Still looking.....

[KingOfPear 0]

Well still looking for my VR6 still a MKII fraud and not a genuine forum member.....yet!! Pickings are definatlely few and far between at the moment!! I was wondering what you guys thought of the following before I go to look at it?

"97® VW GOLF VR6 Highline 2.8 Litre engine,

5 door, Hatchback, Red, 64000 miles, CD Player, ABS Brakes, Sunroof, Air Conditioning, Alloy Wheels, Central Locking, Leather Upholstery, Alarm, Driver's Airbag, Multiple Airbags, Power Steering, Mileage Verified, Immobiliser, Electric Windows, Free MOT. £5995."

The reason I ask is that I am a little confused %-6 . Red wasnt a Highline colour was it - I thought they only came in Black and Purple (read it on this forum 8o) )? If that is the case do you think it would be safe to assume that this is an expensive (?) standard VR6? Unfortunately the dealer doesnt have any pics so before I call him I was wondering what you lot thought ?

Cheers

[ Edited ]

[six appeal 53]

Yep, many VR's with leather and Air Con are wrongly called Highlines, when in fact they are not. The genuine Highlines are only available in Mulberry or Black with matching leather. They should also say Highline on the Log book, amongst a whole load of other differences. If you do a search on here there are a few threads stating all the differences. Good Luck with your search!

[binliner 0]

it sounds like its virtually the same spec as a highline so unless u especially wanted a highline I wouldnt worry... doesnt sound too expensive (depending on the condition) but maybe try and get a few quid off because its not what he says it is !

[acf8181 0]

yeah, just cause its not a real highline doesn't mean its no good...i'd rather have a bright red one instead of a blackoir purple one.

[KingOfPear 0]

Thanks guys - perhaps i will take a couple of hours off this afternoon and have a look over it - shame it is a bit over budget - will have to see what he says!

[ Edited Tue Mar 16 2004, 11:55AM ]

[binliner 0]

I'd rather have a bright red one instead of a black or purple one.

black is so the best colour

[acf8181 0]

black is dull and boring...red and silver are the only bright colours, which makes the car stand out

[KingOfPear 0]

Right an update - the dealer is convinced the car is a highline! I have decided to take your advice (acf8181) and have a look at the car and judge it on its merit and not what the log book says! The only other info that I know is that the leather is grey - i was expecting black but dont think it matters! Also would the standard wheels be 16" or would these be an addition do you think - guess I could wait and see what they look like?

Anyway, am taking the morning off work tomorrow so what should I be careful of? I know to look for rust on all MK3s but is there anywhere that is not always apparent that is prone to rust. The car is mileage verified, will come with some warrenty - (dealer says 3 month but we will obv push for more if it is nice ) - but where do you all stand on getting it checked by the RAC / AA. The VW specialist garage that looks after my MKII will look over it for me but should I pay for the peace of mind? (I know that there are lots of threads on this so please dont flame me - just wondered if a warrenty would negate the need for the check?)

Anyway, fingers crossed it is as clean as it sounds and i will post back with some news tomorrow - maybe some pics to if I can get away with it

[Guest Olly_K]

your all wrong about colours......dragon green rules

[shail 0]

Having been caught out with rust on Mk3's id say check for rust at:

1. Door sills - where there is a join in the rubber door seal at the bottom. Check under the seal.

2. Boot - just under the wiper arm

3. Rear arches - where the bumper meets the arch.

Oh, and silver is the way to go.

[ Edited Tue Mar 16 2004, 01:25PM ]

[KingOfPear 0]

Thanks Shail - will do, and Olly have to be honest and say silver is my fave although i might change my mind after tomorrow!!

[binliner 0]

on a five door check under the rubber boot that covers the hinge type thing (dunno what its called) on the rear doors for rust

[Guest Anonymous�217.34.193.116]

Rust is the main one, like Binliner says on a 5 door, look for rust on the centre column between the front and back doors and also where the hinged mount into the door panels, various people suggest checking for head gasket problem signs (mayonaise effect inside the oil filler cap) at 60K plus, mine is at 96K now with no sign as yet but it is a known weakness.

Also rattling noise in the engine bay (possibly timing chain tensioners), and Check the ABS light comes on when turning on the ignition but goes out again once fired up, and check the ABS is working on your test drive, you only need to look at the amount of ABS related threads on here to work out that this is common. Usually the ABS is a wheel sensor problem but if you are unlucky like many it could be an ABS pump which are £900+ to repair (new).

