What should I sell them for?

dsala · Feb 17, 2018

I need everyone's opinion on what I should sell two MKIV Jettas for. I have a 2003 TDI, leather interior with about 175k miles, needs a paint job (Alaska Green, sunburned from the Florida sun), and a 2003 Silver TDI cloth interior with about 225k miles. Both are in fair condition. They are clean-ish inside and both have had the timing belts replaced. Some typical plastic parts are breaking like the glove box and center console. The fuel injectors have been rebuilt for both. Both are automatic. Engines and transmissions have no known issues.

I would love to get rid of them- they are taking up space in my driveway. They are Florida cars and never been up north so the under carriages are pretty good. Please help me figure out how to unload them- Craigslist? Auto Trader? Thanks in advance!

super1 · Feb 17, 2018

Yes post in all that you mentioned & also you can post it in the Classified here on this Forum

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dsala · Feb 17, 2018

I am looking for an idea of asking price. I'm not finding a lot to compare. Thanks

aja8888 · Feb 17, 2018

Both transmissions being automatic won't get you much interest here. Plus, registering here to sell old, worn out TDI's as a first time poster won't generate much help. Stick them on Craigslist.

maxmoo · Feb 17, 2018

Aside from paint issues, these southern cars make good rebuilders or swap candidates, no rust....everything else can be easily repaired or replaced.

dsala · Feb 17, 2018

aja8888 said:
Both transmissions being automatic won't get you much interest here. Plus, registering here to sell old, worn out TDI's as a first time poster won't generate much help. Stick them on Craigslist.

I didn't register here to sell them- only to get an idea of the going price and the most expedient way to sell them.

dsala · Feb 17, 2018

maxmoo said:
Aside from paint issues, these southern cars make good rebuilders or swap candidates, no rust....everything else can be easily repaired or replaced.

Thanks! Any idea how much they are worth?

aja8888 · Feb 17, 2018

dsala said:
I didn't register here to sell them- only to get an idea of the going price and the most expedient way to sell them.

Members here have a knack of seeing "feeler" and other threads and may make you an offer. But unless we know the maintenance history with good photos and any items needing attention, it's hard to estimate a value on a car.

Good, clean Jetta/Golf TDI's between 1999 and 2003 will sell for $3000 + with a 5 speed and no rust. With the prone to fail, and expensive to replace, 01M automatic transmission, the values are very low to our knowledgeable membership. To a uninformed buyer, you may get a sale, though.

I would put one on Craigslist and see what happens. Photos are key and so is honesty in the ad.

drucifer · Feb 17, 2018

I think any car that is roadworthy, can pass state inspection plus emissions is worth 1000 bucks. People always need to get to work. You seem to be in a hurry to get rid of them. What other cars do you have that your on this site for?

dsala · Feb 18, 2018

drucifer said:
I think any car that is roadworthy, can pass state inspection plus emissions is worth 1000 bucks. People always need to get to work. You seem to be in a hurry to get rid of them. What other cars do you have that your on this site for?

I had 4 Jettas at one time for my sons 2 TDI and 2 gasoline engines. I don't have other TDI's, but I have been on VWVortex boards on and off over the years to help the kids out with mods etc. I have lost my patience for them though as they have aged and all the interior and exterior plastic seems to have disintegrated. I have replaced more little pieces than I care to remember. And as you all know, working on a VW takes a special kind of mechanic- usually one who likes to charge a lot of money in my town anyway.

The kids are older now and have moved on to other cars they have saved up for. One has been sitting a couple months and one just arrived back to my driveway-therefore they are taking up space and generally being a nuisance.

Thanks for the input on their value. I think I'll start in the middle of the ranges given. And you're correct- 1k for something that is roadworthy, doesn't leak oil and gets 40mpg is a bargain.

IndigoBlueWagon · Feb 18, 2018

Except potential buyers in that price range are frightened off by diesel and turbo, unless they're enthusiasts. And if they're enthusiasts they want a manual transmission.

Yes, paint and broken interior bits (I bet both need headliners) are repairable, but they can get expensive pretty fast. No rust is a plus, but still $1,000 - $1,500 sounds about right. And even at that price I think you're going to wait for a buyer.

dsala · Feb 18, 2018

IndigoBlueWagon said:
Except potential buyers in that price range are frightened off by diesel and turbo, unless they're enthusiasts. And if they're enthusiasts they want a manual transmission.

Yes, paint and broken interior bits (I bet both need headliners) are repairable, but they can get expensive pretty fast. No rust is a plus, but still $1,000 - $1,500 sounds about right. And even at that price I think you're going to wait for a buyer.

