1986 Volkswagen Jetta

Sedan

Manual

WVWGH0169GW112197

Diesel

I'm listing this for a neighbor ... you can tell from my feedback I would not list this unless I have seen the car and felt confident posting this. So, feel free to read on ... Hi. For sale is a terrific little car. It’s a 1986 VW Jetta Turbo Diesel. I’ve had it for almost three years and I’ve gotta say its one of the coolest cars ever. In my family we name our cars and this one is Stinky Pete. Don’t bid on this car if you don’t like the smell of diesel exhaust because it is a smoky little beast. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it runs great, drives great, looks great and gets great mileage. When I was commuting with this little car I averaged over 45 mpg. Here’s the story of me and Stinky Pete: 3 years ago I was commuting 30 highway miles each way to work. Gas was going up fast at the time and my Caravan got around 20 mpg. I started looking for a fuel efficient extra car and came across this little diesel on e-bay. Here is the seller’s information on the car from when I bought it on e-bay in 2008: “1986 Volkswagon Jetta GL Turbo Diesel, 5 speed, working A/C, CRUISE CONTROL, Power Steering. This is a very rare, rust free, great running car with 165,000 on the odometer. It starts right up, with no excessive smoke. VW diesels are legendary for their fuel efficiency, and this one is no exception. Average mpg is around 45 hwy, 40 in town. They are also great candidates for vegetable oil or biodiesel, because of their reliable and simple mechanical fuel injection systems that don't rely on a computer to run. Many conversions are available, and veggie oil can be obtained very cheap or free from restaurants. Engine: -A Brand New, (not re manufactured) head has been installed, complete with NEW valves, valve guides, lifters, valve springs, valve stem seals, and camshaft, manufactured by Top Line, along with a set of fully Remanufactured Fuel Injectors. -To eliminate the possibility of head gasket failure down the road- a set of ARP high performance head studs were put in (instead of the stock torque-to-yield bolts) with a German made Victor Rienz head gasket. -Almost every seal and gasket has been replaced, including the front main seal, intermediate shaft seal, cam seal, valve cover gasket, (it was upgraded to the one piece rubber design), intake and exhaust gaskets, turbo down pipe gasket, oil cooler o-ring, and coolant flange seals. The oil pan gasket was replaced with a windage tray, which eliminates oil splash from the crank, and has a high quality reuseable gasket molded into it. -Turbo is in great shape, with no shaft play, and no oil or boost leaks. Both the turbo and exhaust manifold mating surfaces have been planed flat, as they don't use a gasket from the factory. New turbo oil feed line, and the downpipe doughnut gasket is new as well. -Injection pump was calibrated, tested, resealed and cleaned by a professional diesel injection shop. -Timing belt and tensioner are brand new, and the water pump appears to be a recent replacement as well, with no propeller end-play and a good seal. -All 3 accessory belts are brand new. -Every rubber coolant hose in the engine bay has been replaced with German OEM parts, including both upper and lower radiator hoses, heater hoses, expansion tank hose, oil cooler hoses, and water pump housing-to-head hose. -Brand new fuel filter assembly with clear injection pump supply line. (OEM) New air filter as well. -A 180 degree thermostat and new o-ring were installed, along with a coolant flush. -The oil change has less than 200 miles on it. -New Duralast Gold battery, and the ground cable has been upgraded from 4 gauge to 2 gauge for faster cranking. -Remanufactured alternator. Transmission: -5 speed diesel ratio, shifts well without grinding or popping out of gear, clutch engages smoothly and quietly. No leaks. -Pass. side CV axle replaced. Brakes: -Front brakes- 75% pad left, rotors are not warped. -Rear brakes- shoes 50%, emergency brake works great. Suspension: -New front struts, rear struts are in great shape. -New tie rod ends and inner tie rods, and 1 tie rod boot. -Professionally aligned after suspension components installed. -Car tracks straight, steers smoothly. Exterior: -RUST FREE. There is no structural rust whatsoever, no floorpan rot, no shock tower rust. There are a few tiny spots where a paint chip shows the slightest bit of surface rust, but that's the extent of it. -Paint is glossy and appears to be original, if it was repainted it was done superbly. There are numerous rock chips, slight scratches, dings and very small dents, but not beyond what you would expect for a vehicle of this age and mileage. Overall it looks very sharp. -Trim, body moldings and bumpers in great shape. -No cracks in windshield. -Tires are almost new, with around 90% tread left. Interior: -Upholstery and carpet are clean and in good shape, with no tears or rips in the seats, some slight sun fading, but not bad. No major stains, just a few small blemishes. -Dash has a few cracks on the top only, otherwise in good shape. All gauges work, (including tach). -Windows are manual, and all work well. -The pass rear door panel upholstery is coming loose at the bottom, see picture. I love this car, wish i could afford to keep it, but bills must be paid. These really were amazingly engineered, and have been known to run 400-500k with reg. maintenance. I was building this car to last forever, and the greatest care has been given to every detail addressed. Bid with confidence. That being said, this is a used vehicle, and there is NO warranty- either