Possibly Buying an Octavia VRS help

[scoobysn7x]

As Title looking to buy a Vrs int he near future probably a 2001-2002 model was just wondering if there anything specific I should look out for when going to see one, the one i'm interested in tis about 109000 miles but the service history looks good is the mileage a problem, any common issue after 100k fuel pump/ turbo etc

Also was looking at maybe a golf 1.8t of a leon Cupra, does anyone know if the the lean/golf/octavia all use the same engine how come the octavia and leon have 180bhp but the golf is only 150bhp??

And lastly my last turbo car was a s40 T4 which I loved how does the VRs compare?

Edited 30 October, 2010 by scoobysn7x

[Guest westallc]

As Title looking to buy a Vrs int he near future probably a 2001-2002 model was just wondering if there anything specific I should look out for when going to see one, the one i'm interested in tis about 109000 miles but the service history looks good is the mileage a problem, any common issue after 100k fuel pump/ turbo etc

Also was looking at maybe a golf 1.8t of a leon Cupra, does anyone know if the the lean/golf/octavia all use the same engine how come the octavia and leon have 180bhp but the golf is only 150bhp??

And lastly my last turbo car was a s40 T4 which I loved how does the VRs compare?

just make sure you check the normal things with a turbo car

service history ( making sure cam belt and water pump has been done )

oil level is at the max

no sign of oil leaks

generally well looked after a dirty car could mean its not

no lights on dash once engine is on

etc etc etc etc etc

if the car has been well looked after then the turbo should be fine

octy and cupra use a k03s turbo where as the golf on that model uses a smaller k03 turbo thats the difference

with the vrs once remaped ou should see 200 to 205 bhp with no supportingmods the good think with this there is no lag as the kkk turbo is small. never driven a volvo t4 so couldnt compare.

[scoobysn7x]

just make sure you check the normal things with a turbo car

service history ( making sure cam belt and water pump has been done )

oil level is at the max

no sign of oil leaks

generally well looked after a dirty car could mean its not

no lights on dash once engine is on

etc etc etc etc etc

if the car has been well looked after then the turbo should be fine

octy and cupra use a k03s turbo where as the golf on that model uses a smaller k03 turbo thats the difference

with the vrs once remaped ou should see 200 to 205 bhp with no supportingmods the good think with this there is no lag as the kkk turbo is small. never driven a volvo t4 so couldnt compare.

Cool thanks, The T4 was an awesome car such a sleeper was 200BHP standard and about 7secs to 60 was a real wolf is sheeps clothing, some of the looks off boy racer were brilliant, wanted to try a 4x4 so the T4 went, had enough of the 4x4 so fancy another turbo car, can't seem to find a decent value T5, so tempted with an VRS although there's a couple of Cupra's local that are also tempting.

If I got a Golf if I wanted the ectra umph is it just the case of a turbo swap, or would it be turbo swap them remap

[illegal_in_9_countries]

They did a 180 golf and bora but not sure of the model years and they are pretty rare I think. Have a look at the vrs buying guide although with a car of the age and mileage you are looking at might be a good idea to price up cheaper repairs and haggle with the info rather than walk away at the first sign of trouble.

I would have thought it would be a waste of money modifying a golf to 180 bhp when for the same amount you could get a vrs to at least 210. depends how much you want a golf!

Edited 30 October, 2010 by illegal_in_9_countries

[pauldazzle]

As Title looking to buy a Vrs int he near future probably a 2001-2002 model was just wondering if there anything specific I should look out for when going to see one, the one i'm interested in tis about 109000 miles but the service history looks good is the mileage a problem, any common issue after 100k fuel pump/ turbo etc

Also was looking at maybe a golf 1.8t of a leon Cupra, does anyone know if the the lean/golf/octavia all use the same engine how come the octavia and leon have 180bhp but the golf is only 150bhp??

And lastly my last turbo car was a s40 T4 which I loved how does the VRs compare?

