Seen a Mk4 Golf for sale 1999, with 51K miles.

It's only a 1.4, so will hopefully have avoided the boy racer GTI crowd.  

 

£1500......

 

There are advisories for slight movement in top struts, and no service history stamps after 12K (but VOSA checks out mileage/intervals and condition is exceptional).  The condition really is showroom clean, with the only wear anywhere being to the gearstick gaitor).

Even allowing for the advisory repair work and a cambelt/pump change in the near future (no evidence it's been done, bar a visual inspection - which isn't a guarantee of any sort, I accept), Appears to be legit, and very clean.

Does this seem a fair price?

Have a look on Wisebuyers. That should give some indication.

Sounds like a decent buy.

 

It will be no rocket ship with the 1.4 16v (about 80bhp is it?)

 

Tax should be £145 a year.

 

The engines are pretty rock solid. Nothing really to worry about there.

 

Just the usual things with service history etc.

 

Phil

I had a MKIV Golf 1.4......BAD!

 

I admit mine was high mileage (124k), but I though a golf engine will do quite a few miles....

 

Seemed fine to start with, but after a while it started to stall/cut out when I put clutch down

 

Took it to a mechanic friend who said the throttle body valve was sticking.  Cleaned it out and that seemed to solve the issue for a while.

 

Next thing I knew it was billowing blue smoke out the back like a chimney.

 

Turned out it had worn valve steam seals & piston rings... not too bad of a job you would think, but because the engine block was made out of aluminiuum and not steel, you cannot just replace these and it would need a full head rebuild (£800-1000 or more)

 

Mine even had a full dealer service history with all, and I mean ALL receipts 

I had a MKIV Golf 1.4......BAD!

 

I admit mine was high mileage (124k), but I though a golf engine will do quite a few miles....

 

Seemed fine to start with, but after a while it started to stall/cut out when I put clutch down

 

Took it to a mechanic friend who said the throttle body valve was sticking.  Cleaned it out and that seemed to solve the issue for a while.

 

Next thing I knew it was billowing blue smoke out the back like a chimney.

 

Turned out it had worn valve steam seals & piston rings... not too bad of a job you would think, but because the engine block was made out of aluminiuum and not steel, you cannot just replace these and it would need a full head rebuild (£800-1000 or more)

 

Mine even had a full dealer service history with all, and I mean ALL receipts 

No worse than a lot of cars.

And I think someone is having you on about not being able to replace rings and seals just because the block is alloy.

I did a lot of research into it when mine happened and it was the general consensus from many forums that this is true.

 

Back on top anyway, you should be ok with 51k though.

£1500 for a 16 year old golf? really???

Depends what you're looking for really but it wouldn't float my boat at that price.

 

It may be low mileage but maybe they have been miles around town, could explain the knackered suspension. I'd rather have a car that had done 100k motorway miles than 50k town miles.

 

For that sort of money you should be able to get a mk1 Octavia VRS which will be at least a couple of years newer than the Golf and better in every respect except running costs.

 

For that sort of money you should be able to get a mk1 Octavia VRS which will be at least a couple of years newer than the Golf and better in every respect except running costs.

 

that has 3 times the mileage and costs a significant chunk more to run in every respect......usually because they've attracted the wrong sort of owner... :p

Can't say those prospects sell it to me.

 

As a cheap runabout for town use, the Golf migth fit the bill pretty well.

Failing that, I'm also currently considering a 01 plated Golf 1.6, 130K for a grand, or a Lupo 1.4 Sport for £1K with 108K on the clock.......very tempting, as I believe they're something of a hoot to drive?

Edited 29 October, 201411 yr by Gwilo

As I said - depends what you're looking for. Golfs are quite heavy cars, I imagine it would feel quite asthmatic with the 1.4 engine and may not be much/any more economical than some slightly larger engines. At £1500 it would not be my first choice.

 

Out of the three cars you listed I would go for the Lupo. Have you thought about anything non-VW? There are plenty of other cheap to run options at sub £1500.

that has 3 times the mileage and costs a significant chunk more to run in every respect......usually because they've attracted the wrong sort of owner... :p

Can't say those prospects sell it to me.

 

As a cheap runabout for town use, the Golf migth fit the bill pretty well.

Failing that, I'm also currently considering a 01 plated Golf 1.6, 130K for a grand, or a Lupo 1.4 Sport for £1K with 108K on the clock.......very tempting, as I believe they're something of a hoot to drive?

 

How about... gosh, I don't know, a Fabia? Can get a lot of Fabia for £1500...

Doesn't sound like a good price to me. That engine is very very slow in a golf.

. Have you thought about anything non-VW? There are plenty of other cheap to run options at sub £1500.

Yep, 

open to anything that's not tinny and French.....

 

SWMBO decided last night, after wining and dining me at a gorgeous Chinese food establishment to inform me that if I wished to buy the White Golf, I would be the one driving it to work and back and she'd have my car......or we have to buy something with proper rear doors as she has a phobia about being trapped in the back of a 3 door......While this is the first time this objection has been raised, I was warm and my stomach was deliciously full, so I just nodded in agreement.

This morning, it seems my plans have been slowly, but thoroughly dismantled with nothing more than a few chillies and some MSG.   :think:

 

As you were gentleman.  Till the next hairbrained car replacement idea. :think:

Probably a good move.

 

My wife has a Leon with the same engine and it's fairly smooth but feels a lot slower than the 1.2 Punto it replaced - nothing like as revvy and you have to work it very hard to get anywhere. Nice enough car imho but the engine lets it down.

 

For reference ours cost £600 with some negotiation and was on 70k....

Having owned an IV Golf, I couldn't recommend them to anyone. Unless it was that or get the bus.

 

For that money you could get an e36/e46 3 series or an e39 5 (although likely leggy for a 5 at that price). 

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201410238440717/sort/default/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/price-to/2000/usedcars/postcode/hp217hn/model/3_series/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/price-from/1000/page/2/make/bmw/radius/1500?logcode=p

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201410248473614/sort/default/page/1/postcode/hp217hn/make/bmw/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/price-to/2000/usedcars/model/3_series/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/price-from/1000/radius/1500?logcode=p

 

Better spec, much better drive.

It will dog slow and a diesel would be nicer to drive