How long will you keep your mk4

LMJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2010
Location
Virginia
TDI
2000 VW Golf
When I bought it in 2010 I told myself I'd keep the car til I die, but it needs so much work I'm not sure anymore..and can't get biodiesel any longer. I'm in the same boat as you, I mainly rely on mechanics for repairs. This spring it got oversprayed with white paint, all over!. Looks like someone walked around it with a spray can and misted paint everywhere. The paint didn't look like much to begin with though. Needs all new suspension, it's leaking oil, brakes and tire will soon need to be replaced, inside needs replacing, wind noise is bad over 60mph, driver seat isn't comfortable after 2 hrs of riding, airbag light is on and it's due for inspection next month. We've been through a lot together. It's the only vehicle I have left that my late dog road in (other trucks and boats all sold), drove it to Maine and bottomed out on a rock off road, road the washboard roads, got back home and ran over a chunk of concrete in the road 1 mile from my house. Would have removed the oil pan if I hadn't had a skid plate. Huge dent in it.
 

crashmanS

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Location
West Virginia
TDI
2003 New Beetle
My 2003 beetle has 230,000. I just replaced the factory clutch and steering rack. Hope it will go for years more. I think my next car will electric or plug in hybrid. But that will years down the road hopefully. I work at a vocational center and teach collision Repair. We also have an automotive and diesel program. So I can keep junk running forever, and CHEAP.[emoji16]

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jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
These along with my B5s should last me until I am not longer able to drive, and I honestly do not want to live any past that.
We took my dads car at age 98, he only went two more years after that. A benchmark for you to look forward to
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
I hate to say it but it may be time for me to sell mine.
I enjoyed it since buying it new but to much neglected maintenance to catch up with & I'm not getting younger. :(
Next one might be a 2015 Golf Sport Wagon.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
My son left last night to return to Wisconsin in his '02 Golf. He's had it for 5 years. bought at 265K, now at 382K. Consumes a little oil driving around town but not on the highway, once things get good and warm. Runs beautifully. Head's never been off, original IP, clutch replaced at 330K. We take care of it, and it just goes and goes. I think rust will get to it before the drivetrain gives out. But he's going to drive it till the end.
 

steve6

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Location
Beaverton, ON
TDI
2003 jetta tdi
I sold mine back in april ish. Had my two parts cars towed to the wreckers after selling whatever people wanted. I bought a Kia forte sx, nice little car with the sx package. A whole 7.1 l/100km, but ive driven it 20,000 kms already and its been great. The mkiv was getting to be a bit too much maintenance for me.
 

Hwycruiser

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2014
Location
TX
TDI
0
I have done a lot of repairs and maintenance to my 02 Golf (basically have restored it) so I figure it should last a long time. The new cars are nice but a car payment is not. Responding to previous comments-
-The mk4 cars were made and sold around the world for longer than the U.S. so parts should be available. Anytime there is a demand for parts, they will be made and sold by someone who can make a buck off it. Just look at some of the small parts already out there for the glovebox.
-If you want to upgrade your electronics there is plenty of options aftermarket. You can easily install Bluetooth, Carplay, backup cameras etc. I am not aware of blindspot, adaptive cruise, lane departure, etc., being available, but most of that makes cars overly complicated and expensive. Since the mk4 cars have good visibility and maneuverability hopefully you can avoid an accident with your own driving skills.
 

WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
You could probably make the fancy options work on these mk4s but it'd take some serious nerding out.

And Amen to no car payments.

Super light cars (the brand) doesn't worry about ABS and focuses more on weight and maneuverability to avoid accidents.

I love the simplicity of these cars and the buildablock compatibility of so many parts from other models...
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sriracha

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Location
805
TDI
2005 Jetta Wagon 5mt, 1982 Rabbit truck (gas)
New replacement interior plastic parts are still available and easy to replace.
A custom cluster by Litke will get you a tech display similar to modern cars.
It doesn’t take much to make the interior look and feel new again.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
New replacement interior plastic parts are still available and easy to replace.
A custom cluster by Litke will get you a tech display similar to modern cars.
It doesn’t take much to make the interior look and feel new again.
Please find me a black dual cupholder center rear console for my Golf. I was lucky to part out a 2004 wagon for the beige one in another car. Both of these have been discontinued. Not sure about the gray.
 

sriracha

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Location
805
TDI
2005 Jetta Wagon 5mt, 1982 Rabbit truck (gas)
Please find me a black dual cupholder center rear console for my Golf. I was lucky to part out a 2004 wagon for the beige one in another car. Both of these have been discontinued. Not sure about the gray.
Let me rephrase, some interior parts are still available new, but supplies are dwindling.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I was gonna say, much of the car's non-mechanical bits, well even some of those, are NLA through Volkswagen, with the number increasing daily. I have to disappoint people a lot because of this. The center console lids and pieces, door panels, and a bunch of other items all come to mind that I have asked about just in the last year. Oh, and the Jetta sedan's trunk harness.

