The following is compiled a list of suppliers for parts. Categorised appropriately. Please comment below with additions and they can be added to the list. Please also state any personal experiences you may have had with such manufactures, both negative and positive.
Please note, these lists are by no way an endorsement or criticism by the Mk2 Golf Owners Club. These lists is just supposed to helpful pointers to what to buy and from where. Please take time do your own research.
It's worth noting that even well known and respected brands may not be as good these days as their reputation suggests. The quality and availability of raw materials as well as the country of production can change.
OE suppliers Manufactures that supply VW, such as:
Bosch Hella Motometer VALEO VDO NGK
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OE equivalent Manufactures that are not know to have supplied VW direct but there products are seen to be of equal quality, such as:
Champion Delphi Febi Bilstein Lemforder Mann Meyle
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Premium/performance/styling suppliers Manufactures that supply performance parts which may be considered an upgrade to original VW factory fitted parts, such as:
Other suppliers Manufactures that supply aftermarket parts which seem to be good quality with no known issues reported, such as:
Ridex Topran JP Group Mapco
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Black list Manufactures that have been found to produce poor quality equipment - Avoid, such as:
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In addition to parts, below is a list of recommended sellers.
New parts
AUTODOC - The app is cheaper than the website, delivery times can be lengthy. European supplier, but can be worth waiting as savings can be big. If you're not in a rush add your order to the basket and check daily as the discount can vary. It can be over 40% off.
AVS - Supplier of Genuine and quality aftermarket parts.
Car Parts 4 Less - an online only outlet for Euro Car Parts, it can often work out cheaper to buy from here but you don't have the convince of local store pick up.
Euro Car Parts - Sign up for emails and check their regular discount codes.
GSF - Sign up for emails and check their regular discount codes.
Tierod69 - eBay seller (B and B Components) - always fast to ship and always sends out quality brands.
TPS - Supplier of genuine VW group parts with 82 across the UK. A trade supplier, some counters are happy to deal with public customers (Cheltenham) other counters may turn you away customers.
These are for 5x100 conversion which came on a rear beam I bought. They have done very minimal miles, and although they look a bit crappy with surface they were nearly new, but the beam had been sat, stored outside for a little while.
Likewise the bearing were new and all parts are complete so there should be no issue reusing them.
Lips and hub centres were painted with satin black VHT, a few greasy marks from handling which would need cleaning and the surface rust would disappear with first use, or could be wire-wooled off to prevent contamination of new pads if you want to do things by the book.
Ideally for collection due to weight.
£15 ono - cash on pick up from North Bristol
If you need postage let me know, I'll get a quote.
A pair of late spec (larger ball joints) 8v hubs, complete: - Steering knuckle - 4x100 hub and bearing - bearings Ok - brake caliper and fairly new flexi-hose - backing plate - 239 discs and pads - shot need replacing.
What you see is what you get.
Ideally for collection due to weight.
£40 ono - cash on pick up from North Bristol
If you need postage let me know, I'll get a quote. Unless you specifically want the scrap metal, I'd probably remove the discs and pads to save a bit of weight for shipping.
It's doing my head in what people are asking for everything. Take wheels for example, I've been looking recently.
I know times change, but the increase has nothing to do with inflation as such, it's just greed based on what people can get away with, and when everyone jumps on the same bandwagon it becomes the norm for what people are willing to pay.
It used to be (and not that long ago) you could pick up a set of OK wheels with legal tyres for around £100-150. £200-300 and you'd be looking at something quite nice you could give a clean and arrive at a meet or show ground without embarrassment.
Now everywhere I look, the best you're getting is £300+ for a set of bare rims, that need a refurb, which will be £100 a wheel for anywhere around here. Plus tyres and fitting.
It's at the point where it's cheaper to by new online. Ok the choice might be limited but you can get an 'OK' aftermarket set of alloys with a (budget to low-level branded) tyre deal for around £800.
I'll tell you what, I think my days of Mk2 ownership are seriously limited. It's supposed to be a fun cheap hobby, but I'm being out-priced. I can't afford it anymore. Road tax is over £300, I've another 9 years before it's exempt. And I can't drive it into or through Bristol (my hometown) anymore, now they've introduced Clean Air Zone charging.
And since COVID I've been working from home. I go into work a couple of times a week and usually take my bike. So as a family we don't really need it as a 2nd car. That was proven over the last 4 months while it sat on the drive out of MOT. Whilst it was frustrating and I wanted to drive it, I didn't need to.
Bear in mind the 'new' Mini launched in 2001 and the first models are now 22 years old, so are they a classic in their own right?
