The future of my passat

I wanted to get some opinions/ideas for my 97 passat. I picked it up less than a year ago w/~155k on it. Engine was great but the body and interior are very very rough. Since buying I have done

Timing Belt
All 4 calipers
Passenger Axle and motor mount
Glow Plugs
Clutch Master Cylinder
Brake light switch
All the best fluids and filters from idparts
It has new billsteins all around
Lots o fiddling over about 15k ‘trouble free’ miles (never left me stranded!)

The e-brake failed (prior to replacing calipers) and the car rolled across the street and dented the trunk and bumper. The trunk hangs a bit now allowing diesel fumes when sitting for long. This adds to a generally poor condition body, terrible paint with rust spots and wheel well bubbles. Interior is horribly stained leather with holes in the driver’s seat. I really love the car, it drives excellently and gets between 46-52 mpgs but now I’m wanting something a little less rough on the eyes. I don’t have a garage or I’d probably have bought a rolling shell for a full swap. So what would you guys do?

Hire someone to do a swap (I hate trusting other people’s work though).

Sell the car and risk not finding another with such great mechanicals. I've spent about 4k and lots of labor… it would probably be hard to get that with such poor aesthetics.

Massive body and interior work.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

any u-pull-it yards near you? Probably could freshen the interior for less than you'd think.

Body wise I'd have to see how bad it is, maaco doesn't do too bad a job on their cheap-o paint special, it is what it is.

greenskeeper said:

... maaco doesn't do too bad a job on their cheap-o paint special, it is what it is.

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Especially if you pull all the trim, grill, lights, handles, etc. And, if you do a lot of prep of the surface yourself it is even better....it just depends on how much time/effort you want to put into it.

It depends how extensive the rust is. If it's just bubbling scaley or rusted through and wether or not it's bolt on parts (fenders/doors) or quarter panels and floorpans would be a deciding factor for me.
I'd drive it through the winter and keep your eyes on CL for a VR6 B4 with a blown motor/trans for a swap. Even better $return if you make it a wagon. I don't see a way to come out $ahead unless you're doing just about all of the labor yourself though.

Tiger,
Look over the 'project' link in my signature.

My car is ugly, too. Inside and out. I would like something nicer, since this is my daily driver and I commute >500 miles per week. Given that I don't have a car payment, the car is mechanically sound, and I am very near the 50mpg mark, the last tank averaged 49.8, I can't justify selling this car for something newer. I may spend the equivalent of an annualized car payment on parts every year, but there are still VERY few cars out there TODAY that will get 50mpg and last like these old VW's.

Tony

The rust seems to be quite minor with the underside of the car very clean and only showing surface bubbling behind aft wheel wells and some surface spots... I like the idea of going to a wagon, if only I had a garage I'd suffer with my subaru for a few weeks. I have not had any luck finding a you-pull-it yard near me in CT... anyone know of one near Danbury/Waterbury? Thanks!

I went down south and pulled a solid body home. No rust. I did pay alot for it. I can't aford a new 2013 Passat. I would have a car loan. Then dump on all the tax and insurence. $32,000.00 Then once in the parking lot boom bang crash!!!! and I have my old Passat back LoL!!!

A fellow I used to work with said it best: Car payments or car repairs, one or the other, take your choice. No escape.

My. better half tells me I should buy a new car and dump my old B4V.

Me? Happy to keep dumping money in the wagon. Depreciation is not an issue. Just pay to fix it right and move on. I can drive the car any where, with no regrets, something comes up, I fix it and move on.

Net result, my 96 is in better shape than if I had p.urchased a new 2007.
BE would be today.

john.jackson9213 said:

A fellow I used to work with said it best: Car payments or car repairs, one or the other, take your choice. No escape.

My. better half tells me I should buy a new car and dump my old B4V.

Me? Happy to keep dumping money in the wagon. Depreciation is not an issue. Just pay to fix it right and move on. I can drive the car any where, with no regrets, something comes up, I fix it and move on.

Net result, my 96 is in better shape than if I had p.urchased a new 2007.
BE would be today.

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This is not true. You most certainly CAN have payments AND a repair bill at the same time.

I am of the same mindset. While I seem to be working on them all the time (I own 4 and work on 4 more regularly), I would rather be doing that than have a payment on a car that is questionable as to its longevity (a newer TDI). I drive what I do by choice and love it. Yes, they can require some work, but it's a sense of pride to take a car and improve it both mechanically and aesthetically. There may come a day when I cannot do it anymore and I'll weight my options at that time. Until then I'll keep mine going for as long as I can.

TonyJetta said:

My car is ugly, too. Inside and out....Given that I don't have a car payment, the car is mechanically sound, and I am very near the 50mpg mark, the last tank averaged 49.8, I can't justify selling this car for something newer...

Click to expand...

I've said the exact same thing about my Mk3. The accident that happened in august left the trunk all smashed in, but it just runs so good. And like you, I shopped around for a suitable replacement and was dissatisfied with the mpg and prices. I LOVE this Mk3 and love the way it drives. I get hassled about driving "the red beater" almost every day at work, but the laughing soon stops when they hear what kind of mileage it gets and that it was paid for years ago.

I've just been keeping my eyes on the classifieds for a car in the $1,500-$2,500 price range with decent paint... preferably a GLX or GTI with clutch hydraulics and cable shifter. With that it should be an easy swap that I can do in a weekend. That day may never come, since they all seem to be rusted out, but I'm content with driving the car as is.

Know the feeling

So I was working on getting the power issues resolved with my '97 Jetta and really making headway this last summer. Driving it down the road and the steering wheel suddenly pulled to the right. Short story is that my strut tower completely rusted through and the hood was supporting my passenger front strut assembly. So wanted a wagon/golf but prices for good ones were so high ended up with a '97 Passat that promptly blew cylinder 1 and 2 two weeks after I got it home. New engine is finally in, so just another chapter in VW love.

If you like it, drive it, fix it and love it. I was fortunate enough to find an engine that had been shipped over to Germany for the rebuild and then the car was promptly totalled 6k miles after reinstall (rear end). I even have the receipt in German. Not sayin' you're gonna be as lucky, but you never know where good parts may suddenly show up.

Good luck.