Older Cabriolet

[Rabbit TD]

I just saw a real nice older Cabriolet in a guys yard a few miles from here for sale.  I don't know what year it is yet other than it looks like it has the older style front end on it.  I can't find anything on Kelly blue-book back past 89, what years did they make these things.  An 89 Wolfsburg Edition pretty well equipped in Good condition with 150,000 only shows it's worth $1,340, a couple hundred more for an automatic which I sure hope it doesn't have.  They are just basicly a Rabbit aren't they :?:   I was thinking about grabbing it if it's in that price range and maby putting my new T/D in it and leaving my 81 N/A Bunny as is.  If it's 89 or older in Md. you can put Historic tags on it and then be exempt from the emissions test which putting a diesel in it would complicate things.  I'm not crazy about cloth tops and especially automatics but I'm also thinking about finding another good body in case anything ever happens to my Rabbit which I have 2 rebuilt engines for and nothing to put them in if something bad ever happens to it.  This car looks exellent from the road, alloy wheels and all, what do you all think of a T/D Cabriolet combination, 5 speed of course :roll:

[Dakotakid]

Don't hit a deer at speed.

[the caveman]

the worse thing about those ones was the fuel system-leaking pumps etc etc etc . they are much stronger than regular rabbits and in the late seventies when the only production convertibles available in North America was the rabbit and a rolls royce ,the rabbit's top was way better made. plus almost all the parts are rabbit.

[Rabbit TD]

the worse thing about those ones was the fuel system-leaking pumps etc etc etc . they are much stronger than regular rabbits and in the late seventies when the only production convertibles available in North America was the rabbit and a rolls royce ,the rabbit's top was way better made. plus almost all the parts are rabbit.

I never gave it a thought abbout them being stronger.  I guess they would have to beef p the unibody being a convertible wouldn't they?  The main thing I am interested in it is the fact that it does have an execllent body and is a nice lookig car and I was thinking bout grabbing it to put My new T/D in and leaving my 81 N/A Rabbitt as is.  I don't know if it is a five sped or not but I have all the parts to swith over other than the pedalassembly which I have acces to those parts as well.  I doubt if there would be much of a problem converting it to diesel would it.  The only thing that  bothers me though is that I'm not real crazy about convertibles and they seem to always be a taget for vandalism too.  I wonder if the automatics axels are different than the 5 speeds.  Were those automatics 3 speeds, I imagine they are.  I hate to pass it up because the car looks so good and I'm affraid I'll never find another body as nice as this one,  alloy wheels and, all, to put my other diesel in and Kelly only shows it being worth $1340 in good condition and probably could get it for less times being what thy are now.  I kind of hope he has it sold by the time I  look at it ifyou know what I mean :roll:   Maby just a nice golf would be a better candidate if I could find one as clean as this but this car is super nice from what I've seen of it.  What do you all think of a T/D Cabriolet set up.  Maby I would even like the gas engine but that's sacreligous isn't it :lol:

[dillenger1]

Sounds great.Vw never put the diesel i the cabrio's.Due to the exhaust i imagine.I love the smell! Do it.

[the caveman]

Sounds great.Vw never put the diesel i the cabrio's.Due to the exhaust i imagine.I love the smell! Do it.

They did in europe, at least in the mk3's.
The differences in the axles may be just the size of the c.v. joint. On the auto they may be bigger. east to fix when everything's apart, just compare the flange sizes of the transmissions.

[arb]

Sounds great.Vw never put the diesel I the cabrio's.Due to the exhaust i imagine.I love the smell! Do it.

I'd go for it !! The main reason I got a Rubicon was the rag top !!

VW does not even sell the TDI in the US with the new Beetle convertible. Too bad.

[Rabbit TD]

Sounds great.Vw never put the diesel I the cabrio's.Due to the exhaust i imagine.I love the smell! Do it.

I'd go for it !! The main reason I got a Rubicon was the rag top !!

VW does not even sell the TDI in the US with the new Beetle convertible. Too bad.

Well I went up today to look at the Cabriolet and I couldn't believe the condition of this car, it is imaculate.  I still am not sure what year it is because the owner wasn't there but I snooped anyway and it is a 5 speed and is also the Wolfsburg edition and shows 82,000 on the speedometer which I believe is right from the shape the rest ofthe car is in and is 100% original. The top, paint, interior everything is perfect on it and I wouldn't be afraid to enter it in a car show.  The sad part is that he wants $3,700 from what the sign on the window says.  Kelly shows it worth about half that for one with 150,000 on it but this one only has half that. I don't really want to spend that much just to have a spare body right now and really the shape that car is in I would hate to do a motor swap on it and change it's original condition and value.  But if I didn't have my Rabbit which is in real good shape, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat, I doubt there is one in that condition within 500 miles from here.  I hope he sells it soon, I have to drive by it everyday and drool.:cry:

[maxfax]

