Unicorn 2004 Passat B5.5 2.5L v6 TDI 6speed - Miami FL

[unicornTDI]

European version of the VW Passat with a larger engine (2.5 v6 TDI), biodiesel friendly, 6-speed transmission, fully stock. 35mpg with the roof box. You can’t find this car in the US. 219,000 miles, excellently maintained.

This is a car for a diesel enthusiast, great gas mileage, powerful engine, fun to drive, but any repairs can get expensive since sometimes parts need to be ordered from Europe and the repairs done by a VW specialized shop (not dealer or just any mechanic). This is a fun A to B car for a diesel enthusiast or someone wanting to use biodiesel but I would suggest getting a different car if you are looking for cheap and quick repairs that anyone can do.

Starting price is $2,000, make your offers (lower or higher). Want to keep the car for another week or two.

I am very rigorous with the maintenance and repair to keep this car stock and running forever (not a full list):

New tires
Top end rebuilt around 90k miles
Clutch & flywheel
Timing belt (3 times)
Shocks and struts
Tie rods, control arms, etc
Motor and transmission mounts
Added metal belly pan to protect engine from bottoming out
And much more (will provide service records to buyer)

Will include:
A few oil filters (from Europe)
other miscellaneous parts

Why sell it? As a single guy in Miami I need a nicer looking car for a daily driver and already bought it. Girls don’t appreciate the uniqueness, they just see an old car.

Needs to be fixed:
1) I was gone from Miami from March through October and the car sitting probably got an injector stuck because the engine has a knock since I got back. Still drive it to the Florida keys and around town with no problem but should be looked at.

2) slow oil leak from valve cover, typical TDIs. Fixed this leak 4ish years ago, it’s back. So I had the the crankcase breather filter replaced recently (2-3k miles ago) in case that caused it. Not urgent but I don’t like any oil spots on my parking spot, more picky than most.

Not sure how to upload photos here, please see my OfferUp post:

https://offerup.co/AbZQbfNv6wb

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 2, 2023

 

[Windex]

How was it imported? What does the title say?

Very unique car...

 

[turbodieseldyke]

Damn

 

[john_lenin]

Wow! Very nice car. GLWS!!

 

[oilhammer]

Wow, I'm glad I wasn't chasing girls that shallow... my girlfriend (and eventual wife) was happy to ride in my 1975 Bus with rust holes, a mismatched sliding door, Monza exhaust, no A/C, minimal heat, and primer front end. Although in all fairness, it was "newer" at the time than this Passat is now... but boy that Passat sure looks nicer. Ironically, we both lover our B5 wagon, I'd love to add another, but I fear Passat #4 may be a bit much.

Someone here should seriously buy this car. Like, right now.

 

[TomJD]

Wow. I’m not one to comment on someone’s FS ad just for the sake of commenting but this is super cool. Good luck and I hope it goes to a TDI club member.

I’ve been looking for a Passat wagon for my wife since she is having to drive 200 miles some days. I unfortunately can’t justify a project with where I’m at in life and I’d be concerned about the unobtainium parts, but it would be fun to have the stable.

I seriously hope someone here buys it!

 

[mogly]

Neat B5.5. I like the dark blue. Really suits the Passat's lines. It's weird that this is FWD and not 4-motion.

 

[PakProtector]

Quite a cool car. Tempted as heck. And jus' to be clear...

That car is not standing in the way of any Lady you'd wish to spend yer life with.

Douglas

 

[Mozambiquer]

I'd love that car! Currently I've got too many other b5.5s though.
Oh, and to add to the same theme everyone else said... I was driving a 1982 rabbit pickup and 1998 VW Jetta when I met my now wife back in 2016. She married me anyway and learned to drive stick because I didn't have any automatics.
If a girl won't marry you because your car is too old, she's not the one you want.

 

[confyushus]

I love it and want it. My biggest hold up is part availability, aftermarket support, and ease of working in the engine bay. I work on my Jetta but am unsure how hard it will be on a V6. Anyone have any idea on any of this?

 

[oilhammer]

I've worked on plenty of the ATQ engines (gas V6) and a few of the biturbo 2.7L V6s. The front end comes off the same on all of them, and the whole shebang drops out the bottom just the same, I cannot imagine the older V6 diesel is much different. Certainly simpler than the CR ones.

 

[d24tdi]

PM sent. I have been on the hunt for a car exactly like this for years... here is my thread from a year ago searching for one, to prove it!

What became of the 2.5L V6 TDI swapped B5/C5 cars that were done on here?

