Advice on thoughts of selling

[GorillaBiscuits13]

Bought the car 09/2010 after leaving my job that had me driving 100-110 miles a day to move across country to Arizona for a job. Right after purchasing the car, I got a call from the job saying they were going with a local. Fast forward to now, a little over 2.5 years have passed and I've added around maybe 20k. That's all in the last year.
I'm without a job again for who knows how long.... I love contract jobs!

I'm the 3rd owner. 2004 Jetta gls tdi. 190,500 miles. Automatic... O9A? I know it's not the O1M
Car was originally in NH, wasn't driven here in rusty NY too much, then I moved to PA for work. Rust wise the car is still in good shape. Although there are stone chips, and now the passenger fender is starting to peel from rust. The windshield has some sort of degradation as it was a coastal car while in NH. A friend of a neighbor backed into the driver side fender and drove away, so that still has damage. The previous owner drove into a piece of rebar he didn't see, so there is a gouge in the front bumper. Various scratches and I think one would guess. All recalls have been performed.

I have most of the maintenance records are there, but I perform my own work, so only receipts for parts bought. Oil has been verified in the records I believe and I use T6 Rotella.

I just replaced the MAF (OEM), the injector harness, the lift pump, new tires. After putting that money into the car, I'm about to be driving on borrowed time with the timing belt as it would be the next job.

Essentially I just don't drive the thing as much as I wanted to or intended. I have 2 motorcycles that get use throughout the summer. Here's where my thoughts of selling come in. If I do decide to sell, the market isn't that great around here, but local craigslist prices are greater than I thought (of course I realize they are asking more than worth likely). With the damage and knowing a timing belt with water pump would be the first thing needed to do what are prices you would pay?

Should I drive down to Sunbury and get the timing belt job done prior to selling? (Doesn't seem like it would add much more)
I have a great body shop guy that I could have repair the fender (likely with another fender) and bumper.

In a typical year, my car is lucky to see 5-6k, so with not driving much and diesel costing more I figure a gas car wouldn't be a bad trade off. Although I'll probably look into something electric anyways.

Any thoughts would be helpful and appreciated!





Looks like the edit I made isn't showing up, but the gouge is below and to the right of the signal marker.

 

[liloldbie]

If you've performed all maintenance and enjoy driving the car I don't see a reason for selling. Especially if it's paid off. Sure, Diesel is a bit more expensive right now as gasoline prices are falling but in the long run it's still a very fuel efficient vehicle that is fun to drive.

I say keep it, especially if you'd be taking on a car payment for a different car.

 

[oilhammer]

Just because you don't drive the car much, doesn't mean it still can't be a great car. I've never really understood that logic. I guess I just don't see the car as a 'compromise' as a means of transportation. While I've owned Volkswagens since I was 15, I bought my first diesel when I was just driving about 8k miles a year, if that. It was still a great car, and that 8k miles cost me hardly anything.

 

[rudall42]

Too many people are getting hung up on "diesel is more expensive than regular."

Is it common knowledge that there's 15% more energy in a gallon of diesel than in a gallon of gasoline? It should be. That narrows the price by 40 or 50 cents a gallon there.
Then you've got 2x the compression in a diesel, or thereabouts, than in a gasser, which is why a tdi does 40 or 50% better than its gasser twin.

 

[Cogen Man]

Keep the car. Sell one of the 2 motorcycles. Use the money(provided it is paid for)to do the TB/WP/tensioners.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

If you need a car at all I'd suggest you keep it. You mention electric, but I think electric isn't a great option if it's your only car, as you can't use it for long trips. And electric cars don't perform as well in winter, which may be where most of your use is if you ride your bikes in the good weather.

Get the timing belt done, clean up the bodywork and enjoy the car, unless there's something else you want more. It'll sell faster and for more $$ with the work done, anyway.

 

[belome]

I love Clarion. I go there for a week every summer to ride bikes and camp along the river.

Good luck if you decide to sell, just be careful, because sellers remorse is a real *****. These cars are getting harder and harder to find and at least with this car you know the history.

 

[GorillaBiscuits13]

Yea I completely understand diesels. I worked at a test facility testing various engines with the "then new" DPF's, testing them to the extremes, so gained a lot of knowledge on them and hence why I purchased the TDI after I left there. Even though by far the VW engine we had seemed to be the worst of the bunch. I just use the diesel costs more as an excuse to sell really.
From there working for GE specifically with the diesel engine from the locomotives.
So I get why diesels great, I honestly have never really liked the car. I'm not sure why as it's performed admirably and suits my driving style much more than a sports car. Hence the motorcycles, if I want to go fast, go to a track. Although as mentioned, I have the same thoughts to sell them as well. I have my Street-Touring bike yielding mpg's typically in the 60's for highway use. I just really despise driving any more. The one bike is an old harley and I have it torn down rebuilding it as I feel like, the other bike I put about 12 miles on it last year. It would make sense to sell one, but the street touring is paid for and just keep on running perfectly, and the harley is well a harley. Even though it's an 81 it's only worth what someone would pay, and that would be much.

Electric just seems really cool to me. I spent pretty much all of college studying fuel cell technology, but I think electric has made leaps and bounds compared to FC vehicles. Yes I realize why, but looking at Tesla's offerings make's me think I can stick within their 150-250 mile range. Getting something like that would pretty much completely take me being able to work on it out of my hands though. Other than something like that (to which I couldn't afford even if I sold all the vehicles) there really isn't anything out there that jumps out at me. Certainly not any of the new variety with the "Clean Diesel" tech in them.
I should likely call Dave back and get the TB scheduled on the car. I figured after dumping the money I just did in parts into it, then the timing belt would be the make or break as far as to keep or sell.

Thank you for all the replies though. I was trying to get opinions from others with a different perspective. Of course I did know it would be slightly biased.

 

[GorillaBiscuits13]

I love Clarion. I go there for a week every summer to ride bikes and camp along the river.

Good luck if you decide to sell, just be careful, because sellers remorse is a real *****. These cars are getting harder and harder to find and at least with this car you know the history.

I don't think I would want to live there any more than I did (I moved back to NY permanently) but for a even 2 weeks at a time, it really is a nice place. Fairly quiet, lots of scenery, and while I didn't like the hills so much getting acclimated to my road bike, it was overall a nice place.

 

[GorillaBiscuits13]

If you need a car at all I'd suggest you keep it. You mention electric, but I think electric isn't a great option if it's your only car, as you can't use it for long trips. And electric cars don't perform as well in winter, which may be where most of your use is if you ride your bikes in the good weather.

Get the timing belt done, clean up the bodywork and enjoy the car, unless there's something else you want more. It'll sell faster and for more $$ with the work done, anyway.

I figured the amount I'd have to put into it wouldn't be close to what I got out of it, but I do agree it would sell much faster.

 

[GorillaBiscuits13]

Just because you don't drive the car much, doesn't mean it still can't be a great car. I've never really understood that logic. I guess I just don't see the car as a 'compromise' as a means of transportation. While I've owned Volkswagens since I was 15, I bought my first diesel when I was just driving about 8k miles a year, if that. It was still a great car, and that 8k miles cost me hardly anything.

Again I really use this as more of an excuse to sell, although I really do just look at them as a means of travel at this point. I used to love cars. My first 2 were older Buicks. While it was an "old mans" car to me, it was always a comfortable and enjoyable ride, and add it there was the same little to no repair work with only regular maintenance, I was sold. I feel as though they've gone for styling a bit more now instead of comfort.
Although I think it was heated cloth seats that pushed me over the top with the Jetta, as I will never own leather again (hopefully). Though GM ran those heaters quite a bit warmer than VW does.