Couple of questions about the '88 Fox

[NichDaMal]

Good morning. I just got myself a 1988 Fox GL not too long ago that has had a catastrophic gearbox failure of some descript, needless to say it's not moving right now but oh boy does that engine run like a dream. Interior is fairly nice, only a small rip in the driver's seat; otherwise it just needs a little bit of cleaning up and a new shift knob. Anyways, that's only part of my question to which we will cover later.

This is the 4 door fox, aand I don't know too much about it. I've always loved VW vehicles but really never been able to afford one. I got a good deal on this for the condition that it's in. But there is something that's beeen driving me nuts since I got it and I finallyhave to ask in some forum somewhere.. Is the I4 engine in the 1988 VW Fox based on the diesel platform? I don't know why it strikes me as such, but just the way it starts and is designed, it looks and sounds (when turning over and as it fires up)like it originated from the diesel besign. As soon as it's running it sounds like the best tuned darn I4 I've ever heard. (Engine rebuild is less than a year old and has less than a thousand miles on it)

Now about the transmission. I figure it to be one of two things. Either the rare chance that there was a clutch mechanism failure, or the final drive grenaded partially. I won't know until I'm able to pull it, probably sometime next month with how much work schedule is. What I'd like to know is, is this a 'standard' VW transmission? Meaning does it share commonality with any of the VW Bug boxes other than it's a transaxle? Or any other make, for that matter.

While the odo reads I think 226k, the engine has freshly been rebuilt and while the gearbox was working, it passed smog with ungodly amounts of room to spare. I know this car will do me good and be reliable for work and liesure once it's repaired a bit. It's comfortable, it's quiet and once I give it a new paint job (probably back to the same silver it was originally), it'll be a looker 'cause I've got something in mind for the paintjob.

I think that about wraps up my post, so now I leave it kindly to you. any thoughts, opinions or suggestions about this car? Quirks I should know about beforehand? Items of future reliability issue, etc..? Anything would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[lstiffler]

post some pics. the fox is a cool car. i had one for about a year till it suffered "catestrophic gearbox failure" as well. i sold it to a guy for 300 bucks as is. not really sure what went wrong but it was a great car while i had it.