bigblock wrote:
Sure waste veg can be turned into biodiesel, but I will need a lab to handle it. SVO cuts out the processing at the sacrifice of stability. Not sure if I will take my plans all the way to biodiesel or not, i'll see when I get there.
Our 90 Jetta is an amalgam of 90 - 92 parts. I found a dynamite brown interior for it, this sets off the mars red paint work.
Sure is a good handling machine.
What did you think of your 86? Can you direct us to any pictures? Have you had any VW's since?
Our VW is an expensive ride. Most of it needs to be repaired regularly, and it doesn't fare well at emission's testing. So it would be a tough sale to get me into a new one.
Are you loyal to VW?
I loved the '86. Maroon red with grey interior/black dash, steel 15" wheels painted silver and wolfsburg badges on the fenders. It handled remarkably well, especially in the snow - only slid once. Loved driving it - but it was a little slow due to its 3-speed automatic (could've used a nice 6-speed, or at least another gear) transmission. The car was light and fast for its time, and the brakes weren't too bad either - I remember once where I used them heavily, and even when the fluid got really, really hot, they still worked. It had great steering and a HUGE trunk - bigger than the one in my hatch today. Oh, how I miss that car....
I'll scan some pictures of me and the dub soon.
Today I own a 2002 VW GTi 1.8T. It's silver with 17" alloy wheels and a cloth interior, which is great - always have loved cloth. But it doesn't like snow much at all, as it has a tendency to get either stuck or slide at times. I can't fix it as easily (due to the computer and such, even though I own a VAG-COM), and it is more complicated than the jetta - but it is faster, better insulated and looks a bit nicer on the inside. I do like how it handles in 3 out of the 4 seasons, especially with the Yokohama tires I bought for it - and the engine is very potent - almost bulletproof. But the tranny sucks; it's a 5-speed that can barely handle the power. It gives me trouble about every 3-4 weeks by not shifting (I have to tiptronic it into next gear), and then it's fine. I believe that a 6 or 4-speed would have been a better choice, as this one is just too fragile. The GTi is awesome, but lacks the 'character' or 'personality' that my jetta had.
Emissions for me were fine; never had a problem. My GTi runs on the lean side, and my dad's passat has had little problems in that area (aside from the routine oxygen sensor change).
If you have the money - and want to keep the jetta - you could always do an overhaul. Otherwise, if you're not really loyal to the car, I'd look around. The jetta for me was getting costly; the last repair - valve head repair & replacement - was $800. If costs were going to go up from there, well, I just couldn't afford it. I decided to look for another car.
I'm pretty loyal to VW for a few reasons, but here's my main one, and it has to do with the jetta:
In the first few months of owning the car, my turn signal light on right-hand side has an unusual flicker to it. So I take it in to the dealer (my mechanic can't figure it out and won't touch it) to get it looked at. Turns out that the car had a recall on the specific relay for that side back in the late 80's, yet this car hadn't come in for the recall. Naturally I assumed the dealer wouldn't stay true to the recall - but I was shown wrong. Not only did they have the part - they installed it and charged me NOTHING. It cost me nothing for the part, and nothing for the labor. VW had stood by their vehicle and their recall for over 16 years. I was not only impressed, but won over due to their solidarity to their product and their steadfast claim of quality.
Where can you find a company who will do that these days?
Other reasons include the gas mileage, storage capacity, "fun to drive" rating (they are fun to drive - seriously, that jetta and GTi just make you smile), toughness of engine, ability of maitenance, and overall quality.
My parents had owned a Mercury in the past, of which its only redeeming quality was the engine (which was made by Mazda). The rest of the car was pure crap. The interior fell apart: dome light fell out of the ceiling, seat belt covers came off when you pulled on the seat belt (subsequently hitting my dad in the head and pissing him off for the day), console falling apart, headrests breaking, radio buttons not working, power locks failing to operate as if running on dead battery, etc, etc.
Also, the engine electrical system was faulty, as it wouldn't charge the battery via alternator - which left us stranded on a couple of occasions. And the reverse lights failed to work because they literally fell out of their places.
They finally got rid of the car after a lifted truck took out their trunk. It was not a fun accident, but no one was seriously hurt, and they totaled out the mercury so they could get something less defective.
Now they own a passat, and they're much happier - at the very least due to the fact that no one is getting hit in the head by plastic seat belt covers.
31 Dec 2009, 5:16 am
