here's one in OKC....under 100k miles

vw rabbit diesel, low miles

VW Rabbit was my first diesel. Here's 2 more for sale in my area:

1978 VW RABBIT DIESEL

1984 vw rabbit diesel


:-)

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

The '78 looks nice. Wolfsburg production - very early

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Cars without AC are just not realistic. Even in the winter you need it for defrost and dehumidification. We are talking about 60-65 mph useful speeds here too.

I have a driveable Rabbit Diesel now and would like to have a truck with AC. The clutch is weak in mine, probably cause I use it for a farm truck. I could use mine for parts.

Rather have a 70 mph car.

How practical is a Dakota with Cummins diesel?

Im still on the lookout for a mk2 golf in which I'll stick a GTD engine + GTI gearbox. There is something about that certain Golf that makes me feel right at home (it was my longest owned, most reliable car - come, hail, storm, flood, snow, mud, avalanche)

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I remember briefly driving a Rabbit diesel pickup back when they were new. IIRC, they had all of 48 HP at your beck and call. Trans Am owners were not intimidated...

I have stopped daily driving my Rabbit pickup, but my Jetta does the heavy lifting. It works for me on my backroads commute, but obviously a big YMMV.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

A diesel Rabbit makes sense if you live in Ponca City. It's a nice place and a good sized town for rural Oklahoma but it is miles and miles away from a real city.

A few runs to OKC or Tulsa each month would be worth going for the extra mpg.

Blah, blah, blah. Keep in mind that few cars were ac'ed till the 70s, and people drove cars in the intervening 70 years or so. I've owned a car with working a/c for maybe four years total out of 16 years of driving.

And just to be clear: a/c is unlikely to work for defrost since the compressor is cut out below 40F or so. For removing mist, hot air with the windows cracked works just as well.

I am coping without it. My morning drive starts at 5AM, so no need there. I park the ugly grey Jetta blob under one of the few available trees in the lot ("won" by the early commute). The drive home involves about 5 traffic lights of any significance so the 55-air works well enough.

If I needed to drive in the heat of the day...no way Ray.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

the only time I use AC is over 90 degrees and only if driving over 50 miles per hour.Never in the city,as it just burns more fuel.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

I am sure you guys must have other qualities people find redeeming. Or maybe you are going to die alone and HOT.

The rabbit gets as good as 37 or so miles per gallon with the AC on high and with a lot of sitting at red lights. My Jeep got 12 or 14 this time of year, stoplight to stoplight. Dehumidification and quality of life are worthwhile goals.

Sometimes I let it idle with AC running for hours out at the farm. Doesn't seem to seriously affect mileage. Makes a good portable air conditioner. Pulls an old snowmobile trailer pretty well too. I sweat gallons, it feels good.

The fuel tank isn't venting on the Rabbit. Anyone know where the fuel tank vent is on a 1981 Diesel Rabbit? It is totally plugged as in it will quit running because of this and it looks like the tank imploded some from vacuum. Is the gas cap vented?

Gotta love the fuel pump on that car. Ever try to collapse a fuel tank through a 12 foot tube?

Totally wrong about the defrost and AC. Run the heater and the AC at the same time and you can keep a clear windshield.

I remember the 70s and wiping the windshield by hand to see a little bit better. Thanks but no more of that foolishness.

Sorry to disappoint...

Not on the pickup. I think the car may be (?)

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

You guys got me started on something. Not always easy to do these days. I just wish you had said something before the tank collapsed. Maybe lost a couple gallon capacity, no big deal.

Up high in the fender well, by the fuel filler, there is a valve in some lines going to the fuel tank. It has to be the vent for the tank, no other plausible explanation for its existence. Took it out and one of the lines going to it was clogged. I'll see if that vents the tank.

Part number 161 201 753. Looks like it is a rollover valve to vent the tank but prevent leakage in a rollover. We'll see.