That guy has big knowledge (encyclopedia of cars) because most car sales men hardly know about their own brand product they are selling let alone the competition.
He really should sound-proof a room in his house and do voice-over work, like for movie trailers. "In a world where ......". It's the kind of job you can do from anywhere these days.
Quite agree. 👍 I thought that "𝑩𝒖𝒈 𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒋𝒂" was a VW reference; I'd forgotten he was an exterminator. Would definitely be a cool addition to the channel - great voice for something, for anything. 😁
@@no-damn-alias - it implies black people can’t speak proper English normally. Most black Americans have a pseudo second language called Ebonics that they can turn on and off - “code switching”. Any rap song is likely to have examples. To say a black person speaks well implies they speak proper English, and not Ebonics, and implies that their cultural heritage is lesser. It’s not at all obvious, and most people don’t even realize. I hope this explains things a little bit, as I’m white and haven’t thought on this deeply.
As much as I love the W8 Passats, a 1.8T model with a tune would give you 90% of the performance while being significantly more reliable and cheaper to repair.
@@johnrickard8512 yea, as long as you changed the first iteration of the timing belt tensioner. My '97 A4 also had the broken wastegate rod issue. Other than the turbo it was pretty good, although it did leak a bit of oul when i sold it at 13 years old with 167K.
Even in Germany these W8 Passat get thrown after you. They were cool at the Time but after that no one would afford the Costs to keep it "Road Worthy" for TüV.
In Europe, these W8's were never used as company cars, not even the Variant. Most were sold to private buyers. For the same money, you could buy a 535i or a Merc E320. No wonder they sold so little of these.
The wife's old 04 Passat TDI hung with my buddy's chipped and injectored alh Jetta with a manual trans. It was neck and neck, just about dead even. Whoever punched it first and jumped out held that lead and didnt gain. I'm hoping to tweak it some and drop it in the ol 79 rabbit.
Had a 2004 B5 from new, serviced annually for its entire life. I was at 199,000 when the (original) turbos oil feed clogged up, starved the engine and spun a bearing. Piston right through the side of the block. Still sad about it today.
@@BossRedRanger the parts are still stupid expensive, and those are not fun to try to fix. Plus you're wasting your non-billable or off-hours time on it. Not worth it, even for a mechanic.
My biggest ticket VW service advisor was on a late production W8 Passat wagon. For some reason or another we had to replace the engine under warranty. It came from VW as a complete engine. It may have even had the accessories attached as if it had been pulled off the production line and stuck in a crate. The total warranty claim was around $20,000
OMG...Wizard, I have one of these cars! It’s a 2003 Passat W8 sedan with a six speed manual transmission! I absolutely love this car!!! Got mine for $1,000 after the previous owner dumped over $7,000 in service. It purrs like a kitty. Keep up the videos PLEASE!
LUCKY!!!!! I'm looking for a manual sedan wa and it good condition with under 120k miles, I had a v6 for motion as my first car and I absolutely loved it and I want to get the w8 and tune it up to have some more fun with it, quite jealous of you.
@@sterlinghatton7687 as someone who’s owned a W8... Don’t do it. They are really cool cars and ride really well but they just have so many issues it’s just not worth it. And they are massive fuel guzzlers even for their day.
I own a W8 Passat and love it! Straight piped from the headers back. It's a fun drive! With over 225k miles it's still going strong. Thank you for doing this video!
Just make sure she passes it back to you when she's done with it. This car deserves better than the crusher, just because the donor isn't up to replacing the inevitably heater core fail.
WOW! My first foray into German cars was the VW Passat. A 2001 with the 6cyl and 5spd. I leased it new. Gave it back in 2004 and leased a 2005 Cadillac STS. I didn't care for that car. I wound up giving it to my Father and bought another Passat. A 2003, different color, but everything else was the same. I did change the head unit and put an AVIC all in one in and that really transformed the car. A few years later I needed a "family" car and wound up with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. Very similar in style as the Wizard has on the lift in his video. That was my first Benz. I did a chrome wheel swap for those stock wheels and man those wheels look awesome and chrome. The Mercedes always felt like a bigger version of the VW. That's a huge compliment to VW. The car was so solid. So comfortable and rode so great. I received so many compliments on how well the car rode. Two great cars! Love the Bug Ninja! We need more of him
I remember looking at that exact model when it was new in the showroom. As I recall the sticker was $38,000. Back then. This is when I was younger; and really loved German cars. Thank goodness I didn't touch it. That thing was even more of a disaster than most Volkswagens. It had so many parts that only went with that model. And they sold very few of them. Good luck
I owned a 2003 Passat W8 wagon. Even with all the problems that car gave me, I still miss it. Not fast or powerful by today’s standards, but it did have a comfortable amount of power.
Wow the voice is dope nice I’ve never seeen this b4 ! I love my Passat ! Only had one issues outa like 4 years a battery that’s it ! Drove like a champ !
