1986 Volkswagen Golf Diesel Review - Its Own Worst Enemy

[@j.m.5642]

A Bosnian license plate on the front, funny thing is they were assembled in Bosnia also.

[@bokexd3173]

owner andrej seems to be from the balkans too by the name idk

[@j.m.5642]

@@bokexd3173 It is a Golf diesel after all

[@thevduber]

​@@bokexd3173 Yes I am. I found the plate while visiting family in Doboj

[@j.m.5642]

@@thevduber I ja sam iz Doboja druze hahaha

[@SKACKASeyo]

Ja sam iz Sarajeva, pozdrav, al nemoj da kudiš golfa da je spor, nije jarane, razradi ga pa ćeš vidjet.. Ayee

[@cfc1001001cfc]

The decal lines on the doors are gloriously 80's...very nice!

[@teresa67factoid95]

Owed 4 of them as I had a 100 mile daily commute…they saved me a ton of money in fuel. I even beat the hell out of it as a courier. Did a brake job on the side of the road in 10 minutes. Engineering was genius. You could replace the alternator brushes and regulator, in minutes without taking the belt off! The heater was a furnace in Canadian winter. 800,000 kms and I had to park it because the body was unsafe due to rust. I still have one, fuled up and ready to go as a bug out mobile, because nothing will stop that thing from running

[@natexthomass]

as someone that drives an 04 TDI, I love to see the diesel cars getting represented!!

[@craig9843]

I have a 1996 Volkswagen Passat TDI it runs but I haven’t had it on the road in many years. It needs some work done to it but I really love diesels more than I do gas vehicles and it’s a shame that we can’t have diesels again or anymore like we did, I love the older ones too. I’m not worried about the speed it’s a diesel it’s not supposed to be that fast. It doesn’t have that much horsepower so why entertain the fact that they’re slow that’s just how they’re made but I love how they run, but I guess those days are all going by and will never see that again

[@bokexd3173]

Yoooooooooo BIH plate in front I am from Bosnia BTW

[@bribri2694]

I’m amazed how good the interior looked in that car. I had an 87 GTI 16V and it was a good driving car. I don’t recall many VW’s from the 80’s having power windows. And I had several different models. It wasn’t until I got a 90 Corrado that I was able to get power windows. I also had an 83 Rabbit Diesel Pickup that got around 45 mpg in daily driving. Slow! But it got me around.

[@galehess6676]

Grew up with Rabbits (ugly and smurf blue), have this gold PA-built one for 17 years now, and love it as my run around when I don't want to drive a diesel truck or Volt. Did the interior, headliner, seats. Did the injectors and pump and shocks and whatever little stuff was needed. Removed rear seat so I can haul like a small truck :) 4 bikes (mountain and road), and a weekend cooler for the weekend or whatever, it fits. Antique plates save inspection here in PA, so with $100 insurance for $300k coverage, it works. It does take maybe an average of $500/year in maintenance, just did the water pump, but it's hella cheaper than the T3 I tested yesterday lol ($40k extended range/dual). Get used to being passed while driving the speed limit, it just looks dirt slow. And that is the people who caught me at speed, the ones who had to follow the acceleration... darn tailgaters. They do respond nicely to a good stab of the go pedal, usually backs them off with a coughing fit I guess.

[@andrewdavid7474]

Slight correction: The Rabbit was not a trim level for the Mk5, rather all Mk5s sold in North America were badged as Rabbits. It was sold alongside the so-called "City Golf" (and "City Jetta"), which was the cheaper, lower spec model built in Mexico and not sold in Europe. I suspect this was part of the reason they were sold as Rabbits for this generation, as not to confuse consumers and to capitalize on the nostalgia of the name.

