RE: SOTW: Volkswagen Jetta GTI
Discussion
Faust66 said:
Never seen what all the fuss is about re. the whole VW scene.
But this is PistonHeads where 'scenes' don't matter. We just like them for what they are (solid, fun and cheap) rather than following any fashion trends.
I don't disagree with your opinion by the way, just reinforcing that we didn't choose the car for any reason other than it makes a good SOTW!
dbdb said:
I don't really get the great enthusiasm so many feel for VWs of any age; I think they are competent but don't really excel at anything. The Golf my mother had was worthy but dull. I must be missing something because there is a huge scene for them.
no mate i agree entirely there i had a mate who ran a 'slammed' mk2 gti 1.8 8v on carbs i mean it felt 'quick' but no more so than my dads clio rsi did and that wasnt even lowered. outside the mk1/2/5 GTi all non GTI badged vws are amazingly slow, underspec'd (other than 19" alloys) and have absolute s
t for breaks. iv never seen the appeal on spending a fortune on a slow heavy disadvantaged car over less 'premium' rivals. that and i know somebody on 'disabled who had a tdi mk5 golf that used to find stones trapped between the brake pad and disk for which vw charged £360 to remove despite the car being under warrenty, thier excuse 'oh they all do that'. it was replaced by a scooby wagon. mk2 golfs are good looking ill give them that esp in big bumper form. Faust66 said:
I suppose this Jetta would make a good daily driver for someone, but it leaves me cold I'm afraid.
Now, a nice Corrado on the other hand!
Clearly not to hot on your VWs then, apart from the back axle being slightly wider a jetta and a corrado use the same chassis so within reason a GTI 8v jetta should perform pretty well. Even by more modern standards i believe these are closer to 8sec to 60 than they are 9 and through 20-80mph the 8v is a fairly pokey car you should find that they are entertaining to drive.Now, a nice Corrado on the other hand!
The Jetta in the Ad looks like a really good buy given the prices of mk2s these days, a few subtle upgrades and its a great sleeper/park anywhere car.
dave
Oddball RS said:
Frimley111R said:
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....Yes, it is a mere 110bhp but that only makes it more relevant in this day and age, does it not?
aka_kerrly said:
Faust66 said:
I suppose this Jetta would make a good daily driver for someone, but it leaves me cold I'm afraid.
Now, a nice Corrado on the other hand!
Clearly not to hot on your VWs then, apart from the back axle being slightly wider a jetta and a corrado use the same chassis so within reason a GTI 8v jetta should perform pretty well. Even by more modern standards i believe these are closer to 8sec to 60 than they are 9 and through 20-80mph the 8v is a fairly pokey car you should find that they are entertaining to drive.Now, a nice Corrado on the other hand!
The Jetta in the Ad looks like a really good buy given the prices of mk2s these days, a few subtle upgrades and its a great sleeper/park anywhere car.
dave
k all about Veedubs... The only reason I mentioned the Corrado is that I REALLY like the way it looks.And you'd never get bored with messing around with that spoiler!
Turtlez said:
I had one of these in the same colour on a "D" 1986 plate though no electric windows.
Bloody great car, it took me all ,and i mean all the way round the country to different meat plants
that i worked in at the time.
One the motorways i could keep up with the BMW,AUDIs and alike no problem.
Admittedly i did have it lowered and head skimmed for that little bit extra pep,but respect where it was
due that was a good car.
VW charged £548 for elec windows -that's about £1200 in todays money!Bloody great car, it took me all ,and i mean all the way round the country to different meat plants
that i worked in at the time.
One the motorways i could keep up with the BMW,AUDIs and alike no problem.
Admittedly i did have it lowered and head skimmed for that little bit extra pep,but respect where it was
due that was a good car.
16v proper Q car
luckystrike said:
Wrong, I'm afraid. The 16V engine has more torque at every point of its rev range than the 8v. Don't confuse a noticeable increase in top end power as a reduction in low-down torque. 
Sorry, you're right, that should have said 'felt more torquie' rather having more torque.Garlick said:
Lowering a car doesn't make it faster, just (usually) ruins the handing. Turtlez said:
I had one of these in the same colour on a "D" 1986 plate though no electric windows.