The latest models are huge, and have lost some of the classic styling of the first re-incarnation - they've gone a bit jelly mould.
But in terms of a modern car with all the characteristics of what we now love about our Mk2s; compact, fun, great handling etc. is a Mini the closest thing right now?
The new Mini was the response to the retro revival started in 1997 with the arrival of the 'new' beetle launched by VW. And the trend continued by Fiat with their reinvention of the 500.
Does anyone have any experience retumbling an ignition barrel?
I've done door locks before, they are relatively easy, to match the doors with ignition key. But I need the reverse, I have an aftermarket ignition and genuine key. I'd like to match the ignition with the good key.
There have been many before but the latest parts finder that shows us VW parts diagrams has been 7zap.
There seems to be a pattern where these last a few years then disappear. I've assumed there's some IP or copyright issues with the diagrams as they're not VW sites. So I guess they get shut down.
I've noticed this morning that 7zap appears to be offline, and I don't know if this is temporary or that latest site of this kind to go.
From next year onwards we're going to start seeing the earliest of mk2's (produced in 1984) begin to qualify for historic classification. meaning Tax and MOT exempt and potentially clean air zone exempt too (I don't know if that's in all places or just some).
So thinking on that,
1. I'm a little bit gutted that I've owned an 86, 87 and 88.... but my current one is a 91 so I have to wait even longer
2. am I right in thinking this cannot apply to all of these engine-swapped cars out there?
3. what might that do to prices? - I expect the early years ones will become even more desirable over the next couple of years. - might this devalue all the 20vt and R32 conversions out there?
I think there's something proving when the engine swap was done, so potentially some older conversions, mk3 2.0, abf or original VR6 might be able to get clearance.
I also presume that once you have a Tax and MOT-exempt vehicle you're then restricted to what you can do to it without risking the loss of that status, a bit like a listed building???
Interesting to hear thoughts on this, and I'm sure if any of you also have a mk1, or older classic this is probably stuff you've already had to work through.
The Bristol meet is a long running VW meet up which occurs on the first Friday of every month. Located in North Bristol, just off M5 jct16 at the Toby Carvery Pub in Bradley Stoke. Starting around 7:30, but if you're first to arrive just hang around a little while.
For newcomers, we park on the straight strip of car park directly in front of you as you turn off the main road, and avoid the main pub car park. We usually hang around for a bit while others arrive, and park up before heading into the pub for a shandy or refillable Pepsi. ;-)
The meet historically started as a mk2 meet then a few of the mk1 OC guys got involved and rebranded as Bristol Dub Love for all VW. Over the years as regulars have changed vehicles we’ve welcomed all types. It's just a chill car 'and bike' meet - no judgment.
When COVID hit this meet obviously stopped. We managed to kick it back off in December 2021 and over the course of 2022 have managed a build it back up so looking forward to bigger and better throughout 2023.
Dates for 2023 January, No event - we need to get over Christmas/New Year February, Friday 3rd March, Friday 3rd April, Friday 7th May, Friday 5th June, Friday 2nd July, Friday 7th August, Friday 4th September, Friday 1st October, Friday 6th November, Friday 3rd December, Friday 1st (potentially with Mk2OC Christmas meal)
Thought I’d give a heads up for anyone camping this year. Current deals at Go Outdoors for tents are pretty decent I’ve just bought a new tent for this year’s events. And genuine deals too as I’ve been looking at a couple of tents in particular for a while now and monitoring the prices
I'm sure any professional kit will show this stuff up to be the cheap crap it is, but when we're talking home, DIY, working on the car on the driveway at weekend kind of kit this cheap crap is sometimes all we need.
So I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with any of these type of kits and would recommend which to go for. They're all roughly the same price on eBay and all under £20.
In the past, I've always done the manual pump the pedal job. The last few times I've had to do brake work I've even had to do the manual pump-the-pedal method on my own, requiring a length of wood just long enough to wedge between the drivers seat and the brake pedal. Not fun, but successful if patient.
I have a compressor so that's it's not an issue going for an air-fed solution.
A bonus would be a kit that will work on motorbikes as well as cars.
It's for the Carrier to stub axel, not the little one that goes to the slider. Happy to pay a few quid but the cheapest on eBay is a fiver and that feels a little steep for one small bolt.
There is a rip on the top edge of the back rest, see last pic. But otherwise seems in ok condition, just dirty.
Ideal for material patch up to fix fronts.
I'm asking £15 + post.
If you're able to collect from North Bristol I'll give you the foam. If you want postage I'll strip the material and fold it into a package and send via courier. The foam will then make it's way to land fill.
