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So I've got it in my head that it would be fun to have a really slow pickup truck that gets awesome gas mileage, for when I have to move poo poo or when it rains and I don't want to ride my motorcycle, and discovered that there are a few local people selling early 80s diesel Rabbit pickups (VW Caddy, to everyone outside of the USA.) Is there anything I should be looking at when I go to take a look at these things? One is a 4-speed manual, one is a 5-speed. Also, why the heck does no one else make a small diesel pickup truck in the US? Here's the one I'm sort of looking at. and also sort of this one Nate Falls fucked around with this message at Nov 19, 2012 around 19:39 |
| # ? Nov 19, 2012 19:34 |
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| # ? May 21, 2013 06:23 |
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Nate Falls posted:So I've got it in my head that it would be fun to have a really slow pickup truck that gets awesome gas mileage, for when I have to move poo poo or when it rains and I don't want to ride my motorcycle, and discovered that there are a few local people selling early 80s diesel Rabbit pickups (VW Caddy, to everyone outside of the USA.) Watch for excessive blue or white smoke. Ask the seller if you can see it started cold, if it starts extremely rough you may have issues. They are pretty damned reliable and hard to kill, and the first seller said his engine had recently rebuilt the engine and did the clutch. I'd really consider the 5 speed, the 4 speed is strong, but that missing cruising gear really hurts on the highway.
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| # ? Nov 19, 2012 19:49 |
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CommieGIR posted:Watch for excessive blue or white smoke. Ask the seller if you can see it started cold, if it starts extremely rough you may have issues. So like, if you had to choose between the recently rebuilt 4-speed and the not recently rebuilt 5-speed for $900 less, would you still go for the 5? Dang, and the 4-speed one has the pimp spray-on bedliner too. edit: oh jesus, I found a thread where people are comparing their vw diesels' top speeds, and most of the people with 4-speeds are quoting numbers in the low 70's. Nate Falls fucked around with this message at Nov 19, 2012 around 20:03 |
| # ? Nov 19, 2012 19:59 |
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Nate Falls posted:So like, if you had to choose between the recently rebuilt 4-speed and the not recently rebuilt 5-speed for $900 less, would you still go for the 5? Yeah, I had a Rabbit 1.6l NA with the 4 speed, and you aren't going to get much better than 65 with a good tail wind. Then I got a 89 Jetta 1.6 NA with the 5 speed, and I could do 80....just. Go for the 5 speed, you won't regret it. As a side note, if you ever decide to do an engine mod, the Turbocharger from a 1Z/AHU is a direct bolt on, you just need the correct injection pump. CommieGIR fucked around with this message at Nov 19, 2012 around 21:12 |
| # ? Nov 19, 2012 21:06 |
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Swapping in a five speed isn't hard at all. Transmissions are cheap and plentiful, and its not at all a difficult job. I'd buy the one with the best body (check the rear lower corners, strut towers, floors, and bed) and the best engine. Even new, they were slow. Oh, and a waste vegetable oil conversion isn't that hard either.
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| # ? Nov 19, 2012 21:28 |
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sharkytm posted:Swapping in a five speed isn't hard at all. Transmissions are cheap and plentiful, and its not at all a difficult job. I'd buy the one with the best body (check the rear lower corners, strut towers, floors, and bed) and the best engine. Even new, they were slow. Oh, and a waste vegetable oil conversion isn't that hard either. Yeah, the big thing is making sure you are filtering it enough, WVO is awesome but can kill an engine if not done right. But Sharky is right, a 5 speed swap is easy, maybe a 4 hour job tops.
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| # ? Nov 19, 2012 21:56 |
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There's something like this for sale in Anza Borrego, but it has a Karmann Ghia front end and the whole body is bright yellow rhino liner. $4k. You should take a ~3 hour trip south and buy it.
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| # ? Nov 20, 2012 00:46 |
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Astonishing Wang posted:There's something like this for sale in Anza Borrego, but it has a Karmann Ghia front end and the whole body is bright yellow rhino liner. $4k. You should take a ~3 hour trip south and buy it. Oh maaaan, got a link?
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| # ? Nov 20, 2012 01:06 |
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Nate Falls posted:Oh maaaan, got a link? I was just driving through and saw it. Ill try and find it again when I'm there on Saturday. Sorry for the blue balls post.
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| # ? Nov 20, 2012 15:50 |
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I had a 1981 caddy with the 1.5 NA and a 4-speed for a year or two. Slow as hell and if driven on the interstate is scary. Top speed on flat ground is around 70 on a good day, if you live somewhere with hills you'll do 80+ in the valleys and 45 at the top. MPG around down is great if you stay under 40mph or so, after that you run out of gears and end up reving the hell out of the engine. I saw 55-60mpg staying under 30mph but interstate commuting would average low 30's. Stay on highway's (50-60mph) and mid/upper 30's are possible. This is all with a 4-speed non-turbo diesel. It looks like you're in CA but if you find a good truck with a 4-speed I have a 5-speed I was going to swap into mine you can have for whatever it costs to ship from TN plus some cash. I loved mine and only got rid of it because insurance offered me way too much after it was destroyed by hail. The low bed and tailgate that works great as a ramp made it perfect for hauling motorcycles.