There are a lot of VRS's about & bargains to be had. 100k + miles is not a problem for these cars, but be fussy, & don't just buy the first on you see. Genuine service history is a must. A stamped service book isn't necessarily proof unless receipts are there to back it up so call a Skoda dealer or the garages who serviced the car to verify. These cars are so cheap to buy that if you are not very mechanical I'd advise AA/RAC inspection, which should reveal any issues.

There are lots of things to look out for when buying a VRS, check out the buying guide on this forum as it covers most of the common problems. http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/137484-vrs-buying-guide-please-read/

I've owned 3 mkiv Golf's including the much sought after Anniversary all of which I had Revo tuned without issue. I've gotta say I love my VRS. You'd have to pay a lot more money for a Golf, Seat or Audi!

I owned a 96 T5 estate a few years ago & i'd say after remapping the VRS it's at least on a par with the T5.

Edited 30 October, 2010 by pauldazzle

[sc0rpius]

Check the following things on the car:

1) Oil is clean not black and dirty. If its dirty you could have the infamous 'oil sludge' problem.

2) Car should idle about 700-800

3) No dash lights

First thing, don't get rushed into buying something as there's literally tons of these cars available at good prices.

Also ensure that it has at least some sort of service history and that you can confirm the timing belt and waterpump have been done. If you can't confirm this then don't buy it. Also check in the history that the oil has been changed every 10-15k miles absolute max being 15k. Because when it don't thats when the oil sludge problem develops. And then you can loose a turbo, damage the engine.

Give it a good thrashing, on 2nd gear you should reach around 70-80 mph nearing the top of the rev range. 3rd will get you to around 110. This is the best way to check the performance, lol.

The Cupra has the same engine, but it just dont look as good.

[scoobysn7x]

Well missed out on the original VRS I was interested, but another one has come up locally and I'm very interested in it, only slight issue is its on 90K, it had the timing belt done at 70k, but he waterpump was not changed at the same time, will this be an issue? will I need to get the waterpump replaced??, if so what kind of price will I be looking at? just so I can use it as a bargining tool

thanks

[VRS Mike]

Unit 18 charge £300 for Cambelt replacement inc. all tensioners and waterpump and using genuine skoda parts. Go for it you won't be disappointed.

[scoobysn7x]

Unit 18 charge £300 for Cambelt replacement inc. all tensioners and waterpump and using genuine skoda parts. Go for it you won't be disappointed.

Would I have to get both done? or would it just be the waterpump that needs doing?, and would it need doing ASAP or would it be alright for a few months, only asking as car is at the top of my budget so will need to bargin hard if it needs doing...

[Guest westallc]

whats your price range for a vrs????

[VRS Mike]

Would I have to get both done? or would it just be the waterpump that needs doing?, and would it need doing ASAP or would it be alright for a few months, only asking as car is at the top of my budget so will need to bargin hard if it needs doing...

I'd get it all done, wouldn't imagine there would be a massive rush to get it done, just keep an eye on the temp gauge!!

[spud7997]

Unit 18 charge £300 for Cambelt replacement inc. all tensioners and waterpump and using genuine skoda parts. Go for it you won't be disappointed.

Where is unit 19 as i need my cam belt etc done?

[VRS Mike]

Where is unit 19 as i need my cam belt etc done?

Unit 18 are near Northampton, they are a site sponsor and well worth a trip.

[pauldazzle]

Would I have to get both done? or would it just be the waterpump that needs doing?, and would it need doing ASAP or would it be alright for a few months, only asking as car is at the top of my budget so will need to bargin hard if it needs doing...

If you are going to get the water pump replaced you may as well get the belt & tensioner changed too. The difference in labour charge should only be a few quid, you'd only be paying for the extra parts really.

The main reason for changing the water pump on these engines is that OEM part has a plastic impeller that is prone to disintegrating!

If you do get it done make sure that they fit a water pump with a metal impeller.

[scoobysn7x]

My budget is up to about £2500, & I want a 2001 onwards (hopefully) the car I've seen is about £2300 with a few 'issues' so really need to get it a bit cheaper to have the cash to sort the problems, I'll make the waterpump/timing belt first on the list, I know a very good independant whose labour costs a very amicable, last timing belt/tensioners I got done on my T4 was £195, next cheapest quote was £280!! so hopefully will not be too much difference, and I've used him for years and he's first class

[pauldazzle]

Post the 'issues' as what might appear to be something minor could land up being a pain to sort. There's a lot of knowledgeable people on the forum who will be happy to give you advice.

