I think a Golf R would be a fair bit, plus you never really own the car, then there's insurance which is probably a fair bit. I am free to do what I like which is something I appreciate.

Im really against finance too. Would never do it myself.

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/buying-guide/offers/golf-gti-vii/private/263

Taking into account the deposit and final payments.

Double post sorry.

For me it's the fun of doing the work. It's customising the car into something that I like. Adding features it never had from the factory, increasing performance. Adding silly stickers for no good reason etc.

 

Every time I drive my car it makes me smile.

 

 

 

You get it then and i'm delighted that there are people out there like you. Golf will soon turn 26 and there is nothing else I have driven that makes me smile as much as it does. Took it apart, rebuilt it and it took us without incident halfway across Europe and back

 

 What i've spent on it has been my design and my will. I don't expect to recoup that from some other by calling it 'rare' or 'one of only 200 made'.

Oh I agree it's not cheap, and I could have kept it standard and probably chopped it in for an older RS4 or something by now for the same money, but I'd rather stick with a car that does everything I need and improve on what I can than keep changing cars all the time.

As you say, each to their own

Its a fair shout, and theres nothing i love to look at more than a car somebodys customised themselves to suit their needs and taste.

You get it then and i'm delighted that there are people out there like you. Golf will soon turn 26 and there is nothing else I have driven that makes me smile as much as it does. Took it apart, rebuilt it and it took us without incident halfway across Europe and back

What i've spent on it has been my design and my will. I don't expect to recoup that from some other by calling it 'rare' or 'one of only 200 made'.

Every time i see a similar side by side pic, its the size increase that surprises me.

Its slowly got massive over the years.

Every time i see a similar side by side pic, its the size increase that surprises me.

Its slowly got massive over the years.

 

 

 Bet there's only a bit more shoulder room to show in the 7. 

Im not into the whole tuning thing quite yet so much as 'restoring', i enjoy getting a car looking at its former glory, currently doing this to my wifes 02' fabia, its beginning to look a treat! but i must agree its a hell of alot of money to tune a car correctly in which time you  couldve just bought a faster car to begin with, that said i can still see the fun of doing it

I've thought about modifying and looked into the costs, but alot of the time it seems like diminishing returns to me. For example on my octavia the first 35 extra BHP from a remap might cost me about £400 - great! The next 35bhp will cost me alot more, and the 35bhp after will cost more again. I looked into getting a reputable tuning company to fit a K04 & all accompanying mods (exhaust, clutch etc), but by the time I would be done I might as well just upgrade to a BMW 335i estate of the same year or newer and give it a remap.The insurance was a large issue for me too, I got my bog standard insurance for around £770. Adrian Flux who would actually be reasonable about me modding the car quoted me £1500. That's a huge gap before I've even added anything at all!

 

That's not to say I don't love the idea of taking a car and making it my own. I just don't really have the financial position to do so, whereas an upgrade could at least net me alot of my money back if I needed it.

i think going mad on tuning would be silly because you might as well upgrade but a simple remap or tuning chip to get a extra 35bhp and some more torque then i would think that would be acceptable a DPF delete would unleash a little bit more potential of a car because manufactures take into account emissions and to come into a low tax bracket they make cars eco friendly. 

 

each to their own.

Me & My friends all fiddle around with our cars and I dread to think how much we've spent between us. But as others have said its a hobby and I love it, having something that turns heads and really provokes a reaction. The financials do pop in to my head every now & then but always my mind flashes back to last summer when we all convoyed to a show and we were going along the M1 at around 6am as the sun was rising over 15 of our own creations and you cannot put a price on that.

 

Sorry to sound oh so cliché

You get it then and i'm delighted that there are people out there like you. Golf will soon turn 26 and there is nothing else I have driven that makes me smile as much as it does. Took it apart, rebuilt it and it took us without incident halfway across Europe and back

 

 What i've spent on it has been my design and my will. I don't expect to recoup that from some other by calling it 'rare' or 'one of only 200 made'.

I am well north of 25k into my mk2 and will be north of 50 by the time it is done next year, I agree with you completely, I had a picture of a mk2 16v on my wall as a kid and now I own 3 of them!!!! In my eyes they are the best cars ever made.

I wouldn't be without my MK2, though i'm on course for a Beetle I haven't quite ruled out a second Mk2 wreck to do something interesting with. What are you doing to yours?  Fell in love with the Golf 16v when taking a customers out for a test drive when doing work experience at a VW dealership. Grinning like an idiot  

I agree and it's exactly what I do as I don't drink, smoke etc...

But in the article there are a lot of valid points.

I tune cars for the fun and pleasure.

Not because I need to see a return on my spending come time to sell.

It can become an addiction though, I've certainly got it.

The secret (for me) is knowing you won't see a penny back and being comfortable with that.

You do it for the enjoyment of doing it.

Same here, don't see an issue with having a hobby that does no harm?

I am well north of 25k into my mk2 and will be north of 50 by the time it is done next year, I agree with you completely, I had a picture of a mk2 16v on my wall as a kid and now I own 3 of them!!!! In my eyes they are the best cars ever made.

Do you have a build thread or anything on here for them mate? Id love a read?

Always loved the mk1's and 2's!

I had a build thread but I am a bit old school and thought where the surprise when I finally roll it out at a show so I stopped updating it, needless to say a lot of progress has been made and the car should be ready early next year

I wouldn't be without my MK2, though i'm on course for a Beetle I haven't quite ruled out a second Mk2 wreck to do something interesting with. What are you doing to yours?  Fell in love with the Golf 16v when taking a customers out for a test drive when doing work experience at a VW dealership. Grinning like an idiot

I have taken one and gone back to a bare shell, a rebuilt abf on twin 45 ' s and every nut and bolt brand new.

I have taken one and gone back to a bare shell, a rebuilt abf on twin 45 ' s and every nut and bolt brand new

 

Sounds awesome matey, got any pics? Loved working with mine through this year though it was only a partial strip down and rebuild. Ended up re-spraying it too  

There are a couple of pics in the non skoda build thread I started on here, but that is it until the complete car resurfaces!!!!!