New to VW's, and very new to Diesels Is this a good/safe buy?

I found this on Craigslist and might be going to look at it next week and I wanted to pick your brains about what to look for...here is what the ad had:

2001 VW Golf TDI - Malone Stage IV - 5 speed - $3500
The car horse power and torque is almost double than the stock (Malone Stage IV tuned) making it a blast to drive and yet it maintains the same MPG as a non-tuned car ( 30+ MPG City / 45-50 HWY ) 289,000miles....Asking price $ 3500 OBO. - NO TRADES

General condition: Majority of miles were accumulated from Highway and if you know TDI's this should not be an issue to you. No electrical problems whatsoever it starts right up every time even if you leave the car parked for a month, all electrical windows, locks, heating, AC and lights work properly.

Upgrades / Maintenance ( done in the last 50 k miles by previous owner )
VW Jetta Station Wagon OEM Springs
Last timing belt @ 220k miles so you would still have about 20K miles until next TB job.
Malone Stage IV ECU Tune
VNT-17 Turbocharger (you will hear the turbo spool up when you drive it)
PP520 Injectors
Sachs VR6 Clutch
Upgraded Oil Cooler
Koni STRT sport Struts/Shock with new bearings and mounts
GTI tail lights
GTI headlamps with glass cover (no more fogging headlights)
GTI Leather Steering wheel and Airbag
Pioneer head unit with USB interface and bluetooth with external mic installed for hands free calling
Front leather seats
Upgraded (Bigger) oil cooler

Recent maintenance / upgrades (done by me in the last 5-10 k miles)
Re sealed Injection Pump
Oil Filter and Engine Fluid Change (Rotella Full Synthetic)
Air Filter and Fuel Filter
Newly ulphostery on front door cards
Complete Coolant flush and installed new coolant reservoir
Refreshed paint on hood and front bumper lower lip for a sportier look
New Cooling Fan
New Battery
Repaired Starter Motor and installed new alternator pulley
Replaced rear brakes, pads and rotors
Known Issues: CEL due to glow plug or harness, it does not affect operation at all.

Note: With asking price the car will come with the following extra parts:
Mint set of monster mats
Diesel Geek Short shifter
Set of 4 5-100 to 5-112 wheel hub adapters so that you can use any newer VW wheels (generation MK5, 6 and 7 )
Neuspeed sport springs

And this is what he told me via email:

For full disclosure I will tell you the bad and good things the car has
I have a certified copy of the title because the original was lost in the mail. It is a clean title. No leans.

Bad: the rear wiper arm does not work right now, fluid comes out of the rear wiper but never got around to check what is wrong with it. The defroster on the hath window does work.
check engine light due to a bad glow plug or harness...have pics of the last scan did when he re sealed the pump.

the rust I mentioned in undercarriage and a few scratches on the paint typical of an older car.
Things I have not listed that has been recently replaced in the last 6 months
I just changed oil, oil filter and air filter (less than 300 miles ago) Shell Rotella Full Syntetic 5w-40

Installed a leather boot from a gli on the shifter as the one before was toast
recently replaced a mirror switch
recently replaced the driver door handle trim
rear driver side wheel brake sensor

Head unit is really useful its a Pioneer stereo that has many illumination tones for you to choose. It has hands free connectivity with external microphone and usb port. I notice that that the car is pre-wired for a subwoofer but I never installed one.
It comes with a European headlight switch in case you want to add fog lights in the future

And here are some of the pictures he had in the post, and what he sent me via email.



My main concern is the condition of the engine bay, and the rust underneath the car. He does not have the receipts for the Malone Stage 4 parts, or install. He is confident in the operation of the car, runs smooth, no mechanical troubles...

Can you please share your thoughts??? is there any way to confirm the stage 4 install? (besides driving it?)

SS,


The rocker panel rust is a concern, expensive to fix properly.
I'm surprised to see that much on a southern car.

Seller is upfront about the issues, a good sign, sounds like he's
being straight about the vehicle. Can you do stuff like the fixing
the hatch & glow plug harness?

20k on the timing belt? Hmmm, I'd do one as soon as you got it.
Do the lot, waterpump, tensioners, etc. Stage 4 will be putting
extra torque and wear through the whole drive train.
No mention of brakes, could be due for new rotors et al.
What is the actual mileage?


