Northern Virginia Roll Call

Have some suggestions?

The thing is that I love having a beater. It is so freeing not caring about if something happens to your car (like blowing a head gasket). At the same time I want to get a car that has a bit more of a fun factor that's also suitable for popping around town.

 

GTI or Jetta GLI.. Civic Si... Hell, even a Miata would be a good choice depending on your needs. Hyundai Veloster in some trim levels. BRZ and its Toyota clone...

 

I wish they would turbo the BRZ

 

It's pretty respectable in its current levels.

 

The gti is more fun on the streets than the miata and brz because it feels quicker in my opinion.

 

Had 2010 Base Golf before I got my Tacoma. Was a fun little sporty car. Sport mode, made that even more fun

 

In my opinion, the GTI is better than everything. But I'm biased.

It's also been noted many times that the Germans like to underrate HP in their cars.

 

I know you were into the GTI scene for a minute, so I don't hope you mind me asking. Are they fairly straightforward to work on? Reliable enough? Mk6 vs Mk7?

I still have trauma from working on some BMWs, so I'm hesitant on entering the world of German engineering.

 

Dave may disagree

 

I don't know much about the Mk7, but the motor is just an evolution of the two or three 2.0 turbos.

Reliable? Yes. With a disclaimer. Maintenance is key. You can't slack on it at all. May even have to go a little above suggested. They all have issues, but a quick scan on the forums and you can see what they are. I always tried to stay a step ahead of the known issues if I could. But VW was pretty good about recognizing them and fixing them. Even after the warranty.

Easy to work on? If you've done the BMW thing you know the answer. They're not quite as bad, but very close. Plenty of head-scratching when taking stuff apart. But it was all straightforward as far as taking stuff apart. Just some weird engineering decisions.

I've had quite a few VWs over the years and this what I've experienced. Our last one is still going. It's a 2008 Passat with 200k miles on it. I still enjoy driving it. Even though it's my wife's car, it's held up pretty well cosmetically. Mechanically, other than oil consumption it's fine. The oil consumption is expected with a turbo car with higher mileage. No leaks and everything still works.

 

Refurb ipads on ebay in that price range. I would look for ipad 6th gen or newer, to be able to get os updates and compatibility for apps for a good while.
https://iosref.com/ios

 

My two cents, because that's about how much knowledge I have on the subject. I have several friends with the Fiat / Dodge whatever they are now. None are extremely happy with thier purchases. I was in Detroit when Chrysler was bought out, and they didn't have a lot of interest in keeping much more than the Ram line up as it was. I was raised on Ford and after the last few vehicles I won't go back.

I just jumped into the German market with a 2013 Passat TDI with 101k on it. One week and about 400 miles in, I like it.

The one your asking about was a short lived flash in the pan. Detroit auto communities didn't like it and it went away. I'd be a little hesitant and get into the proven track record cars, regardless the continent it was made on.

My opinion. That and $5 will get you a coffee at Staryucks.

 

we're officially able to sense speed again. Perfectly in time 13 days late for inspection lol

 

Do any of you esteemed scholars of the mechanical arts have experience with drilling/tapping aluminum? I'm about to attempt to modify a shifter core, but am having doubts in my abilities... Got a quote to do the work locally, but the cost is a bit high IMO.

 

aluminum is pretty soft, so it drills and taps well. use a center punch to get the hole started, a fluted bit, and a drill press if it fits. depending on your tap set, the handles are usually garbage. I have a HF ratcheting tap handle and its a dream compared to anything that comes in the kits. when tapping, back off every half turn or so to break free the chips. If its a blind hole, then you may need to back the tap all the way out a few times and spray some compressed air in there to get all the tapped boogers out. Also if its a blind hole, knowing the depth will be important so the tap doesn't bottom out in there.

 

That all sounds so fancy…English please! Just kidding.

The core has a hole all the way though it already, as it was fabricated to fit the auto shifter at M8. I’m just widening the threaded hole and tapping to M12, then I have to widen the other end to 3/4” to fit the taper of the manual stick.

The threaded depth is 5/8”, and the 3/4” diameter for the opposite end basically will take up the rest of the length. The whole piece is maybe 2.5” long. The local shop wanted to charge $225 to do the work. Seemed high to me.

 

hmmm I'm not up to speed on my manual transmission shifter parts, but drilling a hold with a shoulder at a specific depth can be kinda tricky

 

Who is MGM-TACO? Nice truck!

 

Anyone interested in a set of five
BFG All-Terrain T/A KO2
Baja Champion
Load Range C
LT 285/70R17
$500
These are take offs from a Jeep Rubicon that have less than 25 miles on them.

 

Hell of a deal. If i had room to store 5 spares i would scoop them from you.