going to check out a vw pickup next week that seems in good shape from pictures and wanted to know there was any common issues in the pickup i should look for that are not found in other vw models. Its an '81 gasser with a listed 120k miles for 1800 obo. I am really going to look it over for any indication of rust under the paint but as far as mechanics are concerned i am going to be way out in left field. I have my rabbit TD but dont know much about the old gas engines. any input or suggestions would help. hope its okay to ask for help even though its not diesel but i figure this would be my best bet for getting good advice. thanks
Contact Duane aka blkboostedtruck. Lots of caddy knowledge there. Also look up.........ahhhh, late night brain cramp.....steward something... He has a sweet silver td caddy 2.0.
Rust is the enemy of thoe trucks. strut towers etc...
Rust in the strut tower area, the windshield area, or the rear cab corners is a no-no. Electrical issues are frustrating, but fixable.
Rust in the strut tower area, the windshield area, or the rear cab corners is a no-no. Electrical issues are frustrating, but fixable.
X2. The rust in the strut towers usually appears in the pass side. Look carefully under the fender, and in the crook where the inner fender meets the firewall. Any sign of "surface" rust in the inner fender or strut tower area, can be indicative of more-comprehensive rust between the sheet metal plates.
Floor rust does occur, but that's pretty easy to fix. Strut tower rust takes more time/patience to fix properly.
Gasser? These pickups have fuel tanks which internally rust with regularity. I bought a new pickup in '81 and the tank rusted in '84. Back then, I could buy a new factory tank for like $130.
When the tanks rust, the rust particles are so small that they pass right through good Bosch filters and then destroy the fuel distributor head, injectors, and the warm-up regulator. I learned all of this the hard way.
This past year, I sold my '81 diesel pickup to my best friend. The pickup hadn't been used very much for a decade. It always had a half tank of fuel in it. THIS tank also rusted as it sat.....I thought this would be impossible with a diesel....I was wrong. That sale put our friendship in a very cold place. I had to provide another fuel pump for him after the original filled with rust. Luckily, I had an original out of another pickup that I had acquired years ago.
Now, before you ask, NO I did not have appreciable amounts of water in either of these tanks. Actually, I never saw any water in either of them when I drained them out.
When I made the leap to Mk. II VW's, I originally laughed about having a plastic tank....not anymore. This is my experience with the pickups. I wonder if any of you other fellows have also experienced this?
??
Look at my build thread.
It rusted pretty much anywhere a truck can
http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=9396&highlight=getting+rid
:lol: 
They don't get QUITE that bad in the US (unless they're from Maine, Rhode Island, or Michigan).
I just parted a 1980 Rabbit pickup: all original except for the rust and rust repair. The tank was perfect. So, I don't know what was causing that other guy's issues. On the Rabbits (esp the Cabriolets), people would swap out the original gas cap. This would lead to leaking water into the tank, rotting the fill-tube, etc. If you have a good gas cap, there really shouldn't be a problem. I've never heard of anything like that on a pickup before, so I wouldn't stress on it.
hey thanks guys ill take all your advice and apply it well.
hey thanks guys ill take all your advice and apply it well.
well if you find one near you live and it's been there all it's life! chances it will not have much structural rust issues prolly just light surface rust from old or chipped paint but i'm sure it would need a windshield seal replaced thats where the water usually leaks through first and always on the fuse box
and i'm sure you know how the sun down there dries out rubber!
always with a flash light look under the dash each side and check for indication of water leaking or rust stains!
Duane