Great video, David - the Passat W8 came about after VAG aborted a stretched Passat "Plus" designed to slot between the Passat and the Phaeton. The stretched wheelbase version became the Passat Plus in China and the mk1 Skoda Superb in Europe.
I had one of these, the station wagon (estate) with factory sport suspension and 5 speed automatic. I only kept it 9 months because the auto drove me nuts, it was slow to respond and often in the wrong gear. The same rig with the 6 speed manual would have been outstanding. I read where VW only made 11,000 of these, so parts will be a problem. I'm not sure the Wizard is doing a favor by gifting the car. Reminds me of what a smart horsewoman once said to me: "A free horse is an expensive horse". BTW it did get good fuel mileage, up to 27 highway. It was geared very tall. Handling was surprisingly good for such a front heavy car.
I owned a 2003 for a few years. Thank god for CPO. Engine had to come out twice...hydraulic lifters and variable cam adjuster. Decent power, but super super smooth!
THAT"S the thing: sure you're getting more HP with smaller engines but nothing beats the smoothness that comes with more cylinders. Not to mention durability. Remember: you're putting the same load on less cylinders/less bearings/less cams etc. As inefficient as they were, old 60's and 70's v8s can be driven hard and as long as they are maintained, will get 500,000 miles and 50 years....not so today.
I love my project vehicle. 04 Passat Wagon with 1.8T four motion 5 speed. Engine still runs smooth as silk and doesn't burn anything it shouldn't. Runs great... Working on the underbody and taking preventative measures come spring. My garage has no heat but its staying put till spring in there. Here is WI winters are harsh and roads are cruel.
@@hacatan24 rotary engines are relatively reliable... if owners follow strict usage guidelines. The fact that Mazda was able to create a Wankel engine that could reliably go 100k is a technological marvel in itself.
Having worked at a VW dealer many years I remember these coming out. We called them the Warranty 8. Look up a thermostat for one! Those rear output shaft seals always leaked too. Plus it's missing the splash shield under the engine, which is a good chunk of change, too. Then you have the multi link front suspension that would go and start knocking. What fun cars!
I bet the under shield is shared with other Passat's or Audi B5 A4's. Can find those from junkyard. Upper control arms are a problem of this era VW/Audi yes it eats them up. Takes about 30 minutes to change them though.
The 1.8t is a fairly reliable engine mechanically, but it does have a handful of design issues that are often manifested if the car is not maintained EXACTLY as Volkswagen specifies.
@@johnrickard8512 You're correct, but the European built ones are actually tanks. After 289.000 I had to changes the head gaskets not because oil was leaking but simply because the engine started to sweat (basically a mixture of moisture and some engine oil). Truly an amazing car, tuned it to 250hp which is close to 100 more than stock. Timing belts actually do last a lot longer with VW as well. I had a VW van (caddy) with the 1.9di engine and VW says that the timing belt should be changed after 80.000km and here we got 160.000km and the belt is still like new (I will change it though). Same goes with my EU Passat every 100.000km and I was going close to 125.000 until the timing belt change. Solid cars.
@@sermikeftw8328 well as far as i know in north america the tdi timing belt (on the jetta at least) was 96000km for 1999 to 2001, 128000km for 2002 to 2003 (i had a 2002) and 160000km for 2004+. They made upgrades to the belt tensioner design that increased it. My brother in law has it now and is just about to have to do the timing belt for 512000km. Those engines sure last.
Sold a W8 estate yesterday for $800 nz, every time I looked at it something fell off or it threw a new code. Drowned ccm buggered power steering pump, tyre eating hatefull nightmare. Stay away unless you fancy moving to the poor house.
I had one too...The most reliable part on the W8 are the warning lights on the dash board.....Even though you didn’t mention the mileage on the car or stated if it was a manual or auto .....Knowing what I know I think it’s best If the Wizard junks it and not use this ticking time bomb as a way of helping someone....
Aside from being difficult to maintain (so are many other cars), idk how this is not a collectible car. The only production road car in history with a w8, with such an elegant body and an amazing sound...
Only because it was frowned upon since cars with much simpler V8 engines were just better and also it looked like an ordinary Passat. It's like how people call the Kia Stinger GT, "it's just a Kia", when they don't even know its not your typical Kia. The Passat W8 is like the Renault Avantime, Kia Stinger GT and Ford Mondeo ST220.... unique/exclusive and fun but nobody had interest in it because it looked like a car you saw everyday even though it was capable of much more than just plain looks.
I owned one, a wagon, for 4 years, I truly miss it more than any other car. It was a beast pulling so hard on turns with all 4 wheels. And 100 times smoother than the turbo4!
Love listening to the bug ninja talk about the cars and the knowledge he had about them while selling them. Absolutely fantastic. Majority of salesman don't even know what engines in the car besides the cylinder count anymore... Great info!
