Reader Ride: Follow The White Rabbit
In Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the main character (Alice) follows a white rabbit (who is terrified of being late) down into his rabbit hole and to a magical placed called Wonderland. Sometimes the white rabbit is really a white Volkswagen Rabbit and Wonderland is a place filled with Harbor Freight tools and endless repairs (car and/or tools repairs). Reader Gianni (when properly pronounced it sounds just like Johnny -Ed) submitted his 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI to DT’s Reader Ride feature and you can read more about it on his blog here.
Year / Make / Model / Trim ?
1984 VW Rabbit GTI
How long have you owned it?
15 months.
Why did you buy it?
I
was in high school when they first came out and I wanted one but didn’t
have the means to buy one. It’s been on my automotive bucket list
since.
What do you use it for (commute, fun, racing…etc)?
Fun car/project car
Is it stock or modified? If modified, please list some modifications.
One of the remaining unhacked, stock GTI’s. Keeping it stock, but replacing the 30 year old worn out parts.
What was the most memorable day in your car (proposed to wife, 3rd child born in back seat…etc)?
Of course, the day I met the previous owner and handed over the $$’s for the keys and title.
What was the most catastrophic failure of parts/components?
Nothing (yet), other than a dead battery (60 month battery that was on its 72nd month).
What makes you want to keep owning this car?
It’s fun to drive a simple, light car without a lot of power. Hand crank windows, no AC, sunroof, power steering or cup holders. Driving it is stepping back into the past. Also you have to plan ahead to maintain momentum.
Will you ever sell it?
Probably at some point when the call of the next bucket list car gets too strong.
Ed- This looks like the perfect application of the Daily Turismo philosophy. Buy a cheap, depreciated classic. Drive it. Fix small things. Don’t repaint it or put 22″ wheels on it. Just keep it simple and sell in a few years when the next itch gets you.
Got your own ride and want to share? Send us some pics. You can just free form your words,
or follow this questionaire.
Year / Make / Model / Trim ?
How long have you owned it?
Why did you buy it?
What do you use it for (commute, fun, racing…etc)?
Is it stock or modified? If modified, please list some modifications.
What was the most memorable day in your car (proposed to wife, 3rd child born in back seat…etc)?
What was the most catastrophic failure of parts/components?
What makes you want to keep owning this car?
Will you ever sell it?
Send your submissions to tips@dailyturismo.com
Very nice car, I've always wanted an early GTI, but never pulled the trigger. Are those original seats?
Thanks.
They are original seats, but not to the car. The "dredded previous owner" had them, but hadn't put them in. The original driver's seat fabric was trashed, but the passenger was fine – like most GTI's. We swapped them in as our first project. The one odd thing about them is that the piping is red vs. blue, making me think they were recovered back when the fabric was obtainable for a reasonable price. I've toyed with re-dying the piping blue, but the red ties in with the red on the door cards and dash bezel.
I recall a black beltline strip. Granted its a while since I saw one. Should there be a black aluminum(?) trim around the belt line?
As a US built car, it should have a stick on strip along the beltline. The DPO removed it and I haven't looked for a replacement yet. It's one more item on The List…