Is the MKIV VW's best A platform?

underwhelmd said:

these are mods I did myself to an 01. -

later model center console with cup holders - very handy because the dash cupholders aren't that great. easy swap but will need the donor ebrake handle as well.

later model glove box - larger capacity, stronger hinges. easy swap.

round HVAC control knobs from ebay or amazon (china) - much easier to find and keep your eyes on the road. look better to me. cheap, super easy to install

euro switch - more options for lights instead of on/off. easy swap.

vcds tweak - Unlock all doors with one press of the unlock button on the remote

vcds tweak - set the doors to automatically unlock when you pull the key out of the ignition. The reason I like this is that over 50% of the time I am going to be opening a rear door anyway to let the dogs out. Saves me from clicking the remote.

my own opinion- I like the later model oem leather steering wheels. reasons: easier on the hands after driving long distances. looks nicer.

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Aren't the hvac controls already round?

snakeye said:

Aren't the hvac controls already round?

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these ones. I find them easier to use.

I also love the mk4's (Jetta's beetles and golfs). My cars are in real good shape but every once in a while a customer will bring in some "pristine example" of a car, and I'll drive it and they just drive SO good.

We need to fix these cars and keep them on the road. Value, efficiency, performance, safety. (and looks good too).

Any thoughts on a short sift kit as a worthwhile mod for the 5 speeds? Or is that just frosting on the cake?

The Mk lV may be the best platform. However, reasonable mileage IV's are getting hard to come by. So the question is, where do we go from here? Which platform is second best? Thanks

aja8888 said:

Any thoughts on a short sift kit as a worthwhile mod for the 5 speeds? Or is that just frosting on the cake?

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It's on my list of things to do.

thesearcherman said:

The Mk lV may be the best platform. However, reasonable mileage IV's are getting hard to come by. So the question is, where do we go from here? Which platform is second best? Thanks

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The short window of unit injector (PD) MKV's (2005.5 - 2006) provided some really nice cars. The Package 1 and 2 interiors were upgraded beyond the MKIV and there were more creature features like climate control, auto wipers, smart rear view mirror, power driver's seat, etc.

They had their downsides like shortened camshaft wear, wiring harness chaffing, etc. But they were the first models with the DSG transmission and that was a good unit, although there were some issues with the electronic control unit.

Not a bad choice if you can find one that has been sorted out with a new camshaft and has relatively low miles.

aja8888 said:

Any thoughts on a short sift kit as a worthwhile mod for the 5 speeds? Or is that just frosting on the cake?

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Without naming names I've had a couple of different short shift kits on my wagon, but now I have the Audi TT shifter and I like that. It is easier to find gears side-to-side (2nd to 3rd, for example) but shortens throw.

Second best platform? I'd vote for MKVI Sedan, 2014 or later when they brought back IRS for the TDIs. Drives a lot like a MKIV but more room. Some interior materials are low-budget, but you could say the same for the MKIV.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Second best platform? I'd vote for MKVI Sedan, 2014 or later when they brought back IRS for the TDIs. Drives a lot like a MKIV but more room. Some interior materials are low-budget, but you could say the same for the MKIV.

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My thoughts were not that far into the later models due to the costly repairs one can experience with HPFP and DPF failures. But the IRS sure was a nice return.

underwhelmd said:

vcds tweak - Unlock all doors with one press of the unlock button on the remote

vcds tweak - set the doors to automatically unlock when you pull the key out of the ignition. The reason I like this is that over 50% of the time I am going to be opening a rear door anyway to let the dogs out. Saves me from clicking the remote.

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Forgot I did those. #1 is simply a nice-to-have (now if only it wouldn't lock after 30 seconds) #2 makes things WAY easier when picking up people or getting my stuff out of the back seat after I park.

aja8888 said:

Any thoughts on a short sift kit as a worthwhile mod for the 5 speeds? Or is that just frosting on the cake?

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IMO, this is the first mod you should do. It makes them so much more fun to drive.

nicklockard said:

IMO, this is the first mod you should do. It makes them so much more fun to drive.