I am just hoping the 3D printing thing really takes off, and some folks back engineer some stuff. Because I know people will pay for it (I certainly would), to keep the car in good order.

I replaced a bad passenger side front (in the dash) air bag on a 2003 Jetta last week. Brand new it was about $220. Which is CHEAP. Which tells me they are purging that from stock now, too. That used to be almost a grand. I know, I priced it for the same car YEARS ago, and she decided it was too expensive but the price dropped so much she went ahead and did it. First time no dash warning light on in that car in a decade!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I scrambled last year to get a headliner for my Wagon. VW had discontinued the non-sunroof liners, but they re-appeared a few months later. I grabbed one. It's going in next month. Manual window regulators for 2-door Golfs have been gone for a long time. Some cooling hoses are NLA, but fortunately those rarely fail on these cars. I'm not sure you can find non-ESP brake boosters anymore. Those things confuse me, because they either come with the master cylinder or have to match the one you have.

And if you have a '98 NB, (still a MKIV), things get even more interesting.
 

Little Jack

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2001
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado
TDI
Golf GL Reflex Silver 2001
I kept my American made 79 Rabbit for 17 years. My Golf is now approaching 19 years. Other than those two cars, I’ve never hung onto cars that long. I had two Miatas for 6 years. They were both amazing little cars. Fun to drive, but terribly impractical. My Rabbit was able to haul not only furniture, but all the stuff needed to build a 6 foot fence and was fun to drive to boot. It’s shock towers were disintegrating with rust along with it’s fenders and A pillars. It only had 200K miles when it was junked. It’s engine was fine and the clutch still functioned properly. The dash was cracked, but all the seats had no rips.

My Golf has a bit of rust on the front edge of the rocker behind the front driver’s side wheel liner. My OCD is pushing me to get it fixed. I have an appointment this Monday at a body shop. I am now wondering if I should bother with the professional repair. Maybe I should just mitigate the rust as best I can, spray some primer on it and call it good or do nothing at all. You guys are all ready finding non mechanical parts are harder if not impossible to find. Apparently, my Golf will go the way of my old Rabbit. Very sad.
 

PB_NB

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Vancouver, B.C.
TDI
1999 New Beetle
I am looking at a set of collector plates for the New Beetle. Not so "New" anymore.

At 25 years, I can get them. I am at 20 now and heading into the 2020 MY so that would make it 21 years old.

The car still looks pretty good and since we only drive it to tow the trailer to the campsites, it sees little mileage now.
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
My Golf has a bit of rust on the front edge of the rocker behind the front driver’s side wheel liner. My OCD is pushing me to get it fixed. I have an appointment this Monday at a body shop. I am now wondering if I should bother with the professional repair. Maybe I should just mitigate the rust as best I can, spray some primer on it and call it good or do nothing at all. You guys are all ready finding non mechanical parts are harder if not impossible to find. Apparently, my Golf will go the way of my old Rabbit. Very sad.
Mechanical parts are not impossible to find. There isn't much that's not available in the aftermarket. Most of the stuff that's gone is body and trim items. I wouldn't worry about that for a while.

My $.02 is to have the professional repair done. I had my Wagon's rust repaired a few years ago (admittedly on VW's nickel) and am glad I got it done. I had my '99.5 Golf's rust repaired and the whole car painted two years ago. Cost a fortune but was worth it.
 

tonystdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Location
Chesapeake, Va
TDI
2003 Jetta 700K miles, 2000 Jetta 288,000 miles
Good to hear some of us still love their MK4, what’s the old saying, “if it’s broke fix it.” Currently have 738,000 miles. Original turbo.
 

Little Jack

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2001
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado
TDI
Golf GL Reflex Silver 2001
Mechanical parts are not impossible to find. There isn't much that's not available in the aftermarket. Most of the stuff that's gone is body and trim items. I wouldn't worry about that for a while.
My $.02 is to have the professional repair done. I had my Wagon's rust repaired a few years ago (admittedly on VW's nickel) and am glad I got it done. I had my '99.5 Golf's rust repaired and the whole car painted two years ago. Cost a fortune but was worth it.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I’ll get her done.
 

