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[QUOTE=PoRsChEnUt]your car will handle so much different now, do you have one in the front aswell? thats a reall handling changer![/QUOTE]
Not yet. I don't want to buy the front one for an 8v, and in 6 months have to buy one for a VR6. So I'm going to hold off.
Next purchases are going to be Patec Holeshot adjustable coilovers, and the very rare, discontinued Abt dual round headlights. Then I start the VR project.
Abt dual rounds:
[img]http://www.pgperformance.com/abt/golf3/images/19380010b.jpg[/img]
Patec Holeshots:
[img]http://patecsuspensions.com/holeshot/images/holeshot.jpg[/img]
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I just got the opportunity today to really drive the car with the Autotech bar. And what a difference it's made! The car doesn't feel like it wants to fall on itself under hard cornering. And some of the squeaks and rattles are gone. :) Best $100 I've spent in a while.
Next update is probably a month or more away. I'm broke... :(
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I'm 16 now even though it says that im 15 but im seriously thinking of getting a golf. Is it a reliable car, and worth the money used or new?
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I can only speak for the Mk3, as I've never driven any other generation. The Mk3 platform was sold in the US from 1993 to early 1999.
The 2.0 liter motor is bulletproof if it's been maintained. Mine's got 125,000 miles on it and it starts right up every morning. Repairs can be common if previous owners haven't taken care of it. Things that break a lot are the power window regulators, sunroof motors, and mass airflow sensors. All of these are simple enough to be fixed by you. Another major thing to watch for is the transmission. First, second, and reverse aren't synchroed. So come winter time, cold shifting is very hard. The reverse gear can get stripped, and eventually cause you a LOT of headaches. I usually let it warm up for a few minutes before I leave. Again, maintenance is key. If the car you're looking at has over 100,000 miles make sure it's had its timing belts done.
A Mk3 Golf can be picked up for anywhere from $1500 to $4500, depending on mileage and options. The only available motor was the 2.0, unless you get a GTI with the VR6. I don't recommend the VR6 for a first car. It's a lot of motor for someone with no experience. I recommend the 5 speed. The autos are just a bore to drive, and the extra gearing needed for cruising kills what little acceleration the car has. They're good on gas. I get 25-30mpg driving the car hard daily. If I toned it down, it'd go up to about 35 combined. And insurance is cheap.
If you're looking for something to mod, starting with a Golf or GTI 2.0 is a good base. They're very good handlers even stock, and with a quality Cup kit and stress bars, can be quite good in Auto-X. The 2.0 is good for about 120whp and 140lb-ft normally aspirated. Neuspeed has a very reliable supercharger unit that bolts up in about 6-8 hours, and that kit will put down 155whp and ~170lb-ft. Custom turbo applications have been known to put down as much as 180whp, and more. Eventually if you decide you want something more (like I have), a VR6 swap is easy. And there's a guy putting together a kit for a 'simple' 1.8T swap from a Mk4, due out this summer.
All of this said, I drive the hell out of my car every day. It's never left me stranded. Once I had an O2 sensor go bad, 40 miles from home. The car made it back. Last June I had the clutch start slipping, and the bell house of the transmission crack. I drove 80 miles home from a VW show with little to no fluid inside, and eventually lost 5th, 4th, 2nd, 3rd, and 1st as I pulled into the shop. But it got me home. To pass inspection this year I needed an O2 sensor, and a MAF. This car has never left me stranded.
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I lied, I picked up a set of Depo crystal clear fog lights and turn signals before the Abts and coils. Took a few hours today to get them in, as the NA bumper is different than the European spec one. Then there was a small issue with the NA blinker plugs not fitting in the Euro turns. Nothing a Dremel couldn't fix. Day pics up tomorrow. And I won a European headlight switch on eBay today. Hooray. :D
Edit: Finally got some day time pictures of the new fogs. Ignore the condensation and dirty car, it rained yesterday.
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[QUOTE=Quiggs]I lied, I picked up a set of Depo crystal clear fog lights and turn signals before the Abts and coils. Took a few hours today to get them in, as the NA bumper is different than the European spec one. Then there was a small issue with the NA blinker plugs not fitting in the Euro turns. Nothing a Dremel couldn't fix. Day pics up tomorrow. And I won a European headlight switch on eBay today. Hooray. :D[/QUOTE]
they wouldnt fit in my euro bumper aswell for some strange reason :S
we are christal clear buddies now ;)
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[QUOTE=Quiggs]Few weeks later I did the stereo install. Sony head, Alpine speakers, amp and subs. Subs are 2 10" E-series.[/QUOTE]
must be an awesome stereo. sony and alpine are some of the best names you can get! :D
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[QUOTE=manik_890]must be an awesome stereo. sony and alpine are some of the best names you can get! :D[/QUOTE]
It's loud enough for the type of music I listen to. The first song I played on it was Chevelle - The Red, and the installers had the subs turned up about 3/4. The hatch glass was visibly shaking. I had to turn it down to a little under half for it to even be tolerable.
The only thing I'd consider changing is switching to an Alpine head to better match the speakers. But I like the flip-face on the Sony.
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A sony, huh? I hope those Sony heads don't break as easily as everything else they make.
Anyways, it's coming along nicely.
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It was sunny and 50+ for the first time since August. A freshly washed car begged for some new pictures. :) Got the Euro headlight switch in, so I can run fogs separate from headlights, and with high beams.
Night vision isn't a problem. ;)
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[QUOTE=Radoman]A sony, huh? I hope those Sony heads don't break as easily as everything else they make.[/QUOTE]
Well what would you have? A nintendo stereo? :p
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Dyno run. Fear it.
[SIZE=1]It's 1 in the morning, I'm bored and not tired enough to go to bed yet. Deal with it.[/SIZE]
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[QUOTE=carlover]Well what would you have? A nintendo stereo? :p[/QUOTE]
Funny... but I was thinking more along the lines of an Infinity, or Alpine.
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Quiggs, I believe, is away at a show collecting some ABT Dual Rounds. He has been going on at me about how JAY DEE EMM dey look.
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[QUOTE=Spastik_Roach]Quiggs, I believe, is away at a show collecting some ABT Dual Rounds. He has been going on at me about how JAY DEE EMM dey look.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, I was unable to meet up with him today, so I must wait for UPS to deliver them to me. The show was sweet, I'll be uploading pics in a while.
Edit: I called him a while ago, his cell service was acting up. He's going to ship them to me on his dime. Good stuff.