“A Volkswagen what, now?” That’s probably the reaction a fair number of people will have, but this 1982 VW Rabbit Diesel Pickup is a real thing. It’s also a real project that comes with an extra engine and transmission, along with other parts, documentation, and goodies. This quirky unibody truck can be tracked down in Taos, New Mexico, and $6500 will get in on your trailer. Jack M. gets credit for this find, which you can view here on Craigslist.
Volkswagen offered the Rabbit Pickup in North America for model years 1980 through 1983. Only 2,072 were produced for 1982, after a peak of over 37,000 the year before. But the badging on this tailgate may not fly, according to my internet sleuthing. There was no Turbo Diesel Rabbit Pickup offered in North America in 1982, though it could be found in other countries. So this is either an import, or someone somewhere along the line slapped this TurboDiesel badge on there long after it left the Westmoreland, Pennsylvania factory where all the other 1.6L naturally-aspirated diesel Rabbit Pickups were made for the U.S. market. However, as previously mentioned, there is an additional 1.6L Turbo Diesel motor (rebuilt) included in this sale. Just drop that baby in and…identity crisis solved. Speaking of identity crisis, I can’t decide if that that cab works for me or not…
The interior is in decent shape; in fact, the best looking part of this whole truck might be the dashboard. No cracks are visible up top, and the face and gauges appear to be in very good condition. I’d like to see what the carpet looks like under those floormats. There’s a cushion on the driver’s seat, which is almost certainly hiding some secrets. But this interior doesn’t appear abused or decimated by the New Mexico climate.
The seller says the truck was running when parked, but doesn’t tell us how long ago that was. It also had a compression issue at that time, so unless you live across the street, driving this one home isn’t going to be an option. There’s currently 77k on the odometer, and by the look of this truck I can buy that it hasn’t been rolled back. The seller calls this Rabbit Pickup straight, rust-free, and in good condition overall. I can buy that too. Would you buy this VW Rabbit Pickup, and all that comes with it?
That TURBODIESEL badge looks suspiciously like an MB scavenge.
I remember when these things carried an aroma of french fries, thanks to the use of blended cooking oil.
In any event – an interesting package project.
Had on of these in the early to mid 80’s. Bought in Chicagoland and it was my train station ride then my wife’s 2 mile commuter and weekend hauler. Drove it to Jax FL in 1986 when we moved. Chicago to Jax on 2.5 tanks of fuel. Lack of A/C sidelined lt from daily use. Salt caused a rust out in the cowling. Rain water used to fill up the passenger footwell until I duct taped the hole with matching gray tape. Solid, useful, economical, comfortable. This one doesn’t seem to have any rust, major plus. My next P/U is going to be a small one.
I can just imagine driving one of these in today’s traffic of speeding, oversized SUVs and trucks. Good luck. They were dangerous enough in the days of the 55 mph speed limit.
Oh, how I wish that speed limits were still 55. How much more enjoyable it would be for classic car enthusiasts!
I’ve only seen two of these on the road (then again, it could have been the same one twice). It’s a nice little truck which I wouldn’t mind having, but it’s not at the top of my list. A 1975-85 F250 with 8′ bed and crew cab is nearer the top of my list for a pickup.