Good discussion boys. Import container; take ownership contents of container at port. This costs a certain amount.....is the juice worth the squeeze? If we were all normal and only paid attention of $/mile, then we would all drive toyota corollas or similar.

forums.tdiclub.com

Look forward to talking with you.

 

[NewTdi]

I wonder if it can be registered in CA. I think d24tdi should buy t since he has been wanting one forever.

 

[dhangejr]

Drive it to Seattle I’ll give you 2k and buy your plane ticket back .

 

[unicornTDI]

Sold to d24tdi

 

[oilhammer]

That's awesome... and if you are driving through my area on the way home, I'd love to take a ride!

 

[unicornTDI]

I'd love that car! Currently I've got too many other b5.5s though.
Oh, and to add to the same theme everyone else said... I was driving a 1982 rabbit pickup and 1998 VW Jetta when I met my now wife back in 2016. She married me anyway and learned to drive stick because I didn't have any automatics.
If a girl won't marry you because your car is too old, she's not the one you want.

About the girl or image topic. I do live in Miami where you can’t leave the house without seeing a lambo, Ferrari, etc. So driving an 18yr old car here is generally a good indicator of someone that is broke, different story in the rest of the US. Plus, now I have a bigger toy hauler. My new car (MB metris LWB blue cargo van) will still filter out the girls that are not right for me, it’s a cargo van after all. And it looks a bit like the VW:

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 6, 2023

 

[oilhammer]

One of the last of the Metris for us, this is the last year they'll be importing them. Shame, they are nice. No diesels for us, though.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Although automotive status seekers are around more than ever in New England, us natives still are unashamed of whatever we drive. I joke that people don't even know what my 20 year old Jetta Wagon is, so they can't disrespect it.

 

[oilhammer]

I like when people are startled that my Golf is a diesel when fueling up, then ask "what is it", and I respond "It is a Volkswagen Golf, literally one of THE best selling single models of car ever of all time over the entire planet... it even outsold the Beetle."

 

[turbodieseldyke]

My new car (MB metris LWB blue cargo van) will still filter out the girls that are not right for me, it’s a cargo van after all.

Take out the seats and put in a waterbed.

 

[d24tdi]

Sold to d24tdi

Yes, could not be more stoked about this, thanks again @unicornTDI for working it out with me. It is no exaggeration to say that buying this car, with this engine, is like Christmas come early. I really have been looking for one for the better part of the last decade and even began acquiring parts to do a 2.5L V6 conversion of a US car, or to help keep an eventual imported car going. Being able instead to buy one that is factory-built and already running is a great alternative. And the spare V6 engine I already have will help ensure I'm able to keep it on the road.

That's awesome... and if you are driving through my area on the way home, I'd love to take a ride!

Still figuring out the details of how I will get it back home, but it looks like the direct route from Miami to Montana passes right through Missouri so why not? It would be great to meet you OH, and to get your eyes and ears on this rare beast.

I think most likely it will be on a flatbed behind my pickup truck since it sounds like it has an engine noise that we don't know the source of yet, and a breakdown in the middle of nowhere thousands of miles from home in a drivetrain with zero US parts availability doesn't sound like a good way to start things off. But TBD for now.

I will start a thread in due time to track the adventure with this wagon as things move forward, much looking forward to it.

 

[Mozambiquer]

Yes, could not be more stoked about this, thanks again @unicornTDI for working it out with me. It is no exaggeration to say that buying this car, with this engine, is like Christmas come early. I really have been looking for one for the better part of the last decade and even began acquiring parts to do a 2.5L V6 conversion of a US car, or to help keep an eventual imported car going. Being able instead to buy one that is factory-built and already running is a great alternative. And the spare V6 engine I already have will help ensure I'm able to keep it on the road.



Still figuring out the details of how I will get it back home, but it looks like the direct route from Miami to Montana passes right through Missouri so why not? It would be great to meet you OH, and to get your eyes and ears on this rare beast.

I think most likely it will be on a flatbed behind my pickup truck since it sounds like it has an engine noise that we don't know the source of yet, and a breakdown in the middle of nowhere thousands of miles from home in a drivetrain with zero US parts availability doesn't sound like a good way to start things off. But TBD for now.

I will start a thread in due time to track the adventure with this wagon as things move forward, much looking forward to it.

I wanna see it too! Also in Missouri. I was very tempted by this... maybe I'll just have to swap a v6 tdi into my W8 passat. Aaron at cascade german has a 3.0 common rail from an a4 that I think would be a fun engine to swap in.

 

[PakProtector]

Nicely done sale... Would that all such went so smoothly.

