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Category: Volkswagen

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GCFSB Project: 2002 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Variant Part 2

It’s been nearly a year since I did the introductory piece to my 2002 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Variant. Too much of that year was filled with snow in New England, which allowed me to get one more season out of my pretty tired Blizzaks and dream of warmer climates while pondering what to do. One thing that kept coming to mind was that even though the Passat still feels relatively new to me, the reality is that it’s a 13 year old car already. That’s older than both of my B2 Audis were when I originally bought them – something that I still find pretty staggering. As such, there’s a length list of minor things that could be refreshed on the cars, and unlike the lack of aftermarket support for the Type 85 Audis the Passat still has lots of parts available to buy on the open market. Thus, sitting through one of the many snowfalls this year, I crafted some minor upgrade plans to address a few trim items that annoyed me.

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1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup Diesel

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When you see copies of your first car on the road, do you get pangs to drop everything and go buy one? I do, and will always feel fortunate that my first year of driving was spent in a car as unique as Rabbit Pickup. Look around at the trucks available today; even the well-reviewed “small” Chevy Colorado is a pretty substantial beast. How great to be able to throw your stuff in the bed of a truck that weighs about a single ton, gets 45 mpg, and looks as good as a Mk1 Rabbit? Unless it’s a mediocre example for stupid money, I’m itching to get back in one. Today’s bronze Caddy gets me all hot and bothered as it looks exceptionally clean and comes with some serious Mk2 upgrades. The turbodiesel 1.9 liter is a significant improvement over the 1.6 non-turbo from a decade earlier, and this one also comes with the seats, steering wheel, and transmission from the donor 1992 Golf. The side graphics (which almost give a wood-panel look on the bronze paint) and front bumper delete help to make this funny little truck extra-unique.

Click for details: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup on eBay

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1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

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The Jetta GLI has always been a object of desire for me. While the GLI really gained fame with the Mk2 generation, it was a final-year offering on the excellent first-gen sedan, bringing most of the GTI goodies to the 3-box setup. This red example has been with the same owner for the last 15 years and is looking pretty darn good on BBS 3-piece rims with what look to be like-new Euro bumpers and front lip. The interior also looks outstanding for being over 30 years old, but a few blemishes inside and out keep this from being a perfect package. A small rust spot, mismatched tires, and paint issues on the roof are all fixable but indicate the projects will continue.

Click for details: 1984 Volkswagen Jetta GLI on eBay

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1971 Volkswagen 411

It seemed that Volkswagen was undergoing a bit of an identity crisis in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With the perennial Beetle getting a bit long in the tooth, VW was seeking a way to go from strength to strength in the sales race with a new model. How to go about that, however, was anything but clear. The Type 4, or 411 as it was known, was VW’s largest passenger car so far, available in a two or four door form with a fastback style or as a 3-door Variant. Just over 100,000 of these 411s were sold in a four year span in the US. That’s far from a sales flop but pales in comparison to the almighty Beetle. By 1974, the Passat, or Dasher as it was known in the US, would arrive on the scene and thus would begin the slow march towards the end of air-cooled engine production.

It’s rare to spot a 411 on the roads these days in any kind of condition, but this one for sale in New Hampshire has escaped the ravages of New England winters and Father Time. Rarely do you see one this good come up for sale.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1971 Volkswagen 411 on eBay

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1990 Volkswagen Golf GL Euro-Spec with 34,000 Miles

I wonder when the Mk.2 market is really going to blow up. For some time, it’s been the A1 models and Sciroccos that have really drawn the big money. Of course, on the other side the Mk.2 market is bookended by the Corrado market, which has always been quite hot. But the 1985-1992 Golf was a very popular platform; I had one, my friends had them, and we drove them hard and turned them up. They were European style on the cheap, versatile and economic hatches that were fun to drive, reasonably reliable and just different enough from the norm to make you feel special. But today, 23 years after the Mk.2 left U.S. shores, there are precious few left in good original shape. I don’t think that the Golf was ever intended to be a collector car, mind you – but then, neither was the original Mk.1 Golf, and those have certainly proven their staying power. However, in Europe, the Mk.2 crowd is – if anything – much stronger than it was in the U.S., and since Volkswagen sold more of the later models in Europe and they’re now becoming import legal, it seems appropriately time that these models start sneaking over to these shores, primed to take advantage of a surging 1980s market:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 Volkswagen Golf GL on eBay

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