I have my wife's 2001 VW golf sitting at my house right now. It busted a timing belt and bent some valves. I put a new timing belt on and hoped it would fire up (suppose to be non-interfering heads). No good. So I pulled the head and my buddy put a couple new valves in. It runs but it runs rough. I think it needs a complete head rebuild.

I'm looking for a used head right now. I can get a brand new rebuilt head for about $1500. Used ones go for about $3-400 if you can find them. All other maintenance on the car is pretty solid. Just did the coil, plugs, tune up, etc. And a brand new timing belt obviously. LOL.


My question is this.... if I can't source a friggin used head for this thing I just want it out of my yard. Has anyone ever sold a "mechanic special" car. I don't know how much I'd get at the yard for it but it would be a shame to junk a solid car. What about donations?

I don't know how any of this works. My only experience with yards was the $500 I got for my wrecked ranger and the free 58 chevy I had drug out of my yard a couple years ago.

Be nice if I could just swap it for some maintenance on my car. I need a clutch and all my fluids changed.



Any info would be helpful. Tired of looking at it.

 

Donation is a $500 write off. The yard, who knows. Mechanic special: take the bluebook and keep marking it down til someone buys it.

 

I have sold two "mechanics specials" and both cards are now on the road and being used/abused. One was in a wreck, salvage title and missing parts, the other was used as a track car before being sold "as is" with a cracked exhust manifold, no intake manifold or throttle body, seats not in the car, NO airbags and it was rolled onto the trailer on Spares. I made sure the bill of sale receipt said Sold AS IS. I also checked with the DMV and it is ok to sell it this way. One of the cars I sold didn't even have the Pink slip and it was ok, you just need the right paperwork.

Hope that helps and GLWS!!

 

why dont you just put some cheap low offset wheels on that golf with a static drop? instant show winner in the right setting - who cares what it looks/runs like?!

 

Where are you located? I have a good buddy who might take it off your hands. He is a mechanic and does the mechanic special deals all the time. Or might even be able to help you fix it

 

I'm in watsonville.

It's a nice car. Pretty good condition otherwise. Has the normal rear window issue they pretty much all have. Easy fix. I might fix it. And the glove box needs to be changed... another common issue. Might fix that too.

The sun roof has already had the recall repair done on it and works fine. I put new headlights on not that long ago... the old ones were faded.

car has 165,000 I think on it. Well maintained. Like I said... tune up done recently and I went through it all to check... just the valves. Put a new head on it and it should be solid for another 150k.

 

Is a tdi? If so ill take it off your hands

 

No it's a 2.0 liter GLS. Has all the airbags. Heated seats. Sun Roof. Tinted Windows. Manual transmission.

 

Depending on your income, you can retire it with the state of california for 1500$ as long as it runs and is registered. check the CAP program on the BAR website. You can even part out the other stuff and make more cash. It doesnt even require the car to have all the seats.

 

Yeah I was actually considering just parting it out. I figure I could make some decent coin just parting it out. I also have a civic motor and trans in my shed I need to sell. I'd probably sell it for $200. LOL. it's a 97 Dx motor with like less than 90k on it.

These things are still going for over $4k. Crazy. If I could get it fixed I'd probably sell it for $3000. I saw one selling for almost $7000 but it only had 55k on it.

 

Alright. Guess the wife put the car up on craigslist.

So if anyone knows anyone looking... we're selling it as is. Needs the head rebuilt. I can do it if need be. Be less than $600 to get it back on the road and at that point everything important on the car will be new.

 

You should have tried to get a hold of Hoche or someone else who races & rallys golfs, "spares cars" are always in demand...

 

That's an interesting idea.

I don't see them rallying this body though.. it's one of the heavier ones and it's a 4 door.