|
|
|
#31
|
|||
|
|||
Btw, Hatt: on those broken door handles, if you pull them out (one screw! One connector also for the driver's side front) you will see the problem is a friction-fit roll pin. You can replace it with a sleeve and a narrow screw, with a little Loctite they never need to be touched again. You will see what I mean if you look at how the assembly works. Any decent junk box should be able to come up with the parts to fix it.
How's that old Benz odometer? The digital one on the Passat is unlikely to break ... of course, it rolls over at 300k. Oops! |
#32
|
|||
|
|||
I currently have a 350sdl and 06.5 jetta tdi.
I have owned many 123s and consider them one of the best cars of all time. You cannot compare a true gps 50mpg car to anything else right now w/ fuel at 3~4 dollars/gal. I see many tdi's w/ over 300K miles on them and many more 123s w/ odos broken at or above that mark. The 123s have better fit and finish by many miles, but there are no new 123s so my vote goes to the vws. Safety is hard to judge but I rank the 126 (mass wins usually) above the tdi and the tdi above a 123 (a 123 saved me and my family's lives from a redlight running broadside by a pickup). Maintenance is actually less time consuming in the vw. Oil at 10K, timing belts at 100K and the rest a relative wash except for the valve adjustments on 617s. The vws don't 'sweat' or 'mark' so it's usually a cleaner process as well. I have never owned a manual tranny MB so I 'd say the vw tranny is easier to maintain. There seems to be a lot of grumbling from the vw owners w/ dsg when it comes to fluid change time. The largest factor for me is driving fun. The vw (ok I had it chipped to 150hp & 250T)) will spin 1st and 2nd gears and handles like a modern car and gives me a clutch (123s w/ clutches require prayers at mergiing time IMHO).
__________________
82 300D....went to MB heaven 90 350 SDL....excercising con rods |
#33
|
|||
|
|||
IMHO, there is nothing wrong with the TDI, I would probably buy one for my kids to beat on if it was cheap enough. However, I would consider it completely disposable and wouldn't put any effort in preserving it. It's just a car, not as much of an appliance as a ricer, but I don't think I would lose any sleep over running one into the ground.
|
#34
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
John Robbins '05 E320 CDI - 240k '87 300TD - 318k |
#35
|
||||
|
||||
Everyone needs to remember that even though we like our TDI, due to my wife's 40 mile trek to work each day, the car is assembled in MEXICO, and has a POLISH made engine in it. German design, questionable assembly.
We have not had any trouble with the TDI at this point. The first one 05.5 Jetta TDI kept my wife and step daughter safe in a 40 mph head on with a Hyundia Sonata, Both cars were totaled, but only the VW was able to open and close all doors.
__________________
RRGrassi 70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car 13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete. 91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K 90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K |
#36
|
|||
|
|||
Good point, but I assume this car is just transportation for you so if it works, it works. For a "real" car, i wouldn't buy anything built in north america.
|
#37
|
|||
|
|||
VW...great mileage but!
Quote:
Prior to my 123, I had a 1990 TD (the IDI one). I owned it for one full year of pain. Nothing but pain. Yes I would smile everytime I filled up, but there was always something wrong with it. I really haven't owned the Benz a full year yet, but so far, geez, all I really do is fill up and drive! It doesn't rattle over the railway tracks, and gets poor mileage when compared to the VW, but everything works, there's hardly any smoke (at least less than the vw) and I like to call it my little stealth bomber because everytime some idiot tailgater comes up really close I could just floor it and leave him in a cloud of smoke wondering where the hell did that old Merc go! In the vw, I'd floor it and just get the smoke In summary, my experience shows so far that the vws are great engines, just that all the other parts around the engine tend to fail really easily The Benz? It just keeps on ticking....and its the first car I've owned where I actually like washing it
__________________
1987 300TD 1984 300D 755,000 KM and going strong BC Canada |
#38
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
My wife absolutely loves her TDI. I love my old 300D.
__________________
RRGrassi 70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car 13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete. 91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K 90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K |
#39
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Yes to all the above!!!
__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy" Current Monika '74 450 SL BrownHilda '79 280SL FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee Krystal 2004 Volvo S60 Gone '74 Jeep CJ5 '97 Jeep ZJ Laredo Rudolf ‘86 300SDL Bruno '81 300SD Fritzi '84 BMW '92 Subaru '96 Impala SS '71 Buick GS conv '67 GTO conv '63 Corvair conv '57 Nomad |
#40
|
||||
|
||||
What if you do not like golf? It's more fun to sneer at the non diesel heads. Rich and sneer at non diesel heads would be great. Just need a single winning lotto ticket...
__________________
RRGrassi 70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car 13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete. 91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K 90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K |
#41
|
|||
|
|||
They weren't designed as taxi cab engines, either.
__________________
Kent Christensen Albuquerque '07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster Two BMW motorcycles |
#42
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200 |
#43
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
You should get her a new Impala. I know someone who goes to the auctions that the dealers buy from. He was buying clean 2007-08 Impala's from company fleets for like $10k-$11k. Those still use the 3.8 with GM's 4spd, damn reliable and cheap to fix cars.
__________________
1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200 |
Bookmarks |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|