Mk2/3 Golf TD

Anyone had experience of either of these? I know absolutely nothing about them but the other half is interested in one so was wondering what they're like.

Reply to
Carl Gibbs
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The mark two is a 1.6 engine, the mark one originally used a 1.5. VW were using a 1.6 in 1984 but I was young and can't remember if it was in a mark one or mark two. Either way it was a very diesely diesel, so personally, I loved it. The rattle, the hum, the chatter. Utterly fantastic. But it was slow in a kinda VW Golf SDI way. It would spend all day cruising at 80, it just took a minute to go from 60 to 80 heh. I also seem to recall this one had a four speed transmission. Even so it was übereconomical in its day.

When I started working we used to take the odd Golf 1.6TD in as a trade in for a TDI, typically. We were told to pan values since the TDI was a much better engine. Personally, I preferred the 1.6TD's drive since it wasn't as... hmm... clinical as the direct injection engine. Not a bad piece of kit and it also saw service in the Audi 80 too (we had one of those as a pool car). Oh and the mark two handles, the mark three wallows. Indeed avoid the mark three at all costs.

Hmm. Audi 80 TD. A much better bet if you can find one.

Anyway, yeah, modern(ish) direct injection diesels - it's the same on my Saab. Okay it has running issues that the moment but when it's on boost, it's a bit binary and not all that progressive, whereas the older indirect injection donks wound up in a more progressive manner.

Reply to
DervMan

Handlings not really and issue - it'll be a motorway chugger. Looking for something that's not gonna be completely dog slow, but also relatively economical and cheap to run. So that's either a TD or lil petrol. Mk2 doesnt sound that good TBH then, mk3 sounds better if we could find an uber cheap one.

Reply to
Carl Gibbs

Gotcha. The Golf can do that, with ease, although the mark three doesn't feel quick with any engine aside the 1.9 TDI compared to how you'd expect.

Gotcha.

Yes, but beware since most mark three Golf diesels are with the kind of owners who want something bullet proof and cheap to run, where cheap to run means no servicing, no nothing, period. Aside red diesel.

All put to one side, if you can find an Audi 80 1.6 TD it's a fine motorway carriage. They're not all that spacious inside but this doesn't sound like a priority. You'll hit 50 to the gallon too.

Or the ultimate in cheap motoring*, a late 1.4 diesel Citroën AX (just before they introduced the 1.5). Sure, it's a weak engine compared with the

1.5, but, but... >85 mpg @ 56 mph... :)

When I was looking for an Accord replacement, well as you know I settled on something *completely* different. I was seen sniffing around some Citroën ZX 1.9tds. Cheaper than the Peugeot alternative, a *superb* ride and pokey too (something like 115 mph, 0 - 62 in 10.5 seconds, and mid to high 40s to the gallon). The 1.9 XUD is a great engine...

*from some perspectives.
Reply to
DervMan

Yebbut, surely the 1.5 wouldn't do far off those sort of economy figures, and it'd probably cost less to run overall, given that you won't be putting a new head gasket on it every 5 minutes....

Reply to
AstraVanMan

Unfortunately this is for the missus and she is very picky. No way will she like an Audi 80. I've showed her a top of the range, late model BX TD in dark green (lovely colour) yesterday for £300 which would have been perfect but she wouldnt go for. Same for a ZX Volcane TD. Grrrrrrrrrrr, the 2 cars I would chose in her situation.

The list is now Golf mk3 TDi, Polo GT, 205TD, 205XS, 205GT, 205CJ, 205 Roland Garros, 106XSi, 306TD, Metro GTi and as outsiders a Nova TD or a mk3 Astra TD. An AX (or 106) diesel is out of the question because they're way too slow - bear in mind sh'e currently got a mk1 MR2, and I'll have to drive it occasionally!

Reply to
Carl Gibbs

It's quite some way off; the 1.5 had better emissions control and other funkiness that meant, yeah sure it was economical, but not quite in the 75 mpg league...

Reply to
DervMan

It's worth taking a look at a mk3 Rover 220SDi as an outside choice too. 105bhp bulletproof DI diesel engine. Although it's a bit tractor-like, the L-series is a better engine than the Pug XUD. A remap will see 130ish bhp too.

Reply to
Andy Tucker

There's a MK2 GTD or GTTD that's a GTi lookalike with a TD engine IIRC.

Reply to
Doki

OTOH if you're careful you can get > 45mpg from a MK2 GTi with the PB 8 valve....

Reply to
Doki

snipped-for-privacy@news.zen.co.uk...

Good job too, because he's talking s**te - the Mk3 handles fine, and you're more than welcome to try mine if you want any further proof.

Not only that, but they come with brakes that actually work - something unusual on comparable stuff of their era, such as the Mk3 Astra.

Get a Mk3 and tweak it, and they're fairly refined and economical whilst giving half decent performance - I saw 128 on the clock of mine (on a private road).

Meanwhile, I recently had cause to plod along at 70 in it and it returned a real 57mpg - the worst I ever get out of it is 40mpg since the tuning box was fitted, and that's mainly town work, cold starts etc., and fairly spirited throttle action. ;)

Avoid the non-TDi models - they're sluggish and less economical, and you can't tweak them as easy (on the TDi, remove one plug under the bonnet, plug box in inline and that's it bar a minor amount of tweaking of a screw on said box).

If you know what you're doing, you can tweak them just by patching in some resistors into the pump wiring - the 'tuning box' solution costs more, but it's easier to remove for MOTs etc.

--=20 JackH

Reply to
jackhackettuk

Nice looking cars.

They're far from bulletproof... they're quite prone to cambelt failure, even on cars that have had the belt / tensioners changed at the correct intervals.

Reply to
jackhackettuk

Good job too, because he's talking s**te - the Mk3 handles fine, and you're more than welcome to try mine if you want any further proof.

Not only that, but they come with brakes that actually work - something unusual on comparable stuff of their era, such as the Mk3 Astra.

Get a Mk3 and tweak it, and they're fairly refined and economical whilst giving half decent performance - I saw 128 on the clock of mine (on a private road).

Meanwhile, I recently had cause to plod along at 70 in it and it returned a real 57mpg - the worst I ever get out of it is 40mpg since the tuning box was fitted, and that's mainly town work, cold starts etc., and fairly spirited throttle action. ;)

Avoid the non-TDi models - they're sluggish and less economical, and you can't tweak them as easy (on the TDi, remove one plug under the bonnet, plug box in inline and that's it bar a minor amount of tweaking of a screw on said box).

If you know what you're doing, you can tweak them just by patching in some resistors into the pump wiring - the 'tuning box' solution costs more, but it's easier to remove for MOTs etc.

Reply to
Carl Gibbs

Don't be sad... those are great fun, and you can get them really shifting with a little tweaking.

Just ignore the 'ned' comments, and enjoy making those trying to burn you off choke on your fumes as you clear off into the distance. :-D

Reply to
jackhackettuk

I'm not sad about the Nova itself, seems like a decent little car. i'm sad coz it replaces the MR2 :(

I've still got my BX 16v for making a fool of innocent chavs, the Nova is my other halfs!

Reply to
Carl Gibbs

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