Hey car folks, Vince here, and let’s get one thing straight – I’m a Volkswagen addict. Seriously, it’s a thing. Like, Hiiiiiii Vince level of commitment. It all started back in June 2016 when I snagged my first VW, a GTI. Manual transmission was still a mystery to me then, but thankfully, a buddy of mine, who knew his way around a stick shift, gave it a test run to make sure it wasn’t a lemon. It was a 12 valve VR6, and I knew going in that a timing chain service was probably on the horizon. Turns out, horizon met reality faster than expected. The moment it rolled off the trailer at home, timing chain gave way, and hello valve-piston party. Not exactly the warm welcome to Volkswagen ownership I was expecting.
College life and car repairs don’t exactly go hand-in-hand, so fixing that GTI became a bit of a project. With some help from my dad and my friend Nik, we didn’t just fix it, we upgraded it. Out went the 12v VR6, in went a newer 24 valve VR6 (because, horsepower!), and we even threw in a six-speed transmission for good measure. The sound of that VR6? Forget about it. I was hooked. Learned to drive manual in that beast, took it to Gridlife in Georgia, and then, sadly, had to let it go. Rust had eaten away at the body, hiding under a decent paint job. Truth be told, that GTI was probably undrivable more than it was drivable while I owned it.
Rust-free and ready for round two, I picked up my current daily driver, a 2011 Volkswagen GTI, in October 2018. It was an absolute steal of a deal, and I’d buy it again in a heartbeat. Drove it problem-free for three years until 2021. It already had an APR “stage 2” tune and all the mods I would have done myself. The clutch? Let’s just say it was a leg day workout every time I drove it at first.
And because one GTI wasn’t enough, I also had a “winter beater” VW Rabbit for a while. Bought it wrecked, fixed it, wrecked it again in the snow (oops), fixed it again, and then finally moved on. You get the picture – I’m committed.
Throughout all these VW adventures, I’ve also become a connoisseur of parts cars – three so far. One for the first GTI, and two for the Rabbit. Yeah, I’ve been through the VW ringer, and I’m always ready for more. Cars have been my obsession for as long as I can remember. If I’m not wrenching on them, working to afford them, or driving them, I’m probably writing about them or lost in some fantasy world – probably with cars in it too.
The daily-driven 2011 VW GTI
Diving into the 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLI
So, enter my latest project, a mostly stock 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, which I brought home on March 31, 2021. Why a GLI and not another GTI VR6, you might ask? Well, the truth is, I was really missing my old 2002 VR6 GTI. The sound, the feel – there’s just something about a VR6. I was dead set on finding another VR6-powered VW, but the market wasn’t cooperating. Everything around me was either ridiculously overpriced or in terrible shape. The only decent VR6 options were R32s, and those came with a serious price jump, especially the Mk4 R32 which is what I was really after.
(The Mk5 R32 prices seem to be holding steady, but I really wanted a manual. Maybe one day I’ll import a right-hand drive, five-door manual Mk5 R32. A guy can dream, right? In the meantime, I’ll just keep fantasizing about 3.6 VR6 swapping my Mk6 GTI.)
Back to reality – any VR6 GTI I was considering would have needed that timing chain service. That’s an instant $2000 bill for peace of mind. I also thought about a GTI with the 1.8T turbo four, or even some Audis. But the Audis seemed like sensor nightmares waiting to happen, and I just couldn’t find the right 1.8T GTI for the right price.
Meanwhile, a friend had been eyeing a 2004 Jetta GLI for about a year. He’s a master haggler, and the owner wouldn’t budge on price, so he walked away. I was willing to pay a bit more, so I asked him to connect me with the seller. She was great to deal with, and honestly, I knew most of the car’s quirks before I even bought it. This particular 2004 GLI was a bit unique – it had the one-year-only 1.8T engine instead of the VR6 that was more common in earlier GLI models. While it wasn’t the VR6 rumble I initially craved, the 1.8T still had its own appeal, and the GLI package is hard to argue with.
First thing’s first, I dropped $800 at a local shop for a timing belt service with a metal water pump. While they were in there, I had them replace the serpentine belt tensioner too, because the car was screaming on startup like a banshee. More money, sure, but peace of mind? Priceless.
This Jetta GLI was missing its original BBS RC wheels, rolling on Santa Monicas instead. Santa Monicas are… fine, but they’re no RCs. I’m keeping the Santa Monicas for winter wheels though.
My buddy came through again and picked up a stash of parts for me: a set of seriously grimy BBS RC factory wheels, a stock catback exhaust, two good fenders (mine are toast), and a missing trim piece. The BBS wheels needed some love, with dings and curb rash, but they cleaned up surprisingly well!
