Volkswagon Rabbit (Diesel, 1981

[KaNGiX]

Hey guys was just scanning around looking for fuel efficient vehicles. I ran into these old early 80's trucks. Anyone ever have one? While shes no looker like the VX at the quoted 45mpg mark she'd be a prime work truck.

http://www.mpgomatic.com/45_MPG_Pickup_Truck.html

I'll be getting a promotion to a company wide QC job and will be expected to drive around 800 miles a week. FL to NY. Not only that it stop the beating from my izusu.

[tom4bren]

The white-walls definitely make the truck.

[Ldub]

A friend of mine had a diesel Rabbit (not pickup) & IMO, you should also have a support vehicle to follow along behind it to pick up the pieces that fall off.

However, it would be a GREAT car if your favorite thing to do is wrenching on vw's.:_wrench:

[Techy-D]

A co-worker had a Rabbit and his dad had a pickup. I drove the rabbit a number of times on long trips (6 or 7 hrs at a time). You could feel the ride (Kinda like my old gremlin), but it wasn't all that bad. The thing you notice is that it had almost no getup and go, but you could lug it up any hill.
They both loved their rigs and ran them for YEARS and YEARS and MILES and MILES! They either lucked out or they were reliable???

[Bulldoggie]

I had a rabbit as a driver....
top speed about 70mph felt like it needed another gear.
I averaged 53mpg or 500+ miles per 10 gal tank of fuel.
I put KYB gas struts at all corners, made the car handle great.
I also put two replacement engines in. Due to overheating.
In hindsight, I believe this is due to the cloth wound hoses would steam the coolant out, even though psi test were normal and no leak visable.
Diesels run about 225F
I still concidered it to be a FREE car, paying for itself through fuel savings

And stick with a radio, it rattled two high end tape decks apart

[Zorak]

You might have trouble fitting inside it if you are taller than about 5'10"...that seat doesn't travel back too far before it hits the rear wall of the cab:(

[KaNGiX]

While it is god awful ugly at them MPG i figured on a low end id save around 10K a year in fuel. Id do my job in the clown suit at them saving.

As far as turning wrenches that be the last think id want to do. Id hope one of the better shape trucks would hold up.

Man 53 MPG thats crazy i almost thought it was BS when i read 45.

"You could feel the ride (Kinda like my old gremlin)," What do you mean as in its a ruff ride?


"I also put two replacement engines in. Due to overheating." - Was it pretty expensive to have them replaced?

[KaNGiX]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___1981-Rabbit-Diesel-Pick-UP_W0QQitemZ190225384343QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQ QddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190225384343&#ebayphotohosting

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___Black-Diesel-1981-VW-Rabbit-Truck_W0QQitemZ320255685727QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20Truc ksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item320255685727&

I think the second one (black) makes the extremely ugly truck ugly but not as bad as the one with whitewalls.

[Bulldoggie]

"I also put two replacement engines in. Due to overheating." - Was it pretty expensive to have them replaced?

About $1k installed each time, for new long blocks.
Of course this was in the '80's prices.

Hot VW's magazine will have newer prices.


BTW My low mileage like new price was less than 3k
I would buy another VX and push it, before I would pay 8k for a made in the USA VW, that is pushing 30 years old

[KaNGiX]

VX @ 13mpg / year - $12,688
@ 15mpg / year - $10764

Rabbit @ 45mpg / year - $4420
@ 50mpg / year - $3380

@ 4$ Gas / 5$ diesel x800 miles per week

Not sure if diesel price is right but its close. My big question is why isnt there more vehicles likes this made or being made? While im sure it lacks alot when all you need to do is carry a 28' ladder its a dream. Minus its terrible look & age.

"BTW My low mileage like new price was less than 3k
I would buy another VX and push it, before I would pay 8k for a made in the USA VW, that is pushing 30 years old "

How long ago did you sell yours? That was just the nicest looking one i found. Like you said 8k for 30 years old is kinda scary.

[johnnyapollo]

I had a rabbit for a while around 1982 - wasn't a bad car at all. Actually that light blue beast shown is so ugly I kinda like it.

-- John

[Bulldoggie]

"BTW My low mileage like new price was less than 3k
I would buy another VX and push it, before I would pay 8k for a made in the USA VW, that is pushing 30 years old "

How long ago did you sell yours? That was just the nicest looking one i found. Like you said 8k for 30 years old is kinda scary.


I sold it about 1991 for less than 2k.
A friend bought a 5 speed with a sunroof for less than 1300. about the same time. (ran good, no dents) A few months later, he ended up with two and couldn't get one to run! (fuel rail problems)
I'm not saying they are not good drivers, just not worth $$$$$
I upgraded to the Mazda Miata for a driver
Another common problem, was an occasional small leak from the windshield onto the glow plug relay. (door seals too tight, no place for air to escape)
No glow plugs=no starting. Have a spare handy, about $50. then.
Another relay to buy, the intermittent wiper relay. you removed a limit stop on the wiper switch to use this relay. (shows how "Spartan" they are made)
The Expansion joint in the exhaust (muffler size) get the braided version with the lifetime warranty.
These were basically gas engines converted to run diesel, I think the TDI's are a better engine, but I have not owned one.
Isuzu made a small diesel truck, called a "Pup". Probably more rare than a VX.

