I rescued a Rabbit from the junk pile....

[trav1856]

81 Rabbit convertible.... Only downside is that the interior is pretty much gone, the seats are thrashed, the top is full of holes (but the hardware is serviceable), body is straight with one small rust spot in the rear driver's corner. glass except the rear is gone or broken (the rear glass is the defroster model).....so now I'm torn...

Do I part it out correctly?
Do I go ahead and strip it down and repaint/restore it.
Keep it 1.7?
Throw a diesel in it?

I'm torn....

[trav1856]

update it? I dunno...


I'm taking the 5sp and putting it in my 4dr (which is why I bought it), and the dash is almost perfect, so that's goin' in my car too....but to let a solid body like that go to the junk pile, I don't think I can do it. Maybe a 1.9 turbo diesel ricer killer? or a 16v gasser? I dunno...

[maxfax]

Maybe a 1.9 turbo diesel ricer killer? or a 16v gasser? I dunno...

Here Here!!!    Been looking for a Cabby to diesel power for a while now..  But most have been like the one you found, or too nice (and expensive) to mess with...

[trav1856]

I don't mind the missing trim (he kind of buggered the lower dash section), but there's nothing that says I can't build a fiberglass dash, I mean I'd almost have to at this point. It might be fun to get some leather and sew up some seats and really make it nice.

Though I'm wondering....I'll have to rig up a glow plug circuit, won't I?...or get a newer turbo diesel and transplant all the guts. This could be a fun project, or hell on earth haha.

[Bugsy_malone 666]

I say if you got a good base car which needs a few bits, use the bits of it for your daily/main vehicle then use whats left to build something thats 'Ratlook'.

Plonk a tuned 1600TD/1900TD in with gearbox and enjoy supprising people and going for long drives without the full up. Presumably if its been sat for a while its going to need a fair amount of work anyway, but why not use it as a base for a diesel project?

I hate seeing cars getting cut up, I had to do it to a vw fastback a few years back, broke my heart as it was a solid shell with all the panels, floor needed a tiny bit of work but had no glass or registration so had to end up cutting it up    it would have made a cool diesel wrongen

[trav1856]

Yeah, this one's definitely solid. Just the small rust spot that I mentioned earlier. (I'll post up some pictures when I get home from work). Missing the doors, but definitely has potential. It's a bill of sale only, but fortunately, there are a few directions I can go with it, salvage title, or form 43 I believe it is in OK, or I can also do a homebuilt title, which they use the existing VIN and body type and year for the title.

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I might rat it out a lil', and look for a 2nd TD engine (still have to find the 1st haha), but it would be quite cool to have a diesel convertible. I only know of a couple.

I'll be taking the dash and 4button steering wheel for mine, I think. (then again, I may keep the stock steering wheel, if I can get it all to fit back together), but the new dash is black, and the stock wheel wouldn't match anymore.

The seats, the vinyl is all intact, but the stitching is distressed. I was thinking I might use a seamripper and use the old vinyl for a pattern to make new seats upolstery (maybe pleather or something...as I'm sure leather would be prohibitively expensive.)

Essentially I'm just missing two doors, trunk lid, and replace the top, and it'll be fairly complete.

[BigVWman]

Go for the diesel vert, there aren't many! Fun and good mileage not to mention i have hauled more in my cabriolet than i ever have in my ranger!

[JGWarner]

Though I'm wondering....I'll have to rig up a glow plug circuit, won't I?

Easy as pie. And only one wire from the ignition switch to control the fuel stop solenoid on the injection pump. IDI is LESS wiring than a similar vintage gasser, even one with carbs.

[BigVWman]

You can use the old coil hot to power the stop solenoid and fuel pump relay feed to power a glow plug relay instead, its really a simple swap. You can nearly rip all the engine related wiring out of engine bay.

[macka]

do the body right and drop in a tuned up tdi and you'll be good to go.

[trav1856]

do the body right and drop in a tuned up tdi and you'll be good to go.

Now would you go with an electric TDI? or go the m-TDI franken IP method?

[maxfax]

All pends on how much wiring you want to deal with..   Since it sounds as though the car will be pretty well gutted, wiring and such may not be so bad...

[overdrivegear]

I did a 1.6 NA diesel cabriolet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaP5gv1dHm0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF_e1oen20A&feature=related

I love it.  Fantastic car and cruising the beaches getting 55 mpg doesn't hurt.

I'd suggest doing a TD or TDI build.  That'll be the next iteration for me. 

[macka]

do the body right and drop in a tuned up tdi and you'll be good to go.

Now would you go with an electric TDI? or go the m-TDI franken IP method?

M-TDi for simplicity