Bought my old car back

Bought my old car back (and what did I miss in the last decade?)

I was really active here about 10 years ago until I sold my TDI. I had bought it new in 2002 and I regretted selling it the next day and every day since (slightly overdramatic, but I missed it). When I heard it had been in an accident I decided to buy it back to rescue it from being parted out. And because I really wanted it back.
Picked it up this weekend and started removing the damage. Still drives but FMIC pipe was smashed so have to make a new one. Then have to get it road worthy again and get it retitled as restored.
Enough typing, here are some pics. And feel free to post things I should search for that I've missed in the last decade! Seriously. Except diesel-gate. Last time I logged on Upsolute was still a thing....

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Nice to have you back and looks like you have a project (again).

Another save!!!!!!

Good save.
Here's a thought, since you have rear damage: smythkitcars.com
Make it into a handy truck that can get fuel mileage a "little better" than the Jeep and Chevy in the pics.

KCTDI said:

Good save.
Here's a thought, since you have rear damage: smythkitcars.com
Make it into a handy truck that can get fuel mileage a "little better" than the Jeep and Chevy in the pics.

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I actually have a friend here in the valley that did that to his Jetta! However, my wife nixed it before I even finished getting it out of my mouth...

So, what's the current state of TDI's? I noticed the site is a little outdated...the 101 questions aren't up to date, there are articles about ULSD being a new thing, and the TDIFest link at the top is for 2016. I know Dieselgate has sucked a lot of these back into the abyss...things still rocking or are they fizzling?

And again, feel free to update me (or point me to updates) about latest trends. Did I see they have RC5 and RC6 now???

Drewser said:

So, what's the current state of TDI's? I noticed the site is a little outdated...the 101 questions aren't up to date, there are articles about ULSD being a new thing, and the TDIFest link at the top is for 2016. I know Dieselgate has sucked a lot of these back into the abyss...things still rocking or are they fizzling?

And again, feel free to update me (or point me to updates) about latest trends. Did I see they have RC5 and RC6 now???

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Most of the long term members are getting old and outdated too!

Dieselgate threw a wrench in the site activity as a lot of posting on it took over the site forums. It's settled down now and a lot of new members have left for other forums with gas related car purchases.

No FEST in 2017 as no one came forward with a plan.

Some long term and newer members are adding electric cars to their fleet.

There's more, but I'll leave that up to others to mention.

aja8888 said:

Most of the long term members are getting old and outdated too!
Dieselgate threw a wrench in the site activity as a lot of posting on it took over the site forums. It's settled down now and a lot of new members have left for other forums with gas related car purchases.
No FEST in 2017 as no one came forward with a plan.
Some long term and newer members are adding electric cars to their fleet.
There's more, but I'll leave that up to others to mention.

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Interesting. Good update, thanks! I cannot wait to get this thing back on the road...

This is what I discovered today while looking for my boost issues. Not what I wanted to see. Guessing I happened in the accident, but dang...

You should consider yourself lucky that you saw that before it grenaded itself.

Ouch. Well, at least the turbo options have expanded significantly in the last decade. A garret gtc1549 might be a good option for you. Other than the body damage it looks pretty good. Can't really find rustfree tdi's of that vintage up here.

How's the 1549 compare to the VNT17 that's on it?

The frame is tweaked in front and back... Not bad enough that I can't drive it but bad enough that the trunk and good don't shut completely. Enough to make me question putting big money into it...

The GTC1549 is an all around improvement over the old vnt17. Better spool/ low end and more top end too. Only downside is you'd need a manifold adapter on an alh I think. I believe the oil lines, boost piping and such would fit right up though. Another vnt17 would be good though if you want 100% plug and play. Too bad about the frame damage. If it's not worth fixing maybe you could find another jetta, golf, mystery vehicle to swap the drivetrain into. A tdi grand wagoneer (from the photo)would be pretty cool.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology, we have the capability to make the worlds first Bionic Tdi.

Drewser said:

So, what's the current state of TDI's? ...things still rocking or are they fizzling?

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The newer TDI's are not as mod-friendly as the ALH is which is another factor. Back when the A4's ruled the roost there were many owners who were modifying them. The newer ones can be modified too but are more complex and expensive. Add in that newer TDI's have more power to begin with plus they are generally optioned better than an ALH. Just less activity when it comes to modifying the newer TDI's plus a number of them went back to VW under the Dieselgate buyback too.

Consider yourself lucky yours is rust free. Most of the A4's up here in the rust belt while holding up well for their age are starting to decay.

Sucks that your frame is bent. After hitting a third deer with my A4 Jetta I sold it to a friend - just needed minor front end repairs (hood, fenders, radiator, AC, etc.) but frame was still 100%. It's been back on the road for over a year now - was up to 315K miles at last report.

At times I miss it as I had it for 13 years but I really like the 2014 Passat (NMS platform) I have now which is bigger and quieter. I did take a small loss on fuel economy as Passat has DSG transmission while Jetta was a 6-speed. Can't complain though as I'm averaging 50 mpg with the Passat.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do with yours!