GCG - german car general

VW Jetta 2.5l inline 5, 5-speed

I really like the car, but anyone else notice how awful the visibility is with this car? The rearview mirror takes up like 40% of my view out of the windshield and I can't see shit if I turn my head and try to look out the tiny rear window.

I might be spoiled because all my previous cars were subcompacts and a Ford Ranger.

>what do you have
W124

>what do you want
E39 M5

>what are you working on
Trying to make the power windows, sunroof and AC on my W124 work as they should.

is the m70 that much better for upkeep than the m73?
damn i thought they were almost the same

SOON

>what do you have
1991 Mercedes 300 GE
>what do you want
A place to work on the car. I dont have acces to a lift and workin on it in the Garage is not allowed.
>what are you working on
Replacing all the lightbulbs in the switches of the dash

For a saloon, the visibility is average. It's much worse on the slanted ones such as the Merc CLS or the Passat CC

>if you own a BMW you probably don't
Does that mean my friends will disappear if I buy one?
I drive an Accord coupe and have been thinking about a BMW because muh precision german engineering and because I like the looks.
On one hand I'm sure a 3 series or 4 series GC is way easier to live with, especially if I ever got a family or had visitors or some shit, but I'm already used to driving coupes around and like how coupes look.

The M70 is a tiny bit simpler in some things, the E32 in general is. For example, the washer tank and motors are next to the engine, while on the E38 they're in the right wheel well behind the cover.

But in general the M73 and M70 are nearly identical.

Past the age of 25 you really start to feel the need of those 2 extra doors. Trust me, I've been there.
This is the age where it starts with all the social events where you are forced to attend (like all sorts of weddings, parties, baptizings, funerals and other shit like that) and maybe you'll get a gf (since you are on Veeky Forums probably not) and maybe you'll start hauling people along.

Can attest to this. Whenever my mates at work decide to go out drinking, they drag me along and every single time it ends up with me being the driver because "user has the comfiest car". Not much of a contest as the others have shitbox golfs and corollas.

How practical would an 80s car be for daily driving? From what I read the biggest problem is the high fuel consumption?

80's cars are renown for their unreliability. Huge difference in quality between the 80's and 90's.

I would not recommend it, especially if it's running carbies, you'd be spending more time keeping it running than actually driving it.

>transmission serviced for 2500 euros
an independant transmission service does full rebuilds/restorations for 900 euros and they even give it a 100.000km warranty, bless baltic state maintenance costs

> what have
Opel Corsa
> what want
OPC corsa
>implying it would need anything
lmao

It's funny that a lot of my co-workers have tried pushing me towards a coupe or sporty car because "this is the time of your life to have fun" and I'm still young compared to them, but the reality is that this part of life is when all the shit is going to start hitting the fan and you're going to have to get serious if you aren't already.

I did that shit with an indy. THe whole ordeal was 2.5k €

On to other things. Been thinking about a winter beater, there's an E34 520, M20B20 powered with a blown headgasket. I have a complete upper seal kit with head gasket, intake and exhaust gaskets and all that jazz at my parents place from my childhood days.
Should I cop that piece of shit for 400€ and hope that the head itself isn't warped? If I remember correctly, the M20 had aluminum heads, so cracked heads shouldn't be an issue.

So what would you recommend?

You dont need a coupe in order to have the time of your life. You can go just as fast in a 4 door saloon as in a coupe.

Anyways, bumping on my question from Is there any notable difference between the B6 Passat and the B7 Audi? I just know that the Audi is usually sturdier and has better crash resistance.
I want to replace it because I genuinely need more power.

As someone who DD a 300D for a year or so, don't. Parts are a bitch to get a hold of, things break down all the time and winter was a fucking nightmare.
Also rust, lot's and lots of rust.

the b6 passat and the mk5s have pretty underwhelming interiors desu
i'd go with the b7

Yea, I said that I will go for the B7 A4, with one of the higher power petrol engines (1.8T, 2.0 FSI or 2.0T).

Since I already own a B6 Passat, I just want to know if there are any significant mechanical differences between the B6 Passat and the B7 A4.

I know that the interior is pretty basic and bland, but I kinda like it. I care more about the performance and the comfort, I dont really need a TV in the dashboard.

i don't think they came with a 2.0 fsi,they all had tfsi except for the 1.8,anyway they're not really that fast if you're keeping it stock
like a 7ish second 0-100?
you'll definitely feel the difference between a b7 and your passat though
a quattro model won't have any real performance advantages until you start looking at bigger engines

Sumimasem, there is a 2.0 present, but its the 2.slow 130 bhp one, without the FSI.

