late last year I picked up an 86 VW diesel to turn into a DD. The engine was blown, thrown a rod and 3 massive holes through the block-

pic of what it looke like opening the hood-



destruction when i got the block out to show you what the PO had done-




At any rate, I replaced the engine, got the car up and going, and put over 10 thousand miles on it. Over the last month or so, ive been getting into some body work stuff on the car, so was stripping it for rust repair.

when I pulled the rear bumper, this fell out-



Its a piece from the front around the oil filter housing of the original engine! Apparently when the engine blew up, this piece blew out, bounced off the road, and up perfectly into the space behind the rear bumper.

Amazing to me, what are the chances?

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1:1000000

lol

yes. Guess that question was silly and rhetorical, smarta$$. Im still amazed

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Glad I could help.

While you were working underneath, you found a plastic bag stuffed with a pound of cocaine.

Now, what's the odds of that?

I thought no one knew about that, 0:0 since it didn't happen.

I had a great friday night btw, reenacted all my favorite scenes from "scarface"

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Well.........it could be worse.

I twisted my knee and now it blows out with immense pain if I crouch or put any side load on it.

So, the SE just lies on jackstands awaiting my return.............

Ill send you some of this white powder that made my night so great. Still have a little left.

you'll forget you even have knees

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Fortunately, I managed to achieve the same results last night with three Cointreau Daiquiris.

http://hungrycouplenyc.blogspot.com/search/label/Cocktails%3A%20%20High%20Octane

I needed them because, despite the bad knee, I had to go and repair a two foot hole in the back wall of the house, above the extension (requiring a ladder), to keep the squirrels (or racoons ) out. That was brutal............blew out the knee twice again.

how hard is it and what's the cost to replace the motor in one of those old VDub diesels? I know where there's a pickup that's been sitting for years that I could prolly get for nothing, or less.

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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

short answer is ridiculously easy, almost comically easy.

The VW Robert Bentley manuals are superb, MB has nothing even close to them, and I also have a copy of "Poor Richards Rabbit Book for diesels" which is like a bar of gold. I got it off Ebay or amazon, out of print, but it tells you how to repair everything with household tools and whatever you have lying around.

Mk1 body styles like that pickup would be even easier if it isnt rusted out. I pulled a drivetrain from one of those in I think 1 or 2 hours? Most of the time was broken or rusted bolts.
Problem is Mk1's are tinfoil, although cool looking. Mk2s are like tinfoil with a bit of cardboard in them. These cars are nifty, but don't expect any feeling of solidity or safety.

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