Mk1 rabbit/golf

[Banana Bonanza]

That's what I like about them...they're just a cool looking car. I love the round headlights too

Only the German made ones had the round headlights, the Pennsylvania ones had less attractive square headlights and clunky vertical black framed marker lights on side. And yes the German made ones were quite attractive for a small car. I had one of the schoolbus yellow ones with black interior.

Still think if I had a super clean unrusted early Rabbit body, I would try to put in a Mazda 323 drivetrain, both engine and transmission. Its so much nicer and long lived than that early water cooled VW engine. Rabbit brakes could be upgraded with parts from Scirroco or Dasher or Audi Fox. I know there was a VW Fox from Brazil, but the Audi Fox was introduced in like 1973 and was very nice looking car, and lighter weight than VW Dasher which was very simular. The Audi Fox was not a cheap car!!!! It was aimed at entry level Volvo/BMW market. To compete with the Volvo 140 series or the BMW 2002 model. The Audi 100 was pretty nice too, bigger car. Neither known for being trouble free or cheap to repair. But back when I bought the Rabbit, it was the only VW-Audi product that I could afford new. Still not sure why I wanted a new car, never bought another new car, BIG waste of money. But guess everybody should own one new car in their lifetime just so they know first hand that its not worth it and the new wears off very quickly. 20-20 hindsight a used ten year old Volvo 120/140 (any 4cyl Volvo with manual transmission) at the time would have been so much the better buy than any new late 70s VW-Audi. The Scirroco and Dasher were high dollar for the time or at least I got sticker shock and nearly fainted looking at their prices. The last air cooled Bug convertibles were highest priced model in showroom other than the Vans. I have no idea how they sold any of them.

[Safety Guy]

I recall one or more of the car magazines complaining about the PA Rabbits due to softer "Americanized" suspension, too.

I'm thinking any First Gen Rabbits may be able to take the A2 brake and some suspension stuff, but I could be wrong.

One of the potential new cars I might have bought was the '89 Golf, stripped version. They only came in 2 door, as the 4 doors were all GL models and up. The base Golf only came in white and dark blue and I think that was it for colors. The wheels were 13 X 6" steelies with 175/70s but I planned on putting on 195/60s, which IIRC were fairly common back then. The Digifant II FI system brought the base 1.8 SOHC up to 100 hp (from previous years' 87 hp), while the GT model had the same engine with an extra 5 hp, IIRC due to a different exhaust. The GTI of course had a DOHC version with 123 hp. IIRC, the base model weighed 2150 pounds and had manual steering!

(I also would have converted to vented front GTI brake rotors. The base car had solids.)

I'll try to attach a pic of a base model. I think I found a white one. Here's a link to the site where a guy swaps a VR6 drivetrain into a "Golf CL" the base model:

http://www.futrellautowerks.com/ProjectCLVR6/

Yup, my pic worked. It's from the above link. Note the base models were not sold with those wheels, though, so the pic is not exact. In reading some of his site, it takes me back! Instead of a tach, the base model had a clock! Also, his pics show how to remove the engine and it's really cool how it all comes apart. Worth looking at!

The Festiva actually reminds me of a smaller '88-'89 Golf. Aero headlights, basic hatch body style, no frills trim, etc.

Karl

[Safety Guy]

Here's a pic of an '89 Golf GL, but it looks like the "CL" base model with steel wheels and correct centercaps.

Also, the base model had "REAL" seatbelts, while the GLs had passive shoulder belts and knee bumpers.

"Knee bumpers." Yeah, that's what the idiotic NHTSA goons thought was "safe."

It's hard to see, but the base and GL models had a shallow black chin spoiler under the front end. GTIs got a bit deeper one with vents for the brake rotors.

Karl

[BigElCat]

Here's my '78 MKI with 20 years of dust.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll64/BigElCat/IMG_0458.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll64/BigElCat/IMG_0465.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll64/BigElCat/IMG_0460.jpg

[Pu241]

Here's my '78 MKI with 20 years of dust.

I assume gas, did they even have the diesel version in '78?

[lanemeyer14]

Here's my '78 MKI with 20 years of dust.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll64/BigElCat/IMG_0458.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll64/BigElCat/IMG_0465.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...t/IMG_0460.jpg

I dig it!

[BigElCat]

I assume gas, did they even have the diesel version in '78?

Gas. It originally had a "mechanical" (non-computer) throttle body injector. That had been replaced with a Holley/Weber carb by the time I bought it.

I'll do a little research. Was it made in Germany? What's a mechanical fuel injector? Was there a '78 diesel?

I'll post again, here.

All my '78 needs is a motor, a set of tires, and maybe a new wiring harness. It could use a wash, too.

[vwtech39]

I have a 82 vw gas pick up truck, California tuck needs paint, The truck is silver. no rust. I also have a nice little 1.8 engine (2) and (2) transmissions. The only thing I need is an engine mount. I have the festiva fever though

[lanemeyer14]

I have a 82 vw gas pick up truck, California tuck needs paint, The truck is silver. no rust. I also have a nice little 1.8 engine (2) and (2) transmissions. The only thing I need is an engine mount. I have the festiva fever though

I'm not big on trucks, but I do like those caddys. Post some pics of it!

[Banana Bonanza]

Gas. It originally had a "mechanical" (non-computer) throttle body injector. That had been replaced with a Holley/Weber carb by the time I bought it.

I'll do a little research. Was it made in Germany? What's a mechanical fuel injector? Was there a '78 diesel?

I'll post again, here.

