UsedToBeVWGuy
Member
- :
- 99 2.Slow
Hello all.
FNG here thinking about being a Mazda 3 driver. I am a longtime VW owner and enthusiast and currently shopping for new(used) car. Had plenty of fun with the Dubs but I'm ready for something different, 12 years, 5 VW's and too much $$ and time is enough.
Some about me. Always been into cars and untill recently was a lot more devoted to it than I am currently. Now I just drive, need a decent car with some spunk and personality but my days of spendin' and wrenchin' are mostly behind me. I worked at a German car sales/tuning/repair shop and a general auto repair shop for about 5 years. I do construction now.
Going to look at a 2004 3 hatch tomorrow. I believe its a 2.0, they came with a 2.3 as well that correct? The car has 158K miles on it. Clutch and Tranny were apparently replaced at 35K due to a "dealer mishap". Hopefully I will find out more detail/proof regarding this tomorrow. Car got new struts last summer, and it sounds like it will need brakes soon. Front tires new, rears good. $3400 seems too cheap to be true. I haven't checked but private party book has to be well above that. 99--01 Protege's seem to be selling at around $3000 in my area. I drove a few 3's when I worked on them a few years ago and came away impressed. The cars seemed well put together and chuckable, which is about all I'm looking for at this point.
What should I be looking for? I'm pretty good at diagnosing wonky window regulators, coilpacks, and MAF sensors from my VW days. If these are the only problem areas I will be comfortable and familiar.
I will do some searching on my own here, but my current Jetta s*** the bed yesterday and I'm probably going to have make a move on a car this week, maybe tomorrow because this thing seems pretty damn cheap.
Old cars in order (I'm old-er):
87 chrysler Lebaron GTS Turbo (high school hot rod)
79 Pontiac T1000 ($100 college car crap)
95 Dodge neon cpe (crap)
2001 GTI VR6 (wannabe luxo barge)
2000 GTI 1.8T (burnout machine)
85 VW Golf 8v (classy BBS equipped beater) /93 Ford F-250 460ci (burnout machine)
90 VW GLI VR6 (burnout machine, only one I really will never be able to replace)
99 VW Jetta 2.0 (meh machine)
(Almost bought a Miata about 5 times in between all that)
Not sure if its cool around here or not but please don't say zoom-zoom to me.
FNG here thinking about being a Mazda 3 driver. I am a longtime VW owner and enthusiast and currently shopping for new(used) car. Had plenty of fun with the Dubs but I'm ready for something different, 12 years, 5 VW's and too much $$ and time is enough.
Some about me. Always been into cars and untill recently was a lot more devoted to it than I am currently. Now I just drive, need a decent car with some spunk and personality but my days of spendin' and wrenchin' are mostly behind me. I worked at a German car sales/tuning/repair shop and a general auto repair shop for about 5 years. I do construction now.
Going to look at a 2004 3 hatch tomorrow. I believe its a 2.0, they came with a 2.3 as well that correct? The car has 158K miles on it. Clutch and Tranny were apparently replaced at 35K due to a "dealer mishap". Hopefully I will find out more detail/proof regarding this tomorrow. Car got new struts last summer, and it sounds like it will need brakes soon. Front tires new, rears good. $3400 seems too cheap to be true. I haven't checked but private party book has to be well above that. 99--01 Protege's seem to be selling at around $3000 in my area. I drove a few 3's when I worked on them a few years ago and came away impressed. The cars seemed well put together and chuckable, which is about all I'm looking for at this point.
What should I be looking for? I'm pretty good at diagnosing wonky window regulators, coilpacks, and MAF sensors from my VW days. If these are the only problem areas I will be comfortable and familiar.
I will do some searching on my own here, but my current Jetta s*** the bed yesterday and I'm probably going to have make a move on a car this week, maybe tomorrow because this thing seems pretty damn cheap.
Old cars in order (I'm old-er):
87 chrysler Lebaron GTS Turbo (high school hot rod)
79 Pontiac T1000 ($100 college car crap)
95 Dodge neon cpe (crap)
2001 GTI VR6 (wannabe luxo barge)
2000 GTI 1.8T (burnout machine)
85 VW Golf 8v (classy BBS equipped beater) /93 Ford F-250 460ci (burnout machine)
90 VW GLI VR6 (burnout machine, only one I really will never be able to replace)
99 VW Jetta 2.0 (meh machine)
(Almost bought a Miata about 5 times in between all that)
Not sure if its cool around here or not but please don't say zoom-zoom to me.
