Converting to VW

[Morpheus]

Hehe... I've driven a few VWs, but the only one I remember well enough to.. well... to remember was a stick Jetta 1.8t wagon. That car was fun as fuck--tires screaming after 3k in 1st, easily chirp to 2nd, etc... but then again, any FWD powerful stick station wagon (oh sorry... do they call them "sports wagons" now? ;) ) is built for spinning its wheels. Although while it was fun when you could turn the crappy front tires into nothing more than a stench (ok, so the clutch fared the same fate when I was driving), it will still never have the same great feel in the curves--it'll always be pulling, rather than pushing you.

So, it was missing something in the real satisfaction department.

But then again, that was a Jetta fucking WAGON.

So... in the end, you can take a break from serious relationships to go off and "experiment" with some different girls, but in the end, the quote in your profile tells me that you'll be back sooner or later. ;)

Good luck with the GTI, man, that's not at all a car I would mind owning.

[SickE30]

Found something that fits my taste/budget. 2001 VW gti 1.8t lowered exhaust 18's chip intake. It has 19k miles on it. The car was taken away from a college kid b/c he was fucking up in school there are close to 15,000 in payments left. I can handle that almost up front. Anyway I have driven it once today. The acceleration is great, nice crisp gear box. The handling will be an issue for me tho. FWD sucks indeed. This car I have heard from other people has demons as well. So we'll see my mind isn't completely settled. I have a b25 ready to drop in in a couple weeks if I can fix these windows I might just deal with the BMW electrical demons.

[modifiede30]

My wife and I have owned 2 VW's and had nothing but electrical nightmares with them. They are pieces in my opinion.

[UNHCLL]

ehhh if you're going to go with a VW... at least do something cool like this guy:

Cadillac Northstar V8 into Golf.

http://www.cwstuning.com/gallery/Coupe-DeGolf

[Kavkazia]

I had lot of experience with VWs, but with old skool MkIIs and Corrado G60 Stage IV, Im still in love with MkII GTis but they can be problem cars especially with Gearboxes, they tend to break if you go easy on it, which I dont and thats why I went through 3 gearboxes in my Corrado with new clutch.

I like new GTIs alot but thats nothing something that I would take over my E30 especially when I turbo it.

[Rob]

the VR6 is a great motor as well, my roommate daily drives a 96 GTi VR6 and its not bad at all...

[e9nine]

the VR6 is a great motor as well, my roommate daily drives a 96 GTi VR6 and its not bad at all...

The motor is great...the rest aint... I had a B3 VR6 5 sp wagon, my car door locks would freeze in the winter and the door wouldn't shut, the parking brake would seize no matter how lightly u pulled on it, the headliner was falling apart, the seatbelts were POS, you get CELs like crazy for no reason, parts are expensive like you wouldn't believe..

My bro had a b3 2.0 16v and now has a B4 vr6..the motor is the only thing good...

Roomdawg has a B5.5 1.8t...he had coil pack issues last year with the others, Misc little issues like premature bulb failure, the car is underpowered..Cd player issues.. the car is not the best Passat IMHO...err lemme stop :evil:

[SickE30]

I'm not ragging you guys or E30's but you speak of VW like it is shit. BMW E30's have the stupidest fucking electrical problems that come out of NOWHERE. I honestly will prob stay with the E30 for a bit longer. I haven't driven it since I bought it back. The 3.0 has been sold and put into an old friend's 320. Good fucking ridance to that oil/gas guzzler. I have a b25 sitting in the garage fully prepped and the eta out back. I just do not feel like doing anything with it anymore. My bike has been sufficient and I have been driving the 2002 when it has been colder. So I am set in the winter unless it rains/snows. The 2002 wont keep traction when it is dry much less in bad weather. Anyone have any ideas for a good daily drievr that I can have fun with? I test drove and Srt-4 today and didn't think that much of it. I may look for an SUV for the winter now. Give me some REASONABLE advice guys my budget is 20,000 for a car that I will keep. If I am going to get an suv I want to spend around 8-10k.