For £2500 you should be able to find a good car with no problems.

Edited 15 November, 2010 by pauldazzle

[Bodge]

Cool thanks, The T4 was an awesome car such a sleeper was 200BHP standard and about 7secs to 60 was a real wolf is sheeps clothing, some of the looks off boy racer were brilliant, wanted to try a 4x4 so the T4 went, had enough of the 4x4 so fancy another turbo car, can't seem to find a decent value T5, so tempted with an VRS although there's a couple of Cupra's local that are also tempting.

If I got a Golf if I wanted the ectra umph is it just the case of a turbo swap, or would it be turbo swap them remap

I've been cheating on my Skoda all summer with an S40 1.9 T4 (200bhp)! Has to be one of the best sleepers about. It's actually funny driving it around and surprising people! I like it.

It's not as quick or as involving to drive as my vRS though. The vRS actually feels like a performance car when you slide inside, but the T4 continues to trick you in a bad way!

I think the S40 handles like a bit of a barge, but it's hard to compare. The S40 is totally standard and the suspension is getting a bit tired, and I'm comparing it to a newer remapped car, with coilovers. A bit unfair.

Still, you should love the vRS coming from the T4.

[scoobysn7x]

Well went to see the Vrs today and I'm unsure as its a bit scruffier than I was lead to believe, the front bumper/splitter has some nasty scratches on the bottom, couple more deep scratches elsewhere, driving it I was pleasantly impressed, didn't feel as quick as the T4 but handled a little better, but the turbo seem a little lazy about 3700-4000rpm before you really felt it was going, also brake juddered heavily under breaking so probably needs new discs and pads, the backs looked worse than the front, the interior was nice but the white bits were really dirty and not sure all the stains would come out, so all in all look a little tatty for a 52 reg it was up at £2300 and the guy didn't seem to want to budge that much, so I don't really feell I want to spend that kind of money when theres probably 300-400 of work needed to get it looking good, thats not taking into account the fact the water pump will probably need doing, oh and on top of that it was due a service!

think I going to try and hold out for a better one, would prefer non silver too... meant to say I was surprised it was 5 speed thought it would be 6 speed like the leon

Know what ou mean about the T4 I absolutely loved mine (really regret selling it!) the look on the 'boy racers' faces when they get tanned by a grandad car is priceless

[Guest westallc]

keep searching

if you have doubts walk away so many about you really can be picky

[pauldazzle]

Absolutely, be fussy.

[danp]

when i was looking for a vrs i was looking for a car with about 90 to 110 k on it after looking at a few dogs i seen a car with a 150k .

I did not even think about looking at it but my mate went in to look at it on the off chance he then rang me to get my ass up there and take alook . 152k full service for skoda mint body work mint seats load of money spent company car picked it up for 2 k dont be worried about the miles

[mannyo]

Dont let the scratches on the bottom of the front bumper put you off, its quiet common as are bent sills. My old vRS was well looked after and it too had a scratched lower front bumper. Its very easy to scratch on kerbs due to the lowered suspension and the design of the bumper.

[Rob Garrett]

I had a 1998 S40 T4 before my VRS. The biggest difference I found was the handling. The VRS feels like a much lighter car (though I think they weigh about the same) and sharper with much more feel to the steering. In terms of performance they seem about the same to me. With the T4 the power came in harder with the turbo whereas the VRS power delivery is smoother with the turbo coming in more progressively. I think that this is why the T4 may feel quicker.

The interior on the T4 felt like it was made of better quality materials and things like the doors shut with a more solid feel then the VRS. I did like my T4 and think they are a smart looking car esspecially the later sport models with the bigger alloys and front spoiler.

Overall whilst I enjoyed the surprise factor and solid feel of the Volvo, the VRS felt like a step forwards over it and is much more fun to drive (esspecially on twisty roads).