Just curious if that owner already had another vehicle or did they go out and spend thousands more than the repair cost to get another vehicle to sit around again. Cars are a depreciating asset regardless, but we get fooled into thinking not worth a repair to continue having a serviceable but older vehicle, so then we run out and take out a small mortgage on a newer one. Then later rinse and repeat.
That idea makes sense to a point but some cars like this can easily cost a few grand a year to keep in good running condition between the maintenance of an older vehicle and the actual repairs that come up. Fuel pump over a Grand. Add in new tires brakes tune up and you're at a couple grand. Have the ball joints wear out another grand, thats without anything huge like a head gasket , drive shift , transmission, transfer case etc that all cost several thousand. Add in a days worth of pay loss, rental car costs, towing etc and it can really add up.
Downsizing engines has been very common over here for at least 10-15 years now. They even have 1.0L 3-cylinder engines that put out 120hp! But basically the exhaust they produce is much more harmful to the environment, *and* they also use lots of fuel once you actually request that kind of power (because they're always turbo charged). So I like the "SkyActive" approach of Mazda, keep the bigger 2.0L engines, but optimize them so that they are clean, powerful and efficient.
The little 1.4 Turbo4 in my Trax puts out a relatively impressive 144hp and 153lbft (108hp at the wheels). Its still slower than an amish buggy, but that's what some naturally aspirated 2.4L engines were making not even a decade ago. It'd be fine in something the size of a spark or sonic, but in my AWD crossover, it's an absolute boat anchor. I ended up using Trifecta Performance tuning and got it up to 155whp/176lbft with 93 octane and 171whp/204lbft on corn fuel. Combined with the transmission tuning and better exhaust, it's far more lively and drives like a V6. Amazing what you can do with a small turbo4 these days.
@@Seegalgalguntijaka lot. They are incredibly simple engines. It is overbuilt. The Sonic crowd has taken them to 400whp and put 200k on them without an issue. But I'm only keeping it til the Bronco comes out. It was a placeholder car.
@@americansmark Alright then, you Americans do "downsizing" with reliability in mind. Somehow I have the feeling that modern European cars are intentionally built in such a way that they keep the auto repair industry alive ;-)
I have a12 y.o. 2.0L 4-cyl w/ a turbo that makes 260+/- and 260 tq bone stock, manual, that gets 30+ mpg and is American. I also have a Mazda (pre-SkyActive) that is the same age that gets about the same mileage. I love them both, and when I switch cars I'm as glad to drive one as the other. The numbers that manuf are wringing out of pretty small engines IS pretty impressive, even if it's not exactly "new".
Had a 2.0T Jetta Wolfsburg........... it was fun to drive. I guess what ultimately made it die was driving with low oil which damaged certain parts in the engine. Idk if it was able to let me know by an oil light, but I never had an oil light or warning. But it was definitely a good lesson.
That car needs saving! What a find. When it comes to cars like this you need to add the value of what it is to what you think the ceiling is for the regular standard models. Love this car. VAG fan. Drive a 2009 Touareg V6 TDI remapped 👌
Do you ever get to drive it? I see so many of those at the shop each time I take my own money pit in hahaha! I’ve actually watched one person just say “you guys can keep this piece of ***T” and another scream “I DIDN’T MAKE THE CAR…you guys MAKE IT RUN right or you can buy it back from me!”
It's great for Wizard to have a third person to talk to. It sounds natural and it's greatly educational. Please get another Rode lapel mic for Mrs. Wizard or your guest to wear!
My dad worked in a large shop and cars like this would come up once a week. The cost of the repairs were worth more than the car. So the mechanic would fix it and either keep it or sell it. My dad would call home every once in a while "want a new car"? I'd pop down and see a BMW 320 Convertible, a Jeep Wrangler, or 100 other vehicles. I wanted the Wrangler but the mech wouldn't sell it for $1000 (he paid the customer $100 for it and took 2 hrs to fix).
in my opinion for 350 is the perfect car for amateur inclined wizard,it has normaly 270 hpr solid engine, very comfortable,reliable and remember this is the best top of line and rarest vw passat b5.5 future classic .
First time I've heard of this Bug Ninja.. With a smooth voice like his won't be surprised if he gets more work for commercials or anything TV related. I'll call him Uncle Jazz 😎🎺
Dude’s voice was amazing like a human version of a Fender Jazz bass.
Hahaha don't know how you thought of that comparison but it is spot on.
He could do Boyz II Men’s song intros or sing Barry White on the masked singer
Kind of sounded like Neil Degrasse Tyson to me 😂😂 thought I was on Startalk
It’s just a Jazz Bass not a Jazzmaster Bass.
@@BrownSofaGamer you’re correct, edited it. Obviously I’m a guitarist but not a bass guitarist
That guy has big knowledge (encyclopedia of cars) because most car sales men hardly know about their own brand product they are selling let alone the competition.
Every time the Bug Ninja speaks, I think Smooth Jazz.
