1991 Volkswagen Golf GTI 16v from UK and Ireland - Comments

Clutch at 130,000.

Starter at 135000.

Alternator at 155000!!

Rear disks and callipers at 130000.

Front disks at 120000.

Driver electric window winder motor at 120000.

Gearbox starting to whine at 160,000.

Driver seat worn through on side bolster at 150,000.

Water pump failed at 170000.

That's about it.

Bought this car for £5100 when you could not insure a hot hatch for love nor money. It was originally on sale on the forecourt for £8200!! I just sat and watched it go down and then made the cheeky offer! It was a 16v, 3dr, big bumper, Graphite gray with BBS alloys and was mint.I sold the car 2 months ago and cried!

I loved the car and still miss it badly. I sold it for £600 as I had a company car and could not afford to keep it for another project/hobby with fishing,RC aeroplanes, computers and two kids.

I went everywhere in that car and it never once let me down. I did a total of nearly 170,000 in it and loved every minuet of it. It was such a stable car at speed and was like a beginners sports car as it was so predictable to drive fast. Ignore what people say about 8v golfs being faster. If you boot a 16v and let her rev.. she will leave an 8v standing and I had done it many a time.

When I bought it, it would only do about 130MPH flat out and was a "tight " engine to free rev. After 100,000 it was a different car. At 120,000, it peaked in performance and I saw 140MPH many a time on the motorway!! That is 6750RPM on 195/50x15 tyres.I have photos to prove it. I'm not a speed freak, but when you have a car for nearly 8 years, there is not a lot you haven't done in it. I changed the oil every 8,000 and ran it on Mobil 1. It never burnt oil or showed smoke signs. The gearbox was light and slick all the way to 200,000 but started to whine at 150,000. The syncro was fine which was I believe is because I never forced the gears and let the selection happen without pace. The performance was exciting without being blistering, but was very predictable. When it had covered 200,000 mile, I raced my brother who had a new Golf 130BHP diesel GTI. It was neck and neck, although I am sure he would not leave me on top end, even though his car has a book speed of 127MPH! Not bad for a car which has done 200K!!

The car would do about 37MPG on average. Although my wife would get the MFA showing 44MPG when she drove it. I had it showing 11MPG at 120MPH for over when I completed an hour long thrashing in France once.

If I had to name some things to watch when buying one, i would say you should listen for noisy Hydraulic tappets, leaking in to foot wells( door skin seals)hand break/ rear callipers seizing and gearbox syncros.

If you can find a 16v H reg 3 dr in Green, black or Graphite gray in good condition with less than 120K on the clock... buy it!!

From 1990 to 1992 the Volkswagen GTi only came with a 2.0l 16v engine or the 1.8l 8v engine. I do not know how you have a 1.8l 16v engine in there.

The mk2 Golf GTI came with either a 1.8 8v or a 1.8 16v. The 2.0 engines did not appear until the mk3 where the 2.0 8v was avalible at the launch and the 2.0 16v from 1993.

Exactly, I have a 1.8 16v (1990). I bought her at 129.000 but she looks and feels mint. Effortless power sees her hurtling toward 120 in what is for a 14 year old car an unfeasibly short space of time. Absolute dream to drive, handling is spot on, although it is about time for a new power steering pump. Noisy tappets are just a VW tradition, however I've heard that excessive noise on the 16v is an early sign of significant engine wear. Not sure though.

Usually with the 16v engine it is the cam-chain that produces the rattling noise not the tappets!

I am from South Africa. I recently bought a '92 golf 2 GTi 16v with 175 000km's on the clock. I had to repair the MFA which was /is a problem on the 90, 91 and 92 models. I am very impressed with the power-plant which can effortless reach 200km/h. I did service the machine which includes all belts with the tensioner. I am also a firm believer in expensive oil and changes it on frequent basis. I love driving my GTi and will never stop. I also had a Golf 1 CTi (1800 8v) and what a solid car that was. Both of them are legends.

In reply to the person who says that there weren't any 1.8 16v golf GTi's made between 1990-1992.

I have a 1991 GTi 1.8 16v on a 'J' plate standing outside my door right this minute! I have a complete service history for it, I know the name and address of every owner it's had, I know it has had 2 private plates in it's life and 2 standard registration numbers.

It began life in Northamptonshire, belonging to a landlord and has gone through 7 previous owners and has only migrated to Nottingham now. It very definitely IS a 16v and it really does all the things the original review says it does - My sons (13, 20 & 24) all want to get their hands on Mum's car, but I'll keep it to grow old disgracefully with - It's never let me down, you expect wear and tear replacements, and the rear callipers do seize after a bit, but the engine is as tight as it was when first made, the top end re-build, done to establish whether to keep it and love it, displayed a head and pistons to be proud of!

I've had 140mph out of this one and racing from a standing start against a Nova SRi and a BMW M3 over a distance of only 500yards, they left before me, and I crossed the marker with time for a tea break!

This little beauty is very provocative, you sit at lights in it, and it almost tells you 'come on let me loose, I want to fly'

This is my 3rd golf, the last 2 were 1.6 driver's both excellent, but I've driven nothing that comes close to this GTi.

I agree, the 8v are a bit more responsive lower end, but this one, you can be cruising at a sedate 70mph and put your foot down and still feel the surge as it flies.

I love my 16v - my sons friends come and look after it for me, I don't deal with the mechanical stuff very well these days, arthritis is the curse of getting older, and having got wet on numerous motorbikes over the years, but this car brings out the teenager that still lives in me!

I told my boys that the 'speed freak' factor is hereditory!

My car is referred to at 'Georgie', after my late father.

Some people are dreamers. You only wish you could do 140mph in your golf. 120 maybe 125mph I could believe, but not 140. Before you try and shoot me down, I do own a mk2 GTI. Take ya hand off it boys and put the playstation controller down.