Golf 2: which engine to look for and where the car rots
The best engine in the Golf 2 is not the GTI. This is achieved with two thousand euros less and one spring under the car.
The best engine in the Golf 2 is not the GTI. This knowledge is usually reached with two thousand euros less in the account and one spring spent under the car, so here we give it in advance and for free.
If you are looking for a car that will work, and not a car that you will talk about, it is1.6 atmospheric gasoline (72 HP)or 1.6 diesel without turbo (54 HP). If you're looking for a car that gets you up at six in the morning for an empty pass, it's1.8 16V (139 HP)— and then we talk about a completely different purchase, a different budget and a different level of patience.
Six engines and one harsh truth
The second-generation golf course was built from 1983 to 1992 and has more engines than any other car in its class. Motors from 1.6 upwards share the same block-familyEA827, while 1.3 comes from the smaller EA111 family. They have in common a divorce with a toothed belt and the same logic: few liters, little mass, long life.
| Engine | Power | Moment | Vehicle weight | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 (MH) | 55 HP | 100 Nm | about 845 kg | city, first registration, nothing more |
| 1.6 petrol (RF/EU) | 72 HP | 125 Nm | approx. 880 kg | the smartest purchase today |
| 1.6 D (JK) | 54 HP | 100 Nm | about 920 kg | 500,000 km and 5.5 l per table |
| 1.6 TD (JR) | 70 HP | 133 Nm | approx. 940 kg | long distances, cold start |
| 1.8 GTI 8V (PB) | 112 HP | 158 Nm at 3,100 | about 960 kg | entrance to GTI without fear |
| 1.8 GTI 16V (KR) | 139 HP | 168 Nm at 4,600 | approx. 990 kg | pass, sixth thousandth revolution |
The sixteen-cylinder is the only engine in this table thatit sounds. Below 3,500 revolutions, it is lukewarm and looks like someone has deceived you, and then from 4,000 to the red field it turns into something that asks for a window to be opened. The price of that sound is the valves: if the belt breaks,16V assembles them with pistons. The eight-wheeler, thanks to the same geometry of the head, in which case it mostly just stops. It is the only sentence in this text that can cost you a thousand euros.
Diesel 1.6 without turbo goes to the other extreme. Fifty-four horsepower means that overtaking on a two-lane road is a matter of planning, but that engine covers half a million kilometers with pads that can be changed with a number 13 key. In our country, this is the most common type, and that is the reason why the Golf 2 still works in the villages of Vojvodina.
Rust is not a flaw but a shelf life
Buying a Golf 2 today is not about evaluating the engine, it's about evaluating the sheet metal. The engine can be found for 300 euros; thresholds cannot be found at all. The order of checking is always the same, and always starts from the bottom.
Thresholds, especially under the plastic skirting boards — that's where the water stays for years and no one looks. The molding can be removed with two fingers; if the seller is nervous about it, that's the answer.Front mudguardsrotting behind the wheel, in the corner towards the door. An aftermarket fender costs 40 to 60 euros and that's the least problem in the whole story.
Front shock absorber domesare serious. Open the hood and press the sheet metal around the spring mount: if it loosens or peels off in sheets, the car needs welding, which no one will charge less than 300 euros.Under Rear Bench Floorandspare wheel troughare another place where water collects — lift the carpet and look for moisture, not a hole; the hole comes later.
Perfect fit.lower corner of the windshieldand the edges of the fifth door under the wiper. This is where the rust starts from the inside, under the tire, and when seen from the outside, it has already eaten away at the edge. The same pattern is known to the ownersBMW E30, with the same point: a car is bought by the sheet metal, not by the mileage per hour.
What is heard on the test drive
Hydraulic valve lifters knock on the cold for the first thirty seconds and this is normal. If the knocking remains after five minutes and two thousandths of a turn, the cartridge is finished — it is not expensive, but it is a sign that the oil has not been changed when needed.
If you are looking for a car that will work, and not a car that you will talk about, it is 1.
On carbureted versions, you're looking for a smooth idle without wandering; onDigifantuandK-Jetronicacheck how the warm start behaves. A Golf that starts cold on the first try and warms up on the third try usually has a problem with the temperature sensor or the pump, not the engine.
Replace the timing belt immediately after purchase, regardless of what the seller said — a set with a tensioner and a water pump costs about 50 euros, and the interval is60,000 kmin practice, regardless of the factory 90,000.
The gearbox is another item that is heard before being seen. The five-speed gearbox from this generation is known for being the first to failsecond degree synchronous: if during a cold change from first to second it squeaks or resists, it is 150 to 250 euros and half a day's work. Also check how reverse engages — a screeching noise when engaging is only normal if the car has come to a complete stop.
Brakes are modest and this should be known in advance: ordinary models have front discs of239 mm, GTI versions 256 mm, and the rear drums are on most copies. With a mass below the ton, this is enough for one braking from one hundred to zero, but not for three consecutive passes. Consumption, on the other hand, is the reason why these cars are still running: 1.6 petrol consumes7 to 8 literson the table, diesel without turbo about5.5and 16V knows to ask for eleven when driving the way it asks for.
The chassis is simple and therefore good: McPherson front,torsion beam at the rear, mass under a ton. That mass makes the Golf 2 feel faster than it is, and it makes the front end tell you exactly what it's doing. There's no power steering on most models, and that's a feature, not a drawback. If you come fromW124orVolvo 240, for the first ten minutes you will think that the steering wheel is broken. It's not—there's just nothing between you and the asphalt.
What the listing doesn't say
The series until 1987 has small bumpers and narrower moldings and is visually more demanding today, butlarge bumpers since 1988.it is accompanied by better anti-corrosion protection and thicker sheet metal at certain joints. If you're choosing between nice and whole, get the whole.
Rare versions exist and it is worth knowing that there are:syncroThe one with the four-wheel drive.Countrywith raised suspension and protective frame, andG60with mechanical compressor and 160 HP. Each of them today costs more than the entire average Golf 2 and is looking for a master who has already seen this assembly.
A practical detail that saves the restoration: a large part of the consumables is shared with the Golf 3 and the second-generation Jetta, so the disk, plates, clutch and suspension parts are found without searching through the ads. The interior is a different story — preserved upholstery and an uncracked instrument panel are rarer and more expensive than the engine today.
In the end, prices are the only part that changes from month to month. Driving, registered specimen with 1.6 engine and non-singing thresholds goes from1,500 to 3,000 euros. The preserved GTI 8V requires 4,000 to 7,000, and the 16V in the original rarely goes below8,000. Anything under a thousand euros is not a car but a project, and it should be said to yourself out loud before it is paid.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- What is the best engine for the Golf 2?
- For everyday driving 1.6 petrol with 72 HP or 1.6 diesel with 54 HP — cheap parts, easy service, half a million kilometers. For the enjoyment of 1.8 16V with 139 HP, with the awareness that it is a more expensive and demanding purchase.
- Where does Golf 2 rust the most?
- Pragovi ispod plastičnih lajsni, blatobrani iza prednjih točkova, kupole amortizera, korito rezervnog točka i donji ugao vetrobrana. Kupole su najskuplja stavka, oko 300 evra varenja.
- How much does a Golf 2 cost in good condition?
- A driven and registered copy with a 1.6 engine costs 1,500-3,000 euros. The GTI 8V is asking 4,000-7,000, and the 16V rarely goes below 8,000 euros.
