Considering an 87 Jetta TD, need advice

[clarksonTD]

What are some things that I should look for specifically if I'm looking at an 87 Jetta GL with the 1.6L TD? I understand diesel basics and have already driven the car, but the very high miles make me a bit leery (400k miles ). It seems very solid and runs strong, drives amazingly smooth considering its age. I'm hoping to pick the car up for really cheap, how much longer could I practically expect the car to run for? Thanks in advance for the info!

[Baron VonZeppelin]

An original 87 TD is a rarity in the USA.
86 was last year we got them.

It may have been brought in from Canada (they could get them), or maybe a TD transplant in a former NA Diesel car.

The mileage works in your favor as a buyer usually, but as far as the car - the condition determines the real world value. These cars can go beyond a million miles with decent care. Up to 500k or beyond between re-ring rebuilds.

Most all the parts are easy to get new and used - and usually incredibly inexpensive compared to similar parts for other brands. Combined with their fuel economy, best bang for the buck on the planet.

Some things to check - structural rust, cold and hot starts, Blue smoke from tailpipe, excessive blow-by from valve cover cap, basic electricals, date/mileage of last timing belt.

Non-clearance engine, timing belt is the weak link when ignored.
50-60k replacement interval.

Good Luck on getting a good car !

[clarksonTD]

Yes, it is a Canadian model, the odometer actually reads 648000 km. The seller believes that it has been rebuilt before he bought it, but doesn't have any paper work. Timing belt was the first thing that I planned to do, as the last change is unknown as well, but should be less than 50k. How important would it be to take a look underneath the car? I'd like to get it up on a lift, but have been so busy that I haven't had a free minute when a garage would be open. Also, roughly how much would it cost to have the timing belt done? I usually do all my own work, but am intimidated by this job, and don't have any special VW tools. I'm planning on putting an offer on it this weekend or next week.

Thanks!

[mattbondy]

Its an easy car to work on. You might need some metric tools and there are a few tools for the fuel system but you can probably make them yourself or get them cheap. If you do buy it definitely invest in a Bentley service manual.

Before purchase I suggest close inspection of the sub frame for the front suspension. When I bought my 86 Jetta it looked fine from below but it was in terrible condition and came apart after only 1-2 years. There are a few guides on the forums for judging the health of the turbo based upon impeller movement by hand. The injection pumps leak but the external seals are easy to replace. The injectors should be calibrated every few years. However, if they are grossly malfunctioning they can cause damage to the engines internals. At that point I doubt the engine runs nicely. The v belts that drive the engine accessories can drive you crazy.

Compression ratio would be nice to know but you would need the specific tester and be able to install it. If the owner allows that you could probably test the injectors. I have seen suggested tests of the injectors by removing them from the engine, flipping around the injector lines, and using the starter to spray the injectors into the open air. A word of caution, these injection systems run at very high pressures. High pressure injection of fuel into tissue will kill it, half or so of high pressure injections are treated with amputation. There are some rough guides on checking the compression by pushing the car while in gear. A nice long drive up a big hill is a good indicator of the health of the motor. In the summer this should identify any cooling issues. If you start the engine and shut it off almost immediately (from a cold state) you can open the coolant reservoir cap to check for pressure. Running for a short period of time should not heat the coolant enough to pressurize the system. Any pressure could result from a bad head gasket and combustion gases pressurizing the cooling system. If you have a voltmeter you could check the charging system. These cars can go a day or two with no charging system. I took my alternator out for about a year (I tucked a motorcycle battery charger under the hood and fed the power cord out through the body work). You can check if the radiator fan is working using a 9V battery, it will just fit in the socket on the fan motor.

These car are quite durable. As a poor student I beat the hell of my Jetta. I pulled out the alternator and the power steering and drove with little to no coolant during the summer. I destroyed the car in the process but this was over a 6-9 month period. It was still driving after this it just had horrible blowby (oil being blown through the crankcase breather into the intake by combustion gases getting by the rings).

I also like www.vwdieselparts.com/forum

[Baron VonZeppelin]

Checking for structural rust and even heavy corrosion on all  components front to rear should be important Up North.
And plus, it came from Canada, even further North.
Road Salt Kills !

Just the complete engine assembly alone has decent value, is something to keep in mind, if all else fails your inspection.

Check rear axle mounting points as well as front subframe mount points and strut towers.

Pro job on timing belt can range from $300-600. Usually towards upper side of that unless you have a connection. General mechanics who say they "can do it", don't necessarily get it done right always.

You might be close to a member of this board or one of the other good VWD boards who has the tools and can help you out - and save you some coins - and put coins in their pocket too.

First class set of VWD timing belt/injection timing tools will cost you $80-90 to your door, from germany.

Parts will range from low of $50 (belt-tensioner-valve cover gasket), to as much as $100 depending on what level and how deep you decide to go while you're at it.

It's not that bad or tuff, but it is intimidating before ever doing one, and a slight learning curve involved. It gets simple pretty quickly after the first one.

[clarksonTD]

Thanks for the all the advice, I'm planning on bringing some jacks and taking a look underneath it tomorrow. As long as everything seems to check out, I'll be making an offer on it as well. Any second thoughts that I had have been alleviated by advice from the forum. I'll post some pictures if I do get it. Is there a good write-up on here, or does the Bentley manual have detailed enough instructions? Thanks again