VW dealers can't keep new TDIs on the lot
 

Looks like despite the high prices of diesel, new diesel powered vehicles are still in high demand.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/14/many-dealers-report-selling-out-of-jetta-tdi-tiguan-tdi-possibl/?icid=200100174x1205644316x1200294000

Selling out when few are being shipped here does not always mean there is a high demand. What other choice do people have if they want a new car with a Diesel? They can pay $25k for a TDI or $55k for an E320 Bluetec.

Have they gotten a handle on the electronic problems that German car manufacturers have had for most of the past ten years?

AFAIK, VW still limits owners to B5 maximum. One of the reasons I bought an old Benz instead of a new bunny was that I didn't want to risk invalidating my warranty by using B20 or B100. Older VW diesels tend to be badly beaten up -- finding one in good shape is very unlikely in this part of the world -- so I didn't want one of them either.

Speaking of Old VW Diesels, I have located one in the area that is low mileage and has been parked since 1999. Thing has under 100K on it. It is a Manual tranny too. Was running when parked and the owner parked it for bad tires and could not get the lug bolts off the wheels. So he just left it sitting there up on blocks. Couldn't drive it with the bad tires. He continued to tag it each year so the City would not get onto him for a junker in the yard. Well... it's not in the yard but rather it is parked up under a Car port. I am thinking about going down and getting it. The wheels, should be an easy fix. Even if I have to sacrifice the hubs to do it. However I doubt it. Some PB Blaster, Some heat and the Air wrench should take care of it. He never tried any Air on it as he didn't have it to use. It is a Silver Rabbit. I have some phone cam pictures of it. I think he is going to take my offer of $500 for it. Body is Solid and Paint is good. Only damage to it is some vandalism of the rear light lenses and one mashed in front bumper shock. Bumper itself is dent free, just the shock is driven in an inch or two on one side.

Wow, for $500 I'd definatley take it!

Thats what I am thinking. I can go down and trailer it home for under $100 in fuel and lunches for the couple people I talk into going with me to help push it up onto the trailer. I don't need another project but I almost cannot pass it up.

He happens to be a coworker and it is at his Parents old house about 90 miles from me. He just happened to mention it to me while I was doing a consulting job in that town that his parents still have a house in that town. And then, somehow, the subject came up that he had this old Rabbit there. And it was a Diesel. And so while I was up there I did a drive by to look at it. Easy snatch. It sits in the carport facing out straight into the drive way on the level. It would have to be jacked off the blocks, lowered and pushed up on flat tires though. Shouldn't be that hard to do with about four people to push it. I might can get the tires to hold air for a few minutes to help. Not sure about that.

If you fill the tires with air while its still up on the blocks you'll have a better chance at getting them to seal and hold air.

Yeah- and if the tires are garbage anyway you may be able to cut the sidewalls around just above the bead and pull them off. Then just push the car up on the rims (if there is clearance).

Vw Rabbit -whodathunk they would be making such a comeback.....:o

I suppose I could take the compressor with me. I need to ask him if the Rents still have the power on to the house. I could then blast them with a huge volume.

I have my preorder in for a new TDI wagon. I had to call 6 places before I found anybody that had any sense. The place I am getting it from (Metro VW in Dallas) is the only one I could find that had prices and isn't charging more than MSRP. I am their 29th preorder.

I found a well taken care of 85 N/A jetta 5 speed and picked it up. runs great, nice cloth seats. TINY TINY car after driving the SD all around. hard to argue with 45MPG though...
if you have any issues with the car when you pick it up, give me a call... clemPson is not THAT far away...
oh, walmart has a nice battery jump kit with an air compressor built in... handy is too weak a word.

I've also made quite a few repairs to my 1.6 Jetta, if you have any questions drop me a PM.

If I was picking up the car I wouldn't start it until the timing belt had been inspected, and wouldn't run it unti it had been replaced.

You can view the repair manual here: http://eva2.homeip.net/

-J

I guess that's a good sign. Despite the high cost of diesel and the underestimated EPA mileage rating, there are obviously people out there smart enough to do the math and see past the BS. I still wouldn't pay over MSRP though. I'm not that desperate for any car. If there's one thing I find offensive it is dealer markups.

Metro is where we got or first A5 2005.5 Jetta TDI that was killed by a head on at 62K miles, and where we got it's replacement. MY wife gets 47-52 MPG mixed driving from Royse City to Addison everyday. We are in the 600 mile tank range now. The killed TDI was getting 45-50. The replacement has alloy wheels while the dead one had steelies.

Peter is the best service writer there and takes care of the customers really well.

Rusty Wallis VW sucks (bad experience with them) and I never dealt with Boardwalk in Richardson.

I saw the promo model on the lot and the EPA rating was something like 41 hwy?

Now, is this because of the "new" epa ratings and/or more emissions junk? Because that is a big drop from 50 in the 99-04 models.

I'm sure this has been discusses before, but to me it seems you can beat on a diesel and get good mileage whereas a gasser the slightest change in driving has a huge impact on it. (newbie to diesels, btw :o)