[@bwofficial1776]

That's an enormous clock. The volume knob on the right is unusual. Very Teutonic design but it still looks good. This one looks very clean for its age. 52 mighty horsepowers are not a lot, even for 1986. The Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon is probably a closer competitor than the K-car. You have to try to find a Golf Country. It's a lifted AWD Golf Mk2 with off-road bumpers front and rear and an external spare tire. A few have made their way over here.

[@sv_cheats1970]

The diesels (in Europe) came in the na version, the Turbo diesel with 70HP, the intercooled turbo diesel with 80HP and the Eco Turbo Diesel with only 4kW more then the n/a version. Both the eco and intercooled versions had the smaller kkk k14 turbo while the 70hp version had a kkk k24. To say it has turbo lager would be an understatement but its fun. Edit: the eco turbo diesel came with the same injection pump the na versions came, also some tuners offered upgrades which would take the turbo diesels to GTI levels of perfomance. Oettinger Being one of them.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

Like many cars of that era , if I could get new one like that today I would in a heartbeat. I don't need a rocket, I have no use for most of today's car option. What I need is cheap car to own and operate and one that will last.

[@theadvocate4698]

Kia rio! Mine is 9 years old and is somehow a newer version of this in hatch form. Pretty fun manual car...

[@jeaves8131]

Had an 89 2 door 1.8 gas with a 3 speed auto… the poor old girl had zero interest in going fast lol. Thanks for the nostalgia trip :) I grew up in an 86 Jetta 5 speed and those dash lights, air con and trunk lock are good memories 😊

[@sicstar]

Heya Zack! Nice find! One that one even if it isn't 100% stock anymore but the coilovers sure don't hurt! Bit of rust the goodboi accumulated over the decades that need some love before he completely falls apart :| That the shifts feel a bit noodly might be because the linkage is worn to bits, usually they are somewhat snug. But as you said that was Almost 40 years ago lol. Even in germany you are hard pressed to find one on the road and there are A LOT of VW fanbois. For the interiour, well 80s german economic car, nothing much to expect besides that it should work even after that age. Keep up the work! Ima stay tuned for what you might pull out for future videos. Peace! o7

[@runoflife87]

My first thoughts were You've got not the "pure" VW but the TAS-VW assembled in Yugoslavia.

[@bokexd3173]

Just missing the TAS badge in the front

[@thevduber]

Glad to see my cars make another appearance! Makes me wanna take the for sale listing down. Also nice call out on the reps lmfao.

[@mrpoohbearlvr]

Loved my MK1 Deisel Rabbit...blew out tons of black smoke like a big rig,got 55mpg on the highway, and was bright yellow! Beep Beep!!!

[@kiraleaf]

I actually like the quirk that the car doesn't have to be 'on' to use the radio. It's not going to kill the battery, but I have to imagine it was a luxury feature in 1986 eastern Europe if you lived in your car and had to save money for diesel.

[@martinsokolowski5888]

golf is from western europe...and diesel fuel was much cheaper then gasoline

[@mikaseusshaklelord4781]

I had a white one as my first car! 75 hp, sun roof, central locking. My friends called it sarcastically the "Übergolf". Unfortunately someone broke in and stole my sony 600W amplifier. I told the policy its serialnumber. And several years later a police officer called me, and sayed the found my amplifyer in a confiscated car. 😁 So i went to the police station and brought it home! 😆

[@maxeluy]

My dad had a 87 Passat Diesel with the same engine. That engine maybe tired, my dad's car cruise at 65/70 no problem. Of course acceleration was slow, but highway speeds were aceptable no problem. I had it for a while as a daily driver after my dad passed away in 2010 and was slow but very usable and super reliable, sadly rust was a huge problem.

[@watchingitallhere]

I love how well preserved this car is. That being said, the old VW diesels were dogs. Mind your manners and be on your game in modern traffic... I never see these on the road anymore.

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

My older brother used to have one of these...it was UNSTOPPABLE!

[@TheIncredibleJumpman]

"Please don't make that into a gif" you've done it now, sir

[@losingmyfavoritegame8752]

I learned standard H on an 88 DX Civic, no tach, but this was so interesting to see something there!

