1990 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Welcome to this 1990 Volkswagen Golf GTI ‘Big Bumper’ project. In need of some light fettling to enable it to fulfill its potential, this 1.8-litre, five-speed car is finished in black and is fitted with a (very rare) Rallye interior.

Its owner is a self-confessed 80’s boy and bought it a couple of years ago to remind himself of how much fun he had when he ran one new, back in the day. It is, he told us, a “real blast from the past” and he used it for his 74-mile round trip commute on a semi-regular basis.

Now surplus to requirements, it’s MoT’d until August 2023 and is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid which means if you’ve ever fancied owning the car you couldn’t afford to insure when you were a teenager, this might be a very cost-effective way of getting one in your garage as a winter project.

Black is a notoriously unforgiving colour, ruthlessly highlighting even the slightest of imperfections. And yet, even with this in mind, the Golf presents well with ripple-free flanks, decent panel alignment, and a healthy shine to the paintwork.

As you can see, the black bumpers, wheelarch trims, and sill covers are a mottled grey, so will need some freshening up. The front spoiler doesn’t fit very well ether and has come loose on the nearside. The offside front wheelarch trim is detached, too. Still, how else were you planning to spend the long winter nights?

The light lenses look in good shape, as do the badges and window glasses.

The BBS cross-spoke alloy wheels are fitted with legal tyres but they are a mixed bunch.

Other flaws? Well, apart from the faded plastic trim there is some rust breaking out at the base of the nearside and offside rear windows and at the bottom of the windscreen. It’s also rusting on the offside front wing and the wind deflector for the sunroof.

The offside rear wheel looks like it’s got a small dent in the rim, and the repairs to the sill on the offside could do with being tidied up.

Then standard interior has been replaced by one taken from the legendary Golf Rallye. This is a significant change but one that reflects the care the GTI has received over the years; please browse through the invoices on file to see the plethora of replacement parts that have been fitted over its lifetime.

With cloth inserts to the leather Rallye seats, their shape is as supportive as you’d expect given the GTI’s potential for high lateral G-forces. The leather on the bolsters is a bit cracked, and the cloth centre sections do have some holes in them on the base, but they’re still presentable and there are folk out there who can work wonders on problems like this.

The GTI’s got a genuine Fischer CD holder in the centre console plus that iconic golf ball gearknob.

The Rallye door cards bring a touch of style to what would have been much duller factory items and the rear parcel shelf looks to be in good order.

However, the headlining is missing its rear section, and the front is a bit loose.

Overall, it’s a pleasant place to be and has stood up to the years well but cwill benefit from some attention to bring it back to its former glory.

As you can see, the Golf fires into life readily enough before settling into a gruff tickover. There’s also a nice exhaust note from the twin tailpipes.

The engine bay is utilitarian rather than pretty but that’s okay because this is a project car and tidying it up would be hugely satisfying.

It’s much the same with the underside, which needs work to remove the corrosion before being undersealed and Waxoyl’d to protect it.

The Golf received repairs to both sills and a jacking point in August 2020, while December 2020 saw the Golf receive almost £4,000 worth of work, including to the cylinder head and braking system. It also received some welding and had a suspension lowering kit fitted.

August 2022 saw it receive a new starter motor and the alternator had been replaced two years prior to that.

As you can see from this, as well as the extensive history file we’ve photographed, the Golf hasn’t wanted for love over the years.

The GTI’s MoT certificate is valid until August 2023.

Given where the price of Golf GTI MKIs is now, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before the price of the MKII follows – and given that every petrolhead’s favourite game is predicting which cars are currently undervalued, the smart money has to be on cars like this, surely? We'll leave that for you to decide.

This one also offers you the opportunity to add value as you work your way through it, so if you enjoy pottering around in the garage then there would be few better ways to invest your time than a car like this, a modern classic for whom parts are still readily available, either new or secondhand.

As for the price, while we think this one will sell for somewhere between £3,000 and £6,000, it’s being offered with no reserve, so is going to sell from the very first bid…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.