Douglas

 

[unicornTDI]

So happy this is going to a good home! Love this car and babied it the whole time.

The engine noise: My VW mechanic thinks it could be the egr valve causing the noise because it isn’t constant; sometimes louder sometimes barely noticeable. If it was rods or something it would always make noise. Noise can be heard clearly listening from the intake. No smoke, no difference in power.

Happy to have a carbon cleaning done to it by engine carbon clean if you guys think it would help and d24tdi agrees. Costs around $175 I think. I can post video/audio.

 

[unicornTDI]

Take out the seats and put in a waterbed.

Definitely adding a bed, actually already have a single bed (25” wide x 5” thick) folding foam seat thingie in there that serves as a seat and bed, will add a platform and another folding seat so two people can sleep in it. Also a fridge but need to finish my sprinter van build first. Bed not in the video…

I guess this will turn into a rare car too since they won’t be sold here anymore. It looks like a passenger van on the outside because of the windows but isn’t, LWB is only available for cargo vans so that makes it a little more special too.

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 6, 2023

 

[d24tdi]

So happy this is going to a good home! Love this car and babied it the whole time.

The engine noise: My VW mechanic thinks it could be the egr valve causing the noise because it isn’t constant; sometimes louder sometimes barely noticeable. If it was rods or something it would always make noise. Noise can be heard clearly listening from the intake. No smoke, no difference in power.

Happy to have a carbon cleaning done to it by engine carbon clean if you guys think it would help and d24tdi agrees. Costs around $175 I think. I can post video/audio.

Yes, it will have a good home, that's for sure. Looking forward to many good years with it and lots of careful upkeep after all this time in the search.

A clip of the engine noise would be helpful for sure in making the decision whether to drive it home. Lots of temptation to do that, as it would be much easier/cheaper/more fun than the alternatives. But not worth it if it would put the car or engine at risk. To me any kind of noise heard from the intake always makes me think valvetrain issue and of course that seems to be the 2.5 engine's Achilles heel so don't want to roll the dice if that is a possibility. Wonder if a hydraulic lash adjuster could have bled down while the car sat and let a roller follower jump free when the engine was started again, or ?? Guess until the valve covers were off no way to know for sure what is/isn't happening.

I am working on ideas for how best to do the logistics and will be in direct touch tomorrow to see what sounds good on your end, but if you get a chance to take video of the noise and are able to post that here, that would be great in order to get others' ears and opinions on it as well as mine. If it's not a cause for concern then bringing it home on the road would be hard to resist.

Nice van! Looks like a great base camp. The US Postal Service has a few Metris in its fleet that always catch my eye, nice rigs. I have always wondered how they decide who is lucky enough to drive a USPS Metris instead of their Caravans or Grummans or whatever other junk they have.

 

[unicornTDI]

Yes, it will have a good home, that's for sure. Looking forward to many good years with it and lots of careful upkeep after all this time in the search.

A clip of the engine noise would be helpful for sure in making the decision whether to drive it home. Lots of temptation to do that, as it would be much easier/cheaper/more fun than the alternatives. But not worth it if it would put the car or engine at risk. To me any kind of noise heard from the intake always makes me think valvetrain issue and of course that seems to be the 2.5 engine's Achilles heel so don't want to roll the dice if that is a possibility. Wonder if a hydraulic lash adjuster could have bled down while the car sat and let a roller follower jump free when the engine was started again, or ?? Guess until the valve covers were off no way to know for sure what is/isn't happening.

I am working on ideas for how best to do the logistics and will be in direct touch tomorrow to see what sounds good on your end, but if you get a chance to take video of the noise and are able to post that here, that would be great in order to get others' ears and opinions on it as well as mine. If it's not a cause for concern then bringing it home on the road would be hard to resist.

Nice van! Looks like a great base camp. The US Postal Service has a few Metris in its fleet that always catch my eye, nice rigs. I have always wondered how they decide who is lucky enough to drive a USPS Metris instead of their Caravans or Grummans or whatever other junk they have.

For sure! here is a video of the engine noise:

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• unicornTDI
• Feb 7, 2023

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Does it have a DMF?

 

[krook]

Here in Europe we spit on the 2.5 v6 TDI, they're nothing like the 1.9s reliability, tunability and mpg wise. Its vp44 pump located right in the middle of the V shape is a nightmare, I would've avoid it Good luck though! Body is in amazing condition, so if the engine dies, just put a 1.9 in -- AVF or AWX if you're a PD guy or AFN/AHU/1Z otherwise.