I got my GL (in the us) for $500. Was working at a shop and customer found it in a field and paid $300. Was missing radiator and fans. She now has 345,000 Miles on her! Looking to get that euro headlight swap for her next. Love the mk2!
I just got gifted an 89’ Jetta Mk2 1.6TD 4DR GL. Has power steering and A/C. No ABS brakes. 5 speed manual. All stock original stuff. Interior is nearly flawless. Exterior is in perfect shape minus a couple very minor rust spots. Previous owner bought it new in 88’ and only drove it in Summer. Has 205,000 KMs (like 125k miles?). Needs a little work but I love it. Wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it but decided I’m going to put some money into it. Don’t plan to keep completely stock though, but will keep most original parts
I couldn't believe it but I learned many things I didn't know, incredible knowledge you share there, thank you very much! What a lovely original car, a real gem!
Hi Drew, I know you from founding the mk1 Campaign owners club and attending a few of the annual meetings. I just want to thank you for that. I bet you wish you still had your, immaculate, mk1. I was always envious of it. Mine was always a bit fat tag compared to it. Anyway, thank you.
thanks it is very informative even though you missed a very important rust area (around the fuel filler) and whether the central locking (if aplicable )works quite enjoyed it even though ,thanks again chas,i know most what to look for
Awesome video! I love old golf's! I had an 87 golf, wife complained about the rust, then I bought a rust free 85 golf, had it a few yrs, sold it due to needing the room. Now I have a large heated pole building and will be buying a sweet 86 golf in 2 weeks. This one has an automatic gearbox.
Good comprehensive video. Sadly the correct springs for the gti and 16v are no longer available which were slightly lower than the bread and butter models. Eibach lowering springs are very close to the originals though. The biggest improvement can be made, even to stock height springs is to fit bilstein b4 shocks. Considered a ‘stock replacement’ they are stiffer than the factory ones and sharpen the handling a treat without ruining the ride. A nice compromise. Finally you can get stainless arms for the sunroof win deflector second hand. The original ones rust away with enthusiasm. A nice factory upgrade.
My dad drove one of these, im 25 so i dont have any real performance memories i only realy remember it fitting over bus sluices on the way to swimming lessons and the soccer club where his dad was a trainer. I do want one but i would have to modify it and do some legislative trickery to be allowed to drive it in my city in the netherlands.
That is awesome. My mk2 GTI 8V was one of my favourite cars ever! I wish I could get away with a car that small and fun. Kids, wife and RV do not agree! haha. That is a beautiful example!
More of this Drew, also do a bit of food reviews, you seem a bit of a person who likes all sorts. Wonderful, if only you could get Doug DeMuro to have a go in your car, or Hoovie from Hoovies Garage. 10 out of 10, love the car, The Escort XR3i and that Peugeot was its poor competitors.
Think I’m going to buy a 92 golf with an aba bottom end swap. It’s fantastic under when under acceleration. There are 2 things I’m not so sure about. 1 is at idle the rpms will just steadily fluctuate between 1000 and 1200 rpms. The owner thinks it is due to the tune that may be on it. The other thing is the owner told me when the engine is cold, and it has set for several days there will be smoke coming from the exhaust upon startup. I did not witness this as it was already warm.
Ahh i think ive been reading your progress thread on pistonheads! (?) when you were talking about your light renovation over the last twelve months the penny dropped 👍👍. Lovely car and yes, standard is the way to go, keep up the great work..
Great video and informative about the Mk2 recently splashed out for a Mk2 GTi 8v as their is no holiday this to year due to lock down love it way better than the mk3 GTi I had before
Nice overview! I have your thread book marked on pistonheads 😁 16v at full chat still gets down the road at decent pace and will surprise plenty of drivers who like to tailgate 😎
I would purchase the 5 door version. As for the body colour, I would go for turquoish grey. In the early 90's it was common. One drawback is the lack of reliability which means you cannot bring it far away or even on the motorway
Bought my Jetta MK2 CL for about 23k Swedish crowns (1,8k pounds) it is a little bit of surface rust but almost no rust underneath. Run for 210 000km (133 500 miles)
Nice to see a video with someone getting the facts right! I noticed yours has the narrower Corrado/Passat inlet manifold (3hp deficit but slightly more torque lower down to counteract the larger weight of said cars). Nice example you have there. In your plans to make it as factory spec are you getting Montreal (bottle top) wheels and non-tinted rear lights? The BBS RA's were only fitted to Big Bumper cars as I recall, along with the half tint rear lights (16v).
