Newbie with new muscles thanks to TDI!

Did anyone else notice that when you first transitioned from an American car to a TDI that you discovered your pectorol muscles had to 'get in shape' for that straight-arm 10-2 driving position?

I had forgotton. The seating position in my 89 Jetta didn't give me much problem, but the TDI sort of enforced a Teutonic approach to driving.

Maybe the VW slogan should be: Ve are here to Pump You UP! I, being a manly man, did not notice it too much but my wife appreciates the armrest in the GLS. Personally I find it gets in the way and fold it up most of the time.

I always drove that way anyway.

You know, yours is about the third post I've seen today from people who traded up from an '89 Jetta to a TDI (me, too!).

I haven't noticed the driving position being very different. But don't forget that the steering wheel can tilt and telescope into something that should be more comfortable. Me, I'm still trying to get used to not hanging my thumbs over the wheel (not good in case the airbag ever goes off).

The storage area in the arm rest is nice for calculator, tire pressure gauge, extra suglasses.

That 89 Jetta gasser still sits in the driveway. It was a freebie and I drove the wheels off it. I had not owned a VW since my 74 S-Bug I had in college. Another great car.

I think I have to take the Jetta in for a little work. The steering is funkie. I noticed in the morning that the wheel had a mind of its own, wobbleing a bit as I accelerated. The other day going down the highway it started to shimmy real hard. Something is loose.

Another interesting thing about that car is that I changed the valve cover gasket a while back and found that during a previous rebuild, one of the cam bearings was sheared off. It has been running for years on 4/5 of its bearings. Luckily it was not an end bearing or center, but the one second from the right as you face the engine.

Solid lifter heads had five cam bearings. Hydraulic heads have four because an oil squirter replaces one of them.

Mine must have the solid ones because that 5th bearing holder looks like it was snapped off. Some of the base is still there, but not enough to interfere.