Any suggestions on where to buy a used 16" wheel for a '99 Passat 1.8T? They’re a bit pricey even at the salvage yards.
Craigslist and ebay are two other options. You might call around to tire stores and VW dealers for ‘take off’ rims. You can also get some damage repaired.
You can check your local tire/wheel store for any "take-off"s, wheels that are left behind whena guy upgrades to fancy custom wheels. But I think a salvage yard will be your best bet. That’s a pretty common car, should be able to find one for a hundred bucks or so?
Is it a steel wheel or cast alloy?
How much do you consider pricey? I just bought 4 steel rims and hub caps for $85 off Craigslist. Craigslist is great if you know exactly what you want and can be very patient.
What exact wheel do you need and approximately where do you live? You’ve looked at www.car-part.com?
You cannot buy take-off wheels for a 1999 Passat. They came originally with 14" wheels, as I recall, and the current models have 16" wheels and certainly have a different bolt pattern.
Craigslist or a salvage yard. Assuming you’re looking for steel wheels and not a particular alloy style, you shouldn’t have to pay too much.
Another option is just to buy a full set with some remaining rubber. That way you’re actually buying the tires and getting the wheels for free. Then you can sell the wheels you don’t need on Craigslist.