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July 30, 2009 7:32 p.m. CGLockRacer Reader

An older Jetta Diesel popped up locally for sale. Looks to be in nice shape, although there is only one picture of the rear corner (below), but the ad was not very descriptive. It is a 2 door also. What year is this car? Looks like a 2nd gen. How long do they last? Asking price is $2500 for this particular car, but I have no idea if it is worth that much. Are these TDI's? Am I asking enough questions? What can be done to improve the "fun" factor of these cars. I would be commuting about 65 miles round trip daily, plus weekend stuff, and to the races if it is reliable enough. And, dumb sounding question, but what seatbelts do these have? Are they normal 3 point, or the stoopid automatic belts? (It needs to fit CG-Locks :) )

Thanks for the help!

http://images.craigslist.org/3nc3o93p2ZZZZZZZZZ97u42974df7128b16cb.jpg
July 30, 2009 7:43 p.m. Junkyard_Dog Reader

Looks like an "ecodiesel" which is a non-turbo slug iirc. They last forever if maintained. If not they're like any German car and go downhill quickly. Price seems a bit high but the veggies like to pay too much and that drives up the market. Unless you're trying to make a statement I'd go with a gas version and pay only slightly more in fuel but have a lot more fun.
July 30, 2009 8:04 p.m. suprf1y Reader

I have a friend who just put one of those on the road. I believe he has about $500 in it. He loves it.

He will learn to hate it.

You will too, if you buy one.
July 30, 2009 8:14 p.m. ManofFewWords Reader

50 mpg win
July 30, 2009 8:35 p.m. gimpstang New Reader

buy it and swap in a 1.9L TDI from a wrecked Beetle. Instant win :)
July 30, 2009 8:35 p.m. Travis_K HalfDork

An eco diesel jetta coupe is a very very rare/valuable car. I live in california and that would be more like $5k here. Just the engine is worth over $1000. Its not a tdi, its a 1.6 non turbo with a mechanical injector pump.

If you can afford it, buy it, but if its anything like it is around here, there are 10 people on thir way to look at it with $2500 cash in their hand right now if its not gone already.

You can get pretty much any suspension and drivetrain parts you can imagine, the diesel specific stuff is farily expensive though, although mainaince items arent bad.
July 30, 2009 8:36 p.m. mad_machine UberDork

can you drop a turbo on it?
July 30, 2009 8:58 p.m. amg_rx7 Reader

drive it and see if you like it. it's slower than a snail.
July 31, 2009 2:59 a.m. friedgreencorrado HalfDork

From the pic, it's an A2. Great chassis, but a boat anchor with anything less than the gas 8v or the turbodiesel. OTOH, Jetta coupes are rare with any engine in it here in the US. Back in the day, many of the "eco-diesels" were converted to turbodiesels, an unmolested one might be as close to "collectible" as an A2 Jetta coupe can be.

They sure have great fuel economy, tho.
July 31, 2009 6:16 a.m. JmfnB MegaDork

gimpstang wrote:

buy it and swap in a 1.9L TDI from a wrecked Beetle. Instant win :)

except finding a TDi is near impossible right now, just got a quote for a used engine $3200.00...
July 31, 2009 10:52 a.m. CGLockRacer Reader

Just got the scoop...

'91

250K on the body

40K on the engine and clutch rebuild

Driven daily

Reason for selling is he got a deal on a '99 Jetta

Now, for me it won't work because it has the stupid separate lap and shoulder belt system. But, can I convert it to a normal 3 point system from a Euro or Canadian car? Anyway, I doubt I'm going to get it so I'm posting the CL link here hoping one of you will pick it up before I lose my senses again . Its more than $2009, but sounds like a lot of you may be interested.

http://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/1297630610.html

And here is his number, even though not in the CL ad... 734-428-4601
July 31, 2009 11:30 a.m. Travis_K HalfDork

I think all you need to convert the seatbelts are just the belts, some trim pieces, and different doors. They are wired not to start without the seatbelt buckled, so that would require fixing too. Seriously though, you could buy that car, drive it to san francisco and sell it for double what you paid for it within a week. You can get a tdi for under $2k if you are lucky, I know someone that got a whole wrecked tdi jetta for $1300, becasue they were able to get a trailer and go on a moments notice (seriously, the guy had about 40 phone calls for people who wanted to pick it up the nexct morning, but he went and got the night before.) If you want an MK2 vw, imo the diesels are alot better idea, they get good milage, are worth 2-3 timrs and much, and the gas ones usually have major issues with running like crap.
July 31, 2009 11:59 a.m. Ian F HalfDork
As others have mentioned, the Jetta coupe is a rare bird.. diesel versions even more so... random thoughts:
- if a grease-car conversion strikes your fancy, these are the most forgiving of the bunch. The newer the engine, the less tolerant they are (expen$ive IP failure).
- dropping in a ALH (99-03) motor is not difficult (although not a bolt-in) and can make a fair amount of power.
- VW diesels are like any German car x10. They DO NOT tolerate lack of maintenance... this is the scariest thing about buying a used one... I have an '03 wagon that I bought new, so I know the maintenance history (100% by ME). I don't really care for the later PD engines - the make more power stock, but also give less mpg... If I so desire (and eventually I might... ), I can get MUCH more power out of my engine w/ a minimal mpg hit.
- One of the biggest issues with VW diesels is finding someone to work on them. The general rule is to avoid the dealer like the plague. Some techs are good... many are not... and you'll never know if you'll get the one tech who knows TDI's... Fortuantely, these are amoung the best DIY cars made in the last decade. The special tools and online help are readily available.
- www.tdiclub.com The first and last place to go for TDI info. Actually - the best place to go if you ever have a non-engine related problem with gasser VW's as well... VERY good signal-noise ratio (vs. say... the VWVortex).
July 31, 2009 12:52 p.m. Travis_K HalfDork

