Auction Watch: 2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Pickup

Find this 2004 Volkswagen Jetta Pickup here on eBay bidding for $10,100 reserve-not-met with auction ending today (Thursday at 4:35PM Pacific).

 From eBay listing:

Item specifics

I am selling my Smyth Performance TDI Jetta Ute, known as the
JettaCamino, that was built on the TV show Lost in Transmission, on
History Channel. I purchased this vehicle from Lost in Transmission and
Top Gear USA host Rutledge Wood last year and have since then done many
modifications and upgrades to the existing build. While the truck was
very tastefully done and the build itself as a whole was of great
quality it was done for a TV show, so things like mechanical maintenance
and fine tuning of the vehicle were not done. I have spent thousands and
thousands of dollars making sure it is reliable and as clean as
possible. It still is not perfect, there are minor flaws that 99% of
people will never notice but it is rock solid reliable, gets 40+ mpg and
blows peoples minds on a daily basis.

In the spirit of being completely honest, here are negatives about the
vehicle:
-The tailgate does not line up perfect on the passenger side
-Very minor, and only surface rust around the topside of the bed. I had
planned on fixing this by doing a spray in bedliner, but decided to let
the new owner do this so he/she can choose how and what style it is
done.
-It has an Airbag light on, and an intermittent CEL, because VW.

In contrast the positive aspects of the build far outweigh the negatives
and in the past seven months I have spent $1500 on a brand new audio
system, plus I have modified the suspension, changed the exhaust, had
paint correction done, replaced damaged interior pieces, redid the
brakes and a ton of maintenance including all new fluids, filters, fresh
alignment and it has been fully inspected by an experienced TDI tech who
has repaired any and all issues the drivetrain had. The interior is in
excellent condition for a vehicle with over 180k miles, the AC blows
cold and the heat blows hot. Even in the city streets(I live in downtown
Atlanta) the truck rides super smooth and rarely scrubs despite its low
ride height.

In January I actually drove the car(uhh…I mean truck) over 1000 miles
in one weekend from Atlanta to Tampa and back. It operated flawlessly
and got 40+ mpg the entire trip. I honestly would get in this truck and
drive it cross country tomorrow, its not only super cool and original
but also very very reliable.

Mod List:
Smyth Performance Ute Conversion
Audi Nardo Grey paint
Badgeless grill
Black housing headlights
ST Suspension Coilovers(same as KW v1)
Enkei Kojin Wheels 18×8.5 front / 18×9.5 rear
225/40/18 Nitto tires front / 245/35/18 Raptor tires rear(80% tread
remaining)
15mm wheel spacers
Straight pipe exhaust(sounds really good and honestly isn’t too loud)
Alcantara headliner, door panel inserts and shiftboot
Pioneer Pioneer AVH-X3800BHS double din headunit
Pioneer PRS-D800 inline amplifier
Hybrid Audio Mirus 6.5″ front speakers
Hybrid Audio Mirus 6×9″ rear speakers in enclosures behind the seats

To replicate this build, done professionally, you would spend over $18,000.

From what I have been told, there is roughly a dozen Smyth Performance
VW Ute’s completed and running around the US, but from what I have seen
this one is by far the cleaned, most tastefully modified and well known
Smyth Ute in existence.

It has been my daily driver for the past seven months and the
functionality, reliability and the pure awesomeness of the JettaCamino
has made the experience nothing short of amazing. The only reason I’m
letting this magical Ute go is I’ll be leaving the US to travel for a
few months and I don’t have a place to store it and the funds would
drastically help with what will be a trip of a lifetime.

If you have any questions you can contact me directly at:
chad@chadbeephotography.com

Thank you,
Chad Burdette