1981 Volkswagen Rabbit 4-door with GTI engine and transmission

1981 Volkswagen Rabbit L Description

1981 RABBIT 4-DOOR GTI 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Custom L 4-door
Now it's more like a 4-door Mk1 GTI
LOW CHASSIS MILES
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CAR
1983 gas 8-valve GTI engine and 5-speed close-ratio manual transmission SWAP
H&R Ultralow suspension
Original Paint
Excellent Interior
Wheels: Comes with stock 13" steelies with dog-dish hubcaps
I will also give the buyer the original steering wheel

Clean California title
Check out the pictures below!
BE SURE TO SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN
to see all pictures and to see a list of information about the car

I've owned this car since 2009, and it's basically been a garage queen--just a weekend driver.
I've been torn on selling it, but with more kids now I seldom drive it.
I've driven it less than 1,500 miles since 2009!
I would be willing to meet an out-of-town buyer at LAX or any other LA-area airport.
It's okay if the buyer wants to have the car transported, but I'll need full payment before I let the car go.

Note the 13" wheels with dog-dish hubcaps.
Some people get a kick out of the golf ball "embedded" in the upper-right corner of the rear window
Bumpers are plastic Eurobumpers instead of the heavy Westy bumpers.

FULL DISCLOSURE: When I bought the car, the seller said that the odometer had stopped counting "a few months ago."
My insurance required a working odometer, so I got it fixed.
The bottom line is that this is a low-mileage chassis, but I don't know exactly the true chassis mileage.

Quartz clock works great and keeps accurate time!

ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER!

Owner's manual, sale tags, warranty info, etc.

Records

2 sets of keys

Interior looks almost new.
Carpet-style dash cover comes with the car, but it's not hiding anything bad- note the dash looks great and has no cracks (see picture further down).
Sorry about the switch (attached to red wire) to the lower left. I had accidentally pulled it loose while straightening the floormat.
It is the switch for the fog lights (picture further down).

GTI 4-spoke, 4-button steering wheel is installed, but the buyer will also get the original steering wheel.


Another shot of the front interior.

Dasboard is in great shape.






Clean strut towers.
1983 Rabbit GTI gas JH 1.8 gas engine (and transmission) swap. Twin Dell'Orto 40mm carburetors. MSD ignition. Carter fuel pump.
Scroll down for more drivetrain info below.


Sunpro tachometer

Original headliner is falling down some on the passenger side.



Sunroof opens and closes smoothly

This is the fog light switch.





YES, I have the hubcaps. I just did not have them on when I took this photo.

The cowl has 2 rust spots -- these are the only notable rust spots on the car.
The area underneath the windshield wiper arm has silicone around it.
The smaller area to the left has no silicone on it. See pictures below.





Paint is in good shape, but there are minor dings, knicks and scratches. There is one you can see here on the rear passenger door.


The hood was painted over with a lighter-colored white (don't know why). I left this alone for years.
About a year ago, I tried sanding and buffing a small section to see if the original paint was underneath.
I found that it was. The spot I tried is a small rectangular section on the passenger's side close to the windshield--
you can see it in this photo and the one below.

Here is the section I sampled. I never got around to working on the remainder of the hood.



1981 VW 4-door Rabbit L Custom Diesel w/ 1983 GTI 1.8L 8-valve Engine and 5-speed Transmission

The following is to the best of my knowledge:

GENERAL INFO

·Sold and driven in Southern California since new

·Original window sticker

·Original dealer sales tag

·Original portfolio with owner's manual and other information

·Original blue California plates

·Original keys - 2 complete sets

BODY

·1981 4-door Rabbit L Custom Diesel

·Southern California car its entire life

·Original body panels

·Original paint (original paint on hood was sprayed over, I don't know why
I started to sand and buff to remove, but never got far -- see picture)

·Original interior

·Original stereo opening block-off plate (original non-radio car)

·Clean title

·Euro bumpers (plastic)

·Projector headlamps

ENGINE (swap)

·1.8-liter solid-lifter 8v engine from 1983 GTI
I believe the same engine was used in the Mk1 Jetta GLI

·Dual (twin) side-draft Dell'Orto DHLA 40mm carburetors

·Counterflow intake manifold (possibly BRE?)

