Everything Wrong with a 25yr Old NEGLECTED Volkswagen ~ MK3 GTI
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ย. 2022
- This MK3 GTI VR6 has some issues. In this video we figure out why this GTI is overheating, and where the GTI's coolant leak is coming from. The MK3 GTI VR6 is from a SUPER COOL ERA of VW. We deep dive into all the issues that are common to MK3 GTIs. Now the real question, is it worth saving, and what should we do with it??
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Charles you definitely got to bring it back to life mechanically sound and cleaned up it's easily worth $6,000 and you are the best mechanic to make it happen would love to see the videos
It would be worth that after paint, interior, timing chains, coolant system update, clutch and in a high market. They're just not in the bmw e30 status yet
yep, put 6k into it and it'll be worth 6k
@@halleffect1 i traded mine for a built 383 for my nascar and I was into my gti about 5500 without paint.
You need 60k to restore it...
@@wed3kmore like 15k where I’m from
I was a tech when these cars were new (or worse, when they were two years old and still under warranty) so I'm basically watching this video saying (out loud) burn it, burn it. Until you go to the headlights. You are correct. It's almost worth owning another mk3, if you could get one with those headlights.
And the fabric (or pattern) on the seats is called houndstooth. I would actually choose this over the plaid of the GTI.
Great video, keep it up please.
Nah a GTI isn't a GTI without the Plaid👍😎
mk3s are amazing fym
I've been saying for a few years that I suspect that mk2s outnumber the amount of mk3s left , because they rusted so bad.
My ol 98 Jetta looked great for a time, and within 6mo it had rocker panels rotted out front to back.
I owned a Mk3, it was awful.
I'm thrilled to see a full resto series on this, it's just beautiful! (JDM purist guy falling in love for this Volk)
This just makes me miss having a garage and working on cars. My driveway in MA would hold like 5-6 cars easy and we had a day where we just installed lowering springs. Makes me miss my RSX and wrenching. Love your vids Charles keep it up man, love seeing old cars getting the work they deserve. My neighbor down the road in NJ used to have a mk1 rabbit convertible. Don't remember if it was a GTI but it was absolutely gorgeous.
Dude ur awesome ...thanx
6 cars? That's a workshop
YES!! More budget MK3 stuff :D
Thanks for the never disappointing episodes.
Wow seeing this poor mk3 makes ours look showroom by comparison. I still think the car might be worth 1500 just in parts. I would love to see you go through all the things wrong with it and show us how to fix them all. Get it looking good and all running right again. Clean it up and then send it. Also I really would love one of those old style smooth wheel caps as my Cabby lost one.
Def 1500 in parts all day long. I wouldn't part a Windsor VR GTI tho. I'm with your idea 100% tho: fix it Charles, this is content!
I loved my Mk iii, a '97 Jetta GLI with the VR6. Great car, but rust problems did it in. I ran it to about 245,000 miles with the original clutch.
You're definitely going to put more money into it than it's worth, but I've lost money on every moped I have restored, and I'll keep doing it because I love doing it. If anything can be put back on the road, it should.
What a find! Takes me back to my younger years. Bring it back to it original glory. There are not enough of these gems on the street that haven't been totally and terribly modified. Those Pella headlights 😄
SUPERCHARGE PLEASE! Jabba G60 for oem+ feels. Or go all out and Throttle Bodies for maximum noise complaints. I would love to see either of these just as there's a lot of fabrication that could be covered in videos.
So hyped to see you have another Mk3 on the ramp, in all honesty I don't think it's such a bad swap. I'm UK based and feel even in our market that would be around a £600 motor, so like $1200, I think with all the parts in it you'd bump that up a considerable amount as like you said it's got 85% of the parts needed to get it on the road.
I think the welding/running gear and coolent issues are going to be the main focus.
It would probably pay to remove the sill trims and inspect the rust on the outside of the sills, I can bet you they'll have some kid of surface rust particularly on the corners where they meet the rear arch and wing.
Also I have to disagree with the opening statement.
MK3 IS THE WORST platform, for build quality and issues, rust, running gear, leaking, and the dreaded glovebox handle issue (I even said I. My head as you reached for the handle "I wonder if this will work" lol)
BUT In my opinion the coolest and platform with the best character, I've owned nearly all models from the 1.4 all the way up to the VR6, and currently have a little 8v 2E that is being prepped to Charge later down the line.
