Volkswagen Golf GTi Mk3 16v Review

Good Points
Looks- "nice" to look at as standard. very easy to achieve a more aggressive stance(should be kept subtle though!). Performance is also easy to enhance. This car is dormant below 3000rpm, once woken up though she sings all the way to 120mph+. Reliable, just about to fit its first new clutch after 110000miles.

Bad Points
Rattles alot in the cold. Standard suspension is lame, needs to be lowered and firm shocks. Rust, check sills, manifold conection, wheel arches etc.

General Comments
I bought my Volkswagen Golf Mk3 GTi 16v in the summer of 2001. After some drunken fool crashed into the back of me (and ran off!), there was a stream of problems. The car was almost writen off but repairing the rear end was the start of my problems. The sills had been sealed for a start so there was a huge build up of water and the sills had to be replaced(not cheap). After I had a volkswagen specialist look at it, there was a fair amount of rust around the wishbones and the suspension springs. There were several other problems with various other parts of the car, but nothing too serious. Once i'd sorted the car and got it running well again, I looked at sorting the ropey suspension. It tends to roll and jump around the road when pushed. So a 40mm drop on spax springs and some firm shocks will not only look superb but you will now be able to "feel" what the car is doing around bends. Dont spoil the handling and go over the top and get massive alloys, 16" or 17" looks awesome and retains the acceleration and handling of the car. Also, a good set of tires are needed, dont settle for cheap tires, fork out on a quality set and you will feel the difference especially in wet conditions. At the end of the day its a volkswagen and it a workhorse. I am about to buy a new cluch and the car is at 110000. Its engine still runs well and smoothly at this mileage, but keep it well oiled! The car tends to rattle along sometimes, but once warmed up it settles down. Various performace modifications are recommended as well. An induction kit and a straight through exhaust will help the engine perform better. I would also recommend a superchip which isnt too costly and will make a hell of a lot of difference. So all in all a superb machine, and one that deserves care and attention. Be careful though, you could love it too much!