no need to trip on coolant pipes on daily driven 6TTs.
They are great cars. Fast as hell. They cry for modern suspension, a set of brand name coilovers, little front nose rake, some suspension bits, they are fun.
2nd gear pop up can be avoided if it has not occurred yet.
Water pump will go bad regardless how little miles on it, they are pre-programmed
Foam will come out of the a/c vents and it is at least 12 hours of work.
Soul? It is the connection between you and the car. Some people like old rust buckets, and the misery comes with them, some people like modern era cars and the horrible upkeep they require. Just pick your poison.