He reminds me of Chef from South park
Barry White/Ving Raymes! Lol
Almost Darth Vader...
I think ALLSTATE!
Bugninja is a natural at car videos and compliments Wizard well. He needs to be in more videos!
I agree 100%.
I agree 100%.
I agree 100%
never seen him before, but what a cool guy.
He knows more about cars than some hosts of supercar channels with millions of subscribers. I would be a subscriber definitely
The voiceover at the intro was epic. Definitely should consider going into voice over work Bugninja 👍
Haha I thought I was watching 'Garage 54' at first, where they narrate over the Russian guy.
His voice sounds like the perfect voice for doing tv commentary on golf.
He really should sound-proof a room in his house and do voice-over work, like for movie trailers. "In a world where ......". It's the kind of job you can do from anywhere these days.
I really enjoyed bugninja's style. He was really well spoken and really added to the video. I would like to see more of him, nice job!
Quite agree. 👍 I thought that "𝑩𝒖𝒈 𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒋𝒂" was a VW reference; I'd forgotten he was an exterminator. Would definitely be a cool addition to the channel - great voice for something, for anything. 😁
100% agreed. Just don’t call black people “well spoken”. They tend to dislike the implication. Cheers!
@@Dozav7
Thanks Chris that never occurred to me, I appreciate you letting me know
Can you explain? As European that seems odd to me? What's the difference?
@@no-damn-alias - it implies black people can’t speak proper English normally. Most black Americans have a pseudo second language called Ebonics that they can turn on and off - “code switching”. Any rap song is likely to have examples.
To say a black person speaks well implies they speak proper English, and not Ebonics, and implies that their cultural heritage is lesser. It’s not at all obvious, and most people don’t even realize. I hope this explains things a little bit, as I’m white and haven’t thought on this deeply.
As much as I love the W8 Passats, a 1.8T model with a tune would give you 90% of the performance while being significantly more reliable and cheaper to repair.
The 1.8T was a fairly reliable engine if properly maintained. I think Scott Kilmer didn't get that one right.
@@johnrickard8512 Kilmer is abit of a prick if we’re honest
@@mcmechanic8910 yeah anything that's not a Toyota or Honda he hates
@@neilmurphy845 he also thinks that all mechanics other than himself are shit and cowboys which is bollocks ain’t it
@@johnrickard8512 yea, as long as you changed the first iteration of the timing belt tensioner. My '97 A4 also had the broken wastegate rod issue. Other than the turbo it was pretty good, although it did leak a bit of oul when i sold it at 13 years old with 167K.
My buddy has a W8 Wagon and its such a treat with a catless exhaust and no muffler
Those flat plane crank motors just had such a sweet sound
A W8 Wagon? Sounds sick.
@ I am used to Wagons, I live in the UK. I've just never seen or heard of the W8 varient Passat wagon
@@zachariah74 yep the w8 wagons are more rare. I see one for sell near me might check it out if it's not too messed up
Even in Germany these W8 Passat get thrown after you. They were cool at the Time but after that no one would afford the Costs to keep it "Road Worthy" for TüV.
Nobody bought these cars in europe. Excessive fuel consumption and too expensive. And it Looks like my poor neighbours cheap company car.
@@lieberfreialsgleich funny enough I'm like why pay alot for a Passat with a very unusual engine. To be honest I rather have the TDI engine
I'd buy it for the engine and sleeper factor
In Europe, these W8's were never used as company cars, not even the Variant.
Most were sold to private buyers. For the same money, you could buy a 535i or a Merc E320. No wonder they sold so little of these.
@@DolleHengst but now it's so cool just because of the special engine and sleeper status
The b5 Passat is by far the best Volkswagen vehicle by far, and the TDI is godly with a good tune
Agreed. I own 3 Passats. 2 B5 and a W8
The wife's old 04 Passat TDI hung with my buddy's chipped and injectored alh Jetta with a manual trans.
It was neck and neck, just about dead even.
Whoever punched it first and jumped out held that lead and didnt gain.
I'm hoping to tweak it some and drop it in the ol 79 rabbit.
Just got a 2005 wagon TDI. This comment made me happy I’m new to the VW masochism lol
@@MrTheHillfolk so what you’re saying is you had two slow cars?
Had a 2004 B5 from new, serviced annually for its entire life. I was at 199,000 when the (original) turbos oil feed clogged up, starved the engine and spun a bearing. Piston right through the side of the block. Still sad about it today.
I was like the Wizard hired Neil deGrasse Tyson to do a voice over. Hoovie must be paying well.
I was thinking Troy sanders from mastodon
Yes I love Neil Degrasse Tyson, he's an awesome actor and entertainer.
Car Wizard sporting the 'voice of God'.
There's a couple of other voices that are awesome, James Earl Jones is the first that comes to my mind.
@@dave_n8pu Morgan Freeman too.
"For the price, I can't complain." Just wait.
