Any old-timers left? (I joined in 1999.)

rgoetz

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 14, 1999
Location
NJ
TDI
None currently
I joined this site in 1999, just prior to buying a 2000 Golf TDI. There were fewer than 1,000 members when I joined. At the time I lived in Vermont. I was active in this community for a few years, having a few GTGs at my house. In 2001 I move to NJ and I sold the Golf a few years later and my TDI-hood went dormant. I then bought a 2012 JSW TDI, which I will be selling back to VW in the fall, and that will likely be the end of my TDI experience.
Are there any other old-timers still around?
 

RabbitGTI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 20, 1997
Location
Wisconsin
TDI
B4 Passat Sedan
I'm an old timer, still daily driving a B4 with 321k on it :D Quit taking it on hwy trips six months ago because of my family telling me it does not have modern safety features. They make a good point :D Looking at getting a lightly used MK 7 Golf R. Gonna keep the B4 for banging around town, I love that thing.
 

rgoetz

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 14, 1999
Location
NJ
TDI
None currently
I prefer the $ and I don't trust long term reliability after the fix. I will miss it though
 

rgoetz

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 14, 1999
Location
NJ
TDI
None currently
I'm an old timer, still daily driving a B4 with 321k on it :D Quit taking it on hwy trips six months ago because of my family telling me it does not have modern safety features. They make a good point :D Looking at getting a lightly used MK 7 Golf R. Gonna keep the B4 for banging around town, I love that thing.
Rarely see a B4 these days - hope you enjoy it for many more years

I really enjoy my GTI. I'm sure you'll have fun with an R
 
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itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
I guess I qualify as an old-timer now. Reading TDI page since the late 90's, and finally got my first TDI in 2002. My 83 (non-tdi) Diesel Rabbit just kept rolling along, so out of respect for the page, I was a lurker rather than a member of the club until I actually had a TDI.



I've seen lots of names come and go, and I admit I have periods of inactivity on this site, but I've always enjoyed the TDI CLUB community. We are a breed of unique people, some geeky in our obsessions whose eyes glaze over as we start reciting our TDI facts to anyone who is unlucky enough to ask "Is that a Diesel?" at a gas pump, to other members somewhat misguided, and a few flat out nut cases.



I can only wonder after the buyback how many people we will actually have on TDI club going forward.

There have been some great discussions on this board, some for enthusiasts like me, others that talked about ECU reprogramming with special codes and perimeters that I had no clue about. Others giving great advice on cleaning your snow screen in the middle of summer. Still, I read the boards with interest, often agreeing, sometimes correcting misconceptions, and watching the great debates go on and on.

I've commented, argued, and I've sold cars for a dealership here on "the club" when my passion turned into a career, and even started a "You know you're obsessed when..." thread that had a boat-load of views before the server replacement that pretty much started old threads view counts over again.

Although I"ve never attended any GTG's or TDIFESTs I have met quite a few TDI club people over the years by chance, many when I worked at 3 different dealerships in 2 states.

In my VW Diesel driving history my cars have included:

a Used 1980 Rabbit shared with my sister as our high-school car.
a used 1983 Rabbit- my very first 'hopefully it will make it through highschool, and maybe college car" that I kept as a daily driver until it was wrecked when I was 31.

A hand-me-down 1989 Jetta Diesel that my father gave me after driving it 602,000 miles, I had it another 2 years, and at 623,000 it met it's end when a buick ran a red light.

A new 2003 Jetta TDI
An inherited 2000 Jetta TDI when we had to take the keys from dad due to declining health.

A VERY USED and neglected 2005 Passat Wagon TDI- with a horrible habit of going into transmission limp mode that I bought from a repair shop just because it was a Passat Wagon. I sold it a few months later.

A 2011 Jetta Sportwagen- (Wife's car. We actually met at my dealership and were married about a year later). Sold back to VW

A used 2013 Jetta Sportwagen- Sold back to VW (hated to, but they offered stupid money, well above anything I could hope to get in private party sales).

As our buyback date approached my wife's worst fear was realized. Life without a TDI. She had become hooked on TDI's on her daily 35 mile highway commute each way to work/home. We prepared to sell our cars back in June of 2017..

Then, when VW's 2015 Stop Sale order was cleared, thus clearing the way to sell their remaining 2015 stock, in May 2017 we found "Little Red" a red Golf Wagon that my wife wanted, and the dealership only had a Passat and Beetle convertible left-- So I leased them for the $8500 credit, and have bought them outright since.

A few months later I spotted a VW Fleet Owned 2015 Passat at a local lot

(https://www.donohooauto.com/used-in...ype=&saveFacetState=true&lastFacetInteracted=)

that had 802 miles on it, and surprised my wife with it. (More like "YOU DID WHAT??!!!-- you're such an IDIOT sometimes!!) So in a house with 2 drivers, we now have 4 2015 TDI's.

I don't plan on having to buy a new car for at least 20 years with my current rotation of 4 cars, by which time I'll be.. wow.. Really old. But nonetheless I'll forever be a TDIClub reader who like many wondered why a true diesel/hybrid was never mass-produced. (Ok, the XL1 sort of qualifies).

I need to lay off the caffeine when I write these kinds of posts. Sorry to write a book. But you know-- I'm obsessed. ;) http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=58130 (TDI CLUB-- "You know you're obsessed" link).
 
