Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI (Read 4078 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #15 –
October meant MOT time.

An advisory from last year was the exhaust having a small leak of gas - yes that's right. I ignored and blowing exhaust for almost a year  :))  oh well.

Anyway last years advisories also were very nitpicking - engine covers and under trays fitted, surface rust on rear subframe, misting on damper, etc. The Tester had done similar on my daughters car and added a long list of nonsense to the mk2s MOT record. So it's time to go elsewhere.

I booked it in at InterPro, if you remember my old build thread you'll be familiar with InterPro. As well as being a tuning specialist, they are an MOT station, and a LongLife Exhaust agent.

I did contact Matt at Track Slag but he dosen't do a stock replacement for a Mk5. In his words:
All we do for your car is full fat tuning stuff.
3.5" downpipe and full 3" high flow catback.
Nothing stock.
And was out of stock with a back order list anyway.

So I mentioned the exhaust at InterPro and they said they'd take a look prior to the MOT so if it needed replacing they'd do that first rather than have to go through a fail. They had a ramp free and lifted the car and yes, there was a small hole where the pipe exits the centre box.

The back box was also looking a little worse for where and whilst they could just replace the centre section we agreed it made sense to do a full cat back system. The downpipe and CAT exit pipe was all in good order.

A general scan around and I was pleased with the overall condition of the underneath of the car, there was certainly no reason for the previous tester to comment on any rust. There was certainly nothing significant.

So the mk5 now has a CAT back lifetime guaranteed stainless steel system.
The MOT discovered a cracked front coil spring and a worn drop link so those were both replaced as pairs. Also a CV boot.

As you might imagine, a fair chunk of money left my account that week. But the result was a clean pass with NO advisories.

No further mention has been made on replacing the car. In fact almost the opposite - with the climate crisis a hot topic right now I think changing it is on hold while we see how things evolve over the next few years. There's no rush to jump into the world of EVs, main reason there's no way we can afford a brand new car and a second hand one is not something I'll entertain. And I'm not convince EVs are any better for the environment, the initial manufacture of them is much more harmful than a normal car and then there's the whole question on how we as a nation are generating our electricity.

I can see our next vehicle may see us going down the lease route - I have no interest in owning and being tied to anything second hand and more modern. Anything I buy would be 5-10 years old at best, cars aren't built to last, so a car of this age is going to start having issues if it's not having them already. I won't be able to maintain it and I expect servicing costs will be too high.

I hate to say it but but continuous paying every month to effectively rent a vehicle is beginning to sound like a sensible option, getting to use but never own the newest models. I belive this is the way car ownership will go in general. But I can't see that happening for the next few years so hanging onto the mk5 for now.

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #16 –
Quite a few cars back I dipped my toe into leasing (twice), it was when it had started to become available to private individuals as opposed to just business users.

They were both from Saab themselves, via the dealer network.

My experience was it 's like most things... has it's pro's and has it's cons and what they are will depend on what you're after from the deal.

Off the top of my head some of the upsides were that road tax was included for the full term, anything thing wrong (even a bulb) they sorted it no questions asked.

Downsides... had to get it serviced with Saab (not cheap, but all the extras thrown in such as courtesy car or pick up + drop off the car from your home) 

You couldn't do a single thing to change the spec. without approval.

Mileage obviously limited or an extortionate pence per mile thereafter added.

They went over it with a fine tooth comb come hand back, every little stone chip was listed. Had to argue that one with them for the second car - their interpretation of fair wear and tear might not be yours and they'll try to charge to fix.

Overall I'd recommend looking into it, but take the time to really read the fine print, it's not the easy option it might first seem. 

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #17 –
Lovely job on the mk5 and good to hear you found a tester with normal behaviour this time. If you were interested in doing some easy rust proofing take a look a Lanoguard. I previously used Dinitrol products but Lanoguard is so much easier to apply - I think you could do the entire underside in 20mins.

