Just bought my second car tonight, 1991 VW golf gti 8 valve version. Took it for a test drive the other day and it sounded and drove great, engine is super clean and the guy who owned it is a mechanic and has replaced or rebuilt pretty much everything under the hood. Drove it home on the freeway doing about 110 km/h (65 mph?) and it sounded and drove great and way above expectations. Got it near home after about an hour drive and all of a sudden I got engine shakes intermittently and the oil light came on. It didn't need any oil and I shut the car off and started it up and it was fine. I drove the rest of the way home about a 20 min drive and got home and the exact problem with the exception of the oil light. Shakes again, but not constant just on again off again. Shut the car off for a minute, checked oil again which was at the exact same level and when I turned the car on and took it around the block it sounded and drove great. Any ideas what this is or what could cause it? The car had been sitting for a couple months without anybody driving it could this play a role? Thanks.

 

It might be the oil pump going bad. Did the last owner even replaced everything inside the engine???