My brother has an '87 Jetta GLi with an automatic transmission--about 100K miles on the car. Reverse gear is out--he says it makes a grinding noise and won't move in reverse. It will move in the forward gears, but makes a strange not-quite grinding noise. He's not driving it, of course, and doesn't know whether to get it fixed or what.
It's a great car and is in excellent shape--it was mine till about five years ago and was very well maintained. He doesn't have much money for repairs and is not capable of making any repairs himself.
What is his best option? I'm sure he can't afford to have the dealer replace the tranny. Are good rebuilt units available? If so, any recommendations? And about how much do they cost?
Also, is it possible and would it make sense to rebuild the transmission?
Last, any recommendations for a good VW mechanic near Vancouver, Washington (across the river from Portland, Oregon)?
Thanks,
Carroll