2011 S'wagen - This wasn't supposed to be a project car...

[ShovelBum82]

I'll start from "the beginning"...

The History

May 2019
In need of a fuel-efficient and dependable vehicle with more cargo space than a trunk would provide, I purchased a 2011 Toffee Brown 6-spd Sportwagen with 79k miles on the odometer. I planned to upgrade to 18" wheels and do some light, tasteful suspension modifications. That's it. Famous last words...

https://flic.kr/p/2pEHJDg
October 2019
Bent one of the original 16" wheels. I was also needing new tires. A great time to upgrade to some 18" wheels, and I picked up a set off of a Passat. Looking much better now!

https://flic.kr/p/2pEHJCz
January 2020
Rolled over 100k!

https://flic.kr/p/2pEHJvv
January 2021
Someone backed into me while I was parked in a Home Depot parking lot, and of course they just drove off...

https://flic.kr/p/2pENH5J
April 2021
Another someone was driving on I-285 with an unsecured load of 2x4s, and my bumper suffered as a result.

https://flic.kr/p/2pEPNVG
Went ahead and scheduled repairs with the body shop...

 

[ShovelBum82]

February 2022
I happened to be in Robbinsville, NC for work so of course I had to visit the local attraction...

https://flic.kr/p/2pEJdUe
Unfortunately for me it was a holiday and I only saw one other car, which is to say that I have no photos of me actually on The Dragon.

November 2022
Scored a set of Whispbars!

https://flic.kr/p/2pEJdSk
December 2022
I hit a pothole and my entire exhaust fell out of the car. Weird.

https://flic.kr/p/2pER61s
Anyway, I was able to source an exceptionally high-quality replacement from Rawtek.

June 2023
People can't stop hitting my car in parking lots. This is why we can't have nice things.

https://flic.kr/p/2pER5Yi
February 2024
Rolled over 200k! For those who can't math, that's over 120k under my ownership.

https://flic.kr/p/2pEJdR8

 

[ShovelBum82]

March 2024
My turbo decided that it identifies as shrapnel. It transitioned, right into the engine.

https://flic.kr/p/2pEJdGa
And that is how my fuel-efficient and dependable vehicle has now become my project car.
I have acquired a low-mileage donor car, and will begin working on the "Frankenwagen" as soon as I get a few packages from some far away places. Building back better, "faster", and stronger.

 

[ShovelBum82]

Reserved

 

[turbodieseldyke]

My turbo decided that it identifies as shrapnel. It transitioned, right into the engine.

High percentage of suicides, in those turbos.

 

[pkhoury]

December 2022
I hit a pothole and my entire exhaust fell out of the car. Weird.

https://flic.kr/p/2pER61s

LOL to the pothole comment. I need to find a good pothole to do that to my ex's car, also a 2011 JSW.

 

[mittzlepick]

Holy grail many in brown?

 

[Analogeezer]

Holy grail many in brown?

EXTRA holy grail, brown diesel wagon with a MANUAL.

Analogeezer

 

[WWJSWD]

March 2024
My turbo decided that it identifies as shrapnel. It transitioned, right into the engine.

https://flic.kr/p/2pEJdGa
And that is how my fuel-efficient and dependable vehicle has now become my project car.
I have acquired a low-mileage donor car, and will begin working on the "Frankenwagen" as soon as I get a few packages from some far away places. Building back better, "faster", and stronger.

Pieces of the compressor wheel made it all the way into the cylinders??? I always took comfort in my assumption that the intercooler would catch most of the debris if the turbo compressor let go. Well, a new thing to be worried about then

 

[ksing44]

This thread makes me wonder about preventive maintenace on my car, 2010 Golf TDI with 202K miles. I'm already digging into the suspension and I already have a CP3 HPFP, but I'm wondering about other things, e.g., replacing the turbo or whatever?

 

[Garrison]

This thread makes me wonder about preventive maintenace on my car, 2010 Golf TDI with 202K miles. I'm already digging into the suspension and I already have a CP3 HPFP, but I'm wondering about other things, e.g., replacing the turbo or whatever?

Go big, baby

 

[calimustang]

those bioline 16" wheels are so danged notorious to get BENT! I suffered 2 set of them on my old 2011 JSW and now 2014 JSW. I recycled the wheels away and good riddance! so I went with 16" Sparco terras wheels, never look back.

phew what a journey you have gone thru. makes me think I should post my journey..... LOL

 

[McGuirk]

Pieces of the compressor wheel made it all the way into the cylinders??? I always took comfort in my assumption that the intercooler would catch most of the debris if the turbo compressor let go. Well, a new thing to be worried about then

Fixed a stock A3 that a friend picked up for super cheap with a blown turbo. All the metal was caught in the intercooler. YMMV.