Opinion on a cabriolet please

Hello!

I am currently looking for a good condition low mileage cabriolet.
This looks interesting:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201212124597739/sort/default/usedcars/body-type/convertible/engine-size-cars/1-7l_to_1-9l/model/golf/make/volkswagen/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1501/page/4/postcode/hd96lt?logcode=p

Don't have much info on it until I give the seller a ring.
Assuming it is in good condition, is it a silly, or realistic price?

Thanks,
Mike
 

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the forum. I think the best advise I can give you is to give the seller a ring and go and have a look at it. I looked at a fair few before I got mine and with a car of this age it's well worth knowing what you're looking at or taking someone with you that does.

As for the cabby, she looks like and sounds like the mileage is low. I would go and have a look and go from there mate.

Good luck

Smudger

Yes you are right, until it is seen etc.
I've just no idea on the price range between basket case and mint.

if the mileage can be proven by old MOT's, service history and the condition is good then that is a good price for a rivage

Being naturally suspicious I'd be looking for signs of respray as the decals and stone guards look to be missing, also the wipers are left hand drive.  If it was a lefthooker once chances are they wont be the original clocks.  Quite cheap for a 47k green rivage leather imo, quite a rare combo.  Proof is in the pudding, go take a look and ask plenty of questions!

Well spotted on the wipers, hadn't noticed, may be too good to be true after all…

I spoke to the trader a few weeks ago and have some close up pics and th mot history which dated back a number of years. The car seems genuine but the trader didn't know much about the fact that it was a Lhd previously.

All I know is it registered as a 2000 year car as it was imported into the uk then.

Thanks

If imported in 2000, anything could have happened in the 9 years before. I can't honestly think the speedo was fitted correctly for the mileage at importation…

have a look at this page, it has been collecting bought prices for mk1's

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=119290&highlight=

if you do buy it add it to the page.

looks good, low miles. just have to have a look underneath and see if it is rotten or not. check around the rear axle mount, for the money it should be mint.

have a test drive, check the previous service papers.

hi car looks ok but as said before i looks like it was lefthand drive previously, that could be why the stickers have been removed, to hide the fact its a classic line, and not a uk rivage. although its not actually advertised as a rivage. also if its been imported the clocks would have been changed from kmh to mph so unless proof the milage counts for nothing so dont pay over the odds for a low milage car.
go and have a look and see what you think, have a read of the buying guides on here as what to look for, if it was a rivage its cheap if its ex lhd import its expensive and i would expect it to be mint.

racer said

 although its not actually advertised as a rivage.

It is in the description.

Didn't later cabrios have orange needles too? Clocks poss from an eariler car?

When you do the initial search on a hpi check it doesn't actually come up as a Ruvage, it might even be the model with a CAT fitted, engine bay pics would tell you that.

To be honest there are too many question marks over this one now, that you have all kindly pointed out.
I've just done a search on the insurance database and it brings it up as a Golf S Cabriolet?!
Thanks for your help.
Cheers,
Mike

I would suggest calling Vw uk with the vin number before you dismiss it.

It might be registered incorrectly.

Orange needles were just on the Sportline I think ?

must only be sportline not got them on my rivage(s)

didnt see rivage in the ad, i would say its deffo not a rivage but a classic line so price would be lower, would say there is nothing wrong with buying a classic line as long as you lok at it as such, and pay accordingly.

Ive seen a J plate Rivage with orange needles but from memory have never seen any others.

The car does look nice its just the lack of history providng its mileage prior to 2000, but surely the condition and drive will reflect this.

My Rivage has orange needles and I checked with the original owner a while ago (when a thread popped up asking about the colour) and they were in there from new.

They prob used whatever ones they had at the time.

BigNormRivage said

My Rivage has orange needles and I checked with the original owner a while ago (when a thread popped up asking about the colour) and they were in there from new.

They prob used whatever ones they had at the time.

I thought it was just Sportlines but as usual I'm wrong :-(