So its either the 1.8 TFSI or the 2.0 TFSI. I wont be going for a quattro since its not worth it at 200 bhp and you really need a quattro in the snow for like 1 week per year.

So, are there notable mechnical differences between the B6 Passat and the B7 A4?

I do know the Passat quite well, and if they are similar then I can know what to fully expect on the maintainance side. I do know that the 2.0 TFSI is one oil-leaking boi.

Thanks senpai.

mechanically they shouldn't be too different,though i should add that i didn't get a chance to mess with most of the engine options on the b6
issues to expect:
loww oil pressure and everything associated with it or carbon buildup (1.8)
carbon buildup and oil consumption on cars with a bajillion miles (3.2 and 2.0)

So, in laymans terms, which parts should be changed? On the 1.8T more specifically? I know of the leaky issues of the 2.0 TFSI.

Could go for a 2.slow tho, heard those are made out of the same materials as the ISS.

Also, for my budget (around 6k euros with +/-) I could most realistically afford an 150-200k km model.
I do know the B6 like the back of my hand tho.

lower oil pressure generally just means that the engine will wear out faster than it should
pretty sure it happens when the oil strainer (i believe that's what it's called in english) is not doing it's job correctly,most likely from being bloked by something
it does the same job as the filter,keeping oil free from containment

Really want an RS6 or an S8.
>Convinced it will financially devastate me.

>what do you have

1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D

>What do you want

More vintage Mercedes-Benz...mostly 60s cabriolets and a 190SL

>what are you working on

About to rebuild and balance my injectors...then rebuild the AC

I DD a 83 240D...have for years. If you take care of the OM616/617 engines, they're super reliable...but...you have to take care of them.

My car starts right up in sub-zero weather...

Granted, every car is different. If that's your engine bay in the pic, the car has been neglected...

Thank you based user. I suppose I shall just take it to the service shop every 6 months for a preventive check-up. I really want to buy an B7 even if I have a B8 money because I want to be able to properly afford maintainance on it.

That was mine. THe thing was an old taxi with 1.7 million on the clock. Granted the previous owner was an 18 year old kid that knew how to maintain a car but didn't care nor could afford to.

Changed the oils for something that doesn't gunk up at -30c and that thing started working like a dream. A bad dream, a nightmare. Got a new feed pump though and everything was fine again, but then the transmission threw a fit, lost 2nd and 4th gear syncros I believe, they wouldn't stay in.

It was a fun car despite being slow as fuck and extremely underpowered. You weren't in a hurry with that thing. I never really liked mercs, more of a BMW guy and I never liked diesels, but a will W123 300D always has a spot in my garage or yard lest I find a proper one. Dunno why I liked that thing so much despite it being so shit in every single regard.

Audi A6 C5
will be changing both outer CV boots
EXOVCDS recommends swapping the joints to get more life out of them

>the question
the joint, the thing being swapped is the balls/cage/outer assembly
the thing in the picture in the corner, right?
why does it doubles lifetime, its bearing, it rotates all around inside.

this is the video, the swaping is mentioned at around 05:40
youtu.be/UAOF5oQnIFE

nobody actually replaces the boot and bearing, except the idiot in the video.

just buy a new halfshaft and install. it's cheaper, easier and much faster.

>Have
124 300CE 1990
>Want
06 E55 AMG or R129 SL500/600
>Working on
Got a set of Borbet Type A on order for the CE, it also needs tires, new wheel bearings, and some electrical work I need to push through. Also working on replacing the driver door as its covered in rust and I have a "better" replacement one. Need to change the pinstripe to match though.
Also working on saving up to move out of my parents house so I have SPACE for the E55 and on my CCNA so I have MONEY for it lol argh.
A turbo and engine rebuild is on my long term list for the CE as well.

I'm about to go look at an '01 330ci, anything I should know beforehand? Has 207000 miles on it. Kinda high but I'm willing to take a chance.

Anyone here know how much it cost a zf gearbox switch selector ? Got trans fail when i moved selector from reverse to park and limping, but fix itself when restarting.

>have
E39 M5
>want
place to store it (for free preferably) and a small bike
>working on
money

This. You already have to take off the old one. Might as well just put a new one back on.

Hey lol guess I oughtta read the thread before posting.
here.

