Jetta 2 doors...

This week I managed to stumble across 2 different Jetta 2 door sedans. While at a local record/video store I was passed by a silver 1st gen and late in the week I found a low mileage 2nd gen on a used car lot. Unfortunately, while the 2nd gen is a nice car with a decent price, it has automatic (a 3 speed?). I suppose I'll still go look at the 2nd gen and try to find out how difficult an auto to manual swap is. Car in question is that dark red VW used in the mid '80s with a tan interior.

Auto to manual swap is cake (relatively) if you have a donor car. I've done it once and it took a full weekend in my garage.

Two door Jettas are pretty rare and intensely cool. I had one many moons ago that I outfitted with US-spec 1985 Golf grille/lights (girlfriend and the time said the front looked like a DeLorean - I didn't see the resemblance, but thought it was cool anyway)

2 door sedan? isn't that an oxymoron?

No, traditionally "sedans" have a B-pillar post (as do 2dr Jettas) where "coupes" and "hardtops" had no B-pillar posts.

By the traditional definition, a four door sedan, then, would have a post between the front and rear doors (a B-pillar) where a four door hardtop would have no such post.

A coupe would have either no B-pillar post or a very thin one (think Porsche 911 or BMW 3.0CS). Two door sedans have the same B-pillar post that a four door sedan has. Thus, a 2-door Jetta, Golf or even a VW Beetle would be considered a sedan.

Today's marketing people have muddied the waters a bit with their "four door coupes" such as the Mercedes CLS or the Passat CC. Similarly, every two door car has come to be called a coupe.

SuperBrian's right about the traditional use, but most of the VW folks still call them "coupes". I guess it's shorter than "two-door". Worst thing about the auto to manual swap in an A2 is the pedal cluster. A bear to reach. They pretty much go straight in, since the base car was designed as a manual and modified (trim/pedals) for automatics.

And yes, they're tough to find. The A1s even moreso than the A2s.

72SuperBrian wrote: No, traditionally "sedans" have a B-pillar post (as do 2dr Jettas) where "coupes" and "hardtops" had no B-pillar posts. By the traditional definition, a four door sedan, then, would have a post between the front and rear doors (a B-pillar) where a four door hardtop would have no such post. A coupe would have either no B-pillar post or a very thin one (think Porsche 911 or BMW 3.0CS). Two door sedans have the same B-pillar post that a four door sedan has. Thus, a 2-door Jetta, Golf or even a VW Beetle would be considered a sedan. Today's marketing people have muddied the waters a bit with their "four door coupes" such as the Mercedes CLS or the Passat CC. Similarly, every two door car has come to be called a coupe.

Wow, that's a good explanation!

I still think that the fox wagon was silly for not having more doors

I understand a two door jetta, however.

Back in the day of cars like the Ford Falcon in the early '60s, you could get a 2 door sedan, 4 door sedan, 2 door coupe, 2 door wagon and 4 door wagon, all in the same model (not to mention convertibles). Same for the full size Fords and Chevys of the '50s (which also added into the mix 4 door sedans and 4 door hardtops, which would have been the '50s equivalent of a 4 door coupe).

So yeah, the 2 door Jetta would be a sedan, just like it's 4 door counterpart (and interestingly enough, the original air cooled Beetle was always a sedan, not a coupe)

So, TR3only...are ya gonna come Fahrvergnügen with us? The 2-drs can make really nice cars.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3791200&page=1

I'm still kicking myself because I gave up searching and blew the money I'd saved on wheels before I found one that runs & drives on Atlanta c/l for $700.