Thanks for the good words.
I first joined the 16V list back in 98 (when I was 20 years old) when I got
my first car, a 89 Jetta GTX 1.8l 16V.
I had a lot of plans for her but in 2001 I came across my baby, a 91 Jetta
GTX 2.0l 16V, she was everything I wanted.
For a short time I had both cars simaltaniously, I'll never forget that July
day in 2001 when someone broke into my garage and stole the Recaro seats
from my 91 and completly stole my 89 from my driveway. The 89 was recovered
2 days later missing its Recaros.
2 GTX's and no Recaros :( Thank god they didn't steal my BBS wheels.
As the years went on the 91 GTX started decaying, and rusting. Last year I
decided I was going to sell her but didn't have the balls, so I held on.
As much as I liked the car and what she had... Bilstein Sports, H&R Race and
Neuspeed Strutt bar. She handeled like on rails.
Our Canadian winters began to take a toll on my Jetta and I couldn't stand
to see her rust any more. Even though I had some good money into her I had
to let her go. Its not a easy thing to do but I think it had to be done.
Over the last year I had the head completely rebuilt, shaved 10 thou, new
valve seals, new lifters, new timing belt & tensioner, new accessory belts,
new oil pressure switches, new temp sensors, new O2 sensor, new exhaust, I'm
sure I'm missing something.
She ran strong and never left me stranded.
For the last 2 years I've been working for a local Porsche dealership in
Toronto and have had connections to get parts very cheap. I'm surrounded by
new cars (911 and Boxsters) every day and I'd really like to get my hands on
something newer and with a warranty.
I have my eye on a 4 door 2001 Golf GLS 1.8T (yes the 1.8T was availible in
the 4 door for model years 2000 and 2001), they are very cheap on insurance
and they're a wolf in sheep's clothing.
If you guys have a chance, visit your local AUDI dealership and take a A3
for a spin, it will knock you on your ass. 200hp from a 2.0l 16V Turbo. I
drove the 6 speed and the DSG (Direct Shift Gearing) which looks like a
tip-tronic except it uses a dual clutch system and it has F1 style paddle
shifters. The DSG is very intuitive and even blips the throttle between
shifts. In the end I can't justify spending that kind of cash on what I'd
call a Audi "Golf". When you replace the name "A3" with "Golf", the car
loses it's appeal. That's why I want a 1.8T
Sorry to write a whole novel here.
But that's my story in a nut shell.
Once again, if any of you guys are ever in Toronto (that's in Canada, eh)
let me know, we'll have to hook-up for a beer and I can show you around the
city.
It was my pleasure to be a part of the 16V list.
Mark Reda.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charlie Russo" <[email protected]>
To: "a2list" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 4:36 PM
Subject: Re: [a2-16v-list] Sold My Jetta GTX
Yes, Congrats Mark, and Good Luck. It is always tough deciding when it is
time to say goodbye to an old VW.
Mark, you and Matt are making me feel old. I have had my GTI 16V for the
last 17+ years.
I have been very fortunate in that my 16V was only in service as a daily
driver for the first few years
(only in the summer). After that, it was just VW Shows and now just Sunday
morning drives.
Late last fall I purchased a Toyota 4Runner so I could retire my '85 Golf
from winter use and not rely
on it as my sole daily driver. Being anal like I am, I did countless hours
of research on-line about the members of my vehicle "short list". In the
end the 4Runner came out on top with it's V8, AWD, Traction Control
System, ABS, it's crash rating and it's reputation for reliability. The
4Runner performed well in the snow last winter and has done an
Excellent job towing my enclosed car trailer. BTW, my 4Runner was just
recently back to the dealer for the first time since I bought it (for
maintenance). Too bad the same cannot be said for a bunch of Touaregs I
know about.
Matt, if you are ever in the market for an enclosed trailer take a look at
Danzer.
When I was shopping for my trailer I was Verysurprised at the BIG price
difference between the manufacturers for the same spec trailer. Granted
driving 2.5 hours to Maryland might seem like a long drive to some but I
saved 1-2K over the other brands (CarMate, Haulmark,etc) so it was worth
it to me. The people at Danzer Trailer did a nice job and even made an
engineering change to the trailer design (no extra charge) to fit me
requirements.
Mark, once again, Good Luck. Keep your eyes open. Someday you just might
find a Mint 16V for sale that might be calling your name.
Charlie
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