[Vwdiesel] 91 Jetta TD 43k always garaged

[Doyt W. Echelberger]

Had a real surprise this afternoon. Dropped in at my mechanic's place to 
say Merry Christmas and found him working on a showroom-sparkling turquoise 
green 91 Jetta TD (eco diesel?) that had come in on a hook the day before 
with catastrophic water pump failure. The odo showed 43k. The hood was up 
and the engine looked new....really clean-black-paint-on-the-valve-cover 
new.  He replaced the pump, changed the stat and the coolant, swaped a 
lower rad hose and some other rubber stuff, and belts. While I was there, 
the owner came in to pay the bill and collect the car.

She was a pleasant gray haired lady in her late 70's who looked and acted 
60. Add a tasseled red hat and she would pass for Santa's wife. She had 
owned the car from new and didn't drive it much. Always garaged, seldom 
serviced, and didn't know that the doors might leak in a rainstorm. She 
mentioned that all rear door handles were getting hard to open, so I 
pointed out the external corrosion on the latches and showed her how to 
clean them up and take the handles off for lubrication. And I gave her my 
card and asked her to call me if she ever decided to sell the car. Heck, 
she could drive it another  ten years that way and put on another 50k and 
I'd still be interested in it.....if I'm still alive.

SO, miracles can happen and there are dream cars out there being sheltered 
and neglected by people who really don't need them.....and if you believe 
in Santa Claus and Peter Pan you may even own one eventually.

In my imagination, that was Mrs. Claus in street clothing, checking up on 
my mechanic to see if he had been naughty or nice.......so, if you hear a 
clatter on your roof in a few days, it may be a diesel...........

And to all a good night.

Doyt