Dogbert
Helsinki Smash Rod
A VW-enthusiastic coworker sent me a local CL ad for a 1981 VW Rabbit Truck, which I had never even heard of before, and said it might be a laugh to buy this and asked if I could even imagine owning one.
Three days later... well, yes, it is a laugh. He went with me on the test drive for moral support (and because I don't do CL deals alone) and we both determined this was the craziest thing I've ever paid US currency for to-date, and more or less on an impulsive whim at that.
... but when do you ever see one of these, right?
Foibles?
- First and reverse were essentially the same gear when I got it, which made for an interesting week until I fixed it... and when I say fixed it, now first and second both require pressing down to get over the lockout, which doesn't always go super smoothly.
- The alternator cable and battery terminals were janky, which meant that the battery died the one time I've needed to rely on it for transportation while my daily was at the body shop... 25 miles (40km) from my house.
- The radiator leaks and the fan temp power wire is basically taped to the positive terminal. Neither of these are ever really an issue, because the engine hardly ever gets hot enough to warrant them. Seriously, it's a chore to put some heat into it.
- There's old and new fluid all over the underneath of the engine and transmission, and I assume all the seals are just gone. It still drives happy, though, so I'm sort of indifferent.
- Actually filling the tank takes about ten minutes, because diesel likes to froth up inside it. There's a lot of slow, tedious pouring involved.
- There is a larger-than-a-fist sized hole in the right front wheel well.
Future ideas?
- I bought a VW Cabrio shell to swap a round headlight non-rusty front end onto it
- I am buying an ALH TDI engine to swap into it
- I'm putting said ALH TDI engine in the truck bed ahead of the wheels and making it MR
Three days later... well, yes, it is a laugh. He went with me on the test drive for moral support (and because I don't do CL deals alone) and we both determined this was the craziest thing I've ever paid US currency for to-date, and more or less on an impulsive whim at that.
... but when do you ever see one of these, right?
Foibles?
- First and reverse were essentially the same gear when I got it, which made for an interesting week until I fixed it... and when I say fixed it, now first and second both require pressing down to get over the lockout, which doesn't always go super smoothly.
- The alternator cable and battery terminals were janky, which meant that the battery died the one time I've needed to rely on it for transportation while my daily was at the body shop... 25 miles (40km) from my house.
- The radiator leaks and the fan temp power wire is basically taped to the positive terminal. Neither of these are ever really an issue, because the engine hardly ever gets hot enough to warrant them. Seriously, it's a chore to put some heat into it.
- There's old and new fluid all over the underneath of the engine and transmission, and I assume all the seals are just gone. It still drives happy, though, so I'm sort of indifferent.
- Actually filling the tank takes about ten minutes, because diesel likes to froth up inside it. There's a lot of slow, tedious pouring involved.
- There is a larger-than-a-fist sized hole in the right front wheel well.
Future ideas?
- I bought a VW Cabrio shell to swap a round headlight non-rusty front end onto it
- I am buying an ALH TDI engine to swap into it
- I'm putting said ALH TDI engine in the truck bed ahead of the wheels and making it MR
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