My 2004 Jetta GLI started its life in sunny California. It moved to the East Coast in 2010, and that’s where I snagged it with 147,000 miles on the clock. Not bad for a car of its age, but definitely showing some signs of life.
Exterior Condition
Let’s talk about the outside. It’s a 17-year-old car, so it’s seen things. The headlights are… well, they’re yellowed and dim. Night driving was more of a suggestion than a guarantee. I did fix a weird fuse box issue where the lights would randomly turn off (not fun), but I’ve already ordered Bi-Xenon GLI-style headlights from VX Tuning to really brighten things up.
Tail lights have been a bit temperamental too, with bulbs going out here and there. The third brake light is currently MIA. Rock chips are scattered across the rear quarters and hood, the paint is scratched in places, and the front fenders are rusting out – pretty typical Mk4 Jetta stuff, unfortunately.
Exterior-wise, I’d give it a 5.5/10. Not show-car material, but definitely not a total rust bucket either. New fenders, some minor bodywork, and maybe a wrap would make a world of difference.
Interior Comfort and Quirks
The interior is in decent shape, considering its age. (Again, 17 years old – I find myself saying that a lot).
The headliner is sagging a bit in the back, the fabric on the A-pillars is doing that weird detached-line thing, the door card material is peeling off its glue (super classy), and the fabric on the manual sunroof crank trim is also giving up. Living most of its life in California, the MFD display in the gauge cluster is heat-sensitive. Above about 63 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s just a faint ghost. Below that, crystal clear. Talk about a temperature gauge for the interior electronics!
The seats, though, are awesome. Known for bolster tears, but mine have already been repaired and are super comfortable. They’re definitely due for a deep clean though.
Sound system? It’s got the “premium” Monsoon system, which isn’t bad at all for its age. The previous owner even added two ten-inch subwoofers in the trunk, and with a Bluetooth adapter, it actually sounds pretty good.
Interior gets a 6.5/10 from me. If that MFD worked more consistently, it would be a solid 7.
Engine, Transmission, and Mechanical Bits
I’m all about crisp, tight shifting. No shifter slop for me! My Mk6 GTI daily has a short throw and notchy feel that some people find… intense. The 2004 Jetta GLI, when I bought it, was the opposite of intense. It wasn’t terrible, but you could see the shifter move just from acceleration and braking. Bushings were clearly shot. I swapped all the shifter bushings with DieselGeek parts, and it’s much, much better now.
Let’s be real, this isn’t a fast car. 150 horsepower from the factory (boo). It’s no VR6 in the power department, that’s for sure. While the VR6 offers a different kind of driving experience with its smooth power delivery and distinctive sound, the 1.8T is still a capable engine, especially with a few tweaks. Many enthusiasts consider the 1.8T a great platform for tuning and upgrades, offering a different path to performance than the VR6. The VR6, however, remains iconic for its sound and unique character within the VW community.
Some of the hoses are showing their age and are on the replacement list. The OEM 1.8T coil packs are known to be… not great, so I upgraded to coil packs from a later 2.0T engine. The alternator harness was burnt, and so was the fuse box – both replaced.
Underneath, the exhaust was rusty. I had a memorable experience shortly after buying the car when the exhaust pipe after the muffler decided to detach itself while going over train tracks. Spark showers are fun, right? Everything from the downpipe back is now new and stock again.
Pretty sure the heater core is on its way out – heat is weak, and I’m losing coolant somewhere. Not into the oil, thankfully, and not on the ground either. Power steering fluid also likes to mysteriously vanish. On the plus side, the GLI still handles well, especially after new strut mount bushings. Stops okay too, but front rotors, pads, and maybe a left caliper are on the to-do list.
Drivability is about a 5.5/10, which is lower than I expected. Writing this, I thought I’d rate the car higher, because I genuinely do like it a lot.
Overall, this 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLI is a comfortable cruiser, and it gets up to 32 mpg, which is amazing. It’s a solid daily driver as is, but with a few more fixes, it’ll be a fantastic daily. Bringing a 2004 GLI into 2021, relatively untouched from its factory days, is something I’d do again – especially if it was a VR6 model. While it lacks modern tech like built-in Bluetooth and navigation, the Mk4 Jetta GLI, even in 1.8T form, is still a driver’s car. Mine, right now, is about a 6 or 6.5 out of 10 overall. Harsh, maybe, but that’s the reality of project cars. And the dream of that VR6 rumble? That’s still a solid 10/10 in my book.
