New (To Me) Car Day

"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
09/23/2018 at 18:49 • Filed to: None

Technically yesterday was New Car Day, but I didn’t have much of an opportunity to go through the Jetta I traded my Celica circle track car for until today. And I have to say, it’s better than I thought it would be. It’s legitimately decent.

It’s a 2001 GLS with a 1.8T and a 5 speed. 166k, runs and drives (mostly) and everything on it seems to work except the parking brake and maaaaaybe the sunroof.

The Optima battery you see in there actually came in the Celica, but I advertised the car without a battery so I wasn’t about to give away a good Optima. The battery in the Jetta is only about a year old, but was discharged from sitting...it’s currently on my trickle charger, so we’ll see what happens with that.

Anyway, the engine runs strong and the interior is mostly good. It’ll need a GLI 3-spoke leather steering wheel and a new shift knob of some sort, but the seats are great (and heated, which is a big plus in Rhode Island) and the radio works.

I suspect it may have had an ECU tune, because in my brief drive last night it does NOT feel like 150hp is what’s coming out of that motor. I have no way to find that out, but it pulls really strong. It appears to be dead stock otherwise.

Maybe my least favorite thing on it is the wheels, which are ghastly. They’re shod, however, in some brand new Falkens that are the same model my dad has on his 300C and he says they’re great, so that’s cool.

What does it need? An oil change, brake pads all around, rear wheel speed sensors, a flex pipe...and I think that’s it. Oh, maybe a right rear caliper, it sounds like it may be stuck.

Overall, I feel good about the trade. I wanted the Celica to work out, and I REALLY wanted a VehiCROSS, but that didn’t pan out either. It’s the wrong time for me to try to have a race-only car, and that I could trade that straight up for this makes me feel a little better about that.

I can’t wait to get this thing registered so it can strand me on the highway on my way to work, because Volkswagen. I kid, my former Audi allroad is the best, most reliable car I’ve ever had and this reminds me of a baby version of that car.

DISCUSSION (11)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/23/2018 at 19:18

Seems like a good deal! Hopefully it doesn’t go all Volkswagen on you!

Jettas and Golfs of that generation are the Honda Civic high school/early college tuner car replacements in my area. Civics are still common, but you see just as many of these slammed to the ground with ghastly mods...you also see more of these sitting empty on the side of the road than the aforementioned Civics...

Very comfy cars though, the neighbour across the street used to have a diesel Jetta in silver of a similar vintage and it gave them a LOT of faithful service as they had it for YEARS and only traded it in recently.

Tristan > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/23/2018 at 19:21

If you don’t know the history, or it’s been a long time, I’d change the timing belt.

I agree on the knob and the wheels, they’re ghastly.

The most annoying thing about the Mk4 Jetta is how obnoxiously long the rear doors are.

Aside from the gripes everyone has about Mk4 VWs, I absolutely LOVED mine, and 10/10 would own one again.

Does it smell like crayons?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Tristan
09/23/2018 at 19:29

Timing belt is definitely getting done, I can’t find anything in the engine compartment even hinting its been replaced.

I don’t remember it smelling like much of anything, but now I’m going to stick my head in there tomorrow morning to see if it smells like crayons. I’m pretty impressed with the car overall, for something thats been sitting a while it drives great and the inside is really just a carbon copy of my allroad.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
09/23/2018 at 19:31

I did have an 03 Civic as a commuter car for a while, and that was a pretty good damn car...this is a little more interesting to me, mostly because of the turbo. I’m sure it’ll go full V-Dub on me at some point, but my experience of Volkswagens and Audis of this era is mostly positive, so I’m at least enthusiastic about my imminent demise.

Tristan > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/23/2018 at 19:39

Mine did. I thought it was because my wife was a 2nd grade teacher at the time . Nope... they ALL smell like that. It’s something about the materials VW used on the interiors.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/23/2018 at 19:48

Given my VW Transporter is now 17 years old and done nearly 300,000 kilometres without having gone full Volkswagen on me...I’m not sure why this is a thing. Maybe it's a passenger car thing?

Volkswagen, on the other hand, yes. They’ve gone full Volkswagen on me.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/23/2018 at 21:11

First muscle Chevy truck, then Celica, now Volkswagen? Strange progression.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
09/23/2018 at 21:21

I’m a strange guy. There’s no rhyme or reason to my car buying, ever.

Future Heap Owner > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/24/2018 at 03:08

Here’s the thing: even a ridiculously high failure rate of 20% still means 4 out of 5 cars out there sees nothing go wrong. Add that to the inherent lag in long-term reliability data and the extremely small sample size everyone on the internet has to work with and I’m pretty suspicious of colloquial wisdom on car make reliability.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/25/2018 at 16:57

Keep up the good work.

OmerCarrothers333 > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
09/29/2018 at 12:14

What’s that old VW saying? Oh yeeeeaaahhh, “1.8T NEVAR LOSE!”