo hoses. I had suspected this anyway as this past week a barely audible hiss has emerged under hard acceleration. There was also a note about the air con possibly needing re-gassing, but it's currently working perfectly so we'll see if it starts going soon. All will be dealt with as soon as AVW Autocentre can squeeze me in.
Since I replaced the battery six months ago the GTI hasn't put a foot wrong, not a bad streak of total reliability for a 12 year old VW! And hey, it's far from low mileage; parts are going to get worn out eventually.
Since I replaced the battery six months ago the GTI hasn't put a foot wrong, not a bad streak of total reliability for a 12 year old VW! And hey, it's far from low mileage; parts are going to get worn out eventually.
I'm continuing to do small bits and pieces to freshen up the appearance of the car. Swapped out the old whippy aerial with a more modern looking bee-sting unit:
Before
After
I also replaced the gearstick gaiter with a red-stitched one...which proved to be far more trouble than it was worth. Two hours this took me, to replace a bloody gear gaiter! The issue was the leather on the new one was much thicker than the old stuff, which was already an incredibly tight fit with the gaiter housing's plastic clips to begin with...so some minor surgery was needed on the new one to shoehorn it into the fittings. I'm no upholsterer but after much trimming and swearing I made it work.
Before
After
In keeping with the GTI's "red bits" theme I bought this key cover, which is rather tarty
Next I'm considering getting hold of some carbon effect 3M and wrapping some parts of the dash. I've seen this on quite a few GTIs but I'm still undecided whether it just looks a bit naff or not.
Before
After
I also replaced the gearstick gaiter with a red-stitched one...which proved to be far more trouble than it was worth. Two hours this took me, to replace a bloody gear gaiter! The issue was the leather on the new one was much thicker than the old stuff, which was already an incredibly tight fit with the gaiter housing's plastic clips to begin with...so some minor surgery was needed on the new one to shoehorn it into the fittings. I'm no upholsterer but after much trimming and swearing I made it work.
Before
After
In keeping with the GTI's "red bits" theme I bought this key cover, which is rather tarty
Next I'm considering getting hold of some carbon effect 3M and wrapping some parts of the dash. I've seen this on quite a few GTIs but I'm still undecided whether it just looks a bit naff or not.
Edited by thatguy11 on Monday 21st August 16:22
It's amazing what new plates front and back will do to freshen up a car. The old ones were fairly scruffy, plus whoever had mounted the rear plate had done it squint and it was irritating me!
New ones in situ
I'm not a fan of plates with too much text/web addresses underneath the characters, or the EU logo plates, so I went for ones with as little clutter as I could get away with. I also reduced the size of the front plate a little (not the font size, just shaved the excess dead space from the edges. Don't want to risk any fuzz bother!) so it would fit the space a little better. This does reveal the holes which were used for mounting the old numberplate surround, but weirdly they really don't bother me. At least definitely not enough to fork out for a whole new grill unit.
New ones in situ
I'm not a fan of plates with too much text/web addresses underneath the characters, or the EU logo plates, so I went for ones with as little clutter as I could get away with. I also reduced the size of the front plate a little (not the font size, just shaved the excess dead space from the edges. Don't want to risk any fuzz bother!) so it would fit the space a little better. This does reveal the holes which were used for mounting the old numberplate surround, but weirdly they really don't bother me. At least definitely not enough to fork out for a whole new grill unit.
C70R said:
Love the logic of "I want the smallest numberplate possible for the sake of aesthetics, but I'm not bothered about the two bloody great holes in the bumper it exposes." 
In all seriousness, the Mk5 is my second-favourite GTi after the Mk2.
I appreciate it's a little odd reasoning In all seriousness, the Mk5 is my second-favourite GTi after the Mk2.
but in all honesty they don't bother me at all. They're tidily cut, they're symmetrical, and they're not even visible until you're right up closeGassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff