The video of you driving the rabbit-truck with your friend in the passenger seat -- both were grinning ear to ear. THAT is what I think this little truck brings to the table; a smile at the hilarious nature of this 'crazy' little light duty work truck.. It's a rabbit thats also a truck!
That’s right! More smiles per mile than a lot of vehicles..even as goofy and slow as it is 🙂 yeah my dad and I get a kick out of getting this stuff going!
What a magnificent job you do !!!, so in that same state is how I buy my cars !! I adore '' bring them back to life '' !!!! Since I am a teenager, all the ones that I had until now I bought them in the same conditions as your vehicle !!! By the way, your little girl precious, it reminded me a little of Sherley temple !!! many greetings and congratulations from Buenos Aires, Argentina South America.
Those things are indestructible. I used to work with a guy that had 400k on one. Might still have it for all I know. He said it got over 50 mph. Really cant beat German engineering.
I love the truck and it’s Diesel engine . In the late 80’s early 90’s I took two diesel rabbits and made one completely rebuilt rabbit .. I was a master VW tech for 15 years and had a love for vw’s ... you have a special vehicle there even if it doesn’t look like it ...
Around the same time my father and I had a wrecked carbureted, fuel injection, and a diesel. We swapped the diesel engine, radiator, starter, transmission etc into the gasoline rabbit. Then we used the best trim parts etc off of the FI model.
This is the first video I've seen on this channel and as soon as I saw that he had an old VW rabbit I automatically had to subscribe to his channel because anyone who likes old VW's is worth my time watching when it come to revival and/or restoration videos like this
Fun! I’ve got an ‘81. Drives great. I did have to replace my vacuum booster as it was sticking, due to internal rust, causing brakes to drag. About 250,000 on mine. My paint is in good shape and the poor thing actually has taken out 2 deer! Repaired and running. I did have ‘normal’ rust, at the corners of the windshield where water could sit, under the gasket and not drain. Pulled windshield, fixed rust and replaced gasket. It’s a fun truck. I think I need to replace the injectors (I have the tips) as it’s pretty doggy but at 50+ MPG who cares!
Sweet! One thing to check is the injector timing, if a belt has even been done and that was messed with but not put correct it’ll make a huge difference. I just kick them back and forth until I get the sweet spot where it makes good power but doesn’t blow a ton of smoke and have never had an issue! A fresh set of injectors will definitely make a difference too!
You can use booster and bigger master cylinder from Passat B3 or Golf mk2 to improve the brakes a bit, also you can use vented front discs and thinner pads from Golf Mk2 GTI to improve it a bit further - these parts have maybe better availability and prices today :)
Oh man... I had one of these in college in New York. I bought it with 290k miles on it, drove it for 3 years and then sold it still running. Keep em coming.
Very nice little truck, don't worry about the old fuel, the wonderful thing about an old Diesel is that it will run on almost anything. I'd love an old Rabbit or Golf, but I'm in the Rust Belt, and our vehicles are eaten alive by the Rust Monster here in NY State. Yes, restore that thing, it looks like a very dependable ride.
I worked at a VW dealer back in the mid-80's. These would come in after over heating or snapping a timing belt. We had one mechanic who worked on these, and refused to wrench on anything else. Steady work for him, I guess. Cool to see one of these again !
Word to the wise from a dude who has been through the wringer with one of these little beasties. Replace that old coolant expansion tank, use only new German water pumps and thermostats, check your timing belt religiously. Also the coolant temp gauge is to be watched like a hawk at all times. I'd recommend an aftermarket one if you can swing it the factory ones are dicey at best. Always willing to lend a hand or knowledge if you're not sure or need advice or resources. The cooling system is the only thing keeping the head from warping on these things be sure it's well taken care of and fresh cheers.
These engines were notorious for frozen rings and defective cylinder heads. First sign of bad rings is bad starting because of compression issues. ATK from Japan made a complete replacement cylinder head. I used to do one engine every three days, take it apart, remove the frozen rings, throw away the entire cylinder head. Replace the rod bearings, then back together. You need a special VW tool to time the injection pump.
This makes me miss my caddy. She was a different animal though. 180hp 9a, close ratio trans. Slammed on the ground... freaking death trap, but it was fast. Lol. Good on ya for saving this one. They're getting fewer and farther between. 👍👍
Great little truck for running future race engines to and from the machine shop 😀. Repair or neutralize any important rust, and leave the paint alone. Merry Christmas!
Lovely straight mini truck,purring like a kitten.I have been pursuing a Chev-Luv short chassis 1ton pick up garaged after the old man passed away,but the old lady can't let it.Best wishes with the projects.
