I bet you thought I was dead....

[Glinko]

Well, too bad; I'm still kickin'.

Nevermind, you probably don't remember me.

Anyway, I put the charger on my 240D and I got it started today. It has been dormant since...oh, I'd sometime around late October.

I think that two of the glow plugs have burnt out, because when I try to start it cold, two of the cylinders fire well, and the other two kind of get dragged along by the starter.

W/e, I figured I'd get it running again. It failed inspection last year because of rust holes in the right frame rail and left jack point. I've gotten a new car since then: 2001 Jetta, runs on gas. I didn't think I'd be driving another gasser, and to be honest, I hated the idea of driving this new car: but it grew on me pretty quick, and now I don't think I want to go back to the Benzo. Now, if I could get my hands on a 300 with a turbo, maybe then I'd think about it. I dunno, I guess I just got tired of riding in a 60 horsepower yellow gunboat.

That's my rant for the day.

[barry123400]

Find a little time and slowly repair the critical rust problems on the 240d properly. Cut the parts out of a better body for example. Then you will also have a spare car for those times the jetta creates jetta lag on your wallet. The 240 is a comforatable car to drive around in plus its only a short time till it will be viewed as an antique and will gather attention. In only a few years you will not be able to get one perhaps at a reasonable price.. Gamble a little.

[t walgamuth]

you wild man. good to hear from you.

you just cant let the benzo die a slow painful death. oh ok you could.

those quick little vws do have their virtues don t they? my son just leased a new passat and his wife a new jetta. i might be able to get used to one of those.......if i couldnt get any benzes.... or maybe even if i could.

take care, my friend.

tom w

[Glinko]

Hello Tom!

I'm not going to let it rust away into nothing. I forgot to mention that the alternator is shot, too.

Right now, I don't have the money to get it back into shape (my parents do, but that's another story)

I mean, I'm happy with the new car and all, but I'd still like to keep the 240 around as a weekend car or something. I just can't see myself depending on that thing for my daily commute. Frankly, I'm surprised that I did that for almost two years.

Now that the warm weather is here, it is time to take action; there's a body shop in town that will give me an estimate on the rust repair. That's the biggest issue. After that comes the alternator, and then the problem with starting it. I believe that the glow plugs are to blame for the hard starts, but at the same time, I'm afraid of any kind of top-end work that it may need. I adjusted the valves a few weeks before I put it away; it made an improvement, but it was still a ***** to start in the morning. It also smokes like a chimney and the idle is rough. Could be the injectors, could be a bad hole.

I think I'll have it towed to a shop for a compression/leakdown test. That way I'll see if it's worth the expenditure.

[t walgamuth]

tell the story.

glad you arent ready to give up yet.

tom w