Found on Facebook: 1999 VW Golf right hand drive, A/T, gasser, 17k mi

[JonA]

Not mine, just an interesting find on Facebook, I know it's gas and automatic, but wow, crazy low mileage: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1203756554225545/ Maybe would be better suited to sightings? I dunno, couldn't resist sharing.

 

[oilhammer]

Man, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with those awful wheel covers, LOL...

Japanese import... that's why it has such low km. It probably got driven a bunch of short trips, and seldomly.

Notice the tiny little markers (lights? reflectors?) at the four corners on the bumpers? Wonder if that was a Japanese spec thing. Also the big stickers on the end of the dash cover.

Strange engine, we didn't get that version here... we did get a 1.8L engine, just wasn't that one.

It's like a non-turbo version of the 5-valve 1.8T engine. Strange. 4sp slushbox, I assume a 01M.

Not really a bad price, if you could tolerate the RHD strangeness.

Almost certainly not OBD2 compliant (Europe was still using EOBD through 2002 or 3, no idea what German cars sold in Japan had in '99)

Wonder where that car was assembled. They don't show the VIN anywhere, do they?

 

[MrCypherr]

I think the stubby mirrors and those side marker lights were a Euro/JDM spec for those cars. I know alot of the Mk4 guys get those as a OEM+ upgrade.

 

[JonA]

No VIN apparent sadly.

 

[PakProtector]

Well Normie, for a Mail Delivery Technician such as my self, that could be ideal...

Douglas

 

[d24tdi]

Interesting car. Always seems strange to me when someone imports a car that is very similar to something we got for sale here, especially when it's one that has the handicap of RHD which sucks for anyone other than a rural postal carrier (who probably wants something bigger and taller than a Golf anyway).

On the West Coast see a lot of Volvos and BMWs imported from Japan that are the same deal, near identical to USDM models except for RHD. If you're going to the trouble and cost of importing, why not get something that is really unique? A JDM only model, or an interesting ROW diesel, etc? Or in the Mk4 realm, maybe a 4motion or a VR5 or something?

Curious who the customer was for this Golf. I've seen that nonturbo 1.8 5 valve motor in some European B5 cars. Probably a nicer or at least more sophisticated motor than the 2.0L 8v we got here but doubt it's much further ahead for real world performance especially with the 01M. And got nothing on a 1.8T which we got plenty of. What's the upside?

I guess novelty and curiosity goes a long way though.

 

[MrCypherr]

Alot of the times even if we get the "same" car, other things like interior components or engine may be different/better. Example, people might import a BMW E36 because it has a different engine that may be better/stronger and because it got some goodies that we didnt get either. Im guessing those people see something in it that makes it worth it that some other people dont.

 

[PakProtector]

Yeah...sometimes the 'different bits' can be easily imported, sometimes not. I once met a gent who took a complete/assembled 1st Gen M5 head back to the States as carry-on'.

Douglas

 

[CanadianALH]

It’s cheaper to import a mk4 R32 than buy one around here. You actually can get LHD ones out of Japan to the port for like 15-20k cad and they are usually nice and there are more for sale.