Hwycruiser

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2014
Location
TX
TDI
0
I guess I have been lucky to find all the bits and parts that I have needed. My list is long so I won’t bore you with it, but I have replaced a lot of parts on my Golf. Have found stuff available from the specialty sellers like IPD, Crutchfield, AARodriguez, etc for new parts. Plus have found needed odd and ends on Amazon and eBay. For example I was reading a post here one day about the late model console cup holder between the seats. Got curious and looked for one, found one and got it. If you can’t find the cupholders you want I highly recommend a new center console with cupholders and a rear cupholder from ecstuning.com. It really improves the interior. I think some guys (maybe some of you) spend their weekends scavenging the pick-n-pull yards for parts items to sell on eBay.
 
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where2

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 29, 1999
Location
North Palm Beach, FL, USA
TDI
One '13 JSW_TDI & One '04 Variant_TDI
I kept my American made 79 Rabbit for 17 years. My Golf is now approaching 19 years. Other than those two cars, I’ve never hung onto cars that long.

My Golf has a bit of rust on the front edge of the rocker behind the front driver’s side wheel liner. My OCD is pushing me to get it fixed.
Having owned a MkI Scirocco, which came to me with minor rust which I was never totally able to eradicate, I can truly relate to your story LittleJack! The MkI was a fun chassis to drive!

Only VW I will hold onto "forever" is the '90 Corrado in the garage. I've had it for 22 years already. I have a replacement rear hatch (already sprayed gloss black) ready to go on the Corrado to delete the only rust that existed on this car!!

My MkIV Jetta Wagon is in great mechanical shape, but the clear is peeling and it needs a respray as well as other cosmetic things done to it to keep her going now that she's almost 16 years old... (built 10/2003)

This thread truly struck a cord with me this week as I eagerly anticipate the arrival of my next VW, and will soon have to decide what to do with the MkIV I've had for 8 years... IBW's photo of his '99.5 tells me respray it, and keep it going!!
 

mt_mapper

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2002
Location
Helena, Montana
TDI
Jetta Wagon, 2003, silver
Our '03 Jetta Wagon is still going strong with only 145,000 miles on it. It is now the teenager car and my daughter has learned to drive the stick! We are the original owners. We picked it up in January 2003 at the dealer. I placed a deposit on it directly from Wolfsburg.
 
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WildChild80

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2016
Location
Nashville, AR
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI 2000 Jetta TDI 2000 New Beetle TDI ALL 5 speeds
I guess I have been lucky to find all the bits and parts that I have needed. My list is long so I won’t bore you with it, but I have replaced a lot of parts on my Golf. Have found stuff available from the specialty sellers like IPD, Crutchfield, AARodriguez, etc for new parts. Plus have found needed odd and ends on Amazon and eBay. For example I was reading a post here one day about the late model console cup holder between the seats. Got curious and looked for one, found one and got it. If you can’t find the cupholders you want I highly recommend a new center console with cupholders and a rear cupholder from ecstuning.com. It really improves the interior. I think some guys (maybe some of you) spend their weekends scavenging the pick-n-pull yards for parts items to sell on eBay.
I scavenge the pick a part yards but I don't sell, I've got enough parts for a rainy day but I do have 3 ALH cars...no your comment didn't strike a cord with me...more that it's a great place to save some important parts before they turn in to razor blades

In my opinion, if you plan to keep these cars for the long haul, having a good used head, an IP or 2 and some turbos is logical to quote Spock.

And about replacing parts, my 2000 was created without an arm rest, pulled the plug out and went to the yard and got one... Viola

For me or I should say, my 01s saving grace was a friend that has a worldpac account and I could get great parts at great prices and he had a 2 post lift that spoiled me.

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skyking1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Location
Washington
TDI
2003 beetle 2002 beetle
I purchased two used beetles and we ran them from the 120K mile range to 200~210. I pranged my black modded one beyond sensible repair, and my wife has moved into a 2013 with DSG. She got tired of shifting :)
I was looking at a clutch and timing belt on her 2002 beetle, and it has some other issues. I looked around and found a gunmetal grey one with 159K and a new belt at 130, in much better overall condition. It has always been my favorite color. Now I have 3 MkIV and her 2013 in the yard :D
I will pull all the goodies out of the pranged 2003, and sell the 2002.
It will be a good stash of parts going forward with the 'new' MkIV
 
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