Today’s want

[Rich B]

Shame it's a 1.6.

Not really. Plenty of people at the time reckoned the 1.6 was sweeter. And 35 years on, I’m not convinced anyone will be thrashing it.

sounds like the people who thought the 8v golf gti was better than the 16v (8v owners).

The 1.6 has lame wheels too. The 1.9 are just about wheel perfection.

[Jobbo]

The 1.6 alloys are the same design as the T16. The 1.9 looks like the effete little brother who wore guyliner compared to the T16.

[Rich B]

The 1.6 alloys are the same design as the T16. The 1.9 looks like the effete little brother who wore guyliner compared to the T16.

yep, in 16 x 8 inches they look ok, whereas the puny little 14 x 5.5 inches on the 1.6 barely cover it's rear drum brakes.

[Jobbo]

Can tell you weren’t reading car mags in the mid-80s

[Rich B]

Can tell you weren’t reading car mags in the mid-80s

I was 5 in the mid 80s!

[Jobbo]

So you missed how wonderful the 205 GTI was then. The 1.9 wasn’t the big jump from the big valve 1.6 that the 16v was for the Golf GTi.

[Rich B]

So you missed how wonderful the 205 GTI was then. The 1.9 wasn’t the big jump from the big valve 1.6 that the 16v was for the Golf GTi.

still has lame wheels and drum brakes.

[ZedLeg]

Nothing wrong with drum brakes on a light road car tbh.

[Mito Man]

Can tell you weren’t reading car mags in the mid-80s

This is a typical journalistic trait I feel. The car with smaller lighter engine always has slightly better handling and can many times come up top trumps at the end of the review because it's also more affordable, frugal, cheaper to service and so a better real world proposition for most people.

Money no object I'd still want the faster one every time though

[ZedLeg]

It wasn’t a weight thing as it was the same block. The 1.9 had a longer stroke which made it torquier but also lazier. The 1.6 was supposed to be nicer to rev out.

Kind of the opposite of what people said regarding the 8v vs the 16v Golf iirc.

[DaveE]

I remember driving both a 1.6 and 1.9 205 GTi in period

I remember the 1.6 getting more 'alive' and the 1.9 feeling stronger and more powerful (which it was)

I preferred the 1.9 (more is more, after all)

Now I'm older I'm not sure, I'd like to THINK I'd be the kind if person who would prefer the 'purity' of the 1.6, but if I'm honest, I'd probably still be swayed by more power

[PaulJ]

My missus bought a 1.9 GTI in 1990, and at the time I was running a Midget-engined Westfield 11 which was super light, but embarrassingly slower than her Pug. This error has never been repeated! I did love the Pug though.

[nuttinnew]

The particular highlight is the gear lever surround floating about

If only they had dsg from the factory so you could get one that fits
Flocked dash makes me wonder if the airbag had gone off, if the base Yeti has a cat against it.
Passenger wheels may have some scuffage, front maybe a wee kink.
Rear reflectors aren't fitted
I've no idea how to value it - much would depend on how straight the shell and running gear are - but iirc there are enough differences between the Skoda and Audi electrics that it's far more of a shell swap than an engine swap.
As long as the exhaust can be quiet I'd say it's a sleeper to the vast majority of people.

If you look at the sellers other items they’re all damaged car auction buys. I bet that they’ve got a crashed yeti and a crashed rs3 and superglued them together

Yep, and while there there doesn't have to be anything wrong with the result, it would still have an affect on the value, and the details give cause to think it's not been bolted back together properly. The assumption would be they'd bought a damaged RS3 but you'd want proof.

[nuttinnew]

Shame it's a 1.6.

Not really. Plenty of people at the time reckoned the 1.6 was sweeter. And 35 years on, I’m not convinced anyone will be thrashing it.

sounds like the people who thought the 8v golf gti was better than the 16v (8v owners).

That's the wrong comparison; the VW equivalent would be 1.6 to 1.8 in the mk1 (and there too the 1.6 was considered sweeter ).

[Jobbo]

Not sure 'want' is the correct word but this advert is fantastic:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154933141682

[V8Granite]

The 1.9 sounds better, was better and is better.

Dave!

[McSwede]

Not sure 'want' is the correct word but this advert is fantastic:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154933141682

Ha. No damp. It's in Lancashire FFS. That's even wetter than McScotlandcestershire. The man's a chancer

[Mito Man]

I'm enjoying reading this random life story

[Sundayjumper]

Vito fanboi warning. This looks tidy & very sensibly priced.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185384316263

[Explosive Newt]

RML Short Wheelbase




Not seen anything this gorgeous in a while, possibly since the AM Victor. The evo review I’m reading in the mag doesn’t seem to be online yet, so:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/fe ... -uk-review