This reminds me of that punk teenager who stole his parents camcorder to shoot a garage video about his new ride but it's narrated by David Attenborough Much love 😁
I belive PL engines got CAT, not shure fot the PG and 1H. Yours is a KR, and I belive it should have a 50mm intake by the year of the car. Also interesting that you don't have GTI steering wheel with straight bottom arcs. MKII 4LIFE 🙂
Drew, why waxoil when dinitrol, buzzweld and lanoguard exist? Waxoil hides rust forming/spreading underneath it. Are pattern parts for Golfs as bad as the ones for land rovers?
I was kind of using "waxoil" as a generic term rather than a brand. It's a good point! :) Golf pattern parts aren't too bad, but they need fettling to fit properly.
@@drewwagar OK :) would hate to think of your P&J slowly rotting away! We had to replace the chassis on our series for that reason...! Hopefully pattern stuff only needs minor tweaking - we've had stuff with holes drilled in completely the wrong place (etc)
So, any hints on what thermal weapons should be outfitted on 16v GTI? I used to go with a linearly polarized beam laser, but would always end up with some overheating issues when entering superluminal speeds. Should I buy a laser frequency stabilizer, or try something else?
Hey, just wanted to ask, does 3.3k sound ok for what looks like a very clean example for a mk2 ryder? Looks really clean, can't see any rust from pictures/videos, supposedly on bbs wheels but they must be replicas since the car is being sold for 3.3k
@@drewwagar supposedly 61k miles, aftermarket front lights and rear lights, gti grill, bbs replica alloys and a k&n air filter, don't mind those as they look cool on the car and don't think they are hard to swap for original, except maybe the air filter, he said that it had an oil leak but replaced majority of the gaskets and has minor or non existent leak, do u know wat it could be? and if its risky? looking to view it on sunday but am a bit worried still, says finished in diamond silver, is that an original colour or could have been resprayed?
I would add: If buying a Tornado red one be prepared to have it resprayed as it fades badly. PAS makes driving nicer but rare before '89. Check 2nd gear synchro for crunching in cold weather, very common in high milers. 5 speed was introduced as standard in 1980 (same as Porsche 924) IME Digifant gives better urban mpg but K-Jetronic better long distance mpg. K-Jet has snappier throttle response but needs 98RON or they ping and your valves seats will be ruined. Retarding timing will make it take 95RON but it will drive like a slug. Audi based engine is tough but valve guides can wear, look for smoke on hot startup. I would say the listed 0-60 times are about 1/2 second optimistic. If the temperature gauge doesn't go to 85/90c and mpg is pants then it's like to be the sender on the coolant top hose. I've had a lot of VW's
I'm quite new to the car world, especially the Mk2 Golf world, so this was a very informative video Drew! Truth to be said, I found a very nice 1990 Mk2 Golf (owner said: 'it's a Manhattan', I wonder what that means lol) for around 1500 euros (1300 pounds). It looks pretty niche from the outside but I gotta admit it's travelled like 200000km. I'm a young driver, so should I get this one or look for something else? Any help is much appreciated!
Guys I need some help, I found a Golf GTI MK2, but in the documents is 1760cc, I repeat, 1760cc. I could not find anything about this capacity, I can see 1781cc everywhere! Please advise!
@@drewwagar When I had a Mk2 I would occasionally treat it to super unleaded :) Ran great on super. If there is a solution someone will find it I have heard electric being mentioned but that can cost up to 30k pounds. At least the diesel models should be ok they can run on other fuels if need be I rather envy that now :)
@@drewwagarAccording to VW, all Golf 2s for which Super is enough can handle E10. The stuff has been around in the USA since 1978. As is well known, there are also 2-series vehicles, including Digifant and KE-Motronic.