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| # ? Nov 20, 2012 16:24 |
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CommieGIR posted:But Sharky is right, a 5 speed swap is easy, maybe a 4 hour job tops. I love y'all's faith in me that I could like, swap out a tranny in an afternoon. I am currently lacking any kind of garage or experience with anything that has an engine too big for me to lift by hand. http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/3426047119.html Oh man, $4k for a 5 speed 1.6 na one with working a/c and heat, and only 113k miles and "all maitance was just done with new tires". I loving hate when people post ads without pictures, though. What the hell, man. And why do all the ones I want happen to be located 2 hours away? I guess I could rode my motorcycle there and then just throw it in the back and drive it home, right? Wouldn't be much of a pickup if it couldn't handle a 400lb enduro in the back, right? ah good, he texted me pictures:  
Nate Falls fucked around with this message at Nov 22, 2012 around 01:52 |
| # ? Nov 22, 2012 01:27 |
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Goddamn, isn't that what those things cost new? It disturbs me greatly that these would have been a better investment than a Ferrari.
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| # ? Nov 22, 2012 02:18 |
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Nate Falls posted:Oh man, $4k for a 5 speed 1.6 na one with working a/c and heat, and only 113k miles and "all maitance was just done with new tires". drat that's a 4k truck? Wow Also you know we mentioned it was slow...add 400lb to a 1900lb truck and it gets slower.
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| # ? Nov 22, 2012 12:11 |
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Nate Falls posted:Also, why the heck does no one else make a small diesel pickup truck in the US? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicke...ure_and_the_UAW Also CAFE standards are mostly based on the length and width of the wheelbase so small pickups get penalized heavily. Which is why the Ranger is gone and the other 'compact' pickups (Tacoma, Frontier etc) are as big as a full-size truck was 30 years ago, if not bigger.
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| # ? Nov 22, 2012 13:38 |
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So sad that's considered a decent price for one. Also, OP, you are mechanically inclined though right? You cannot expect this to be a worry free purchase. These are older cars that can potentially require more then routine maintenance to keep on the road...
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| # ? Nov 22, 2012 17:11 |
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Oh, absolutely. I do all my own maintenance on my bikes, I just don't own like, an engine jack or a garage.
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| # ? Nov 22, 2012 17:18 |
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Prices for caddys are retarded due to the hotbed of, well, retardation called vw vortex. People will pay insane money for one so they can ruin it with hellaflush polished gti bbs rims and an "edgy" paint job. And a mk 2 gti engine iirc. Op, if you want a slow, rusty unreliable pickup, why not just get a 4x2 ranger with the pinto engine and a stick shift? If you want low bed height for the bike, you can re spring the ranger and buy yourself a second bike for the difference in price. And if you just want easy bike carriage, get any japanese econobox, a class 1 hitch and a bolt-together trailer you can store in a decent sized closet.
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| # ? Nov 22, 2012 23:36 |
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I live in the land of utes and have always coveted a VW caddy seeing as we never got them here. I don't think 4k is too bad for the one you posted, especially considering there is not exactly a glut of hatchback chassis pick-ups with diesel motors out there.
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| # ? Nov 23, 2012 01:39 |
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Bobby_Wokkerfella posted:I live in the land of utes and have always coveted a VW caddy seeing as we never got them here. Non turbo diesels were not a hit for a reason though. Op, how cheap can you get a tdi jetta wagon these days?
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| # ? Nov 23, 2012 07:14 |
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Hey if you are looking for older, slower and not bad mileage, the 1983+ F250 diesels aren't bad and you can sometimes pick one up for cheap. http://reno.craigslist.org/ctd/3420380705.html $3500 1997 Turbocharged. InterceptorV8 fucked around with this message at Nov 23, 2012 around 07:47 |
| # ? Nov 23, 2012 07:44 |
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May also worth looking into older Datsun/Mazda pickup trucks for a cool little truck. At the 4k price point you could get a newer TDI golf/jetta and a small trailer. I got a clean 2000 Golf TDI 2-2.5 years ago for 3k. It pulls a trailer fine and you can haul a ton of poo poo in the back. I get 46-48 mpg without a trailer and 41-42 with.
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| # ? Nov 23, 2012 13:26 |
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NitroSpazzz posted:May also worth looking into older Datsun/Mazda pickup trucks for a cool little truck. That's what I'm saying. I have a trailer good for 250kg of bike that bolts down - get one like that op and you don't need a garage.
