8 grand to spend

[dan-]

Hi i am new to this forum and I am looking at changing to a MK5 Gti in December. I currently have a clio 172 and I am very happy with it but i love Golfs and want something that feels solid. I would like to spend 8 grand on a car from a dealer with a decent reputation (some gtis on autotrader look very suspect). Prices are really varied but ideallly i would like a red 3 door with less than 70k and FSH. Is that realistic?

[nadlad]

red looks the lick especially when u adopt the red and black theme

[GNJ_Motorsport]

That is realistic yes.

I wouldn't say that a lot of the private sales look suspect though, most people who buy and own a Golf GTI tend to look after them to a certain degree. Some more than others but in general if you get someone who knows what they are looking at and HPI check the car you can save quite a bit buying private.

As a guide, I paid £7k for my GTI 3 months ago. It had the 18" Monzas, ED30 front splitter, ED30 skirts, R32 rear and a few other nice little mods. 72k miles on the clock with recent cambelt change and detailed service history. No problems so far! The condition wasn't 100% great, a few kerb marks (I have replaced the wheels) but overall a good buy for the cash. £8k should get what you are looking for!

[dan-]

How important is full sevice history? Because i have seen some with part service history that look good value

[GrayMK5GTI]

How important is full sevice history? Because i have seen some with part service history that look good value

On a performance turbo car full service history is a must  and shows that the car has been looked after. There's plenty of GTI's out there so don't be afraid to walk away from cars without this.

Don't be put off by it not being full VW main dealer though. A lot of the specialists will do a better job 

[GNJ_Motorsport]

How important is full sevice history? Because i have seen some with part service history that look good value

On a performance turbo car full service history is a must  and shows that the car has been looked after. There's plenty of GTI's out there so don't be afraid to walk away from cars without this.

Don't be put off by it not being full VW main dealer though. A lot of the specialists will do a better job 

Sound advice there 

[keano]

If I could start again I wouldn't buy a golf based on how 'solid' it is!

I wish I opted for a b5 S4. As it happens, I drove my friends last night. It is running 540bhp but despite being over 13 years old is the most solid car I've ever driven. (Poly bushed)

Ps. He paid £8000 too haha

[Black9]

Be prepared to spend a wee bit on any used golf. Stuff like bushes and mounts can wear pretty quick. I'd buy more based on spec and cond as apposed to mileage etc...

[dan-]

Be prepared to spend a wee bit on any used golf. Stuff like bushes and mounts can wear pretty quick. I'd buy more based on spec and cond as apposed to mileage etc...

Going to be keeping the car for 3 years + so don't want one thats on huge miles already

Is there any key things to check when looking at one?

[callis]

How important is full sevice history? Because i have seen some with part service history that look good value

On a performance turbo car full service history is a must  and shows that the car has been looked after. There's plenty of GTI's out there so don't be afraid to walk away from cars without this.

Don't be put off by it not being full VW main dealer though. A lot of the specialists will do a better job 

Just because the car has a full service history dosn't mean it has been looked after just means parts have been replaced at a set time. I know plenty of cars with FSH but have been ragged round the place. If every in doubt get someone you trust or AA or RAC who will come out and check over the car for a few quid.

[GTI5]

How important is full sevice history? Because i have seen some with part service history that look good value

On a performance turbo car full service history is a must  and shows that the car has been looked after. There's plenty of GTI's out there so don't be afraid to walk away from cars without this.

Don't be put off by it not being full VW main dealer though. A lot of the specialists will do a better job 

Just because the car has a full service history dosn't mean it has been looked after just means parts have been replaced at a set time. I know plenty of cars with FSH but have been ragged round the place. If every in doubt get someone you trust or AA or RAC who will come out and check over the car for a few quid.

Agreed - Dealers aren't always selling cars in the best condition although having a warranty that is meaningful gives you some security against faults.

[MC71]

£8k gets you a decent GT and I nowadays. Yes, ideally a VWFSH is very good, check the Cambelt/Waterpump has been changed at 4 years or 60k and then it's little things like wheels in good condition, no ker bing or whiteworm. A small thing I look for is, are all the tyres the same brand? Small indicators that the previous owner has looked after it. Should get a fair spec for the money as well. Buying from a forum is generally a good thing IMO as when buying from an enthusiast they will usually have carried out all the maintenance needed above and beyond the usual.

A fair few on here.....

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/board,53.0.html

Happy hunting