Seek Fix Advice - 2004 TDI Jetta

Greetings,

I am new to the forum and appreciate this as a resource. I have an older 1st Gen Tacoma so I'm quite familiar with the help available through these crowd sourced sites. Anyways, I feel competent in wrenching and I'm seeking advice on IF I should buy a 2004 Jetta TDI Wagon that needs work.

The current owner hit a rock over a year ago and tore a hole in the oil pan. He managed to pull over immediately and had the vehicle towed to his backyard where it's sat since. In that time it's been missing its oil pan (bottom of the motor has been open) and what I think is the chain that goes up and over the oil pump gear (sorry am not too familiar with VWs yet) dislodged as well at some point. The bottom of the motor is covered with dust and other things that have blown over the past year, though from what I can see up higher in the motor looks clean.

So aside from a few other small things to be fixed (power steering rack), and the fact that it's sat in one place in Western Colorado for the past year and a few months, the car is in good shape for 2004.

I am wondering if it's wise to buy this car for $1000. It has ~250k miles, manual trans.

Appreciate any opinions!
Thanks

If it's TDI, ~250,000 miles is nothing

Advice: You can do better. Add at least $1,000 to that purchase price and plenty of your time,
to get that '04 where it should be,
OR
Buy something like this, and save a bunch of time.

I would think that your better off getting a good used engine instead of trying to save that one.
Add new tires and you're in for a chunk and time.
So yeah, $2800 for one that's running and taken care of.

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I am thinking the engine is toast or someone would have put a pan on it and fixed it. I bet all the bearings are wrecked.

STDOUBT said:

Advice: You can do better. Add at least $1,000 to that purchase price and plenty of your time,
to get that '04 where it should be,
OR
Buy something like this, and save a bunch of time.

Click to expand...

Funny enough right after I posted this I started cruising CL and saw that exact car. I've reached out to the seller, and no response. Thanks for the advice. I would really like an older Jetta or Passat. Like I mentioned in my original post, I have an '01 Tacoma and I really like the "analog" nature of these "older" cars.

Appreciate the responses

turbocharged798 said:

I am thinking the engine is toast or someone would have put a pan on it and fixed it. I bet all the bearings are wrecked.

Click to expand...

Definitely makes me nervous. I looked at it a few weeks back and just didn't feel comfortable dropping 1k on a potential money pit project. Appreciate the input

The '04 is a great MkIV model year...

Maybe so, but THIS one is crusher value only.

If you can get it cheaper, and it is in good shape, I have a good used engine.

$1k is probably a little steep for something that doesn't run.

Yeah, the interior would have to be pristine, and that's unlikely. I got mine for $600 and swapped in my engine. Should have been $500

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pieINTHEsky said:

Funny enough right after I posted this I started cruising CL and saw that exact car. I've reached out to the seller, and no response. Thanks for the advice. I would really like an older Jetta or Passat. Like I mentioned in my original post, I have an '01 Tacoma and I really like the "analog" nature of these "older" cars.
Appreciate the responses

Click to expand...

Agreed with the rest of the crowd. 1k is a bit high. Maybe shoot for 500 cash and take it from him. Then look for a used engine. Too many unknowns with that car.

I had a '99 Tacoma 5 sp 4-banger for about 8 years while I lived out in Montana. It was the last year they had manual locking hubs. Had the e-locker too. I miss that truck!

After my time with it, I only sold it for $375 less than I bought it for haha.

oilhammer said:

If you can get it cheaper, and it is in good shape, I have a good used engine.
$1k is probably a little steep for something that doesn't run.

Click to expand...

That's good to know. What motor do you have and how much would you part with it for?

I'm not even sure I'm going to pull the trigger on this one when I'm finding running models that a few grand more...I'm entertaining options though.

KrashDH said:

Agreed with the rest of the crowd. 1k is a bit high. Maybe shoot for 500 cash and take it from him. Then look for a used engine. Too many unknowns with that car.
I had a '99 Tacoma 5 sp 4-banger for about 8 years while I lived out in Montana. It was the last year they had manual locking hubs. Had the e-locker too. I miss that truck!
After my time with it, I only sold it for $375 less than I bought it for haha.

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Thanks for the input. I would agree, too many unknowns. I doubt he'd take $500 and it wouldn't hurt to ask. It's been over 3 weeks since I've last approached him; the wagon continues to sit in his backyard. I drive by it weekly. Guess he's just not motivated, which seems really silly.

That's a pretty good turnaround! I paid for my '01 Tacoma by selling an '05 Sprinter with only 89k on the clock. Am excited to get back into the diesel world again.

And you are right, the manual locking hubs were pretty sweet!

pieINTHEsky said:

That's good to know. What motor do you have and how much would you part with it for?
I'm not even sure I'm going to pull the trigger on this one when I'm finding running models that a few grand more...I'm entertaining options though.

Click to expand...

I parted out a 2004:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=491397

I still have the engine. $300 takes it... it is missing the intake flap and turbocharger.

oilhammer said:

I parted out a 2004:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=491397
I still have the engine. $300 takes it... it is missing the intake flap and turbocharger.

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Thanks. I'm not positive I'll head that route just yet. Am looking at running TDIs more favorably. May pull the trigger on a 2006 sedan w 200k. The guy wants somewhere south of 4 grand; its the original owner and it's had recent work done to it. Appreciate you letting me know about your motor.

No harm in offering $500 cash. That and a used $300 engine, and some time. Maybe $1500 max into it?

rwthomas1 said:

No harm in offering $500 cash. That and a used $300 engine, and some time. Maybe $1500 max into it?

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Good point. I think he's desperate enough to hold out for the $1k. Who knows, I'm trying to reduce the number of vehicles I own that need work. I have a clutch job coming up soon enough on my 1st Gen Tacoma and work as a carpenter keeps me physically busy during the week. Would rather have a car that runs from the get-go.

Appreciate the input.