1981 Volkswagen Rabbit VR6 swap

The Mk1 Rabbit with the 24v VR6 grabbed a lot of attention last week. Hot on its heels, here comes another one with a 12v VR6 swap for sale in New York. Originally a diesel engined Rabbit, any vestige of economy has been thrown out the window. Equipped with a roll cage, fuel cell and various accessories eliminated to save weight, this thing is itching to get out on the track.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit VR6 swap on eBay

Year: 1981
Model: Rabbit
Engine: 2.8 liter VR6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 65,000 mi
Price: Reserve auction

Up for sale is a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit with a 12v VR6 swap. The car runs strong, pulls hard, shifts smooth and stops great. The car is completely rust free and always has been.

History: The car started life as a1981 Volkswagen Rabbit 1.6L diesel which it is still titled as. (clean NY title in hand). The car is straight and rust free inside and out. (The perfect candidate for a build). A 12v Corrado with around 60,000 miles was used for this build. The engine, gear box, radiator, brakes (4 wheel discs) hubs and axles were used for this build from the Corrado. So yes its 5 lug all the way around. This is not a euro wise or other kit, its all hand welded and braced for strength in all the right areas for proper support. The car handles the power! And could handle more if you decide need be. Anyway, stock engine and gear box, with completely programmable stand-alone engine management system. K+N with snorkel type intake, Techtonics header and Borla muffler. Adjustable fuel pressure regulator and map sensor. Otherwise stock.

Reliable and fun, what more can you ask for. The car was built to be fast and light. No unnecessary weight on this car. No A/C, and no heat. That stuff weighs too much. Small things were removed too like those little cross braces under the hood and the rain tray. It has an eight gallon fuel cell. The battery was relocated to the trunk with battery shut-off switch externally mounted. 6 point roll cage welded in. 5 point harnesses for driver and passenger (no back seat). Schmidt 3 piece wheels wrapped with Toyo Proxes T1R tires with a sweet off set. (front:195/45R15, rear:205/45R15) Adjustable coil-overs in all 4 corners. Upper and lower sway bars. Custom interior, fresh gloss black paint exterior. No dings, dents or other in paint, a quality job. Things we need to discuss: This is a hot-rod, it has no heat, no back seat etc…dont ask me if i have any of the original parts. This car was intended for race use but it never got around to making it to the track, so bumpers, lights, mirrors etc were added to pass inspection. I’m happy with the car except the guy that wired up the dash. It has the Auto-Meter comp racing guage set-up. The important ones work, the others well, not so much. Im pretty sure it would take an afternoon to iron out the simple electrical wiring issues. Its not a complicated dash, simple 2 wire set-up. It never stops me from enjoying the car, I have only needed the tach and temp, they both work.

I’m available to talk to at 845-405-9316. I prefer cash in person. I can help with shipping by making sure the car gets on the truck you send, or take it to a shipping location in a reasonable distance to item location.

Mk1 GTIs are becoming the E30 BMW M3 of the Volkswagen lineup. Every fan wants one. However, those that are modified are not bringing significantly more than what clean, original examples are pulling. Similar to American hot rods, you have folks who have invested a lot of money in engine swaps and various performance upgrades that will struggle to see a return on their investment. It all depends on the taste of the buyer in question. Bidding is light on this one, so it might be tough to meet the reserve. I’d suspect if someone could snag this in the $8,000 to $10,000 range, it would most likely prove to be a hoot on the random track day.

-Paul