@@drewwagar Over here they were a "dime a dozen" (does that translate?). Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni were everywhere. Fun fact, they had the "bottom" side of the VW engine, but the "top" side bits were applied here. So the same engine had a mix of inch and metric hardware. Side ask: Did you have to replace the plastic retainers on the shift linkage?
advice #1: stuff your pockets with money advice#2: find a decent one... goodl. luck, especially for #2.. at least in Europe.. you are reading the buying checklist as these were mk5 Golfs, or B5 passats.. yes you could check them rigorously, but not the MK2, and especially not GTI .. No accident damage.. C'mon....😂
Excellent and informative. Anymore classic cars planned as I'm enjoying these?
Mk1 mx5 is up next. :)
@@drewwagar Nice. Looking forward to that. Its my favourite MX5.
@@drewwagarwould you recommend the mk2 as a first car ?
Yes, hopefully🙏 MK2 Scirocco 16V next.🙏
The greatest car ever made.
💯
Almost, the shelby cobra exists
I can't help but love the look of this car. True classic.
I got my GL (in the us) for $500. Was working at a shop and customer found it in a field and paid $300. Was missing radiator and fans. She now has 345,000 Miles on her! Looking to get that euro headlight swap for her next. Love the mk2!
I just got gifted an 89’ Jetta Mk2 1.6TD 4DR GL. Has power steering and A/C. No ABS brakes. 5 speed manual. All stock original stuff. Interior is nearly flawless. Exterior is in perfect shape minus a couple very minor rust spots. Previous owner bought it new in 88’ and only drove it in Summer. Has 205,000 KMs (like 125k miles?). Needs a little work but I love it. Wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it but decided I’m going to put some money into it. Don’t plan to keep completely stock though, but will keep most original parts
I’ve had my 92 16v GTI since 98. It’s the last year in the USA for MK2. Still a blast.
I couldn't believe it but I learned many things I didn't know, incredible knowledge you share there, thank you very much! What a lovely original car, a real gem!
Glad it was helpful!
Can't wait for the Buyers Guide for the Cobra Mk III. So much misinformation about that classic these days, I'm sure Drew will set things straight.
01:53 you forgot the 1.6td with intercooler engine type SB/RA a rare 80 Hp diesel
Hi Drew, I know you from founding the mk1 Campaign owners club and attending a few of the annual meetings. I just want to thank you for that. I bet you wish you still had your, immaculate, mk1. I was always envious of it. Mine was always a bit fat tag compared to it. Anyway, thank you.
Good video, mine is a type 19 16v with a GTI Engineering RE2000 engine, totally original, 2nd owner. Fabulous car, very quick and love it to bits ❤
I’ve got a 1989 mark 2 gl with power steering central locking it’s so cool I love it, 1.8 as well
Great review and buyers guide. 17:10 16V cars have half-tinted rear lights. Wipers on GTI models should have a spoiler on the driver's side.
thanks it is very informative even though you missed a very important rust area (around the fuel filler) and whether the central locking (if aplicable )works quite enjoyed it even though ,thanks again chas,i know most what to look for
Awesome video! I love old golf's! I had an 87 golf, wife complained about the rust, then I bought a rust free 85 golf, had it a few yrs, sold it due to needing the room. Now I have a large heated pole building and will be buying a sweet 86 golf in 2 weeks. This one has an automatic gearbox.
Good comprehensive video. Sadly the correct springs for the gti and 16v are no longer available which were slightly lower than the bread and butter models. Eibach lowering springs are very close to the originals though. The biggest improvement can be made, even to stock height springs is to fit bilstein b4 shocks. Considered a ‘stock replacement’ they are stiffer than the factory ones and sharpen the handling a treat without ruining the ride. A nice compromise. Finally you can get stainless arms for the sunroof win deflector second hand. The original ones rust away with enthusiasm. A nice factory upgrade.
I now have that suspension combo on this car. :)
I bought the 1988 54 hp golf mk2 with just 69k km on the counter. Extremely good condition! A lot of hype on these cars
My dad drove one of these, im 25 so i dont have any real performance memories i only realy remember it fitting over bus sluices on the way to swimming lessons and the soccer club where his dad was a trainer.