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And at 300K miles on the car, I would suspect that just about every bushing and contact point in the shifting system is pretty well worn. I'll have to review all the DG videos and make a total parts list in preparation for the change out of the short shift mechanism.

I chopped down my shifter, shimmed the ball socket with some reciepts and then relocated the pivot pin on "the casting with the counterweight" on the shift tower over to where they put it on the TT. You can see on the casting boss where they would drill the hole closer in for the TT lever. Just grind the back of the pin off where they riveted it over, press it out, redrill, countersink a little so you can re-rivet it, press it back in and peen it over. Could do it with a file, hammer, punch and a hand drill.
Plenty firm and good feeling, all for free.

[486] said:

I chopped down my shifter, shimmed the ball socket with some reciepts and then relocated the pivot pin on "the casting with the counterweight" on the shift tower over to where they put it on the TT. You can see on the casting boss where they would drill the hole closer in for the TT lever. Just grind the back of the pin off where they riveted it over, press it out, redrill, countersink a little so you can re-rivet it, press it back in and peen it over. Could do it with a file, hammer, punch and a hand drill.
Plenty firm and good feeling, all for free.

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That all sounds good, but pictures would be helpful and maybe put in another thread in order to stay on topic here.

thesearcherman said:

The Mk lV may be the best platform. However, reasonable mileage IV's are getting hard to come by. So the question is, where do we go from here? Which platform is second best? Thanks

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so what? These cars go forever if your not afraid to fix. Had one customer with 480,000 and he wanted one with lower mileage so he bought one with 425,000.

The highest one I've ever seen was one with 625,000. That one the head and injection pump had never been off but he did have to replace a turbo once.

I have one that made it to 485,000 and it will be back on the road with rebuilt engine once I get around to it.


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Undewhelmd - Can't find those round hvac controls anywhere on Ebay.
If you find the link, could you post it?

Thanks!

Judson said:

Undewhelmd - Can't find those round hvac controls anywhere on Ebay.
If you find the link, could you post it?

Thanks!

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I've seen them on ebay but the listings come and go like the tides! lol

This will be little help to you because it's amazon.CA but maybe use the listing title as your search term on amazon.COM

https://www.amazon.ca/E-TING-Alumin...loy+Air+Condition+Knob+Switch+for+Vw+Golf+Mk4

I bought from them ^^^. The item arrived in less than 3 weeks from china. (no shipping charges and no TAXES! )

I would search for: " air condition knob switch for vw mk4 golf bora jetta passat " on ebay or amazon.com.... see what comes up.

One gotcha with these knobs is that the center knob lights up almost clear, not red. Everyone that uses them has had to use model paint or nail polish to make the ring red.... other than that, it's a great upgrade that I appreciate every time I reach for those controls.

CoolAirVw said:

so what? These cars go forever if your not afraid to fix.

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But what happens when quality parts availability drops to the level where A3s/B4s are now? I love my B4s, but more OE parts become NLA every day with only 2nd tier to nth-tier Chinese parts to fill the void. That fact encourages me to focus on my A4 and stockpile OE critical parts for my relatively low mileage (192K mi.) Golf for when they are eventually needed.

Some day Chinese-sourced parts quality will rise to a decent level, but will critical OE parts dry up before then? Probably.

i dont think that will be as big of an issue with the A4's. They have a bigger market so the parts availability will be better both from VW and from aftermarket.

there are ALOT more A4's out there than A3's and B4's combined both due to higher sales and the fact that you can actually watch an A3 rust away to nothing...

doesnt make me a fan of A4's... i'm just saying i think they will be easier to take car of with decent parts when they hit 20 years old than what the A3/B4 owners are experiencing now

I'm not worried about parts availability for the A4s, either. I think the only thing I've encountered that's NLA for my '99.5 Golf is door cards. They were stupid expensive anyway. I was hoping the headliner would be on closeout, but not yet.

There is such a "cult following" for tdi's I think parts will be available for along time.

I do have "a little" trouble finding b4 parts but even then a little internet searching usually solves that when I have a need.

