Classic! What a fine little car :)

It is but has taken 3 1/2 years and 2 cars to get to this

Congrats!!!

Thanks alot!

Thanks alot!

Upholstery needs some tlc.

Its really in good shape for being 1 a convertible with holes on the sides bigger then a plate, and 2 from 1988 :P

Do these use regular Rabbit mk1 engines or GTi ones?

hmm that is an all over the place question. Really I think the GTI used diesel only, but if not, the engine progression was a 1.5 in 76-80 then a 1.6 form 81-82 I think? a 1.7 from 83-84 and a 1.8 from I think 82-92. This one is the 1.8 gas engine. The car I had/have before that never worked was a 1.6

It's a convertable? Doesn't look like one, hard or soft top? And are you going to keep the red and black interior colour scheme?
Also we call them VW Golfs here, rabbit isnt a bad name though :3

I think all convertibles have to be soft tops... if not then where would you put the top. The offical name for this model in america is the rabbit until 1984, then it broke into 3 sets, including the golf mk2, the scirocco, and the cabriolet, the last being mine.

I see. But there are such things as hard-top convertibles, they utilize intricate folding mechanisims mainly. They do have to sacrifice boot space (trunk space I think you'd call it :p) and endure some extra weight, but they do exist. See things like the Volvo C70, Ferrari California and SL Class Merc.

The only thing I've heard of even coming close is a T-top, which isnt a true convertable, its a ... well T shaped piece of metal that is removed off the top and so most of the roof is removed, but you have to put it somewhere, like at home cause it wont fit in the car after its taken off unless you put it make on the roof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_4WWh0AH6I example of a hard top :3

I dont think they had anything that fancy in 1988

Heh, yeah, quite right. :p
Thought the Peugeot 402 of 1938 had a fully retractable metal roof... but due to the available technology the rear end of the car had to be as long as the roof was to fit it :P http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped.....Y_IMG_7281.jpg

Neat! Bunnytime!

Well for now.

YEAAAH

^.^

sweet ride but you better check the roof.

but the roof is right there o.o

oh you know what i mean :P

not sure, but it seems to be holding for now. Planning to hopefully have it rewrapped at the beginning of the year.

well the right side doesn't look like it's laying in properly.

Any way great one I'm planning to get one my self. What engine does yours have?

Well that is cause it is quite torn, tape is holding alot of it together. Mine is a 1.8, most of the later models from like 86 onward was a 1.8

at least the rest is ok ;)

although the interior could use some hard cleaning.

some but its not that bad. However I'm not sure how long the foam will last, I'm mainly worried about the back seats.

Huh, so that's a convertible eh... and named the rabbit.

Yes the VW rabbit o.o why is this so strange o.o

Not strange per se, but interesting.

it looks like the vw fox
coolies

Well the fox I *think* came out about this time *1988* but this body type is from 1980, which hasnt changed much except the fuel and electrical systems.

eyyup

Nice set of wheels!

Thanks, I pulled them off the other car.

The paint job looks in pretty good shape, are you wanting a new one because you have something wild in mind? That's a pretty sweet car though, I think another fur I knew, Foxcub, had one and he'd done extensive modding of the engine and it's parts. Plus he removed the black racing stripe on the side as the same thing that happened to yours, happened to his. Perhaps if you repaint it you could make it black to match the dashboard.

No I wanna repaint it dark green like the 1980 I also have in which nothing works. I will try to do a write up later when I have more time but I have a while live journal site dedicated to it, but photobucket doesnt work for some reason anymore.

The chrome stripping will all stay. I have it all between the 2 cars. I have removed some so it wont fall off. It is held on by plastic clips in which have turned to dust in the last 23 years. Also will go is the crappy bumper "kit" that came starting in 1988 and will be put on the bumper of the 1980 to make it look much better. Also it will hopefully will have a proper racing stripe. However alot of this depends on how hard it will be to change the color and how much it will cost.

So, green exterior, faded red interior, and a black dash. It'll certainly be colorful,.

Well i'd love to do the interior but that is so far on the bottom of the list I cant even think about it. Right now its about brakes

Awesome! Rabbits are a great car

They are. I was about to give up on the whole thing after 3 1/2 years of waiting.

wow.. that was a total pile of crap before.. now its so shiney!

=^.,.^+

Well its also another car too most likely.

Well the hard work shows off!

=^.,.^=

Well most of it hasnt been me. Been the mechanic. most of the stuff under the hood is new

dude I love the Rabbiys, but I never bought one cuz some one told me they break down alot. is that true?