I have a CE similar to your pic. heres some pros and cons in reference to daily driving one
Pros:
The can go a fuckload of miles. I bought mine with 295K on it and it is in better mechanical shape at 325K
Comfy as fuck in winter
Good looking
Plenty of power in the M104
Cheap to get ahold of, or they were in 2013...
Reliable as hell if you take care of them. Mine was not taken care of in the best way, definitely not a creampuff.
Feel like a million fucking dollars even driving a clapped out 90's one you paid 2400 bucks for.
Cons:
Rust. Thats my biggest regret on this car is not finding one without rust. It's still the first car I've every bought and it's my baby, and the rust isnt as bad as some but these cars do rust. Somewhere between an average car and an 80's toyota I'd say.
Winter you NEED snow tires.
Parts, a lot of mine I had to order online. Luckily theres plenty of fandom around the 124 chassis so I could get ahold of anything I needed but I had to ORDER almost everything, not much you can just walk to AutoZone and get.
Gas mileage is eh. Think Ford Crown Vic but they take Premium.
Oil changes on mine are about 8qt for a 3.0L engine which means I always end up buying 2 5qt jugs and having some left over.
You may have electrical gremlins. It's amazing how many systems they have that need attention.
You MUST keep on top of basic maintenance. Pads and rotors wear at the same rate and are replaced at the same time every time.

In short: I highly recommend them and they're literally the perfect car. If you asked me to design the ideal daily driver, I would come up with something very similar to a pre-facelift 300TE.

I will be doing with a guy who knows quite a lot about cars and I wanted to get some preparation info to not be clueless what we will be doing

the price for replcement boots is like 15€ for one, so I am not sure how halfshaft would be cheaper

also from some mumbling he had on the issue and importance of fixing the boots sooner than later, its not only the cost of the new shaft, but getting a good one

the gist I got from it is that replcament would likely not be at the quality level of OEM part its replacing.

good luck
i'd recommend also checking up with an audi/vw specialist anyway because in the end he'd know more than me

>have
03 540i
>working on
was doing the timing chain guides, but turns out something happened and it bent two exhaust valves on cylinder 3 SUPER lightly which dropped compression to zero.
so i've pulled the head and i have a guy at a shop who will do some valve replacement for me.
god damnit

>want
desu i want a 996 911 at some point to replace my miata

Platform-wise the B6 Passat and B7 A4 are completely different cars, although if you just want the B7 A4 interior you could just get a B6 A4 as the B7 is literally a B6 with new bodywork and some new engine options.

retard here, does the straight line on those 2 valves indicate that they are bent?

But an B6 A4 would be a downgrade for me, coming from a B6 Passat. Thats why I want a B7/B8 A4 (though most likely B7)

Older, sure, but mechanically identical to the B7 and available with the 1.8T 20V.

>Distributor caps 250€/pc
ecstuning.com/BMW-E38-750iL-M73_5.4l/Engine/Ignition/2
Not really though

>what do you have
Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI W203 Avantgarde Sport -04
>what do you want
Mercedes-Benz E 420 CDI W211 Avantgarde Sport or Mercedes-Benz G 300/250 GD SWB
>what are you working on
Nothing, the car is fine. Looking for a new handlebar for my motorcycle(too much backsweep on the current one).

A first gen S8 won't ruin you.
They're pretty neat cars. Not the most bulletproof of auto transmissions but that's why you have to get the 6 speed :^)

if you look at the bottom two valves, you'll notice one of them is making a slight "crescent shape" with its gap, moreso than can be explained by perspective.

for reference, look at the bottom valve among the four valves to the left, it's seal is much more even

usually when valves bend its far more dramatic than this, but even a little bend makes a cylinder not fire at all

here's the piston dome of that same cylinder, note there's basically no sign of damage do the dome, usually when valves kiss pistons there's some nice gashes but here there's....nothing

In the UK so fairly sure I can get the manual 6-speed.
Any idea if the 2nd gen (D3) were even remotely reliable?

whats your opinion on the m104 engine? Im considering buying a 190e with a m104 swap 3.0 24v.
I heard they can take a lot of boost since iron block and shit.
What other engines are good for boosting?

Not half as good as the D2. The ol faithful 4.2 is a pretty good engine, especially after the 5V update - the tools for doing the cambelt are different and much more available for the latter, too. And if you can find a 6 speed there is really not much that can go wrong. No air suspension either.
It's a shame the manuals are so damn rare...

Non facelift D3 is a shit. Facelift D3 is pretty reliable, but still a shit compared to the D2. Everybody in my country bought the 3.0 TDI and the odd 3.7 petrol and 4.2 petrol/diesel. The 3.0 TDI is pretty sturdy and far better documented than any other engine.

Same principle applies to the E65 7 Series, pre-facelift a shit, facelift pretty reliable.

Also, watch out for the air suspension. This is why the used Range Rover, A8, 7 series and S Class are so cheap.

>post facelift e65 is reliable
man i hope so
kinda want to eventually get a last model year e63 6 series since they share a lot, specifically get one in manual coupe if they exist

>what I have
1987 Volkswagen vanagon

>What I want
To get all the body dents fixed so I can finally primer the whole thing.

