Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
The GTi is certainly no stranger to these pages, and recently we’ve seen in influx of both clean original examples and customized rides as well. Selling a modified car means that the buyer really has to want and like all of the modifications that are sometimes very subjective. Today’s GTi has undergone a full repaint and has suspension and wheel modifications that make it look quite purposeful; the question is, are they to your taste?
As the original “hot hatch”, it’s not much of a surprise that the Mk.1 GTi is also a popular choice as a race car. Stripped out and stiffened up, these pocket rockets get even more potent around a track and are very entertaining to drive. Best of all, there’s a serious aftermarket community that supports them and they’re quite economical to run compared to some of their other German brethren. While they’re a bit long in the tooth, the GTis are still winning three decades on and still look great. Today I’ve got two different track-oriented GTis to chose from – from mild to wild. Let’s start with the more streetable version:
It’s been about a month since we last wrote up a Scirocco 16V, a neat economy hatchback with plenty of 1980s character and styling. The 16V was and still is a perennial favorite of the VW crowd, who generally modify them to make them better performers and turners. Few seem to remain in pristine, original shape anymore – and this isn’t one of them, but it is a first-year model with some tasteful modifications that might be a good canvas for the VW loyal:
It truly does seem like every time we claim that you don’t see a particular car much for sale anymore, they all come out of the woodwork. Perhaps inspired by high prices we’ve now seen four great condition GTis in the past few months, the most recent last week’s reasonably priced black 1984 GTi. One thing that seems to be in common with all of the listings is a general lack of great photography, but today’s listing takes it to a new level. Starting with what is reported to be a more or less fully restored GTi, we get hoarder-like photographs I’d be expecting to see on TLC as I indulge my secret “Hoarders” watching habit. But as we’ve seen with other GTis, if you can get by the poor listing, perhaps there is a diamond in the rough, so to speak. Is this the one?
Much like the 1989 Polo GT and 1989 GTi 5-door, Europeans generally have been more interested in stylish examples of economy cars rather than the largest motor available. With gas prices pushing $8.00 a gallon and high taxes on larger engine displacements, it’s easy to understand why though Americans still haven’t gotten the message here. While the U.S. got the revered 16 valve version of the Scirocco 2, most European examples made due with less-thirsty 8 valve versions. That didn’t stop them from dressing the cars up, such as today’s twin Scirocco GTs, a model we didn’t get on these shores: