Beetle DOA :-(

[PHOTOGUY1000]

I bought an 03 new beetle for my older daughter in 2017 very clean car. Put leather in it new injection pump new turbo new clutch. When my daughter went off to college & I could not keep my eye on the car became clear she needed a newer one. Sold the car to some family friends very cheap as they were in dire need of a car... long story short they blew a turbo line pumped all the oil out of it. Swore it happend right in front of the house & they said I could have it back for nothing. Just got the bad news from the mechanic after I dropped $600 into it having him replace turbo line motor sounds horrible :-( I wanted to give it to my younger daughter for her first car. So question is do i just cut my loses part it out or try to find another motor?

 

[Nero Morg]

Depends on how much you like the car. I'd only build it if you wanted to keep it.

 

[03Wagn]

What do you mean by “turbo line”? The oil feed line to the turbo itself and the turbo was starved of oil?

 

[PB_NB]

If the rest of the car is in good shape and brakes, suspension, body, electrical system, transmission/clutch are all good, An engine swap makes sense, but if the car is not so good, maybe not worth it. You could find another decent MK4 around that same age for 2 or 3k. Depending on usage, maybe a gasser would be fine as well which opens up the search parameters.

 

[PHOTOGUY1000]

Car is in very nice shape... great paint rims tires new suspension new clutch new injection pump new turbo... has about 230K on it. Oil feed line basically broke off.

 

[PB_NB]

Sounds like a keeper. You should be able to find a decent motor for a swap.

 

[PHOTOGUY1000]

So did some calling have a locale tdi guy who has a motor... 1400 for motor 2000 to install with my parts on it. Obviously more than the car is worth but its not like I can buy my daughter a decent car for $3400. Whats everybody think spend money on it or send it to the grave.

 

[Nero Morg]

Again, how much do you like the car? If you really don't want to get rid of it, build it. If you're going to build it to sell it, it's not worth it.

 

[PHOTOGUY1000]

not going to sell it it would be for my 16 year old daughter. What do you think of the price for motor & install?

 

[Sauaciden]

Don't know prices in US but here in Europe I swapped engine with good one for 190euros (Just a bare engine). Did all the work myself

 

[Nero Morg]

not going to sell it it would be for my 16 year old daughter. What do you think of the price for motor & install?

If it's a trusted TDI Guru and he does all associated work, like timing belt during install and such, that's not a bad price for complete install. New beetles are a bit more of a bear to take the engine out than the jetta or golf counterparts. If you're going to keep it, I'd do it.

 

[2.2TDI]

2000 is excessive

you should be able to get a good used engine for less then 500 bucks without a turbo on it...then the turbo isn't that much more for a decent used one... i've been seeing complete engines for as low as 600, at least that's in Canada, guys here are parting alh and bews left and right

They're rare cars, but not that rare that a motor should cost 1400 bucks

 

[Nero Morg]

For an engine with known history, I'd rather pay extra for it than just any junkyard used engine. Just my opinion.

 

[csstevej]

Why did it cost $600.00 to change a turbo oil line?.
I shouldn’t take more than an hour.....and that’s if your slow, line shouldn’t be more than 50-100 bucks depending on where you get it.

As others have said, if you like it and it’s in good shape then do it.
I would recommend that you try to familiarize your self with the car to help keep repair costs down , a Bentley manual is a must.

My youngest has a TDI beetle that needed a new radiator, I had her help me to replace it.
I told her what to remove and she listened and did guide well. We changed the rad in about 5 hours, had to cut some bolts off, taught her on how to do that and replaced on of the rad fans......she was appreciative of what she learned......just my .02.

 

[JDSwan87]

I think the BIGGER question here is does your 16yo daughter want/like the car? I'd HATE to see you do this and she hates the car and you end up selling it for a loss. Trust me, I realize it's her first car and you're likely giving it to her as a gift. However, if she doesn't like it then all this might be for naught.