express, written, or implied. Vehicle as is, where is.” There were a bunch of pictures of the car and it looked good. I spoke to the seller on the phone. He told me about all the work he had done to the car and seemed like a good guy. I did some research on the car and found that the previous owner had been from Missouri and the title was clear. Also there had been a recall on the heater cores. Apparently there was a problem and VW was replacing them for a while. I contacted VW and found that they had performed the recall service on this vehicle. Satisfied, I started bidding. At the time gas was really going up and there was a frenzy of activity around these diesel cars. I ended up with the winning bid and I probably paid more than I should have but in the end I got exactly what I was looking for. The seller delivered the car and I found it to be just as described with the exception of the left rear window, which doesn’t work well and the radio, which doesn’t work at all. As I started driving the car daily I learned some of its idiosyncrasies. I’m going to be very clear because I want you to understand that this is a great car but it’s not the kind of car you just turn the key and go. You have to get to know what it can and can’t do. So in the interest of full disclosure here are the known problems with the car: When it’s very hot out you can’t sit still in traffic with the a/c on. It will shake and shudder and run hot. Stinky Pete likes to get out on the road, not sit in traffic. Also when it’s very cold out you will need to plug the block heater in. The odometer is weird. It stops working occasionally and then starts again. Near as I can tell you drive seventy miles and it records about sixty of them. Once in a while the tachometer quits working too. Usually just for a few seconds then it starts again. Like I said earilier the radio is kaput. The right rear door panel is bad and there is a spot on the rear seat that I think is gum. I tried but couldn’t get it out. Again, that’s the bad news. The good news is that the body and chassis on this car are 99.9 % completely free of rust. There are only tiny spots of rust where the paint is chipped. The headliner is solid. The carpet is all intact and looks good. The a/c blows cold. The cruise control works. The engine, clutch, transmission, steering, suspension and brakes all work excellent. It really drives great. It is super nimble and a blast to toss around on twisty roads or zip through town. Sometimes I joke and call it my European Turbo Sports Sedan because I love to drive it and when you cruise right past the gas station again and again it really feels great! Another great thing is that parts for these old VW’s are cheap and plentiful. There’s a company called The Parts Place. I think they are in Pennsylvania somewhere and they can get you anything you need to keep a good VW diesel running for a half million miles or more. I found a great mechanic here in town. He worked for the VW dealer when these cars were new and he has been great. The glowplugs weren’t working and he fixed them for me. Also once the right wiper quit working and when I had an oil change done he fixed it for free in a few minutes. I asked him about burning oil and he said that when they were new these engines burned about a quart of oil every 850 miles. Just the way they are made and just about how much I use. Also did a compression check and found all cylinders to be over 400. Not a perfect car by any means but clean, solid and mechanically sound. So anyway I drove the car all that first summer and I was very satisfied. Never had a single mechanical problem. I drove it back and forth to work and drove it out to Iowa a couple times. In that time I averaged about 300 miles a week and 46 mpg. Then I basically quit driving it. What happened is that my wife entered a drawing and won a free lease on a new Malibu Hybrid. I started driving the hybrid to work and Stinky Pete sat in the garage. The free lease on the Malibu ran out the following year and so I got Stinky Pete out of storage. I put the battery charger on and checked all the tires and fluids. Everything checked out except the power steering fluid. It was almost empty and there was a puddle on the floor. I topped up the power steering and came back the next day. To my surprise after sitting for over a year the engine started right up like it had only been sitting for a day. The power steering worked fine and quit leaking after a few days of driving. So I started back up with the commute and everything was going fine until I got laid off. After 10 years. I know I’m not the only one but it still sucked. So Stinky Pete sat again. You know, it’s kind of funny. In the three years I’ve owned this car, it has mostly sat in the garage. I’ve only put on about seven thousand miles and nearly all of those were in the first five months! Now I am out of work for almost a year and I just don’t need the extra car. I really would like to find a good home and a good owner for my little diesel. Included in the sale will be the original owners manual and maintenance schedule, a factory workshop manual, a Parts Place catalog, a set of filters, some oil, a jug of diesel fuel conditioner, and a snow scraper. I have set a reserve that is high but well below what I paid. I hate to see Stinky Pete go but for the right buyer this is an investment that will pay dividends for many, many years and many, many miles. Warranty: This is a great little car but it is not new. Just as when I bought it, there is NO warranty - either express, written, or implied. Vehicle as is, where is. Pickup: I will