Hey Michael, glad to be able to get my Budget Buildz fix watching this little truck project while I wait for you to post your next Porsche instalment. I hope you and your family are good and staying safe. I really enjoy this channel and your down to earth style..
Ajax or powdered Clorox and scotch brite pad will make that brand new again. Then matt clear the truck. That thing is mint great find and good luck wish I could find one like this!
I purchased a 2015 Mercedes GLK350 with subframe damage. That's my rebuild project next week. busted steering rack, subframe and oil pan. 20k mileage. new car when repaired. gonna be fun!!
Reminds me of my '84 Rabbit GTI that I bought new and drove for 19 years. Not sure how many miles it had on it as I broke several odometer cables. It was showing about 250K miles. Engine still strong and used no oil as I changed the oil every 3K miles. Finally gave it to a coworker who was going to restore it. I special ordered it with undercoating from the factory so it had no rust on it. VW Rabbits were great cars.
Love this truck I had one exactly like this in the early 90s Glad to see folks keeping them alive. I have owned several VW diesels from MK1 to my 2015 Jetta.
Love the Patina & Graphics. European round headlights and front bumper would simplify the front even more. Tyres have steel liners. If you’ve ever tried to remove a tyre from a wheel on your own, you know how tough it is. I had a cutting disc to a tyre once and could barely get through it. Keep it under 50mph it’ll be fine. Owned x2 Mk1’s & x4 Mk2’s. Cheap parts, easy to work on, 30mpg, gets a lot of attention. Folks love um especially the more basic models. 1990 CL Auto at the moment. Mk1’s are prettier but Mk2’s are a bit more usable for a daily. I’m up to 62k mileage on my current Mk2 rolling resto. Enjoying the videos. You know your stuff 👍🏻😎
I 'restored' an '80 Rabbit that was off the road from I'd have to say the late 80s and had a full tank of diesel which turned into molasses, but I had utilized a 12v diesel fuel pump to suck all the old fuel out....came in handy when it was time to prime the fuel filter/injection pump. Good thing to have laying around.
@@BudgetBuildz ahhh perfect, I made the comment before seeing your little prime pump in between the filter and IP. I did a TDI swap in the resto process so it's surprisingly quick.
Such fun cars... keep the color. Before you know it your little ones will be driving it. I had one... an '81...gas... put a HT (or RD?) 1.8 liter hydraulic lifter GTi motor (10:1 comp) in it. That thing scooted. I sure miss it. It was rear ended by a Dodge 3/4 ton work truck. Thank god for head rests as my head (rest) knocked out the rear window.
I'm in the UK. Don't ever remember seeing one of those here. We had VW Caddys but the ones I remember were 3 door vans. I would love to put a VR6 in one of those and keep it as a ratty sleeper type.
I used to work at a shop that specialized in the VW diesels. One of those lines on the tank runs into the engine compartment and is a vent line that should be stuck in a hole in the frame rail. You can pressurize this line with an air hose and push fuel up through the filter and to pump. Make sure that this line is kept unobstructed or the pump with suck your tank flat.
@@BudgetBuildz You can also try treating the fuel system with Bio Kleen to kill the fungus. It can go through the filter but will not go through the injector. The engine sounds like it is running well with good compression on all cylinders. It could be a matter of timing. There are different settings that can be used. You need to put a dial indicator in the back of the pump to set it.
Very well done guys. It is one of those rare vehicles that out performs almost anything you can buy today (Capable of 50+ mpg and breaking the speed limit - eventually) and if maintained will outlast the owner - there are some still around that are one owner daily drivers!......for 40 years
Hi Budget Buildz! I also own a Mg Midget and a VW Rabbit diesel pickup! I just love my pickup and I drive it every day. They are awesome trucks! Thank you for the video. Best regards.
@@BudgetBuildz That's true! Do you also have a BMW 3 series? I'm beginning to think you might be my brother from another mother! I've got the nice Datsun 5 speed conversion on my Midget; it's an excellent upgrade.
All the guys watching Barn Finders and envying you with your cute little pickup! Lots of fun. Merry Christmas...Wishing God's Blessings for your family for the coming year!
That is some unique pick up, the volkswagen rabbit, the pick up looked like it was bigger than the rabbit hatchback, now that red rabbit sounds like a diesel , I was thinking to give a good thorough cleaning,,I would have used a power wash, it would have taken the brown stain out,who knows maybe it would take a lot of surface rust out,,🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙
The reason I say is like some surface rust or brown stains would come out, also the factory rims, would get their shine back, doesn**t have to be full strength, plus the undercarriage would look nice after being so long parked.
My dad had datsun truck about the size when I was little. Sounds like a diesel. A boy and his toys.i love the old stick shift, I had a 68 maverick that was colum shift, it was a blast. My first car.
@@BudgetBuildz yeah I would love to have still. My daughter has a crown royale I think 88 her brother purchased for her 175.00 it sounds good running but she can't open the door on the driver's side and the window won't stay up. So she hasn't been able to drive it, because of the cold, and if does, she have to learn how to daisy Duke, to get out. But I'm thinking it'll be a debry car next summer.
Thanks for letting us sit in on your project. Ever see those operations on TV where there is a raised gallery of med students? Have you ever noticed the one way up high eating popcorn - the one destine to leave med school shorty? That's us, But like him we are enjoying the day!
Here in South America we have the VW Saveiro, is similar, but it has coil springs all around with a solid axle at the back and McPherson at the front, the engine is the same, and new and more modern versions are still in production. The model that is similar is the Saveiro G1. BTW awesome video!
Very cool truck. I had 2 at one time and the only issues I had was tail lights and a gas tank almost impossible to find. The front strut towers are in good shape on that they are prone to rust because they undercoated it so well they covered the weep holes for draining. Cool truck wish I had mine still.
Sweet! Yeah, I’ve had pitiful taillights in my previous ones but can’t find them! Thankfully these look practically brand new considering the mileage in the truck! Haha yeah I remember pulling pending off them....it’s ridiculous 😅 this one all super solid though!
These trucks were fun, just very under powered so don't expect too much , You had to drive them flat out but it didn't hurt them , great economical parts runners in the 80s. You scored on this one
Just found your videos. Love them rabbits! Had 4 if them in the day. Never was able to find a pickup here in western Pa. I'd give my left one to find one in that condition here for $500!
New sub here, been trying to figure out who you remind me of, then you made that goofy face while driving, then it hit me, Enos from the dukes of hazzard. I enjoy the videos, thank you for the entertainment sir.
Saw one guy clean a rusty car with CLR and a green scrub pad. After that washed and buffed it. It looked really good. It's on RUclips. Think it's a 60 oldsmobile.
Haha I just watched that the other day 🙂 I like the ‘63 olds, I’ve got a ‘60 Bonneville that I got from my grandfather I’ll be piddling on soon! I’ll definitely give that a try on the rabbit! Thanks!
I found an endoscope that connects to a smartphone on Ebay that would be handy for inspecting that fuel tank for less than $5. You should be able to find one on Amazon or Ebay, whichever you would rather deal with.
Do a compression test video. With these old diesel engines, Compression is everything, Adjust the valves before the test. these old Diesel Rabbits are Great! I'm restoring a W115 diesel Mercedes in my driveway I used to have a rabbit long ago.
Mercedes Benz Revive I’ll definitely do a test for y’all! If it appears it needs some adjustment I may see about reshimming the valves 🤙🏻 sweet! I just got rid of my 280C double over head cam 😕
FYI these were made in Pennsylvania and back in the day I regularly got 44 MPG. I got rid of it when I passed it on to my son and finally sold it when the SECOND engine died on him.
You can start a diesel and unhook the battery and it will still run i recommend putting a little power service diesel additive every fill up i got a 2000 ford F 250 power stroke 7.3 788000 miles original injectors also always use a block heater. In winter good luck guys good start on a new utube. Channel Merry Christmas
You’re right about that, other than the cutoff solenoid on this one. Sounds good, doesn’t hurt. This one has some fuel issues or possibly pump timing I need to get a good look at, it’s weaker than it should be. I’ll definitely stick one on! My last one had one and it makes all the difference in the world! Thanks!
You know it! It appears it had a belt and water pump done shortly before it was parked, which made me decide to atleast run it around the neighborhood...although that was 25 years ago lol, first thing now is to change it!
Nice factory color right down to the emblems, as for the cracked dash, they have a kit, to fill in the cracks you put some hardener material, it also includes so m.j e color samples, use the heat gun to heat into place, it works for upholstery,but it would also be good to cover the cracks, any auto parts store has it it*s made by Permatech.
@@BudgetBuildz Hey that is even better, zI just thought in case you want to fix something else more important, so that pick up looks even better with the original paint & emblems, I just like that the pick up is going ,since you don*t see any on the road barely.
13:40 Gumbert Apollo? 17:30 The good Jumper Cables. I have a set, and they are over 30 years old, and they are far better than anything on the market today.
That patina is stunning as is the color of the exterior and interior. I would love to own a us early westy caddy here in the uk. All the vehicles left over here just rot away.
I love these 70/80s Volkswagens. I am just rebuilding a 1977 Volkswagen Polo. Ithink you didn´t have them in the States right? The engine is still running and is in good condition.. like yours in the Rabbit.^^ Love your channel man.. and it´s nice to see that there are more crazy guys like me in the world that keep these good old Volkswagens alive )) Greetings from Olli from Germany
@@BudgetBuildz Welcome! )) The polo was the follower of the beetle in Europe.. Cause the german people got rid of the beetle in the early 70s.. My mother bought a polo in 1976.. i liked it very much even as a child. Thats the reason why i wanted to have one now :D
The video of you driving the rabbit-truck with your friend in the passenger seat -- both were grinning ear to ear. THAT is what I think this little truck brings to the table; a smile at the hilarious nature of this 'crazy' little light duty work truck.. It's a rabbit thats also a truck!
That’s right! More smiles per mile than a lot of vehicles..even as goofy and slow as it is 🙂 yeah my dad and I get a kick out of getting this stuff going!
love these real life budget videos you do a great job for little money!
What a magnificent job you do !!!, so in that same state is how I buy my cars !! I adore '' bring them back to life '' !!!! Since I am a teenager, all the ones that I had until now I bought them in the same conditions as your vehicle !!! By the way, your little girl precious, it reminded me a little of Sherley temple !!! many greetings and congratulations from Buenos Aires, Argentina South America.
Those things are indestructible. I used to work with a guy that had 400k on one. Might still have it for all I know. He said it got over 50 mph. Really cant beat German engineering.
Unless you do like my uncle and drive around with tho oil light on. We had one of these for work.
50 mph is pretty slow
Unless you drive it in Europe. Here it will be well and truly eaten up by rust within 10-15ys.
we have a VW polo with 410-420 000km on it and the engine is like new
@@CXensation atleast here in finland when there is road salt basically the whole year
I love the truck and it’s Diesel engine . In the late 80’s early 90’s I took two diesel rabbits and made one completely rebuilt rabbit .. I was a master VW tech for 15 years and had a love for vw’s ... you have a special vehicle there even if it doesn’t look like it ...
Davyboy Colon Sweet! Thank you so much!
Around the same time my father and I had a wrecked carbureted, fuel injection, and a diesel. We swapped the diesel engine, radiator, starter, transmission etc into the gasoline rabbit. Then we used the best trim parts etc off of the FI model.
This is the first video I've seen on this channel and as soon as I saw that he had an old VW rabbit I automatically had to subscribe to his channel because anyone who likes old VW's is worth my time watching when it come to revival and/or restoration videos like this
😃😃 glad to have you! Thanks!
Fun! I’ve got an ‘81. Drives great. I did have to replace my vacuum booster as it was sticking, due to internal rust, causing brakes to drag. About 250,000 on mine. My paint is in good shape and the poor thing actually has taken out 2 deer! Repaired and running. I did have ‘normal’ rust, at the corners of the windshield where water could sit, under the gasket and not drain. Pulled windshield, fixed rust and replaced gasket. It’s a fun truck. I think I need to replace the injectors (I have the tips) as it’s pretty doggy but at 50+ MPG who cares!
Sweet! One thing to check is the injector timing, if a belt has even been done and that was messed with but not put correct it’ll make a huge difference. I just kick them back and forth until I get the sweet spot where it makes good power but doesn’t blow a ton of smoke and have never had an issue! A fresh set of injectors will definitely make a difference too!
You can use booster and bigger master cylinder from Passat B3 or Golf mk2 to improve the brakes a bit, also you can use vented front discs and thinner pads from Golf Mk2 GTI to improve it a bit further - these parts have maybe better availability and prices today :)
Oh man... I had one of these in college in New York. I bought it with 290k miles on it, drove it for 3 years and then sold it still running. Keep em coming.
Very nice little truck, don't worry about the old fuel, the wonderful thing about an old Diesel is that it will run on almost anything. I'd love an old Rabbit or Golf, but I'm in the Rust Belt, and our vehicles are eaten alive by the Rust Monster here in NY State. Yes, restore that thing, it looks like a very dependable ride.
I worked at a VW dealer back in the mid-80's. These would come in after over heating or snapping a timing belt. We had one mechanic who worked on these, and refused to wrench on anything else. Steady work for him, I guess. Cool to see one of these again !
Word to the wise from a dude who has been through the wringer with one of these little beasties. Replace that old coolant expansion tank, use only new German water pumps and thermostats, check your timing belt religiously. Also the coolant temp gauge is to be watched like a hawk at all times. I'd recommend an aftermarket one if you can swing it the factory ones are dicey at best. Always willing to lend a hand or knowledge if you're not sure or need advice or resources. The cooling system is the only thing keeping the head from warping on these things be sure it's well taken care of and fresh cheers.
Those wheels and white wall tyres are completely date related awesome! Keep truck completely original! Patina and all . Great looking truck.