I been looking for a Cabby to swap a diesel in for a few years now..  A rag top that gets 40+ mpg would rock!  But I seem to keep running into the same problem.. Too nice to molest, or too far gone to deal with..   Or else the most common, prime candidate that the owner wants to much $$$ for... :x

[Rabbit TD]

I been looking for a Cabby to swap a diesel in for a few years now..  A rag top that gets 40+ mpg would rock!  But I seem to keep running into the same problem.. Too nice to molest, or too far gone to deal with..   Or else the most common, prime candidate that the owner wants to much $$$ for... :x

How much do they ask for in your area for a super nice one, I swear this car doesn't look over 3 years old the shape it's in and then it would have to been in a garage and it's about 20 now.  It's like you say though that most of them are rusted to pieces or in show condition.  I think that car would worry me to death though about somebody slashing the top and getting nicked up and such but DAMN it's pretty.  I'm mainly just thinking about what to look for in case somthing happens to my Rabbit because I have a new T/D for it and a 35000 mi. rebuilt N/A in it now.  I just wonder how hard it would be to find something like a Golf or Jetta if I ever need one 20 years old or more to be able to use the historic tags and be emission testing exempt, or newer with a disel already in it which are also exempt.  How does the $3700 sound compared to your area with one in such good condition which from Kellys description choices I would have to call excellent but is priced $2000 less than what this one is.  I haven't talked to the guy or anything, and am sure he would come down some but I wonder what is reasonable for something like this and if Kelly blue book should even be used as a guide for a car of interest like this and now considered Historic in Md.

[maxfax]

It's been a while since I've seen a really super nice one, but the last one I went to look at they were asking 4 grand...  It was probably pretty comparable to the one you are looking at, and I think they would have come down to $3500...  On average they pop up in the papers and on craigslist for anywhere from 1500 to 2000 bucks.. Those are usually nice driveable ones that may need a few odds and ends.. I stumbled into one for $1000 (what I'm looking to spend roughly) that was high milage (250K +) and a bad clutch but a pretty nice body and interior..  Unfortunatley I was beaten to it.... :evil:

KBB and NADA are probably the worst places to look for a price when buying something privately like this, especially their "classic car" pricing.. ..    Many times I've seen cars on ebay going for twice or half of what the blue book says.. Craigslist seems to be the same way.. But whichever way it goes that's a pretty good real world sampling of what people will pay...

[Rabbit TD]

It's been a while since I've seen a really super nice one, but the last one I went to look at they were asking 4 grand...  It was probably pretty comparable to the one you are looking at, and I think they would have come down to $3500...  On average they pop up in the papers and on craigslist for anywhere from 1500 to 2000 bucks.. Those are usually nice driveable ones that may need a few odds and ends.. I stumbled into one for $1000 (what I'm looking to spend roughly) that was high milage (250K +) and a bad clutch but a pretty nice body and interior..  Unfortunatley I was beaten to it.... :evil:

KBB and NADA are probably the worst places to look for a price when buying something privately like this, especially their "classic car" pricing.. ..    Many times I've seen cars on ebay going for twice or half of what the blue book says.. Craigslist seems to be the same way.. But whichever way it goes that's a pretty good real world sampling of what people will pay...

Thanks for your answer, that's what I am looking for in that price range too.  I really wouldn't care if it even has an engine in it because I would be changing it anyway and it will be mainly a dailyy driver, not somethng to give me ulcers worrying about every little nick and attracting too much attention for somebody just to mess it up.

[maxfax]

 I really wouldn't care if it even has an engine in it because I would be changing it anyway and it will be mainly a dailyy driver, not somethng to give me ulcers worrying about every little nick and attracting too much attention for somebody just to mess it up.

X2 on that...   I was at the bone yard about a week ago..  They've had a few cabbys floating there for a while..  Most are there for a reason.. But this time though they had an 87 sitting there.. Looks to be a fresh kill.. Top looked pretty nice, interior had the normal wear and tear (needed seats bad!) but overall it wasn't rusty ot dented other than typical parking lot dings..  Odometer read 179,000 miles..  Opened the hood and the head was just lying under there, looked to be a casulty of a broken timing belt..  Heck the anual inspection sticker is good to April.. Unfortunately the person to talk to about it wasn;t there (wanted to see if they had a title)..  I would imagine I could buy it for the price of scrap (a few hundred bucks)..  But if they don't have a title, or it's a salvage title I may be screwed..  Of course in this state with a car that old and all the closer anyone checks I could probably just swap the vin plate from one of my DOA rabbits and use it's title..  

Of course I still have the Jetta that may be a project, an 84 Rabbit project, the daily driver that is always a project... and on and on... :roll:

[madmedix]

So? Anyone gonna do it? I'm about ready to shoot my Jetta (90 TD) and I've come across a cabrio for cheap compared to what you guys are seeing. Probably has a body in the trunk or something  Gonna go check it out if the seller still has it. ('87).
I too am concerned about the exhaust but I figure how often am I really going to have it down and the car parked with the engine running?

Cheers,
Andy

[maxfax]

Still watching out for a cheapo cabby!