94 Jetta: Fix or let 'er go?

Dilema. 94 Jetta GLS 2.0 5 speed 130K miles, owned since new and only

5 years spent in this salt/sand infested climate in Minnesota. This week out of the blue, I'm mildly accelerating from a stop and suddenly feel/hear a heavy clunk/lurch then everything's fine. Few minutes later when using engine braking to stop I hear a whine that is new. Few minutes later the whine has become louder, slightly noticable when maintaining speed, but much louder when slowing with the engine. Darn. I took it to a few shops for some opinions. Its still driveable for now. "Yahhh. She needs a rebuilt transmission you betcha" was the common response. So a rebuilt unit with a new clutch, something in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $2,500. Its not a job I can do myself. Dilema is of course fix and keep or sell it while it still drives and move onward. I mean, does it make sense to spend $2,000 and have a 12 year old car that has nonfunctional alarm (I don't really care), air conditioner (no Okie needs A/C livin' here), airbags ( doesn't worry me much), and sunroof (again, not missing it terribly); and also needs a new fuel pump as it runs out of gas after having only used 9 gallons from full. The car is worth maybe $1,000 to $2,000 after the tranny work and lingering question is What Breaks Next?

Sorry for the long post. I guess I'm freakin attached to this car or something. Lots of good memories in the red Jetta. What to do?

Signed, Middle aged and confused. Time for a beer.

Reply to
HerkyJerky
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Another car will cost more than the repair cost of yours. You may know more about your car than another 'new' one you buy (new or used). Unless the bottom is falling out, it can fixed repaired within reason. More things will break next. A new car will likely give you trouble free, worry free driving for at least a couple of years. Your car - - like a comfortable old shoe. If you like to tinker and fix things yourself, the perfect project car.

Take a poll at the local watering hole or where you congregate with people that know you. Maybe it's time for a change, maybe it's not.

Best of luck in your decision

Reply to
dulles

why not get a "good used" transmixer from a boneyard?

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Check around with some of your local shops to see if any offer a "pre-purchase inspection" some smaller shops here do, and they usually charge about $50. They do a total inspection of the car and tell you their honest (yes some shop mechanics are honest) opinion of the car, if they are really good they will provide you with a list of what really needs repairs right away, what should be repaired soon and what is going to need repairs for sure within the next year, ie. things that are worn but still functional for the time being. A freind of mine brought 4 cars to a shop and paid for the four inspections, 2 cars they said were ok deals for the price being asked, one had an accident in its life that was not reported and was repaired to hide the structural damage, mechanic said he wouldn't buy it regardless how cheap they were willing to sell it for, and the last one they gave him a list of parts it needed (ball joints, tie rod, bearings, that sort of stuff, but said for the price they were asking it was still a killer deal even if he had to pay for the repairs (he brought the list to the owner and the owner agreed to have the repairs done before the purchase and still held the same price, cha ching, he bought it).

If you can get an inspection like that done, it'll make it more clear on how valuable the car really is to you. If everything else is good, then maybe it is worth fixin, if it has several hundred dollars worth of repairs besides the tranny then it will much easier to let her go. Just don't bring it to a shop that is looking to make a killing off you, be up front about what you are looking for, an honest opinion.

Good luck.

Reply to
E

I actually had the same thing happen to me a couple months ago, except I had a '96 Jetta. I looked around and saw I could get a comparable car, slightly newer and with less miles for around $3,500. To me this was worth the extra money so I started shopping. Lo and behold I found another '96 Jetta (same color and everything) for $2,600. My old car is now in the garage as a parts car for my friends and I, and I own another car.

HTH. z

P.S. What someone else posted about not knowing the problems you'll encounter with a new used car is very true, so keep this in mind when mulling your decision.

Reply to
zatatime

I did something similar about a year ago for my '95. I figured I had somewhere between $3-4k of repairs, so I started shopping. Two things happened.

I found cheaper repairs, prolly in the $2k range that would bring it up a reasonable condition.

I found that the only cars I liked how they drove, compared to an over

100kmi, 10 year old Jetta with bad strut bearings and a worn shifter linkage cost over $25k. The Audi A3 and an Acura TSX. The A3 was a close thing, the TSX was a little bigger than I wanted, plus an auto tranny. This was also when GM was running the big discounts on Saab, and I considered a 92X. I liked the car, and it was a smokin' deal at the price then, but the ones they had left were black or non-turbo's. N'r mind...

Still driving the Jetta. I'm thinking about looking at the new GTI, but I don't feel the NEED to, even tho' I'm sure it's better. Just not $25k better.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Reply to
Mark Randol

Tip for the future, unless in a long down hill only use the brakes for slowing stopping. It save wear on the box, pads and discs are cheap. Engine breaking is for trucks and old cars with drum brakes.

Reply to
Grant

Grant wrote: "Engine breaking is for trucks and old cars with drum brakes."

You obviously don't live in a cold climate, you throw down the ice and snow and I'll take engine breaking over brake 75% of the time, Never been off the road, never hit anything in 20 years of driving standards.

Well, ok there was one time, but it was on a mountain in the summer, I hit a boulder, and no braking in the world was gonna help when you're taking the turn sideways, but that was still more then 20 years ago.

Reply to
E

sel it to some east european, thats what we do to that kind of cars in the EU.

-- Nee momenteel effe geen XT

Reply to
Arrebeest

If it was me, I'd have it repaired. While it is an expensive repair, it is a one-time cost. Car payments occur every month, year after year.

Reply to
Papa

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