A Friend Bought This for $850

"Dunnik" (dunnik) 10/27/2013 at 19:26 • Filed to: Cheap Cars, Volkswagen Jetta

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Ok, not that . That's the Euro version and it's been lowered, but otherwise, same car in the same color, a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta MK3 GLX VR6. Has an odd feature - the VW ornament is...gold. I was like wtf? It's some kind of "Gold Edition", apparently, this was an actual thing, but v-dub experts plz feel free to correct.

I'll get the bad news out of the way first. It has a automatic transmission. The good news is, it's recently rebuilt and operates smoothly. My friend, who is an Oppo but doesn't know it yet, really wanted a light, manual coupe or hot hatch, RWD, AWD, FWD, whatever. An Integra, or a GTI, the usual suspects. But he wisely chose to keep his options open and look at both manual and automatic transmissions. He would have prefered a manual, but didn't want to cut himself out of a good chunk of the market. As this car will be a DD to get him to work and school, reliability and comfort are factors, and because of the price he was willing to pay - $1,000 - condition is very important, both reasons to cast a wide a net as possible.

(Not the same car, either, but same style 7-star factory rims and color)

The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! motor in the GLX likely needs no introduction. It still sounds as good as I remember, if a bit muted. It's lost some of its ponies of course, but pickup is still pretty good. Otherwise as the top of the line Jetta in 1998 it came with features that keep it in today's game, like dual airbags, 4-wheel discs and ABS.

Problems include a wheel bearing needing replacement and an alignment fix. And that's it. He's going to take some precautionary measures, like replace the battery, general fluid change/flush and possibly replace the sparkplugs. Their Bosch atm, but they're worn.

This is a one-family car. Husband and wife ownership. Only 188,000 km on it (116,000 mi) and the bodywork and paint is nearly mint. Amazingly, no rust except a couple microspots that are just now starting to build. The car seems to have been well-taken care of. Best of all was the price. My friend is a shameless lowballer, and talked him down from $1,200 to $850. The car also came with 4 winter tires (just in time) on steelies, and not just any tires, but Michelin Pilots with what looks to be, like, 96% tread.

So any Opponauts have experience or pro tips on the 3rd gen Jetta that I can pass on to my friend?

Biostar01 > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:30

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Great find! Where?

My dad's been looking for a sub-$3,000 2000+ Merc. I found an SLK that fit his conditions (2dr, hardtop [in this case a hardtop convertible, which he loves], auto), but he's holding off on buying it.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:32

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Is that a stock photo or is your friend living in Gauteng?

Jacques L' Autre > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:32

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I probably would not have bought a Mk3 if I needed something reliable.

m2m, apex detective > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:36

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If he loses it in a bet, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid ... like trying to run away with it and sh*t.

Dunnik > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/27/2013 at 19:36

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As noted, neither picture are of his exact car, didn't have a chance to snap pics today at work when I saw it.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > m2m, apex detective 10/27/2013 at 19:37

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I see what you did there, although I'm kind of ashamed I know that...

Dunnik > Biostar01 10/27/2013 at 19:38

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He lives in Toronto, like me, but he knew he could find good deals outside the city. This one was found in Hamilton, a nearby city only about a 45min drive away.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:39

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Ah yeah saw the Saffer plates, got excited and stopped reading.

Dunnik > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/27/2013 at 19:39

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No worries

dogisbadob > Jacques L' Autre 10/27/2013 at 19:41

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I probably would not have a bought a VW is I needed something reliable!

dogisbadob > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:43

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That 15-degree V6 is pretty much the only good thing I can say about VW. It is kind of clever, only one head gasket, one bank of cylinders, etc.

Quite the conundrum: Bulletproof Toyota VZ or MZ with impossible to access rear bank, or shitty VR6 that's easier to service. Wait, come to think of it, it probably isn't!

Dunnik > dogisbadob 10/27/2013 at 19:46

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I might not either, but he's a bit of a fan, having owned a GTI in the past with the same engine. So he's already ahead of the game in terms of his knowledge about the car. He also has excellent car connections for parts and labour. And it's still a 1 and a half owner car (husband put on most of the km's, wife hardly drove it) with low mileage that seems to have been well taken care of.

Any car the $1000 range comes with risks, and while yes, a 1998 Corolla would probably more reliable, Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Corollas.

lonestranger > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:47

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I worked at a VW/Audi dealer from '94 to '97, and I've never seen or heard of a "factory" gold badge. Many items applied either at the dealer or at an upfitter are often misunderstood as being original factory items, since the're sold as options on brand-new cars, and thus aren't technically "aftermarket" items. Pinstripes, graphics, wheels, window tint, running boards, even custom upholstery. Gold emblems are no exception. They were really popular in the '90s, especially on Lexus and Toyota.

Is it possible that it truly did leave the Puebla factory with a gold emblem? Sure, I can't rule it out. But without any evidence, I have to assume it's been modified after it left the factory.

duurtlang > dogisbadob 10/27/2013 at 19:48

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Depends on what you want and where you are. In Europe I'd happily suggest a mk3 Golf (or Polo of the same age) diesel to someone wanting something very cheap to buy, cheap to get parts for, cheap to fix, economical and durable. It wouldn't be my first pick but it would make it onto the shortlist.

I'm not a fan of 21st century VWs though. I wouldn't buy one myself.

Dunnik > dogisbadob 10/27/2013 at 19:49

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Yea, if it was one of the four-bangers, I would have advised him to look elsewhere.

