98 Beetle Project

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
With the relatively nicer weather, I have started the 98 beetle project with some seriousness.
When I took delivery of it, it was a failed project the previous owner took on so it needs a lot of work. I'm ok with that because it's fun to drive with the lift and bigger tires. There are several in the local junkyards I can scrounge from. The doors will be staying black because I am putting my company name on them.


A spot of rust ahead of the rear fender above the rocker that needs to be fixed asap.

215/65/16 3" taller than stock?

lots of room

runs ok. 380,000KM on it. I removed an inline coolant heater that was leaking badly. The hose coming off the overflow bottle is leaking as well....that's next. It runs at 89C on the highway all day. Mileage is not great with those tires.

Needs a complete dash and center console and and and. The previous owner was going to install a cage because he had plans on rally racing it here... full stop when it was not a fast car. at all. by then the plastics were all thrown out-


Needs hatch struts. The blanket is because I have a dog that sheds a bit.

It is currently still leaking some power steering fluid. In the process of fixing that.
CEL is on for a glow plug harness fault... may fix it, may not.
I will definitely be putting smaller tires on it for summer by at least an inch lower to get some gearing back and make it more reasonable in 5th gear.
 

Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
Very nice. Glad another TDI has been saved from the wrecking yard and has a good home.
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
Even the door cards look good, that’s a huge plus. Looking forward to your progress.
 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
I like the color, nice save.
Put a 2” lift in it with those tires and get a tune with it.......you won’t regret it��
 

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
I like the color, nice save.
Put a 2” lift in it with those tires and get a tune with it.......you won’t regret it��
Thanks!
It's got a lift in it... Jeep springs from an XJ in the rear and something I'm not sure of, up front. I'll take pics next time I am under it. There are extensions on the rear struts. Doesn't look home made hillbilly type stuff either.

The tune... was supposed to have a stage 1 done but I'm not sure. I do know it pulls boost way past what my old Jetta would do and holds it. The injectors were new but not much larger than stock... the clutch is not stock. It's still slow... like it's starving for air.
From what I am reading, the tune for a 98 is more difficult to do? The ecu is different?

Dunno.... I'll address the engine once I'm done fixing the fluid leaks. Cheers!
 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
Yeah I’d like to see that.
How’s the intake look? Was it ever cleaned?

If it wasn’t clean it and make sure you remove the lower boost pipe off and drain what ever oil is in it before you start it again and drive it......you don’t want a runaway and a hydro lock.
 

PB_NB

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Vancouver, B.C.
TDI
1999 New Beetle
The tune requires that the ECU be pulled and sent to Malone or other tuners to have a socket soldered onto the board and a chip inserted. It is easier if you have a second ECU to avoid the downtime.

How is the timing belt, at those miles it would seem that you are nearing a change interval if you look at a new belt every 100,000 miles.

At the front of the airbox, there is a tube that goes forward and turns into the driverside fender where the snow screen is located. Those can be a source of air restriction if it is all plugged up. I took mine right out and just have the air going in the front of the car when the tube goes front the chassis.
 

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
At the front of the airbox, there is a tube that goes forward and turns into the driverside fender where the snow screen is located. Those can be a source of air restriction if it is all plugged up. I took mine right out and just have the air going in the front of the car when the tube goes front the chassis.

So the early new beetle had the snow screen as well, eh? i'll get after that. I removed it from my jetta as well. Thank you. it would make sense if clogged as it feels sluggish. I attributed that to the heavy tires and poor overall gearing because they are larger but it feels like something else as well.

As far as I know, the belt is good for a bit. I have it on the list to change.

Thanks for the info about the tune. Will ask previous owner what the case is exactly.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
You can give that snow screen a reverse blow job. Take the air box out and use a leaf blower to blow from the air box side back through the snorkel/snow screen. IF you remove the fender liner you'll be able to see all the debris come flying out of the snow screen/end of snorkel tube.

dweisel
 

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
You can give that snow screen a reverse blow job. Take the air box out and use a leaf blower to blow from the air box side back through the snorkel/snow screen. IF you remove the fender liner you'll be able to see all the debris come flying out of the snow screen/end of snorkel tube.

dweisel

Thanks. Is that the path of least resistance to getting at the snow screen? I'd rather remove it altogether and run a filter with the extra layer in the winter.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
Thanks. Is that the path of least resistance to getting at the snow screen? I'd rather remove it altogether and run a filter with the extra layer in the winter.
On a Beetle you have to remove the wheel/tire and the fender liner to get to the snorkel /snow screen.
 

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
On a Beetle you have to remove the wheel/tire and the fender liner to get to the snorkel /snow screen.
Thank you for that info. It will be satisfying to remove it and throw it out after all that.
on another note, I started it up last night and a rubber hose popped off the return line ahead of the front drivers side wheel... power steering fluid mess. The line was repaired with a new clamp.
 

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
New (used) steering rack and two lines later, it has stopped leaking power steering fluid... hoping it stays that way.
I have two hoses to replace because it is leaking coolant.
Also replaced driver side axle at the same time as the rack. Needs an alignment badly now.

 

Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
Man that thing looks like you could get under it without jacking it up lol
 

underwhelmd

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Location
Canada
TDI
1998 Beetle
One of the nice mods from a previous owner was sorted today. Coolant reservoir hose. It leaked coolant badly and I was glad to put it in the recycle bin.

 

csstevej

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Location
north nj
TDI
2001 golf tdi 4 door auto now a manual, mine, 2000 golf 2 door M/T son's,daughters 98 NB non-TDI 2.0, 2003 TDI NB for next daughter, head repaired and on road,gluten for punishment got another tdi 2001NB,another yellow tdi NB
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