These engines were notorious for frozen rings and defective cylinder heads. First sign of bad rings is bad starting because of compression issues. ATK from Japan made a complete replacement cylinder head. I used to do one engine every three days, take it apart, remove the frozen rings, throw away the entire cylinder head. Replace the rod bearings, then back together. You need a special VW tool to time the injection pump.
Learnt to drive in Golf, Rabbit to you over the other side of the pond. Great wee cars. I’m from Scotland🏴🏴
Awesome!
This makes me miss my caddy. She was a different animal though. 180hp 9a, close ratio trans. Slammed on the ground... freaking death trap, but it was fast. Lol. Good on ya for saving this one. They're getting fewer and farther between. 👍👍
Such a cute little pickup. Would look nice next to my 85 S10
Great little truck for running future race engines to and from the machine shop 😀. Repair or neutralize any important rust, and leave the paint alone. Merry Christmas!
That’s the plan! I think it’ll be fun to run the channels future race engines back and from the machine shop 😉
I remember when these were new on the lot. I always wanted one.
I’d love to have seen one new!
Lovely straight mini truck,purring like a kitten.I have been pursuing a Chev-Luv short chassis 1ton pick up garaged after the old man passed away,but the old lady can't let it.Best wishes with the projects.
😃 I hope you’re able to! I love those! 1ton makes it even cooler!
@@BudgetBuildz I will keep pursuing, it is a 1978 White pick up so intact with original wheel caps and other original features
Willy Mwangi Awesome! It’s not by chance 4x4 is it?
@@BudgetBuildz It isn't a 4×4,it's rear wheels propelled
I love jour Truck, the patina is Nice like this. Have fun with it. It so fun to run those old vw.
Thank you! 🙂
Loving how this little truck is coming along!!!
Hey Michael, glad to be able to get my Budget Buildz fix watching this little truck project while I wait for you to post your next Porsche instalment. I hope you and your family are good and staying safe. I really enjoy this channel and your down to earth style..
😊😊 really glad you’re enjoying!
Ajax or powdered Clorox and scotch brite pad will make that brand new again. Then matt clear the truck. That thing is mint great find and good luck wish I could find one like this!
Thanks! Sounds like a good idea!
I purchased a 2015 Mercedes GLK350 with subframe damage. That's my rebuild project next week. busted steering rack, subframe and oil pan. 20k mileage. new car when repaired. gonna be fun!!
That’ll be sweet!
Reminds me of my '84 Rabbit GTI that I bought new and drove for 19 years. Not sure how many miles it had on it as I broke several odometer cables. It was showing about 250K miles. Engine still strong and used no oil as I changed the oil every 3K miles. Finally gave it to a coworker who was going to restore it. I special ordered it with undercoating from the factory so it had no rust on it. VW Rabbits were great cars.
Sweet! Yeah I love them!
I love the wheel change 😂
😁😁
Love this truck I had one exactly like this in the early 90s Glad to see folks keeping them alive. I have owned several VW diesels from MK1 to my 2015 Jetta.
Ian Former Awesome! Yeah I love me some diesels, people think these get good mileage, and they do, but not tdi fuel mileage!
You can get rid of the rust staining on the paint with CLR, if you want.
Cool, thanks for the input!
@@BudgetBuildz i was going to mention that also... I have seen it done before, dont remember how it was done but i remember the results were good
that's an awesome deal you just made! Would be at least 3000 EUR for this in the EU... and nice ones are sold around 7-8k
Love the Patina & Graphics. European round headlights and front bumper would simplify the front even more. Tyres have steel liners. If you’ve ever tried to remove a tyre from a wheel on your own, you know how tough it is. I had a cutting disc to a tyre once and could barely get through it. Keep it under 50mph it’ll be fine. Owned x2 Mk1’s & x4 Mk2’s. Cheap parts, easy to work on, 30mpg, gets a lot of attention. Folks love um especially the more basic models. 1990 CL Auto at the moment. Mk1’s are prettier but Mk2’s are a bit more usable for a daily. I’m up to 62k mileage on my current Mk2 rolling resto. Enjoying the videos. You know your stuff 👍🏻😎
I 'restored' an '80 Rabbit that was off the road from I'd have to say the late 80s and had a full tank of diesel which turned into molasses, but I had utilized a 12v diesel fuel pump to suck all the old fuel out....came in handy when it was time to prime the fuel filter/injection pump. Good thing to have laying around.
Definitely! Keep one at work for pumping out boat tanks!
@@BudgetBuildz ahhh perfect, I made the comment before seeing your little prime pump in between the filter and IP.
I did a TDI swap in the resto process so it's surprisingly quick.
The rustic look fits it I would only clear coat it after a nice wash
Such fun cars... keep the color. Before you know it your little ones will be driving it. I had one... an '81...gas... put a HT (or RD?) 1.8 liter hydraulic lifter GTi motor (10:1 comp) in it. That thing scooted. I sure miss it. It was rear ended by a Dodge 3/4 ton work truck. Thank god for head rests as my head (rest) knocked out the rear window.
That sucker looks solid... nice find! A friend of mine had a gas one back in the 90s. Was a cool little truck.
It looks great! Keep it original and thoroughly detail it inside and outside, including the underside. Would love to see it!
Thank you! That’s the plan!
I'm in the UK. Don't ever remember seeing one of those here. We had VW Caddys but the ones I remember were 3 door vans. I would love to put a VR6 in one of those and keep it as a ratty sleeper type.
Merry Christmas. I would love to see a total restoration of this car, since not many of them are around.
Saw one of these a few days ago, fully restored, beautiful red color.
A guy that lives near me drives one everyday..hes the only one in town, probably 10 towns all the way around that drives one everyday, lol!
Can't believe that wheel came off that easy after 25 years
I used to work at a shop that specialized in the VW diesels. One of those lines on the tank runs into the engine compartment and is a vent line that should be stuck in a hole in the frame rail. You can pressurize this line with an air hose and push fuel up through the filter and to pump. Make sure that this line is kept unobstructed or the pump with suck your tank flat.
MnPaul Thanks for the info, I’ll check that out! I’ve not had an issue with one running weak like this one is so this could be some the culprit!
@@BudgetBuildz You can also try treating the fuel system with Bio Kleen to kill the fungus. It can go through the filter but will not go through the injector. The engine sounds like it is running well with good compression on all cylinders. It could be a matter of timing. There are different settings that can be used. You need to put a dial indicator in the back of the pump to set it.
That truck would look great painted with raptor liner
You should use CLR and clean it. The wet sanding will take paint off. CLR will remove the rust staining. Great video. Nice family as well. Thanks
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll look into it! Thanks!
Very well done guys. It is one of those rare vehicles that out performs almost anything you can buy today (Capable of 50+ mpg and breaking the speed limit - eventually) and if maintained will outlast the owner - there are some still around that are one owner daily drivers!......for 40 years
Hi Budget Buildz! I also own a Mg Midget and a VW Rabbit diesel pickup! I just love my pickup and I drive it every day. They are awesome trucks! Thank you for the video. Best regards.
Great minds think alike!
@@BudgetBuildz That's true! Do you also have a BMW 3 series? I'm beginning to think you might be my brother from another mother! I've got the nice Datsun 5 speed conversion on my Midget; it's an excellent upgrade.
Stud Walker I do not! 😋 but I would like to own a clean 2002 some day 🙂 sweet, I bet that makes a ton of difference!
All the guys watching Barn Finders and envying you with your cute little pickup! Lots of fun. Merry Christmas...Wishing God's Blessings for your family for the coming year!
I watched that episode the day it came out...first two cars rabbit pickup and a Porsche targa 😅 looks like my future garage!
That is some unique pick up, the volkswagen rabbit, the pick up looked like it was bigger than the rabbit hatchback, now that red rabbit sounds like a diesel , I was thinking to give a good thorough cleaning,,I would have used a power wash, it would have taken the brown stain out,who knows maybe it would take a lot of surface rust out,,🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙
Enrique Lopez I’ll definitely give it a try 🙂 just didn’t want to blast any paint off 😅
i had an 81 with 4 speed took a 5 speed out of a vw scirocco put in the truck made a big improvement on the highway !!!!!!!!!!!!
5 speed would definitely make a huge difference!
@@BudgetBuildz The 5 speed from the Scirocco is the one to get. It is a close ratio 5 speed with a higher 5 gear for highway crusing.
The reason I say is like some surface rust or brown stains would come out, also the factory rims, would get their shine back, doesn**t have to be full strength, plus the undercarriage would look nice after being so long parked.
My dad had datsun truck about the size when I was little. Sounds like a diesel. A boy and his toys.i love the old stick shift, I had a 68 maverick that was colum shift, it was a blast. My first car.
Haha cool! My Nash Metropolitan is a column shift! So is a truck we’ll be getting soon! They’re definitely different, I like a 68 mav!
@@BudgetBuildz yeah I would love to have still. My daughter has a crown royale I think 88 her brother purchased for her 175.00 it sounds good running but she can't open the door on the driver's side and the window won't stay up. So she hasn't been able to drive it, because of the cold, and if does, she have to learn how to daisy Duke, to get out. But I'm thinking it'll be a debry car next summer.