I do want one but i would have to modify it and do some legislative trickery to be allowed to drive it in my city in the netherlands.
That is awesome. My mk2 GTI 8V was one of my favourite cars ever! I wish I could get away with a car that small and fun. Kids, wife and RV do not agree! haha. That is a beautiful example!
More of this Drew, also do a bit of food reviews, you seem a bit of a person who likes all sorts. Wonderful, if only you could get Doug DeMuro to have a go in your car, or Hoovie from Hoovies Garage. 10 out of 10, love the car, The Escort XR3i and that Peugeot was its poor competitors.
Think I’m going to buy a 92 golf with an aba bottom end swap. It’s fantastic under when under acceleration. There are 2 things I’m not so sure about. 1 is at idle the rpms will just steadily fluctuate between 1000 and 1200 rpms. The owner thinks it is due to the tune that may be on it. The other thing is the owner told me when the engine is cold, and it has set for several days there will be smoke coming from the exhaust upon startup. I did not witness this as it was already warm.
Incredibly helpful video!
Ahh i think ive been reading your progress thread on pistonheads! (?) when you were talking about your light renovation over the last twelve months the penny dropped 👍👍. Lovely car and yes, standard is the way to go, keep up the great work..
Great video and informative about the Mk2 recently splashed out for a Mk2 GTi 8v as their is no holiday this to year due to lock down love it way better than the mk3 GTi I had before
This one has had the scuttle repaired then? 3rd wiper wiper hole has been filled in.
Very thorough and excellent info - thanks
Nice overview! I have your thread book marked on pistonheads 😁 16v at full chat still gets down the road at decent pace and will surprise plenty of drivers who like to tailgate 😎
That grille GTi 16v badge is incorrectly positioned. Mounted the wrong side of the vertical web in the grille so it’s too close to the spotlight
I would purchase the 5 door version. As for the body colour, I would go for turquoish grey. In the early 90's it was common. One drawback is the lack of reliability which means you cannot bring it far away or even on the motorway
So it's not a Toyota in terms of reliability?
They're fine if looked after. Mine does plenty of long distance runs, hundreds of miles in a day.
@@agustin8160 toyotas might be the most reliable but I would never buy one. Asians cars have awful to mediocre designs. Beside rare cases
@@drewwagar it depends on the specimen.
Ooww nice I got one of these pretty much totally original apart from a power flow exhaust(not my doing but it does purr) in gun met grey
Bought my Jetta MK2 CL for about 23k Swedish crowns (1,8k pounds) it is a little bit of surface rust but almost no rust underneath. Run for 210 000km (133 500 miles)
Nice to see a video with someone getting the facts right! I noticed yours has the narrower Corrado/Passat inlet manifold (3hp deficit but slightly more torque lower down to counteract the larger weight of said cars). Nice example you have there. In your plans to make it as factory spec are you getting Montreal (bottle top) wheels and non-tinted rear lights? The BBS RA's were only fitted to Big Bumper cars as I recall, along with the half tint rear lights (16v).
There's also an IC version GTD with 80hp
Gl also comes with a 1.6 75 hp carburated engine.
Great thorough video, much appreciated. 👍🏻
Nice thorough review video Drew, v good. Although I have to say it went through me every time you said "agg-zelerate" 😂
my friend used to have a 16v gti with ac and it went bad, it was pain in the ass to find a new one so he can replace it
Good advice, but you missed a really important potentiial rust spot, it't the area under the fuel filler cap!
Great point!
This reminds me of that punk teenager who stole his parents camcorder to shoot a garage video about his new ride but it's narrated by David Attenborough
Much love 😁
A few pointers not correct such as the fan not working on the 3rd speed indicates fan resistor thermal fuse failure, not 1st but not a bad review
I belive PL engines got CAT, not shure fot the PG and 1H. Yours is a KR, and I belive it should have a 50mm intake by the year of the car. Also interesting that you don't have GTI steering wheel with straight bottom arcs.
