Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk2

Found me a STEAL on a 1989 VW Golf GTI, paid $700 bucks for this beaut - and guess what? The clock reads 131K RIGHT NOW! (this is my second MK2 GTI, first was an '88)

These cars are amazing. They handle like no other, fresh off the lot! Mine needed minor body work, two front wheel bearings and two new rear brake pads.... While I was at it, I installed two new CV axles and I couldn't be happier. I also refreshed all of the fluids and slapped in some Bosch Copper Spark Plugs. To say the LEAST, this GTI is now GOOD AS NEW at 23 years young!

After "refreshing" this amazing hatch, I decided to take it on a test run. Bone stock, I pull up to a light. There's a 95ish Civic Hatch, fart can muffler, body kit and "the works". (Aka HIDEOUS compared to this stylish MK2 GTI!)

Let's just say, when the light turned green... all the Civic saw was my taillights. All the way threw 3rd gear! (Could've kept pulling relentlessly, but doing 70-80+ in a 55mph zone = a HEFTY fine!)

He decided to follow me, to where I was going. Which happened to be the closest gas station! A 13 year old looking "man" immediately jumped out of the "Rice Mobile" and asked, "Bro, WHAT DO YOU HAVE DONE TO THAT "thing"!?"

... I replied, "This "thing" is German engineering at its finest." And proceeded to put 10 bucks of Regular Fuel in the tank. Because that minuet $10 will get me where I need to go for a WEEK STRAIGHT!

If you can't afford a BMW, Audi or Benz.... Get you a VW, MK2 SOMETHING, make sure it's a 16V DOHC and proceed to stick out in the bag of rice!

*Must add* - This car is EXTREMELY EASY to work on!!!! Once you change a few "major" parts, you'll know it like the front of your FACE! Because you will have that VW smile from here to the NEXT gas station.... 100's of miles away!

Bought my 1988 8v for 800 pounds off a mate 12 years ago. My wife and I drove it all over Europe and across to Asia before shipping it to Oz. It now has 170000 miles with barely a spanner lifted. Performance wise the lightweight 8vs are the business. In tight twisty b roads they excel.

The car hasn't got power anything but the secret to the 8v Mk2 was lots of low end torque and very light weight with a brilliant weight distribution (nothing forward of the front axle). The non powered steering means parking requires some muscle but the pay back is sublime steering with the sort of intuitive feedback that allows the driver to know exactly what the driven wheels are doing. I have owned and driven quite a number of so called 'drivers' cars but none that telegraph so accurately to the driver.

This comment from a mate with an Elise after a recent drive on a twisty bumpy road "I did check the rear view a couple of times to see your grinning mug right up my tailpipe. Perhaps those MkII GTi’s were really quick after all"

The Recaro sports seats of the mk2 are a delight to sit in and remain so after many hours at the wheel. I once drove from Dubrovnik to Amsterdam in one go (some 20 odd hours) and besides being knackered my bum and back felt fine. More recently I took the car loaded with gear and kids to Tasmania, going over the Australian Alps on rough dirt tracks. Such is my trust in the car's reliability. What's more it had spent the last 5 years sitting in storage as we'd been overseas, yet it had started willingly with a fresh battery and a tank of fuel, brushed the cobwebs aside and headed off on a 7000km trip.

These are the legends on which VW's reputation was carried through the dark years of the series 3 & 4. The Mk 2 will soon become a collectors item as the Mark 1 did before it.

My favorite car

I own a 1992 MK2 GTI 8V Mexican Built. This is my Second GTI both in Black (the way it should be) I couln't find a good 16V this time. I found a really good looking 8V 189,000 clicks on the odo, and the previous onwer even offered to drive 200 Mi. to meet me, this told me the car was in pretty good mechanical shape if he was willing to do that. Only looked at pictures of the car before I paid for it and drove it back home another 170 Mi. with no problems. I'm in love with these little cars, I have had no major problems with it, Good quality Parts are availableand so far I changed Altermator, Ignition Switch, Motor Mounts, Radiator, Spark Plugs, Filters. Got new windshield, Front Lower Spoiler, New headliner, New Sony headunit, Kicker speakers all around, Its looking great but still have a lot on the "to do" list. Budget permiting will be a new short shift and linkage kit, Coilovers, Wheels and rubber, and respray after all body trim is done. Loving every minute of it !

