OT, what can y'all tell me about a 1986 VW Diesel?
#1
OT, what can y'all tell me about a 1986 VW Diesel?
I am looking for something cheap to commute in because here soon my daily drive is going to be about an hour one way in a mix of city and highway. I ran across a 1986 VW Jetta Diesel for $1200 and am seriously considering it. The owner said it only has 178,000 miles and normal dings for a car of that age. It is a 5-speed, but 5th gear doesn't work. And he said it has A/C, but doesn't know if it works because he never used it (this is strange, but important in the SC heat).
I know these little diesels are supposed to be great on mileage, but how reliable would it be? How much would I be looking at to fix the transmission?
Thanks for the help.
I know these little diesels are supposed to be great on mileage, but how reliable would it be? How much would I be looking at to fix the transmission?
Thanks for the help.
#4
#5
I recently purchased an older nissan 720 diesel truck. It gets over 30mpg in stop and start driving. I got it for running local errands. I like it better than my mercedes cars. I prefer high ground clearance vehicles because they are easier to get in and out of.
Expect to repair the a/c as you will need it (here).
Expect to repair the a/c as you will need it (here).
#6
I've owned over 10+ VW diesels in the last 5 years, everything from a turbo diesel Vanagon that i custom built, to several naturally aspirated Rabbits/Jettas, to a hot rod 1.6D Turbo bunny that i put a T3 and custom intercooler system on. I've run all sorts of fuel through them, some good WVO, some really crappy WVO, and settled on used ATF and engine oil as the best fuel source. I personally love the little beasts, they're great engines overall. I don't know that i'd recommend one to someone who would have to pay someone to work on them, as you will most likely be tinkering with them all the time. (Half the fun! )
It would take me forever to write all of the stuff i've learned (usually the hard way), feel free to PM me for more info. I'll tell you what to look for when/if you look at the car. 1200's not a bad price at all if it's not a beater, and the front shock towers aren't rusted out, and the timing belt's in good shape, and it don't have a leaky sunroof, and, and, and ect. I can also tell you how to tweak the injection pump for more power, smoke...
I'll never be as knowledgeable as Dan, but i'm more than happy to contribute what i can.
My Turbo Rabbit, at it's cleanest. That thing was fun...
It would take me forever to write all of the stuff i've learned (usually the hard way), feel free to PM me for more info. I'll tell you what to look for when/if you look at the car. 1200's not a bad price at all if it's not a beater, and the front shock towers aren't rusted out, and the timing belt's in good shape, and it don't have a leaky sunroof, and, and, and ect. I can also tell you how to tweak the injection pump for more power, smoke...
I'll never be as knowledgeable as Dan, but i'm more than happy to contribute what i can.
My Turbo Rabbit, at it's cleanest. That thing was fun...
#7
Thanks for the input Caleb. I probably wouldn't mess with it anymore than is needed to keep it running, but its nice to know that I have people here that are familiar with them. My FIL is a mechanic, so I don't have to pay for most of the work. Between my ambition and his knowledge we usually take care of things ourselves.
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#8
I am looking for something cheap to commute in because here soon my daily drive is going to be about an hour one way in a mix of city and highway. I ran across a 1986 VW Jetta Diesel for $1200 and am seriously considering it. The owner said it only has 178,000 miles and normal dings for a car of that age. It is a 5-speed, but 5th gear doesn't work. And he said it has A/C, but doesn't know if it works because he never used it (this is strange, but important in the SC heat).
I know these little diesels are supposed to be great on mileage, but how reliable would it be? How much would I be looking at to fix the transmission?
Thanks for the help.
I know these little diesels are supposed to be great on mileage, but how reliable would it be? How much would I be looking at to fix the transmission?
Thanks for the help.
The engines are great, they will outlast the car as long as you don't overheat it or run it out of oil.
Timing belts every 60,000 miles. If they break, it ruins the engine so don't skip that one.
The tools to do the job are fairly inexpensive, it more than pays for itself.
The timing belt takes an afternoon to do.
As long as the first four gears are not whining, you can replace 5th gear in the car. The OD housing is an addition to the rest of the tranny.
This guy does my rebuilds. www.aatransaxle.com .
I'm not real thrilled with the AC setup on these cars. The alternator belt is always coming loose and it's a PAIN to get it adjusted right.
If you require AC, be prepared for some hassles dealing with it. Also the extra weight of the AC system overcomes the engine mount and it vibrates the car more than the non-AC equipped vehicles.
I have a customer with an AC Golf diesel that has 500,000 miles on the original engine. Still starts in the morning without excess smoke and runs like new.
