FS: '99 Beetle 5sp 329k mi, 1 owner, Fort Worth, TX $1380 OBO

SUNBUG

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2000
Location
Burleson, TX, U.S.A.
TDI
99 VW NB yellow sunroof SUNBUG plate from my old 74 bug
BACKGROUND:
I bought a 74 Sun Gold Metallic sun roofed air cooled beetle from co-workers while co-oping in college. When I moved to TX in 87 I ordered a vanity plate for it SUNBUG. After the New Beetles came out I looked into getting one but as the gasoline NB only got about 5 more MPG than my flat windscreen old beetle, I looked into the TDIs. So as I now had 4 requirements to make the SUNBUG plate work: Yellow, Standard, Sun roof and a TDI; I ended up getting my 99 NB from Rhode Island. After flying up to Boston and staying with friends, I drove through 19 states on the way home. I finally had a daily driver with AC in TX! Later I took more trips to other states besides using it as a daily driver.
It now has 328+K miles on it and needs to be sold.
I have a friend whose brother bought a low mileage 02 standard TDI NB but never got the title before he passed. It may still be available in the area for parts to revive mine with a lower mileage drive train or get a bonded title. I'm waiting to hear about its availabilty.
SUMMARY:
No CEL’s.
Complete Maintenance Records since day one.
Including a spreadsheet of nearly every tank of fuel!
Bentley Manual, Original Owner’s Manual & Paperwork
Includes a working remote keys. The other's key pin broke at the fob pivot. I haven't find valet key lately.
TX car, no rust (other than surface of recent door skin injury), no salt, never smoked in.
Selling it as the country roads and my driveway near my new property are not suited for such a low ground clearance car. That and I have several other classic cars and planes I need to be working on instead.
I just finished driving it while doing some maintenance and repairs on my replacement daily driver. But the registration expired at end of November.
EXTRAS:
I got the following extra when the car was new from the factory or after market:
6 CD changer with 2 cartridges.
side window deflectors, later replaced, one still on car.
Custom Dash cover.
Seat covers
Floormats
Front, rear and side rear Heatshield sunshades. Replaced the front one recently. Wife lost the rear one I believe.
A few bud vases.
Interior door sill panel covers & mudflaps not currently installed.
Glove box lid organizer
Trunk window sill organizer
Remote operated window controller: always active
2 addtional steel rims (for Alaska trip)
1.25" receiver hitch
I had Invica-Sheild applied to car at factory in NC on the way home. But all has been removed after it became badly faded.
The paint remained much less oxidized under the Invinca-Shield. I haven't tried to polish the other areas to see if clear coat could be refreshed.
ENGINE:
Newer turbo & MAF sensor (sold old turbo as it was OK, the problem was MAF).
Done all maintenance myself with TDI forum guidance.
Just had my power steering pump rebuilt with a new pulley as well.
I have an un-opened bottle of Diesel Oil that I bought for the next oil change.
The Timing belt is probably due as well. Need to check my records.
Small coolant leak at block/thermostat housing junction.
Small oil leak at pan that was my original one that had work though fromthe lower engine cover. I had it welded by a buddy's friend (not the best job as it required a bit more sealing afterward. The replacement oil pan got badly cracked turning into my driveway rushing to take my daughter some where and the next stop company called home and said I left a bg puddle of oil. I got a call from my wife while driving but continued home and shut down well before much oil was lost. No oil pressure warning occured.
Our main road and driveway are much better now but there are still many roads near me that require too much atttention while driving this car too make it fun to drive again.
I got a SAAB Sonett that is lower to sit in but has more clearance for it Ford V4 engine.
I have replaced many glow plugs and harnesses over the years.
I've done the intercooler flush and reduced the EGR %age per stroke setting to the minimum after the low sulfer diesel was introduced as sugested by the forum.
Replaced some vacuum lines recently.
I paid to have the injector pump seals replaced long ago by a recommended guy only to find he cut a flat slot in the triangle bolt head. I wish I had ordered my own tool and seal kit if I knew he was going to do that. I've done a Roosa Master tractor one since but that's not as critical.
Other than EGR setting I have done no additional performance mods to car. Still original injectors. Fuel filter change probably due as well. I ran straight bio-diesel in it back when that was available locally. ran quite but often an odd cold snap would leave me stranded as the early new beetle had no tank lift pump and the cool temps would gel the bio-diesel in line from tank. I haven't used any since a trip to TN ages ago.
I bought a thin aluminum belly pan and some replacement side skirts but it is not currently installed which may be reducing my mileage but the speed limit has also been raised on my commute so I'll need to update my fuel use spreadsheet to detect the trend.
Engine starts great cold and I did the starter greasing to try to help with the slow warm start as the forum suggests. I’m sure the static injector timing was set correctly last time.
The alternator has been rebuilt at least twice. One was actually a battery fuse issue
On the forth water pump! One seized while driving and sheared all the teeth off the timing belt injector pump slipped enough to shut it down but the valve cam didn’t slip much as other than a mess off teeth to clean out the new timing belt aligned easy!
The Air conditioner is still working great! I had to tighten the compressor clutch center bolt once. Some tubing was bent slightly in accident but has never been an issue other than looks.
Lost one circle engine cover nut access cover.
The hood insulation needs replaced. I have the clips.
BODY:
