Mk1s as your daily

 While it's safe to say that the days of driving your mk1 as a daily driver, 24/7, 365 is over, there's always "an old guy" flogging one locally.

There is said 'guy' in my neighbourhood driving a silver 4 door diesel, and while I don't see it too often, I did see it a couple weeks ago.  He looks to be in his 70s so I doubt he drives it much, but it seems to be his primary mode of transportation.  I took this photo 15 years ago, and that car is still around...albeit looking alot worse...but still around.

The reality is that they are cost prohibitive as dailys at this point, or maybe just illogical.  The comfort level appointed by mk4 or mk5 dailys is MUCH better (although I think the wiper transmission on mk5s is absolute crap in Canadian winters, wishing it was mk1) and much more affordable.  Mark P, my parts guy can't even get mk1 parts anymore through his Napa-type parts house.  I kind of define "daily driver" as a car that has many of its brothers and sisters currently residing in wrecking yards, and having most parts still available at the dealer or Napa-type parts houses....which Mk1s cannot attest to anymore.

I was reminded of all this by the next photo, when I was using my mk1 Jetta as a daily (1999ish).  It was taken after a 14 hour, white knuckle drive from Pittsburg, through the Allegheny mountains during a massive winter storm.  In fact, Interstate 80 was closed and while detouring through Punxatawney, the state police had closed my route home.  I approached the deputy and told him "I'm from Ontario Canada, I drive in this shit all the time" and he reluctantly let me go thru the closed road.  I almost regretted it, as there were spots where visibility was zero and there was no point of reference where the road ended and the ditch began.  It became a feel thru the steering wheel where the crown of the road was.  At any rate, we shaved off maybe 2 hours of the journey home.  The foolishness of youth...

In a recent example, the Red Cabby is back up for sale, having been driven daily over the last 2 years, even in winter, the person who bought it from me, tried to tell me that I preyed an unreliable (34 year old) car onto her.  I was infuriated, but its more proof that MK1s should not be driven daily, especially by nitwits!