LOL, I replaced those *&^! headliners too

The interiors are pretty good for their age.
I am surprised to hear about the scare factor for diesel. We loved the great MPG and not having to wait in line for gas- especially after the hurricanes! Thanks again for the input.

IndigoBlueWagon · Feb 18, 2018

The problem is that most shops either won't work on these cars, or don't know how but will try anyway, usually with a poor result. Without mechanical aptitude or a good guru these aren't economical cars to own, even though they get good fuel economy.
My two sons have TDIs. They have been great cars for them, but we have several excellent gurus nearby and of course they know where they can get parts

. Without those benefits I think they would have given up on them by now.

Genesis · Feb 18, 2018

Yeah, if my kid had to pay for competent labor on my former '03 she would have either blown it up or dumped it by now.

The parts aren't TOO bad (in some cases, like brake rotors and pads, they're downright cheap compared against many other vehicles), but if you don't know what you're doing it's another matter entirely, and the average non-dealer shop has no idea what they're doing nor do they have the handful of specific and necessary tools to work on these cars successfully.

dsala · Feb 18, 2018

Genesis said:
Yeah, if my kid had to pay for competent labor on my former '03 she would have either blown it up or dumped it by now.

The parts aren't TOO bad (in some cases, like brake rotors and pads, they're downright cheap compared against many other vehicles), but if you don't know what you're doing it's another matter entirely, and the average non-dealer shop has no idea what they're doing nor do they have the handful of specific and necessary tools to work on these cars successfully.

Amen- You know my pain lol.

RexNICO · Feb 18, 2018

Ok, I'll jump in and offer my 2 cents, as a gasser owner and a TDI fan.

Craigslist is your best medium for selling this category of used car (older, higher mile, but not collectible).

The car with leather interior & 175k, list for $2800, tout the fuel economy & long life of the ALH engine, but expect to get $2000, or less. Recent documented (complete) timing belt service and transmission health may help you do a little better.

The car with cloth & 225k, list for $1900, tout the FE & long life of the ALH, but expect to get ~$1300. Again recent timing belt & trans health may help.

Lack of rust will help both cars, but overall cosmetics isn't a HUGE factor at this price point, though filthy interiors will hurt any car.

If you want to sell to the "TDI crowd", you'll need complete/well documented service records, some engine/fuel system improvements/upgrades and most importantly a manual transmission, or priced as a manual swap donor vehicle. Then you're talking sub $1k for either.

dsala · Feb 18, 2018

RexNICO said:
Ok, I'll jump in and offer my 2 cents, as a gasser owner and a TDI fan.

Craigslist is your best medium for selling this category of used car (older, higher mile, but not collectible).

The car with leather interior & 175k, list for $2800, tout the fuel economy & long life of the ALH engine, but expect to get $2000, or less. Recent documented (complete) timing belt service and transmission health may help you do a little better.

The car with cloth & 225k, list for $1900, tout the FE & long life of the ALH, but expect to get ~$1300. Again recent timing belt & trans health may help.

Lack of rust will help both cars, but overall cosmetics isn't a HUGE factor at this price point, though filthy interiors will hurt any car.

If you want to sell to the "TDI crowd", you'll need complete/well documented service records, some engine/fuel system improvements/upgrades and most importantly a manual transmission, or priced as a manual swap donor vehicle. Then you're talking sub $1k for either.

Thanks! I appreciate your thoughtful insight!

UhOh · Feb 21, 2018

$2,000 and $1,500.

Regarding leather, I like it, but it's not all that practical when in extreme weather situations: my cloth seats -I added heated seats to two of my cars- heat up faster and are cooler in the summer than the leather seats in one car in the family.

I see a ton of 01m cars up here for sale. Unless there's one with under 100k miles you can forget the transmission. More miles just means they're that much closer to failure. If one craps out then you're looking at a minimum of $1k with your own labor, closer to $2k with someone else's to do a 5spd swap. Tack that amount to whatever you think you're expecting and ask yourself if the cars are worth THAT amount. (Rex suggested $2,800 for the one; adding $2k means a $4,800 car- is it in that kind of condition? do they look like other TDIs priced in this range?)

BobnOH · Feb 22, 2018

Most folks here don't like automatics. Values given are pretty low.
You'll get better info at Kelley, Edmunds, or the like.

UhOh · Feb 22, 2018

BobnOH said:
Most folks here don't like automatics. Values given are pretty low.
You'll get better info at Kelley, Edmunds, or the like.

Doesn't differentiate different markets. Out here in the PNW prices on these cars are higher than in just about any other market.

Local Craigslist. Classified section here also is useful: I think that there's a current listing by someone in Florida selling an ALH.

What should I sell them for?

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