Car was in a front collision accident December of 01 and it took them until late June to repair. I drove it to Alaska just 2 weeks after I got it back. Later when I was down with a broken kneecap I pulled the front bumper off and completed a few things they didn't repair correctly like the washer bottle tank outlet elbow fitting and other things. I was a stickler for returning it to original and even got all the emission stickers and everything replaced.
The rear hatch never properly opened and was often hard to shut properly too. There are adjustments of bumper pre-load that pop it open fully. VW & I have messed with them, but the result is that the extra slamming over the years damaged the hatch door a bit near the third brake light and the light got edge and mounting tang damage. I replaced it once but the new one has also gotten bad (cheap part). I ordered a new one but have not yet installed it.
I have some passenger side rocker panel damage and of course the driver's door skin damage that was backed into this spring with our old truck (not me)!
Recently I broke the left fog lamp lens glass here in the driveway!
A couple of the cabin air vents have broken shut off valve levers.
INTERIOR:
I have replaced the headliner and door panel vinyl way back. The headliner needs replaced again. TX sun even with the windscreens is just takes its toll on new car headliners. My 64 Falcon original headliner didn't fail until 2005 or so because the cotton thread finally gave out. The passenger door panel needs attention as the plastic area around lower screws and handle will need JB welded.
Center console has some cracks but hardly visible.
No center armrest to fail!
I have replaced the fuel door actuator cable twice. The last one lasted quite a while and is still working but takes several button pulls to open and will not close until a drive vibrates the cable and it will then spring back to hold door closed when pushed down again. Not an issue for me as it is so seldom used.
I have separately replaced both window regulator cables. Had to replace passenger motor/controller (junkyard) when the drivers switch would operate it but not the passengers own switch.
I replaced some sunroof trim and removed it for re-greasing when I had the headliner done. Works fine but again our roads ...
ELECTRICAL:
I had to replace the original fan switch as it failed. The heat is poor even after flushing heater core and changing thermostat due to the holes in the air temp mixing door that appear after the foam on it deteriorates. Thanks to research on TDI Forum I know that one. Not worth me trying to fix here in TX as it never gets that cold. Again my classic cars have a solid metal door and still work. What was VW trying to do? Save material, weight? They were smart to continue to use mecahnic cables instead of vacuum or electic doors. But to put foam over perforated metal in a heat stream, dumb.
When my Light switch failed, I ordered a switch that has the parking light setting. I also have tape under the DRL relay as I found myself driving with out turning on the tail lights and also the bulbs were burning out too often.
When I replaced the mirror adjustment switch the second time (with a non-VW one), I began to notice an issue that a fuse that powers the handbrake light switch, upper console light and the cruise control blows. Odd, Probably just a crappy switch.
I replaced the heated mirrors once but haven’t lately. I think at least one is throwing a fault but again they are so seldom needed in TX that it is not worth replacing.
One wire for the Outside Air Temperature sensor has broken and is too short to repair. I bought a connector that may work but haven't fixed it yet.
Only other electrical issue is the passenger puddle lamp on the door doesn't work but the bulb is good I think.
I have replaced all larger speakers long ago but they are not perfect again.
Have a few extra relays and headlamp bulb to provide to new buyer.
DRIVETRAIN:
Front end has been all rebuilt over the years but I noticed left axle has a cracked CV boot. I tried to order the whole half shaft at a great closeout discount but it was incorrectly marked as a really long one arrive and had to be returned.
I’ve had one alloy wheel reworked when it wasn’t balancing that well. I have saved many of the VW-less center wheel caps in hopes of making the center a sold disk of yellow.
Recently re-clocked the steering wheel to the mark and had the alignment done to straighten it at last inspection. I think VW may have done that goof. I just recently fired up my old laptop and VAGCOM tool to clear the airbag fault.
The main wear item I have on this car is the transmission. I have had to replace both of the shift levers at the gearbox. The left-right one failed in the driveway but the fore-aft one failed on the way to work as it was beginning to snow. I got it moved into 3rd and slipped clutch a bit to get to work. Ordered the part from VW and waited until late to drive home on a nearly empty toll road at 45 mph.
Still have the original clutch but due to loaning it to others or something I lost the synchro for 1st gear long ago. As many classic cars didn't have 1st gear synchronized I do the trick I do with them and borrow the synchro from 2nd gear. The other drivability issue which may only be an adjustment is one must take it out of 5th gear prior to stopping else one must shut off car get out and rock a bit to get it to neutral. Always a good habit anyway.
Finally, I think some output shaft bearings are wearing as there is some faint suspect sounds. I did recently drain and replace the transmission gear oil with spec oil from ID parts.
LASTLY:
I did that as I was hoping to drive to NV & CA states prior to selling and that would complete my 49 states visited by this car photo book. Perhaps a forum member in CA would like it (HINT HINT) and I could deliver it there before saying goodbye! I would get a temp tag or register it again for that.
That's about it. I have all receipts and records and many old parts, bolts, etc to go with it.
Considering they are selling for $650 not running, my extra wheels, the recent damage, high milage: I'm thinking $1380 is about right?
Photos are as is as it was too cold to wash & clean up and I've got to get to work.






Contact Brad Simpson:
817-648-9370
or through the forum
Thanks
 
Top