mk3 choice

[D'Squared]

Hi All, i'm think about buying a mk 3 gti as a run around. I want air con, but other than that i'm not fussy, oh and i only have about £1000 to get it with...!. Which is the best model/engine to go for 8 valve or 16? Any common problems i should know about? what about the dreaded rust? do they suffer much??

Thanks for your help and advise in advance

DD

[Alun]

The 2.8 VR6 would be the drivers choice of the MK3 Golfs, but they can be expensive to run and I doubt you'll get one for £1000. The next one down is the GTi 16V, with 150bhp and a 0-60 time of 8 seconds, a thrifty car. The next one down is the 8V, but it only has 115bhp and a 0-60 time of just over 9 seconds and arn't as fast as the 16V variant. You'd be very lucky to get a decent 16V GTi for £1000, maybe £1500 would be better. As for rust, they tend to suffer badly on the arches and front wings, so check under the plastic body trim. Check for service history aswell, some GTi's get driven hard and can suffer if regular servicing is neglected. Other than that they are very reliable cars and will last a long time if you look after it!

[Crasher]

The 8 or 16v were not that common with A/C, especially the 16v. The problem with 8v GTI's with A/C is that they tend to be late cars and are often built in South Africa and I have experienced certain quality issues with these models that are peculiar the SA built versions. These are mainly paint and interior trim related. Golf 3's also rot badly along the sills to the floor at the front just behind the front wings where tyre fitters damage the sills with trolley jacks and also at the back of the sills. A lot of this is hidden by the plastic sill trims; to the extent some MOT stations now mention that it is not possible to check them properly during the MOT. I think £1K is going to buy you a bag of trouble.

[Alun]

I think £1K is going to buy you a bag of trouble.

Unless you go a bit down market and go for a GL, even a CL and mod it up to GL standards? £1000 would buy you a good solid 1.8 MK3 which would be an excellent starting base for a bit of personalising.

[D'Squared]

thanks for the advise....i'll keep my eyes open...