When it rains it pours Volkswagens

[cincinnati_kid]

This all started about a year ago I bought an 01 Vw jetta with a bad transmission (common). So I swapped a 5 speed into it and have been driving it the past year. I only have 1500 invested in that car and she runs great. I was surfing Craigslist not long ago and found a silver jetta vr6 that the guy said needed a new motor. So I picked it up cheap and took her apart and found a broken cam. So I put a new head on it and she runs great now. I still have to button up that one which is why I got the silver one on the left in the pic so I could use it as a parts car since the Vw are always picked clean in the junk yards. Well I was surfing Craigslist again and found a black jetta 1.8t loaded with every option that needed a fuel pump (got one in the parts car) and scored it for real cheap. So in a matter of a month or so I have gone from 1 jetta to 4 plus the truck and motorcycle and 2 trailers. Plus the fiancées car but that's not in my name haha. She tells me I need to get rid of one or at least park it somewhere else haha.

When it rains it pours (in a good way though)

Original jetta

Vr6

Head damage

Broken cam

Group shot

 

[rogsmart]

I guess we'll have to start calling you the "Jetta Knight." : )

 

[CNGsaves]

Nice scores on your VW fix and repair sideline business. You might grow business enough to need your own Dealer's License??

Curious if you've ever seen / worked on the WR12 engine?? What little I know about it, sounds like a beast!

 

[Teamsloan]

You and my father in law would get along great. He and my brother in law both do this same thing with older VW's and their driveway looks like yours but instead of Jettas, it's old vanagon's, rabbits, and Quantums.

Keep collecting!

 

[Cryptic1911]

hah, looks like our yard.. 4 VW's, a vr6, a 2.5t, and two 2.0t's in the driveway, and I have 2 vr6's and a 1.8t in the garage

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

I hear ya. See my signature line. The only "foreign" vehicle I own is Italian

 

[dmeadow]

Hmmm. Get rid of the fiancée and keep the Jettas! Not a good sign when the woman is telling you to get rid of cars even BEFORE you are married!

 

[cincinnati_kid]

Good to see there are a fair amout of VW guys here. The red one (my daily driver) is a 2.0. The silver one im fixing to sell is a VR6. The silver one thats a parts car is a 1.8t. The new black one is a 1.8t manual. I like the 1.8t the best mainly I have experience with it since I have been working on Audis longer than VW's. Time to get to work.

I think the fiance is just more concerned that they are showing up faster then they are disapearing haha.

 

[rsanter]

Hmmm. Get rid of the fiancée and keep the Jettas! Not a good sign when the woman is telling you to get rid of cars even BEFORE you are married!

Naw...go ahead and keep her. She gave the option to park one somewhere else which to me means she has given the blessing for you to build a big shop to park one in

Bob

 

[zx2slow]

I had to give up on my MK4, everything that commonly goes wrong with them went wrong in a three month period. My MK5 has been bulletproof so far.

 

[SGKent]

Plus the fiancées car but that's not in my name haha. She tells me I need to get rid of one or at least park it somewhere else haha

Find out if this is about parking or about jealousy. Ask her where she would like to park and give her that space. If however it is about jealousy, get prepared for a divorce before you get married because it will be in your future. It is a problem that you cannot work around. Anything you like will be a threat to her relationship with you and she will get tired of feeling you love everything else more than her. Been there done that. You can't win regardless of the hand you hold or how much you love her. Even when you send her flowers she won't believe them because in her mind she will see the other things still in your life.

 

[cincinnati_kid]

Naw...go ahead and keep her. She gave the option to park one somewhere else which to me means she has given the blessing for you to build a big shop to park one in

Bob

We have a 5 year plan. 2 years from now I want to own my "farm". The fiance loves to grow things (veggies, etc.) and I wants a few head of cattle and goats.

With the farm comes my dream shop which I already have drawn up. but till then I have to live with my 30x26 shop.

 

[cincinnati_kid]

Find out if this is about parking or about jealousy. Ask her where she would like to park and give her that space. If however it is about jealousy, get prepared for a divorce before you get married because it will be in your future. It is a problem that you cannot work around. Anything you like will be a threat to her relationship with you and she will get tired of feeling you love everything else more than her. Been there done that. You can't win regardless of the hand you hold or how much you love her. Even when you send her flowers she won't believe them because in her mind she will see the other things still in your life.

It is more of a parking issue. She doesnt care about me having all the cars but she just doesnt want them sitting all over. Her dad is a big car guy and he always has had non running cars next to and behind the barn. It is more of a parking and aesthetic concern (she doesnt want to be "that neighbor" haha)

 

[Alaric.H]

I seem to have a few VW 4x4 camper vans in the drive way at any given time.

 

[where2]

Now you just need to trade them all for one TDI wagon.
(nothing but VWs at my house, and 40MPG city is typical in my MkIV Jetta Wagon).

A "Wagon" you ask? Yes, because there are things that don't fit in my wife's MkV Jetta TDI sedan. Coming from a Scirocco and a Corrado, I got used to having a hatchback and being able to haul almost anything. I considered a Golf, but the wagon is roomier. For what doesn't fit in the wagon, you get a hitch and a trailer.

Farm: I have want for one as well... 40mpg city is one of my methods to get the $$$ to buy one.

 

[cincinnati_kid]

Now you just need to trade them all for one TDI wagon.
(nothing but VWs at my house, and 40MPG city is typical in my MkIV Jetta Wagon).

A "Wagon" you ask? Yes, because there are things that don't fit in my wife's MkV Jetta TDI sedan. Coming from a Scirocco and a Corrado, I got used to having a hatchback and being able to haul almost anything. I considered a Golf, but the wagon is roomier. For what doesn't fit in the wagon, you get a hitch and a trailer.

