I spent about a month looking for a Jetta to convert. I chose a Jetta for a few reasons:
- I owned a 1997 Jetta from 1997-2005. I knew it was a car I would be comfortable in.
- The Jetta has a really big trunk considering its size. The seats fold down so the trunk area can be accessed from the front and back.
- Mid 90s Jettas are old enough now that they are relatively cheap.
- I needed a 4 door so my son could sit in the back and be comfortable.
- It was a very popular car in southern CA. Parts are still easy to get and not too expensive.
I looked at several used cars. I wanted to get a 2.0 4 cylinder engine. The mounting holes on the 020 transmission are the same as on the VW Cabriolet. Several Kick Gas Club members have Cabriolets and the adapter plate and hub are available from a few vendors.
Trying to keep up with Craigslist classifieds was pretty frustrating. Some sellers were flaky. Some cars were in really bad shape. Some cars had questionable titles (i.e. the seller was not the person on the title). Some cars sold very fast.
I found one 2.0L Jetta that was in pretty good shape, but the deal fell through. After that, I decided to expand my search to VR6 models. I knew it meant getting a custom adapter plate made, but it also meant getting a car with upgraded brakes and suspension. The VR6 Jettas on the market tended to be much cleaner than the 2.0L models I had seen. They were selling for a little more, but I think in the end it was worth it.
I found a green one in Chula Vista. I called the seller in the morning and looked at it at lunch time. It was clean and straight. It had been repainted, which seemed like a good sign to me. There was some irregularity with the title, but given what I had seen up to then, I decided to take the risk.