1982 Volkswagen Polo C review from UK and Ireland

Head Gasket blew a fortnight after buying.

Engine Petrol Leak.

New Clutch needed.

Electrical Fault meant that every time the brake was applied, the back windscreen wiper started.

Left Back Light unit kept on snapping and falling out, no matter how many times it was fixed. In the end, it was held in with tape until the next service when it was completely replaced.

Wiper and Headlights switch started to act very temperamental.

This was my first car. At first, the varied problems were an extreme annoyance. However, I have since come to look at them as characteristics of an old car, and some of the problems have been quite entertaining.

Certainly the back windscreen wiper bursting into life every time the brake pedal was pushed was rather unique.

There isn't a lot of power, and whilst starting from a standstill is not slow, acceleration to normal road speeds normally causes a line of traffic behind you.

The whole dashboard rattles wildly, and with 4 gears, going above 70mph is something of a no-no.

60mph is a comfortable speed for the car, and seems to provide best fuel economy.

The car is unstylish, and with me living in a part of the country where no car is older then 4 years, the design sticks out with its almost fluorescent orange colour.

This said, I would not change it until it really falls apart on me. The last few months have gone without a problem, and we are now in the middle of winter.

Rust seems to be staying oddly dormant.

Water does leak into the drivers foot well, and drips down the gas pedal meaning a wet foot at the end of a motorway rainy day drive.

Steering is surprisingly easy, and perhaps the car's best asset is being an absolute doddle to park.

Perhaps the car is now a little too old to recommend, but if later years have seen little changes, I woudl recommend the model as a good cheap car that will give you an entertaining drive.