1982 Volkswagen Rabbit

L 2 door

Diesel

Automatic

1VWBG017XCV083294

Clear

Diesel

Outstanding 1982 2-dr VW Rabbit. 115,500 miles. Desert Tan, with tan leatherette seats, door-panels. Tan carpet. One of the very rarest original Diesels with an automatic-transmission. Fuel-mileage will vary; but, I have obtained in the upper-40s MPG ... and, into the low 50s MPG (babying it). Now, with an updated tuning for more acceleration and speed, I get in the upper-30s. Why? I just can't seem to drive this little baby SLOWLY. It just 'begs' to be driven fast. And, it does. I got the first speeding-ticket (dreaded radar) in over 25-yrs with this car ... and, have owned a couple Porsche 911s during this time-period. This thing really goes like STINK ! (Hence; the "GTI" analogy in the listing title). Don't let that auto-trans fool you. Even the cop that wrote me was incredulous. It has a performance-type exhaust-system. Delivers a raucous, sweet exhaust note. Have had boy racer-types pull up alongside me at traffic lights, asking What-the-heck is in (under the hood) that thing ? Ha! I think the guy that tuned it, also altered the tranny shift-points. Can be driven aggressively with no pre-mature upshifts, as long as the accelerator is down. Like, WOW ! This little car is sooooo much fun to drive. Plus -- it looks like the original Mk-I GTI. (*note: has the cool, desirable, removable head-rests, early dashboard configuration). Upgrade to later-model Jetta 14" alloy-wheels, with Hancook 195/60 R14 tires (less than 5k miles use). Recent oil (Shell Rotella) and filter (Mann). New fan-belt and adjustment. Wipers. Previous owner spent about $5k on it. Have receipts. Like him, I am losing my storage. Hate to see this car not garage-kept. Here is what is not perfect: * headliner starting to sag in rear * passenger-side sun-visor a little 'dog-eared' * upholstery fading * some stains on carpet (can be removed?) * trans/shifter detent indicator trim-panel has small hole * heater control-cable is stiff (heater works great) in operation * no A/C [*sigh*] * window lift-mechanisms (mechanical; not powered) balky ... * a few (very few) 'dings', scratches * needs exhaust-pipe hanger re-attached (one of those rubber dogbone-shaped things, I think ... I may be able to fix this if I can get it on a lift). Car has passed both Maryland and Delaware inspection recently. Also; the starter may need replacing. Why do I think so? Last Summer, after a 2-hr drive in D.C. traffic on a 95? day, the car would not restart. Thinking (correctly?) I figured it (the starter) was suffering some kind of heat-stroke, and would operate properly upon a cool-down. It did. Started perfectly about 1/2-hr later. This happened again, a few weeks later; similar circumstances. As most of my driving is local (10-30 minutes), I have not had this happen since. Two experienced VW mechanics I spoke with, concurred with my diagnosis. Recommend starter replacement. A new BOSCH starter with lifetime-warrentee is about $125 (with core-exchange). You just gotta know that Murphy's Law is gonna kick in, just when you least want it. I shot the pics for this listing on a Spring day here on the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula when pollen and oak tree spores were wreaking havoc. I hosed down, and wiped the car dry to take these pics, quickly. Car has not been 'detailed'. Brake-dust still present on the alloy wheels. Picture of engine-bay shows original stickers still on inner-fender panels. Original undercoat and Waxoyl still present around fasteners. Car is located in Maryland near Patuxent Naval Air Station, a little more than an hour's drive from Washington, D.C. ... about 2-hrs from Richmond or Baltimore ... 1 1/2-hrs drive from Annapolis. $500 deposit within 48-hrs of auction close. Balance due within 7 days. On May-10-13 at 10:15:18 PDT, seller added the following information: Oh. One more thing: those two rubber-elastic things that hold the rear parcel-shelf up, when accessing the trunk? D.O.A. (dry-rot). I use small bungee's, and it does the job. O.E.M. replacements are available ... somewhere online. These things are usually the first thing to break, even waaaay back when these Mk I's were new. Another item: I frequently remove the passenger-seat headrest. Slides right up-'n-out. Convenient. And -- can see better (the dreaded 'blind-spot'). Also, the front passenger seat, itself, can easily be removed. With the rear-seat folded or removed, you have yourself a mini-delivery van. Cavernous. Stealth tip (shhhh ... ) : I occasionally run some Off-Road diesel fuel in the engine. Why? The newer ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel is murder on injector-seals and the 0-rings in the injector pump on these older diesels (not just VWs). I have an '82 diesel VW Vanagon, and do the same. I use that rig as my 'daily-driver' in the construction biz. Have an "Off-Road Diesel Fuel" sticker on the filler-cap. Looks legal-ish.