The “donor “ car

[formariz 11,987]

In the search of parts to restore my 2000 Volkswagen Golf mentioned in my other post, my youngest son who is a mechanic, came across an add on Facebook Market place of someone parting out a suitable donor car . It was a 2002 and stated that it had something like 600,000. Miles and it did not run. We were responsible for removing all the parts we needed. We made a list and called guy up. We agreed on about $700.00 for quite a bit of stuff. We go to the guys house one weekend ready to take things apart. We get there and car is all there but computer, dash, cluster are all removed. There are wires all over the place. Back seat is out to get access to fuel pump and wires there were obviously fooled with. In engine compartment wires were also disturbed all over the place . Aside from all of that car is actually impeccable for a 2002 model. We ask the guy what was the story with it. He said that all of a sudden car would start run for a few seconds and shutoff. He had it in several shops and no one could figure it out so he was tired of spending money with it. He had it towed back to the house and just wanted nothing else to do with it. Kid is now looking at me with a strange look . He asks him if he has the keys for it. Sure he says, and gets the key . Kid looks at me again. I am going like , whattt?.

 Asks the guy how much for the whole car. The guy looks up surprised thinks for a minute and goes,” I have 1200 dollars spent on trying to get this thing running, I just want that and see it gone “. We were already up to $700 and could use a few more things since that one was in such good shape so I thought why not. Kid pulls me aside and says we are going to put it back together. I look at him and ask him if he is nuts. No, he said, I know what is wrong with car. It’s the immobilizer. That is a new key and it’s not programable to that car. Car is not recognizing key that is why it starts and shuts down right away. I ask him how is it possible no one figured that out. He just shrugs his shoulders and tells me to trust him. Now I ask him if he can put that mess back together. Now he just smiles and tells me again to trust him.

  So we buy the car. Get it towed to the house. Next Saturday he puts the whole thing back together. Took like 10 hours it was a real mess of wires. It was already dark , he puts key in cranks it . It starts and shuts off like guy said. Kid gets out smiling says that’s it for today . Monday we order a key from the dealer . We get the key a couple days later he brings some lap top from work, plugs it in, 30 minutes later car is working. 
 It’s been a daily driver since that day . Guy had also made a mistake on the mileage. It wasn’t 600,000 . It was 60,000! Worked out a few gremlins caused by all the fooling with the wiring and it’s a great reliable car. Did a search on the car’s history and I am the third owner, mileage is correct at 60,000, no accidents and to cap it off service records until about 7 months before we bought it. Not too shabby for a donor car. 

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by formariz

[squonk 41,118]

Great Cas! Bright boy. It's a common theme I ran into. No one wants to take the time to do a little research so they end up spending money or wasting time (or someone else's time and money) I don't know how many times I would get called on a job for something not working, Hit a button or plug something in and all is well. Everybody is in too much of a hurry to give up on something. Which is strange because the way folks have their heads buried into their phones, the answer is actually in the palm of their hands.

[formariz 11,987]

10 minutes ago, squonk said:

Great Cas! Bright boy. It's a common theme I ran into. No one wants to take the time to do a little research so they end up spending money or wasting time (or someone else's time and money) I don't know how many times I would get called on a job for something not working, Hit a button or plug something in and all is well. Everybody is in too much of a hurry to give up on something. Which is strange because the way folks have their heads buried into their phones, the answer is actually in the palm of their hands.

 

They had made a real mess of the car. Kid just about fabricated a new engine harness for it. There were so many wires cut or stripped from trying to diagnose it that to me it looked hopeless. In the process of diagnosing it they also threw at it all kinds of parts like new crank sensor, fuel pump relay, ecu relay , comfort module, and many others. We now have spares for both cars since the replaced parts were all in the car and they are all good. Kid says that there are over $1000.00 in extra parts alone. 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,562]

 

Smart kid...

Smart dad...

[formariz 11,987]

10 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Smart kid...

Smart dad...

The kid was smart. I was worried and terrified. The hardest part of this whole adventure was keeping the little woman here calm. She was already not happy that I had a rusty car here. Now one shows up on top of a tow truck literally in pieces . We just about had to run for our lives. It was not easy "containing" her. That tow truck driver was really glad to get out of here. I was not really convinced that kid was going to get it back together much less having it come out of here in its own power that is how hopeless it looked. The whole week until the next Saturday I had the same question thrown at me at least ten times  per day, " when is that thing leaving here?". That Saturday night when she saw it back together and heard it start, finally we got some peace here. Then incredibly once key was programed and car was running and cleaned ( it was  total filth before from everyone taking it apart and throwing parts in it) to our surprise she goes," Oh, this one is automatic! I can drive this one.I just closed my eyes and whispered "thank you Lord".

[8ntruck 7,005]

Great find on that car.

 

I found a 1960 MGA some time ago that had an Olds 215 swap in it.  Add said it was a roller and in pieces.  Since it was not too far away, I went to see it and bought it.  A friend of mine went with me to pick it up.  Flat towed it behind his truck, with the bed full of parts. 

 

My wife got home just as we had put the car in the garage, and emptied the parts out of the truck onto the lawn.  My wife was looking concerned over the amount of parts in the lawn. About then, my friend looks at me and says "let's go back for the next load".  We both about fell over laughing when my wife started spittering.

