Huzzah for Tdiclub!
Hi, I'm Boosty!
A long time lurker and recent joiner of said forum proceedings, I finally joined after actually acquiring a Tdi - but have owned a Panzer kampfVolkswagon MKIV 04 2.slo Jetta for several years, cut my VW teeth on it so to speak, as well as joined the VW kult; VW - turning owners into mechanics since 1947!
My Jetta aka Little Black Corner Monster, has had a lot of suspension work such as control arms, coilovers, dog bone, factory 17s, etc and handles better than I can drive. TB, ac compressor and all else ac to include air doors, alt, mafs, tps, etc, if it's on the outside of the engine there's a good chance it was replaced. Had been wanting a tdi of any flavor due to diesel goodness for years and finally golf a 04 Golf GL BEW w/O9A slushbox last month.
The silver (aren't they all) Golf has a very clean interior, everything inside works from windows to locks, sitting inside or looking inside you'd never know it had over 200k miles on it expecially if you looked inside my Jetta. At 209k miles needless to say it needs control arms, shocks, and struts but first thing's first!
Today my partner in VW crime, Sambo - who is tdi conscious having owned a plethora of them, went with me to a local u pull and got a pusher pump/sending unit from a BEW on the lot as well as a gas I mean diesel cap, N75 relay, and other bits. Then after some Mexican we proceeded to do a trans fluid change and got the ac charged. The ac was just good enough on a warm dry day as bought to make a diff, but if there was any humidity it would be better than the outside air but just barely. I was concerned the ac needed further service but after driving on the highway a bit it afyer the charge it cooled right down so am well pleased!
The trans fluid actually made for much smoother shifting, something that was hit or miss at times I presume due bespoke O9A solenoids. When I first got it I took to selecting each gear while braked before driving off and that seemd to make the shifting better behaved, the new fluid makes shifts so much smoother. Pleased to report the old fluid was still mostly red, not looking like used motor oil as expected. 10k miles on new TB, egr is software deleted and they sadly disconnected the asv vac line too so would like that back but dunno what vac line goes to it. Clean body save for a few small rust spots, the fenders above each front tire is letting light in a bit. and theres a small poke in the back corner that could be popped out but otherwise I think I got a good deal. Door cards are still nice, only the far end of the headliner is saggy.
So the plan is; control arms and gabriel strus/shocks, the 17s from the Jetta on new rubber, and an attempt to get to 50mpg. I actually thought about another RSK street coilover kit but a trip of 1k miles last Dec made me rethink coilovers on a highway car. Oh and some fenders. We saw so many cars that shouldn't be in the yard yet there they were, same as every time we raid a salvage yard. I suppose as the economy tanks more and more will be pulled from yards and put back to use as new become unobtainable due price or availability.
It's nice to dream.
