Buying a mk1

is there any thing i need to look out for when buying a mk1. i gotta mk3 but i like the earlier golfs much more. my insurance for for the 1.4 mk3 is 840 would the mk1 1.3 be much cheaper?

the insurance all depends on your age, the 1.3 mk1 was designed to look like a gti, with the side decals and arch trims etc, so insurers look at this as making it more vulnerable than a non gti (or lookalike) model.

there is a buying guide on the home page.

I agree, it's hard to tell. The 1.3 CL isn't a GTi look-alike though (5 doors and no Gti trim). You could try out Confused.com? Type in 1983 1.3 Driver or 1983 1.3 CL for example. I find the more modern equivalents are often lower insurance groups than a mk1 though! My diesel was a group 8 last time I checked, and that's about as sporty as a zimmer-frame compared to the GTi. The equivalent Saxo diesel is more like 3 or 4 at worst, so you get the idea. The group system goes by parts availability and cost, repair costs and the age of the car aswell I think, so it's not all about desirability, trim and power.