VW Golf GTI Mk2: PH Carpool
Reunited after 25 years, this GTI is a hot hatch one PHer never got to drive...
Car: 1991 Volkswagen Golf GTI 16v
Owned since: February 2017
Previously owned: 43 cars. Mk2 Golfs (GTIs and G60s), BMW E46 Cabrios and other BMWs feature heavily. Currently a 2017 Audi A6 Avant V6 TDI Black company car.
Why I bought it:
"To be honest, I bought it as a bit of a joke...
"I had just sold my 'fun' car in Italy, an E46 330Ci Cabrio that went to a very nice young German family and was browsing PistonHeads one night when I spotted the car and recognized the registration number. Yup, it was the GTI 16v my mother bought new and sold the week after my 25th birthday so I couldn't drive it - you had to be 25 to be insured on this hot hatch at the time.
"Given that 'Eddie' (think Ab Fab) is now, er, um, more mature, I thought it would be amusing to turn up in the car and tell her she was too old to drive it. And I figured it impossible to lose too much money on a Mk2 GTI 16v."
"That good classic car restoration is not something that can be hurried. That parts are now a problem both in terms of availability and cost. The car has a full history file (including all my father's receipts) and was incredibly well maintained over the years, but the cost and time of getting it returned to standard raised both my eyebrows and my bank manager's blood pressure - she is getting fed up with doing GBP transfers to the garage restoring it. It has turned into a quite an expensive joke that I only saw six months after I bought it - I live in Italy, the car in the UK."
Things I love:
"I bought it to finally get one over a mother who refused to lend it to me when I was young, so just the fact that I own the thing is pretty good. I love the look of it - this is the big bumper, BBS and stripy seat run-out version in metallic black, so what's not to like? I am quite looking forward to taking it for a spin when I am back in the UK, and might see if I can find an old girlfriend for the full retro evening..."
"Hate is quite a big word (though because I am going through a divorce at the moment, it is also one I am getting used to), but I am concerned at the lack of airbags and ABS. I am not overly keen on rust or lowered suspension parts that cannot be adjusted to standard (hence the complete new suspension) or even the Chinese-made pattern parts that appear great online but are then completely useless or inappropriate in reality - VW sourced from Europe in the 80s and 90s."
Costs:
"Um, new suspension all round, new exhaust, steering wheel, repaired sunroof, brake lines, refurbished wheels, new tyres... I'm not even sure where the list stops. All for a 147K, 26 year-old Golf. The 147K refers to the mileage rather than the final bill, though frankly there are occasions..."
Where I've been:
"Me or the car? Together? Oh right. Well I drove it around the garage car park three weeks ago. But given that only three quarters of the new suspension has been supplied and fitted, it's not much of a driver or even a looker. Oh, and it is missing an MOT. I do have big plans to drive it the seven miles to the pub and back over Christmas (sorry for the delay Chris, hope it was fun! - MB). My father is a retired accountant, so he can help me with the cost per mile calculation on that trip. My 17 year-old daughter also has delusions of use, so I suspect that history may repeat itself in 21 years time..."
"Well I think my (future) ex-wife may use this article to have me sectioned, but apart from that, I plan that the car be delivered to my parents next week. After that and once they realise the reality of a 26 year-old Golf over the two new Teutons they already own, I suspect it will end up in the corner of a barn for a while. After that I will see. I'd like to keep it for a few years as a toy for when I am over in the UK, however impending university fees (for the children) and a settlement with an angry Italian (future) ex-wife may mean a sale sooner rather than later. I do hope not though, I rather like this old friend now I've found it again."
To the author's credit, it's an excellent cause to plough some money into, no matter how much the amount.
To the author's credit, it's an excellent cause to plough some money into, no matter how much the amount.
To the author's credit, it's an excellent cause to plough some money into, no matter how much the amount.
SS7
You're right parts from VW Heritage are rare and most MK2's are now lost.
I advertised mine at Christmas on here....wrong time of year.
Very well known 16v in many mags.....I've had her since 1996!
Still got OE seats too but a lovely restoration and worth every penny to a collector or someone looking for a GTI carefully modified keeping OE look but a conversion of that era
http://www.vwroc.com/forums/classifieds/item/114-h...
Will be re listed on here in Feb
You're right parts from VW Heritage are rare and most MK2's are now lost.
I advertised mine at Christmas on here....wrong time of year.
Very well known 16v in many mags.....I've had her since 1996!
Still got OE seats too but a lovely restoration and worth every penny to a collector or someone looking for a GTI carefully modified keeping OE look but a conversion of that era
http://www.vwroc.com/forums/classifieds/item/114-h...
Will be re listed on here in Feb
I have seen concourse MK2's go for a lot less even concourse conversion cars with 1.8T etc. Even cars with 100% original spec, documents etc.
Mentions original interior then further down mentions have sourced seats now... so not original then.
I have seen concourse MK2's go for a lot less even concourse conversion cars with 1.8T etc. Even cars with 100% original spec, documents etc.
Mentions original interior then further down mentions have sourced seats now... so not original then.
I bought the car in 1997 the previous owner a female in Surrey ran it through her business and it had great history.
The fact is like most things of the era are now becoming much rarer and enthusiasts will see it as a nice 3 door Alpine white 16v. Where else is the one for sale in such good order. Most are rotted. You couldn't build the car and buy it for £10k unless you were "doing it yourself" and we're lucky enough to get such a good shell. DIY is never the same as buying a car that has tuned by a reputable tuning house.
The engine build was what the main tuning houses of that time did. The likes of GTI Engineering bored out the original block ( Something I wasn't in favour loosing the oil squirt eyes) but others like Autocavan, BR Motorsport AmD did their own thing.
Think it's expensive....that's what a few people said about the £15k 1900 16v still up for sale.
I'll take sensible offers and go from there but I won't be giving it away.
The nice thing with mine is that it hasn't had a foreign engine plopped in placing loads of weight over the front axle.....or the later 1.8t common later on. It's a good example of an engine tuned to give a nice reliable package for those in the know.
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