So...I posted this in the VW/Audi section, but seeing as how it seems to get about 1 post per day, I assume 95% of the people on here don't even go in there.

Anyhow, I'll be looking at a '93 VW Fox probably Monday or Tuesday. A friend's mom bought it for her daughter to drive, but she never really learned to because it's a stick. They owned it a few months, with it sitting. As I understand, they then gave it to a relative, or friend, dunno which, who fixed it up (radiator and engine flush, not sure what else) and it supposedly is running fine.

Cost to me: $500. Considering the year, I think it's gotta be a decent deal. I mean, I paid $450 for the wagon, it lasted several months, and was satisfied with the service I got out of it. Even after putting $100 in exhaust work, which I expected.

It's a manual, as appearantly, all Foxes were. It is "hard to steer" but there's no power steering because...all foxes were manual steering. I'm FINE with that, because that leaves one less thing to leak, or break.

So, has anyone had any experience, good or bad, with this 1.8L VW engine? Or the Fox, or similar year VW/Audi? Anything to add about repair issues, difficulty finding parts, repair shops if needed, room to work in the engine, odd looks from mechanics, or just plain flat-out refusal to work on, like I got with my Prelude and the ingenious dual-carbs?

I've been considering another '88 MX-6 GT, due to the fact that I have one apart in my garage, and god willing, I'll have it back together in a month or so I should have a good idea what to expect from one and know my way around the engine bay a bit better than any other car. But this VW is 5 years newer, although unfamiliar. But realistically speaking, I don't know THAT much about the mx-6 either.

EDIT: Oh, and if anyone HAS seen it, WTF is up with having a CLOCK instead of a TACH? You know the first thing I'd need is a tach, as I am relying on that to teach my GF to drive a stick. Instead, I'll have to teach her by engine sound...ugh.

My original plan is to use GT3 to teach her WHEN to shift, then in the car, how to properly use the clutch. She keeps asking about MPH and shifting, and I just point to the tach and say "That's what you watch, speed doesn't matter!" Doesn't help that I learned on a car with a broken speedometer but working tach

 

the VW 1.8 engines are great..normaly VW's in general are very reliable even more so with a stick vs an auto... i have bought a few 'beaters" for not alot of money...the way i look at "cheap cars" is i fugure about $200 worth of use value per month (notincluding rutine mantainance), so in short, if i pay $500 for a car, and drive it 3 months.. i got more than my moneys worth from it..hopethat helps..goodluck

 

Thanks...reading around I'm not finding much helpful info on likely problems, as I have been able to find, for example, with my MX-6.

My biggest concern I guess is going to be part prices, which if I can avoid the dealership, I assume I should be ok.

 

hey.. if you dont end up buying it.. or whatever.. i am interested. please let me know.

 

gabe, that's probably the best testimonial yet (:

I found a website by one person that has modification info...mainly I like the fact that another dash can be mounted with a tachometer!

He makes it sound like it's the last year of the "simple" designs. Easier to work on, etc. Of course I look at it and see a spaghetti mess of wiring, vacuum lines, etc.

 

 

It's a good comment that if I don't want it, you'd be interested. It's what I'd say if I heard someone was getting a good deal on a MX-6 GT, but wasn't sure of buying it, because most likely, I'd want it.

 

hey check this out.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeroforum?id=71 fox technical forum