Final Year Caddy: 1983 VW Rabbit Pickup
This clean 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup is a nicely preserved final-year model that has some tasteful OEM upgrades. Known as the Caddy overseas, these little workhorses were built to give pickup shoppers a fuel sipping option in an era where MPGs were under heavy scrutiny. The paint is claimed to be original, and the seller references a mysterious “Bob White” as having modified it years ago. Find it here on craigslist in Maine for $8,500.
I’m not sure who Bob White is, but he apparently added the MK2 Jetta GLI wheels, Cibie headlights, Hella foglights, and a headboard made out of oak. The Rabbit also sports some OEM mudflaps, and this 1.8L gas-powered example is said to run well. Despite living in Maine, the seller says it has never had any rust.
Tasteful upgrades continue inside the interior, with a clean woodgrain dash, shift knob, and Nardi steering wheel. The three-pod gauge cluster was standard in GTIs, GLIs, and the “Sport Truck” variant of the Rabbit pickup, so it was likely snagged from a junkyard car for installation here. The bucket seats are lovely and the cabin really is one of the best features of this Rabbit Pickup.
I feel like most of these were diesels, so it’s a surprise to see a gas-powered model. I’m not sure what the better option is, as neither is very fast but at least the diesel gets impressive MPGs. No matter what engine you prefer, very few of these are left that look as nice as this one. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Jay for the find.
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Comments
Call Bob White for information. If he doesn’t have it, then go to Helen Hunt for it.
I’m no Rabbit expert, but wouldn’t the gas engine be infinitely peppier than the diesel, with a bit of a loss in mpg?
Yes on both counts.
I have owned both Gas, Diesel and have an electric one now. The most fun is to transplant GTI or Corrado drive train. I really like the G60 supercharged Corrado engines. I like my Diesels a lot and find there power impressive for the 50 of mpg economy. Gas is OK but not a substantial power improvement over the diesel. The only trouble I ever had with my Diesels, was with a nice truck I owned 30 years ago. The truck was pristine but had a lot of miles on it, at about 90MPH the valves would float (weak valve springs) and it would fill 3 lanes of the interstate with black smoke. Get one with A/C and a 4 or 5 speed. Great vehicles when used properly.
Are these really worth the big money now?
8,000 hasn’t been “big money” for a long time, you can spend that much on a paint job today…………..there has always been a loyal following for these in good shape.
good idea, great idea w/cap’n diesel.
Fella here has a few (would like to get’em all back on the rd).
Nice little almost Elcamino. I was a VW tech from ’76 to ’81. I tried to buy one from the dealer I worked at, but all were sold Before they were unloaded! Fun to drive, but don’t put Any weight in it! Had a customer Try to bring home some mulch and bags of fertilizer, plus 2 bales of straw. She couldn’t get the doors open!! These have a 1k# weight limit. That includes fuel & passenger , & small loads Only. Good luck to the new owner and seller!
If only it were a diesel with A/C.
My grandfather has a silver VW truck (think it was an ’82) that was a diesel. Being in middle GA, he had the A/C, but that was probably it… fond memories.
Here’s my Diesel caddy.
I had 3 of them here in the north east and the shock towers in the front would rot out. The rabbit cars didn’t though my vw buddies and I figured it was the rain gutters were the only difference. The fastest I could get out of any of them was about 80 downhill with a big tailwind.
I’ve known Bob White for years, and he is one great mechanic. And a really nice guy too! Anything he does, he does 100%.
I had one of these with a 1.8L 16V engine from a Scirocco to replace the original diesel engine. Fun to drive and capable for light loads only. However it was very cramped on the inside.
A 1.8L engine is a transplant from something else. I am fairly certain this would have had a 1.7L from the factory. The lower molding on this one is not original and resembles the molding found on ’83 Wolfsburg Jettas and ’84 Jetta GLIs.
I’m not positive, but I think Bob White may have written a couple of articles about this truck for European Car magazine. It would have been a long time ago so I could very well have that wrong…
I had a red gas-powered version with the decals on the side that said “SporTruck” in big letters. We were always waiting for it to shoot out spores. The selling auto shop got the a/c fixed but we dumped several recharge bottles of R12 because the guys were not quite competent. (We own about 2% of the ozone hole now.) the 4 speed had about 160K miles and it finally needed a clutch and I got some upgrades installed back then but those synapses are not working very well now: an aftermarket s.stl exhaust and a short shift kit come to mind.
In 1990 my Dad gave me a gas powered silver one with red interior. I was in college and sold my restored 68 Firebird convertible to buy a computer. That baby was a screamer, I mean my 386DX computer. The pick up was pathetically slow on the hill’s I had to drive. I would floor it for the mile leading up to the hill so I could make it over the top without getting rear ended as it slowed down. Fun times. Miss the Firebird! Just bought a 69 400HO Firebird to restore. I will not sell this one for a new computer!