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My wife and I are selling our beautiful 1981 1.5 liter Diesel VW Dasher. The car is in excellent condition with only 102K miles and no history of accidents or bodywork. We purchased the Dasher in October of last year with 99K miles and had the following IMPROVEMENTS professionally done (yes we have receipts): (1) 4 new Firestone tires. These have only 2500 miles on them and are in mint condition. As you see in the photos, we kept the original white wall style. (2) Transmission rebuilt. The gear shifting was getting rough and we had a veteran mechanic at Niebling Auto, a longstanding neighborhood mechanic shop in St. Louis, do the job. He has 20 years experience with VWs. (3) New clutch cable installed (4) New struts installed (5) New brake pads installed (6) New windshield wipers (7) New upper & lower radiator hoses. CONDITION: The car runs and drives phenomenally. It starts crisply every time, even in the Missouri winter, and the ride is surprisingly comfortable. However, the Dasher does not win any first-out-of-the-stop-light races—you’ll have to leave that to stressed-out bankers in flashy BMWs. From start to finish the ride is smooth and easy-going. I find the Dasher to be a calming and fun car to drive. EXTERIOR: The exterior is in excellent condition and the red paint sparkles in the sunshine. There is a scratch on the driver’s front door and a black rubber smear from a bumper (see photo). The rubber will definitely come off--you can peel it off with your finger nails, although it is difficult; I did not want to create unintended damage to the paint job so I left this alone. There is a very very light spattering of chipped paint on hood directly above the grill (see photo), presumably from hitting dust and dirt particles during highway driving; you cannot see this unless you are close. There are touch-up jobs that are noticeable from up-close but blend in well from normal viewing perspectives (see photo--the same one with the sprinkling of chipped paint). INTERIOR: The interior is also in excellent condition with no big tears or stains or replacements. The upholstery is loose fitting around the seats and slides a bit if you pull on it. There are two superficial tears in the roof that are featured in the photos. The original AM/FM radio works great and even picks up our local low-powered community radio station. The plastic tuning dial cap has cracked and you must take care when tuning (the actual tuning mechanism works perfectly--it’s just the plastic cap that attaches to the tuning arm that causes the issue). The hand-crank sunroof, factory original, is awesome! It creaks a bit when cranking but opens wide up every time. GAS MILEAGE: The Dasher’s diesel engine gets amazing gas mileage! On a recent road trip to the Ozarks we got 35mpg! How many 2008 cars can do that? MAINTENANCE: We have had the car professionally maintained since purchasing it and have all the receipts to prove it. It passed the Missouri car safety inspection on October 7, 2007. The same mechanic who rebuilt the transmission, a mechanic with 20 yrs experience with VWs, has provided our maintenance. Previous owner had timing belt replaced at 95K. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS/ISSUES: (1) Except for new upper & lower radiator hoses, the hoses are original from 1981 and showing wear. As the summer heats up these may begin to tear with the high engine heat. (3) The glow plugs need to be checked if you will be driving it in cold weather this winter. They worked well all last winter but began to provide a little less juice towards the end of the season. In the warm weather this is not a problem whatsoever, but when cold hits you will be happy you did this. Speaking of starting in the winter, the Dasher started EVERY TIME this winter in Missouri, even on mornings of less than 10 degrees F. (4) The A/C needs to be recharged. The guy who sold us the car in October 2007 promised that the A/C blows very cold once recharged, but we have not had this done so I cannot say with certainty that the A/C will respond to the charge. WHY ARE WE SELLING THIS GORGEOUS CAR? My wife and I purchased the car to convert it to run on straight vegetable oil (SVO), for which the Dasher is phenomenally suited. It has a spacious trunk with folding seats that create a flat bed from the back door to the front seats. TONS OF ROOM FOR OIL AND TANK! However, we have recently decided to start a family and, in considering our ensuing parenthood, realized that what we need is a more modern car with shoulder seat belts in back and airbags throughout. Yes, I know that sounds lame, but you Dads out there may be able to relate. We are also worried that we will not have the time to give the Dasher the care and love it deserves to keep it looking sharp and running smooth. BOTTOM LINE. We have invested over $1,500 in mechanical improvements and this car is running beautifully. If you can care for her well she will be bringing you around in style for many, many years! QUESTIONS? I will respond to questions as quickly as possible. I work shifts so I may not be able to respond to your question within hours but will do so immediately after work. If I don’t know something I will tell you that I don’t know it. I am not out to mislead anyone. We are located 20 minutes from St. Louis Lambert Airport (STL) and can easily meet you there for pick up. Also, you should know there is a VERY LOW RESERVE on this car. Thanks for looking!
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