RE: Electric cars I am looking seriously at them at the moment. A few months ago I was in the no-way camp but my wife can get very good deals on them through her work (NHS) where they are fully insured, maintained inc tyres that it is making it hard to overlook.

I've had my family estate car for 8 years and it has been perfect but when I tot up fuel costs, what i save into a mainteance pot, the tax, the insurance I am close to £350/month ...... that would get me a Skoda Enyaq/Q4/ID4/XC40 electric with zero deposit. The cheapest car is a VW UP at 165/mth, BMW I3 or ID3 is 225-235.

We do need two cars, one run around and I am thinking sell the estate get a large electric car and use my mk3 16v as my run around.

Decisions Decisions.

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #19 –
A little update. Was getting some judder on the front wheel and after a road trip to Reading discovered the front nearside wheel was quite hot! So on investigation discovered a sticky calliper.

Decided the best option was to buy a 2nd hand pair to refurbish and swap over, with the idea of then flogging on my old ones for similar money.

I found a decent set on eBay for £70 + £10 p&p. There were cheaper ones, but these looked very clean. I was really pleased with what arrived they were in excellent working condition however the dust seals were damaged. But for under £15 I bought a seal kit for the pair. Pistons or other hardware wasn't needed and they were good enough I didn't feel the need to fuss about painting them (hope I don't regret that as it was the ideal opportunity but didn't want to prolong the job).

Anyway, I know we all love pictures...

The sellers pic.


What arrived, after I'd popped out the pistons with the compressor.







All ready for the weekend swap over. Then I'll check out what I take off and decide if I just bung them up for sale as they are or spruce them up with new seals and sell them as refurbished for a premium.  :))

 

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #20 –
Fitting went well, bleeding was no drama, no more judder and the brakes aren't as snatchy.

As for the old callipers. The Piston is well and truly stuck, even on compressed air it wouldn't budge. I'll get it on the press and push the piston back in more and see if that free's it up to blow it out.

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #21 –
I other news I discovered recently Mk5 Golf (and mk6 for that matter) are now included within the official Volkswagen Classic Parts Website.

https://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.com/catalog/en_uk/nav/golf/golf-mk5

I was looking at my Mk2 in the work carpark the other day and obviously, it was the oldest car in the car park, I then had a closer look around and realised that even if I'd taken the mk5 it would still be the oldest car in the car park  :D

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #22 –
So long as you are happy with the MK2 and MK5 that's all that matters
As I look along our street some of our fleet must be the oldest. Then I see a 190E and an old Renaultsport Megane and realise I'm not alone   :))
1991 Tornado Red BB 8v GTI Moredoor
2008 Skoda Octy Scout aka dirty diesel
 

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #23 –
The strange thing about cars is neighbours judge you by what is parked on your drive. It doesn’t actually matter if you don’t own it or can’t afford it. Having it there is what counts.
Drive what you like and enjoy it, be amused if that results in neighbour envy. If it doesn’t, so what?

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #24 –
Quote from: AndyBa on
So long as you are happy with the MK2 and MK5 that's all that matters
As I look along our street some of our fleet must be the oldest. Then I see a 190E and an old Renaultsport Megane and realise I'm not alone   :))

190E trumps everyhing!

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #25 –
Quote from: PWardy on
The strange thing about cars is neighbours judge you by what is parked on your drive. It doesn’t actually matter if you don’t own it or can’t afford it. Having it there is what counts.
Drive what you like and enjoy it, be amused if that results in neighbour envy. If it doesn’t, so what?


Really! - How feeble minded must someone be to consider it even slightly relevant what others think when making a vehicle choice?

... or for that matter the reverse and judge someone based on what they drive!

Glad I live where I do.

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #26 –
It's 3 years of ownership this week, and time to give the car some love.

After a debate about moving it on, with the decision to keep it 'for now' made it was my job to make it lovely again.