All my '78 needs is a motor, a set of tires, and maybe a new wiring harness. It could use a wash, too.

I got my '77 Rabbit in fall of '76. I was disappointed I couldnt get a diesel. Diesels became available in summer of '77 I think. American made Rabbits came out in '79 I think, maybe '78. If its round headlights, its German made unless somebody retrofitted one of American ones with German grill/headlights.

Yes Rabbits has CIS Bosch fuel injection '77 into early 80s, then computerized. Dont know year they computerized them. Way CIS injection worked was that it had electric fuel pump, which pumped fuel to a mechanical fuel distributor that fed fuel to individual injectors. It was a cheap way to do mechanical fuel injection. The fuel distributor adjusted fuel with this sort of arm thing with metal disk on it. As more air was sucked past this disk thing it moved the arm and opened up a valve, so more fuel was sent. Less air flowing it closed some. Really fine tolerances in this valve. It worked fine until it gunked up. Remember gasoline was formulated for carburetors back then so not as clean and even little water is big enemy of fuel injection. You had to frequently replace this huge expensive fuel filter (expensive back then) OFTEN. At this point you could spend small fortune or you could convert to a weber. First time I hired it fixed. Only time I ever hired a car fixed cause I needed it working NOW and I knew nothing of fuel injection. Second time I converted it myself with brand new Redline kit I saw in JCWhitney catalog. Kit plus new low pressure electric fuel pump plus carb intake cost me about what hiring the fuel injection fixed would cost. Bought carb intake for '75 Rabbit and the kit to put Redline Weber on it instead of just using HollyWeber carb off Pinto or something. Boy I loved that carb. Saved it when Rabbit went hopping off to Rabbit afterlife. Its what I have on my Festiva today. It got better gas mileage than the fuel injection ever did.

I later had used 70s era Volvos with that same CIS injection and oddly never had single problem with the injection. Well one Volvo finally needed new set injectors which were too pricey for a $200 car and I converted it to carburetor. Now none of the 240 series Volvos with OHC engine in USA had carb so no Volvo carb manifold available in junkyard. Some in Canada and other parts of world did, but this was back before internet so no access to Canadian or world parts. I modified a Chevy Vega four cylinder cast iron intake from junkyard to work on the Volvo and used a Vega HollyWeber. The Volvo engines were 2.1L at that time. I'd obviously become lot more sophisticated jerry-rigger by this time and had welder, etc. Was also feeling a lot poorer thanks to my then wifes big hospital bills. No extra money for anything. Never went back to "new" or expensive cars. Those old high mile Volvos were so much better car than any NEW VW, at least for my purposes.

[fstamand]

I own a 84 rabbit gti. threw in a passat 16v 2.0L in it, installed megasquirt ("open" EFI) and painted it.




sorry for the huge pics !

This is a festiva forum and I'm a hardcore VW nut so I'll keep the difference short; The quality between the two is not comparable. I'd take a rabbit over a festy anyday!

Festivas are cool though pretty easy to work on, except maybe the front brakes LOL

[Advancedynamix]

I've owned several mk1 vdubs, done everything from the lowly 1600 diesel to abf turbo. Fun cars. Let me know if you need any parts. I'd swap an early ABA into it and enjoy the reliable gas mileage and fun torque! Convert it to central electric 2 and any F.I. system from 1989 until 2003 will practically plug in and work. I built a 78 4 door for a guy a few years back with this setup and it is a great car. I do like my festiva much better though, it's like Mazda took all the lessons learned from the mk1 and m k2 VWs and made a better car , meanwhile, vw tossed all that knowledge and started making heavy cars. Cody, your car looks way better than a rabbit IMHO. You just saw a purple rabbit and wanted one too! Lol!

[lanemeyer14]

I own a 84 rabbit gti. threw in a passat 16v 2.0L in it, installed megasquirt ("open" EFI) and painted it.




sorry for the huge pics !

This is a festiva forum and I'm a hardcore VW nut so I'll keep the difference short; The quality between the two is not comparable. I'd take a rabbit over a festy anyday!

Festivas are cool though pretty easy to work on, except maybe the front brakes LOL

Car looks sick man! Good work. Are those ats cups?

I've owned several mk1 vdubs, done everything from the lowly 1600 diesel to abf turbo. Fun cars. Let me know if you need any parts. I'd swap an early ABA into it and enjoy the reliable gas mileage and fun torque! Convert it to central electric 2 and any F.I. system from 1989 until 2003 will practically plug in and work. I built a 78 4 door for a guy a few years back with this setup and it is a great car. I do like my festiva much better though, it's like Mazda took all the lessons learned from the mk1 and m k2 VWs and made a better car , meanwhile, vw tossed all that knowledge and started making heavy cars. Cody, your car looks way better than a rabbit IMHO. You just saw a purple rabbit and wanted one too! Lol!

Haha, thanks! Some of them just look really cool. Would love to have another corrado again too, but that car ended up being one headache after another

[BigElCat]

I've owned several mk1 vdubs, done everything from the lowly 1600 diesel to abf turbo. Fun cars. Let me know if you need any parts. I'd swap an early ABA into it and enjoy the reliable gas mileage and fun torque! Convert it to central electric 2 and any F.I. system from 1989 until 2003 will practically plug in and work. I built a 78 4 door for a guy a few years back with this setup and it is a great car.

What's an ABA?

What's central electric 2?

What gas tank would I use, if I went with a post-1989 EFI?

[Safety Guy]

Is Digifant II "central electric 2?"

Karl