MKII 4LIFE 🙂
Is the syncro produced for the UK market not worth a mention???
Drew, why waxoil when dinitrol, buzzweld and lanoguard exist? Waxoil hides rust forming/spreading underneath it. Are pattern parts for Golfs as bad as the ones for land rovers?
I was kind of using "waxoil" as a generic term rather than a brand. It's a good point! :) Golf pattern parts aren't too bad, but they need fettling to fit properly.
@@drewwagar OK :) would hate to think of your P&J slowly rotting away! We had to replace the chassis on our series for that reason...!
Hopefully pattern stuff only needs minor tweaking - we've had stuff with holes drilled in completely the wrong place (etc)
thanku drew learnt alot,thumbs up great videos
So, any hints on what thermal weapons should be outfitted on 16v GTI? I used to go with a linearly polarized beam laser, but would always end up with some overheating issues when entering superluminal speeds. Should I buy a laser frequency stabilizer, or try something else?
Radio/cassette and shoulder pads are the only mods you need. ;)
Excellent video Drew - I have a pre-big bumper 8v on a G plate in the same Tornado red. I’m in Tunbridge Wells- any specialists you recommend?
I do everything on these old cars myself, haven't found any local garages who can cope without their computers!
Hey, just wanted to ask, does 3.3k sound ok for what looks like a very clean example for a mk2 ryder? Looks really clean, can't see any rust from pictures/videos, supposedly on bbs wheels but they must be replicas since the car is being sold for 3.3k
If its pristine and low miles, that sounds fair to me.
@@drewwagar supposedly 61k miles, aftermarket front lights and rear lights, gti grill, bbs replica alloys and a k&n air filter, don't mind those as they look cool on the car and don't think they are hard to swap for original, except maybe the air filter, he said that it had an oil leak but replaced majority of the gaskets and has minor or non existent leak, do u know wat it could be? and if its risky? looking to view it on sunday but am a bit worried still, says finished in diamond silver, is that an original colour or could have been resprayed?
Happy with this info -BUT- NO MENTION ABOUT where to find the bad RUST places- ps I have found many.on my g60.
Good informations.
I would add: If buying a Tornado red one be prepared to have it resprayed as it fades badly. PAS makes driving nicer but rare before '89. Check 2nd gear synchro for crunching in cold weather, very common in high milers. 5 speed was introduced as standard in 1980 (same as Porsche 924) IME Digifant gives better urban mpg but K-Jetronic better long distance mpg. K-Jet has snappier throttle response but needs 98RON or they ping and your valves seats will be ruined. Retarding timing will make it take 95RON but it will drive like a slug. Audi based engine is tough but valve guides can wear, look for smoke on hot startup. I would say the listed 0-60 times are about 1/2 second optimistic. If the temperature gauge doesn't go to 85/90c and mpg is pants then it's like to be the sender on the coolant top hose. I've had a lot of VW's
The video is really great 👍.
You get a lot of facts right but there are some big points that are not correct.
Which ones?
I got mine for 1000$ and it's not in perfect condition but it's pretty clean
I'm quite new to the car world, especially the Mk2 Golf world, so this was a very informative video Drew!
Truth to be said, I found a very nice 1990 Mk2 Golf (owner said: 'it's a Manhattan', I wonder what that means lol) for around 1500 euros (1300 pounds). It looks pretty niche from the outside but I gotta admit it's travelled like 200000km.
I'm a young driver, so should I get this one or look for something else? Any help is much appreciated!
Doesn't seem like a bad deal since i have seen golf 2 500000km for about 700eiro. Did you buy it?
Hi, I have a question, did not exists 2.0 16v golf 2? 9A engine code.
Guys I need some help, I found a Golf GTI MK2, but in the documents is 1760cc, I repeat, 1760cc. I could not find anything about this capacity, I can see 1781cc everywhere! Please advise!
There is a Golf Rallye which has a CC of 1764, but that's only variant I know of.
I actually found few online with 1760cc and 107 hp, I need to wait some time until I am able to go and see the car! But thanks!
I guess the killer question is do they run on the new fuel? The super unleaded is ok but that may be getting withdrawn within five years.
