1982 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup

Volkswagen of America’s small pickup truck offered a unique experience at the beginning of the 1980s; basically, the front half of the pickup was a Rabbit, which meant relative comfort, reliability, easy of use and driving and good fuel economy. In back, Volkswagen stretched the wheelbase nine inches and swapped in a tubular axle supported by leaf springs giving the pick up 1,100 lbs of payload capacity and a six foot bed – not too shabby! They even launched a “Sportruck” model, which gave you bucket seats and some really trick decals that covered most of the side. You also got some amazing options for the period, like a tachometer (wooooow) and a 5-speed transmission. However, even with the 5-speed the 1.7 liter low compression 8V motor available wasn’t exactly going ignite your enthusiast dreams. Unleashing the 78 horsepower would return a not particularly stunning 0-50 time of 9.7 seconds. 60, you’ll remember, was illegal in the United States at that time, so why bother designing a car that could approach it?

Still, the Rabbit Pickup was one of the rare occasions when the U.S. got a desirable model which wasn’t available in Germany. We spend much time lamenting the cars that never came here, so it’s worth while to take a bit of time to appreciate the Rabbit Pickup – especially one in this condition:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup on eBay

Year: 1982
Model: Rabbit Pickup
VIN: 1V1KB0173CV084176
Engine: 1.7 liter inline-4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 60,477 mi
Price: Reserve Auction

Vehicle Description

The Caddy came to fruition when Volkswagen was experimenting with Golf derivatives, an estate and a pickup. Volkswagen of America was interested in the pickup, and Volkswagen released the Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup in North America, produced at the Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant in Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1984. In North America, the Caddy came with two engine choices. The 1.6L diesel and the 1.7L gasoline engine.
This particular Volkswagen comes with the 1.7 GASOLINE engine with ONLY an astonishing 60K ORIGINAL miles and has a clean and accident free Autocheck/Carfax. It has had a FULL mechanical reconditioning after a long term storage. All mechanicals and electrical in good working order.

New Parts Include:

New Uniroyal Tires on Momo 14″ Wheels (Originals Included)
New Rear Exhaust
New Brakes (Calipers/Rotors/Pads/Drums/etc)
New Shocks
New Clutch Kit Including Cable
New Fluids and Filters
New Battery
New Wheels Bearings
New Injectors/Seals/Cap/Rotor/Plugs (Full Ignition/Fuel Tune Up)
Even a NEW Headliner!

Take a look at the pictures below and ask for more details if needed. (Contact info is listed at the end of the photos.)

Preferred Payment: Wire Transfer or Cashiers Check. Please inquiry about other forms of payment.

We do our best to accurately describe the vehicle to the best of our abilities. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are NOT to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the BUYER to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle, and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgement solely. The SELLER shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer’s request prior to the close of sale. The BUYER is responsible for any/all shipment costs involved in transportation of the vehicle. References for shippers are available upon request.

Email or Call with any question you may have. (Please see below for contact info.)

The exterior appears to be Diamond Silver Metallic, and though I’d wager that the interior isn’t fully original but matches well. I like the oddball MOMO wheels that have been fit, and the condition appears to have a very acceptable level of patina for a 37 year old truck. The seller claims a fair amount of recent mechanical work but really there just isn’t a whole lot going on underneath these cars trucks.

The auction is a reserve format and it will be interesting to see what bids head towards. These Rabbit Pickups are desirable as a bit of nostalgia. While asks can sometimes be high, I’d wager the value here to be around $5,000 – $6,000 to the right person. Were it a Sportruck in similar condition, that figure would certainly be higher.

-Carter