RETIRED COUPLE SELLING THEIR “MEMORIES CAR”!
OVERVIEW: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit 2-door Convertible manufactured in Karmann, West Germany. 5-speed manual transmission. 1.7 litre gas, fuel injected engine. Less than 7500 kilometers on rebuilt engine. 2006 “body-off” restoration and paint job still in excellent condition. Located near Regina, Saskatchewan, CANADA.
Asking $18,900 US ($25,700 Canadian) OBO.
Back in the early 1980’s my wife and I purchased two little peddle cars for our two young sons. They rode the wheels off them on our quiet little crescent while we watched with great pleasure! Those were the times before young boys were preoccupied with cell phones and video games. “Driving” their little yellow body/black roofed cars required physical effort… and imagination!
Almost 20 years later, in the summer of 1999 to be precise, we were out for a drive and my wife noticed a VW Rabbit convertible driving alongside us. She gasped with some excitement, “Hey that car looks exactly like the little peddle cars that the boys used to ride”. I looked at her a bit astonished and after gathering myself I replied, “yes dear, that car looks the same because it is the exact car that the boy’s peddle cars were designed after”! It became obvious that she had never made that connection! There are just not that many VW Rabbit convertibles on the road!
My wife was so excited to see that actual life-size Rabbit! It brought back so many fond memories, so I, being a bit of a romantic, sought out the owner of that Rabbit we saw driving down the street and I bought it as a surprise gift for my wife to drive!
Over the subsequent 25 years of ownership we have thoroughly enjoyed owning and driving this reliable, nimble, little car while all the time remembering our sons when they were two young boys. But we also have invested heavily in this car. To mention just a few of the major items:
Besides these major items, we worked away at substantially updating the car including installing an aftermarket stereo, replacing the exhaust system, installed a new fuel filler neck, flushed the heater core and the entire cooling system, installed a new windshield, replaced the rear springs and struts, installed a new (used) fan control switch, and replaced all the injectors. In addition, we have replaced the signal switch, valve cover gaskets, bushings, shift rods & pivot on the shift lever, rear brake cylinders, and the speedometer cable.
As you can see, in many and important ways, this is a “new” car. So, all the big items are completed… an almost like-new body and paint job AND a completely rebuilt motor.
The interior is in very nice shape... the carpets look new, the interior door panels are in good condition except for a couple of very small cracks on the passenger door panel (as seen in photos). The dash is intact and looks new. The seats have no rips or tears. We’ve added an after-market stereo. Everything works as it should except the digital clock which seems to have a mind of its own!
To add to the nostalgia, two of our four children also decorated and used this car for their weddings!
Altogether, this car is in fantastic shape, please keep in mind it is 43 years old. Every year when we take it out of storage we fix anything that might need fixing. For example, last spring the brakes seemed “soft” so we flushed and bled the brake lines. The shifter linkage was loose so we replaced the retaining ring. We did a fresh oil and filter change and had all the belts and hoses checked. The tires have only 1000 km on them! You could drive this car across the country tomorrow!
Having said that, there are some things that require attention this spring, for example, the handbrake cover is missing. The driver’s seatbelt receiver, the dome light, and the passenger seat release lever are not working. These things could be easily looked after by someone who can search the web for parts and you don’t have to be a mechanic to install them. They are small ticket items.
We have all of the service records over our 25 years of ownership plus those of the previous owner. By the way, the previous owner told us they had just changed out the transmission but we did not get a receipt for that work. We also have an original promotional brochure that goes with the car.
Inspections are welcomed and if we can assist with shipping in any way, we’d be happy to help.
This Rabbit goes down the road straight as an arrow. It accelerates and shifts through all 5 gears perfectly, and brakes without any hesitation or pull. It’s rated at 5.5 litres per 100 km of fuel consumption which converts to over 50 miles per gallon! What a great thing with today’s fuel prices! And it does not lack in performance…according to the original promotional brochure… “With a 76 hp rating at 5000 rpm it accelerates to 80 km/hr (50 mph) in 9.1 seconds and has a top speed of 153 km/hr (95 miles per hour for my American friends)!
It’s been a blast to drive this car over the last 25 years but alas my wife has arthritis and shifting gears is not great on her knees. We simply are not using it enough to justify keeping it! Although we hate to part with it, we will still have the memories of our sons peddling their Rabbits like mad down our little street!
