Am i mad?

[Baked_bean]

Hey guys,
I currently drive a bmw 318is (E30) and its a lovely car for what it is and i really do like it, but a bargain mk2 golf gti has come up local for £800 with 12 months mot, big bumper oak green no rust and lots of recently replaced parts. I am currently considering selling my E30 and getting the golf (not enough room for both) as it will free up some money which can go towards my flat deposit in the next few months and ive always wanted a mk2 gti in oak green.

The thing is i currently do 60 miles a day so i need the car to be reliable (which the bmw is) so would i be mad buying this golf which could potentially be a money pit when i have a reliable car currently?

[E30M3SE]

Difficult one this IMO.

ETA, the golf is not a 16V is it?...... if not then keep the E30.

Edited by E30M3SE on Tuesday 12th April 17:38

[LukeBird]

Don't do it.
With that commute there is no point in gambling on the car.
If you lived around the corner from work my response would be "Do it!"!

[W00DY]

If you've always wanted one then go for it (assuming it drives/checks out ok). It's still a simple car that shouldn't be unreliable.

[Efbe]

keep the e30.

the golf will be dull IMO.

[geeteeaye]

Baked_bean said:

Hey guys,
I currently drive a bmw 318is (E30) and its a lovely car for what it is and i really do like it, but a bargain mk2 golf gti has come up local for £800 with 12 months mot, big bumper oak green no rust and lots of recently replaced parts. I am currently considering selling my E30 and getting the golf (not enough room for both) as it will free up some money which can go towards my flat deposit in the next few months and ive always wanted a mk2 gti in oak green.

The thing is i currently do 60 miles a day so i need the car to be reliable (which the bmw is) so would i be mad buying this golf which could potentially be a money pit when i have a reliable car currently?

I guess if you are likely to be selling your 318 anyway for the flat deposit, then you may as well at least change it for something else you want, another decent condition Mk2 in oak green might not be forthcoming (or could be overpriced etc). IMO have a look at it, check it over thoroughly and go from there. If it is already leggy I would be hesitant but if the mileage isn't too bad and it looks to have been cared for well then 60 miles a day shouldn't necessarily be a problem as they are basically reliable cars.

[Prof Prolapse]

8 valve or 16 valve GTi? I assume 8 valve... Unless there's something terribly exciting about the e30 I think either would be more fun than the 318.

A late mk2 is still 20 years old now though. I dread to think how many "little jobs", I've had to do on mine but I can't recall any time where the car was undriveable. I dare say with any old car though it's often the devil you know that is the sensible bet.

Test drive and give it a good look over. If you're handy with a set of spanners buy one the parts are cheap and they're easy to work on. (I've just bought a new head for £16!).

Not sure what your 318 is insured for but the insurance on my 8 valve is less than £250 quid, which isn't bad for a bloke under 25. Classic policy is even less.

[E30M3SE]

When they were new, not this this means a great deal here and now.

[Prof Prolapse]

E30M3SE said:

When they were new, not this this means a great deal here and now.

Good post! Had no idea they were so evenly matched.

[soad]

Hard one, i'd probbably stick with beemer.

[Baked_bean]

thanks for the responses, its only a 8v and my E30 is the 'is' 16v model so it might be a little slower. The niggly jobs don't bother me as i already own a 20 year old car so im used to it..... :P

Yeah ill have a look and if it all checks out i might well do it, if i don't get this i wont necessarily sell the E30 its just the little bit of extra money would be a nice cushion (being relatively fresh out of uni with not alot of savings to speak of). Also the commute will drop in two months to 0 with the flat as i get use of the work vehicles when i move closer.

More opinions welcomed.

[Efbe]

They are evenly matched I would have expected a little more from the vw, but for me the e30 just looks so much better, and much more possibility for fun with RWD.

the 318is is quite a desirable car, a friend was recently looking for one and completely unable to find a decent one for 6 months of looking. They have a bit of a cult following, which is good and bad. the bmw will be a nicer place to be inside as well.

I would have thought costs for the both of them would be about the same, though insurance maybe a little cheaper on the vw. test this yourself though.

If you aren't that bothered between the two of them then stick with the known quantity. if you are getting bored by the beamer, then by all means swap. Nothing worse then wishing you had made that change and not getting another chance. On the other hand, if reliability is your concern, both of these cars are unlikely to be that well looked after, so stick with the known quantity again.

edit: the 318is is also unlikely to deprecate much more. they are heading into classic land now, so appreciation in value is likely if kept standard.

[Baked_bean]

Update, just been and looked at said golf. Overall its very good drove nicely etc but it had abit of mayo in the oil filler cap which has put me off.
Does anyone know if leaving a car standing for 3 months can cause abit of mayo build up from condensation etc?

Cheers

[TRUENOSAM]

I's stick with the E30 as they are getting a rare site on todays roads

[sebhaque]

Baked_bean said:

Update, just been and looked at said golf. Overall its very good drove nicely etc but it had abit of mayo in the oil filler cap which has put me off.
Does anyone know if leaving a car standing for 3 months can cause abit of mayo build up from condensation etc?

Cheers

Did you have a look at the dipstick? Mayo on the filler cap can suggest head gasket failure, if it's on the dipstick then it's gone. If it's just on the cap then it may be due to condensation for the 3 months it's been there, and perhaps occasionally being started up.

Either way, I'd be a bit wary around mayo on caps.

Edited by sebhaque on Tuesday 12th April 20:48

[rallycross]

you are opening yourself up to possible hidden costs in the new car, its bound to need some things doing if its getting used as a daily driver based on its age.

why would a 318is be worth more than a golf gti? Usually both worth about the same.

[r1ch]

I too am a fan of the oak green mk2, i think they are great looking cars. There are obvious pitfalls to buying a car that you require to cover that kind of commute. For choice out of the mk2 and the e30, i'd probably have a mk2. But in your situation, if the bmw is reliable i'd probably stick with the e30.

[Efbe]

Baked_bean said:

Update, just been and looked at said golf. Overall its very good drove nicely etc but it had abit of mayo in the oil filler cap which has put me off.
Does anyone know if leaving a car standing for 3 months can cause abit of mayo build up from condensation etc?

Cheers

Yes it can do. however if driven a dozen or so miles it will clear up.

My advice would be to clean the mayo off with a DRY paper towel, then take it on a 10+mile test drive. see how it looks in there after.

Personally I would take the risk, but then again I would only do this in the knowledge that I could replace the Head Gasket myself. If I couldn't however, I wouldn't take the risk.

[Baked_bean]

Thanks guys,
Yeah it is a risk, my stepdad is a mechanic and we have loads of tools so i could undertake most work at my house which i don't mind if its just niggly things. But i don't want the car off of the road if i can help it! Ill have a think about it! The amount of mayo was very minor and only on the filler cap.....

In response to the price thing they usually are the same but this is a very good price unless the headgasket has gone! My E30 is a fair example so should fetch good money.....

[rallycross]

A small bit of mayo in the cap is most likely nothing, regular short trips but no long journeys will cause this, if the water and oil look clean I wouldnt worry about it.