Which included headlight restoration






And a deep clean inside, with wet vacuum of the seats and mats, but I forgot to do pictures, which was a shame as some before and after shots would really show up the difference.

Next is to find someone reputable to diamond cut the wheels, and I'm going to replace the headlight and window switches and paint the door handles. I might even look at replacing the stereo, it works fine but the buttons are worn.

One extra positive.... our friends over at UKD Autos, they've always had a knack for massively overpricing their stock. Either that or they're either really good at predicting prices or actually the ones responsible for setting the bar. But years ago they were selling Mk2s and eye watering prices, where the rest of the market has now caught up. So it's great to see they have a Mk5 GTI for sell at £13.5K

https://www.ukdauto.com/vw-golf-gti-mk5-white

Very low mileage, granted, but other than that it's super basic spec compared to mine. Perhaps hanging on to it for another couple of years is the right thing to do.

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #27 –
Ukd still have that mk5 forsale! How did you restore headlights? I need to do this on our passat before long

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #28 –
Quote from: ianmac86 on
Ukd still have that mk5 forsale! How did you restore headlights? I need to do this on our passat before long

I got this kit.


https://www.autoglym.com/headlight-restoration-kit

It's good. Since doing the Mk5 I've done my daughter's and her boyfriend's Fiesta headlights. Both were much worse than the Golf.
In addition to the kit I used a spray bottle of water and kept applying it as I used the sanding pads, I guess this helped as doing all 3 cars I still have unused sanding pads and the used ones are mostly ok to use again, I think I've only binned one.

Re: 2006 Mk5 Golf GTI

Reply #29 –
Since the last update, I've also got Carole a personal plate  8)

October was MOT time again, and unfortunately, I got another failure sheet. To be expected on what is now an old car where the original parts are reaching end of life. Unlike our Mk2s where the majority of the factory-fitted parts have already been replaced.

The fails consisted of a cracked rear spring:



So both rear springs were replaced, fronts were done last year.

And rear discs and pads, and calliper action



So full Brembo for the rears, I also bought new backing plates as I had to cut one off that was rubbing, and ended up splashing out on refurbished callipers and new hoses so at least I know the whole back end is sorted now. Fronts were rebuilt earlier in the year, so good brakes all round now.

There was certainly some uneven wear



The final fail was a bit of an odd one, with factory-fitted Xenon lights, there are sensors on the suspension for self-leveling. This is not something I was aware of, anyway the linkage for the one on the rear axle was rusted up. And the ball joint had rusted away.



The part was only available new, and I was quoted £250 for the garage to get it from TPS and fit it. But I took inspiration from the all metal Mk2 gear linkages I've bought in the past. And ordered some parts from Amazon.





Fitting was fun, The MOT tester was going on holiday and I only had a small window to finish the repairs, with it being dark by 6 at the time, I ended up under the car in pitch black fitting by torch light. The driveway security light kept turning off  :o

Anyway, a fresh test and we're all good.

Next job, not MOT dependant, is to fit new door lock modules on both passenger side doors are they're a bit temperamental.
Carole also wants a fancy car play stereo. So on the lookout for a decent unit to fit.

And finally, with my success with the headlights, I thought I'd have a go at sanding and polishing the now not so pretty diamond cut wheels.

This is by far the worse one.



Stupidly, I forgot to get the after photos, but I managed to do what I think was a great job with just a drill (had to upgrade to the mains one, the Ryobi ran out of juice) of getting the lacquer off, sanding back the small amount of pitting and polishing back up with the headlight kit. I only did the edge of this one spoke. But have now ordered an air fed DA with hundreds of sanding and polishing pads and a G3 and G10 compound. So the plan to polish and clear coat the rims, should be all in less than £150 which is much better than the £500-600 it'll cost for a pro refurb. And from what I've heard people that have paid that amount of money it only lasts 6 months to a year if driven daily, so now I have the kit I don't mind if it's something I have to top up every year.