>What I'm working on
Getting all the damn air out of the brake system , I just put a new power brake booster ,master cylinder, and clutch master cylinder. But now the system has air in it and you have to pump the brakes before you get any response.

nevermind, looks like past 08, you could only get manual with a convertible top, fuck

>could only get manual with a convertible top
The hell, BMW? What kind of logic is this?

nu bmw logic

>what do you have
nothing
>what do you want
>what are you working on
nothing

Did include rotors and plug wires too, which made it 250 a piece, which isn't all that bad really as the wires themselves can run about that much

>what do you have
BMW E70 X5 and E28 520i with an M50B25/Getrag260
>what do you want
To rebuild the M535i rear subframe i have lying around with fresh rubber and brakes and stick in the 3.64 viscous LSD i have from an E30 325iX
>what are you working on
Just replaced the front bumper. The old one was rusted and bent to shit. The "new" one is...slightly better.

>what do you have
VW MkIII Golf GTI 2.0 8v
>what do you want
VW MkIII Golf GTI 2.9 VR6 Syncro
BMW E92 M3
>what are you working on
Trying to fix my ABS controller
Fixing up the interior
Trying to find replacement parts for the sliding roof I broke last week.

Went all the way out there and it was sold. It looks fucking good though.

Be ready to replace half the supension/linkage and large parts of the drivetrain if you want it drive well. Also check for rust.

oh wait, i didn't fully understand your question about lines, but yes there's an imprint of the little cutouts on the piston dome on the actual valves, good eye.

It was someone else who bought it not me. Hopefully it blows up now.

snow
snow is that cars problem
trust me

>tfw there's this one bum ass fuckwit with an old E32 750iL on his yard
>Beautiful dark purple paintjob with bulletproof glass, rear airconditioning and everything
>Shit's probably an old Highline to boot
>Fuckwit doesn't want to sell it to me, always gives me the "I'll fix it for next _____"
>He never fixed the thing
>He's using the marvel of German engineering as a junk storage
>Last I saw it, the windshield was missing and snow was piling up inside it
If you have no fucking intention of fixing up a piece of mechanical art like that, just fucking sell it to someone who can appreciate it. Some people have no fucking respect and should be hanged for this kind of sacrilege.

A4 B5 1.8
Hyundai iONIQ
Nothing, it runs well

...

>what have
2012 A4
>what I want
either 2005 E55 AMG or 1995 E31
>what am I working on
nothing

more reliable than my fathers toyota and cheaper too

>what have
E60
>what I want
Panamera new model
>what am I working on
bitcoin

>snow is that cars problem
>Comfy as fuck in winter

So what is it?

>Parts

Is it a lot better if you live in Germany?

>you will never own pic related and be a true seljak

200D > 240D for maximum seljakluk

>tfw no villain barge

it doesn't snow in germany

This is like one of the few Audis I could ever think of owning, but FWD and unreliability kills it for me.

All the ones with the good engines have mechanical AWD and the 4.2 V8 is pretty bulletproof, the auto transmission is the drivetrain's weak spot and tends to fail around 150k miles. If you can find a 6-speed manual, those boxes are near indestructible and you'll "only" have a bunch of electronics to worry about.

Still, as the unhappy owner of an E38 750, I think this thing is extremely ill suited as a second/winter car. Been eyeballing the other Audi that has my approval, the old Coupe with the 2.8 litre V8 and quattro.
Any input on those? Heard that the passenger side head tends to fail for reasons unknown and timing chain problems are present.

B2 or B3/B4 Coupe? I know the B3/B4 is fully galvanized so it'd be ideal winter beater material. Check the trunk wiring harness for wear and scraped isolation.

I'm also pretty sure almost all the old ones used a timing belt, not a chain, and you have to unbolt the front clip to get to it.

>scraped isolation
insulation*

B2 would be baller as fuck, poor mans Sport Quattro as I call them, but B4 preferably for the aforementioned reasons. That and I hate the B3 platform and I don't think the B3 came with anything larger than the 2.3 litre engine which are a bitch inmy opinion. Have had nothing but problems and trouble with the 2.3

The changes from B3 to B4 on the Coupe were all cosmetic afaik, unlike the 80 sedan and wagon where they actually improved the suspension.

>side of the road general

2.6 and 2.8 V6 engines

Sorry, we're discussing German, not Ford

¿Por que no los dos?

The old 12V V6 is pretty solid, as far as I know. Keep up with timing belt and oil changes and it shouldn't need much more, besides the occasional 20-something year old sensor going out.

German, not American. Well German and bong, but still not American.