RE: SOTW: Volkswagen Jetta GTI
Discussion
jake15919 said:
Not very good in it's day and it has't got any better over the last 20+ years. Don't be fooled, this is not some 80s performance icon, it's a pretty dull small saloon. Disappointment awaits.
Agreed. Without the GTI badge and link to the golf its an utterly dull and forgettable car. Interesting and different nonetheless though....dinkel said:
Fantastic ad Bought an ex-press car from a VW specialist around 10 years ago for similar cash, so it was shed money even back then.
I thought the 8v lump was a peach - just enough power to keep you entertained and torquey enough to push on quickly. However, mine had steering issues (incredibly light, worringly so at times), severe rust inside the arches of the rear door and bits fell off regularly (well, it was an old press car after all, I suppose!). Still, a brilliant handling car and worth the money I guess.
I thought the 8v lump was a peach - just enough power to keep you entertained and torquey enough to push on quickly. However, mine had steering issues (incredibly light, worringly so at times), severe rust inside the arches of the rear door and bits fell off regularly (well, it was an old press car after all, I suppose!). Still, a brilliant handling car and worth the money I guess.
I had a G reg, red Jetta 1.6TX about 17 years ago - it came with the factory big bumpers and I really liked it - was very reliable and pretty good to drive. Only thing that failed was the expansion tank cap seal - lost lots of water, but a new cap sorted things and it survived unscathed. Oh and a fan belt.
I really wanted a Golf but couldn't afford one at the time, they were about £1k more.
Unfortunately a gang went around our area one night stealing the big bumpers off Golfs and Jettas. You can imagine my delight as I looked out of the lounge window the day after my birthday, nursing a serious bout of man-flu, to see my pride and joy missing some important parts. A local taxi driver with a big bumper Jetta also had his go missing the same night.
To make matters worse the bolts that held the bumpers in also held the engine in place (or something like that), so the car had to be transported to the body-shop where it was stuck for weeks while the very rare Jetta bumpers were sources from Germany.
Oh, and red ones were notorious for paint fade - mine was about 10 different shades of red.
Other than that a pretty damn good car.
I really wanted a Golf but couldn't afford one at the time, they were about £1k more.
Unfortunately a gang went around our area one night stealing the big bumpers off Golfs and Jettas. You can imagine my delight as I looked out of the lounge window the day after my birthday, nursing a serious bout of man-flu, to see my pride and joy missing some important parts. A local taxi driver with a big bumper Jetta also had his go missing the same night.
To make matters worse the bolts that held the bumpers in also held the engine in place (or something like that), so the car had to be transported to the body-shop where it was stuck for weeks while the very rare Jetta bumpers were sources from Germany.
Oh, and red ones were notorious for paint fade - mine was about 10 different shades of red.
Other than that a pretty damn good car.
You have lopped 2 bhp of the heady actual output of 112 bhp, was the 1.6 MK1 GTi's that had the 110 bhp.
Agree its nice to see and original one has survived and not been ruined, I even like the Steel wheels, so refreshing after years of heinous rims beign foisted ont hese poor things, TSW Venoms, Three Spokes, shudders.
Never driven the Jetta version, just numerous MK2 Golf GTis and they always still have an appeal, still feel brisk and fun even now, in fact especially now, lovely earther feel and engine note.
Now, for me its a top shed if, and its a big if, it isnt rotten as the Golf's, especially the later ones didnt seem to get the same protection or steel quality as the earlier ones.
Agree its nice to see and original one has survived and not been ruined, I even like the Steel wheels, so refreshing after years of heinous rims beign foisted ont hese poor things, TSW Venoms, Three Spokes, shudders.
Never driven the Jetta version, just numerous MK2 Golf GTis and they always still have an appeal, still feel brisk and fun even now, in fact especially now, lovely earther feel and engine note.
Now, for me its a top shed if, and its a big if, it isnt rotten as the Golf's, especially the later ones didnt seem to get the same protection or steel quality as the earlier ones.
Yes - I can also confirm that due to the rear overhang balancing out the weight a little better - the Jetta did indeed handle better than the Golf.
I had a Jetta TX as my 2nd car at the tender age of 18 back in 1998 - my car was an '86 with the 1.6 engine that looked like a GTi from the outside.
It was superbly engineered - no rust anywhere.
The Pierburg PE2E2 automatic carb system was utter rubbish though and I replaced it with a much better Webber manual carb.
Here is mine as featured in Club GTi's 'Rabbit' magazine some time around February 2001.....
And my not so GTi engine, albeit very clean....
Sold it to a woman who smashed it to pieces less than 6 months later
I had a Jetta TX as my 2nd car at the tender age of 18 back in 1998 - my car was an '86 with the 1.6 engine that looked like a GTi from the outside.
It was superbly engineered - no rust anywhere.
The Pierburg PE2E2 automatic carb system was utter rubbish though and I replaced it with a much better Webber manual carb.
Here is mine as featured in Club GTi's 'Rabbit' magazine some time around February 2001.....
And my not so GTi engine, albeit very clean....
Sold it to a woman who smashed it to pieces less than 6 months later
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