Also check for burning oil smell as if oil dropping on exhaust manifold, a common problem is that the oil spray filter holder on the rocker cover ?breather pipe breaks (another known weakness) this is easy to fix but not cheap (60 ish for a new one) and is worth checking before buying.

To answer one of your earlier questions I believe all VR6's came with 15" BBS wheels as standard but I may be wrong on this? (later highlines might have had 16's?)

Regarding AA/RAC, it all depends on your piece of mind and how good you feel your own problem spotting is. I used the AA when buying mine and was most dissapointed (I found more wrong with it than they did and I'm no way that mechanically minded), He didn't even spot the bullett hole stone chip in the headlight which I had already negotiated to have changed (but wasn't done before he inspected it), all of the mechanical issues he found (noises etc) all he did was say that there were noises and should be checked out by a VW specialist (to cover his own ar*e) well I had already worked out there were unusual noises and required a second opinion (isn't that what I paid him to do??), He didn't find that the radio in the car didn't work ( although in the small print it does say that they only turn the radio on, but he obviously didn't do that).As you can see I was less than impressed although I have to say the chap that inspected the car I was selling seemed to be very impressive so I suspect it is the luck of the draw as to who you get, and to be honest if I were spending that type of money on a car again I may still sway to having it done again for piece of mind, or better still take a mechanic with me. but a better option may be to negotiate the purchase with a disclaimer that you want your local VW mate to look over it first, or check out the warranty small print to see what it does and doesn't cover then take it back under waranty if your mate finds anything wrong. You will also be charged more than normal for the AA due to the engine size .

As you can see I was a tad upset and felt rather ripped off by the AA. Please don't be put off, A good VR6 is a solid reliable car. Good luck.

Hope this helps.

MOZ

[MOZ-IIIVR6 0]

oops, it's come up as anonymous, wasn't trying to avoid detection, must have timed out and logged me off as it was such a long waffly answer, sorry it was me.

regards.

MOZ

[Guest Anonymous�195.93.33.9]

Shail hit it right on the head. Def check under the door rubbers at the bottom. Both of our VR's have rusted here. If the black plastic side sills are rusting don't worry as the top sections can be replaced for just over £20 + vat each side.

One thing is for certain though, its not a Highline.

[VR6Steve 0]

Sorry that was me, my computer logged me out mid reply!

[KingOfPear 0]

Thanks all - will let you know how i get on, watch this space.

[VR6Andy 0]

Ref the colour debate, when I was looking at Vr's I saw a purple R plate with cream leather, I was nearly sick arghhhh. But Olly's quite right D green rules.

[KingOfPear 0]

Well that was a right royal waste of f****** time, dont mean to rant but....... you know what it is like, you ask the dealer what it is like and when you finally get there the car you see doesnt match the one he described in any way!!

I can safely say the car was not a higline. Nor was it a "nice clean original example - immaculate" as e stated. It was lowered with twin headlamp conversion, new rear light clusters lots of stone chips and replacement air filter. This wouldnt have been too bad if it hadnt smoked like a demon when you started her up and then for about the first 5 minutes when driving (and when i say smoked i mean couldnt see behind you!), and the entire engine bay was covered in oil!

So, not the one for me - but thanks for all your help I will keep it in mind for the next one! Wasnt all bad though, got to drive my first VR6 !amazed now I really want one - watch this space

[nickbee 1]

Have you looked in the classifieds on this site?

You'd be dealing with more knowledgeable people than you will with random dealers!!!

[six appeal 53]

Ref the colour debate' date=' when I was looking at Vr's I saw a purple R plate with cream leather, I was nearly sick arghhhh. But Olly's quite right D green rules.[/quote']

That may have been a Dusty Mauve one with cream leather as I think all the Mulberry ones are Highlines and have the matching leather.

[KingOfPear 0]

Have you looked in the classifieds on this site? You'd be dealing with more knowledgeable people than you will with random dealers!!!

Think that might be the best route - was a bit nervous about buying privately but after this morning I think it will be the best option.

Will be keeping my on the classifieds on here and on ClubGTi - one will turn up eventually I guess!

[nickbee 1]

Buy carefully from an enthusiast and you'll be fine. There are three that have appeared in the classifieds very recently!

[ingham 5]

I WENT TO 6 CARS ALL WERE CRAP BUT I GOT A PEARLER IN THE END RIGHT ON MY DOORSTEP! YOUR CAR IS OUT THERE IT WILL COME .

WHITE IS THE BEST COLOUR

[vrPat 0]

me too I looked at about 7 absolute dogs before I bought my current one, which was the 1st one I looked at.

btw don't believe anyone on here, MULBERRY is THE colour as it's unique hehehe