The car that is most likely to be my first car, hopefully...

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
04/30/2014 at 21:37 • Filed to: None

Is a silver 2004 VW Phaeton V8. Yes, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's not for sure that I'll get that car yet, but it belongs to my dad's best friend. I originally found the car here in town and told him about it. That was years ago, and now he and my dad are thinking about having the car come full circle, as it were, and giving me the car. Needless to say, I'm excited. The car looks like this:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

How I'll afford the repairs, I don't know.

DISCUSSION (42)

theloudmouth > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:40

Phaeton V8..... Methinks you missed a syllable...

Dsscats > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:41

YES. MAINTENANCE WILL SUCK BUT YES.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > theloudmouth
04/30/2014 at 21:41

Which one?

heliochrome85 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:42

Bankruptcy is a cheaper option than paying those maintenance costs.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Dsscats
04/30/2014 at 21:43

I know, that's what scares the crap out of me. Nothing like maintaining what is essentially a Bentley w/100k miles being driven by a 16 year old.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > heliochrome85
04/30/2014 at 21:44

And that, my good sir, is the major flaw in my otherwise perfect plan to rule the world.

Seriously though, the thought of maintaining that car does make me nervous.

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:46

Kinja'd!!!

I know the feel of bad first car choices. This is mine. I still have no idea how it happened. I still need to make a post about it too, except Kinja.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:48

You had a college fund, right?

Also, someone fetch Jagvar!

Jagvar > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:49

Kinja'd!!!

I've had mine for five years now, also an '04 V8. If you have any questions, let me know.

Also, I sincerely hope yours has already had its 80K-mile service!

theloudmouth > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:49

Double... okay 2 syllables, but W is the only multiple syllable letter in the alphabet.

Edit: If it's the V8 I retract and wholeheartedly apologize, totally thought it was a W8 at first glance.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
04/30/2014 at 21:49

That's a beautiful car. I've always had a huge soft spot for Audis, especially with quattro.

heliochrome85 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:49

honestly, you might be better off with an E38 750IL. that phaeton, as wonderful as it is, is extremely complex, and the reality is that most VW dealers these days are more ready to take care of the base Jettas and Golfs, than they are of the Tuaregs and used Phaetons.

Jagvar > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits
04/30/2014 at 21:50

I'm on it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits
04/30/2014 at 21:51

I think "had" will be the tense I need to use after a couple months of ownership, if it happens.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jagvar
04/30/2014 at 21:53

It's not mine yet, but yes, it has had it's 80k mile service. Thanks, I appreciate your help. Nice suit, by the way.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > theloudmouth
04/30/2014 at 21:55

It is a V8, but the mistake is understandable. The Passat had a W8, and the Phaeton could be had with a W12, so the V8 is kind of the off man out. If it were a W12, I'd be even more in love, and would probably go bankrupt even quicker.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 21:55

I was hoping you would catch that.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > heliochrome85
04/30/2014 at 21:58

From a practical standpoint, I would be better off with pretty much anything else. But if this car gets given to me, that's what I'll take. Otherwise, as much as I love them, I would not buy one in a million years.

Jagvar > heliochrome85
04/30/2014 at 22:05

Maintenance on an E38 740iL would probably be a bit less. The 750iL? I'd say that's on par with the Phaeton V8, or even more expensive.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 22:11

Kinja'd!!!

Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 22:13

I'm completely in love with it. But as a first car...I don't know what my parents were thinking letting this happen. A first time driver doesn't really need 300 hp or high maintenance costs. But I'm so glad it did happen.

theloudmouth > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 22:17

No, I should've checked my facts on that one. I don't want to be one of those internet idiots, my mistake.

I honestly thought they were W8 and W12 only. What was the V8 even out of?

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 22:30

I bought a non-running MB S500, when everyone told me I'd be so broke I'd eat my shoes. It's the most reliable car I've ever driven. Go big or go home.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 22:31

Wait, this isn't a Passat?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
04/30/2014 at 22:55

Har, har, har.

Nope, it's a Jetta, but thank you for noticing.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > theloudmouth
04/30/2014 at 22:56

The Audi A8.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jagvar
04/30/2014 at 22:58

Also, I do have a couple questions: what mileage does yours have, and how reliable is it?

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 22:58

Kinja'd!!!

My friend has one of these. Sure repairs suck BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT BESIDES FOR WHEN YOU'RE IN THE SHOP AND THEY GIVE YOU THE BILL BUT THE REST OF THE TIMES WILL BE WONDERFUL PLEASE DO IT YOU HAVE TO ITS BASICALLY A BENTLY BUT DIFFERENT

Jagvar > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
04/30/2014 at 23:22

Mine has about 83K miles on it. "How reliable," however, is a pretty broad question. The car costs me, on average, about $2-3K a year in maintenance and minor repairs. The 80K-mile service is the most expensive (anywhere from $3-4K), followed by the 100K-mile service.

Mine hasn't been without problems over the last 5 years, though it's never more than I can handle. The spring mechanism behind the washer nozzles needed replacing ($600). So did the wiring harness ($1,100). A taillight shorted out and needed replacing ($800).

The worst problem I've had was a leaky sunroof drain. A seal around one of the four sunroof drains failed, and water slowly leaked into the interior over time. By the time I noticed the damage, I needed a new headliner, interior trim pieces, drain assembly, and window motor. That hit me right in the wallet, to the effect of $5,500.

I don't say these things to frighten you. Phaeton ownership isn't scary. I was 25 and hardly well-to-do when I bought mine, and it hasn't sunk me yet. In fact, I love it. I have no regrets.

I'm sure you've heard about the air suspension. In the 2004 model, if one strut fails, ALL four to be replaced. It's about $4K a strut, so that means you're looking at a $16K repair (in other words, the poor car is totaled). But there are ways around even this. I've heard that a conversion to an Audi A8L coil-over suspension is possible. I just haven't seen it myself.

Jagvar > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
04/30/2014 at 23:28

Kinja'd!!!

Lucky. In my case, I had to eat my shoes.

Jagvar > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
04/30/2014 at 23:29

It never gets old.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Jagvar
04/30/2014 at 23:32

Thanks. I'm not sure how this will sit with my dad, but if the car's free, we have some room for repairs.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Jagvar
04/30/2014 at 23:33

It really doesn't.

heliochrome85 > Jagvar
05/01/2014 at 00:33

you seem to be without shoes in a number of your photos. i find this interesting.

theloudmouth > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/01/2014 at 06:08

Ahhhh yes, the pre-V10 model. I need to expand my knowledge of VAG products.

Jagvar > heliochrome85
05/01/2014 at 06:54

Not that interesting, really. I just don't wear 'em, except in the office.

heliochrome85 > Jagvar
05/01/2014 at 12:04

as someone who takes care of people who step on things, i can tell you that shoes are not over-rated.

Jagvar > heliochrome85
05/01/2014 at 12:58

I'll try to continue not stepping on things. :)

newton > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/01/2014 at 14:17

I'll call it a combination of luck and mechanical aptitude because I had a W220 S430 that was passed down to me and I absolutely hated hated that car. The front Airmatic struts both blew, twice before 65k miles.

ljodoesprovo > theloudmouth
05/01/2014 at 14:47

The A8.

patrick.m.16 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/02/2014 at 00:21

Oh man and I thought buying a used e39 was a bad idea :S but best of luck to you, its a beautiful car!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > patrick.m.16
05/02/2014 at 00:24

It's made it to the the "finalists" list, and is currently on top of that list. However, my whole family is scared of the maintenance, so it may not happen. Don't worry though, all the cars are cool, though not as cool as this.