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Slightly inexperienced but very gung - ho newbie...

First let me say I've read your newsgroup for a while and think it's great the help you folks provide others. I'm sure many are grateful for your benvolence. Thanyou in advance to anyone that can help me out with my question. I'm looking to buy a Mk3 Golf, and want something sporty. Since I can't find any VR6s for sale, I'm thinking about GTI. More specifically a '94 Golf GTI. I read that certain models of this car could have a bunch of added weight without any real gain in horsepower from previous years. Therefore making them a bit weak compared to other GTIs. Can anyone give me a brief background on the MK3 Golfs from around these years, the different models and their performance characteristics. Or suggest what I should be looking at for a "pocket rocket" kind of Golf? So I can make a wise purchase. I'd be very grateful.

Greg.

Reply to
G
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The '94 GTI in Canada (I assume there's where you are) is the same car as a Golf GL 2-door except for maybe some suspension and interior changes. It's the same 2.0L engine. Until the '95 VR6 GTI debuted, the 1993-1994 GTIs were simply sportier versions of the Golf GL but there were no power gains in the GTI versions then. It'll probably be OK with a manual transmission but not super fast.

Reply to
Matt B.

Thanks a lot for the advice Matt. So in your opinion should I look for maybe a MK2 GTI (as in before '91?) and forgo the added safety features of the MK3 cars. Or if there's no real benefit to the GTI maybe I should just get a GL and upgrade it. Or hold out for a VR6? Thanks again.

Reply to
G

I drove a 93 MK3 GTI for a couple of years. WIth a garret chip it was, if not very fast, very fun to drive and very economical.

If you can find a good VR6, a good 93/94 with a garret chip would be better (imho) than a 91.

Reply to
Eduardo K.

Just remember that a GTI gets a higher insurance price than a 4 door and is no faster!!!

If you are young (I assume so) you will be better off with the 4 door or a 2 door CL (but they only have a 1.8L).

DC

Reply to
David Cotie

based on what someone else noted about insurance, if you find that the regular GTI is more to insure than a GL, then I'd either get a GL and upgrade it or hold out for a VR6. if you get a regular GTI and it costs you more in insurance yet gains nothing in terms of performance, then there's little point in owning one from a financial standpoint.

And as far as A2 GTIs go, for the US and Canadian markets they were always more HP than the comparable regular Golf. However, that HP difference wasn't always big. The 1990-1992 8V GTI models were only 5hp more than the Golf (and were the same as the Golf if you were in California). So your best bet for BIG hp differences in a A2 are a 1985-1986 8V GTI (100-102hp versus 85 in a Golf) or any 16V GTI.

Reply to
Matt B.

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