Thanks for letting us sit in on your project. Ever see those
operations on TV where there is a raised gallery of med students? Have
you ever noticed the one way up high eating popcorn - the one destine to
leave med school shorty? That's us, But like him we are enjoying the
day!
This is awesome! Thanks! 😃
Brings memories of the rabbit I had and the rabbit truck my sister and brother in law had
Brilliant pickups. 😊
Super cool I have and 81 that I daily and it’s never left me stranded keep up the vids I’d love to keep seeing this caddy return to life
Absolutely! Thank you sir! Yeah, I miss dailying the ‘81 I had sometimes then I get out in traffic with one....😅
I'm buying one soon... 1983 VW Rabbit.
It runs and drive but needs some fine tuning.
Sweet!
I love those pick ups .good luck.
Thank you!
Keeper. Solid little diesel pick-up, nice find!
Absolutely!
“Let’s clean the windshield so we can take it round the block” cleans whole Caddy, I love it ! Over here in the U.K. with my own ex unloved pickup
You know it 😁😁
What a great project cool old VW please more of this car 👍😊
Greetings from Germany
Absolutely! Thanks! 🙂
beautiful 1980 rabbit truck ! first year for the truck , one year only dash/ nose. and should be the 1.5 L if its the original motor :)
Jason Burton Thanks! Yes, I love an early Westy! It is the original 1.5 🙂
Really fantastic patina vw😊👍
Here in South America we have the VW Saveiro, is similar, but it has coil springs all around with a solid axle at the back and McPherson at the front, the engine is the same, and new and more modern versions are still in production. The model that is similar is the Saveiro G1. BTW awesome video!
MAXEL That sounds awesome! Not fair! Haha thank you 🙂
@@BudgetBuildz Hahahaha, maybe you could find one in states!
This a awsome god old classic car, needs to be saved and enjoyed😁😁
😊😊😊
I already love this channel. You will make it big 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you! 🙂 glad to have you!
When you turned into your driveway, sounds like you might need CV joints
Nevin Hough Haha yeah! They’re terrible! 😅
Very cool truck. I had 2 at one time and the only issues I had was tail lights and a gas tank almost impossible to find. The front strut towers are in good shape on that they are prone to rust because they undercoated it so well they covered the weep holes for draining. Cool truck wish I had mine still.
Sweet! Yeah, I’ve had pitiful taillights in my previous ones but can’t find them! Thankfully these look practically brand new considering the mileage in the truck! Haha yeah I remember pulling pending off them....it’s ridiculous 😅 this one all super solid though!
those were some tough lil trucks
I have a 1980s vw cabriolet, it’s an automatic, rust free as well, same engine and identical under the hood, fun little car to drive around
Cabriolet with a diesel?!?! Sweet!
great work getting the caddy rolling - I hope my barn find project goes as easy!
Thank you! I hope so too!
These trucks were fun, just very under powered so don't expect too much , You had to drive them flat out but it didn't hurt them , great economical parts runners in the 80s. You scored on this one
Just found your videos. Love them rabbits! Had 4 if them in the day. Never was able to find a pickup here in western Pa. I'd give my left one to find one in that condition here for $500!
Haha glad to have you!
New sub here, been trying to figure out who you remind me of, then you made that goofy face while driving, then it hit me, Enos from the dukes of hazzard. I enjoy the videos, thank you for the entertainment sir.
Glad to have you! Haha idk if that’s a good thing or....😅 🙂
You’re crazy for running that engine with that ancient timing belt.
Kyle Mire Yes, yes I am
@@BudgetBuildz Haha. Hey, you're the captain of this ship....
Looks great to me. Cute old Vee Dub.
After taking the tank out, the Underneith looks great.
I thought so too 😊
the metal structure inside the tyre is what holds the tyre... dont worry about the rubber...
i am inspired by this little truck
Someone sponsore this man and supply him with a lift
Saw one guy clean a rusty car with CLR and a green scrub pad. After that washed and buffed it. It looked really good. It's on RUclips. Think it's a 60 oldsmobile.
Haha I just watched that the other day 🙂 I like the ‘63 olds, I’ve got a ‘60 Bonneville that I got from my grandfather I’ll be piddling on soon! I’ll definitely give that a try on the rabbit! Thanks!
The trunk alone in good shape is 1-2k worth
Great find! I had a vw pick up truck and I miss it. A little tight for me now.
Cool un caddy ! Bon courage et joyeux Noël 👍
I found an endoscope that connects to a smartphone on Ebay that would be handy for inspecting that fuel tank for less than $5. You should be able to find one on Amazon or Ebay, whichever you would rather deal with.
Thanks I’ll check it out!