[@GMCJay_lly]

Commenting for support. More diesel content, please. Ty.

[@XantoS771]

The Classic Volkswagen rocker panel rust...even "modern" golfs like the mk5 have that....keeping that heritage

[@sk8klown88]

I see Volkswagen, i click ❤

[@losingmyfavoritegame8752]

What a sexy car! 🥲

[@ksojda]

Bought one new. Diesel engine was pretty slow but averaged 52 MPG. And at that time fuel was quite a bit less than regular gas in the warm months and went up some during the heating season here in the northeast. Also had to buy good fuel with anti gel additives in the winter. Always started even in the coldest weather and that was pretty darn cold where I lived.

[@jeremylamear9844]

How fast were you able to get yours to go on the highway? I have one and I can barely get it to go over 60 MPH and 50 up a hill if I'm lucky

[@markhealey9409]

I don't think Golfs ever had four headlights,even in North America. That was some Jettas. They did have 2 rectangular headlights,though.

[@J.F.K.O]

the TD feels like a rocket compared to the D i drive a German MTDI swapped mk2 as a daily and i love it, only real problem is rust the mechanicals are solid

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

I rode in them all the time when I grew up. The ride was comfortably and the transmission one of best if it’s time. Also with the correct muffler the diesel sounds much better. This one had a rough life.

[@losingmyfavoritegame8752]

That is hilarious how there is a clock where a tach would be! 😂

[@normalizedaudio2481]

Scary. I put you in my beater! I take this over the new stuff.

[@patrickjane4466]

Oh man thank u so much, It brings back memories growing up at the back seats of a mark 2 what a car

[@markhealey9409]

Bosnia Herzegovina licence plate! 😳😳

[@M33f3r]

What’s the mpg? That’s the biggest selling point for the diesel engine right?

[@bokexd3173]

on urban 37.34 US mpg for a 3 door with 54HP

[@msmoniz]

Coilovers on a diesel MKII Golf?! WHY??????

[@Low760]

Because it looks cooler?

[@danielb4869]

Makes me want an old car again.

[@Low760]

My family has a mk3 tdi, and earlier had a mk1 passat gld, also a 90s t4 transporter (eurovan) All the things you talk about that seem odd are normal for me!

[@dieseltu1035]

I had a couple of them . They were rolling junk that wouldn't stop running. Then I bought a Toyota and never looked back .

[@rustyrobinson8027]

Good video thanks 👍

[@ilijagagula4204]

It has bosnian front plate

[@cavemanjoe79]

I wonder how much better performance you get with the turbo model?

[@Parrotdise290]

Of course an old Gold has Bosnian plates 🤣

[@motov8-garage832]

What brand and type are the rims?? Ive been trying to figure out what they are all year. I found a identical looking wheel last year on Google images but they were 18 or 19" wheel's with a deeper offset (that's what i want) Anybody knows let me know! Its a great looking wheel style, classic honeycomb look but with a unique shape around the lip.

[@mattman6461]

Big VW fan here. In my late 50s. I've owned Rabbits, Golfs, Jettas and Passats. All of them manuals. Hate to say today's VW is leaving fans like me behind with too many cookie cutter SUVs.

[@Dankcatvacs]

could have fooled me sounds like a gasser geo zuki that is the a smooth diesel

[@tunder975]

Thoose bosnian plates 😂🙂

[@Bruski001]

nice bosnian plates

[@dave11686]

Very cool

[@geraltzrivi108]

Jaka fura hmmmm...

[@FogartyAvenue]

Fantastic.

[@James-mw6se]

Cool video

[@sv_cheats1970]

BOSNIA MOBILE

[@rummimg]

I doubt if this thing would passed the smog test in Cali.

[@anthonykiedis1765]

When you live in the United States and buy a diesel 🤡🤡🤡