I've done a ton of work for her, including new head gasket, new barrier hoses for the AC and convert to R134a.
New upper radiator hose (twice).
Converted the glow plugs to manual and she loves that part.
.
I need to head to work now.
When you go to check out the car, feel the engine block to make sure that it is stone cold before you start the engine.
If the engine is cold and it starts with a minumum of smoke, you have a good engine.
If the engine is warm, go away for the day and request that the seller not drive it for 24 hours.
A bad engine that is very hard to start cold can be easily concealed by being brought up to operating temperature.
A good engine with bad glow plugs will also be impossible to start cold, but won't smoke like a locomotive after getting it running.
I'll check back as I think of more.
#9
Thanks for the input Dan. I don't know if I can get by without A/C down here. I mean, I used to never use it when I was younger, but now I am spoiled! And it gets REAL hot and humid down here (in case you've never visited during the summer). I'm glad to hear that the engines are solid for the most part, I dont know when I will get over to look at the car, its a good hour and a half drive away from me, but I will let you know what I find out.
#11
I've owned over 10+ VW diesels in the last 5 years, everything from a turbo diesel Vanagon that i custom built, to several naturally aspirated Rabbits/Jettas, to a hot rod 1.6D Turbo bunny that i put a T3 and custom intercooler system on. I've run all sorts of fuel through them, some good WVO, some really crappy WVO, and settled on used ATF and engine oil as the best fuel source. I personally love the little beasts, they're great engines overall. I don't know that i'd recommend one to someone who would have to pay someone to work on them, as you will most likely be tinkering with them all the time. (Half the fun! )
It would take me forever to write all of the stuff i've learned (usually the hard way), feel free to PM me for more info. I'll tell you what to look for when/if you look at the car. 1200's not a bad price at all if it's not a beater, and the front shock towers aren't rusted out, and the timing belt's in good shape, and it don't have a leaky sunroof, and, and, and ect. I can also tell you how to tweak the injection pump for more power, smoke...
I'll never be as knowledgeable as Dan, but i'm more than happy to contribute what i can.
My Turbo Rabbit, at it's cleanest. That thing was fun...
It would take me forever to write all of the stuff i've learned (usually the hard way), feel free to PM me for more info. I'll tell you what to look for when/if you look at the car. 1200's not a bad price at all if it's not a beater, and the front shock towers aren't rusted out, and the timing belt's in good shape, and it don't have a leaky sunroof, and, and, and ect. I can also tell you how to tweak the injection pump for more power, smoke...
I'll never be as knowledgeable as Dan, but i'm more than happy to contribute what i can.
My Turbo Rabbit, at it's cleanest. That thing was fun...
VERY nice work.
Reps sent.
Where did you put the battery? In the trunk?
#12
I'm not real thrilled with the AC setup on these cars. The alternator belt is always coming loose and it's a PAIN to get it adjusted right.
If you require AC, be prepared for some hassles dealing with it. Also the extra weight of the AC system overcomes the engine mount and it vibrates the car more than the non-AC equipped vehicles.
If you require AC, be prepared for some hassles dealing with it. Also the extra weight of the AC system overcomes the engine mount and it vibrates the car more than the non-AC equipped vehicles.
If you do end up with the car, and the a/c doesnt work, first place to look is the expansion valve, i've had 3 of them with this problem. The compressors are surprisingly tough.
Be prepared for a serious power reduction from your truck. (Mr. obvious) These things are slow at best. The 4 speeds are dang near undriveable for some folks in freeway traffic. With a working 5 speed you'd be fine though. I've come to love the pokey little boogers, I have an super clean '85 2 door Golf that i'm gonna drop one of my spare 1.6td's in one of these days, as soon as the PMS wears off...
#13
I get a quite a kick out of fabrication, and these little IDI platforms offer lots of room for it.
If you have lots of time, and nothing better to do, check out the pics i put on PB a while back, it'll give you an idea of how much time and effort went into it. The Rabbit pics are below the F250 mod pics.
I'd love to talk to ya sometime about the ol' veedubs, they're great cars.
Pictures by sale12345 - Photobucket
#14
My daily driver is a 1981 Rabbit pickup. I average 45 MPG. I would be prepared to do most of the work yourself since most mechanics don't want to bother with anything that old. My other play car is 1987 VW Scirocco w 16valve, 240K on original motor. You might want to become a member of VWVortex.com, a big bunch of VW users, with a lot of knowledge of every VW ever made.
Good luck, Nick
Good luck, Nick
#15