Bloody great car, it took me all ,and i mean all the way round the country to different meat plants
that i worked in at the time.
One the motorways i could keep up with the BMW,AUDIs and alike no problem.
Admittedly i did have it lowered and head skimmed for that little bit extra pep,but respect where it was
due that was a good car.
My wife had a GTi in the same colour (Jade Green) with steel wheels brand new back in 1986, It was however the K jetronic version with the quarter lights and Mk 1 style steering wheel, we replaced it with a 1988 Digifant GTi which I never warmed to compared with the pre-facelift car. Bloody great car, it took me all ,and i mean all the way round the country to different meat plants
that i worked in at the time.
One the motorways i could keep up with the BMW,AUDIs and alike no problem.
Admittedly i did have it lowered and head skimmed for that little bit extra pep,but respect where it was
due that was a good car.
There have been a couple of really nice Mk2's popping up for sale recently and I have been slightly tempted, however as they say, never go back, it is never as good the second time around.
Ash333 said:
How many miles has it really done?
without service history its anyones guess.I remember having a mk2 gti in 1995 that was < 5 years old and had done 140,000 miles.
It had no obvious signs of the mileage, it drove fine.
When we got it valeted we found an old mot under the rear seat that said the mileage the year before had been 138,000 miles, but the mileage was actually showing 65,000 - up till that point we believed it. No history on an 80's german car = take the mileage as being clocked.
I run a 1989 Mk2 Jetta 1.8GL as my daily car. We have owned it for over 7 years. It is a tremendous car! It's part of the family. Ours is the 90bhp carbed 1.8 engine. It's fast, torquey and economical (35-38mpg), fun to drive, hardly ever needs money spent on it, passed the MOT with a few advisories last month and only cost £300. Even has Power Steering. Parts for it cost peanuts. Nothing has ever broken inside the interior in 22 years and I have three kids in the car most of the time. Most other manufacturers cars will be rotten, tatty heaps if they ever lasted as long and that's doubtful. I have made period modifications over the years like Gti 16V wheels, brakes and suspension. I like Golfs but they are far more common. I couldn't recommend a Mk2 1.8 Jetta highly enough and a GTi or 16V would only add to the experience. www.clubgti.com/forum is THE best place for any help and info on these.
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Harry Monk said:
The Golf GTI Mk2 is widely held to be one of the finest hot hatches of all time. This is just a Golf GTI Mk 2 with a boot that merely serves to improve the handling balance.
Yes, it is a mere 110bhp but that only makes it more relevant in this day and age, does it not?
Just to clarify my point. The MK1 Golf GTi was indeed an iconic ground breaking car and is often mentioned among the best cars of the 80's but, in my opinion, VW lost it's way with the MK2 adding only size and weight, a trick it repeated with future models. Obviously VW were not alone in doing this. The lesser golfs/Jettas, including the 8v GTi, benefit greatly from the halo effect of the 16v and some of the best marketing of the 80s.Yes, it is a mere 110bhp but that only makes it more relevant in this day and age, does it not?
The 8v MK2 added an amazing 2bhp to the MK1's power output (I think) and it wasn't until the 16v that the extra size and weight problem was properly addressed. The 16v was a very good car and nearly as good as the 205 1.9 GTi.
The shed of the week is an 8v. In addition it does away with 3 of the major selling points of the Golf ie smallish size, hatchback practicality and good looks. Hence my view of the car. I realize 95% of the forum will disagree with me but that's what personal opinion is all about.
The mk2 is one of the best real world cars I have owned for the money paid. As a overall package it embarasses many more expensive and 'faster cars'. 112 Bhp sounds comedy in today's world, yet they seem to out performe themselves and sometimes less is more if you know what I mean. People always say mk1 or 205gti are best, both I have driven and love, but most are now totally shagged or worth to much to be shedage!!! This is top value for money car, that will feel solid and provide cheap reliable fun for a savvy buyer. Okay this is arguable the worst gti colour and the jetta is a bit of a ugly duckling but, that weirdly makes it cooler.
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