The quickest diesel car you can buy - In 1977

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
All I know is that if I had to pick which I would rather be in an accident in, it would *NOT* be one of those old beer cans . . . And they were tiny too - even as a kid, I could not comfortably fit in the Rabbit, but no such problems with what is built now.

- Tim
 
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TDI smile

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Location
Edmonton, Alberta (b4 BC - LOWER MAINLAND = Chilli
TDI
2002 TDI (ALH) with 513,000 km. First Owner and very happy... No Problems, never left us stranded on the Highway. Average useage is about between under 4 ltr. and 5 ltr. Normal longdistance travel: 4.1/100
In the 90th I bought a used GOLF 1 Gas engine Rabbit... Plenty of room for me and all the tools and parts. Was a good Hauler. Bought it around 180,000 km and sold it with over 400,000 km, because I was afraid it would not pass BC Registration coming from Alberta.
 

Tuco

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Location
Las Vegas
TDI
2010 Jetta
My father bought a like-new 77 or 78 Rabbit (gas) for a summer trip across country in 1980. I remember him commenting it was surprisingly peppy for such a tiny engine. No A/C... The thing I most remember is you had to crack at least one window before the last door closed or it hurt your eardrums. That car was practically airtight.
 

vwgtiglx

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Location
Hickory Hills, IL
TDI
2014 2.0 TD Chevy Cruze
Hey, that is my first VW from back in 1977. I bought the first one in from my dealer in June, 1977. It really was air tight as you said. It did smoke and stumble for awhile when it was started cold. It never stranded me...even one night at a UW Badger Hockey game at -36 F. I did install a engine block heater and cardboard in front of the radiator in the winter. Only problem that I had was once when the oil pump relief valve stuck open and it wouldn't hold oil pressure. Fortunately, I had installed an oil pressure guage and and caught the problem right away. Put in a new oil pump and it was like new. The first mod that I installed was Quick-Start glow plugs. That one minute warm-up with the stock ones seemed like an eternity when it was below zero outside. Never used any fuel additives back then but I did mix some #1 Diesel in when it got real cold out. It is a world of difference from my Chevy Cruze clean diesel of today. The only reason that I got rid of it in 1983 when I got the new GTI, was that I got tired of being the last one from the stoplight all of the time. That was never an issue after that. I still miss both of those cars.
 
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02NBTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Location
STURGIS,MICHIGAN
TDI
96 GTDI
I currently have a 77 2 door Rabbit Diesel with 58,xxx original miles on it. It is a very solid car in closing the doors. As stated above, it is airtight. It is also pretty peppy for being a 1.5.
 

greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
After reading that artice it is painfully obvious how bad andsuperficial their writing has become. Gone are the days where they talk about details such as maintenace and fuel costs, instead replaced wtih talk of 0-60 times and navigation.

Sigh. I wish I could find a rabbit in the condition shown in the pictures.
 

TDI smile

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Location
Edmonton, Alberta (b4 BC - LOWER MAINLAND = Chilli
TDI
2002 TDI (ALH) with 513,000 km. First Owner and very happy... No Problems, never left us stranded on the Highway. Average useage is about between under 4 ltr. and 5 ltr. Normal longdistance travel: 4.1/100
the 82, that I used to drive in Edmonton had just too many Kilometers on the clock. If I find a GOOD one here in BC I would buy it again... simple and just perfect for a Daily Driver.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
My first new car was a 78 2 door Rabbit. Bought it in LA, drove it east when I moved back to Boston. Never thought it was slow, although with the 4 speed it worked pretty hard on the highway. 68 MPH seemed to be a comfortable cruising speed. Wish I still had it.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
We had a '78 brown 4 door. The demand for these cars was amazing during that period, dealers charging way over MSRP. Used cars bringing 100% of original purchase price.

I was always surprised by the MPG the thing could knock down on long road trips.
 

jessabug

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2012
Location
Cary, NC
TDI
Hubby's 2001 Jetta TDI, '84 IDI turbo diesel Jetta
We have an '84 TD Jetta. Love that car. Its not a daily (as said before, its a tin can) but its a great car to have some fun in. And the the turbo, its pretty peppy, especially since its so light. The mk1s are some great cars. We got 52mpg highway in it, cruising 65-70 and fueling is turned up a bit. Probably could pull 55mpg if we really tried.
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
... And they were tiny too - even as a kid, I could not comfortably fit in the Rabbit, but no such problems with what is built now.
- Tim
Nonsense. I hauled a motorbike and a couch inside that car (not at the same time). Plus several refrigerators.
 

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
Apparently your motorbike and couch don't go where my legs go. When you can't let the clutch in with the door closed because your knee catches behind the wheel (with the seat all the way back), it's too damn small, period. (And my Dad's head hit the roof - hard . . . 0 for 2 for us.) Cargo space is meaningless if you can't drive it.

- Tim
 

Diesl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Location
Chicago
TDI
'78 Golf Diesel (long gone); 2012 Jetta Sportwagen TDI w/ DSG
Interesting. Mine was ok for drivers up to 6'4", if I remember correctly.
 
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vwa1

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Location
SW Iowa
TDI
1982 Rabbit Turbo Diesel. I think it counts! Please don't banish me to the Vortex!
Dang, Tads people must be giants... I can fit in all my mk1's comfortably and I'm 6'4". Not enough headroom to wear a helmet though, unless the seat is reclined a bit more than usual. :p
 

tadawson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
Lewisville, TX
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Passat TDI SEL
I'm 6'5" and pretty leggy. My Dad isn't that tall, but has a very long torso - on a lot of sunroofed cars, his head would literally stick out an inch or so. Even our 2013 Passat is a tad tighter on legroom than I would like, but it works with the DSG . . . I have not sat in a manual to know on that one. My wife used to have a Crossfire (traded in on the Passat) and if I ever had to ride in it, it likely resembled a butterfly coming out of a cocoon watching me try to contort my way out of that damn thing . . . About the only cars I have ever found to have more legroom than I need werethe old 200/300 series Mercedes . . . And body size seems to almost never be an accurate indicator of what to expect.

And yes, air travel is pretty much agony . . .

Sure was fun driving the sales tards nutty when we shopped for a car as a family. Very often they would have nothing that fit on the entire lot . . .

- Tim
 
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