Farm: I have want for one as well... 40mpg city is one of my methods to get the $$$ to buy one.

I would like to get a TDI. There was one not long ago on CL for cheap with a blown automatic but It was snatched up quickly. I am waiting for another one with a blown auto to convert to a 5 speed and make it my DD.

 

[kuhner]

Ive had VWs all my driving llife thats 36 years now, air-cooled, jetta, passat. But never an all wheel drive Vanagon, I remember when they came out and was wondering about the reliability of the all wheel drive, tell me Alaric.H how has the all wheel drive held up? Wasnt it some type of a viscous system? seemed pretty much like magic at the time.

greg

 

[Alaric.H]

Ive had VWs all my driving llife thats 36 years now, air-cooled, jetta, passat. But never an all wheel drive Vanagon, I remember when they came out and was wondering about the reliability of the all wheel drive, tell me Alaric.H how has the all wheel drive held up? Wasnt it some type of a viscous system? seemed pretty much like magic at the time.

greg

There are ones out there with 400000 miles on the drive train. The gray one is a 2.5tdi.But all in all if you do not do your own repairs it would not be worth buying one.

 

[Randy in Maine]

The Synchros are very nice. Real money for a good one.

I am a type 4 baywindow guy myself with 2 1979 Westies in my garage. I want a doublecab pickup next.

 

[pipsters]

I had a 98 Mk III VR6 5-speed for about 6 years. Thing was a pile. Finally got rid of it. Maybe if you can flip them quickly VW's are good but long term? No thanks, I'll keep my Volvo.

Fun to drive though, especially that torquey 6 cylinder.

Flipping cars I know how to work on would be neat, I can't just ever seem to find them cheap enough to flip. If I could make $800-$1000 I'd be happy, otherwise for me it's just better to work overtime at my day job.

 

[cincinnati_kid]

On the black one I just got I will have no extra repair costs being that I have the parts laying around. I bought it for 1k and can sell it for 3500 or so once its fixed. I have 1500 in the red one and could sell it for 3200 - 3500 The silver one is a lower milage VR6 I have about 1500 in that one and I will expect to get at least 4500. I have a total of 4500 invested on all 4.

I dont only do it for $ I enjoy fixing things. I like the satisfaction the first time you here her start up

 

[JCQuick]

I'm an aircooled nut but having been in the VW parts biz for most of my life i like them all.
I'm back behind the parts counter these days and it taking me a little to catch up on the later water cooled ones. I deal with a lot of people just like you on a daily basis

 

[rmc115]

I have worked on several w12's (VW Phaeton and Audi A8's and biturbo w12 in a Bentley) what a pain but smokin fast. Mike

 

[slowtwitch]

I'm an aircooled nut but having been in the VW parts biz for most of my life i like them all.
I'm back behind the parts counter these days and it taking me a little to catch up on the later water cooled ones. I deal with a lot of people just like you on a daily basis

I love the air-cooled VW's also ( I have a 57 oval in the garage). I have a neighbor who has an older tdi that i may be able to get. Maybe get my feet wet with this water cooled stuff

 

[G-Ram]

Nice little collection of Jettas you have there. I'm more of a mk3 guy myself (I've had 5 lol), but vw's are awesome in any form. Would you happen to be on the vw vortex forum? If not, it's a great site with tons of info.

 

[cincinnati_kid]

Nice little collection of Jettas you have there. I'm more of a mk3 guy myself (I've had 5 lol), but vw's are awesome in any form. Would you happen to be on the vw vortex forum? If not, it's a great site with tons of info.

You can get mk3's around here for next to nothing.

I am a member over there but havent really posted. I need to start a parting out thread on the one silver jetta.

My first dealings with VW was when I was 13 or 14 I helped my cousin restore a super beetle. I ahave always liked german cars. My fiance's uncle owns a shop that specializes in german cars although they do almost anything now. Nice to have that

 

[shephd]

I like that photo! More of the vans, please.

I seem to have a few VW 4x4 camper vans in the drive way at any given time.

 

[nanofrog]

I'm an aircooled nut but having been in the VW parts biz for most of my life i like them all.
I'm back behind the parts counter these days and it taking me a little to catch up on the later water cooled ones. I deal with a lot of people just like you on a daily basis

You wouldn't happen to work at Triangle Auto on Edgewater Dr., would you?

 

[where2]

I've been on the net in the VW world longer than Vortex has been around. The MkIV crew was always unhelpful. I found more useful MkIV knowledge in the TDI Club even for common things. Now the Corrado Forum on Vortex is another story. A Corrado is a quirky MkII/MkIII half-breed, so without the help of the ancient users much knowledge would be lost.

 

[CNGsaves]

Any VW owners who have CNG capable - - ie bi-fuel, or convert to dedicated?

In Europe, VW announced the "World's Most Fuel Efficient Natural Gas Passenger Car" - - - the Eco Up!

It's a little 2 seater that is rated at 56 mpg.

See more info at:
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/12/05/vw-launches-eco-up-can-burn-natural-gas-or-biomethane/
http://www.ngvglobal.com/german-tra...es-vw-eco-up-for-environmental-car-award-0823

 

[NHBandit]

Flame suit on.... Having managed salvage yards and worked at used car dealers I can understand why most VW guys have more than 1. They are always broken...

 

[Todd.Brock]

Cincinnati kid, If you see a Black mk4 gti let me know!!! We had 9GTI's that we were always working in, swapping parts to keep running. My last was a black 2.0 liter 16v Gti. I loved that car!

 

[marlinspike]

Is that a non-interference engine? I'm trying to figure out how a broken cam didn't kill the whole thing, and the best I can come up with is either you got very lucky with where it stopped or it's non-interference.

 

[BlindViper]

you need a tdi to round out the bunch