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Keli_OR

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2003
Location
West Linn, Oregon
TDI
'15 black Sportwagen SE, '01 silver Jetta GLS, '00 green Beetle
I joined in '03 after buying my '01 Jetta and haven't looked back since!
I love the information and the camaraderie the club provides. ?
I guess I'm a diehard since I just purchased a '15 GSW CPO back in December.??
 

kiwibru

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 21, 1999
Location
Distant island in WA. state
TDI
Golf 2-door, 2k Silver. Red RTDI now gone but not forgotten!
Oh yeah, 99er here too. Still have the original 2000 Golf and it has been kept in great shape with new engine, many mods and is a daily driver. Can't beat the level of technology, frozen in time now, but oh so easy to deal with. So many friends and GTG over the years provide a valuable sense of community that this site continues to provide.
 

John Beyer

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2000
Location
Peninsula, Ohio
TDI
Two 1998 Jettas, Classic Green and White TDI/GT, 1996 Passat Wgn, White, 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver
Joined in 2000. Still have the same TDI's and have added more. Not as active as I used to be. Should be driving the A3 from California (that I converted) for a long time to come.
 
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tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
April 97 one of the 1st 100......Though I still have a TDI I don't drive it much.....I drive my 2014 BMW CPO 328D Xdrive. Great car Wife drives the 2015 JETTA SEL TDI
 

PeterV

TDIClub Enthusiast, HO5G Doyen & Zen Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Location
So, NH.
TDI
2000 Jetta 5 sp.
8-00 and went to the first Fest and everyone after that too. And still the the same car and it is a 100% Fest attendee.

Did a GTG in Vt at Rgoetz house with Tomo, Lawson and GarrettP.
 

Black00Jetta

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2003
Location
Relocated to AZ
TDI
2000 Jetta GLS Black 5spd
Bought my 2000 Jetta and joined in 03. Still check posts periodically to keep up and for information. In the process of replacing the brake booster (more work than anticipated and the booster doesn’t locate properly��). Still happy with Jetta after 17 years and wondering who will last longer!
 

carnotgas

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Location
New York
TDI
2015 Jetta
13 Years

I joined the forum 13 years ago. Driving my 3rd TDI.
2002 Jetta TDI Automatic
2009 Jetta TDI Manual
2015 Jetta TDI DSG
The 2015 is by far the best one:
Best fuel mileage.
Best acceleration.
Best deal.
Best reliability so far.
I been to 3 TDI fests.
 
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Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
Did a GTG in Vt at Rgoetz house with Tomo, Lawson and GarrettP.
And a weekend in Mont Tremblant....
Renee snoring to wake the dead.... Taz out in the woods with a long kitchen knife just in case that noise we heard turned out to be edible.... Canadian border staff calling RG's spouse to confirm he wasn't kidnapping his daughter.... My first time experiencing Sleeman's Brown.... Yeah, good time..
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Still floating around. Mostly doing restoration work on these things now. Some are in serious need.
 

BKmetz

Administrator, Member #10
Staff member
Joined
Sep 25, 1997
Location
Illinois
TDI
2015 Passat, titanium beige, 6MT
I'm still here. I joined on Sept 25th, 1997. Several guys posting in this thread were already on the old message board when I joined.

Anyone have a Three-digit or less member number?

;)
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
I joined in May, 2003 after purchasing a 2000 Jetta TDI in March. My brother, who's also a member, referred me here. He's never been active and no longer owns a TDI. I actually own his 2003 Jetta which has the engine out of his wrecked 2001 Jetta.

Prior to TDIs, I had been keeping the old MK1 Diesel Jettas on the road. Purchased my first VW Diesel in January, 1980, Rabbit.

Although I like the MK4 Jetta, I cannot resist getting into my 84 Vanagon with MrGutWrench's 02 ALH engine ...:D
 

Hamman

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 1999
Location
Warren, OH
TDI
No TDI's, but an '84 Rabbit diesel
On my 11th? VW and 3 of them TDI's.
Can't begin to describe all that I have learned from this forum.
Hats off to all of the contributors with a hearty thanks. No TDI's
now, but am completing an amateur restoration of my '84 rabbit 1.6d.
Enjoying the two gassers, but miss the mileage of the diesels.
 

Radman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 13, 2001
Location
Montreal
TDI
2014 Audi A6 TDI, 2014 Touareg TDI
Joined in 2001 and still here! Still driving TDI's. Most recent purchase is an Audi A6 TDI which is TDI number 7 for me (11th VAG product) and my 9th diesel.
Although not posting much I still visit the site several times a week. It is by far the best site I have ever been a member of and have made so many friends here :)
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
...
Anyone have a Three-digit or less member number?

;)
Yes, I do. Only been to sort-of 1 Fest, the one in SLC, UT. And 3 or 4 GTGs at HO5G. One or two other GTGs. Still driving my Y2k 4-dr white Golf I bought in Oct. '99. 10 years ago, I had about 230k miles on it when I moved here to NH in the summer of 2008, and now I have 272k miles. I just have not been driving that much up here in NH. The brakes only last 4-5k miles before rust takes them out (about 2 years or so). There's other age-related issues cropping up, but it is more fun to keep this going than to contemplate monthly payments on a newer car that would not do a better job of taking me where I need or want to go.


Cheers,


PH
 

TDI smile

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Location
Edmonton, Alberta (b4 BC - LOWER MAINLAND = Chilli
TDI
2002 TDI (ALH) with 513,000 km. First Owner and very happy... No Problems, never left us stranded on the Highway. Average useage is about between under 4 ltr. and 5 ltr. Normal longdistance travel: 4.1/100
I'm an Oldtimer by age and my TDI too....Just over 482,000 km and going like the first DAY!!!, a lot better of course!
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
I have respect for you all and those like you that have come and gone who made this a great community. I knew I wanted a TDI after driving a used one in 1998, but didn't get into one until early 2006. Thanks again and even as I pass now for a "veteran" your words of (mostly) wisdom are appreciated.

It is also cool to say I've owned a 1998 Passat TDI, even if it was when I lived in England.
 
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