Aftermarket usually comes up with a solution if needed. Ie Van gough ear repair, fixmyvw glovebox and armrest parts, beetle brace for door handle pull's on beetles.

If there is enough need someone will make it. I have a porsche 914 and the 914 community makes a ton of stuff that you otherwise couldn't get.

I purchased my Golf new in February, 2001. She's up to 338K miles now and still runs perfect.

Repair wise, I've had to:
Replace the clutch
Replace the Alternator
Replace the AC compressor
Replace the Heater core
Replace the EGR
4 timing belt jobs
new lifters
lots of oil changes
New Paint
Many tires
new Control arm and sway bar bushings
new suspension @ around 190K

I'm sure there's more, but those are the biggies off the top of my head. Still, it's been amazingly reliable over the last 15 years, and I'd do it again if I had the choice. The engine is really great in it. The TDI is a wonderful motor (at least, the ALH is), and the mileage is a great perk.

The car is starting to feel its age a bit... various squeaks an rattles are appearing. The fabric on the door cards is dead. I need to recover them at some point. The headliner is just starting to fall at the front of the car. I'm also finding that I'd love to upgrade the stereo to something a little more modern at some point.

I'm really nervous about upgrading from this vehicle to a new one. Will a newer VW be as reliable as this one? Will I like them as much? I have no idea, and if I take the plunge and find out I hate the new one, I'm out my wonderful mk4. Who knows, I may keep it forever!

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I'm not worried about parts availability for the A4s, either. I think the only thing I've encountered that's NLA for my '99.5 Golf is door cards. They were stupid expensive anyway. I was hoping the headliner would be on closeout, but not yet.

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What is the deal with the 100k ALH timing belt kit little rollers? The roller metal is about half as thick as what I had on the car? The water pump I took off has an impeller like the one in the picture. The one I received in the kit had a cheaper looking impeller? I used the parts in your kit. However, not without some head scratching. Can you comment on your thoughts?

MattRabbit said:

Who knows, I may keep it forever!

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Is this the one that had the bad paint peel syndrom before? It's a beauty now! Keep it!

underwhelmd said:

Is this the one that had the bad paint peel syndrom before? It's a beauty now! Keep it!

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Yep! it's the same one. The new paint really gave it a new lease on life. It looks like a new car!

Also, one other thing that's starting to fail is the steering wheel. it has started to degrade, letting the rubber/foam that it's made out of sort of rub off and fall apart. I'm looking for a new one, but I can't spend great gobs, so I'll keep my eyes open.

I guess that's what happens when you do lots of driving!

Matt, the photos of your Golf in part convinced me to have mine painted. That car looks so nice. I can't wait to get mine back. I did have the door cards redone and also have a headliner ready to go in. I know I'm spending money on the car I'll never get back, but it's still less expensive than the depreciation on a new one.

thesearcherman, regarding the timing belt components, I've seen them change significantly in the 10 years we've been selling kits. Bearings improve, components get lighter, the water pump impellers have changed from cast to stamped. We sell a lot of kits, and the failure rate is incredibly low. And the kits have gotten less expensive.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I know I'm spending money on the car I'll never get back, but it's still less expensive than the depreciation on a new one.

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And, for the money you still can't find anything like these cars!

Wife's daughter recently brought her wagon down for me to do some work on it. I'd mentioned that the automatic transmission will one day fail -will it be tomorrow or 10 years from now, no idea!- and that it would be great to put in a 5spd. She asked me whether it was worth putting that kind of money into the car. Yes. And after getting some great compression readings during the course of my working on it I felt that that reply is a strong YES!

I love everything about the A4 platform except for my cloth seats. I find them to be uncomfortable on long trips and need to use a cushion on top. They don't hug well on corners either but we're a design improvement over its predecessor.

It would have been nice to have a longer door arm rest. I'm 5'11 and have rather long arms. It also would have been nice to make the center arm rest a standard component, and about 2" extra leg room in the rear.

MrRizzmeister said:

and about 2" extra leg room in the rear.

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Yep! too much trunk, not enough rear seat space. Mine is basically a 2+2.