saving another one

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Just acquired this little gem:





1999 German built, that goofy-but-kinda-neat blue color you rarely see. Only 200k miles. Needs a turbocharger, rear calipers, sway bar links, tires, clearcoat is peeling, and the shifter feels like parts are missing. I may upgrade it to the later style shifter since the early ones are so awful in comparison.

I did the injection pump and clucth/flywheel on this a while ago while under two different previous owners.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Fair, not great, but not awful. And it is BLACK, which is for me the best color.

And this is a GL car, so hand crank windows, etc. I forget how nice it is to drive a 2dr Golf since they are so rare here. For taller people they are nice because the B-pillar is not next to your head while driving, and they are easier to get in and out. Downside is the doors can sag over time, but this one seems solid still.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
Brian, you're missing the other plus with the 2dr: TWO (the worst ones to deal with) less door control modules to worry about!
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Well I sold my Beetle, sold a gasser Jetta sedan I untoefed, and am currently fixing up another gasser Jetta.

And after much hand wringing, I fixed and sold my 2010 Jetta I had been "saving". So yes, the herd has been culled but I figured the pasture always has room for an ALH Golf. :)
 

TomJD

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Location
St. Louis
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI GLS, 2015 Golf TDI
Any car in Blue is a great car. Nice find! I assume this is another case of a customer not wanting to do the necessary fixes?
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Yes, she just got the car, and the guy before her (who fried the clutch out of it) didn't really do it any favors. All the same stuff that was still needing attention then, is still needing attention now. Cars do not maintain themselves.

As always, I tried to talk her into fixing it and keeping it, but she has no interest in doing so.

So I will love on it some and get it back into good operational order.
 

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
Keep us posted; always makes for interesting reading. Thanks for sharing.
 

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
I like that color. Nice that you're saving another '99.5. My Golf is currently serving a co-worker while she looks for an ALH of her own.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
I need that car now!
Mine played pinball with some concrete barriers. Daughter sustained no injuries, but my car is done.
 

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
When the 02A shifter is working properly it's not bad. Not as precise as the later ones, but I wouldn't upgrade one that's working right. I think some of the parts for it are NLA, however.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
I have got to upgrade the gearshifter though.... man this one is awful. :(
I've heard the new ones are better, but I never had any complaints. The shift lever and the shift actuator both broke a long time ago. Reinstalled the lever without the weight.
I could really use that car.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
When the 02A shifter is working properly it's not bad. Not as precise as the later ones, but I wouldn't upgrade one that's working right. I think some of the parts for it are NLA, however.
This one is pretty bad. I think there are pieces missing in the shifter box. Under the hood it is all there, but worn.

My 2000 Golf's shifter is better after 530k miles than my 1998 Jetta's shifter was after 50k :p I remember in that car, when it was in 5th gear for a while, it would have this little rattle that would start in the shifter, that seemed to be worst right at about 75 MPH. Drove me crazy, crazy enough that on long trips I would stuff a pillow next to it to stop it. When I put the exhaust on it, I dropped the box to find the little end bushings were loose in the cable ends. This was LONG before dieselgeek came up with his replacement bushings. I ended up making some from an old 020 shifter bushing kit and some washers.

I think if you are used to the early shifter, and it is all in good working order, you are fine with it. But I can tell the difference right away, and now since most of these cars have lots of use on them it has only gotten worse.

That 20k mile '98 Beetle I had in here recently didn't shift too bad though. Yet. :p
 

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
I'm back and forth between my B4, the '99.5 Golf, and IBW. Oh, and my '15 GSW. Of the four of them IBW is clearly my favorite for shifting, although it's starting to suffer some transmission wear after 360,000 hard miles. The B4 is next: throws are long, but the shifter is precise and very easy to operate. Never heard any rattles. The '99.5 has gotten a lot better with lubrication and adjustment, but I may upgrade it at some point. And I'm not in love with VW's 6-speeds. I think the 5-speeds shift better.
 

volmaniac

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2003
Location
McFadden's Ford, Stones River NMP M'boro, TN
TDI
02 Golf GLS
I have a shifter box and cables from a 2001 that I can send you for the shipping cost if you want, I had it for my son's 99.5 jetta that he sold before I got it changed out. I realize you may have a pile of these laying around though. Congrats on the acquisition of that beauty.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I have a shifter box and cables from a 2001 that I can send you for the shipping cost if you want, I had it for my son's 99.5 jetta that he sold before I got it changed out. I realize you may have a pile of these laying around though. Congrats on the acquisition of that beauty.
That would be awesome, thank you! Do you have the shift tower (the part that goes in the transmission) too?
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
I like that color. Great find, it couldn’t be in more capable hands.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Saw a Beamer on US131 that was simliar in color the other day, looked good. Matches Blauparts struts and shocks. Roll up windows, yeah. Tell me it doesn't have lights and door locks with their own brain and I will be extremely jealous
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Saw a Beamer on US131 that was simliar in color the other day, looked good. Matches Blauparts struts and shocks. Roll up windows, yeah. Tell me it doesn't have lights and door locks with their own brain and I will be extremely jealous

It’s kinda funny most people, want so many gizmos on their car it makes their head spin and they forget what half of them do. I think simple mechanical has its merits.

My daughter calls me at 11:30 last night. “Dad my car alarm keeps going off”. Apparently a Christmas gremlin snuck into her 01 Beetle sometime yesterday. I’m guessing she’ll need me to sort that out, and serve his eviction papers.
 

Caddy 16v

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Location
Hazelton, BC
TDI
2000 Jetta, 2000 Golf
I love my "manual" windows, never a single problem and such a clever mechanism to take the crank off if needed.
Had several people that were puzzled as to how the windows go down without a button! Muhahahaa
 
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