·SPA chrome valve cover

·MSD 6AL digital ignition conversion

·Eurosport ignition wires

·AirSport silicon cooling hoses

·Chromed or polished pulleys

·Carter fuel pump

·Holley fuel pressure regulator

·Battery relocated to trunk
Quirk: Gas fills work best slowly

EXHAUST

·Tri-Y header (4 into 1)

·The rest is the stock exhaust (lots of potential to open up breathing here)

TRANSMISSION (swap)

·5-speed close-ratio transmission from 1983 GTI

·Newer shift rod and relay lever

·Newer shift bushings

·Poly rear trans mount

·GTI "golf-ball" shift knob

·Near-new Sachs 210mm SportTuned clutch

SUSPENSION

·Lowered approx. 2 inches on…

·H&R Ultralow adjustable coilovers (with lots of adjustment available)!

oAllows for up to approx. 3" drop

oInstalled in March, 2009

oOver $1,000 for the set!

·Poly rear suspension beam bushings (installed 2009)

·Chrome front strut tower bar

·GTI rear sway bar

·New front strut bearings

BRAKES

·Stock, as far as I know

WHEELS & TIRES

·Stock 13" wheels

·P175/70R13 tires - they are OK, but are at least 7 years old
Lots of whee options for this 4x100mm bolt pattern

INTERIOR

·Original vinyl seats look practically new

·No cracks in dash

·Rabbit GTI 4-button steering wheel installed
(The original red steering wheel will go with the car as well.)

·Original no-A/C, no-stereo car, with original stereo block-off plate still in place

·Clock in instrument cluster still works

·Sunpro 10,000-rpm tachometer with shift light (mounted forward of the shifter)

·Factory sunroof works great and seals well (no leaks)

·GTI floor mats

·I can't recall anything that doesn't work, except driver's doorlock can be finnicky (but still works),
and some of the windows are stiff rolling down (I guess from lack of use)

EXTERIOR

·Original 13" steel wheels with good tires

·Vinyl GTI-like stripes (These have started to come off, and can be easily removed.I just left them on to display the potential look.
Quirk: Parking brake light works, but stays on if parking brake handle is not lowered properly.
Quirk: Seatbelt light comes on sometimes, even when the seat belt is connected.

HISTORY

An original Southern California car that has lived here its whole life!

MILES & TITLE

·Chassis: Odometer reads: 23,050

·Engine: Re-sealed when swapped (2008-ish?)

·Transmission: This is the same transmission that was paired with the engine, so I assume similar mileage

·Suspension: Less than 1,500 miles since H&Rs were put in

·Clear title -- titled as diesel; does not require smog in California

What it's like to drive.

The mechanical choke works on the Dell'Orto carbs, so start-up is similar to similar-era carbed cars.
The engine settles down to a nice, mellow idle.
There is good low-end torque from the 1.8 GTI engine.
Under normal acceleration, there is a cool 4-cylinder growl.

But hit the gas, and listen to those twin little Dell'Orto carbs sing!
This, coupled with the solid clutch and close ratio gearbox, make acceleration a lot of fun.
Not very fast by today's standards, but quick and involving.

Handling is extremely direct and predictable--this thing is on rails.
Grip is surprisingly strong, due also to the car's low weight.
The car is a blast to drive through twisties!
The ride is firm. Steering is stock--which means it is unassisted, so it's heavy at low speeds.

I looked for years for a good Mk1 before I bought this car--it is a great find and I can't
imagine a car enthusiast not enjoying it.

Good luck bidding!

Feel free to contact me with any questions. I can be reached at
gomr2 at yahoo.com
Buyer responsible for any shipping.
If a buyer is flying in from out of town, I can meet you at LAX or Long Beach airports.
Cash only to complete the transaction.
I reserve the right to end the auction at any time