[Bill 84 318i]

Good fucking ridance to that oil/gas guzzler.

If you had a relatively young (I can't imagine it had more than 20k miles on it) motor, there's no way it should be 'guzzling' oil. It's not fair to blame BMW for a poor rebuild.

[e9nine]

VWs based on my experience are more problematic than BMWs. The way I see it they were not a parallel comparison in the early years, nowadays they are trying to focus on the parallel comparison and its costing them big time.

Your 3.0 might have had some inherent problems from the "Geppeto" .... Any performance rebuild comes with its bag of surprises and tradeoffs...be it an m20, s14 or 1.8t or vr6...its in varying degrees and inherently based on various variables.

An e30 is not the best out there but for $ to :D ratio it does it darn well IMHO.

For alternative in your budget... Nissan Maxima, Subaru Imprezza, Saab 9-5 Aero, e36 m3, e34 535 or 540 etc...the list goes on hehe

[JoseMadre]

Every VW I have had experience has been a nightmare..this is 5 or so cars.-pete

Someone's a slow learner!

[M-technik-3]

The motor is great...the rest aint... I had a B3 VR6 5 sp wagon, my car door locks would freeze in the winter and the door wouldn't shut, the parking brake would seize no matter how lightly u pulled on it, the headliner was falling apart, the seatbelts were POS, you get CELs like crazy for no reason, parts are expensive like you wouldn't believe..

My bro had a b3 2.0 16v and now has a B4 vr6..the motor is the only thing good...

Roomdawg has a B5.5 1.8t...he had coil pack issues last year with the others, Misc little issues like premature bulb failure, the car is underpowered..Cd player issues.. the car is not the best Passat IMHO...err lemme stop :evil:

Hmmm, since I am a VW driver as well let me chime in.

Older stuff is great and durable prior to 89 and up when they started to export work for US market car to Mexico. Not to say racist things but quality control needs to improve big time!! not sure if that's the work ethic there or ?

So my wifes B3A Passat VR6 slushbox has been very relable with some minor issues. Headliner falling!!! arg. Rear e brake caliper freezing so you change to a Golf III rear disc caliper and it solves that. And the automatic that forgets it's brain.

As for the new cars burning out lightbulbs? What is with that?? Anyone.

[JRowe]

Sounds like you're looking for a newer car, not necessarily a VW.

The problems you described with your e30 and old bmw's in general are old car problems, not bmw problems. you just need something newer. BTW - when I worked as a mechanic, at a euro only shop, BMW's had far fewer problems than every other european make, with the exception of volvo and mercedes. Those three brands are tied, in my opinion, on reliability.

VW's will drive you crazy with their problems. I have owned them and I like them, but their reliabilty is not the same as BMW. My daily driver is an e30. I chose it because, for its age, its likely to have fewer problems than almost any other car while delivering good performance, and I only paid 1500 for it. So, if you have 20k, you have the money to avoid old car problems, not necessarily bmw problems.

My mom has a 2000 beetle thats a blast to drive with the 1.8t, but it's been in the shop every other month for electical problems. This is typical with vw's. So, feel free to go with a vw. They are fun cars, and I like them, however, you've been warned. With up to 20k to spend be a good used e36 M3. Great value for the money right now.

[PeterCip]

Every VW I have had experience has been a nightmare..this is 5 or so cars.-pete

Someone's a slow learner!

I have never owned a VW. just girlfriends of mine, and a couple of my buddies.
funny, the guys all got rid of theirs, but the girls have still got there jettas and cabrios.
says something.
-pete

[PatNy]

before purchasing my e30 i was gonna get a vw corrado or gti....mk3 cause im a college kid with a shitty job anyways i thought i would add my

my boy has a mk3 gti sick car and all but nuttin but problems....vw trannys are horrible....he got the car 2 years ago with 40k on it and the reverse gear is shot the gears go on them big time....plus they cant really take a beating like an e30.....but like any other car if the car is well maintained it will run forever just beware....
the one thing i like about the 1.8t is that engine can be worked hes droping a 1.8t gonna be the only one on longisland with it....

beware of the vw tranny!!