The maintaince issue it the main thing that scares me about diesel vws. Good deals can be found on the engines if you have time to look, but if you break a rod or something, anything but a worn out 1.6 from a 70s rabbit will be over $1k, for a salvage yard tdi more like $3k.
July 31, 2009 4:01 p.m. Ian F HalfDork

Yeah, that was the main reason I bought my car new, despite swearing I'd never do so and have to take the depreciation hit. The used ones I was looking at ('96/97 Passat wagons) were expensive (nearly $10K in '02) and had a ton of miles (well over 100K).
July 31, 2009 8:27 p.m. NGTD HalfDork

It is certainly not a TDI. It will be an IDI diesel, likely a 1.6L. If it is a turbo, you can do lots with it. There are a couple of pump rebuilders that will set the pump up to make much more power (and a LOT more smoke). It is not as cheap as chipping a TDI, but can make good power too.

Here is where to go:

http://www.vwdiesel.net/

and

http://www.tdiclub.com/
Aug. 1, 2009 12:36 a.m. friedgreencorrado HalfDork

JmfnB wrote:

gimpstang wrote:

buy it and swap in a 1.9L TDI from a wrecked Beetle. Instant win :)

except finding a TDi is near impossible right now, just got a quote for a used engine $3200.00...

Ouch. I love my A2 so much I was thinking about doing a TDI swap in one (I have a 70mi round-trip commute), before I went crazy & picked up the Alfa.

I still think it'd be a great car, but for that kind of money, maybe not for a guy like me. $3K before the work even begins? Maybe after I win the lottery.

Which, of course...would allow me to skip the commute in the first place.
Aug. 1, 2009 12:48 a.m. randyvr6 New Reader

I have seen that exact car for sale off of the main road near my house, but never pulled over to check it out. My wife commented as we drove by, " A 2 door Jetta!; I always liked those, you hardly ever see them."

See the picture of my Capri in my avatar? It is taken at Michigan Intl. Speedway, just a few miles from where that Jetta is located.

C Glock Racer; You live in Adrian? , I am just up US223 in Somerset near Artesian Wells. I'm also an engineer (unemployed from auto supplier industry right now)
Aug. 1, 2009 12:51 a.m. friedgreencorrado HalfDork

CGLockRacer wrote:

Just got the scoop...

'91

250K on the body

40K on the engine and clutch rebuild

Driven daily

Reason for selling is he got a deal on a '99 Jetta

Now, for me it won't work because it has the stupid separate lap and shoulder belt system. But, can I convert it to a normal 3 point system from a Euro or Canadian car?

Yes. I converted my 92, and actually used belts from an older US market car. I'll have to admit..I did my conversion in about 94 or so, and there were still plenty of 85-89s in junkyards back then. Any of those cars still in junkyards will probably have enough sunrot or dryrot by now to make the belts useless. The A2s were only ruined by those things in the last couple of years they were sold in the US, the "safety" requirements said that new cars in the US without airbags had to have some kind of "passive restraint". That's why late A2s have that big assed "knee bar" below the dash as well.

But the mounting points are still there for real seatbelts, and if you look for new belts for a pre-passive A2, you should be able to find them. You'll still have to check the junkyards for the mounting hardware. And the late A2s with the passive belts require the thing to be plugged into the shoulder mount to start the car. I just spliced the wires together, but other people just cut the latch off the old belt and shove the latch into the mount.
Aug. 3, 2009 11:25 a.m. G60ING New Reader

A couple years back I found a 1991 Calypso green Mk2 TD Jetta Coupe. I wanted it so bad but the guy would not sell. They are very fuel efficient and the TDs can be upgraded nicely with fuel injectors and advancing the timing.

The best thing you can do with most mk1& mk2 VW diesels if you want more power is to change your goals. With that having been said there are some that will surprise you. go check out www.vwdiesel.net as some have already posted before.

TDI swap donor cars are getting a lot easier to find...I started looking hard for TDI donors before 2003. In the past year I started seeing a lot of TDI cars for under $2000 and just two weeks ago turned my nose up at a $500 donor because of time constraignts.
Aug. 3, 2009 11:38 a.m. JmfnB MegaDork

randyvr6 wrote:

I have seen that exact car for sale off of the main road near my house, but never pulled over to check it out. My wife commented as we drove by, " A 2 door Jetta!; I always liked those, you hardly ever see them."

See the picture of my Capri in my avatar? It is taken at Michigan Intl. Speedway, just a few miles from where that Jetta is located.

C Glock Racer; You live in Adrian? , I am just up US223 in Somerset near Artesian Wells. I'm also an engineer (unemployed from auto supplier industry right now)

I am farther up that road in Lansing ;)
Aug. 3, 2009 1:46 p.m. RossD Reader

Take the badger over here to wisconsin and pick up this 4 door diesel for $1k. '91 VW Jetta EcoDiesel, 4dr,5spd,w/AC & moon roof - $1000 (Door County,WI)

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