It's a pretty epic engine, and when you have one of those, you're always off to a good start with a used car.

m2m, apex detective > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/27/2013 at 19:53

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It's only a reason to be ashamed if you've seen all of them. *cough* *cough*

Dunnik > lonestranger 10/27/2013 at 19:54

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Well, regardless, its just bad on multiple levels and so he's gonna replace it with a traditional one. Thanks for the inside info, lonestranger.

Klaus Schmoll > Jacques L' Autre 10/27/2013 at 19:55

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A MK3 Golf/Jetta with proper service history is reliable. PERIOD. You can nuke these things from space and they will live on. They are pretty much the equivalent of the proverbial cockroach. They are also as pleasant to drive, but that is a different story.

N/A POWAAAHH > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:56

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ah, that's why he got it for 850, it's Hamilton. On a side note, I was there today buying stuff too!

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > m2m, apex detective 10/27/2013 at 19:56

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Oh fuck no, one movie filled with riced out econo-shitboxes was enough thanks.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jacques L' Autre 10/27/2013 at 19:57

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Mk3 VR6*

The 2.0L ABA four cylinder with a manual is weaksauce on the highway but pretty much meant for apocalypse duty if need be. The VR6 is um.....not an engine you can rely on though. But seriously I own a Mk3 and have been raving about it for simplicity on here for good reason - parts are cheap, plentiful, and sturdy. Nothing fancy, but they get the job done. Hopefully his VR6 stays together though....

lonestranger > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 19:57

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P.S. Those are 14" 4-lug wheels that were stock on a Golf or Jetta GL, not the same as the 15" 5-lug ones on a GLX.

Dunnik > lonestranger 10/27/2013 at 20:02

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Erp. Well, they looked teh same to me, meaty 7-stars. But yea, 15's on the GLX.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Klaus Schmoll 10/27/2013 at 20:02

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As I said to the original comment - that is incredibly true for the 2.0L four cylinder that made it over the pond and the diesel engine if you're everywhere else, but the VR6 is an expensive and picky engine to have in that generation. But my 200k mile mk3 jetta is still going strong (woot ABA motor). Probably have another 4-5 years of michigan salt filled winters on it before the frame rots away too far to be worth it. I don't plan on trying to save it that much. Just need to do the final timing belt/water pump service sometime this spring and then do the rear brakes and other little things. Then drive it until 275-300k when it finally croaks. Not a bad buy for 1000$ :P

A VW engineer commented on a thread where people were getting picky about the oil used for a 2.0L ABA motor and the engineer basically said they designed it to be able to use vegetable oil in a pinch since this was one of the first cars pushed into eastern Europe as well as south america, mexico, africa, etc....So they assumed top shelf oil would be of limited supply. Just get the weight somewhat right and don't do clutch dumps at redline and you're fine. I got 5k miles out of a conventional oil change with probably osme life left in the oil so yeah, definitely a sturdy little motor.....just wish it had some balls above 40 mph.

Deal Killer - Powered by Focus > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 20:04

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My brother owned a MK-III GLX-VR6 in that same green, although his was a 5-speed stick. He had it for about seven years, and it treated him pretty well. I can't remember a time when it left him stranded, and that V-6 had epic amount of torque for the time. Gas mileage wasn't the best, and that's what kept me from buying it off of him when he upgraded to an Audi A4. There are far worse cars your friend could have ended up with, so a 15 year old Jetta ain't bad. I'd just lay some money aside for the inevitable expensive fix.

Dunnik > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/27/2013 at 20:14

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OK, as much as I probably do not want to know the answer, What movie are you guys talking about?

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 20:23

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Fast and furious... I feel dirty now.

Dunnik > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 10/27/2013 at 20:24

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That's what I thought but I swear I don't remember a Mk3 Jetta. I guess there is such a parade of rice that it just got lost in the shuffle.

BullManUGA > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 20:52

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My buddy was given a '97 TREK for FREE. We're in the process of turning it into a ChumpCar. No bike though. Kind of a let down.

Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin > m2m, apex detective 10/27/2013 at 21:01

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*raises hand*

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > m2m, apex detective 10/27/2013 at 21:01

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Uhm, some dudes in S2000s are here. With Uzis. Asking for a Jetta.

m2m, apex detective > Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin 10/27/2013 at 21:26

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*also raises hand*

George McNally > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 21:33

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For the money....not bad. At this level, you have to expect one or two large repair bills a year. I bought our son a 2002 Taurus with the 24 valve motor 3 years ago for 3 grand. It had 160 thousand miles on it, but it was a Verizon company car and had a complete service history (It had a lot of stuff replaced on it) We've been driving it for the last 3 years and only had 2 large repair bills. Had to replace the power steering rack and the rear springs.

Used cars are a gamble.

m2m, apex detective > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura 10/27/2013 at 21:36

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Yeah ... uh ... that one's going to the car wash.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Dunnik 10/27/2013 at 21:51

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I had a Jetta GLS in that exact color with those wheels. Toward the end my transmission was slipping, only the driver electric window worked and all that at only 110,000 miles.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > m2m, apex detective 10/28/2013 at 01:02

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... They said to go fetch the car.

505Turbeaux > Dunnik 10/28/2013 at 06:22

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seriously, market value for that car. In my eyes the only way to buy a Mk3 Jetta/golf is getting a base model. I had a GLX with 50K miles on it and 3 years old. The a/c was dead, and when it rained the windows and sunroof would open and not close, of course till it stopped raining...

m2m, apex detective > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura 10/28/2013 at 08:34

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Duh ... but this ain't their block. They better watch who they talk to like that.