Jason Radice That’d be our situation, but when you can fix it yourself, it’s not a huge issue comparatively speaking
@@BossRedRanger the parts are still stupid expensive, and those are not fun to try to fix. Plus you're wasting your non-billable or off-hours time on it. Not worth it, even for a mechanic.
"An engine that was a technological marvel at the time" = endless money pit today.
@@ozzierabbit587 Alright, Scotty.
@@ozzierabbit587 so the technology should stop somewhere and not improve. Such a scotty mindset
My biggest ticket VW service advisor was on a late production W8 Passat wagon. For some reason or another we had to replace the engine under warranty. It came from VW as a complete engine. It may have even had the accessories attached as if it had been pulled off the production line and stuck in a crate. The total warranty claim was around $20,000
The intro was legendary 😂😂
OMG...Wizard, I have one of these cars! It’s a 2003 Passat W8 sedan with a six speed manual transmission! I absolutely love this car!!! Got mine for $1,000 after the previous owner dumped over $7,000 in service. It purrs like a kitty. Keep up the videos PLEASE!
What a steal. I would have paid that in a heart beat and not told my wife first. I daily an 03 S6 with a manual conversion and it is a blast.
LUCKY!!!!! I'm looking for a manual sedan wa and it good condition with under 120k miles, I had a v6 for motion as my first car and I absolutely loved it and I want to get the w8 and tune it up to have some more fun with it, quite jealous of you.
@@dan-5678 If I decide to sell it, I will text you first! I have a lot of extra parts now!
What a soothing voice that gentleman has. I could listen to him all day.
I still have my old 2002 2 litre Passat. No rust and only 87000 miles. It never fails to start first time and drives so well. 😎
Hoovie will now seek a Passat W8 wagon with a stick.
Thinking of buying one this week... 1 of 97!
@@sterlinghatton7687 as someone who’s owned a W8... Don’t do it. They are really cool cars and ride really well but they just have so many issues it’s just not worth it. And they are massive fuel guzzlers even for their day.
@@sterlinghatton7687 straight pipe it
But only if he can find a really bad one.
I’ll never forget the crayola crayons smell of my 2000 Passat. Such a great car. I’m 6’5”, one of my most comfortable rides.
There are only 97 documented W8 stick wagons in the US. It's my dream to own one some day. I had 2 2003 V6s and I loved them
I own a W8 Passat and love it! Straight piped from the headers back.
It's a fun drive! With over 225k miles it's still going strong.
Thank you for doing this video!
With 225k, and probably more since this comment is 2 years old, how did/does your maintenence look?
Just make sure she passes it back to you when she's done with it. This car deserves better than the crusher, just because the donor isn't up to replacing the inevitably heater core fail.
WOW! My first foray into German cars was the VW Passat. A 2001 with the 6cyl and 5spd. I leased it new. Gave it back in 2004 and leased a 2005 Cadillac STS. I didn't care for that car. I wound up giving it to my Father and bought another Passat. A 2003, different color, but everything else was the same. I did change the head unit and put an AVIC all in one in and that really transformed the car.
A few years later I needed a "family" car and wound up with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. Very similar in style as the Wizard has on the lift in his video. That was my first Benz. I did a chrome wheel swap for those stock wheels and man those wheels look awesome and chrome. The Mercedes always felt like a bigger version of the VW. That's a huge compliment to VW. The car was so solid. So comfortable and rode so great. I received so many compliments on how well the car rode. Two great cars!
Love the Bug Ninja! We need more of him
Probably one of the only cars you can actually cross reference more expensive cars for cheaper parts
I remember looking at that exact model when it was new in the showroom. As I recall the sticker was $38,000. Back then. This is when I was younger; and really loved German cars. Thank goodness I didn't touch it. That thing was even more of a disaster than most Volkswagens. It had so many parts that only went with that model. And they sold very few of them. Good luck
I owned a 2003 Passat W8 wagon. Even with all the problems that car gave me, I still miss it. Not fast or powerful by today’s standards, but it did have a comfortable amount of power.
Thank you, Car Wizard for sharing Adrian's car knowledge with all of us. He is a fun guest with a wide open door in voicework should he so wish. 🎤🎙
We'll see how long it takes for the Turbo 'R' to return....I heard that it's already homesick for the Wizard's shop.
Wow the voice is dope nice I’ve never seeen this b4 ! I love my Passat ! Only had one issues outa like 4 years a battery that’s it ! Drove like a champ !
Had one. Engine lasted only to about 140K km. This one is missing the W8 front grill badging.
Great video, David - the Passat W8 came about after VAG aborted a stretched Passat "Plus" designed to slot between the Passat and the Phaeton. The stretched wheelbase version became the Passat Plus in China and the mk1 Skoda Superb in Europe.
