1983 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup

I still miss my first car, a white 1981 VW Rabbit Pickup, and can easily recall the smell, the feel of the golf-ball shifter, and the way it liked to be tossed into corners. It doesn’t surprise me that they (along with what seems to be every funky, cool 80s German car) are slowly rising in value. There are pristine examples out there, both original and restored/modified, but the vast majority are survivors that have experienced some swaps and exploitation of the interchangeability of 1980s VW parts. Mine was certainly such a truck, and today’s 1983 example has been kept alive with a healthy appreciation for the OEM+ school of thought. It’s running a 1983 GTI engine, transmission, Snowflakes, and instrument cluster – nothing crazy, but if you like the GTI, you’ll have just as much fun (if not more) in this little hauler. Mk3 GTI seats are a nice upgrade, and overall the little Caddy looks decent and functional even with some like the bed showing age and use. It definitely makes me nostalgic, but does nostalgia make a piecemeal minitruck worth over five grand?

Click for details: 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup on eBay

Year: 1983
Model: Rabbit Pickup
Engine: 1.7 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 94,000 mi
Price: $5,100

1983 rabbit pick up aka (caddy), has 1.7 litre 4 cyl , fresh timing belt water pump .cap rotor, wires truck is in concord nc
plugs, has two barrel webber with manual choke. all shifter linkage and bushings, new motor mounts’
new clutch , new wheel bearings front and rear , has rear disc brakes, gti seats from mk3 and a rabbit
gti instrument cluster with tach, is a daily driver . brakes are new , no low ballers, no tire kickers
.has snow flakes, with good tires, also has 83 gti engine and close ratio trans and two extra dashes to come with . new alt belt with hymejoint adjustment new radiator hoses and coolant resivior.
If you have any questions please email before purchase or to set up a viewing…… would prefer to sell locally……..

Around $4k, I think this would be a steal; $5k opens a lot of fun options in the car market. But when I think back to the hilarious mix of tossable fun, oddness, and capability of my little Rabbit truck, there just isn’t much else out there like it. As the number of survivors dwindles, snagging one with the intention of continuing to keep it going with whatever VW-means necessary sounds like a pretty entertaining idea.

-NR