If it wasn't for these cars I sure as hell wouldn't have the interest I do today.
Honestly I'm really surprised to see such little rust on the car, which let's face it, is usually the death of the MK3s.
Perhaps you maybe able to get Jamie Orr on board for a cameo with this one, or even to locate a few trick parts?
I'm really looking forward to this Charles. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge as ever.
15:30 those bolts are for screwing things through bearings to have wheels on something. Weve got these at work 😂
I have a Golf 3 VR6 syncro from 1996.
When I was 19 years old. My first employer had a VR6. Loved that sound.
The love never went away.
Make it just like new, and make a video to show us how to repair rust damage!
I used to work at a place that used a vacuum lifter to move metal sheets around. One day it stopped working. Tech line told us to replace the control module. We got the control module, put it on top of the vacuum lifter, forgot about it, and then next time we went to use the lifter, it worked. The prior owner of this GTI must've had similar experiences.
if you've ever owned a VW, this is your life. I carried a spare coil and the tools to change it in the trunk of my mk4 Jetta.
I had MKIII Jetta VR6 and must have changed at least 16 window regulators. Charles your optimism about this car is incredible, when you're like "it's not that bad", makes me chuckle.
I couldn’t wait for mklll content Charles,that would be really cool to see some kind of restoration to help all the ones we have one or four like me.
I’m currently restoring a mk2 which is equally as rusty as yours. Like you say a lot of the replacement panels are relatively easy to source but it’s the time it takes to replace. Mine is on a roll over jig so makes things easy but it’s fitting it in around a full time job and other commitments, I can spend a few hours a week on the car at that rate I recon it will take me a few years but I’m determined not to give up, these cars are worth saving!
I really need another MK3 back in my life. I owned 2 MK3 Jettas growing up and I now own a MK2 GLI. I am excited to see more videos on this build.
That’s an incredible amount if spares, bargain! I’d personally just sort it out 100% mechanically, maybe some suspension and brake upgrades and then drive the wheels off it.. there’s something quite “freeing” about having a car that’s got crappy paint;-)
Looking forward to this one..
Wow, what a jury rig. Loved the Depot comment about the "DIY" fix. Probably worth about my MKIV, about $1500. I love the handling on old GTI's. Because of the rear axle my technique is hard trail breaking while rotating and at the same time, chuck the wheel over, put the car on three wheels, and accelerate out. The parts find was excellent. Good one.
I would love to see you do a restore "Chrisfix" style with basic tools and as cost effectively as possible. It could give the average man hope in doing a resto project of their own.
One of the fun-est episodes ever! I was playing "name that part" to try to beat you to the punch...
start of video, I valued the Mk3 more, than at the end. Lots to correct. But, IMHO, keep the mk3...and restore it. A resto build would be awesome!!
Keep this gem! And do a series about fixing it up
My first driveable VW was a windsor blue '97 Jetta. I've owned 2 of them now, amazing cars!
Dude!! So many good VR parts laying around in that thing! My GLX needs that MSD set up! So rad!
Hey Charles!
It sad to see it in this shape, although its a good candid to become a cool track car. I hope you will keep it and fix it up!
a gti like that was the donor for my 5-door 1995 "celebration edition" swap. it was so rusty that the seller wouldnt sell it with a title, he didnt want anyone putting it on the road and getting hurt. but it ran solid. so i yanked everything and dropped it into a REALLY clean ABA car that had been run without water, cooked that poor 2.0. swapped in the entire vr6 chassis and running gear, electrics, and some beautiful sport plaid seats, and its my daily driver now. hauls kids and groceries like a champ, and also hauls ass! i even have a set of those Hella lights on mine. they look excellent
also: i posted to you on twitter, i might have a seat for that. and may be other parts, lots of mk3 goodies in my storage totes
Fixed my brother's MK3 GTI 16V a few years ago. I've never seen so much rust and so many oil leaks. Thing drove great though.