I had one of these, the station wagon (estate) with factory sport suspension and 5 speed automatic. I only kept it 9 months because the auto drove me nuts, it was slow to respond and often in the wrong gear. The same rig with the 6 speed manual would have been outstanding. I read where VW only made 11,000 of these, so parts will be a problem. I'm not sure the Wizard is doing a favor by gifting the car. Reminds me of what a smart horsewoman once said to me: "A free horse is an expensive horse". BTW it did get good fuel mileage, up to 27 highway. It was geared very tall. Handling was surprisingly good for such a front heavy car.
I always like it when Bug Ninja comes to visit! I always learn something more!
I love the bug ninja! Please keep him around wizard.
I owned a 2003 for a few years. Thank god for CPO. Engine had to come out twice...hydraulic lifters and variable cam adjuster. Decent power, but super super smooth!
THAT"S the thing: sure you're getting more HP with smaller engines but nothing beats the smoothness that comes with more cylinders. Not to mention durability. Remember: you're putting the same load on less cylinders/less bearings/less cams etc. As inefficient as they were, old 60's and 70's v8s can be driven hard and as long as they are maintained, will get 500,000 miles and 50 years....not so today.
We had an ‘03 1.8T wagon and it was AWESOME to drive...minus the slew of random electrical problems it had 😂
It’s mostly electrical, or final drive issues. When they run, they run great though..
I could listen to him tell Volkswagen adventure and history stories all the time! Knowledgeable and well spoken!
A silver W8 Passat was my first car!
More of this guy please...great voice, and very knowledgeable.
Wiz, you doing a good thing giving the car away in these hard times. 👍
Giving away this car to someone is like giving away a disease. 😀
Does anyone else notice the plate number at 7:46 is formatted like James Bond’s every introduction in the movies? “007. F. JF.”
Great intro guys!!! I always enjoy a trip to the Wizards Shop!! 👍🙂
I love my project vehicle. 04 Passat Wagon with 1.8T four motion 5 speed. Engine still runs smooth as silk and doesn't burn anything it shouldn't. Runs great... Working on the underbody and taking preventative measures come spring. My garage has no heat but its staying put till spring in there. Here is WI winters are harsh and roads are cruel.
I feel like if the japanese picked up this engine design it would be mainstream by now. A W8 supra. imagine
It did live on in Bentley and Bugatti's. Like he said its a modular design which VW group has used for the über performance cars they make.
The Japanese would never engineer anything this unreliable.
Look at the rotary engine... They already gave up on that..
@@hacatan24 rotary engines are relatively reliable... if owners follow strict usage guidelines. The fact that Mazda was able to create a Wankel engine that could reliably go 100k is a technological marvel in itself.
@@aygwm no
Having worked at a VW dealer many years I remember these coming out. We called them the Warranty 8. Look up a thermostat for one! Those rear output shaft seals always leaked too. Plus it's missing the splash shield under the engine, which is a good chunk of change, too. Then you have the multi link front suspension that would go and start knocking. What fun cars!
I bet the under shield is shared with other Passat's or Audi B5 A4's. Can find those from junkyard. Upper control arms are a problem of this era VW/Audi yes it eats them up. Takes about 30 minutes to change them though.
I love the "Bug Ninja" - Tell him to give us a UA-cam channel to support.
Wizard I worked for VW for 20 years and have some funny stories and some tech tips on sludge on that motor
that is not his voice in the intro, lol
dude you could make money with that voice !!!
Hit puberty between videos (ho ho).
Great calab with this vid, great chemistry. My man Adrian is smooth talker and knows his stuff.
I had a W8 6 speed that I just sold recently, great car, wonderful exhaust note.
That's great wizard on donating that car.. great job, this is why you will always succeed, great video 👍
That W8 is an interesting configuration. Would like to hear it run with the sport exhaust that Bug Ninja mentioned.
I like these videos with Bugninja. It's like a competition of soothing voices and sage wizardly wisdom.
The w8 passat is a pretty cool car. I really enjoy my tdi passat though, 50 mpg at 75 mph is really nice
The W8 is such a great sounding engine.
Finally to motivate me to fix my $300 W8 that’s been sitting in my garage for over a year 😆
Appreciate you donating. . .Safety issue is the cloudy lights. Not expensive to clean them. . .
I remember back in the '70s they said they'd never be able to get any kind of power out of four cylinders or six cylinders. lol
Enjoying Bug Ninja episodes. He brings the smooth side of trivia about the cars, where Weeezard brings the mechanical knowledge of the cars........
My 99 Passat B5 Estate (Auto) is still going strong on 198,000! My Golf is on 202,000 and is also still going strong!
The 1.8t is a fairly reliable engine mechanically, but it does have a handful of design issues that are often manifested if the car is not maintained EXACTLY as Volkswagen specifies.
