1982 5 speed Manual in Fries, VA

Last Updated: 9/3/2025 | Ad Source: Craigslist

Asking Price: $3,700

 

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For sale or possibly trade is my 1982 VW Rabbit Pickup.

1.6L Diesel and a 5 speed transmission. 35-45 mpg depending on how you drive it. I bought the truck in the summer of 2008 with apprx. 175,000 miles on the body. An engine of unknown condition from a 1986 Golf was swapped in by the previous owner and the transmission was brand new at the time (I have no proof that it was a new transmission but it looked and drove like it).

The truck was my daily driver for several years before falling into the role of being a backup car. In 2012 around $5,000 (I have receipts) was invested in professionally rebuilding the engine and making some other repairs. This work occurred around 208,000 miles on the truck. The truck currently has approximately 230,000 miles and that will change.

I bought the truck from a guy that had towed it back from New Mexico to Ohio. Being that it was from New Mexico and I never drove it during the winter in Ohio, it has zero structural rust. Plenty of dents and dings and surface rust. There is one spot that has rusted through behind the passenger rear wheel that could use some attention.

I want to be 100% up front as this is a 40 year old car, so aside from the few issues I’ve pointed out so far:

-A tree branch fell on the windshield last year. I had the windshield replaced immediately but they didn’t do a great job (re-used the old seal) and the windshield leaked. I have the new seal to get things properly sealed up. Once I realized it was leaking I parked it under a roof but the interior did get wet. I’ve gotten things dried up in the meantime.

-The ignition seems to be going bad. It’s only happened twice, but in the past few months I’ve shut the truck off but when I pulled the key out the interior lights stay on. Both times I’ve repeatedly turned the key off and on to correct it. It hasn’t been enough of an issue to try and fix it but is a small problem that will need fixed at some point.

-The interior isn’t great. One of the previous owners put 6″ speakers in the doors simultaneously ruining the door cards and cutting out a semicircle from the lower interior of the door. I removed said speakers and door cards and have driven it like that for quite a while. The intent was to make new door cards and patch the doors but I haven’t gotten to it. I still have the old door cards. The roof liner fell down (I still have it and the cardboard-type backing to use as a template). The driver seat has a small tear in the vinyl. The dash has big cracks in it. I have an extra dash in perfect shape and a steering wheel to match. I have a box full of extra items I’ve accumulated as I’ve worked on the truck.

That covers everything I can think of. I have 8 of the little chrome center caps for the wheels and I think barely enough of the little clips if you want to run them. New Mastercraft tires and a new battery in the last 6 months. Just passed inspection.

The reason I’m selling is that I have a small family now so this no longer serves as a fully functional backup car. With that said, I’d be open to trades on a similarly valued Subaru Outback or Forester, or a Honda car. I’d also be interested in a full sized van (Econoline, Sprinter, etc.). Possibly a hatchback or wagon of another brand. I’m looking for a grandma car, not something that’s had a bunch of junk added to it. Buy it outright for $3700 firm. Somebody out there is as desperate as I was 10 years ago to have this exact truck and that’s the person that needs to end up with it. So if you’re serious, come check it out. Basically the truck needs cosmetic work to be perfect, but nothing to drive it another 100,000 miles (probably more) as is.

Last Updated on September 3, 2025 by TruckAds