One of the hardest pills to swallow if you’re listing an older vehicle for sale is knowing whether or not to claim the mileage as true. Any number of Carfax reports spout inaccurate date due to clerical errors at the hands of a dealership or inspection station, costing owners untold thousands of dollars in lost value. The very clean 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit convertible listed here on craigslist sure does look like it has under 25,000 original miles, but the seller can’t claim it as being 100 percent genuine.
The listing notes that the Carfax mileage “…may be off,” which is unfortunate because a Rabbit convertible with under 30,000 original miles would be a car worth owning for any number of enthusiasts. The seller doesn’t go into great detail explaining why, but I’m guessing the Carfax will show some sort of mileage discrepancy. The truth of the matter is, this Rabbit does, indeed, look like a low-mileage specimen with its clean chrome bumpers and lustrous black plastic trim.
The other detail you notice is the dash plastics and switchgear. There’s no sun fading or other obvious cosmetic damage that typically takes place after years of top-down exposure. Plus, the LCD clock screen in the cluster isn’t bleeding out like so many of them tend to do by this point, and the cluster glass is clear as a bell. The needle on the speedometer still looks new, and the same goes for the digits. These are small details that tend to look quite tired once a car has racked up 100,000 or more miles, and/or been left outside for years at a time.
This Rabbit has a gorgeous cardinal red interior with matching carpets, a color scheme I don’t believe I’ve ever seen in a Rabbit convertible. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual blacks or whites we see in the drop-top Rabbit, and again, like the rest of the cabin, it’s in excellent condition. The rest of the exterior presents well and the top is in great shape with a near-perfect rear window, and given this Rabbit is in California, I doubt you’re going to find a lick of rust on it, either. $11,000 is all the money, but this MK1 cabriolet looks pretty darn nice. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Todd K. for the find.
That is strong money for an early Rabbit convertible. I believe for the 83 or 84 model year and newer they received the GTI engine and close ratio transaxle. The early cars were Rabbit 1.7L running gear and not as much fun to drive. Another fact is the MK1 convertible was never produced at the New Stanton plant so the VIN starts with WVW not 1VW. Still a nice car just a little optimistic about the price.
Had one with an auto was still like a big go kart with the top down. Leaked terribly as the seals are very difficult to find. This also has a Westmoreland GTI steering wheel not the Wolfsburg that our 81 had , it also had the red interior which I loved. Nylon Speedo gear probably cracked. I doubt the mileage is correct. A very fun car that had tons of very hidden rust
The headlight switch has been used a lot for the miles, the paint doesn’t wear off easily. 1.7’s are low reving motors, not a lot of fun compared to the later models with GTi drivetrains.
I just read today on my news feed, VW has laid off more workers, because the brand is no longer considered competitive. Goodbye VW. I happen to live in foreign car USA( I realize the irony there) and MAYBE see a newer VW once, but it’s mostly Asian. 95% easy. VWs were clearly better cars in 1981, as Asian cars were still considered tin cans,, and not much was better than a Rabbit for an econobox. Initially, the Rabbit sent shivers down Bug traditionalists spines, but by the 80s, it was clear, these were the next thing in travel for the masses, not Bugs. Ragtops generally have low mileage, southern areas mostly, and about the only way you’ll find any Rabbit today. Rabbits were like vacuum cleaners. They did their job, and thrown away when they didn’t. Regardless of the mileage, just try and find something like this today. I suppose here it is, and while it’s hard to believe, it’s still 78 degrees somewhere.
Great little cars , fun to drive , but if you have an automatic watch out. The starter is right by the exhaust manifold , you have to make sure the heat shield is in place or you’ll go through a lot of starters.
Oh , and the lineage of the Volkswagen Rabbit – “ Bug’s Bunny”.
My younger sister just had to have one of these, so she traded the super reliable ’86 Nissan Sentra that my Dad bought her for college to buy a 10 year old one of these.
It immediately blew its engine while on the highway. Luckily, the used car dealership she bought it from replaced the engine at no charge to her.