@@johnrickard8512 You're correct, but the European built ones are actually tanks. After 289.000 I had to changes the head gaskets not because oil was leaking but simply because the engine started to sweat (basically a mixture of moisture and some engine oil). Truly an amazing car, tuned it to 250hp which is close to 100 more than stock. Timing belts actually do last a lot longer with VW as well. I had a VW van (caddy) with the 1.9di engine and VW says that the timing belt should be changed after 80.000km and here we got 160.000km and the belt is still like new (I will change it though). Same goes with my EU Passat every 100.000km and I was going close to 125.000 until the timing belt change. Solid cars.
its all in the maintenance. My 4.2 a8 is at 337 000 miles, 543 000km
@@sermikeftw8328 well as far as i know in north america the tdi timing belt (on the jetta at least) was 96000km for 1999 to 2001, 128000km for 2002 to 2003 (i had a 2002) and 160000km for 2004+. They made upgrades to the belt tensioner design that increased it. My brother in law has it now and is just about to have to do the timing belt for 512000km. Those engines sure last.
@@lsorense Good to hear that the NA built engines are solid as well! Hope he gets another 500.000 out of that engine
I had an 03 longitudinal I-4 Passat. One of the best handling cars I've ever been in and great for road trips. Just hated constantly working on it.
Sold a W8 estate yesterday for $800 nz, every time I looked at it something fell off or it threw a new code. Drowned ccm buggered power steering pump, tyre eating hatefull nightmare. Stay away unless you fancy moving to the poor house.
I had one too...The most reliable part on the W8 are the warning lights on the dash board.....Even though you didn’t mention the mileage on the car or stated if it was a manual or auto .....Knowing what I know I think it’s best If the Wizard junks it and not use this ticking time bomb as a way of helping someone....
Wizard will be fixing this car continually for the poor soul who receives it.
Aside from being difficult to maintain (so are many other cars), idk how this is not a collectible car. The only production road car in history with a w8, with such an elegant body and an amazing sound...
Only because it was frowned upon since cars with much simpler V8 engines were just better and also it looked like an ordinary Passat.
It's like how people call the Kia Stinger GT, "it's just a Kia", when they don't even know its not your typical Kia.
The Passat W8 is like the Renault Avantime, Kia Stinger GT and Ford Mondeo ST220.... unique/exclusive and fun but nobody had interest in it because it looked like a car you saw everyday even though it was capable of much more than just plain looks.
I had the same car in black. So happy I sold it before I had to start throwing money at it
That is very nice of you to do that for Dave's sister, Car Wizard. Warms my cold dead heart.
Wizard getting too much questionable influence from Hoovie. Now he's buying hoopties.
SAVE THE HOOPTIES, ONCE YOU GET HOOKED, THATS IT, YOU ARE HOOKED FOR LIFE. ITS A CULT I TELL YOUS, A CULT!!!!!🤣😅😆😁😉😉😉🙃😄🙃😅👍
I owned one, a wagon, for 4 years, I truly miss it more than any other car. It was a beast pulling so hard on turns with all 4 wheels. And 100 times smoother than the turbo4!
I always found it amazing that it's like oh, it's just another passat--with a w8
They’re not crazy rare but definitely uncommon.
Love listening to the bug ninja talk about the cars and the knowledge he had about them while selling them. Absolutely fantastic. Majority of salesman don't even know what engines in the car besides the cylinder count anymore... Great info!
There's a cheap fuel pump on rockauto. For less than $60 it's worth a try.
I had two B5's. Both had over 200k miles and ran like new. Best cars I ever owned...
Just curious if that owner already had another vehicle or did they go out and spend thousands more than the repair cost to get another vehicle to sit around again.
Cars are a depreciating asset regardless, but we get fooled into thinking not worth a repair to continue having a serviceable but older vehicle, so then we run out and take out a small mortgage on a newer one. Then later rinse and repeat.
someone been watching dave ramsey lol
That idea makes sense to a point but some cars like this can easily cost a few grand a year to keep in good running condition between the maintenance of an older vehicle and the actual repairs that come up.
Fuel pump over a Grand. Add in new tires brakes tune up and you're at a couple grand. Have the ball joints wear out another grand, thats without anything huge like a head gasket , drive shift , transmission, transfer case etc that all cost several thousand.
Add in a days worth of pay loss, rental car costs, towing etc and it can really add up.
The exhaust note you can get out of this is amazing, a simple straight piped sounds the best. Supercar sound.
Downsizing engines has been very common over here for at least 10-15 years now. They even have 1.0L 3-cylinder engines that put out 120hp! But basically the exhaust they produce is much more harmful to the environment, *and* they also use lots of fuel once you actually request that kind of power (because they're always turbo charged). So I like the "SkyActive" approach of Mazda, keep the bigger 2.0L engines, but optimize them so that they are clean, powerful and efficient.
The little 1.4 Turbo4 in my Trax puts out a relatively impressive 144hp and 153lbft (108hp at the wheels). Its still slower than an amish buggy, but that's what some naturally aspirated 2.4L engines were making not even a decade ago. It'd be fine in something the size of a spark or sonic, but in my AWD crossover, it's an absolute boat anchor.
