VW Winter Front Now Available for A4's!!

spicy_red

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic
Good news, saw an A4 in the show room with a good looking VW winter front! After years of VW saying that winter fronts shouldn't be used I found that kind of odd. Checked in with the parts dep't and sure enough it is now offered by VW. Unfortunately they are out of stock so I ordered one up. If anyone's interested the part number is ZVW193898 and I was told it costs about CDN$40.
It appears to be a decent vinyl-type material, it covers the top grill pretty much completely, and wraps around the 2 fins of the bottom grill, leaving some air flow space.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Good find, Spicy!

IMPEX shows it for $29.

Can you do a few pictures when you have it in place?

HNY !
 

spicy_red

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic
dieseldorf said:
IMPEX shows it for $29.

Can you do a few pictures when you have it in place?

HNY !
That would be CDN$33, plus S&H, plus GST and maybe any customs and duties when it arrives in Canada. Unfortunately free trade seem to go only in one direction... LOL

I might try get some pics of the dealership vehicle when I go pick up my car...
 

spicy_red

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic
Went to pick up my car... not ready.... :mad:

Anyways, here's the top of the new cover (fit and finish seem quite good):



And here's the bottom (will probably continue using pipe insulation instead):

 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
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Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
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ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Spicy, very nice! And I am admiring the nice gloss on the Spicy Red-mobile - - it makes a lot of sense to maintain cars as special and unique as these TDIs!
 

spicy_red

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic
Dana Bartholomew said:
Seems superficial to me. $$$ down the drain. Just put cardboard over the radiator. ;)
More than superficial it is actually essential in the climate I live in. The $$$ are steep for the amount of material you're getting... but
I've tried to make my own, using various materials and mounting techniques and none worked out as good as this top cover. I think I spent less $$$ covering the entire top and bottom on my F250 with similar materials (http://www.gofia.com./index.cfm?pageID=23). I'll be sticking with the pipe insulation on the bottom.
Cheers
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Spicy, how 'bout a status update on this OE upgrade. Can you tell if the car warms up more quickly?

Thx.
 

spicy_red

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic
Ah yes, was meaning to write. After over 3000kms since install the front has performed great. The car does warm up quite a bit quicker. I wouldn't say twice as quick but it wouldn't be that far off.
We have actually had a ridiculously "warm" winter so the other tidbit of good news is that with "warm" weather driving the needle does not move upwards whatsoever. I've been over in the BC mountains, through some harsh road slush, snow and even rainy conditions, the front has not moved at all. I'm only using the top grill cover so far, not cold enough.
All in all I am happy with the purchase and think it is an essential item for cold winter driving.
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
bumped for our cold weather friends. Oh, and I ordered one since my commute is so short.
 

peteman

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Joined
Nov 20, 2003
Location
Golden, British Columbia, Canada
TDI
2003 Golf TDI 504 000 km and 2003 Golf TDI 225 000 km
My car wears a bra regular..support issues. No really I commute 240 km/day. I just shoved some cut up old rain coat behind the bra. Does wonders and cost me nothing!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Looks really nice. I wonder if it would help the painfully slow warm-up we experience leaving ski areas, where the early part of the drive typically is downhill.
 

Thermo1223

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2004
Location
Easton, PA
TDI
'00 Jetta 5M-'04 JW A5
IndigoBlueWagon said:
Looks really nice. I wonder if it would help the painfully slow warm-up we experience leaving ski areas, where the early part of the drive typically is downhill.
It could being the glorified air compressor it is when doing so. Even compressing air generates heat.

If it is a automatic keeping the torque convertor unlocked would help also.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
That's exactly what it is. Engine braking, over 1200 RPM. No fuel for much of the first 5 miles, especially when leaving Killington.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
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ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Spicy, thanks for the update - - glad to hear it's working well.
 

spicy_red

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Feb 7, 2003
Location
Edmonton AB Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI, highline, 6MT, multimedia, plat grey metallic
peteman said:
peteman
Veteran Member

Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada
Peteman - didn't you live in High Level?? Man you're hitting all the sweet spots!! :D
 

bradfa

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Joined
May 1, 2005
Location
Rochester, NY
TDI
No TDIs anymore :(
Looks good on the red Jetta! :)

Just placed an order for one for myself from Impex. Needed to get the 20k maint items soon, so figured now is a good time to save a bit on shipping ;)

Cold days are sure to stay here in western NY. It's been way too warm for the past few months, I'm sure we're gonna freeze our butts off the next 2 months.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
Feb is gonna be a tough month - - the party is just about over.
 

peteman

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Nov 20, 2003
Location
Golden, British Columbia, Canada
TDI
2003 Golf TDI 504 000 km and 2003 Golf TDI 225 000 km
Peteman has settled out of the oil industry and into a more important, demanding and less paying job...teaching. Bought some property in the absolutely insane housing market in Lloyd. Here to stay!
 

ShinyOwen

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
TDI
2006 Jetta wagon 5spd
I'm a newb to the forums, but not to TDIs. I used to have an 01 sedan that I traded last year for a v6 passat wagon... I am waiting for the 06 Jetta TDI wagon to get here from Calgary so I can get both my stick and my TDI back!

Anyways, The only problems I ever had with my sedan was that at -40 it could take 20-40 seconds of activating the glow-plugs before it turned over. What benefit would the rad blocker actually give? Especially since here in Edmonton we've lost our identity as a winter city for cripes sake!?!
 

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
ShinyOwen said:
I'm a newb to the forums, but not to TDIs. I used to have an 01 sedan that I traded last year for a v6 passat wagon... I am waiting for the 06 Jetta TDI wagon to get here from Calgary so I can get both my stick and my TDI back!

Anyways, The only problems I ever had with my sedan was that at -40 it could take 20-40 seconds of activating the glow-plugs before it turned over. What benefit would the rad blocker actually give? Especially since here in Edmonton we've lost our identity as a winter city for cripes sake!?!
The front should help while you're driving to keep some of the air from entering the engine compartment and robbing heat.
 

grelli

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2005
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
TDI
Tornado Red 2005 Golf GLS TDI
Damn.... That just may be what the doctor ordered.

You pick that up from Norden? I've kept telling myself that if this winter hadn't been so mild, I would have installed a TDIHeater type coolant heater already. If we head towards a cold snap, this just may be the ticket.
 
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