Great job ! Happy Christmas to you and your family ! 👍😊
You’re working on a German pickup. The tire is not “no bueno” it’s “nicht ser güt”
Crying out for a vr6 or turboed v5 yeah buddy nice! Set of BBS nice little truck!
😊😊
vr6 is overweight but low in power. if the gasoline engine then 1.8T 20v or 2.0 16v with turbo. My favorite would be 1.9tdi
@@immens1 yeah you could be right Bruv! Tuned TDI would go nice!!
72 is a cold day in Florida
Nut Twg Haha 😅
Do a compression test video. With these old diesel engines, Compression is everything, Adjust the valves before the test. these old Diesel Rabbits are Great! I'm restoring a W115 diesel Mercedes in my driveway I used to have a rabbit long ago.
Mercedes Benz Revive I’ll definitely do a test for y’all! If it appears it needs some adjustment I may see about reshimming the valves 🤙🏻 sweet! I just got rid of my 280C double over head cam 😕
congratulations ! Nice car !!
FYI these were made in Pennsylvania and back in the day I regularly got 44 MPG. I got rid of it when I passed it on to my son and finally sold it when the SECOND engine died on him.
You can start a diesel and unhook the battery and it will still run i recommend putting a little power service diesel additive every fill up i got a 2000 ford F 250 power stroke 7.3 788000 miles original injectors also always use a block heater. In winter good luck guys good start on a new utube. Channel Merry Christmas
You’re right about that, other than the cutoff solenoid on this one. Sounds good, doesn’t hurt. This one has some fuel issues or possibly pump timing I need to get a good look at, it’s weaker than it should be. I’ll definitely stick one on! My last one had one and it makes all the difference in the world! Thanks!
What a sweet find
Throw on some clear and that truck is finished!
absolute nooooo, the wetsand and buff will restore it back to a factory shine
I worked @ Volkswagen of America /Westmoreland& built that truck. I drove one exactly like yours..There were only 5,000 1980 diesels made.
Canto chests was camioneta
@@jamesgrigg6831 canto chests was camionsta
Me Gusta was csminesta
Do change the timing belt. Asap.👍
You know it! It appears it had a belt and water pump done shortly before it was parked, which made me decide to atleast run it around the neighborhood...although that was 25 years ago lol, first thing now is to change it!
Let me let you in on a little secret. Dads live for moments like this when their sons take off in an old junk wagon.
Howie Z ☺️☺️
Nice factory color right down to the emblems, as for the cracked dash, they have a kit, to fill in the cracks you put some hardener material, it also includes so m.j e color samples, use the heat gun to heat into place, it works for upholstery,but it would also be good to cover the cracks, any auto parts store has it it*s made by Permatech.
What if I told you I found another extremely nice dash 😉
@@BudgetBuildz Hey that is even better, zI just thought in case you want to fix something else more important, so that pick up looks even better with the original paint & emblems, I just like that the pick up is going ,since you don*t see any on the road barely.
Enrique Lopez Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll definitely keep that in my mind on other projects!
SPRAY IT DOWN WITH AWESOME AND MICROFIBER CLOTH. YOU CAN BUY AWESOME AT THE DOLLAR TREE.
It's a good idea to drill some holes in the loading bet corners so water puddle don't create rust mes
It already has them, you can see one of them at 1.32, when he is disconnecting the fuel line. They actually look pretty big
Finally! First!
Channel is going in a good solid direction man. Glad i found the channel while it’s still developing and young.
You’re the first! 🙂 thank you! Glad to have you!
Budget Buildz
Great channel that is sure to grow. Please don’t do like many other channels and start pinning your own comments and pushing merch.
@@chrisj197438 its expensive to do this and every little bit of money helps.
13:40 Gumbert Apollo? 17:30 The good Jumper Cables. I have a set, and they are over 30 years old, and they are far better than anything on the market today.
That patina is stunning as is the color of the exterior and interior. I would love to own a us early westy caddy here in the uk. All the vehicles left over here just rot away.
Max Mummery Thank you! Maybe I’ll send it over there when I’m done with it! 😛
I love these 70/80s Volkswagens. I am just rebuilding a 1977 Volkswagen Polo. Ithink you didn´t have them in the States right? The engine is still running and is in good condition.. like yours in the Rabbit.^^ Love your channel man.. and it´s nice to see that there are more crazy guys like me in the world that keep these good old Volkswagens alive )) Greetings from Olli from Germany
Oliver Hanekamp Haha thanks! No we didn’t get them here :/ I would love an early polo though!
@@BudgetBuildz Welcome! )) The polo was the follower of the beetle in Europe.. Cause the german people got rid of the beetle in the early 70s.. My mother bought a polo in 1976.. i liked it very much even as a child. Thats the reason why i wanted to have one now :D