Volkswagen 1993 Golf Owner's Manual download pdf (Page 2)

Part I – General Information

Questions for Yourself

Before giving up your hard-earned cash for a 20

-year-old car, there are several questions you should ask yourself:

 Why am I buying this car?

 How will I use this car: commuting or Sunday drives?

 Where will I keep the car: in the driveway, under a carport (better), or in a garage (best)?

 Will I be using this car year-round, or only during nice-weather months?

 Are there Volkswagen service shops in my area?

 What is the most I'm willing to pay for this car?

 Am I willing to buy a car that will require regular attention?

 How far am I willing to travel to buy this car?

 Buying this car for someone else:

o If I am buying this car for someone else, am I 100% positive that the person will like & enjoy the car?

Reliability

As can be said for

any

older used car, common sense prevails: do not buy one expecting it to be 100% problem-free,

even if it is in pristine condition. They are

used

vehicles; parts wear out over time and need replacing. Most importantly,

do NOT buy a cheapie Cabriolet and expect it to only cost what you paid for it (i.e., don't think that $300 Cabriolet was a

killer deal); odds are, you WILL dump money into it within the first few months of ownership. These cars "take a lickin'

and keep on tickin'", but they have their breaking points. Therefore, if you've found a nice-looking cheapie Cabriolet for

sale and are planning to use it as daily transportation, set aside at least twice as much as what you'll pay for it so that

you'll be prepared for possible immediate mechanical repairs.

A car may have been well maintained, but not all parts have received attention. Therefore, a Cabriolet that has "all new

brakes, tires, battery, plugs & wires, air filter, belts" and "runs like new" could very well give you axle problems,

transmission problems, etc. Take the car to a qualified mechanic for a complete inspection, if possible, prior to buying the

car and ask to see repair/maintenance records.

While Cabriolets are best used today as secondary or pleasure vehicles, thousands of Cabriolets throughout the world are

still performing daily driving duties.

Mileage

These cars are now over 20 years old and a good majority of them, therefore, have over 100,000 miles on their

odometers. Provided the cars have been well-maintained, this shouldn't be a discouragement. The engines in these cars

are known for lasting over 200,000 miles if they are properly cared for.

Cabriolets with extremely low miles are cars that most likely haven't been driven much, which, in some cases, can be

worse than cars with high miles: seals dry up, water gets into the fuel system, hydraulic components seize, etc. A low

mileage car may need just as much work as a high mileage car; this is why a pre-buy inspection is very important on any

car you are interested in buying.

Value

The overall value of Cabriolets is

slowly

going up. However, while Cabriolet enthusiasts consider their cars to be classics,

the automotive world does not… yet. This means that prices for these cars are all over the map, and so are their

conditions. A Cabriolet in good condition (i.e. straight body, nice paint, clean interior, running engine), but has high miles

can sell for $500, while a Cabriolet that is in poor condition (bad paint, a few small dings, bad top, dirty interior) with low

miles can sell for $2,000. So, you can get a steal, or you can get ripped off. Furthermore, while a fixer-upper can sell for

$450, a showroom-condition, all original, super-low mileage Cabriolet, no matter the model year, can fetch upwards of

$7,000 – both examples being priced pretty fairly. Bottom line: do your homework and shop around!

Additionally, contrary to what many in the States say, eBay is not the place to go searching for what current Cabriolet

values are. There are too many reasons why people resort to selling their cars on eBay; there are too many reasons why

people buy cars on eBay; there are too many ads missing information and pictures; and, most importantly, the price

range is far too wide. Use the industry standards such as Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, and the like.

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Volkswagen 1993 Golf Owner's Manual Page 2

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