Looking for some advice - 97 Golf CL

[stefcio007]

Niiiiice

[feenix74]

Cheers and thanks, it looks good from a distance but needs a lot of work (there is a dent in the middle front of the bonnet, a scrap on the driver's corner of the front bumper, the boot lid and bumper have oxidised paint, the rear windscreen seal needs to be replaced, front windscreen scraper is perished as per most Mk3) and that is just cosmetics.

Mechanical to do list from my brother's mechanic:
- breather pipe has a split needs to be replaced
- v-belts need to be replaced
- brake lines needs to be replaced
- brake fluid needs to be bled and replaced
- auto transmission leaking fluid and needs a service
- water pump has a small coolant leak and needs to be replaced
- engine mounts need to be replaced
- all shock absorbers need to be replaced
- left-hand sway bar rubber perished
- rear wheel bearings need adjustment
- air filter needs to be replaced
- ABS has an intermittent fault
- front passenger door lock u/s
- fuel gauge u/s (on the drive back I worked out that it works between full and 1/2, but below 1/2 it intermittently dances between empty and 1/2)
- a couple of the lights in the instrument cluster are u/s
- aircon u/s (unserviceable)
- rear passenger window u/s

[feenix74]

A Vento update.

Brake lines and brake fluid replaced about 12 months ago. We also worked out that the auto does not appear to be leaking, the leak was from the power steering rack. Managed to source a 2nd hand power steering rack (thanks to the wonderful team at Camden GTI Performance) in September while we were up in Sydney visiting my folks and taking the young girls to Taronga Zoo. Power steering rack fitted today. She has been sitting still for the last 12 months (sorting out older kids have been taking up all our cash flow) but after a trickle charge of the battery she fired up first go and drove well.

It goes for a roadworthy check tomorrow, so fingers crossed it passes then it will be back on the road as my father-in-laws daily drive. We will keep working on make it better and more reliable from there.

[feenix74]

Failed RWC for three items:

1. Wiperblades need to be replaced (I had the new set already, just had not gotten around to fitting them)
2. Battery was loose (father-in-law did not get the battery seated properly after he trickle charged it, so easy 5 min fix with a spanner)
3. ABS throwing an intermittent fault (we knew about this already and CVWC had read the fault codes on the Ross-Tech, it is the right rear ABS sensor throwing up an intermittent fault, it was fine on the drive home last night and drive up to the vehicle inspection station this morning)

CVWC will order in the replacement ABS sensor for me. How tricky is it to replace the rear ABS sensor? Wondering whether I do it myself or get CVWC to fit it for me

[feenix74]

Passed RWC today!

[stefcio007]

congrats!

[feenix74]

Thanks mate.

Father-in-law registered it today and our next priority is to get Vento watertight - the rear windscreen is leaking due to perished plastic surround and seals. So will try to get it to a windscreen bloke later this week to get a quote to reseal the rear windscreen. If it proves to be too expensive then I may just have to buy some auto silicone sealant from supercheap and do a temporary patch-up job until we can afford to fix it properly. Also, need to silicone up the base of the roof antenna mount and gutter at the base of front windscreen which has perished.

[feenix74]

Thanks to a lead and then some great encouragement from beale187 (top bloke, to whom I now owe beer).

I managed to pick up a white, manual 96 Vento GL at a damaged vehicle auction.


The damage appears to be a mistreated right rear door (paperwork with the vehicle indicated that when previous owner returned to the vehicle in the shopping centre the door was damaged by another vehicle, to me it looks like the door has dropped on its hinges, is not closing properly and the previous owner has tried to kick it shut), the window of the right rear door will not fully close (stops about 20 cm from top, the electric window regulator works but I think it is stuck due to the dent on the door), a missing stereo (I assume the previous owner wanted to keep whatever aftermarket stereo unit they had installed) and hazard lights that intermittently turn on for no apparent reason (I am hoping it is just a faulty hazard light switch). Initially it refused to start because the battery was low on juice, a jumpstart kit fixed that but then it would not idle properly and kept stalling but with revs the engine was goo. I found the source of the problem was that the air intake hose from the airbox had been pulled off the fuel injection body, so a few minutes standing in the rain with my multi-pliers, a bit of cursing and swearing later, it fired up and held idle perfectly after I got the hose back on.

Original plan was to take this one as parts for the red Vento but it is actually in overall better condition than the red Vento. So slight change of plan. Father-in-law is going to take this one because he prefers the white and it has a towball. The red Vento is going to passed to Daughter No. 1 (she has been carless for the last 9 months after Son No. 2 blew up her car after blowing up his own). So now need to find time and money to fix the red Vento, its needs a new aircon compressor as the bearing has died, it is making a terrible rattle and is threatening to launch itself out of the vehicle, to fix the power steering rack that is leaking again and seal up the leaking back window plus the aerial mount on the back of the roof.

[beale187]

I prefer Jack Daniels

Wow I'm looking at those images again it really does look like it's been well kept, got some more pics?

btw, am I right in reading that no.2 son blew up 2 cars? haha sounds like you need a new son, not a new car.

Glad it worked out for you mate

[feenix74]

JD it is.

I have not had time to take a really good look at the Vento yet. I drove it over to my in-law's place, threw a car cover on it on the Friday and have not had the chance to look at it since. However, first impression was that the car was well looked after by an original owner then subsequently passed onto or sold to a young adult who has actually maintained it reasonably well. Interior was in good nick, engine bay is well presented (other than the intake hose being off), the battery looked almost new. Wife is not working this weekend so I will get a chance to have a go at fixing the door this weekend. Just need to fix the hazard lights switch (replace ordered from ebay and on its way from the UK) after which it should be ready for a roadworthy inspection.

Yes, Son No. 2 managed to blow up two cars in two days. First his own Golf Mk4 GTI, blew an engine oil seal after he got his dad's mate (I am his stepdad), who is a mechanic, to do a service on it, I assume that his dad's mate is not a VW specialist mechanic and put the wrong oil into it. The next day he borrowed Daughter No. 1's car to take his gf to the airport, did not notice the warning light on the dash after one of the ancillary belts broke, drove it for extend period without an operating water pump. Daughter No. 1 jumped in the car later in the day noticed the warning light, queried Son No. 2 about it, he reassured her that there was nothing wrong with her car, she drove it and then rang me when the engine head was cooked.

I have tried to trade him in for a new one but my wife indicates that with the mileage on him that the dealers will not accept it as a warranty claim