Hi everybody,
It looks like it may be time to move on from my trusty 1987 Golf GL, and thought just maybe I'd find a buyer out here.
The car has nearly 296,000 miles on it. It got me through a few lean years (read: doctorate program) and thus didn't always get the care it deserved (such as car washes), but always got the care it needed (such as oil changes). As with many vehicles of this age and mileage, there are some positives and some negatives.
The positives:
Low mileage 5-speed transmission (wide ratio), installed with new Sachs clutch and pressure plate less than 15k ago (fall 2007). How low mileage? Not sure to tell the truth. My brother picked it up from a salvage yard out of a crashed golf. I'll have to check to see if he knows the mileage. What I do know is that when we drained the old gear oil it looked like new.
Head gasket replaced last summer, less that 10k miles ago.
Interior is in mostly very good shape with no major flaws. Front seats are both excellent.
Engine is very good for its age. A little oil tends to seep into the head while parked (through the valve guides?), causing it to blow a little smoke on start-up, but other than that it seems pretty good and does not much use much oil. The head gasket is a known good, as mentioned above it was replaced less the 10k ago. I typically add a quart somewhere between changes. Haven't tested the compression for several years.
The negatives:
Not a pretty car! Has serious rust on the lower 6 inches of both doors. Various other places with light to moderate rust. No rust problems in the floor.
Various things have died due to age or neglect which I have not yet replaced, such as the passenger side window regulator and the reverse light switch.
Anyway, I've tried to give an accurate representation of this car without writing a book. It's not a car I want somebody to buy for their teenager to drive. Although it's been very reliable for me, it has had occasional minor issues and is likely to have more.
It seems the ideal buyer would be somebody who really knows A2s and will know what they're getting. With new doors and a little body work it could again be a fairly nice looking daily driver that probably has quite a few miles left in it. On the other hand, somebody who has an import shop or just wants a good transmission may want to start pulling the good parts such as the cam and the tranny and put the rest out to pasture.
Anyway, I know it's a car that anybody in their right mind will stay away from, and that's why I'm posting it on here! Obviously most of you will have no interest at all. But, if this seems like something you'd be interested in, please e-mail me at jpfaas "at" neb "dot" rr "dot" com
I'm staying open to just parting it out, even though the wife will not be thrilled, so you can also let me know if there are specific parts you want. However, I would not be able to start pulling essential parts until the end of June.
Thanks,
Jason