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new member and new to me 87 quantum wagon

13K views 98 replies 13 participants last post by  TheWolfsburg 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi everybody! Glad I found this forum, searching around for info on my new toy as I try and make it usable.

Just grabbed a pretty beat quantum wagon from a guy off craigslist. Don't know if he was a member or not, but apparently he was sitting on it for several years intending to fix it

Its an 87 Gl-5 with the 5-speed. The car has no rust, but it has suffered a little cosmetically, it has some damage to the left rear from a hit and run, and a little more damage on the front bumper, which looks pushed up, and finally a couple of door dents on either side. Left rear is pretty bad, I will post some pics tomorrow of the car when I finish grabbing it

Mechanically it seems to run just fine, it needs a muffler, an exhaust manifold or something to do with the exhaust up front, and there is a major problem with something on the right front, feels like the wheel is about to fall off.

I have several basic questions about this car-

First, how trustworthy is the GL-5 engine and this interesting quasi transaxle gearbox? are these engines and transmissions that generally last? It has about 130k on it.

second, I am buying this to replace my dying of rust 85 diesel jetta, and I was struck by the idea of moving the entire front end, transmission, drive axles, radiator, ect, over into this quantum eventually. Is this something thats been done on the forum? are there any threads where thats happened? The drivetrain from my jetta is extremely solid, and the engine bays look similar.

First I want to get it reliable rolling, but this idea is something id like to consider, as id like to keep my trusty 1.6.
 
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#86 ·
lol, I think the range I can make is about 500 miles realistically in one day towing. However, a samwich would be awesome.

So let me adjust to within 500 miles from RI the car can be delivered. Fuel costs can be calculated at 16mpg towing, and 20mpg to get back. (what my van can do)

So if you want to estimate what you would have to pay me to deliver this car to lets say, Newark NJ, which is 190 miles away, that would take me about 22 gallons in fuel, and probably be about 80-90 bucks. Add renting a dolly, and add tolls. But thats the math, im not interested in gouging anyone, and I have an old van which is getting a new engine anyway, so I don't care about putting miles on it.
 
#87 ·
TOO BAD I make yummy samwiches and I can acomodate any dietary requirements. You are too far away. Shall I mail you a samwhich anyways? lol. RI pffft!
I have visited there I liked it. have some pink granite i collected in the surf there.
hope it works out and some crazy quantum seeking fool hooks up with you! :D
 
#97 ·
looks good! fkin awesome

glad you got it running! :)
Black looks good for under the bumpers, did you end up putting in some new speakers? :D

glad you took it over, it would still be rotting away in storage down here

wow, im surprised how fast the heat gun blacking of the trim faded, I only did that a couple months before you guys got it.
 
#98 ·
Yeah I have heat gunned the trim on my mkii. It fades fast. We used bondo trim blackener or whatever and now it looks awesome. We also painted the rear bumper black and made the tail lights all red. More pics to come.

Sent from my DROID X2
 
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