Always want an early golf GTi and managed to pick up a minter of a mk2, 3dr 16v in white which it really suits. Interior is immaculate and I'm always getting offered money for it. Goes like stink and won't be selling it for as long as I can keep the wife quiet. Had a few issues with coolant pipes but thee had merely perished and were easy to fix. I'm no mechanic and find the car really easy to work on.

The mk2 golf GTi was the car of my dreams, Ever since i was 12 i wanted one because of that classic look!

I turned 19 i decided it was time to get rid of my Corsa B(Great first car) and get a GTi. I saved up £1000 and saw one in the local paper for £1000 ono 91' original spec, BBS split rims, mint interior, engine re-build ect.

I thought Yeh! I'll take a look, i took my friend with me who had one at the time, he took it for a spin and it was amazing such torque from that 1.8 8v, we checked it over and it had a few bad bits rust spot on the doors ect, £850 was the deal and i gave him cash for it.

I drove it for 2 months, it pulled like a train from any gear.Drank fuel, but could get it up to 32mpg. Nice seats good adjustment handled well for an 18 year old car, did enjoy driving it a lot.

Then the warning lights came on and i was losing fluid, had my friend check it over, he suggested could be a split hose. It was soon after this was replaced and the problem kept happening, so my friend took the head off and it was the head gasket and the head was rusted out so it couldn't be skimmed..

I could of spent £2000 getting it back on the road, I'm not buying one again until i have enough money to buy a mint one. There a lovely car to drive, but once they go wrong you need to get you're money out and plenty of it.

I would recommend it, but there not the all mighty indestructible German car that will last you forever, be prepared to spend some cash on it and make sure that it's been treated well and not run with out anti-freeze by some T***.

Golf Mk2 GTI 16v 5 door

I really can't praise the car enough. It's 18 years old and still looks fantastic in it's original oak green. I've always wanted one since I was taken to school in a white 8v gti when I was 13 by a mate's mum. I was hooked from that day, it seemed very fast, much cooler than any other car I had been in.

So some 21 years later I decided it was time to get one! It's debatable but I've bought the rarest colour and it's done 135,000 miles.

So what can I say about it, firstly the awesome handling, it's got 185 tyres but it sticks to corners like nothing I've ever driven and it's also very sure footed, it let's you know in plenty of time when it's losing grip even in the wet. I don't drive it like a lunatic, but on a quiet country road, very little can keep up with it through the bends if you put your mind to it.

The engine is great, there's that huge which is better 8v or 16v debate going on, mine has a jetex exhaust on it, but is entirely standard apart from that. Once you get over 4k rpm, it just takes off, not disimilar to having a turbo and it gets faster and faster towards the red line. Sure there are faster cars out there, but I'm sure mine must be hitting 60 in about 7 seconds and the way it does it, always puts a smile on your face.

It's utterly reliable, when I first got it, it had been standing in a garage for a year, it started and then cut out at a roundabout! Not a good start I thought, but it made it home over 300 miles away and a quick look on a VW owners forum, a clean of the throttle body and it's been fantastic, always starts rain or shine, cold or hot and I'd happily drive it abroard without any worries about it breaking down.

Sure it's had a couple of problems, a power steering rack that dropped all it's fluid, knackered shocks, but all acceptable on a car that's done 135k miles. I constantly get asked if I want to sell it, which is nice.

But I won't part with it for anything, a brilliant car and VW made a car that was built to last, look around for Ford's or Vauxhalls that haven't been restored of the same age, and if you can find them, they will be largely in pieces.

Finally, if you drive sensibly, it's also remarkably economical, on a recent trip from bournemouth it registered 36.5 mpg (I know the MFA is optimistic!) and used a quarter of a tank in the 140 mile trip.

I'll shut up now, but this is a seriously good car and is as close to perfection in a hot hatch as I think you can get.

mk2 gti stil got it!

Exceptional value for money for a classic Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk2 motor with decent performance that carries a cast-iron reputation not rivalled by much in the hatchback market today. Parts easy to source and plenty of speciallists to keep it in good nick. Need a garage and time to give them the proper TLC they deserve though. Bought a very handy book from eBay 'Essential Buyers Guide for Mk 1 & Mk 2 VW GTi's' written by two experts...well worth the tenner.

i have owned my Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk2 for 2 years and i love it great fuel consumtion but fast. the powers there when u want it and very good at handling,(had a few corners at 90)