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Sat Jun 07, 2008 5:37 pm

To Whom it Concerns.

I have some questions reguarding a 1989 VW Cabriolet.

1. I took the car to a body shop recently. I was inquiring about a paint job and a misaligned door. I also pointed out that the rocker panels (plastic trim pieces were not installed properly or just dont look right. he stated that the car is a unibody and that it is sinking because there is no solid top (my car is a convertible) He said it will continue to sink untill the underside is cracked and wont pass inspection. he told me he has to lift the car off the frame and reinforce it. this process will cost about 4500.00 he also said that is why the door is misaligned. has anyone heard of this.

2. I bought this car with TMU the odometer stopped at 137895 i got the oil changed with 20/50 which is what VW says to do. this was about two weeks ago. yesterday the car passed va state inspection. i was informed about a small oil leak at the valve cover gasket but not a major leak. however later that day after checking the oil i determined that i was 2 quarts low. I am not getting a big cloud of smoke when i start. some comes out but not alot and not for but a few seconds. I believe the car to be burning oil. burning that fast concerns me. my options are to sell this car or to try and save it. I found a website where i can buy a 1.8 motor rebuild for about 2500.00 or a diesal motor for 1600.00 . is it possible to convert to deisal would it be worth it?

any help anyone can give me i would appreciate.

757-645-5349

thanks

Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:02 pm

That guy at the shop was giving you a sack of bull crap. The doors sag because the car is 19 years old. The doors on my 92 cabriolet do that to. Just put a washer in between the hinges on the bottom part of the hinge and it will raise the rear of the door up to match the molding of the car. The flares on the fenders are just probably installed wrong. thats an easy fix. Dont bother buying a 2500.00 engine rebuild. Just find a used one or buy all the parts single handedly. The rebuild could be done for around a thousand bucks if you keep looking for new parts.

Tue Jun 10, 2008 8:48 am

If your body shop said "unibody" and "frame" in the same sentence, start looking for another shop. The guy obviously doesn't know what he's talking about. Find another shop you feel comfortable with - referrals from fleet cars - police departments, municipal fleets, that sort of thing - would be safe bets. Get the car on a lift and see if there was any accident damage you weren't aware of. Fixes on the Cabby's sub-frame reinforcement bars will be easy to spot, and may be the cause of the door sag. It's also possible that the hinges themselves are worn. If you can take the door and rock it up and down without the frame itself obviously moving, then replace the hinges. As for the interior panels...my panels on my '85 Cabby behind the seats never looked quite "right" because they snap into place over some bolt heads. A photo of yours might bring some new thoughts to light.
As for an engine swap and your oil issue...sounds like it's time for a valve job. You might be burning oil at speed and never noticing the smoke, if there is any. Rebuilds are the cheapest way to go, and there's lots of guys that will do that in your area. Log onto www.vwvortex.com and go to the forums for your car and check around. The last time I looked at the classifieds there were a couple motors for sale. Diesel conversions can be done, but you'll have to change everything from the tank to the fuel pump to the motor, and add several electronic devices specific for the motor. Worth it? Nah, unless your dead set on running bio-diesel.

R