could it be to do with the perceived decline in numbers available? The further we get from the last year of manufacture, the less and less there are to choose from? Certainly agree with the OP, have had my Mk2 for 7 years but always keep tabs on Ebay/Classifieds just to see whats going for what money. It seems that in the last 18months if you have a dark metallic, late reg cleanish example you can ask what you want for it!! Though like many I would still pay over the odds for a genuinely clean straight example if i didn't have my current stead
if finding a mk2 in good nick is hard, a corrado is near impossible. All of them are so tatty. The build is poor, and if you spend money they look great but standard they are bit fugly I think
She's the one in the window on the corner of Lookstrasse and Upstrasse. You know, the one you can see the best, when in the pi**oir down by the cannal!
Rado's build quality is about the same as a Golf imo. Same kind of things tend to need doing, just the rado has electric sunroof and spolier and it only seems that 50% of them have both of these working!
It's more the rattles and squeaks and general fit of parts that make me say that Rado's are really not as well made as MK2's. I had a Rado when it was only a few years old and I loved the car, but the build was terrible. I've had loads of MK2's and the only build issues are where some numpty has taken something off and not fitted it correctly, or fitted a poor quality part. Someone will either back me up on this or shoot me down in flames, but I seem to recall that the assembly of Rado's was outsourced to Karman rather than VW themselves. So might explain some of the quality factors.
It started a year ago at least http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=194637&highlight=price+mk2
MK2's are great and I've had close to 20 of them and a handful of Corrados. As Phatty says much nicer to driver, handle better and just so much more special when sitting inside. They are worth more now as they are better cars with better specs and fewer built and more desirable. Engine Like for like yes the Mk2 is faster but then who wants the Kr or 9A powered corrado? Not me! Try getting anywhere close to a VR rado in a mk2, no chance! As for being better built there is really not much in it between the Mk2 and Rado they were both good for the time but when compared todays cars utterly crap.
The same is true for refinement & comfort. It's hard to say what the Mk2's appeal is exactly, all I know is that when I need to go somewhere I have the choice of a comfortable, refined, safe & reliable Toyota Avensis or my Mk2 Golf, for some reason I take the Golf every time (unless the wife & kids are coming)
Funnily enough my mk2 rattles less than my mk3 which has a multitude of rattles and odd squeeks - although having said that all I can hear in the mk2 is the turbo sucking in air!!
It's all supply and demand - for the past few years there have been a load of Mk2's getting scrapped, and thanks to the scrappage scheme, there are fewer 2nd hand cars around generally. I daresay the race series has wiped out a few in crashes and as breakers. Demand is up because Mk1's are too expensive, and Mk2's are becoming more weekend / track cars because of their age. As already said, it's that time of year too. I've always fancied a Corrado, but most of them are a bit thrashed, and they're about 25% heavier than a Mk2 golf or Rocco. I'd still have a Mk1, if I can find one that's good enough to live with, at the right price.
I've owned my Mk2 for about 3 years & prices were creeping up when I bought mine. Even old mini's demand big money now (1k for something with an MOT), the value of Golfs will keep going up. However there is a big variation in prices which makes values difficult to estimate. I've been thinking of selling my 20vt to fund the next crazy project but have no idea what its worth.
personally i think the mk2 golf especially gti and higher models will continue to rise steadily in value just as the mk1 has, and when the gti's demand more the price of lesser models follow suit just as ford seem to with the xr and rs models (s1 rs turbo at least 4500 for a half decent example now)
Agree with you there,had Rado last summer and spent the first 2 weeks of owning it screwing loose bits of the interior back together to stop the rattles and squeaks. Lovely car though.
I am with 1990 and others, some know the reason I have my car is because I love it and it is the one VW got right. Only wish I had bought one years ago. Owned mine for 11 years, two owners and low mileage when I bought it. No amount of money would ever part me from it and that is an honest statement. Even 100,000 would not as there are some things money cannot buy. Himself offered to buy me a brand new GTi before the resto - why on earth would I want one of those?? So I said "John, would you mind if I keep the one I have?" Bless him he never asked the cost of the work. Never in 100 years would I part with it. There are two things that put a big smile on my face and they are equal, hammering my car and letting Mad Mae my Arab mare go. Nothing like speed to get the adrenaline rush.
i blame "the scene".. truely wish they would all just curl up and die (or even better go find a french car to molester)
i love mk2's my 1st car was a 1.3 mk2 (f453 nbm) and im now on my 5th. i have nothing against modified mk2s i like to change bits to make it my own but doing certain modifications just because its fasionable is pretty daft and will die out in time
