Mk4 appreciation thread

[jlav0330]

I've owned my '03 Golf for over 3.5 years now, and bought it at 190k miles from the original owner. I just did a "mini" loop here in California through the Sierra, and this car handled it like a dream. Went up to 8k+ feet over many mountain passes on highway 395 and others (highway 88 near Kirkwood resort had an 8500 ft pass), even went to a trailhead that started at 10k ft and my Golf handled it like a dream. It's so great to drive, and it even passed the 250k mile mark when I was heading back down to SoCal! This car has had its small headaches at times (one being I had to change out the DMF a month after I got it), but overall it's been great so far, and the fact that I was able to bring it with that high of mileage across the Sierra Nevada and it run no problem tells how well it's designed. That's all!

 

[Nevada_TDI]

And, another happy customer!
Is your TDI tuned, and if so, to what level?

 

[jlav0330]

Completely stock. That's probably why the original turbo is still in there lol. I was thinking of putting in a Stage 1 tune and maybeeeee swapping out the 5th gear to like a .700 gear, but undecided yet. It would just help with RPM on freeway (I live in a big city with lots of freeways) and more power with tune.

 

[ducatipaso]

there's a reason I've owned so many MK4s - they really are one of the best platforms from VW ever. There's a reason the MK5 run was so short.

 

[dieseldonato]

My mk4 is my second vw diesel, by far I like it better then my 86. Nice to drive, well built, cheap and easy to work on. Only quibble is the interior quality of the head liner and door panels could have been a bit better imo. Easy fixes though. Rest of the car is solid.

 

[Zak99b5]

I’ve owned two MkIVs (and a couple earlier A-chassis cars as well), and my kids have owned fI’ve other MkIVs. It’s a great platform for many of the reasons listed above. It’s a great little commuter that’s fun to drive.

I will say, though, that I also really liked the B5 cars I had as well. All three were wagons, two were manuals, and one was awd.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Between me and my sons we've owned 6 MKIVs. We still have 3. One is my Wagon, which I bought new in '02. That car and my son's '02 Golf are both approaching 500K miles and still run great. My Wagon is still my daily after 21 years.

I maintain that the ALH powered MKIV is the best car VW has built to date. The platform is every bit as good as the drivetrain. I still enjoy driving these cars, even after all those years and miles.

 

[GTiTDi]

Not only have I owned a couple of Mk4 wagons and built many for customers, family and friends but also have raced a couple now in SCCA Rallycross which is not easy on a car! They aren't diesels but both 1.8T 20Vs which are nearly as indestructible but a hell of a lot more spicy! Not only did I share a mk4 jetta ute with Manual_Tranny but we had to compete in modified class despite the jetta being stock albeit half cut away! We did really well and drove it to and from events and it never let us down! I ended up driving a competitors mk3 golf with a super charged ABA and steering quickener, limited slip diff, etc, and immediately saw the need to build something similar! Ended up with a totalled mk4 GTI with 200k miles on it, absolutely immaculate commuter car that ended up sliding into a telephone pole the day before the owner was scheduled to store it and drive his truck! I built it up and lightened it as much as possible and me and Mike took it out to Rallycross Nationals in 2019 in Indianola, Iowa, where Mike won first and I placed third in Modified Front! To say the chassis can handle a lot of abuse is an understatement!

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Here's my wagon at Calabogie in outside of Ottawa a number of years ago. With stiffer springs, coilovers, and race slicks (and engine mods, of course) it surprised a lot of other cars.

I bought an NA Miata for track days a few years ago but ended up selling it. The TDI was more fun.

 

[dieseldonato]

Not only have I owned a couple of Mk4 wagons and built many for customers, family and friends but also have raced a couple now in SCCA Rallycross which is not easy on a car! They aren't diesels but both 1.8T 20Vs which are nearly as indestructible but a hell of a lot more spicy! Not only did I share a mk4 jetta ute with Manual_Tranny but we had to compete in modified class despite the jetta being stock albeit half cut away! We did really well and drove it to and from events and it never let us down! I ended up driving a competitors mk3 golf with a super charged ABA and steering quickener, limited slip diff, etc, and immediately saw the need to build something similar! Ended up with a totalled mk4 GTI with 200k miles on it, absolutely immaculate commuter car that ended up sliding into a telephone pole the day before the owner was scheduled to store it and drive his truck! I built it up and lightened it as much as possible and me and Mike took it out to Rallycross Nationals in 2019 in Indianola, Iowa, where Mike won first and I placed third in Modified Front! To say the chassis can handle a lot of abuse is an understatement!

What wheels are those in the first pic you posted? The multi spoke ones. They look killer!

 

[GTiTDi]

Jaramas, one of my favorite oe wheels. 15" found on later mk4 golf and jetta.

What wheels are those in the first pic you posted? The multi spoke ones. They look killer!

 

[dieseldonato]

Jaramas, one of my favorite oe wheels. 15" found on later mk4 golf and jetta.

Thanks! I'll be on the lookout next time I'm at the junk yard.

 

[Zak99b5]

They're only a shade heavier than the Avus as well. Just got me a set