drive Stinky Pete to you, anywhere in the continental United States for $1 a mile (paid in advance). Or you can pick the car up in person (Chicago Area). Please feel free to call me at (815) 529-0249. I have more pictures I could e-mail to you and I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks for looking, and happy bidding!On Mar-26-11 at 15:20:35 PDT, seller added the following information: I have answered a few e-mails and phone calls with questions about Stinky Pete and thought you might like to know the info. Does the radio have power? Yes the radio comes on and lights up but only static comes out of the speakers. When you turn off the a/c while sitting in traffic does it alleviate the overheating? Yes the engine only runs hot like that with the a/c on and when you turn off the a/c it cools down. Also if traffic gets moving again it will cool down even with the a/c on. Is there any rust on the frame rails where they have lifted the car with a hoist? I looked at the under carriage and just like the body of the car there is only surface rust where paint/undercoating is worn or chipped. Also I took a picture and if you send me an e-mail I will forward the picture. If anyone has any questions or you would like additional pictures just let me know. I am home all weekend and will be happy to tell or show you anything you want to know. If you are in the Chicago area, come and take the car for a spin. You’ll be very impressed with how well it runs and how tight the handling is. I would also like to let everyone know that the reserve is set at $3499.99 From the number of watchers and how many inquiries I have received I think it’s safe to say that the bidding will go higher than that. To be totally up front with you I am very pleased with the positive response to this auction. When I bought the car and paid for delivery from Kansas City the total was well over $6000. I believed then and I still believe this car is worth more than that to the right buyer. If you do a lot of highway driving and are inclined to take good care of this car it will be a great investment and I’ll tell you why: What you can’t fix about a car is the unibody. If the car is rusted out underneath, forget about it, it’s doomed. All the flaws that Stinky Pete has are repairable. The component that has to be the strongest, the unibody, is nearly perfect on this car. With a little care Stinky Pete’s undercarriage and body will last for another decade or more. Also consider the mechanical aspects of this little marvel of engineering. Compared to a Japanese car of similar design this thing has only a fraction of the plumbing and electrical complexity under the hood. Plus take another look below at all the upgrades already under done on this one. With some knowhow and a good parts supplier you’ll be able to keep this old mill clattering easily another one to two hundred thousand or more. Now, speaking of parts, you need to know about the Parts Place. These guys are great! Check out their website at http://www.partsplaceinc.com/ If you haven’t already done so, take a look through their “flippable” online catalog and particularly notice how cheap parts are for these old cars. A brake job or set of struts are way less than for a Toyota or Buick or Dodge (half?!?). Tires for small cars are totally inexpensive compared to larger cars. There’s just no way around it, if you want to drive a fun little car and save on your transportation costs for the next ten years or more, you have found the right auction. Time’s running short. Keep Bidding and Good Luck!On Mar-27-11 at 16:18:32 PDT, seller added the following information: Final Update: Questions? Call me (815) 529-0249. I received an e-mail from a gentleman asking if the car was ready to drive cross country. The answer is yes. I will deliver the car anywhere in the continental U.S. for dollar a mile. I plan to drive it and all the prep work is done. I’ve change the oil, checked the tires and fluids and there’s literally nothing else left to do but turn the key. A guy drove in from the SW Suburbs of Chicago yesterday to have a look. He checked out the engine, the interior, the exterior and the undercarriage. His conclusion was just what I have already said: the car is in excellent condition. We went out for a drive and again he was impressed. Everything works just as it should. We drove in the city, we drove on the highway. The alignment is excellent. The car tracks perfectly down the road. We were out on Peace road going around 50 mph and the light turned yellow. He could have made it through but decide to hit the brakes good and hard and the car just stopped. Nice and straight, no drama of any kind. Something he asked me that I wasn’t sure about was the compression test. I found the report and here are the results: Cylinder #1 – 430 pounds, #2 – 460, #3 – 450, #4 – 480. I wish you all could come and see the car up close and hear it run and drive it. It’s hard to believe this little Jetta is 25 years old. It’s not perfect but it’s very, very good. Stinky Pete is ready to go into regular service running 50, 100, 200 or more miles of operation per day. You may want to fix the radio or the cranker on the rear window but you sure wouldn’t have to. These things won’t stop you from driving lots of miles in this car – starting immediately. Seriously, all of you who are watching this auction, listen up: This car is the real deal. One’s like this don’t come along often. If you want a daily driver that gets amazing mileage and is cheap to maintain, jump in because someone is going to get a deal. Questions? Call me (815) 529-0249. Good Luck!