I ended up using Trifecta Performance tuning and got it up to 155whp/176lbft with 93 octane and 171whp/204lbft on corn fuel. Combined with the transmission tuning and better exhaust, it's far more lively and drives like a V6.
Amazing what you can do with a small turbo4 these days.
@@americansmark How many miles is it going to last, tuned up like that?
(Again, we've had 1.2L i4 engines with 120+hp since at least 10 years).
@@Seegalgalguntijaka lot. They are incredibly simple engines. It is overbuilt. The Sonic crowd has taken them to 400whp and put 200k on them without an issue. But I'm only keeping it til the Bronco comes out. It was a placeholder car.
@@americansmark Alright then, you Americans do "downsizing" with reliability in mind. Somehow I have the feeling that modern European cars are intentionally built in such a way that they keep the auto repair industry alive ;-)
I have a12 y.o. 2.0L 4-cyl w/ a turbo that makes 260+/- and 260 tq bone stock, manual, that gets 30+ mpg and is American. I also have a Mazda (pre-SkyActive) that is the same age that gets about the same mileage. I love them both, and when I switch cars I'm as glad to drive one as the other. The numbers that manuf are wringing out of pretty small engines IS pretty impressive, even if it's not exactly "new".
Had a 2.0T Jetta Wolfsburg........... it was fun to drive. I guess what ultimately made it die was driving with low oil which damaged certain parts in the engine. Idk if it was able to let me know by an oil light, but I never had an oil light or warning. But it was definitely a good lesson.
I’ll always love VW though!! But you definitely need to have enough money for the next repair and the repair after that.
I do love a good VW! I had that 2010 VW GTI. Still my favorite car I've owned.
I had a '97 1.8T A4 and then a 2010 GTI 6spd. Loved that car so much, but then my wife got it and didn't like the manual.
Still have my 2010 Vw Jetta
More content with Bug Ninja please - always a pleasure hearing his take on things.
That car needs saving! What a find.
When it comes to cars like this you need to add the value of what it is to what you think the ceiling is for the regular standard models.
Love this car. VAG fan. Drive a 2009 Touareg V6 TDI remapped 👌
How has the tdi touareg held up?
@@shanet7511 very good. Slight issue with swirl flap actuators but fixed with brackets that limit their travel and park position.
Cost £20 👍
Do you ever get to drive it? I see so many of those at the shop each time I take my own money pit in hahaha! I’ve actually watched one person just say “you guys can keep this piece of ***T” and another scream “I DIDN’T MAKE THE CAR…you guys MAKE IT RUN right or you can buy it back from me!”
It's great for Wizard to have a third person to talk to. It sounds natural and it's greatly educational. Please get another Rode lapel mic for Mrs. Wizard or your guest to wear!
Lol. Brilliant. Loved that into
Golf GTi 1.8t. amazing car to mod. My mates got the anniversary edition with the BBS alloys. Now putting out over 350bhp.
The voice in the intro so warming
There's a wagon w8 here for 4500 and 120xxx miles almost mint condition
That voice over lol
Finally someone that talks about the W8!!!!!! Thank you wizard
Bringing back the bad memories of my '98 Passat V6 ownership :(
You got me with the open of the show. I figured you had caught a cold.......The Bug Ninja and you are a pair......good show, and a good deed.
I had a dead fly inside my cluster, for 10 years... untill replacing the lights of the cluster :D
With all of those cars and his love for VW, the Bug Ninja needs his own channel!
Wow a black guy with car wizard I love to see unity out there in the country 🙏🏽🙏🏽
My dad worked in a large shop and cars like this would come up once a week. The cost of the repairs were worth more than the car. So the mechanic would fix it and either keep it or sell it.
My dad would call home every once in a while "want a new car"? I'd pop down and see a BMW 320 Convertible, a Jeep Wrangler, or 100 other vehicles. I wanted the Wrangler but the mech wouldn't sell it for $1000 (he paid the customer $100 for it and took 2 hrs to fix).
You two need to start a podcast...
I have owned a 2003 W8 wagon for 7+ years. It has been a reliable, comfortable and fantastic car!
Damn, bug nija is legit, should come back with the VR6 beetle !
W12 is in the Phaeton, Touareg and in the Bentley continental GT/gtc/flying spur
I remember my 02 Passat. 600k miles it hit.
Diesel ?
@@bilalahmed2123 yeah
@@bilalahmed2123 1.9
in my opinion for 350 is the perfect car for amateur inclined wizard,it has normaly 270 hpr solid engine, very comfortable,reliable and remember this is the best top of line and rarest vw passat b5.5 future classic .
there was a recall on the 2003 V6 fuel pump. Could be the same thing for the W8 model
Mine blew, the only time the v6 let me down. Pump was not much cheaper than the w8, 350eur i think
First time I've heard of this Bug Ninja.. With a smooth voice like his won't be surprised if he gets more work for commercials or anything TV related. I'll call him Uncle Jazz 😎🎺