Sure, there's lots of goodies on it, but how old are they?

Drive it, it should be pretty quick.

I'd say $2500 and be prepared to put a couple grand into it.

My $.02.

Rrusse11 said:

SS,


The rocker panel rust is a concern, expensive to fix properly.
I'm surprised to see that much on a southern car.

Seller is upfront about the issues, a good sign, sounds like he's
being straight about the vehicle. Can you do stuff like the fixing
the hatch & glow plug harness?

20k on the timing belt? Hmmm, I'd do one as soon as you got it.
Do the lot, waterpump, tensioners, etc. Stage 4 will be putting
extra torque and wear through the whole drive train.
No mention of brakes, could be due for new rotors et al.
What is the actual mileage?


Sure, there's lots of goodies on it, but how old are they?

Drive it, it should be pretty quick.

I'd say $2500 and be prepared to put a couple grand into it.

My $.02.

Click to expand...

forgot to mention that he is replacing the rear brakes, pads and rotors this week.

mileage updated in the first post. The car came from the northeast, not sure exactly, but that explains the rust.

I am fairly handy, and can say I do nearly everything myself on all my cars. (Mechanical Engineer who loves cars)

Price seems fair, I'd want to know the extent of the rust further. May drive the price down.

There is no way you get the same MPG when producing twice the power. I guarantee its been beat on.

As a first time Diesel owner, I encourage you to stay away. The chances of finding anyone with ability to interpret and fix the prior owner customization is limited. Higher than normal chances to major mechanical failure that will leave you stranded with massively expensive repairs.

I appreciate you loving VW for what it brings to the table but would much rather you go for a stock unit. Even a gasser.

LRTDI said:

There is no way you get the same MPG when producing twice the power. I guarantee its been beat on.

As a first time Diesel owner, I encourage you to stay away. The chances of finding anyone with ability to interpret and fix the prior owner customization is limited. Higher than normal chances to major mechanical failure that will leave you stranded with massively expensive repairs.

I appreciate you loving VW for what it brings to the table but would much rather you go for a stock unit. Even a gasser.

Click to expand...

I've got more goodies on my car and I still get between 48-52 on the highway and I don't try to save fuel... running 75-85, I don't care if you believe me or not...I don't have anything to prove to you...the tripometer vs actual gallons verified by Google maps for mileage don't lie...

IBW gets insane fuel mileage in his wagon too...

What concerns me is, I feel like I'm a fairly responsible driver and these cars are tough but I do beat on mine sometimes and you don't know how it was driven. Learned a long time ago that modded cars are sometimes a basket case. With the power claims, I would expect some extra gauges to keep an eye on boost and egt, if you don't see those that means they were flying blind and I can get the turbo really hot really fast in long duration high load conditions.

Honestly, not knowing what a stock ALH car should drive like to be able to know what a fairly hot tune feels like isn't the best option. And these diesels make power differently than gassers, torque...more torque.

If you could come in at 1500-2000 maybe but that'd be for parts supporting a body swap when the rust gets too bad assuming all of the parts are in good condition and that in and of itself isn't easy.

How much oil consumption and from where, blow by or turbo seals? Why is the price so low with all of the newer parts and the modded parts.

Sorry for the early morning rambling

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Here's an example of what's available this neck of the woods.
Yes, it's an auto, but the consensus on the forums here is that
mechanical problems are easier and cheaper to deal with than
bodywork issues.


https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/d/philadelphia-2005-volkswagen-gulf-tdi/6795915207.html


Golfs are much harder to find than Jettas, lots of them around.
I happen to be a BIG fan of the "mini-wagon", but if you're happy
with a sedan, keep digging. You should be able to find a good one
for less than $3k. As pointed out, you're probably better off
getting one that hasn't been modded if you plan on keeping the
car for the long run.


