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FS: 2004 W8 Wagon Auto/Tip, Pacific Blue/Grey, 125K — $4K/obo

3K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  chucklesmcfarland 
#1 ·
posting this for another member here - his contact info is below, so please don't contact me. I've asked for amplifying info, and will post it as soon as he gives it to me.

FS: 2004 W8 Wagon Auto/Tip, Pacific Blue/Grey, 125K — $4K/obo
My W8 wagon, Old Blue, is now out to pasture, being stored at a local business that helped me find my next Passat.

Pictures at the link (they are just listing/storing her for me; I hold clear title):

Used 2004 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion for sale in Ipswich, MA | Ganley Auto Advisors -

Would love to see Old Blue go to a Forum member rather than to a lowballer dealer at auction. This was my daily driver for almost 5 years. I freely admit that, while I loved the car (power, looks, 4motion grip), I had no idea how to really make her my own. I couldn’t even do simple mods like swap out the rear wiper assembly for an Aero blade to match the front (what were you thinking, VW?). That said, I always had her routinely serviced at my reliable local foreign car garage, shod her with good Michelins, and of course only fed her Premium. She needs your TLC and W8 desire. I still love Passat Wagons, but now drive one better suited to someone with no wrench skills (a 2008 3.6L/4Mo). Please email me at don AT aya DOT yale DOT edu .
 
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#2 ·
ok, I emailed the seller with the following questions for you all...

Don-
I will gladly post your W8 FS here at PW, but I need a bit more info.

You say it needs exhaust work - specifically, what does it need?

Have the cam adjusters ever needed work or been replaced?

Have the control arms been replaced?

Do you have a list of any and all work that has been done on the car?

Best-
Jay
he replied as follows:

Jay,
Thx for the reply. All relevant questions (I am into boating and see the same types of questions in boat forums). While I have nothing to hide (and I'm a lawyer so I know I am subject to lemon laws as the seller), I also have not a lot of technically useful info to give (nor time to dig it up, but I'm happy to send along whatever I do have to the seller upon sale). This is not the kind of car that will have a book with all receipts, work, etc. I know that hurts my ability to sell it in the usual way on enthusiast forums, but I'm willing to live with the ding in the price because of that - I have no choice.

Here in a very brief nutshell, is what I know:

1. I am second owner 2008-present; first owner was my brother-in-law car nut who put mostly highway miles on it (driving Portland, ME to Boston, MA).

2. I had transmission work done under an extended warranty at about 95k miles as it seemed to be a little slower than it had been when accelerating (sort of slipping). It was all covered work and pretty major, but no idea if it was cams, etc.

3. My indie shop said the W8 would very soon (now) need a new exhaust and quoted $1,200 (I guess probably that includes cat converter, or maybe pricey due to dual exhaust?); in a while (could live with for 6 months or so), the W8 would also need new brake pads.

4. Last December 2012, a genius in a 1980's Volvo cut in front of me between lanes and I t-boned him going around 15mph (luckily, no one was hurt; his fault & insurance paid for complete repairs at my very good local shop). No airbags deployed; Front R quarter panel & headlamp assembly, front bumper replaced. So that'll be on the Carfax for sure, and right before I listed it (isn't that always the way....).

5. Some endearing quirks of it being an older car: the fuel gauge sender was replaced, but I think is still somewhat suspect as the tank gets toward empty; the driver's seat has a little wear mark on the entry side (I guess where there is the most abrasion getting in and out); the A/C works sporadically (not sure if a fuse issue or what).

I think the rest is all the usual stuff you'd see in a car that age. It runs, it loves to go at highway speed, where going 80 feels like you are going 40 (but I used it mostly as a station car at speeds mostly under 50), it tracks great in the snow. It is not a parts car, but it is also not a car kept by an enthusiast with an open checkbook or a mechanic with a garage and tools to work on it. I would discourage the random man-off-the-street from buying it as is for a daily driver (already scared off one guy), nor is it a good idea for a parent to buy for a kid (it will end up being more of a headache to fix then maintain for someone who just wants transportation. I think it belongs with someone who wants to work on it and fix it up, and I'm happy to sell it to that person with all the above info being disclosed and their having it checked out by their mechanic (if they want to). Anything less than that and it starts to be more effort for me than it is worth, and I either just have my guy sell it at auction and take what I get (because it is the easiest thing to do) or donate it and take the tax deduction (because it is the next easiest thing to do and nets me a deduction that has almost as much value as selling it like I planned to).

So there's the deal. You may tell me to go jump in a lake (and you have every right to), but if someone wants a 2004 W8 wagon auto/tip 125k miles with some issues to start a project, here it is and you know how to contact me.

Again, I appreciate your getting back to me.
Don
 
#5 ·
bump - just got a PM from the owner on this one. he's lowered the price to $3k, and it will be available until 31 March. after that, it will be donated so he can get a tax writeoff.
 
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