SOT: Considering a MK2, 3 or 4 VW GTI for my new DD, Give me the good, the bad, and the ugly... Options

[Gint]

I don't want to spend a fortune and I don't buy new cars anymore anyway. I like the fact that I can get into cars I've always liked without losing my shorts or spending a a ton of cash. I have a 914, a 4WD truck and a DD (the DD will be replaced with this car) so absolute dependability isn't the most important factor as I can deal with one car having a little down time.

I've been wanting to get an old water cooled VW again for quite awhile. While I'd prefer a MK1 Scirocco or GTI, they aren't exactly plentiful anymore. So I'm looking at the later GTIs. Of course a Scirocco wouldn't be out of the question either. But I can go as late as the early MK4's GTIs. I've heard different things about the reliability of these cars, but I respect most everyone's opinion here and know a lot of you guys have probably owned a few of these. So give me the run down on the different years and their strengths/weaknesses?

[ghuff]

You want a mk3 2.0 GTi and here is why:

1. A mk2 has CIS or CIS-E/motronic which is 100% garbage and parts are hard to find + super expensive. You will be pissed if/when someone hits your nice now vintage mk2 GTi also since it is a daily

2. a MKIV GTi will not stay stock, ask me. I had a nice lightly modded one with a helical diff and in a year I had a 400whp transmission eating most anything on the street eating burnout machine. I still drive mine daily with all the poly and super stiff springs.. but i could not resist modding it. Also unless you are in love with fixing neglected electrics under the hood, run.

You will end up here in short order once you taste what a 5v turbo audi motor can do(this is a medium turbo only):

(IMG:http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/90/l_3f23da0390c94bc9a1bf7507285a6c4e.jpg)


3. MK3 GTi parts are super cheap for the 2.0, tons in junkyards. The VR6 is a maintenance nightmare when it needs timing chains, you remove the trans and half the motor, it also makes poor power for its displacement because the headflow is crap on a stick.


Be sure to get a MK3 GTi with rear discs, i think they all had them. Or even a Golf Sport 2.0 with rear disc.


I have pwned all of these and if I could do it again I would have gotten a stock mk3 2.0 golf sport to daily drive. Comfier than a mk2 slightly and ease of parts, and a lack of now hard to find and expensive CIS parts.



DOH I missed you bought something. Oops.... that is a very nice GLi!

When CIS acts up, go megasquirt. The conversion is not hard, you will need a 16v automatic passat throttle body, it has the TPS sensor you want.