Reallllly need advice regarding Mk 2 golf

[Niall0tdi]

Hi there - i'm really interested in getting a mk 2 golf (not going near a mk3...i hate the shape!) but just wondered about a few things.
Firstly, Hi... i'm 17 (soon to be 18) and have been insured on dad's 58 plate skoda fabia 1.9tdi for the last year... it's awesome and really good fun but i really want my own car + i absaloutely adore the shape of the mark 2's
What should i be looking for with them? I'm only wanting to spend about £800 and want a fairly small engined one, i.6 or less probs... any tips/what to avoid when buying one? I'm expecting around 90,000 miles but would like it all working and reliable.

Finally... the dreaded insurance! I got a quote for an MG Midget not so long ago which was £500 AMAZING so i'm going to see with footman and james if they will class the mk2 golf as a classic (they should do... they say anything over 15 years old, sometimes 20) so i should be okay with a 1990 golf or similiar. But yeah, any of you guys have any reccomendations?

Thanks in advance, ANY ideas will be more than welcome. Cheers!

[Dr G]

Reliability? Most of these are 20+ years old and the Pierberg carbs are complete s***e. Get a Haynes manual and get your spanners ready!

There have been a few MK2 GTI threads on here recently that cover general MK2 stuff so that will cover you for bodywork and basic mechanicals. Get a Weber nailed on a 1600 or 1800 and everything else is clockwork: i.e. fix it with a lump hammer (went it inevitably goes wrong to some extent).

Good car to learn with

[Niall0tdi]

Thanks!
I've passed my test btw... but i guess you may mean "learn with" as in, learn how to fix stuff?
Well i'm not the best mechanically minded lad but i'll try my best.
Im not reliant on the car at all so yeah, i suppose reliability isn't the main concern, i just mean - anything i should look out for when buying that i should avoid etc.

[Dr G]

Dead on, it's an old car so you're going to get greasy fingernails but they're pretty simple beasts for the most part. Get your spanners out and it will stand you in fantastic stead for future cars.

Avoid? Tornado Red (now pink, you'll lose years of your life polishing it!) and anything that's been barried up. Ideally you want somebody's grandad's car...

[Hydro Carbon]

Mk2 are fantastic but you really have to be lucky to get a nice one with such a small budget.

[Hydro Carbon]

Look out for rusty rear doors actually rust any where. Head gaskets on older cars the signs can be lots of bubble in the header tank from exhaust gas escaping into the cooling system, water in the oil, oil in the water you will get brown sludge, overheating maybe. Look for noisey gear boxes car crunching as you change gear, shows worn syncros some times caused by being driven hard. Check reverse gear so many people forget this I have myself some times you will find it jumping out or grinding normally shows worn bearings or lay shaft. Rear axle bushes knock like mad easy fix though same with lower arms make sure it drives straight under acceleration and deceleration. This can be due to worn rack, track rod ends or lower arm bushes. Brakes are easy enough on a mk2 even if they cattled there cheap to buy. If your going for an old car they are fantastic to own but like the other guys have said buy yourself a good manual including wiring diagram a good tool kit a can of easy start if you have pierburg carbs this is essential. There are loads of good people on here which will help you if you get stuck so good luck dude!

[Matt_N]

Hydro Carbon said:

Mk2 are fantastic but you really have to be lucky to get a nice one with such a small budget.

Rubbish!

£800 for a Gti is a low budget, but you should be able to get a lovely condition non Gti for well under £800.

Eg:

Gti looks, http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1274065.htm ok its sold but gives you an idea

Paintwork looks a bit flat, as does the blackboard bonnet, but it has the original too http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1237891.htm

Again, sold but looks ok http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1286533.htm

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1285727.htm

[soxboy]

Had 3 of these, 2 1.6 Drivers and a 16v. The problems I had with the Drivers were head gasket on one, rocker cover gasket on another (causes build up of oil in inlet manifold) and water leaks in footwells. The latter is a common VW problem caused by leaves/ cack blocking the drainholes in the compartment at the rear of the engine (at the base of the windscreen).

If the carpets are damp then use that as a negotiating tool and clean out the leaves.

Also, agree with the comments regarding the carbs.

[Niall0tdi]

Cheers for the replies everyone!
Good news (ish) I've spoken to footman and james amongst other companies... They will insure under classics but only on a 1.3 not the 1.6 or anything else.

SO - 1.3's still worth it? I'm not mad about going fast, just want a nice little mark 2 of my own that all works and that i can polish up.

I'm expecting that i'll probs have to be a bit more careful with a 1.3 as it may have been stressed a bit more?

Also, anybody know about what i have to declare regarding mods to insurance companies? If the car has bbs alloys or for example, a GTI grill, would this have to be declared? I want it as original as poss but yeah, if it did have something slightly modded - what do you lot reckon?

Thanks again so far - much obliged