Bangernomics
How to bring back a great big German diesel for beer money
More of the PC team’s cost-effective motoring exploits, as Danny turns a Passat into a drop-top Saab.
The world’s current obsession with getting rid of diesels has a pay-off for those of us who enjoy cost free motoring. There are currently a large number of low price modern classics out there waiting to serve. The Passat is one such example. Having sold my winter hack, an Audi A6 Quattro Avant 2.5 TDI V6, for just under what it owed me after 10,000 trouble-free miles, I needed an estate to serve as the family tank. The Passat turned up at the perfect moment on the driveway of Vintage Tyres boss, Ben Field’s father in law, Dave Swift.
It hadn’t turned a wheel in six months, needed a new battery and some service items, along with a massive tune and a tidy up. I got in quickly and set to work recommissioning. It took a day to get it ready for an MOT, which it passed without advisory.
I will need to check out the cambelt on the 1.9-litre diesel four-pot, as tensioners have a habit of seizing, but at 180,000 miles the car feels tight and fresh and is a joy to drive. It feels light and quick, partly due to the Michelin Crossclimate tyres (supplied by Vintage Tyres), but also due to the fact Dave had looked after the car diligently. Once again, high mileage doesn’t mean low quality – with a car with good history, the opposite can be true.
Best of all though, is that engine – a 1.9 litre R4 8v lump. In 110bhp trim it pulls from low down, and makes this estate behave like a car half its size, plus I am averaging over 50mpg without really trying. Yet again, it proves that if you can waggle a spanner, the world is your highway. More than 3000 miles in, the car hasn’t missed a beat – you can’t not respect it.
I’ve given it a treat, too. During one of my visits to PALE Classics to play with the Jensen, Paul gave the VW a Terraclean. This is basically an internal cleaner that is sent through the engine as it runs. I’m not fan of ‘snake oil’ but, after being ‘terrarized’ the VW feels more responsive and has returned an average of 3mpg over what I was calculating before. I’m not recommending it because I am no scientist, but it does feel like it’s had an effect.