[Vwdiesel] Can someone tell me about Quantums

[Scott Kair]

    Somehow I missed the original message in this thread, but I used to have
one, loved it, and wish I could bring it back.  I'd still have it if it
hadn't been rear ended and totaled.  I'd have bought another if I'd have
been able to find one in as good as condition.
    Quantums weren't big sellers.  They were the forerunner of the Passat,
and VW's first attempt here to infiltrate the more upscale market.
Unfortunately, they hit the market just as the mark was high against the
dollar and the yen was weak against it, so it competed against the high end
of the Honda, Toyota, and Nissan lines that were priced several thousand
dollars cheaper.
    Mine was a GL sedan with a 1.6l td with a manual 4+E transmission.  (At
least that's what the shifter knob said.)  I liked the room.  It was the
first VW I've had that was comfortable with the seat not pushed all the way
back.  A small adult could even sit behind me comfortably.  The trunk was
spacious.  I liked the power mirrors and windows.  It would run down the
highway all day at 75 and still get a bit over 40 mpg.  The radiator is huge
by VW standards, with double cooling fans.
    On the downside, there were the usual VW and Bosch gremlins.  The body
panels were not as rust-resistant as those of, say, a German Jetta.  The
tach was intermittent.  The cruise control was vacuum operated, and prone to
vacuum leaks.  So was the HVAC system.  The HVAC system is a little hard to
get used to, so check for an owner's manual.  The VW premium sound am/fm
cassette had decent enough sound, but the display diodes were prone to
failure, making channel selection a guessing game.  Quantum specific parts-
tail light lenses, for example- are getting harder to find.  Wagon parts may
be quite rare by now.
    To my knowledge, they didn't come here with the 1.9.  It might be
prudent to check all vacuum operated systems quite thoroughly if it's a
transplant. But in theory, the extra power and torque of the 1.9 might make
it a very enjoyable car.
    Good luck,
    Scott Kair