So, I've just driven my late father's Golf down from Skye -- in some terrible weather -- and in many ways it's not as bad as I thought it might be. I even managed to overtake a couple of lorries on the A87 and A82, to the surprise of all concerned. Shame about the dead LEDs in the dash panel which meant I could see only the rev counter in the dark and had to do mental arithmetic to work out how fast I was going on the motorways! Did Fort William to Hemel on somewhat under a tank of diesel.

This will -- when I get the paperwork from the DVLA -- be on the appropriate section, but for now I'm hoping one of the fine people here might have an idea about its value? One owner, 52k miles on a 55 plate, most of the hand control hardware has been removed, and I've currently got the instrument pack out to have a look at the LEDs on Monday. It's a 1.9 turbo diesel, and I don't think the rear seats have ever been sat on (spent its life with the seats flat and a wheelchair and ancillary stuff in the back). New Avon tyres on the back -- I don't think it was driven except back from the garage -- and Toyos with about 7mm remaining on the front.

Any thoughts what I should be hoping for?

A good way to get the lowest figure is stick the reg into WeBuyAnyCar - and then add 10-20% for a more realistic cash price.

Yeah, they were saying £1800, but I'm not sure how much I trust them. Seems overpriced. But hey, that's why I'm asking.

Interesting weather you've had in Scotland the past week - driven up and back twice in ten days...

Best of luck with the car Neil & yes it's rained & rained here for ages. Still onwards & upwards.

Heh: just worked it out: I've averaged 270 miles a day for the last ten days

Hi neil,

I was looking at one of these with 100k on and was offered it for £1k.. £1500-£1800 would seem fair. It does have the bullet proof 1.9 pd engine so should have a demand.

It'll be better once I've fixed the instrument lights

Put a picture up. Like to see this.. Be interested on you thoughts for this as a mile muncher

Well, took the binnacle out, saw nothing obvious to say why the LEDs didn't work, put it back, they still didn't work (though they did briefly work so I was able to turn off the thing that goes 'bing!' at 57mph) and discovered that starting the car without the binnacle (a) won't let the engine run and (b) sets the airbag light. I'll have a look with Torque tomorrow and see if I can turn it off again (if I can find the connector!)

Not sure about how I feel about it as a mile muncher. I don't like VAG cars in general, and in this case I was driving through snowstorms, trying to make sure Anita kept up with me in the (quicker) Bravo, and feeling rather in the dumps as I'd spent the week trying to sort out my father's estate and funeral. But it got there in one piece, still had some fuel left after 500 miles (though not as much as the Bravo had - did another 120 miles in that before filling up). It's torquey rather than voomy and it feels as if it doesn't want to accelerate past seventy. And bing, bing, bing, bloody bing all the way across the highlands!

I've had a painful crick in my neck for a week, but I don't know if that's related or not...

Sorry to hear about your father Neil. Condolences and thoughts are with you.

Thanks for your thoughts on the golf also.

Unsure if it will help things, but you can borrow my Carista OBD2 dongle and log-in to the app if you need to read any faults or reset them? Condolences too.

Thanks Pinin and Ruben. A neighbour has access to a factory reader to reset the airbag. For what it's worth, Torque doesn't see the airbag light error, but (good news) doesn't see any errors from the engine.

Well, the golf is now with Sugerbear, of this very parish, and my mother is a little better off.

Thanks Rob!

no one needs a speedo in the dark

Just read this Neil, my condolences and good wishes for your ma.

Thanks Simon.

Oh dear sorry to hear the news, condolences from us too.

I have an official Ross Tech VAG COM if you need anything on the Golf re-set or checked.

Cheers Bob. We haven't seen you in too long - time for a Cambridge meet before I retire?

Sorry to read about this Neil please accept our condolences. Horrible time for you.

This sounds like a nice idea.

The Golf Plus has grown on me, I can see the point of it. It's a pumped up version of the regular gold. Bigger boot, wider backseats. What's not to like. It now plies it trade up and down the M11.

Dodgy lights on the dashboard console fixed (£11), headlights polished and sealed (£20), airfix paint to touch up the worn switches (£5), Bilt hamber (£10) lavishly applied to the rusty bits. New Stereo fitted (Free from my son). Child labour to clean the car (also free). Hand controls but also removed by me. I also had the cambelt changed and had the auto box oil changed which was a bit more expensive but they shouldn't need doing for a couple of years at least.

Next month I will see if it passes its MOT

I thought I got all the hand controls out... good call on the dodgy lights; presumably you can see the info display now?

Neil

oh, wait, there was that pivot stub that didn't want to let go over the accelerator...

I bought a working console on fleabay then took it apart.

The display console electronics are made up of two parts, the front display part and the back control module that is keyed to the car (That holds the mileage). They are connected by a connector block, so just too the dodgy one off, put the fleabay display part back onto the existing control module and it worked. I did expect the car to start up with warning lights all over the place but it worked and I can now see the speedo in the dark, which is nice.

The LCD display (MFD) in the middle of the dash works when started up but then it slowly fads over time, made worse when it's hot (a common problem on the VW forums) but I can live with that.

Should works on all Mk5 Golfs.

Garage wanted £50 to remove the controls but then I checked and I found it was a couple of bolts that linked up to the steering column and the bolt on the foot pedal. 10 minutes of spannering and swearing trying to get the bar out and it was done.

Cool! You'll not be wanting your money back then

The Golf Plus (the smurf as she is known in the works car park) has now reached the heady heights of 85k miles and is still running perfectly and it's currently sat doing about 100 miles a month because I only need it to visit my son,

The 1.9TDI is bullet proof but it did have a bit of an issue with the EGR being blocked but that improved the fuel economy (which they all suffer from around the 70k mile mark) so just took off the vacuum pipe for a bit until I could fit a straight through pipe and have it mapped out. Apart from that it has only cost me the servicing.

Also has a six month extension on the MOT now so won't need doing until 2021.

My mother will be pleased to know

And another year on the ticket after the government backtracked on the MOT until August. Rusty front wings treated again, headlights lightly sanded and polished.

Rust will kill this car, the engine is bullet proof. The EGR and assorted other nasty bits and pieces were removed and luckily it doesn't have a DPF. ECU "amended" to ignore the EGR which is wonderful.

I am now undecided if I want to keep it or go back to the VW UP that my son was using and has now returned to me.

Second that. Alternate is to look at the traders pricing for a comparable car on eBay....

Ds

Its going to be up for sale in the next month as I am going back to my VW UP fo a bit then I may get a Seat Cupra Estate or a VW Tiguan.

Since buying it I have added about 35k miles and spent about £1200 on various bits, cam belt, gearbox oil/filter, new front tyres, straight through EGR pipe (and ditched all the EGR gubbins and changed the ECU). it doesn't have a DPF which is also nice.

Still has rusty arches which I patch up every year (news ones painted are £200 for a pair off eBay) and some minor rust on one of the doors. Needs the CV joint changing which came up on the MOT.

Full service history, 12 months MOT, magical 1.9 TDI engine, climate control has been degassed, just turned 90,000 miles and it's a 2005. Just took it to Devon for a camping holiday and it didn't miss a beat. It's automatic and everything works.

What do you reckon on the price?

(I saw a Mk5 Golf 2005 with 160k miles for £1,650 but its bodywork looked better),

The Golf Plus has now sadly passed into the "Trade" and I have a new toy.

I was looking for an estate. then came across something a bit bigger .. So I now have a 2011 XC90. It's like driving a comfy sofa and I love it.