1982 Volkswagen Rabbit C review from North America
"Old Rabbits do what they say they can"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
First of all, I bought this Rabbit converted to run on waste vegetable oil (WVO). The conversion was done my a fleet mechanic as a weekend hobby. Most everything was rebuilt in the process. Regarding the engine at least.
Lower Ball Joint was replaced around 110,000 miles.
I had to throw on a replacement horn.
Seats needed shimming to prevent wobble. I recycled the plastic footing off of other seats from parts cars.
Tires upgraded to the most aggressive mud and snow I could convince them to sell me. Lowers the mpg's and rides rougher, but I get up my driveway regardless of weather.
She wouldn't start one cold winter morning, and we had problems. The battery read 12 volts. After pulling and checking the starter and alternator with no solution found, I took it to the mechanic only to find the problem was the amperage for the battery. Volts read fine, but the amps were too low. Most expensive battery I have bought in years.
Transmission is starting to get picky. Doesn't like to go into first. I have found that pushing down like you are going into reverse let's you find it. Pretty scary if you are rolling though, for fear that you will throw her in reverse.
Heater blower works when it feels like it.
General comments?
I was getting 50 mpg in the beginning. The snow tires reduces her to 43 or so.
Make no mistake, the 1.6L is not real powerful. I can maintain 70 on a hilly interstate (I66), but she works for it.
Comfort level is surprisingly high. The mechanic who did the rebuild was a bit obsessed with efficiency, so he removed all of the interior in attempts to get 60mpg. Said he got close, but high 50's was the best he could do.
She runs great on veggie. Gets the same mileage as diesel. The reserve tank was placed in the spare tire well. It is a 10 gallon so it takes up the entire trunk.
I had to modify the rear seat to fit over the lines which are run in the interior. They heat up faster that way allowing for winter running on veggie.
With the two tanks, I can get 800 miles per fill up.
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| 1982 - Rabbit L 1.7 4 cylinder fuel injected A fun little car. Even the non-GTI versions are much sportier than many things on the road |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1982 |
| Year of manufacture | 1982 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 diesel WVO Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 95000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 125000 miles |
| Previous car | Suzuki Sidekick |
| Date of Entry | 11th March, 2008 |