How to own a VW Jetta!
It made me 
"For the love of god, buy a Mk3!"
How I did it: Well, the short answer would be that I went to see the car, wrote a cheque and then, drove it off the lot.
A more in-depth response would be that I: found the car online, went to see it, inspected it from front to rear, test drove it, (found no major mechanical issues,) deliberated whether or not to buy it, filled out paperwork in triplicate, wrote a cheque and then, finally, drove it off the lot.
Lessons & tips:
- Buy a Jetta that's Mk3 or earlier. The parts are cheaper and the engine is easier to work on.
- Don't get the engine bay sopping wet or you may have misfire issues and be forced to wait for the ignition system to dry. Speaking of which, a can of Wire Dryer helps a great deal with that issue.
- If you have a standard transmission, occasionally check the clutch cable retention clip for wear- mine decided to crack and pop off on the expressway. IMHO, there's not too much worse than a clutch pedal on the floor at 60 mph in traffic.
