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Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:08 pm

Ahhh, I have relocated to the more comfortable midwest and have been away from the forum for a while, it looks like I missed alot of good stuff (Koni shocks..Doh!). I had originally planned to drive sweetpea from AZ to Mich but she ended up being a trailer queen, probably better in the long run. I can't wait for my first midwest VW outing (ypsilanti) in a couple weeks. Anywho... my wife's sister has a Fox that needs some work and has asked if I could lend a hand but before I do I want to try and figure out if it is worth it. You don't see many Foxes on the road and I am wondering if there is a specific reason for that, like bad design somewhere in the car. I am also curious about the gas mileage in those. I know this is out of the baywindow realm but ya ask whos ya trust and you guys are it. I know it is a very vague question with little info but if any of you could relate any experiences you may have with Foxes it would be appreciated.
Also I would like to know if there are any bay window Samba members around the Jackson-Ann Arbor area?
Thanks~Corey
Go Blue!
Go Blue!

Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:32 pm

as far as foxes,.you might try posting the fox part of your question here
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewforum.php?f=11

Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:44 pm

Lots of problems, engine, trans, body flex,emissions in Ca. other that thatit's still a v.w.

Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:06 pm

Yup, Foxes = problems. Of Foxes, I know the most important thing - I know better than to...

She'd be much better off in an old Golf or (dare I say it?) an old Rabbit. Junkyards around here just crushed Foxes when they got them in, they weren't even worth keeping around for parts.

Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:09 pm

Why can't I get Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd out of my mind?

"Here come the foxes!!!"

Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:45 pm

We had a four door for a while. It had all sorts of different problems, leaks, cheap parts breaking (like the door handles in the cold!), terribly uncomfortable seats on longer drives. I wouldn't get another that's for sure, but it did get decent mileage when it ran.

Jeremy

Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:00 pm

I had a fox wagon for awhile.

I thought it was ok. Simple, no frills. Just a detuned golf motor so I can't see why it would be any more problematic than any other watercooled vw.

Mileage was decent. Wiring wasn't great. It like to die after splashing through puddles.

Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:10 am

Fox is a good example of Brazilian junk, cheap disposable car. Seems like I saw a couple of them that had two bad fuel pumps at the same time.
I'd recommend a diesel Jetta or diesel pickup if you can find one. These cars deliver 50 miles per gallon and are very reliable as well.

Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:36 am

Had a brand new '88 Fox. :?

The "good":
1- Ran great @ 80mph. :)

The "bad":
1- Weak as crap. :x
2- Plastic parts would fall off for no reason. :x
3- Suspension would bottom out at the slightest bump. :x
4- Very uncomfortable. :x
5- Noisy. :x
6- Dealer's lousy service didn't help at all. :x
7- Acquisition was major "downer" having traded an '85 Toyota truck for it. :x
8- Weak as crap. :x

The "BEST":
1- Trading UP for a Toyota Previa! :P

Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:41 am

I had a 93 wolfsburg. I bought it with 125k on it for cheap. The cool thing was that it was a front wheel drive in-line four. Also, they were never available as automatics. BUT
that car would bounce on the highway, it was scary how light the rear end felt cornering. I liked the look of the car but in four months;
needed rear wheel bearings
speedo cable broke
dash cluster lights stopped working
door handles were already broken on two doors
-took it to the store one day, came back out and tried to fire it up, didn't start. $500 later it started after about having to rewire the whole front. then about 2 weeks later, the clutch assembly disintegrated. Never investigated. Junked it.
The moral is, poor design, poor construction. Sort of Yugoish.

Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:14 am

Stay away from the VW Fox!

I've owned an '83 GTI which was my first car in '93, a great dependable VW that is still around and currently for sale: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2576000

Also had '85 Scirocco with well over 200k miles at time and still had plenty of life to spare. A very solid, comfortable, and virtually indestructable car!

Had '81 Diesel pick-up that i used throughout college and saved me mucho $ with 45 mpg. Although these trucks sorta suck for long rides due to the fact that there is no way to recline the seats very far.

My '88 Fox wagon didn't even feel like a VW at all. Very chincy plastic interior parts and switches, seats that feel like the Jeep liberty's that i've driven that make your ass hurt after 10 minutes of driving. And handling characteristics that make the car unsafe on highway.

VW in fact DID make very exceptional automobiles in the '80's, but the Fox was a Brazilan nitemare that should be avoided and if possible- crushed!

Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:21 am

Fox means crap in Portuguese.

Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:31 am

a bunch of those early 80's seats were really uncomfortable. I had a diesel rabbit and a subaru gl, and when I had to move 1000 miles, I took the subaru. It was so much more cush

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:00 am

Thanks for the responses, you have made my decision easy. I kinda had a feeling that it probably wasn't a good move.
Thanks again ~ Corey

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:23 am

Corey,

Welcome to the Ann Arbor area. There are lots of VW folks in this area, and the show in Ypsi is a good way to meet a lot of them. It's by far the biggest/best show in Michigan, although I'm sure our west coast brothers and sisters would laugh if ever got a chance to see it.

The Bug Out in Milan, just south of Ann Arbor, is another big show in these parts... usually toward the end of July. If you're interesting in "dragging" your bus, that's the show to go to. ha.

Hope to meet you at the ypsi show, if not before.

Gordon
'79 Westy
Plymouth, MI

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:23 am

Volkswagen richly deserves the punishment due for turning out abysmal crap. I will never ever buy a new Volkswagen or any Volkswagen built after 1990 ever again. When I sold my VW bus accidentally for a few months it was with tears. When I traded in my Passat, it was only with relief.
Colin

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:26 am

I had an '88 with 30k miles on it. My first "new" car, and a VW! Boy was I excited!
It ran great for about a year, then it slowly started to self destruct. Weird stuff too, electronic weirdness that could not be isolated. Eventually, the only way to keep an idle was to disconnect the oxygen sensor.
That was my first (and last) taste of New VW. I'll never buy another car from those people, unless they go back to building art. Unlikely.

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:43 am

I bought an '87 Fox new the first month they were introduced. It was my first new, not used, car. The dealer didn't have any and had to trade for one on a lot 2 states away. I had that car for 4 years, put over 150K miles on it, not a bit of trouble except it would eat rear tires (cupping) if the tires were not rotated every 5K miles and was sometimes a bit hard to start when it was hot (extra few seconds of cranking). Nothing broke on it, no plastic parts fell off, etc.

I traded it for a new Saturn in 1991.

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:53 am

weird, my tires did that too, what the hell??? I also broke 2 door handes, forgot about that....
And I'm very careful with my cars!

Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:56 am

hambone wrote: weird, my tires did that too, what the hell??? I also broke 2 door handes, forgot about that....
And I'm very careful with my cars!

Nothing pisses me off more than handles that fall apart. It is an insult right in your hand. My girlfriend's old FORD Tempo shed door handles.
Colin
(p.s. torsion beam rear axles must have well-balanced tires)