as yall may know, i got a job as a correctional officer. my training starts april 20 in rosharon, tx. i would have to drive there (75 miles) 5 times a week for 6 weeks. i tallied it up and if i drive my truck there and back it would take about $900 worth of gas i found a '97 volkswagen passat tdi 5 speed on autotrader. it has 188K miles and they are askin $3900. i know the engine should be fine that mileage, but does anyone know how good the body/suspension/electronics should be holding up? plus, anyone think they are asking too much?

anyone think this a good idea- get the car, when i pay it off trade it and my truck in on a ctd.
thanks for any input

derekstressedfromallthestuffigottodointhreeweeks

 

I would drive something with less miles until my probation is up so you don't get caned over a break down , after which I would jump in that VW and drive it like I stoll it . Things may be different in Texas , but in the Ohio prison system you had better be on time when you first hire in . My wife works in the juvenal system here in Oh. and likes it and I hope you enjoy the work down there . Just my .02 they are a great car and have owned a few .

 

Hey Derek, why don't you look for a cheapie motel down there and swing a deal for a monthly rate. You could probably get a deal of somewhere around $500-600 bucks/month plus you would not be worn out after a hard day of physical training/driving down 59 in rush hour. It's just a suggestion, but it's what I do if I have a job more than 60 miles from my shop.

When ya gonna start your training so I can stop by and say Hi b4 ya go "down south"??

Gary

 

75 miles? My daily one way commute is 82. BLEH!

 

My one way commute to the office is 45 miles, but since I am an A/C contractor it is not uncommon for me to travel 250-300 miles a day from house to office to jobsite to jobsite to jobsite and back to the house. That kind of day happens 2 to 3 times a week. I guess you can chalk it up to being the boss and having to troubleshoot techs problems they can't figure out themselves or having to look at work to estimate. I guess it could be worse, I could be stuck in an office all day everyday, or worse yet, I could be driving a gasser and not be able to hear my Cummins.

Gary

 

Hey! are you making fun of me? That statement describes me perfectly I need to find a truck worth buying mine's just not doing it anymore.

And if I wasn't in the office all day, how would I be able to post useless nonsense on here all day?

 

im sure u dont get 12 mpg

 

I do

 

i got an uncle that lives in hitchcock and a cousin in dickinson (funny names, huh?), both about 30 miles away. i might see if i can bum a room from them during the week. training starts on the 20th but my last day at wally world is the 14th. its gonna be a long 2 weeks

 

what do u drive?

 

Derel, most CO training sites have an option of cheap living in a barraks. Is that option avaible to you? You could still go home on weekends,

 

the dorms are not finished yet.but if they were, i coulda stayed for free. after thinking about it all day, i have decided to call my uncle and/or cousin see if i cant stay w/ them during the week.

 

Make sure the timing belt was taken care of every 50k? or whatever normal interval mileage for replacement. That's about all you have to worry about. I like the price tag, just make sure it's not too beat up for that price.

JMHO,
brandon.