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| # ? Nov 23, 2012 14:12 |
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I know this thread is about being slow, but I'm also going to recommend a TDI and a trailer for moving motorcycles. They're 90 HP and 150 ft-lbs stock (higher after 2003), but add a tuning chip for a few hundred dollars and they're more like 110 and 180.
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| # ? Nov 23, 2012 19:29 |
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A guy with a PD got 193/313 on the dyno last weekend. Most of the normally modded ones were like 130-150 and 250-280. OP please buy a Caddy though and save it from idiots.
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| # ? Nov 23, 2012 20:11 |
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Billy Tully posted:A guy with a PD got 193/313 on the dyno last weekend. Most of the normally modded ones were like 130-150 and 250-280. That's the plan basically, although if I can find a more modern tdi for a comparable price,I might consider it. Probably not, though. I'm looking for something funky.
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| # ? Nov 24, 2012 19:28 |
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It's actually a modified square back. Just look at this masterpiece!!! Dang I messed up. Ill post photos when I get to the computer.
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| # ? Nov 24, 2012 21:20 |
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Here is some inspiration for when you get bored with the 52hp.
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| # ? Nov 24, 2012 21:30 |
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I was once the proud owner of a second generation VW Jetta 5-speed manual gearbox 1.6L 68 hp diesel. I loving loved that car. What i'd recommend is to really, really check the serpentine belt. I had one break on me at top speed (145 km/h on a really plain and dry tarmac with a downwards slope). If the serpentine belt brakes on a hot engine you've got exactly 15 seconds to stop before the top pops and a hilarious oil fire starts.
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| # ? Nov 25, 2012 15:02 |
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Astonishing Wang posted:It's actually a modified square back. Just look at this masterpiece!!!   
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| # ? Nov 26, 2012 16:38 |
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whaaaat the f That's pretty rad. I went to go take a look at this one and I think I'm gonna get it. It's solid in all the places where that model tends to rust, and it's not nearly as slow as I was prepared for it to be, and it was, in fact, a 5 speed and did just fine on the freeway. Hell yeah.
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| # ? Nov 27, 2012 04:00 |
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I feel as though I need to have this vehicle. The engine and transmission are worth the price he's asking.
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| # ? Nov 27, 2012 17:13 |
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veedubfreak posted:I feel as though I need to have this vehicle. The engine and transmission are worth the price he's asking. http://maps.google.com/maps/place?f...NIKfawAHct4GICw
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| # ? Nov 27, 2012 17:19 |
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Astonishing Wang posted:Here's where it's parked as of Saturday: Thanks, but I'm in CO and already have a 58 taking up my only spare garage space  This is why I need a bigger garage.
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| # ? Nov 27, 2012 20:29 |
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veedubfreak posted:Thanks, but I'm in CO and already have a 58 taking up my only spare garage space Also you'd have 4 speeds backwards and one forward if you used it.
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| # ? Nov 27, 2012 20:49 |
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So I bought the thing. 5 minutes after buying it, I had to put my motorbike in the back of it so I could get the motorbike home. Thing actually did pretty drat well on the freeway with a big ol' dirtbike in the back. Needs a radio though, to drown out the drat diesel noise. And now I get to go through with pretty much the major reason I wanted a truck, which is mounting a Jetski body on a scooter chassis to produce the world's only street-legal Jetski. It's for Burning Man. And also because I think it would be the funniest goddamn thing to commute to work on a Jetski. I should probably make a thread for that.
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| # ? Nov 30, 2012 03:37 |
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Is it a stand-up?
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| # ? Nov 30, 2012 04:00 |
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EightBit posted:Is it a stand-up? I was originally picturing a waverunner type thing with wheels poking out the bottom (and questionable handling in a crosswind), but this mental image is so much better. Please let it be a stand-up. I can't think of a better way to 
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| # ? Nov 30, 2012 04:03 |
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I haven't found the donor body for the Jetski yet. I might modify a stand-up so I can sit on it, because I can't imagine I wouldn't get pulled over immediately if I was standing up. I just have a feeling.
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| # ? Nov 30, 2012 05:19 |
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So dang, I've got some kind of jackpot, I think. I've had this thing like, a week, and already: -the left headlight' s lens has fallen off somewhere -the left rear blinker is dead. Replaced bulb; still dead. -this morning the alternator light came on. I knew some of this was coming, but come the gently caress on.
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| # ? Dec 10, 2012 18:36 |
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| # ? May 21, 2013 06:23 |
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How is parts availability for your truck? With the rear blinker, could it be a simple wiring issue? My jeep will act up every now and then until I wiggle the wire, then it's fine for a couple of months. I should probably fix it...
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| # ? Dec 10, 2012 21:25 |
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