[Techy-D]

[QUOTE=KaNGiX;128339]
"You could feel the ride (Kinda like my old gremlin)," What do you mean as in its a ruff ride?

QUOTE]

How to explain it??? I guess being that it's a short wheel base, fairly light, and not a lot of sound dampening material, you tend to feel & hear a lot more of the road. You could feel bumps, wind gusts, and vibrations through the steering wheel, seat, and gear shift,... Not that it was super obvious, just over time. Not that it's a rough ride (like our VXs), just seemed to wear on you after a while, maybe more like driving a stockcar that is all about business rather than comfort. Hey don't get me wrong, I loved my gremlin and still own it, its just that I don't think I would love taking it on a 500mile trip anymore. Having said that, I'm also pretty cheap and would do a lot of things to save a few bucks.:bwgr:

[kodiak]

I have a 93 Ford Fiesta that has a real nice Mazda drive train. I can get up to 50 mpg on that thing. Its light les then a ton and can seat 4 people. It’s like driving a gocart and is about as ease to fix a lawnmower. If you can find one I highly recommend getting it.

[KaNGiX]

Hmmm a Ford Fiesta with a 32' ladder.

Boy talk about a gut buster. I get some comments when i have the 28' on the VX.

[Zorak]

I have a 93 Ford Fiesta that has a real nice Mazda drive train.

That would be a Ford FESTIVA (actually made by KIA), not a Ford Fiesta, that was made by Ford in Germany. I have owned both, but the Fiesta is the one I would like to find again; they are hard to locate now though.

[kodiak]

That would be a Ford FESTIVA (actually made by KIA), not a Ford Fiesta, that was made by Ford in Germany. I have owned both, but the Fiesta is the one I would like to find again; they are hard to locate now though.


Your right, It was made by KIA. The model was designed by Mazda they called it the 313. I was in Vietnam about half a year ago and there where KIAs every ware.:p

[vx spouse]

This post strikes a cord in me since I was a die hard VW fan up until a few months ago (more on that later). I owned a 84 Jetta with the then rare TURBO-diesel engine & 5-speed stick in college. At the time was dating a girl approx. 125 miles one way and would visit her weekly. The ride was nothing horrific compared to small, light weight vehicles of the period. Always got 50mpg or better living in Philadelphia, got 61 mpg driving the NY Thruway going to Niagara Falls. Pretty peppy with the turbo and extra gear keeping the ratios closer in a 1800lb 4 door sedan. Previous post was correct as I went thru 3 Blaupunt head units in 4 years with the car due to the engine vibrations: don't even consider installing a CD player! Vibrations also cause the front engine mount to fail regularly. Other than that, the basics are truely bulletproof in these vehicles as the listings for 300k+ mile are common place. Basically the peripherals turn to dust as the driveline runs on. As you can see from the attached links, unlike the VX, their value appreciated even after 25 years & 100k miles due to demand for fuel efficent vehicles in general and their reputation for durability. Could probably save a few bucks on a Rabbit, Jetta, Dasher, or Quantum as the Caddies seem to command the highest premium, but much harder to carry that forementioned ladder in one of those.
As far as the modern VW TDIs: Stay away. Just traded in a 2006 Jetta TDI I bought after only 16 months. Quality control in VW hasn't improved in those last 25 years. Intermittant electrical glitches, poor water seals, and the car living for months at a time in the dealership lot awaiting a part is no longer acceptable even in American cars anymore. The engines still last forever, but you expect more from the surrounding parts in a $29k car.
Rant over.

[taylorRichie]

I'm a huge fan of VAG vehicles...

I had an Audi A4 (just sold a few weeks ago).

But one thing I've learned is they're very hit or miss.

My brother has an A4, has had the engine replaced, the turbo replaced, a ton of suspension etc. done.

I've had very little repairs and my turbo failed at 125K miles and I was overboosting. So I forgive them :D

Then My other brother had a passat and had nothing but problems, so VW actually purchased the vehicle from him to figure out what the issue was because they tried to fix it 3 times, at one of their main Build facilities (I guess) in Denver.

If you get a lemon they're very very bad, but if you get a good one you can easily go 200K+ miles.

The TDI is nothing short of amazing IMO it's a shame diesel did what it did because I thought it was going to be the wave of the future. They're getting better than Hybrid MPGs and the power output is killer.

My sister-in-law had a VW Bug TDI and when she first got it diesel was just barely over a Dollar per gallon.

VW I think continue to impress and innovate without jumping on the hybrid bandwagon.

E85 is a Joke

Hybrids are getting really good and I have no issues with the current gens (batteries are way better than when hybrids first came out)

But TDI is still killer a V10 volkswagen toureg TDI would be an awesome vehicle that I'd drive anyday.