The little bronze Rabbit.
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:37 am
Richard, a somewhat local guy, called and was getting rid of some MK1 VWs.
He had collected them over about 15 years of working on them, mostly diesels but was overrun with house projects and wanted his shed space back.
My buddy in Ames got a solid '80 Rabbit parts car that could be brought back to life.
A local friend got 4 pickups and a Jetta.
I got a nice little bronze 2 door '81 rabbit:
imageshack sucks
You can see the left fender and door were changed and repainted. Probably got sideswiped.
Anyone parting a bronze Rabbit with a good fender and door? LE1Z paint code I think.
The rest of the body is very solid.
I'll get pics of the underside and pinch welds that aren't crunched at all.
About 5 years ago I picked up a '85 Jetta TD and I needed to do something with it.
imageshack sucks
While the body was tragic, the engine runs good with about 177,000 miles on it.
It was parked for years before and after I got it.
Last fall when I got it started the pump leaked. I ended up installing new mainshaft bushings and reaming them along with the reseal and a mild governor mod.
It sat for months through the winter and I test started it this spring at about 15F.
With the weak battery, MK2 starter, and lame battery cables and connections; the starter turned slow.
All the cylinders sounded even while it was cranking
and when I was begining to think it was going to need a jump it rumbled to life, idled and revved smoothly.
It was a good time for Richard to call because I had been shopping for a solid body to put the TD in.
The brown Rabbit was a gasser so that engine was pulled and the TD engine installed.
It was very mousey inside so the dash got pulled and the heater box and vents were cleaned.
About 8 mud dauber wasp nests were removed.
The fuel tank was full when stored half full when I got it so there was a huge coating of varnished gas solids.
Sooo I dropped the rear, the exhaust and the old tank.
cleaned up rust spots and sprayed them with SP-400 brown wax.
I found a rusty spot on the area near where the rear beam mounts. Usually rust in that area freaks me out but after picking away at it with a hammer and screwdriver it proved to be very solid. I'll post pics of the repair later.
There I got this project thread started.
I'll post more pics later.
He had collected them over about 15 years of working on them, mostly diesels but was overrun with house projects and wanted his shed space back.
My buddy in Ames got a solid '80 Rabbit parts car that could be brought back to life.
A local friend got 4 pickups and a Jetta.
I got a nice little bronze 2 door '81 rabbit:
imageshack sucks
You can see the left fender and door were changed and repainted. Probably got sideswiped.
Anyone parting a bronze Rabbit with a good fender and door? LE1Z paint code I think.
The rest of the body is very solid.
I'll get pics of the underside and pinch welds that aren't crunched at all.
About 5 years ago I picked up a '85 Jetta TD and I needed to do something with it.
imageshack sucks
While the body was tragic, the engine runs good with about 177,000 miles on it.
It was parked for years before and after I got it.
Last fall when I got it started the pump leaked. I ended up installing new mainshaft bushings and reaming them along with the reseal and a mild governor mod.
It sat for months through the winter and I test started it this spring at about 15F.
With the weak battery, MK2 starter, and lame battery cables and connections; the starter turned slow.
All the cylinders sounded even while it was cranking
and when I was begining to think it was going to need a jump it rumbled to life, idled and revved smoothly.
It was a good time for Richard to call because I had been shopping for a solid body to put the TD in.
The brown Rabbit was a gasser so that engine was pulled and the TD engine installed.
It was very mousey inside so the dash got pulled and the heater box and vents were cleaned.
About 8 mud dauber wasp nests were removed.
The fuel tank was full when stored half full when I got it so there was a huge coating of varnished gas solids.
Sooo I dropped the rear, the exhaust and the old tank.
cleaned up rust spots and sprayed them with SP-400 brown wax.
I found a rusty spot on the area near where the rear beam mounts. Usually rust in that area freaks me out but after picking away at it with a hammer and screwdriver it proved to be very solid. I'll post pics of the repair later.
There I got this project thread started.
I'll post more pics later.