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#15
by
JamesT
on 25 Feb, 2013 19:00
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No, we got those. Mercedes and VW already had a decent foothold in the market by the time the Olds disaster happened.
Diesel-powered VW's are still the minority. I have zero market research to back this up, but I would say up until the late '90's, less than a quarter of VW's sold here were diesel. Significantly more now, and by what I see on a daily basis, I would say over a third of MK4's are TDI and close to half of Mk6's are TDI. Mk5 Golfs rarely have TDIs, but the Jettas seem to. Keep in mind that the only cars commonly seen with Diesels here are VW/Audis, Mercedes (and Smarts), and some BMW and Jeep SUVs.
Diesel fuel used to be cheaper than Otto fuel, but surpassed gas around 10 years ago. Now it's hovering roughly $0.10/L higher than gasoline. My last fill up was at $1.399/L. Victoria is slightly below the national average right now.
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#16
by
wdkingery
on 26 Feb, 2013 11:49
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no no no, here's the
epitomy of the problem: a 2004 jetta TDI for just under TWELVE GRAND. Really? how much was the damn thing new?!?
. . . wait, you're in VA too??? Well at least somebody's in hell with me. 
sorry for the late response. Yes, I live in richmond! That's why I said to let me know before you "scrap" anything else in VA on yer for sale thread
It is tough.. i am running an 85 on alt. fuels with no backup plan.. junkyards aren't worth a damn. really sucks.
those links that guy had from victoria made me sick. i coulda got a turbo diesel with half the miles, already rebuilt, for almost the same price.
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#17
by
R.O.R-2.0
on 26 Feb, 2013 12:02
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1500 is steep for an aaz IMO. Complete tdi swaps are the same price.
thats kinda what im thinking.. you see TDI engines on CL for that much.. sometimes with harness and ECU even!
kinda alot for an engine of unknown history..
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#18
by
vanbcguy
on 26 Feb, 2013 20:24
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I bought an AHU with a hacked harness but otherwise complete, including ECU for $800 a couple of weeks ago. There was a complete ALH listed on Craigslist for $1100 around the same time... So yeah, I'd have a hard time paying $1500 for an AAZ. I've found a few complete AAZ cars in pretty good shape for around $2K lately.
Eastern Canada is way better for stuff like that too. Here on the west coast cars don't really rust out so there are less trashed bodies with good engines.
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#19
by
8v-of-fury
on 26 Feb, 2013 21:26
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Eastern Canada is way better for stuff like that too.
We AAZ swapped my brothers 84 this past summer. We went and hauled the car out of a field for $300. Got it home, put a battery in it and she fired up like it was running yesterday....... Didn't even loose prime in the fuel system!! It sat for three years!! It had 375,000 kms on it, but it has been a good WOT performer since with no issue. Of course I went over it and did the necessary before the swap. Water pump, timing belt and tensioner, plugs, new pump with performance inspired tuning, oil and coolant, and a new oil pan from sitting in grass..
The car was a write-off, but we threw the old engine in it and scrapped it as a "complete car" and got $275 back.
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#20
by
wolf_walker
on 27 Feb, 2013 00:02
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I'd over-pay for a TDI A4 Jetta/Golf before I bought 5th or 6th or whatever one. And I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way.
Every TDI on c-list here is $10K+, with a lot more miles. $12K for a pristine, 70K miles example isn't out of line as far as I can tell, it'd be a bargain on the west coast.
KBB out here says $5K and change for an 04 TDI with normal options and 175K on it in Very Good condition. Damned if I'd sell one for that if I had it unless I was desperate.
I'd barely sell my Caddy for that...
Early 05 A4 TDI 5spd was $24K out the door new in central N.C. btw, if you were seriously asking. Buddy of mine just barely got one before the goofy looking model after that came out.
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#21
by
millertime
on 27 Feb, 2013 18:50
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Well I paid 2k for a rusted 1.6 eco, I'm talking just the engine. I would have much rather had this. I think the company that sold me the eco wants like 3k for a 1.9 aaz. And I would much rather have a mechanical diesel than a tdi. But thats just my opinion. Plus the company i got it from only has 90 day warrenties I couldn't get my swap done that fast, luckaly the engine seems to be fine.
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#22
by
wolf_walker
on 27 Feb, 2013 19:06
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There's always deals to be had. Some people have a real knack for finding them too. I'm not one of them.
Five or six years ago, I arranged for a buddy of mine to swap a motorcycle with another buddy for his car, which was a 97 540i 6spd, sport package, nice car, never wrecked.
Said motorcycle was a Buell Blast, that was a nice bike, and the car-receiving buddy went out and bought it for $2800 I think it was expressly to trade to the guy for the car.
No secrets, no games, guy with car wanted ready to ride guaranteed good to go bike, so it happened.
So 540i 6spd for $3K out the door.
It happens. But not to me. It's a strange world sometimes.
There's a difference in what one can have if they spend months looking hard for a deal, and what one can buy at will.
I'm sure there are $500 AAZ's out there and $5K A4 TDI's, but not on demand.
Such is life.
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#23
by
shorttimer
on 27 Feb, 2013 20:23
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^
Total agreement there. Looked, what seemed forever, to find an AAZ transplant for my Caddy and finally got fed up & bought one for $2700 + a bunch of new parts in SoCal. Still not done finding all the stuff I need to finish it up. Figure I'll spend an easy 500 -1000 more and not even have a stainless exhaust.
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#24
by
nwcali6
on 27 Feb, 2013 22:17
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Everyone is aware that California is why the diesel was gone from the US for a few years in the 90's, right?
They also took the Civic VX down a few notches. You couldn't buy it with a "lean burn" O2 sensor here. That took it from 60 mpg (mine got 61) to around 50.
I love living here, but I'm in the "conservative" part of a state that would cut off its leg to spite a hair on its little toe.
Some of you Canadian's should figure out how to get some of those TDI's and AAZ's here so we can buy them... I'd drive to the border to pick one up...Wouldn't even care if I couldn't register it, as I'd be putting it in something else..
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#25
by
CrazyAndy
on 01 Mar, 2013 13:08
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Screw knack for finding deals, LUCK is the biggest factor I've found around here. Or rather my lack of it.
5K in my performance AAZ build, and still have about 600 more to go. Had to go through 3 turbos, 2 exhaust manifolds, 2 piston sets, 2 heads, 1 intermediate shaft bearing set, 1 machine shop, and am gonna have to bore my crappy block 1MM over after having to wait for pistons to arrive from a whole other continent for the past 3 months.
But couple that to my previous arguments about VW and diesel enthusiasm being thin on the ground around here, I just call it par for the course, especially since this engine isn't even from this country in the first place. At least it makes me hang around this forum more.
Like wolf_walker says, such is life.
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#26
by
wolf_walker
on 01 Mar, 2013 21:05
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Luck indeed. I ain't got much.
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#27
by
vanbcguy
on 02 Mar, 2013 00:16
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Some of you Canadian's should figure out how to get some of those TDI's and AAZ's here so we can buy them... I'd drive to the border to pick one up...Wouldn't even care if I couldn't register it, as I'd be putting it in something else..
..
I drive down to the states with my diesel to buy bikes and things all the time, y'all just gotta be neighbourly and stop on by...
Got my wife's favourite cruiser bike ever on this trip with my club, down in Shoreline, WA...
http://vancouverwheelmen.com/Members/bhughes/photos/2011/2011-03-27