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?
Tag: Pickup
Most of the DoKas we see come with a healthy patina and air of “roughing it.” Today’s is more an exercise in German modification, and wouldn’t be out of place carrying some baddies in Run Lola Run. With a redone interior, pickup bed cover, and newish black paint over late-model Jetta wheels, there’s nothing utilitarian about this. The interior does look decent (if you can handle the orange accents), but the GPS system currently only has European maps on it. That kind of caveat seems to be a theme here, making it funny in a very German way.
Click for details: 1989 Volkswagen Transporter DoKa on eBay
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What price would you be willing to pay for perfection? For most people, restoring a car is more a labor of love than a prudent investment. First there’s the massive amount of time that you need to invest to make the car right; presuming it doesn’t have massive body damage or corrosion, even what many would consider only a reasonable paint job will still cost thousands of dollars. Then there are the countless trim items that need to be replaced, seats and carpeting. Do them right and you’re looking at several thousand dollars more. Move to the suspension, brakes and drive line and another few thousand dollars will be gone. At the end, you’ll receive a disproportionately small amount of kudos for the large amount of effort and cash that you’ve infused into your project. But, it’s a labor of love – so it doesn’t matter that no one else appreciates your work, right? That’s why it’s so strange when these projects go up for sale:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit Truck Turbo Diesel on eBay
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Even though I feel very fortunate to have two cars I love, every time a Rabbit Pickup drives by I follow it longingly. It was an amazing first car – different, a blast to drive, moderately useful, and completely hilarious. There are quite a few still out there that could be acquired for decent prices, but the diesels and the really clean examples have begun commanding some severe premiums. Today’s example isn’t quite the modded-out tuner machine like a few that I’ve written up here, but it’s not an all-original example either. It sits as a nice in-between, with an attractive, low stance and awesome, plus-sized Snowflake wheels. The only other modifications are a duckbill front spoiler and trimmed bumper mounts, creating a subtly unique look that is more of an exaggeration of the original car rather than a revamp. The real story here is that it’s covered less than 100k miles and shows it, with the white exterior clean and the VERY RED interior in great shape.
Click for details: 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup on eBay
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The unique 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD pickup is back up for sale, giving someone with light payload duties one last crack at this classy hauler.