I have no idea why people are voting this up so hard. What kind of issues are lurking under the surface of this thing?

Heh. Same here. I suspect the whole motor assembly will need replacement (the gears are notorious for stripping out) but I want to pull it first to see if it’s something I can fix instead of replacing. It’s a luxury though so I can’t be arsed.

Desktop for me! Oddly, it JUST let me star your reply... seems intermittent. (mostly “nope” though)

I’d star this a thousand times if I could. Apparently, Kinja won’t even let me star it once.

VW was making garbage in that era. Come to think of it, they still are. You couldn’t give me this car for free. CP all the way.

Exactly. Or, a VW Westfalia from 1980 that’s kind of a classic:

“Because mods” isn’t justification for any 20-year old vehicle to have a $7,500 price, regardless of how much the owner thinks it “adds value.”

The only justification I can see is the recall affects cars with power liftgates.

Imagine if this car were completely factory stock (plaid seats!) with money being put into repairs and maintenance over the last 32 years. Is there any doubt it would be “NP?” I don’t think so.

I have a couple of sets of those Rubbermaid containers.

I have a couple of sets of those Rubbermaid containers.

You never hear about a mechanic taking a Nissan Sentra out for a joyride, maybe because the Sentra just doesn’t have the same lure to take out for a rip? Of course they were joyriding.

Agreed.

Data point: KDM Hyundai Elantras have automatic headlights; in North America, while the cars have a cutout for the sensor, they’re not installed.

Some 2-stroke engines are equipped with “oil-injection” so you don’t have to pre-mix, you just make sure the oil injection tank is full.

There are different maintenance intervals listed in car owner’s manuals depending on whether you do “normal” driving or “severe conditions.”

If the owner can’t even get the gauges to line up, imagine what else is lurking under the hood. CP all the effing way.

I learned to drive on a mark 2 Jetta. Fun car.

[in think British accent] “Pardon me. Where in the vicinity can one get horseless carriage tires revulcanized?”

“Honey, our budget is $20k tops. You can have the top-of-the-line model, if it’s a few years old, or you can have an entry level model, brand new. It’s up to you. Oh, and anything under $20k we spend? We split evenly between tickets to that thing you love and a sun vacation this winter.”