This was my first vw! 1997 gti vr6! Sequoia Green. Rare color for the vr. It was 100% stock. No flaky clearcoat. All the interior was there besides the spare cover. It needed some tlc though. Nothing major. Just small stuff here and there. Got all the missing parts and got it back to 100% how it was brand new. Replaced the wheel bearings and some coolant system parts and the maf sensor. (normal mk3 gti stuff) I put on coilovers. Custom aluminum true cold air intake. Straight piped the exhaust but kept the manifold and factory rear muffler. Sounded great! Buffed it. I was sooo lucky. I got it running perfectly and even added a bit of power. Handled like it was on rails after the suspension upgrades. The lady didn't know what she had and it was neglected badly. It was "her mom's old car" Strong fast car after working on it. It was literally one of those cars you buy to fix up and everything was best case scenario. Lucky af. That never happens! Beat a ton of hondas and v8s. It had 141k when I bought it for 1400 in 2012. She wanted 2200. Sold it around 2017 for 1750 with bent valves and 167k. Can't find em any more or they're outrageously priced if they're in good condition. I neglected the chains and it jumped timing and I had to sell it. I'd give a lot to have that exact car back lol. I'd say 2500 as is after seeing the vid. Its a mess. But good bones. All the leather is gone. Sad. After you work your magic and get some oem parts I'd say 6,000+ just in oem form and slammed. It needs a lot of work but has HUGE potential
Great video!
Mk3 was a decent car, apart from the way they rotted! Fixing this car may be hard work but worth doing, bro!
These cars used to be everywhere 15 years ago, it's surprising to hear that they are now considered classic.
Unfortunately, they become rarer and rarer.
So happy to see one still working MK3 here.
Fascinating archeological expedition, Charles! I think this one’s a candidate for some light rehabilitation and release back into the wild.
Hey Charles the seat pull tabs they actually do make my brother just put the Jetta Trek Edition interior in his MK3 golf and he actually was able to purchase the rear seat pool tabs
Looks like a pretty fun long term project!
Omg this takes me back to the one that got away.
Had a gorgeous '97 Windsor blue GTI vr6 back in the day and sold it with immediate regret.
One day I'll have another as a forever car.
Solid motors these Mk 3 Golfs, I can remember renting a 97 registration 1.9 TDI 90bhp GL trim to drive to Aviemore in Scotland in summer 97, it was a flier for back in the day! My landlord owned a VR6 Mk 3 which was very high end in the UK at the time, I offered to buy it off him in 2004, he refused, wise man! I ended up buying a used Mk 4 V5 (VR5) Golf with 170bhp, what a lovely warble, my first car... Always enjoy your videos & greetings from the UK from a VAG enthusiast.
the Mk3 was the first Golf i drove with a 1.8 engine, it was pretty sweet
I’d absolutely love to see you build it back to as original as possible using all the parts found in the car. 👍🏻
A good paint restoration and I would like to see how much you can get out of a VR6 turbo and how much you have to invest!! beautiful mkIII
Very cool!!!
I got a 97 windsor blue mk3 GTI and Jetta. Ive had the GTI for 22 years. It's got a 2.2 liter high compression stroker instead of a VR6. Close ration tranny with diesel 5th and lsd, makes it the funnest car i have ever owned or driven. It digs and handles like a go cart.
Watching this neglected car breaks my heart. I bought my '97 Windsor Blue GTI VR6 in October of '96 and it lead to a lot of wonderful things in my life, including meeting my future wife in a local VW club. I loved that car. I still regret ever selling it, and wonder where it is today. My car was babied and perfect when I let her go. I sure hope this one can be saved and brought back to life. It was a wonderful car and one of my favorite VWs that I have ever owned.
If you have the Vin number you could use carfax
The bolts are stripper bolts for an injection mold.
Happy to see a reclamation project roll in. Maybe it will provide me with some motivation to play with the MKIV TDI I just bought.
Hey Charles. Hope you are going to do a fix up video on all the things wrong with this car. I have a 98 mk3 VR6 with some of the same issues, heater core, electric windows not working, broken headlight so need to swap, just replaced the coil pack, small misfire than so far no one has been able to fix, etc. so a full fix would be so great to help keeping the mk3 on the road.
Worst pain is the heater core, followed by the blend doors, because the entire dash has to come out. While you are there might as well also replace AC evaporator and fan motor, because by now both are pretty close to knackered. While core is cheap, along with the blend door foam, the labour to change them is not, and you run the risk of breaking any one of hundreds of little plastic clips that are now brittle, giving you rattles. When taking apart silicone spray is your friend, lots of it as you go for the clips, so they are at least able to slip off easier. Then replace all foam again, and add more dampening pads as well inside, as the originals are likely now well sad and crumbling.
The good thing is that by me I can get the entire lot as pattern parts, seeing as VW has been consistently the number 1 or 2 seller in the country, with Toyota contending for the other spot, and the VW Golf and variants are well represented in the spare parts market, with pretty much all the vehicle being available as pattern, or OEM from all the local suppliers, who made them for VW to assemble.