I would definitely run them on E5 for as long as possible. Not much info on E10 for this era of cars yet.
@@drewwagar When I had a Mk2 I would occasionally treat it to super unleaded :) Ran great on super. If there is a solution someone will find it I have heard electric being mentioned but that can cost up to 30k pounds. At least the diesel models should be ok they can run on other fuels if need be I rather envy that now :)
@@drewwagarAccording to VW, all Golf 2s for which Super is enough can handle E10. The stuff has been around in the USA since 1978. As is well known, there are also 2-series vehicles, including Digifant and KE-Motronic.
Mk2s won't handle E10, as it eats the fuel lines, fucks with your carburetor or fuel injection system and causes cold start issues.
NICE ONE
I want a mint 1.3/1.6i, nothing special, just the golf 2 in perfect condition, ready to be a collectioners item
So what’s the jump range on her?
LoL!!
Thx for sharing 🖖🏼👽
She might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. ;)
You could have turned it on to finish it off correct. Let hear it!
can i ask when i want to buy mk2 gti 8v some have in the name PB can you tell me please what does it mean ?
Pb is the engine code. A pb car is a late model 8v engine with electronic fuel injection, also known as "digifant".
@@drewwagar thank you
What do you make of the new golf8 gti. got one, its awesome
Havent driven one tbh! I dont like touch screens much, but I'm sure the rest of the car is good. :)
Great informative video, unlike these carwow or those other knob heads who just make videos on old cars for views..
which year is best?
Very much rust on these mk2: fuel filler neck support and around fuel filler hole.. inside of the wheel arch too.
So you could find a Plymouth/Talbot Horizon and do some cosmetic work to create a "fake Golf"
I think you'd have a harder time finding a Horizon than a Golf!
@@drewwagar Over here they were a "dime a dozen" (does that translate?). Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni were everywhere. Fun fact, they had the "bottom" side of the VW engine, but the "top" side bits were applied here. So the same engine had a mix of inch and metric hardware. Side ask: Did you have to replace the plastic retainers on the shift linkage?
I have some videos with my mk2 golf i just started im definitely in need of some constructive criticism
I got my Golf II stolen and crashed. Bought a pimped 59 Beetle after that.
Jetta?
Not many of those left in the UK!
I know you don't want your comments to just be about Elite stuff all the time, but why do I picture you as a second hand SRV salesman?
Nice little runner, only done 17,000 lightyears... been to Beagle point you know... owned by a famous explorer... ;)
@@drewwagar Fully endorsed by The Celestial Warrior.
when the odyssey launch was so badly received that ED creators have skipped branching out to other games and are now branching out to real life
This is nothing to do with Odyssey. ;) I've been meaning to do this sort of stuff for over a year. Just getting around to it. :)
@@drewwagar yeah I'm just joking, love your videos man. Before you Elite's Lore never really interested me
Nice jam jar ;)_~
Actually my GL is fuel injected.
JTD is more reliable Sir. belive me...restored many and worked on many...
These are impossible to find in the USA in anything but clapped condition
Should have shown ALL THE BAD RUSTING PLACES?
would take all day haha, they rust anywhere given a chance.
advice #1: stuff your pockets with money advice#2: find a decent one... goodl. luck, especially for #2.. at least in Europe.. you are reading the buying checklist as these were mk5 Golfs, or B5 passats.. yes you could check them rigorously, but not the MK2, and especially not GTI .. No accident damage.. C'mon....😂
Lovely car, but I think the big bumper model is just the dogs….
#ragtag
Buy a 16v.....miles faster all round
A good 16v is really quick,I have a 2.0 TSI Arteon which is really nice but hasn't the top end punch of my old 16v.
Never liked the golf never seen the appleal suppose it was better made than an escort
At 10 years/150,000, my mk2 was going strong at 190,000
No comparison. You don't see many escorts but there are still quite a few mk2 Golf's about.My friends RS turbo was past its best
Any recommendations for purchasing side moldings? My right rear most small one is missing. Great video. 92 American Spec Tornado Red 16v since 98.