Not I heard. The mechanic said they run like forever. like 300,000 miles before a rebuild. Some models have spotty electronics and wiring but that is about it. They are really popular to be striped out and made into racers.

haha well ive always wanted one :p

I'd say go for it except the parts are very hard to get. most of them have been crushed in the last few years and alot of junkyards will only carry stuff 10 years old or less. Also you can find beetle and air cooled parts easier then watercooled parts

The question is, how does it run? And how's the fuel millage?

Runs great for an 88 but it better after all i've had to it. Brand new entire fuel system, including gas tank and injecters. Before I bought it it had a brand new set of axels installed and a a rebuilt 3 speed auto tranny. Then after sitting for 2 years the tranny was pissy so I have to have it broke down and cleaned out so its like new too. new battery and tires. Its a little sluggish when cold but not much and gets warm fine.

The fuel mileage, I have no idea. i'm sure you can look up a standard, but I think those are all taken for brand new cars. But in the week i've had it I'm guessing it has about twice as much miles per gallon then my truck, and my truck was rated new for 16/22

Sounds like a good little car. Carefull when doing the Tranny. Those can be a bitch. Especially when dealing with after market parts.

its already rebuilt, it hopefully will be fine

wootwoot :) i drive a 88 jetta :)

*just noticed your from his birth state :3

Cool, sadly I've never thought the jetta has as much design class as the rabbit or the beetle. But it has a number of the same internal parts.

yup! just take a little bit out behind the b pillar and the same car really.

not completely. The mk1 rabbit was designed by an italian guy and has a very original body shape. The jetta mk1 looked like a volvo and got worse as time went on.

oh body panels front door forward are interchangeable mrk2's anyways:3

yup, but this is still a mk1 :P

first car I ever learned to drive in.

nice. They are extremely rare. I first saw a diesel that a guy older then me got when starting high school. i've thought they were cool ever since. i've always wanted an iconic VW and since the beetles are kinda stereotyped and the fast backs, type 3's and "thing"s are like impossible to find, I thought i'd have a crack at the first water cooled one. However the parts are about impossible to find!

I still have friends all up and down the eastern seaboard who do wrecked cars and salvages... let me know if I can help ya locate stuff.. It may take me a while to reply, but I will give you an answer..

I hope you like red upholstery? I love to own a black shiny car with a beige interior. I got a Platinum one with a grey interior. Upgraded from my old VOLVO 760 to a VOLVO 960. Its a wagon and has a Renault 2.9 engine (Told by mechanic Renault makes Volvo engines).

I never had a rabbit or road in one, German cars are good. Been a Jetta's but the Jetta isn't Volkswagen best. Mainly because the plastic parts break in them. When has plastic been a good thing in cars anyway? Wish they took the time to make some parts more durable like they use too. Take the Toyota sticking gas pedal, its all plastic and I think Friction and heat from a hot day may make the materials gum up.

Time to call Xhibit for a Pimp My Ride!!!!

a french car maker makes an engine for a sweedish car? That is weird o.O. Well alot of stuff from the 70s and 80s had a bit of plastic. some is still durable but there isnt alot of choice on alot of it.

I have a 2008 mk1 1.4l fuel injection golf (check on my page) and I love it to bits. I previously had a mk2 golf that I converted to a drag vehicle (still holds many records to this day)

Firstly there is nothing as fun or nippy as a golf/rabbit. Its is just pure fun to drive, its easy to play with and its still my favorite car of all time. There was a dude here in South Africa that built a golf with 2 engines. One in front and one in the back. ... It was crazy but omg the most fun you could have on 4 wheels.

Very nice ride my friend and may it bring you years of pleasure line mine brought me.

What o.O they made them till freaking 2009! o.O That is freaking longer then even mexico @.@ Where do you get parts @.@ Thats a hard top too o.O The mechanic has one like that, but its a 79 and is about 85% parted out. I think stuff for the most part stopped breaking, I'm hoping to get back brakes finished this weekend, but they are freaking confusing. I did it to the dead car 2 years before, but I have to remember how I did it. I know it takes 2 people :(

Also weird with the 1.4, the smallest I heard of was a 1.5, mines the later 1.8, I wonder why they made it smaller.

But if you know of a place that has new parts please tell me. There is aLOT of things that are impossible to get. The worst is the fuel sending unit. They make them for the 80-84, but the later models are different and there none new at all! I had to get one off a wrecked parts car, so I dont know how long it will last *had to get the gas tank and whole fuel system replaced* Thanks for that info!

I've been trying to hunt down a 1976 Nissan 230Z myself. Unfortunately they're a bit rare.

havent seen any older nissans lately. I have no idea about the nissan community but if its anything like the VW one you can find some mega forums and you can find cars and parts the easiest on there

230's have to be imported. Right hand drive. Gorgeous cars though. I would kill things to have one.