Currently the used car market is flooded, and buyers are leary of
high mileage vehicles. Here's an example of a wagon that
is nice, well documented, yada yada, but IMO is waaay over priced
in view of the current market conditions.


https://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto/d/lancaster-2005-vw-jetta-wagon-tdi/6783356870.html

What jumps out at me are:


1. timing belt needs to be changed really soon -- that's around $800 - 1200 depending on the shop. $300 - 400 in parts if you DIY.
2. rust issue -- like what others have said, it's difficult and expensive to fix
3. glow plug/harness -- no reason the guy fixed everything else and not these. glow plugs come out easily like spark plugs, and the harness are cheap and easy to replace.
4. at nearly 300K, that's about the average lifespan of these engines based on what I"ve seen. My guess is you'll be looking at updating the cam/gasket/other engine components
5. EGR/intake manifold probably needs cleaning/replacement since the guy didn't mention it
6. other things that are probably on their last legs -- blend door foam, fuel door actuator, ignition switch/key lock cylinder, fuel pump, radiator, vacuum hoses, fuel line, suspension


I agree that you'll probably need to spend a couple thousand dollars if you wish to drive the car for another 3 to 5 years.


I love my Golf TDI, but at this point, I'm keeping it for sentimental reasons (the first car I bought), not financial.

I think you could do better for the price. The mods are a mixed blessing. Sure, the owner has spend $$ on the car, but they can also cause other problems, like a leaking head gasket if the tune has caused the car to overboost with any frequency. At that mileage head gasket issues are pretty common anyway, as are symptoms of transmission wear, or axle issues. All made more likely by the mods.

I'd look for something cleaner and closer to stock.

alex_tdi said:

What jumps out at me are:


1. timing belt needs to be changed really soon -- that's around $800 - 1200 depending on the shop. $300 - 400 in parts if you DIY.
2. rust issue -- like what others have said, it's difficult and expensive to fix
3. glow plug/harness -- no reason the guy fixed everything else and not these. glow plugs come out easily like spark plugs, and the harness are cheap and easy to replace.
4. at nearly 300K, that's about the average lifespan of these engines based on what I"ve seen. My guess is you'll be looking at updating the cam/gasket/other engine components
5. EGR/intake manifold probably needs cleaning/replacement since the guy didn't mention it
6. other things that are probably on their last legs -- blend door foam, fuel door actuator, ignition switch/key lock cylinder, fuel pump, radiator, vacuum hoses, fuel line, suspension


I agree that you'll probably need to spend a couple thousand dollars if you wish to drive the car for another 3 to 5 years.


I love my Golf TDI, but at this point, I'm keeping it for sentimental reasons (the first car I bought), not financial.

Click to expand...

I'd like to know where you've seen what you seen...there are many here on the forum over 300k and running strong but the rest are spot on, I've got one with 308k stock and one that's been upgraded to at least 160hp with 326k and I don't make life easy for it. From what I've seen I'd say closer to 500k ish... assuming a good maintenance regimen was followed, my stock Jetta was meticulously maintained mechanically but cosmetics are lacking

but still not a good/great deal, rust isn't fixable by most average diy'ers and it doesn't stop ever and even if you do the work yourself you'll be way upside down in the car...be patient and wait for something on it's way to the boneyard that's an easy fix. My stock TDI had 297k when I bought it and it was throwing a boost deviation code and was hard to get into first gear, changed gear oil and stuck a boost boot I had laying around and the normal maintenance (timing belt, thermostat, fluid flushes, suspension and filters) and it's a great daily driver but by that time I'm into it for just shy or 2500ish maybe a little less...still some meat on the bone but not much

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Bottom line: He wants (far) too much considering the timing belt needs to be done NOW. Never mind the rust -- there are plenty of southern vehicles with ZERO rust, or near-zero, on them. Like my daughter's, for example (she's not selling as far as I know, but for that money she might well sign the title.)

Both northern and southern VWs have their flaws. Northern cars rust, of course, although MKIV cars are pretty rust resistant, except for fenders and rockers (and hatches on Golf/Wagons). Southern cars suffer clear coat failure, light fogging, and headliner and interior deterioration. Given a choice I'd go southern if I don't have to repaint to cover clear coat failure, but if the paint has failed it's kind of a tossup.

For an experienced TDI owner this car (at a better price) may be a good buy. But for someone new to these cars who hasn't had experience diagnosing and repairing them it could be a hassle...and expensive.

Ditto on what was said about the blend doors. Not easy or cheap to fix right.


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This is mz1's car listed in the link here: http://www.forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=494457