Standard joke you only cannot get the VIN plate as aftermarket.
I could not agree more, I’m in the same position u are! Charles knowledge is priceless!!
Great video! had to watch immediately!
My first golf was a mk3 vr6 so I would love to see this old girl get bought back to life, you mentioned super charged, that would be very cool and educational.
Been waiting for this!!
Looks like you got a good chunk of what you need to rebuild that thing into nice working order, definitely a lot there in the realm of upgrades that seem to have been planned, but not carried out. If you have the time for it, I say go all out and rebuild the thing/upgrade it. Always love a good one of those. Otherwise, I think get the engine mechanicals and coolant flood in good order and turn that beast around and out the door to someone else who wants to take the time on it.
Totally wanna see a full restoration of this VR6. Paint and all.
Awesome!! Really miss my mk3 Vr gti. Bought it new in 1996 and had it for 16 years before letting it go for an E36 M3. Great car and never let me down except for a coil pack (or 2). So funny how you say the mk3 may be considered the greatest gti when everyone was shitting on it for so many years. I agree, perfect balance between old and new, but pretty quick and you can't beat the VR sound. My vote, fix it back to stock and let the next owner take care of the paint! Great video as usual Charles!
MK3 is awesome. I've had them and the fit and fitment is better then most gens. My daughter drives an MK4 1.8t 4 door manual. She's probably the only female at a school of 3k ish students that does so. Totally not my point. Just want to make her a good driver....and this is how you do so if you ask me. Anyways...she's 16 and a junior.Loves the Golf and as long as she maintains a stanley on that...she gets a golf R upon graduation!
Just fell in love all over again!!!! It's a must bring back!!!! DOT 4 or nothing! 😎
I aay you clean er up, a nice wash, remedy the top priority mechanical issues...aka the water leak, etc and then sell it to me because i cannot for the life of me find a mk3 gti in soFLO lol.
Awesome video like always! Cant wait for the next! Take care charles.
I dont know why I enjoyed this video so much 😂
I like how Charles called out exactly where I live about mislabelling rust lol
I just bought a mk4 golf that was neglected. $1300 later along with sweet and blood shed, it’s in perfect running and driving shape! Body and paint next month!
Charles I hope you save it and restore it!! the strut towers are perfect and the floor looks great! it can be so much worse!!
That made set up is a score 👌🏻
Sweet how do we message you back
OMG those projectors look Amazing 🤩 lmao he swapped those for reflector halogens and the power windows for crank 😂 it’s like he was preserving the good bits for you to put back in!
You’ve officially made me want one of these over an EF Hatch.
I’d still take the EF… aftermarket on the mk3s is nonexistent.
@@aygwm EF will always hold a special place in my heart. I had a 91 SI. They are getting harder to find and more expensive. If I found a good one it would be a garage queen.
Can't wait to complete my euro spec MK3 GTi.
Love the MK3 GTI. I had a 1998 2.0T. Great engine! Great car! I miss it
Despite the problems I'm jealous.. good score charles
Watching from South Africa.
You definitely hit the jackpot with all that stuff in the car😂
The rust in Alberta comment hurt. Went to jack up my mk4 that had been sitting a while to find out the rockers and front pinch welds where dust :(
I have a basket case MK3 gti VRT and i kinda love it.. also my first car was a 98 mk3 golf
Remember you told me you will sell me this when you're done with it. My honest to god dream car
Love that colour, had a '92 vento in windsor blau
That movie was straight 🔥🔥🔥!! Instantly increases the car's value now
To the right person its priceless. Smiles per gallon
Just picked up a VR6 manual Passat with the same mileage and color. Runs like a top and drove it home from essentially Washington state to North Dakota.
Looks like a fun project to build back up as just a driver. Make it mechanically sound and functional, but skip making it look nice .... But do clean it up!
I would love to have this in my garage! Would be the perfect swap for my 4 door!
please keep it and make it a fun driver. I miss the 12v VRT white GTI you had. that car was a machine. the 12v VRT is the best sound a VW can make!!
You can be so positive finding all that treasure trove of nasty. Some people are slobs. I’d love to see you fix it but I don’t know if it’s worthwhile. Good luck with it 🙏
OMG, shoutout to Mallrats. That was a deeeeep cut.