 

[PHOTOGUY1000]

I clarified my convo with my new tdi guy the job is 2K total wich I think is a solid deal. Daughter loves this it was her older sisters first car & she has always loved it. The car has been with some family friends for the last year or so... they had it when oil line blew & with as much oil that the motor was covered with I had no idea where the oil came from... so I took it too a locale german mechanic if I had known it was that line for sure would have done it myself. Used Lenord at wild rose for years but he retired... this new guy I just found seems like a good one. I have had several of these cars & I like working on them but pulling a motor is beyond my knowledge. Thanks for the input guys.

 

[2.2TDI]

I'll say it again, 2k is excessive even with labour. You can find good used motors from people parting cars (note, not junk yard motors) that you can possibly see the engine running before hand.

You also have no idea where the mechanic is sourcing the engine from, could easily be from a junk yard...

It's your money, but for 2k with what I imagine is a unknown engine source, you can add a bit more and just find another beetle and keep this as a parts car

Anyways that's my opinion, your car, your money

 

[PHOTOGUY1000]

I called all around & in CA rebuilt engines are 2700 used are 1400... this one is completely rebuilt installed for 2K.

 

[2.2TDI]

Wow, you guys must get shafted hard then because that's ridiculous... Definitely not the case where I am in Canada

 

[Nero Morg]

this one is completely rebuilt installed for 2K.

Key words.

 

[Prairieview]

Key words which mean what? You will never know what has been done or how it has been done or what components were or were not replaced and how meticulous the block prep was performed or how intelligently the rings were placed, etc.

Key words for little kids with big know-not-much egos.

I'd pass...grow a pair...and rebuild my own and KNOW what-is-what. Which is exactly what I have been doing for a couple decades.

 

[Nero Morg]

Cool, are you volunteering? Otherwise thanks for the useless input.



Good luck with your build Photoguy.

 

[JDSwan87]

Y'all are looking at this wrong. I'm looking at it as a good, dependable, $2000, 50mpg car that will be safe for his daughter. Plus, it's small and not a "bedroom on wheels" so it'll keep the boys away (maybe).

You can pay with time, or you can pay with money, but you are going to pay with something. Me personally, if a job is going to take more than 5 hours, I hire it out. In my younger years, I had more time than money so I could take a weekend to complete a major service on a car.

Photoguy, it sounds like you like this car and you're comfortable with the mechanic. I would want a compression test on the motor and close up photos of each lifter on the head. That'll tell something about the engine health. I find it hard to believe he's going to fully rebuild the engine.

 

[2.2TDI]

Y'all are looking at this wrong. I'm looking at it as a good, dependable, $2000, 50mpg car that will be safe for his daughter. Plus, it's small and not a "bedroom on wheels" so it'll keep the boys away (maybe).

You can pay with time, or you can pay with money, but you are going to pay with something. Me personally, if a job is going to take more than 5 hours, I hire it out. In my younger years, I had more time than money so I could take a weekend to complete a major service on a car.

Photoguy, it sounds like you like this car and you're comfortable with the mechanic. I would want a compression test on the motor and close up photos of each lifter on the head. That'll tell something about the engine health. I find it hard to believe he's going to fully rebuild the engine.

You do bring up a good point... i'm just so stuck on the fact that a 17 year old car does not deserve 2k worth of work just on the engine alone, sorry. Yea you can argue the whole where are you going to get a decent running and driving car for 2k, but after you spend that 2k, how much more you reckon it'll need at the moment, or in 6 months, 12 months? If everything else is in tip top shape and it needs absolutely nothing, then yea ok, maybe it makes sense... but in my experience, that's rarely the case

 

[Nero Morg]

Being as I dropped $700 into one just in the timing belt/01m service kit (along with a few other knick knacks like filters, ect.) and I'm billing $1800 in labor to do the timing belt, service, clean intercooler and intake, and polish headlights, sure I think the price is fair. So long as all other associated work, like the timing belt, are done, and the engine has been thoroughly gone through.


Otherwise, yeah. I can get a complete ALH at Pick N Pull for about $280, and still have to invest in a new cam, followers, timing belt, time... All depends on how much you want to do. You're going to have to pay with either your time, or your money. So before calling out people as unknowledgeable and to "grow a pair," really think about the bigger picture.



Anyhow. End rant.