Buying car from forum ... good idea?

[Xizor]

Hi, I'm new here and looking for a nice used GTI.

My diesel Audi estate is starting to get boring. Good car and very useful, but so boring to drive... zzzzzzzzzz

Anyway, I was advised to take a look at the cars for sale here.

I'm not so sure though, surely they are all going to thrashed, especially the ones with a re-map?

I think I'd rather have one previously owned by some old granny and mod it myself.

What do you think?

Cheers 

[fab5freddy]

I think your wrong.

I'd say 95% of the cars on here are better cared for then there wife's/ husbands 

Just because a cars had a remap doesn't mean it's being thrashed.

Remap= more torque. More torque = less you have to rev engine between gear changes

All just my opinion 

[rich83]

Most cars for sale on here are :-

Cherished
Well maintained
Usually of High Spec
Sometimes have little extras.

I would have no problem recommending someone who was after a GTI to look on here first. 

[R444WRR]

I bought mine from this forum - bet thing I've even done. And as freddy says, most of these cars aren't just cars

[sub39h]

enthusiasts are more likely to be able to diagnose problems with their car early and get them sorted before they cause any serious damage

a lot of members on here also service their car more often than recommended, with the correct oil/filters etc. and by people who know what they're doing. the cars are generally better cared for

the paint is also likely to be in better condition because enthusiasts either clean their car with better equipment or have them detailed regularly

you'll also save money buying a car that's already modified over one that needs work

just my 2p.

[ashley]

You have to judge each car on its merits.

A modified car may be well cared for and its normally cheaper to buy a car fitted with the bits you want.

Single elderly owner can either be a real gem or dogs. Things like seized air con from lack of use and horrible paint from car washes by stevie wonder.

[stealthwolf]

Put it this way, there are several female car owners I know. None of them have any interedt in cars. None of them have ever looked under the bonnet. None of them know how to check tyre pressures. They ignore warning lights for weeks on end.

I'd want to buy a car that I'd known to be meticulously looked after. If that means people on here look after their cars better, I'd have no qualms in buying from them.

[Xizor]

Oops, sorry!

Think I just opened a can of worms!

However I'm still a bit cautious about a re-map. Why have one if you weren't satisfied with the stock performance?   

[sub39h]

Oops, sorry!

Think I just opened a can of worms!

However I'm still a bit cautious about a re-map. Why have one if you weren't satisfied with the stock performance?   

the car was designed to run in a variety of markets, hot/cold/wet/icy plus satisfy the emissions laws of different countries. you remap it because you want to gain the maximum performance that your car can, which VW couldn't provide

you modify your car for the same reason. VW built the car to appeal to a variety of people so it would sell. you modify it to make it more of what you want for yourself/your driving style/your needs

[Real Thing]

I purchased a well moded Car from a forum member had no problems (so far) most of the members will have a detailed history and you can even look at some of the threads to give you an idea to how well there looked after them also you save on the cost of modes plus I would much prefer to have a remapped Car that has been driven hard but well looked after from early on than mapping a 4 or 5 year old Car that has been driven by Miss Daisy then all of a sudden gets a remap and driven hard (much more likely to have problems imo)

[Xizor]

Yes, but I've read that the clutch can suffer with a re-map.

That sounds like you are pushing it beyond it's designed output to me. 

[GrayMK5GTI]

Yes, but I've read that the clutch can suffer with a re-map.

That sounds like you are pushing it beyond it's designed output to me.  

Perhaps pushing the clutch to it's limits on a manual car  (can be upgraded), a DSG clutch will take a whole lot more than I remap will throw at it.

The engines in these are easily capable of handling 100+ horsepower more than they produce from the factory and very many on here are on 100+ thousand miles with remaps (and even turbo upgrades). Tuners wouldn't be very popular if cars couldn't handle their products.

My car has been remapped (+ a few other small mods) and has just shy of 250bhp which the engine and chassis handle beautifully. I'm happy in the knowledge that providing I service it properly and don't thrash it from cold it will go on to see many many thousands of miles yet.

Think you ought to research remaps a little harder. . . .

[Apollo]

Stock = Manufacturers playing safe for the mass market.

Remap = True proven potential of the vehicle.

Your hardly likely to pay out for an expensive remap ad then thrash your beloved bby to within an inch of its life.

Buy from an experienced forum member anyday!!

[RedRobin]

You have to judge each car on its merits.

Single elderly owner can either be a real gem or dogs.

....*cough* Single elderly (65yo OAP) owner - That's me but my beloved 102k-miler ain't for sale!

It is as you say, you have to judge each car on its merits but you have to do that wherever you buy.

Don't touch a car that a guy called Sammy (now banned/left) has though!

[h4rdy]

Be as careful as you would any other car buying facility.

And if you go back two weeks later to collect, go over it again as you would have done the first time.

Ill never make that mistake again believe me!

J