Octavia vRS Estate Mk1
Discussion
My wife has been running 2k 'daily' cars for a few years and more recently has leased a couple of very cheap (~£120pm) Citroen Cactus' for a few years. Last year we decided to go back to the 2k car game after the second lease car went back.
The brief was sub 2k, estate (house renovation in progress), petrol, probably VAG, likely 1.8T and good history. We were looking at B5 A4's, Passats, C5 A6's and I one day remembered about the Mk1 vRS Estate. One popped up locally with a good story and I literally rang the seller about 10 times and sent a couple of emails without response - finally we got through and learnt that his grandchildren had broken his phone.
We viewed, drove, left a deposit and collected the car a couple of days later.
The main headlines were:
2003, 120k miles, 1.8T 20v, Reasonably FSH, Recent bills totalling £1.5k (including clutch, bushes, tyres, remap, air filter etc)
Since buying I have only washed it, changed the brakes (since these photos), fitted OEM xenon headlights, new plates and changed the badges for the newer style ones. I also fitted solid gear linkage bushings and that is about it. I have a few other minor changes planned but otherwise, it needs an oil change which I plan to do soon.
A few photos, making it look remarkably clean (it isn't, with marks on every panel but looks OK from 10ft!)
Overall, we love the car. It does about 35mpg, made 200bhp at Surrey Rolling Road, makes some good turbo noises (with the open cone filter) and generally looks rather unassuming. The interior is nice enough, not much in the way of soft-touch plastics but it is fairly solid.
Thanks for reading.
The brief was sub 2k, estate (house renovation in progress), petrol, probably VAG, likely 1.8T and good history. We were looking at B5 A4's, Passats, C5 A6's and I one day remembered about the Mk1 vRS Estate. One popped up locally with a good story and I literally rang the seller about 10 times and sent a couple of emails without response - finally we got through and learnt that his grandchildren had broken his phone.
We viewed, drove, left a deposit and collected the car a couple of days later.
The main headlines were:
2003, 120k miles, 1.8T 20v, Reasonably FSH, Recent bills totalling £1.5k (including clutch, bushes, tyres, remap, air filter etc)
Since buying I have only washed it, changed the brakes (since these photos), fitted OEM xenon headlights, new plates and changed the badges for the newer style ones. I also fitted solid gear linkage bushings and that is about it. I have a few other minor changes planned but otherwise, it needs an oil change which I plan to do soon.
A few photos, making it look remarkably clean (it isn't, with marks on every panel but looks OK from 10ft!)
Overall, we love the car. It does about 35mpg, made 200bhp at Surrey Rolling Road, makes some good turbo noises (with the open cone filter) and generally looks rather unassuming. The interior is nice enough, not much in the way of soft-touch plastics but it is fairly solid.
Thanks for reading.
Nice! I have a soft spot for these. A few years back I needed a cheap car, my mate runs a garage and his customer was flogging one. 170k but my mate had been looking after it for the past 8 years or so, everything it needed it got. Paid less than a grand and ran it for over a year without spending a penny on it, drove fantastic too. I sold it to my mate who then sold it to another mates parents, it's still local and still going, I think it's near 200k now. Original turbo and clutch too.
Should serve you well for a cheap daily, I'd love another if I could justify it in the future, a clean one will hold it's money now I reckon.
Should serve you well for a cheap daily, I'd love another if I could justify it in the future, a clean one will hold it's money now I reckon.
great cars, mine was (almost) faultlessly reliable for the time I had it and made a great load lugger as well as still being fun to drive.
It actually made SOTW a while ago when I came to sell it
yours looks very lovely, although I must admit silver wouldn't be my first choice of colour
It actually made SOTW a while ago when I came to sell it
yours looks very lovely, although I must admit silver wouldn't be my first choice of colour
Thanks all for the replies!
Glosphil said:
If it makes 200hp it must be mapped?
Yep, can't remember exactly which map it it is. 'Shark' possibly.. Should make a bit more power I'm told but its fine for now.deadtom said:
yours looks very lovely, although I must admit silver wouldn't be my first choice of colour
Nor me, but unfortunately it just came up and this was the colour. Red or Yellow would be best. Annoyingly my E39 525i Sport & 325ti are also silver!was8v said:
How is it doing for rust?
From what I have seen during MOT's and general nosing around - not bad. The tailgate is going a bit under the glass but nothing too crazy (yet).Great car these, I had a hatch for a couple of years, it was a great all-rounder and I never had a single problem with it. Which I can't say about any of the other VAG cars I've owned alas. I've got a Mk2.5 Vrs now and I don't know if it's just rose tinted specs but I much prefer the MK1 I had, ho hum.
Max M4X WW said:
From what I have seen during MOT's and general nosing around - not bad. The tailgate is going a bit under the glass but nothing too crazy (yet).
Great, I have half an eye open for one, but theres lots of rusty ones when checking MOT histories. I think the first outward sign is as you say on the tailgate under the glass. Keep an eye on the sills - might be a good idea if its a keeper to get some cavity wax sprayed in and waxoyl applied.Really liked them when new, enormous load capacity yet still agile - newer ones are lardier.
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