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Bobster here, ready for duty...

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2004 ase gls
1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Skimmer0220 
#1 ·
My name is Bob and I'm a Jettaholic. Not so much an abuser but more of a user! :) I really do like to drive them (STICK-SHIFT ONLY!!! :)).

Father of 2 tweens, metal fabricator, educator, coach, older but not a fossil... ;) Live in Central Florida about halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach off I-4.

ASE Master Auto Tech, continuously recertified since 1985 although I am not currently "in the business". I've been a Certified Vehicle Inspector, Lemon Law Arbitrator, Wholesale Car Buyer, etc, etc. Trade school student AND later, instructor.

I'm here to outline a "restoration" of a 2004 GLS and hopefully my posts will be enlightening and entertaining. I've gleaned a wealth of info off here so far and hopefully I can contribute the other way around.

Not looking to mod IN ANY WAY. I like to drive 'em, not fix 'em or have to stop at a gas station more frequently than necessary. ;) I also have to travel an occasional bumpy dirt road, so I LIKE having ground clearance. I also like taking advantage of the $million$ the mfg has spent designing the most efficient and gut fahren vehicle possible. But to each his/her own... :)

List of dubs (so far...):

  • 72 Beetle, blue--couldn't afford to fix it at the time, sold for a profit

  • 73 Thing, orange--no heat but MEGA fun!

  • 81 Vanagon Westfalia DIESEL, orange--former G-friend's car, probably the SLOWEST VW ever made, she really loved the car so I gave her a Bentley manual for our anniversary! :D

  • 81 Cabrio, white--bought straight from a wrecker on its way to the junkyard, needed too much work so I sold at a major profit for the perfect white Naugahyde interior

  • 81 Cabrio, white--good little car, put GTI wheels and swaybars on, sold when I moved to FL

  • 83? Rabbit 4D, silver--bought for parts, cheapy carb model I couldn't use much off of, sold for scrap

  • 84 GTI, red--drivable, but bought for parts for the Cabrio, wholesale unit had been pelted with gravel from a sander along the top and sides so it needed paint, lost a friend by signing the title over to him and never receiving payments... :(

  • 85 Golf 2D, lt blue--first A2, learned a lot, fixed and drove for a year, made 3-4 trips to/from FL/RI with it, sold to a cop for his daughter's first car

  • 86 Jetta Wolfy 4D, dk blue--bought for parts for the Golf, 185k and had been stuffed in the rear and needed $100s worth of parts. Liked the way it drove so I banged out the dents, got a used taillight, bumper support and trunk lid. Proceeded to put new struts, exhaust, tires, brakes, PW switches/motors, etc, etc into it. Put a set of steel 14"s and covers from an A3. Also made the trip back and forth to FL from RI a few times. One trip home, I AVERAGED 70mph and got 30mpg--and this INCLUDED stops! I was greatly disappointed when the odo broke at 285k... :( Sold when I moved to FL and I estimate it had 300k on the clock

  • 87 Cabrio, white--project car, had rot in weird areas, didn't feel like fixing it, broke even by selling it AS-IS

  • 88 Golf 4D, dk red--slight project car, bought for transpo but found something nicer so sold to a needy party for no profit

  • 88 GLI 4D, black--drove for about a week, needed major body work along the rocker panel (had been broadsided), I didn't feel like fixing it so I sold for a big profit

  • 90 Jetta 4D, brown--the only automatic of the bunch, tranny went as well as some other things so I sold it with the 91 below

  • 91 Jetta 4D, white--bought for parts, specifically the body flares for the 90 above. I lost a little money between the two...

  • 92 Cabrio, dk purple/maroon--fun little FL winter car, didn't feel like fixing A/C, broke even selling it

  • 93 Jetta 4D, teal--my first A3, project car but ran good and after I sunk a few $100 into it, sold when I "inherited" the 99 below

  • 94 Golf 4D, bright red--got a good deal because it needed a heater core, didn't need so I sold for a mild profit

  • 94 Bora 4D, white/black--bought for parts (no eng/trans) for the 93, used the heater core in the 94 Golf

  • 96 Jetta 4D, white--bought for a tranny for the 99 below, the PO drove to my location and pulled the plates off of it, he figured it was time to "retire" it due to the $ needed to repair it, I used a bunch of stuff off of it and parted it, probably doubled my money and ended up with a bunch of "free" stuff including tranny

  • 99 Jetta Wolfy 4D, white--The "White Knight", this is a late 98 A3, titled as a 99, my current daily driver, bought with 132k, now has 212k+, PO was a Navy Chief and came with a stack of maint. receipts, bought for wife but she hated driving a stick so I ended up with it. Rare "no sunroof" car but power everything, it got new struts, brakes, tires, tune, steering, shiftball, etc, etc when we bought it so it was kinda like new. It has a hitch and has towed a 4'x8' utility trailer 10s of 1000s of miles--it is my "truck". Now is starting to show its age and becoming needy: A/C compressor, tires, time for a timing belt, anti-theft module (jumped so CL works), PW love (only 2 work), throttle body (CIL on), tranny "clicks" in reverse (chipped reverse gear), etc, etc... Still gets 28-30mpg in town/highway! I bought the 2004 below to replace it

  • 99 Cabrio, dk green/tan/tan--bought with a blown tranny (ring gear rivets), was "given" a tranny from a donor Cabrio out in someone's barn :rolleyes:, installed and drove for a winter, tranny started making noise so I sold at a mild profit

  • 04 Jetta GLS 4D, white--my first A4, this is my latest "project" that I will be detailing the "restoration" of in a "build" thread. I'm thinking of calling it "Caballero Blanco Dos" due to its Mexican origins but I also don't usually name my cars... :rolleyes: ;)
So as you can see, I've had a few cars, and this is JUST the list of VWs! :) Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Auf Wiedersehen!

PS: I've been here at JJ since 2008, just haven't posted much...
 
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