In America, DoKas are so rare that even mediocre examples (albeit with a GoWesty engine) can go for almost $40k. In Germany, you can get this amazing VR6’d DoKa for less than $10k. The matte/murdered-out look is a bit past its prime, but if any sleeper deserves a mean rattle-can job, it’s a crew-cab VW van-truck with more than twice its original horsepower. The seats have been nicely recovered, highlighting an interior that is functional if not cohesive. Double bonus points for the home-brew see-through engine cover. Like a Ferrari, but with a window from West Marine! All told, this is a Vanagamino that isn’t clean or perfect, but it’s not trying to be either. It’s made to blow minds and scare children.
Tag: VW
I’ve been watching this Volkswagen Golf 16V come and go off eBay; non-running, it’s ask was likely too high despite the very cool nature of the car and neat build. Unsurprisingly, it’s continued to drop in price each listing. Now from the original $9,000 asking price when it was offered first in December of last year, it’s down to $7,800 Buy It Now. While that’s a substantial drop in price, I think this one still has a way to go before it’ll be snatched up. It’s a cool bit of Volkswagen history, but in non-running, non-original configuration it’s a hard sale and just a pile of rare assembled bits. I’d guess at $6,000 this car would find a larger audience. What would you pay?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Volkswagen Golf on eBay
The below post originally appeared on our site December 22, 2014:
Comments closedToday we have a sweet Rabbit Pickup that has gone through a complete restoration and updated to a rebuilt 1997 TDI motor from a Passat. These were efficient little buggers in the first place, but now it’s got a little more power while maintaining the best gas mileage of any truck out there. It may not be the most attractive Caddy we’ve seen, as the emblemless grille and tacked-on hood scoop scar the front while the innocuous grey has that slightly dull finish marking a budget repaint. But the interior is quite nice with Recaros and a nice wood wheel-and-knob combo, underscoring the fact that this little pickup is built for comfort and utility. With just 15k miles on the renewed package, the seller is looking for top-Caddy dollar, asking $11,400.
Click for details: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup TDI
Comments closedIt’s always a fun day when you see a DoKa in real person. These funny Vanagaminos definitely cut a unique profile, always looking like they should be a commercial vehicle delivering for a home-made hipster artisan honey and hand-hewn furniture outfit. Today’s example was imported from Germany and given a full mechanical restoration along with a new GoWesty engine. That all sounds pretty great until the seller comes right out and says he’s going to break the cardinal rule of used-car pricing: ask for exactly what he put in. It was clearly quite an undertaking to ship this thing from Germany and then get all of its moving bits redone, but that doesn’t mean that you’re going to get all of that money you spent on labor, shipping, etc. back in your pocket. Exterior blemishes underscore the point, showing that this is a nice but imperfect DoKa proposition.
Click for details: 1988 Volkswagen T3 Tristar DoKa on eBay
Comments closed
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?