Amazing 1982 VW Rabbit Pickup TDi

1982 Volkswagen Rabbit Additional Info:

The time has come for the sale of this 1982 Volkswagen Caddy with a TDi diesel engine. Truck gets 40+mpg, and has lots of power, and turns lots of heads. Many pieces on it is new, truck is ready for hundreds of thousands of reliable miles. This truck is truly 1 of a kind for sale, done by extremely qualified and experienced mk1 enthusiast. Binder full of receipts, selling this truck at a loss. Ready to drive across country.

Please read the ad before asking questions, chances are the answer to your question is below.

Some history of the vehicle: ‘82 pickup. Diesel title, meaning no smog or inspections in California. Title is clean. Before restoration, truck had absolutely no rust, as the climate in northern California is about as good as it gets for the preservation of vehicles, no fog to rot out windshield, and no road salt to corrode unibody frame.

Exterior: Truck underwent extensive restoration. Interior was completely gutted, body was reduced to rolling shell. PPG essentials single stage paint was used, a high quality product. A second clear coat was applied over, to gain a more factory look of color with a clear on top. Painted by a show­winning painter, truck looks great in person. All wheel wells were undercoated with 3m body shultz, and cabriolet inner fenders were installed to protect from future corrosion. Body was then reassembled, with restoration or the purchase of a new product for every piece. Since all windows and gaskets were removed, the truck has new front windshield and gasket, rear window gasket for the factory slider ( a rare piece), door gaskets, and window scraper seals. Bolt through vent windows were installed, replacing the easy to break glue in ones, making the truck more secure. New taillights, grille, and other trim pieces. Alarm also installed for extra security.

Interior: New carpet kit and door panels installed. Headliner, along with rest of cab was reupholstered. Headliner board was removed, headliner was applied directly to roof, as a result the truck has an extra 3” of headroom. Padding/sound deadening applied under carpet. Seats are from a ‘91 GTI, they are very comfortable, and have sufficient bolsters, none have gone flat. Heater box and all components under dash were cleaned before restoration. Cabin has absolutely no smells as almost everything inside is new. Dash is in very good shape for the age. Wolfsburg steering wheel. Modern radio with auxilary plug installed, along with amplifier and 6” speakers.

Mechanical: A 1996 passat tdi served as the donor for many parts. The 1z engine, 02a transmission, and wiring are a few notable components. Passat had 141k on it, I have put about 10k on truck since swap. When engine went in, so did many new parts. New clutch, new timing belt and all bearings, new water pump, new n75 valve. Have extensive service records from passat, injection pump resealed at 100k. Tdi engine is ecu controlled, truck is drive by wire, not mechanical. The advantages of having the wiring from donor car are numerous. Truck currently has a stage 1 chip installed in ecu. Has OBD2 port, therefore vag com is fully functional in this 82 truck. Instrument cluster from passat is in dash, all of the gauges and lights function properly.Fuel gauge, oil pressure and coolant level lights work, even check engine light, high beam indication, and turn signal indicators work. Truck has 2 fuse boxes, one for engine, and stock fuse box for lighting, heater, etc. All stock lighting works properly. Transmission is the 02a from the passat, which is a far superior transmission to the one that came stock. Cable shift linkage, and hydraulic clutch actuation were installed, making the truck easy to shift and the clutch pedal effortless. New clutch disc was installed when engine was put in. 100mm inner cvs, much stronger than stock cv’s. 2.5” techtonics tuning cat­back exhaust system mated to custom downpipe. Power steering, making parallel parking a breeze. Mercedes sprinter intercooler, works amazingly well, you can feel the heat on input side, and cool on output/intake side. Front brace was installed to reinforce front end for less body roll. Battery was relocated under bed for better weight distribution and more engine bay room, disconnect was installed in engine bay. Brake booster and master cylinder from passat, modern booster and larger 22mm master cylinder.. Front suspension from cabriolet, truck has front sway bar, neuspeed sofsport springs, and drilled rotors. Handles extremely well, while comfortable for everyday use. Dynoed at 115 hp/ 190 tq at the wheels. In a 2000lb truck, it is a blast to drive, all while getting 40+mpg.

I am sure I am forgetting a few things, but that is a decent summary. The way this swap and restoration was completed was with care, no shortcuts were taken. This truck is unlike all others on the market. Most “Tdi” swapped mk1’s are not done to the caliber of this one, many use stock transmission, and no wiring. Some are not even a TDi, but rather an IDI engine such as a 1.6td or a AAZ.

Price is $14,000. This low miles truck has plenty of life left in it. It is an increasingly rare mk1 pickup, and one of the few survivors still in amazing shape. It has no mecha
nical problems, it needs no work. Once seen in person and test driven, it will sell itself