I miss my Rabbit.
Posted by SmellyBean@reddit | Autos | View on Reddit | 15 comments
Pic taken back in 2001 when my cousin’s CBR was new. Tracked her a couple of times. Still have those BBS rims.
CouchPotatoFamine@reddit
Me too. White '83 GTI.
nolotusnotes@reddit
I wonder if this guy still has his:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQJntE70PD0
The_Time_Lord@reddit
The worst thing a girlfriend can ever say to you is
sprogger@reddit
"Im leaving, the kids not yours and by the way, you have Aids.
mini4x@reddit
I loved mine too, I had a "GDI" an 81 diesel that had all the GTI swag swapped on.
BrightLuchr@reddit
This was my first car, so I have some memories. It was a different time and I'm careful to judge these cars in the time they were made. All cars were less reliable back then. It was an era of truly terrible cars and these were the better alternative. While you see (equally terrible) muscle cars displayed at car shows, no one fondly remembers the American economy cars of that era at all. I can't even remember their brand names. But the Rabbit is remembered with at least some fondness.
I had two Rabbits, a 1978 and a 1986, (the later one was branded as a Golf: but same car). On the positive side they were delightfully light and fun to drive. This is the car I learned to drive manual on cottage roads in Muskoka. It would maybe do 120kph... maybe. On the 1978, if the spark plugs were clean (because: leaded gas, plugs needed sand blasting every few months) the car could get 44mpg (albeit imperial gallons). My 1978 didn't even have a radio. It's didn't have AC either.
But, they were underpowered and unreliable. Anything electrical was not good on VWs. I had the alternator fail on the hour-long drive to the nearest VW dealer one winter evening. Turns out you can generate ignition sparks from only battery power for a while, if you turn the headlights off! This was a terrifying drive. Another time, we changed the fuel pump in a transit parking lot. Spark plug wires were garbage quality and I remember mist testing them in the parking lot of my university dorm. On different occasions, we had to change both the valve cover and the head gaskets. Head gasket changes are something not even done on high mileage cars today. I'm pretty sure I changed the clutch too.
Neither Rabbit I owned lasted long by modern standards: slightly over 200,000km and they were done. Rust was bad after only 10 years. And VW seemed to keep selling this same old crap long after Japanese competition made it look bad. Today, my beater car is a 2008 Korean-made Suzuki Swift which gives a lot of the same feel as the Rabbit did... still quite light, but with quite a bit more power.
Erikjen@reddit
Had a 1981 four speed. Loved it!
7w4773r@reddit
Me too! My first car was an 83 GTI, I loved that thing. PO had put the taller 5th in so it could actually reasonably do highway driving.
I also had a 16V scirocco that I really loved. That car was a rocket ship in comparison.
SmellyBean@reddit (OP)
Remember back straight on the track thinking I was going fast. Looked down and saw 90 kph. Then got passed by everyone. Such a fun visceral car.
7w4773r@reddit
The memories are better than the experience, that’s for sure. I test drove one a few years back and was appalled lmao. Cars have come so far in 40 years, it’s truly impressive. That said, when the mood for fun strikes the analog experience is infinitely more enjoyable than the sanitized digital video game feel that modern cars have.
Drittzyyahoo@reddit
My first two cars, 77 and 79. Both rusted apart, I’d still like another lol
SmellyBean@reddit (OP)
The electrical went in mine. Gave it to a hardcore Dub guy who was gonna rebuild it. Mine has the red plaid seats and the hand crank sunroof
Drittzyyahoo@reddit
Now that I’m thinking about it… the last straw in my 79 was water getting into the fuse box and things going bonkers from there.
BathingInSoup@reddit
Right there with you, man. My first car was a tan German-made 1980 4-door with matching vinyl interior. I drove the crap out of that thing! Such a fun car!! When I went to college I sold it to someone who drove it until it died like 6 years later. A freakin’ cockroach of a car! When I graduated a few years later I bought a black ‘83 GTI for $500. It only had 60k miles on it, but it had been sitting for a while and needed a fair amount of work, which I did that summer and sold it at a profit a few months later. I’d love a chance to drive one of those again.
SmellyBean@reddit (OP)
No power steering was a hassle in parking lots.