Mk3 Golf GTI as a track day car ??

[Jack Jones]

Been looking for a track day car for some time now and quite fancy a Mk3 16v golf. Probably not everyones choice but the way I look at it, they're cheap, reasonably quick and not as old as other obvious choices i.e. 205, Mk2 Golf etc.

My question is, does anyone here have any experience, good or bad, using one of these on track and if so what mods are best to both set up and performance without spending a fortune bearing in mind the car would cost less than a grand

Thanks

Steve

[mark317]

Recommended...
Bought a '97 Mk3 16v earlier in the year as a very cheap way to mess around on the 'Ring. Was looking for a Mk2 but most of them I saw were best part of 20 years old and pretty tired.
Surprisingly perky, bin the standard suspension though, set of Konis transformed the handling, almost as much fun as the Mk2 16v I used to own. Just about to go in to Stealth Racing for a Milltek stainless exhaust, I'm sure others on here will advise on plenty of other ways of getting more power (or taking out weight...).
Oh, and good enough to use as a daily driver (33+mpg) as a bonus...

Mark

[waxaholic]

the mk2 gti is miles lighter and more suited to spirited driving than a mk3.
i,m sure many will agree

[dubdread]

MK3 is the fatter brother, MK2's might be "tired" but they are drivers cars NOT kids to school wagons
depending on your buget i would
1) buy a low milage mk3 2.0 16v Abf low miles Cheap!

2) buy a digifant injection MK2 with no rustand swap everything get a 160 bhp mk2 with ALL standard gear that will spank a mk3

or

3) buy an early k-jet 8v or 16v and put an ABF mk3 engine in that

and that spanks vr6's and 20vt's

if you have to have a mk3 suspension ALL needs upgrading plus every anti roll bar you can get,brakes are good maybe pads and discs
and you should decat but it wont pass MOT without it

[Jack Jones]

Thanks for the positive response, whilst I fully appreciate the merits of buying both a mk2 and a mk3 in order to create a top notch car I have always found in the past that it ends up costing a whole lot more than you originally bugeted for, for instance I had an 8v mk2 converted to 20vt by Vince at Stealth a few years back, brilliant job but ended up costing over 10k all in - Yes I know i shouldn't have sold that car

So basically the mk3 16v is ok as a first track car just a bit over weight and needs the suspension looking at.

I believe the later cars had the same brakes as the VR6, 288mm fronts ?

One final question then, what mods to the engine work best, i.e. ITB's, head work, cams bearing in mind i'd prefer to stay NA

[speedtwelve]

Don't take this the wrong way, but a Mk3 Golf is one of the last things I'd be buying as a trackday car! The very last thing you want is understeer; on a circuit it's infuriating. If you must go FWD get something that will lift-off oversteer readily, like a 205 or a Corrado. But really, you want RWD. The steering is so much purer, and cornering angle throttle-adjustable.

It's a bit of a PH cliche, but my Mk1 MX5 is more fun to drive on a circuit than my Corrado VR6, despite the VW being much quicker.

Incidentally, I also have a Koni'd Mk3 VR6. Fine for commuting, but dynamically hopeless compared to some of the alternatives. I know the Mk3 GTI suspension geometry is different, but it's never exactly been a chassis dynamics benchmark.

[dubdread]

AGREED ^^^^^^^

yeah the corrado might be the one over MK3??

[mat205125]

waxaholic said:

the mk2 gti is miles lighter and more suited to spirited driving than a mk3.
i,m sure many will agree

For a car in identical condition with similar miles, the Mk3 would be cheaper, and obviously newer.

Bare shells of cars are very similar in weight, and there is a lot of weight that can be taken out of a Mk3.

Go for a 3dr, just because they look nicer