First Volkswagen I ever sat in was a metallic grey MK3 VR6 with OEM BBS wheels. I've yet to own one, but that'll come, at some point.
I believe these seat patterns came in the "Wolfsburg" trim level, the same ones I have on mine.
I would love to see you fix everything 🙂
Don’t move the free bottle of oil! It holds the headlight in 😉
Those bolts are called shoulder bolts, which are commonly used to make a slide or a bearing inner pivot. Around $2 each retail. Looks like they are 8mm by 50mm, a common enough size for them, and often used in machinery where you have sliding parts that need a precision guide, like in plastic moulding.
One of my favorite cars I owned is my Mk3 Golf. I bought that CL for 1200$ from the part out money from my old Audi coupe. It came with the anemic 1.8 with throttle body injection. A friend of mine sold me his Passat for 500$ later on that summer. I parted out that car and swapped in the 16v engine and transmission from that one and sold off the corresponding parts from the CL. I also sourced a Mk2 manual steering rack and the proper non-AC heater box from a friend's junk cars. By fall I had also put in a full VR6 GTI 5 lug setup.
At some point I needed some part that a guy in Montreal had for sale. It was at his garage just out of town and he asked me to follow him in his VR6 GTI. On the way there, we tried eachother out on the freeway and my stripped down 16v kept pace with his loaded VR6.
All in all, by the time I had parted out everything from the build I ended up with a really fun car that only cost me the time I put into it that summer!!
Side note... One cool thing I did with that car was to take out the stopper bolt that keeps the passenger seat in it's tracks. That way I could just easily pop it out to haul oversized stuff that wouldn't fit the 2 door normally!
My first new car was ‘97 GTI 2.slow. I wish I could have afforded a VR6…. The color was “Memory Red” which is easy to “remember”. It was a fun driver but quality of construction was crap. Lots of plastic trim that fell apart quickly, that stupid seat adjustment knob that all VW people know and which is always broken or gone. The gear box went with less than 500 miles on the car, was “fixed” by the dealer and went again on the way home. I started crying Lemon Law and VW corporate bought me a new transmission. Car was in the shop for 2 months out of the first 4 I owned it. Exhaust rusted away after 3 years. The car needed constant alignments. I eventually traded it on an ‘03 Hyundai Tiburon GTV6 which my wife drove for 13 years. So yeah the GTI was a constant headache but it was my first new car and I remember it with some degree of fondness.
Good stuff!
Good job
Awesome vid.
They are shoulder bolts if you are interested in what is inside the black box. I used to work as a press setter in an automotive factory, and we used this kind of bolts in press dies and tools. BTW beautiful car.
Awesome mk3 can’t wait to see what it turns into
You should do a video on how to properly change MK7 gti airbag cover from stock to alcantara
Well worth keeping it.
In the 90’s I was a Corrado guy… still am, but I had no love for the MK3 golf. Now I find myself searching classifieds for a MK3.
supercharge it, I will be doing the same and would love to follow your instructions
A 1992 A2 GTi big bumper Golf with AAA VR6 turbo......That's my jam!!!!
I’m DYING for a project car and have wanted a mk3 project for years now 😩 they’re so hard to find for decent prices in my area, and if they’re “affordable” they’re absolute nightmare shit shows of a pile of useless parts 😒 have had my Tiguan R for 3 years now and want to keep it more of a comfy daily, but if I don’t find a VW that’s at a good starting point for a project soon I’m gonna end up breaking and building on the Tiguan 😂
This would make for an awesome full resto project series for the channel man!
It would be really cool to see some sort of restoration series with this car. But it probably would be throwing money away lol.
Lol sadly I think you’re spot on
I am from Alberta Canada and I got a good laugh from this .
Worth it for the price you paid 4 sure. Even though there's a lot of terrible stuff to fix from previous owners I would say at least a 4k turnaround after issues taken care of. Good find. So hard to find a good turnaround VW or Audi that just needs simple repairs. These are usually trashed pretty good.
This would be a good candidate for a budget ITB build. Maybe even a cheap stance car for style points.
here in holland, a lot now a days. back in de days 500 euros.
Please restore the car. it is an awesome project !
I'm a sucker for a good project, but it also came with a pot of gold in all those new parts! How can you not jump right in?
so my first car was a 96 TDI. I was 17 years old. im now 24 and buying my dream mk3 gti w/VR6 on Wednesday. eeeeeeeek so excited
also going to binge watch this series over my long weekend lol