Edited January 23, 2023 by 8ntruck

[Handy Don 12,232]

21 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

We both about fell over laughing when my wife started spittering

Ya really gotta know your audience to risk comments like that

[8ntruck 7,005]

5 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Ya really gotta know your audience to risk comments like that

Dang spell check!

 

Sputtering, people, I meant sputtering!

[953 nut 55,243]

Had my wife's car to several Ford dealership for an intermittent AC problem. It was under warrantee so the dealership seemed like the place to go.  All of them connected it to the computer and found no problem but when test driving it they all experienced the problem though they were clueless how to fix it.

A few weeks later I had an alignment done at the local Good Year store where we have oil changes done, I tell the MECHANIC about it and he pulls the vacuum check valve and finds it is defective. The next morning I went to the shop and he put in the new check valve, problem solved. Too many people work at dealerships and couldn't find their way home without a computer much less repair a vehicle. 

 

[Handy Don 12,232]

4 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Too many people work at dealerships and couldn't find their way home without a computer

Or wind up in Oshkosh when they live near Houston. Too often I saw computer users put garbage in yet treat the output as gospel.

 

17 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Ya really gotta know your audience to risk comments like that

13 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Dang spell check!

Sputtering, people, I meant sputtering!

I was referring to the “going back for another load” when you were already on thin ice! 

[bc.gold 3,403]

Recently purchased a rust free 03 Jetta TDI with the famous ALH diesel engine, cheap on fuel and fun to drive.

[Handy Don 12,232]

17 hours ago, bc.gold said:

Recently purchased a rust free 03 Jetta TDI with the famous ALH diesel engine, cheap on fuel and fun to drive.

Those Jettas and Passats have all but disappeared in the US.

The repurchase prices that VW had to offer after the lawsuit were just too attractive to ignore, especially as diesel's price had already started to align with its BTU content without subsidies.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

More power to you with those VW's. We had a 2000 Jetta VR6.  Fast fun car for the wife.  By far though the worst car we ever owned. It spent more time in the garage than any other vehicle we owned.  It was constantly having check engine light on,  or EPC light issues.  Local garages wouldn't touch it.  Slave to the dealership with stupid expensive parts.  Drove really nice, looked good, but never again with a VW product 

[bc.gold 3,403]

8 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Those Jettas and Passats have all but disappeared in the US.

The repurchase prices that VW had to offer after the lawsuit were just too attractive to ignore, especially as diesel's price had already started to align with its BTU content without subsidies.

My neighbour was not in tune with current prices, the Jettas and Passats of this vintage with asking prices starting at 5K to 8k all with high mileage, my Jetta has the fuel door and trunk release issues that need fixing.

 

Thought about converting the diesel to run ob veggie oil, have since reconsidered and will keep it on a diesel diet. Too much water in the restaurant oil.

[bc.gold 3,403]

8 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Those Jettas and Passats have all but disappeared in the US.

The repurchase prices that VW had to offer after the lawsuit were just too attractive to ignore, especially as diesel's price had already started to align with its BTU content without subsidies.

Hundred dollars gets me a vanity plate, DeGate

[bc.gold 3,403]

Once purchased a International R160 without an engine, used a scrap yard 350 for the template to fabricate engine mounts etc., ran that engine for 2.5 years.

 

Painted the truck Emerald Green with pearl, propane fuel, tilt deck with hydraulic winch operational in any deck position, nice live roll at the rear of the deck. Biggest problem was figuring out the clutch linkage. GM linkage pushes against the throw out, International pulls from the rear.

 

To run the hydraulics I used a pump from a fishing boat that had an electric clutch all of the spool valves were 12 volt operated from umbilical cord similar to those uses on electric winches.

Edited January 26, 2023 by bc.gold

[Handy Don 12,232]

10 minutes ago, bc.gold said:

spool valves were 12 volt operated from umbilical cord

Clever as long as no feathering finesse is needed.

Our family of eight had three or four International Travelalls from the late 60’s into the early 70’s. Precursors of the Chevy Suburban. The earliest ones were based on the R160 chassis and panel truck body. No amenties or niceties whatsoever. Just a truck with extra seats, doors, and windows! The last one did have power steering and air conditioning, though!

[bc.gold 3,403]

8 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Clever as long as no feathering finesse is needed.

Our family of eight had three or four International Travelalls from the late 60’s into the early 70’s. Precursors of the Chevy Suburban. The earliest ones were based on the R160 chassis and panel truck body. No amenties or niceties whatsoever. Just a truck with extra seats, doors, and windows! The last one did have power steering and air conditioning, though!

 

One International 3 ton flat deck with folding crane, sometimes making a sharp turn a loud snap that could be felt inside the cab, Asked John about it, told me it was the Detroit Locker making the sound and was nothing to worry about.

 

Truck did have awesome traction.

 

The International trucks maybe ugly, what they lack in looks is made up in reliability and payload.

[Handy Don 12,232]

33 minutes ago, bc.gold said:

The International trucks maybe WERE ugly, what they lack in looks is made up in reliability and payload.

  

Edited January 26, 2023 by Handy Don

[bc.gold 3,403]

The Volkswagen air cooled engine found its way into many industrial uses as well pleasure aircraft, air boats, dune buggies along with a host of other applications. A complete overhaul consisted of gaskets, bearings, pistons, rings  and new jugs which could be ordered from Sears for under a couple hundred bucks.