Some interesting responses here!

Bit of an update, went to see the car today.. and its mint, owned by a sweet old lady lol who has cared and loved it for many years. There is one small bit of laquer peel on the roof about the size of a wagon wheel, theres also very little bubbling in the paint around the rear arch, nothing major though. The engine is clean and has been well maintained by a local VW garage.

It does look kind of shit lol i'll be honest (totally standard) but I trust that with lowering plus nice rims and some other bits n bobs it could look sweet!

I genuinely have taken all these comments into consideration and it seems that the general consensus is, stay clear :(. Its the 2.0 8v and yea its not exactly rapid but it seems to pull fine, deffo a step up from my 6n 1.0l lol.

I'm in two minds whether or not to take the plunge and buy

Edited 9 November, 201114 yr by SCO_OLOP

If you're currently without a car and you can haggle a good price, then I'd go for it. Especially as it's local!

Yeah if its a good price and runs well then go for it. I liked mine even though it had a blockage and a gearbox issue.

mate if you like it just buy it. youre the one who drives the car and who cares what some people on the internet think

mate if you like it just buy it. youre the one who drives the car and who cares what some people on the internet think

Well tbh mate some of the replys were very helpful, but yea it's down to me.. was just getting opinions u know!

How much is it?

I never really liked them. Then had a ride in a mates VR6 Automatic. It was quiet and comfortable (even with coilies) and good god was it quick, and the changes were almost un-detectable. Actually started me looking for a 1.4, as thats all i can afford to insure . Soon reverted to polos again tho. Clean MK3's are rare, so i'd say get it.

Buy it, keep it til the body rots then buy a mk2 golf/jetta and convert the fucker.

And the rust ain't as bad as every says it is, the people who say that bought a cheap shit one.

Most mk3's are cheap and shit, its the only vw I can think of that you can't add scene tax to

There is no point trying to say that mk3's don't have a problem with rust, its a well known fact that they do. They were being built at the same time that vw (and many other makes for that matter) started sacrificing build quality in favour of cost cutting. They started using cheap recycled metals and plastics which just don't last the test of time. You only have to compare how many rusty mk2 golfs you see to how many rusty mk3's you see, then just to proven the point even further take into the equation that any rusty mk2 you have found have been through many more salty British winters than the mk3's.

It's not just golfs, mk4 polo's are built from equally shit materials as well as any other car being built by vw during that era.

Az comparing a mk3 polo to a mk3 golfs build quality is a little pointless, the polo was built cheap and basic where as the golf was meant to be the flagship model. If a more modern golf was built worse than an older poverty spec entry level shopping kart than some thing is really going wrong with the company that built them

Fair enough :-)

I don't think they particularly have a problem with rust, from what I can tell its only when they have been jacked up in the wrong place etc. Ie, the owners have fucked them up and left them to rot because they don't care. Its not like you see mk3 Golfs with whole inner arches and complete floorpans rusting out like you find with saxos and other poo cars. I've yet to see one that is rusty anywhere else but the sills or jacking points (except maybe light rust on the bodywork in places). I think that because they, and the rest of the VW range at that time, were designed and built to suit a wider audience than just the hardcore enthusiasts. This in turn has people buying them who don't really give a shit about them, just buying it as an A to B car. People who don't give a shit about their car won't know or care whether they are jacked up in the right place when any maintanence is done, and probably never open the bonnet. Thats my reasoning anyway :-)

I agree that none of the models are as fast as they should be for their engine size, and they don't look particularly great. I also find all the mk3 hatred funny and even like to poke fun at them myself, but in all honesty I don't think they are bad cars, and they don't truly deserved to be called shite. I was really chuffed with my mk3 and I almost felt as though I was driving a Mercedes with the comfort it gave But that might just be because I'm used to driving a mk1 with no interior.

If you like it, and it feels fast, go for it. If it's a clean example and you look after it it'll last for a long time. Sure some rust, but some are also very clean. After all it's a slightly older car, and every example has been treated differently, so someone saying 'all mk3s have rust issues' is bullshit, as you can see with this clean example you're looking at. One of my relatives has a very clean and original mk3 1.8SE and it seems like a pretty nice car.

If it ticks all your categories for a car you want and its a decent price, go for it.

If you like it, and it feels fast, go for it. If it's a clean example and you look after it it'll last for a long time. Sure some rust, but some are also very clean. After all it's a slightly older car, and every example has been treated differently, so someone saying 'all mk3s have rust issues' is bullshit, as you can see with this clean example you're looking at. One of my relatives has a very clean and original mk3 1.8SE and it seems like a pretty nice car.

If it ticks all your categories for a car you want and its a decent price, go for it.

so someone saying 'all mk3s have rust issues' is bullshit, as you can see with this clean example you're looking at.

Yeah mean the clean example that's already showing signs of rust around the rear arches?

It may not look much now but if its bad enough to bubble the paint then its gonna be a whole lot worse once you take away the paint to sort it. Thats the thing with rust, it very rarely looks as bad as it is until you start poking at it to reveal the full extent and if the paints bubbling then its rusting from behind meaning the metal under the bubble is already shot. Also its worth baring in mind that these cars have plastic arch trims on them so if these are still in place and these bubbles are not covered by the water trapping trims you could have a proper nightmare lurking behind them.

If you do think this car is worth a punt before handing any cash over grab each wheel arch and try to lift the car (not too hard tho as it might come off in your hand ). Listen for any cracking of the metal arch under the trim, also pull at the trim a bit working your way around it and see if you can feel any give as if its not connected or what its connected to has gone crispy.

Edited 10 November, 201114 yr by Mclovin

Plastic wheel arch mouldings are the best rust hider.

I know its a Mk2 but i never thought it was so bad before me and my bro broke it up.

That rear arch was just bubbling

Insurance wise the Ibiza Cupras, 8v or 16v, are much much cheaper than the Mk3 Golf.

Be aware that it will drink fuel as well for something not that fast, especially if you like to rag it. My ibiza averaged around 28mpg.

I had an Ibiza GTi with the same engine, and that went alright, didn't feel all that much slower than my MK4 1.8t does really. However the golf is quite a bit heavier than the ibiza so it may feel a bit slower.

I had a custom exhaust made for mine and it sounded lush, infact the tuning company that made it said it was one of the best sounding exhausts they had ever made. Quite surprising seeing as they mainly deal in evo's and skylines etc.

I would go for it if its clean, its still 65bhp more than your 1.0 so it will feel quick at first, and be nice and comfy with some mod cons.

I had a custom exhaust made for mine and it sounded lush, infact the tuning company that made it said it was one of the best sounding exhausts they had ever made. Quite surprising seeing as they mainly deal in evo's and skylines etc.

Reed's said the same about every car I've taken there. I think they just like to big up their own work.

I'd only buy a MK3 GTi if it was rust free and under 1k.