Find of the Day: Rabbit Rally Racer

Who hasn’t dreamed of careening over trails and zipping through forests in an honest-to-goodness race car? Now’s your chance to own your very own rally Rabbit: a highly modified 1984 Volkswagen GTI. This hopped-up hot hatch is our latest Find of the Day.

Volkswagen invented a whole new class of cars when the original GTI debuted. It had a high-compression engine, sports suspension, beefy anti-roll bars, wide alloy wheels, and a close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission. This FOTD takes the hot hatch concept to a whole new level.

[See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com]

Looking at the photos, you can quickly see this car is not a daily driver. It is a purpose-built rally car. Outside, there’s a raised suspension with Hot Bitz rally struts. Rally lights line the front bumper. It has functional hood pins. Louvers race across the hood. And those have to be air vents for cabin ventilation on the roof. Finally, rugged off-road tires mounted on OEM snowflake wheels make the true intentions of the car known.

Under the hood, a 2.0L 16V engine replaces the original 1.8L motor. It has dual fuel pumps with Megasquirt fuel injection. A Kaaz differential and upgraded axles get the power to the front wheels. Sounds like a great combination.

Inside there’s no doubt you’re in a racer. There are two Sparco race seats with five-point harnesses. A full roll cage will help keep you safe should something go wrong. The spare tire is mounted in the back along with a toolbox and a first aid kit. This car is all business.

The seller, VWVortex member dogbocks, has the car in Santa Cruz California. This rally Rabbit originally ran in the forests and trails of the Pacific Northwest. The GTI raced under the number 214: do a google search for more photos and information. The car has Washington state plates, and the seller can include what sounds like a ton of spare parts.

Dogbocks is very clear that the car cannot be test driven as it is not insured. So if you’re interested in kicking tires, a trip to Santa Cruz for a joyride won’t be worth your (or his) time. But the great news here is the price. For $6000 you can own a rally-ready Rabbit race car. You’d spend a heck of a lot more building your own car. Check this 1984 GTI out in our classifieds for more information.

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