1982 Volkswagen Rabbit

Pickup Truck

4 cyl

Manual

1V1KG0175CV077439

Clear

Diesel

Hello, This truck up for bid is in rough shape, but it runs and drives. I've used it a few times, but don't have time or experience necessary to fix it up properly. Please bid if you would enjoy taking on the project of giving this rare vehicle a better chance than I can give it. Pictures organized as such: the first few are of the exterior body, then comes the engine compartment, the interior, some rust, then misc. parts. This diesel truck has been modified so it can also be run on biodiesel as well, which I think is cool. That's a major reason I bought it. I learned a lot about how simple it is to adapt a diesel vehicle to run on biodiesel. I will instruct the winning bidder on the use of the system when the time comes. Issues I'm aware of: Known history: Before I bought it, it was in Colorado. The person I purchased from said it had previously lived in Maine, hence the rust you can see in the pictures. Body has a lot of rust. Rear engine mount is disconnected from body from rust damage. The engine will lurch sometimes when gear is shifted from forward to reverse, and I think it could be stopped by fixing that one engine mount. Parking brake is not hooked up to the handle between the seats. Tailgate does work, but you have to use some persuasion to open it, and have to pull on the handle while closing it. Dome light works, but sometimes the driver's side door switch will get stuck in the "pushed in" position. The heater blower motor has been removed, but is still present. I will leave it in the bed of the pickup. Once the engine heats up (to normal operating temperature) if it is turned off, or (heaven forbid) you stall it, you will have to either wait for it to cool down, or get a jump start. I believe the problem is just bad compression. It has a lot of blow-by (as is probably the case with most engines that have lots of miles on them). Fuel gauge is not accurate (from what previous owner told me, it's probably fixable by removing the tank and replacing it, taking care to position the fuel gauge properly) There's a handy switch on the dash for diesel/biodiesel/biodiesel with in-line fuel heater. The biodiesel (or reserve diesel) tank holds 10 gallons. Fuel lines come from biodiesel tank, through the wall behind the seats to a filter between the seatbacks. From there, they make their way past the passenger seat to the firewall, and beyond to the fuel switch (controllable via toggle switch on dashboard) in the engine compartment. Coolant lines take the same route to the reserve tank to assist in heating the biodiesel for use. I have not as yet attempted to change the biodiesel filter, but judging from the carpet stain under the seats (and the general fast-food-joint smell in the cab), I'd say it has been a challenge for those who have done it. I'd move it into the bed of the truck, or up into the engine compartment if I was to redesign it. I'm an honest seller, and don't want you to have any unpleasant surprises, so if you have any questions about biodiesel, or anything else, feel free to ask questions using the link under seller info. (top, right of the page). Additional Notes: Door on camper has good pneumatic shocks. There are steel racks mounted to the camper shell. You can see in the engine compartment, that the smaller diameter fuel lines, one of the pressurized metal fuel pipes, and the alternator are newly replaced. When running on biodiesel, exhaust may smell like french fries and burgers. Extra parts included are: spare tire and rim 2 studded snow tires and rims bio diesel rotary hand pump tire chains/cables owner's manual repair manual Thanks for bidding!On Sep-06-12 at 13:48:03 PDT, seller added the following information: I remembered some other issues: Relating to the poor compression I mentioned above: The top speed is limited to about 60-65mph on level roads (and more so on hills), so if you plan on doing highway or hilly terrain driving with this truck, you'll definitely want to redo the piston rings and/or cylinders to increase power. The last owner replaced the rear suspension, replacing what was there with leaf springs from a Jeep. They have been welded in place. The windshield has a crack (visible on the driver's side in the picture of the dashboard). Other Notes: The biofuel tank has a heater coil in it heated by the coolant lines from the engine. After driving a few miles, you can switch from diesel over to the biofuel. A few miles before reaching your destination, you switch back to the diesel tank, so that fresh diesel is ready for starting up again. If you know you will not be more than 10 or 20 minutes, you can start on biodiesel, but during the winter months, I wouldn't try that unless I was parked out of the cold weather in an enclosed garage. Biofuel can gel in the fuel lines at a warmer temperature than diesel does. The camper shell is weather-sealed to the body with clear silicone or something similar, in addition to the clamp hardware that fastens it down.On Sep-09-12 at 07:57:04 PDT, seller added the following information: I apologize for being so late to add this, but I have just remembered that one of the tires has a considerable leak, and a second might also lose air, albeit more slowly. I know for sure that at least two do not leak (It sat for about a year and two of the tires still seem full).