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VW Mk2 Parts – The Best Way to Keep Your 1992 Golf GTI on the Road

VW Mk2 Parts - Reliable Way to Keep your Mk2 Golf GTI on the Road

Volkswagen is one of the largest and most popular car brands in the world. They’ve built their reputation on the backs of many legendary car models. Among them, the Mk2 Golf stands out both as a feat of engineering and a timeless representation of a functional design. The Mk2 platform also included the Jetta, which was arguably more popular in some parts of the world. Finding VW Mk2 parts, especially parts for the GTI, isn’t as easy these days. However, it’s not impossible. To find out what’s going on, we need to go back in time start from the beginning.

The Rebellion in the Heart of Germany

The entire GTI story reads like a novel. The Mk1 GTI was born out of spite for the lazy, safe, and mainstream vehicles VW was making at the time. It was the ’70s, and the world was all about the rebellious spirit. From hippy culture, rock music, and opiates in the west to shaking the foundations of communism in the east — everyone was out there looking to ‘stick to the man’.

The Mk1 GTI was precisely that for a group of renegade VW engineers — their way of sticking it to the man. With Giugiaro’s design giving VW a modern, stylish racehorse, these engineers wanted to put some horsepower behind those looks. Hence, the first GTI was born.

Despite the higher-ups’ resistance, Mk1 GTI went into production in 1975 and became an instant hit. It was lightning fast, had decent brakes, and it gave the entire brand a new flavor.

VW Mk2 Parts

The Mk2 Era

The brass sitting at the top of the Volkswagen might have been stuck in their ways, but they weren’t stupid by any measure. What Mk1 achieved for the brand as a whole caught everyone’s attention. The second iteration of the GTI was greenlit as soon as the proposal reached the right table.

That being said, VW got a little sloppy. Not only did they carry over the engine from the original GTI, but they did nothing to compensate for the bump in weight of the new platform. The new car was fast but tired. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the world saw a new motor reach the engine bay of the Mk2 GTI. The feisty 16V engine gave the Mk2 GTI just the kind of power it needed.

The rest is more or less history. Mk2 became an instant success story, quickly dwarfing its predecessor’s track record and casting a massive shadow for all GTIs to come after it. In fact, the Mk3 GTI was so bland that most VW aficionados simply skip it when discussing the history of GTIs.

The Mk2 Era

Owning a VW Mk2 GTI Today

Volkswagen Mk2 GTI wasn’t exactly a limited production car. In fact, they made quite a few of them. That being said, this car has become so insanely popular that there’s always a shortage of clean, Mk2 GTIs with a healthy interior and an unmolested engine. The ones you can find for cheap are likely to have a plethora of mechanical problems, including serious engine issues.

Finding a mint Mk2 GTI, especially the 1990-1992 facelift model with added bolsters in the seats, or the Synchro version with the 4WD system, is hard.

Let’s say you managed to find one. What about the parts? Are they difficult to source? Can you still get new parts, or are you doomed to parting out an old Jetta somewhere, hoping to get something that fits your GTI?

The fortunate thing about the Mk2 is the fact that you can work on this car with few tools. In other words, the costs of finding and sourcing parts could be a challenge, but at least you can save on the service itself.

Doing a brake job, a timing job, or even a clutch job isn’t all that difficult given the right tools and the necessary products. It’s all worth it if you get to hear that exhaust note again and feel that suspension dancing below you as you navigate corners.

Finding VW Mk2 Parts

As with all these vintage cars, parts won’t be super easy to source, but far from impossible. Even though VW’s offering of the Mk2 platform for the US market was pretty gutless compared to what our cousins from across the pond got to enjoy, this brand and the model both thrived.

The mighty GTI was fairly popular in the US, despite being slower than its European counterpart. All those heavy emissions regulations and restrictions couldn’t neuter the punchy 1.8-liter and later the 2.0-liter 16v engine.

There was a tangible lul in the popularity surrounding these cars in the early 2000s. However, that period has passed, and the Mk2 GTI is once again a hot commodity. This has sparked a massive influx of aftermarket parts for the Mk2, but not just the GTI — the Jetta and regular Golfs as well.

People simply grew to appreciate the refined exhaust note of the Mk2. The car is a living and breathing blast from the past. Pushing an Mk2 down a twisty road gives you a chance to enjoy that snappy little engine and experience what it was like to drive a car without all the nanny systems we have today.

The suspension, although dated, has that unique old school vibe to it. It’s a slow car by today’s standards, doesn’t handle all too well, but it offers an experience that you won’t get anywhere else.

OEM and Aftermarket

The availability of parts for both the Mk1 and Mk2 (and Mk3 to an extent) is fairly good. You can’t walk down to your nearest auto parts store and find everything you need, though. For that, you’ll have to visit niche parts suppliers and check their stock regularly.

Engine, suspension, clutch, and brakes are all reasonably easy to find parts for. It’s the trim and various other aesthetic parts that you’ll have the most trouble with. Sure, there is some aftermarket for that too, but aftermarket cosmetic products are viewed differently than mechanical parts and related products.

Once you slap an aftermarket piece of black trim to that car, you’re killing its identity. Especially considering how few exterior trim pieces there actually are on this car.

It’s worth mentioning that many diehard Mk2 fans also like to scour their local (or not so local in some cases) VW junkyards for a relatively intact GTI. Sometimes running a used part is the only option you have.

eEuroparts.com and Mk2

Here at eEurorparts.com, we have a soft spot for vintage VW classics. The Mk1 Golf holds a special place in our hearts. That being said, the Mk2 is where it’s at for us. Because of that, we’re actively working on building an extensive catalog of parts for these cars.

Our goal is to focus on the entire Mk2 platform, including the Jetta of this vintage as well. We’d like to have a complete selection of clutch products, engine parts, transmission parts, and more for this car and all other cars within this generation. As you can imagine, that’s not something you can do overnight. We’ve been making strides in this regard. However, there is always room to improve.

How to Find the Right Part for your Mk2 Golf GTI, Standard Mk2 Gold, or Mk2 Jetta?

To find all the parts that we offer in our catalog for these cars, you’ll have to head over to our online store. There you’ll find a car selection tool that will let you select the exact year, make, and model of your vehicle.

Input your car’s data and let our system do its magic. Once it’s finished, you’ll get a list of products and parts that fit your vehicle. To further narrow down your search, you can select parts by type and manufacturer. So, if you’re looking for a clutch, you should be able to navigate straight to it. The same goes for other car parts, lubricants, timing kits, and more.

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Working on cars is dangerous, always be careful and be aware of the hazards of working on any vehicle. eEuroparts.com (Newparts Inc) is not responsible for any injury, up to and including death, as a result of working on any vehicle suggested or implied on this website.