General Chat
Q:
I am looking at the late 1980's or early 90's golf and was wondering if any one had experience with them and what their overall rating would be.. this will be for my wife and she wants an automatic so if any one has strong feelings about the automatics in these cars i would like to know, not to be mean but i dont need preached at about manual trannies :D.. thank you in advance
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1975 280ZT she started April 25 2005. Now I am in the Elite T Squad (made that up I like it though) hahah
Post Edited (Dec 8, 9:56am)
A:
Well I know in my friends 97 Jetta, there is no dipstick for the auto tranny fluid, has to be serviced by VW it says. I'm not sure if the Golf is the same way, but they didn't add the dipstick till 98.
A:
I had an 85 Jetta with auto trans. Could not keep a starter working in this car till I found a (little known) tech tip on adding a Jeep solenoid (relay) and a extra wire to the switch side of the solenoid on the starter. The starter is on the backside of the engine and the exhaust manifold wraps around it. The heat causes the starter to need more voltage/amps to make it work properly. Other than that the car was great to drive and got good mpg. I sold it when it turned over 200K only cause I got a company car and did not need it.
Best of luck...
Had a 77 280Z and two 70 510 Wagons once upon a time...
A:
I had a 95 Jetta (same thig as a Golf, basically) that i started leasing new and ended up buying it. I drove it accross country and put over 140,000 miles on it before trading it in for my current truck. I loved that car. It was fun to drive (it was an automatic but still did pretty good on the autocross course) and very dependable (I replaced a fan that went and changed the oil regularly, that was it). When I lived in New Mexico I regularly had it over 100pmh for long streches of open highway and it handled great. It never left me stranded anywhere. I would recomend a 90s VW to anyone.
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1978 280Z - I wish I had this much money in my 401K.
A:
Yep, just about any sport-minded VW is gonna handle great, I mean they were engineered for the autobahn afterall. Plus with some slick little 15s or 16s and a drop they look HOT. One thing I've noticed about older VWs, they don't need 17s and 18s to bling like a modern sport compact. They look better with a slightly smaller wheel with a bit of a dish to it. Especially the ones that have the factory fender flares.
A:
Get the 70's beetle and put a porsche engine in it:D.. i'm not sure if you can do that with the jetta.. oh well
89'300zx-Carputer,Black,17's,digital,5spd,My Baby:D
90' TTZ!-UR Pully,seri2 PTU, R34 Brakes,HKS dual's,JW Intake&POP,PRofec B Spec2,Tokyo Rad,etc.
92' Civic- B16,Turbo,StandAlone FS,Programed,All the go!
95' Mitsu Turbo AWD,T3/4 CONV.**12 SEC CAR!!
A:
Go to vwvortex.com and ask your question in the appropriate forum if you want better info..... You will find VW people just like the Z people you find here... They know their stuff and should be able to answer your questions.
Ken
'82ZX n/a 2+2
'02 Sportster XL1200C
A:
Very reliable and well made cars.
I didn't have a Clue??!!! Until I found Blue...
Blue's Z car tips -
A:
Absolutely worst built cars, give me a 1990 ford taraus over any VW. I see the most god aweful problems with VW. who the hell makes a transmission that you cant change the oil on? and then because of that the life expectancy of the trans is about 30 or 40k?
I would do gay porn before buying a VW.
Thats all I have to say, Im not going to argue with anyone that thinks they are great or whatever, thats what I have to say.
Currently own:
1990 2+2(For sale soon)
1991 TT(parts for sale)
1993 NA(parts for sale)
1993 Convertible(Converted TT)
1996 TT(with 9,124 miles on it)
"When you do things right people cant really tell that you've done anything at all."
l
A:
Wow! Someone has had some bad experiences with VWs.
I've always considered them to be awesome cars, and have had good personal experiences with them.....not perfect by any stretch, but none are anyway. Crap comes in all forms and all vendors have made some, that's for sure.
I know when I first started working on them I didn't like it at all!!! But once I got use to the little type 1, and got use to the way VW does things I loved them. By the time I was old enough to get a job turning wrenches I was all over VWs, made some of my best money on type 1's and Rabbits.
Actung Baby!!!
Ken
'82ZX n/a 2+2
'02 Sportster XL1200C
A:
Used to own 85 Golf GTI
Pros:
Great in snow with snow tires
Great heat
Awesome seats imho nice ergonomics
Decent gas mileage
Nice torque down low for a 4 cylinder
Heater core was done under warranty even though I bought it used with 90,000 miles
Lots of room inside
Oil cooler & 4 wheel disc
Cons:
Worst feeling shifter of all time!!!
Low speed steering MUCH harder then my 78 Z
Parts can be pricey
Sunroof leaked like crazy poor seal & drain system
Work performed:
Wheel bearings Front 2 each side
Clutch - need lift and air tools
Repack CV’s
Brake job 4 wheel disc
When pulling a leaking injector it broke flush - had to pull the head later learned there is a very simple special tool for puling these injectors that are held in with o-rings only-Dogh!
Found the exhaust manifold had a crack
Did a valve job, put a header on it & new timing belt
Quick shift kit ( no improvement )
I am told the car still runs to this day
Brake lines are like a French horn hard to bleed with out vacuum reservoir
For only 100,000 miles it did need a lot of TLC to get it sound again
-Pete
1978 Z ATK F54-P79
Drink Sobe No Fear Gold
Tokico Illuminas, Poly bushings,Techno Tuning TC rods. Bad Dog frame rails. Toyota 4 piston calipers & power slot rotors. MSA 2.5” turbo exhaust & K&N cold air intake. H4’s
A:
Ken to say that Ive had bad times with VW is an understatement, Its gotten to the point where I feel phsyically ill around them, Im having serious mental issues with VW to a point that it is probably unhealthy.
Why in the world does someone make a transmission you cant service? WTH do they then make it a poor quality transmission that fails between 20k and 40k?
WTH would a brand new transmission direct from VW, installed by VW fail within a year and 20k miles? Its not like its a phucking tow vehicle, its a goddam VW.
I hate VW.
Currently own:
1990 2+2(For sale soon)
1991 TT(parts for sale)
1993 NA(parts for sale)
1993 Convertible(Converted TT)
1996 TT(with 9,124 miles on it)
"When you do things right people cant really tell that you've done anything at all."
l
A:
LOL! (not at you.....) Sounds like you earned it alright.......just about the way I feel towards '78 T-Birds....wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole! Only damn car I ever owned that you just couldn't fix. I slammed the hood one afternoon, sworn to the wife I wasn't raising it again. Short of adding some liquide to turn off an idiot light I kept my word.....drove it for three more years like that ROFL!!! Oil was like tar, but I didn't give a rip.....never was so glad to see a car drive off in all my life.
Just for curiosity, which transmission gave you all the grief?
Ken
'82ZX n/a 2+2
'02 Sportster XL1200C
A:
It(the problems Ive had and hatred) extends beyound any single VW model...which should be an indicator of how much I hate them, but its mostly centered on VW Eurovans, Vanagons, Jetta, and Passat.
VW can disappear into the deepest depths of hell and I wouldnt shed a tear.
Currently own:
1990 2+2(For sale soon)
1991 TT(parts for sale)
1993 NA(parts for sale)
1993 Convertible(Converted TT)
1996 TT(with 9,124 miles on it)
"When you do things right people cant really tell that you've done anything at all."
l