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I have a 1979 VW rabbit 2 door hatch backwith a diesel motor, motor needs to be rebuilt, has 8751.1 miles on it in fair shape. I was wondering what this car would be worth ?
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1979 Volkswagen Rabbit Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit was the first VW made in America, at a new plant in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. In fact, the '79 Rabbits were the first European cars produced in the U.S., and demand was high for the high-mileage vehicles, especially at a time when a gas crisis was pushing up prices at the pump.
One of the most noticeable changes for the American-made Rabbit was the use of square headlights in a black grille, instead of round headlights. New trim packages were also available for 1979, with a Rabbit C and a Rabbit L joining the basic Rabbit in the lineup.
The Rabbit C package was equipped with an AM/FM radio, a color-coordinated interior, reclining front seats, a rear window defogger, and a day/night rearview mirror, while the Rabbit L package added such features as a wood-grained dash, special moldings on the windows and hatch, and a lockable glovebox. In addition, several other special packages were available, including the Rallye Package, an Air Conditioning Package, and a Custom Exterior Package. Plus, the Rabbit was available in a number of new colors for '79.
Standard power for the Rabbit was a 1.5-liter overhead-cam four-cylinder engine that generated 71 horsepower. A 1.5-liter diesel engine (made in Germany) was also available. MacPherson struts, large disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, four-wheel independent suspension, and energy-absorbing bumpers were all standard equipment.
The 1979 Rabbit was generally very popular with drivers, particularly the diesel models, which were especially appreciated for their high gas mileage at a time when gas prices were soaring
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit
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by Mason L
Mar 15, 2013
It was my first car, it gave me freedom. I drove it like a demon, as much as you can in a '79 diesel Rabbit with 180,000 miles on back roads in Maine in 1990 ... I loved it. It blew up unfortunately.Mar 15, 2013
by Anonymous
Dec 29, 2009
I bought my 1979 2 door diesel for $150 bucks 2 yrs ago. Got caught speeding doing 93 MPH Cop laughed at me Great car! Runs GREAT !! Want to buy it? 619-459-3191 180,000 miles Will deliver to you. Starts very fast in the morning. approx 48 to 50 MPG Rides better than some new cars.Dec 29, 2009
by Gregory D
May 28, 2008
Great first car for a college student. Paid $450 fof it. Vinyl interior. Manual sunroof. Yellow foglights.May 28, 2008
User rating:
by Mason L
Mar 15, 2013
It was my first car, it gave me freedom. I drove it like a demon, as much as you can in a '79 diesel Rabbit with 180,000 miles on back roads in Maine in 1990 ... I loved it. It blew up unfortunately.Mar 15, 2013
by Anonymous
Dec 29, 2009
I bought my 1979 2 door diesel for $150 bucks 2 yrs ago. Got caught speeding doing 93 MPH Cop laughed at me Great car! Runs GREAT !! Want to buy it? 619-459-3191 180,000 miles Will deliver to you. Starts very fast in the morning. approx 48 to 50 MPG Rides better than some new cars.Dec 29, 2009
by Gregory D
May 28, 2008
Great first car for a college student. Paid $450 fof it. Vinyl interior. Manual sunroof. Yellow foglights.May 28, 2008
by Ed B
May 17, 2008
Mine was almost flourescent yellow in color, 4 door, automatic with an after market ac unit. Black vinyl interior that killed you in the summer time. Was great to put the surfboards on the roof and head to the beach. Great on gas and because of the design, really did well on fast corners.May 17, 2008
by Mike C
Mar 22, 2008
I don't recall a lot of the specs of this car...I'm pretty sure it had a Rabbit 1.6L engine, but
it had been tuned up and had better brakes and suspension. It went under the GTI label
but this application doesn't go earlier than 1983 for Rabbit GTIs, which is of course
incorrect.
It had nice Recaro seats which were standard and an after-market vinyl sunroof which was
huge and opened the entire roof up which was brilliant. I bought with a reconditioned
engine but the guy who fixed it gave me a cracked head and so the thing spewed oil and
black smoke shortly after I go it. I was 18 at the time and my mum threatened to make his
life very difficult if he didn't fix it for free and he relented. My mum had that kind of power
over people!
I loved my GTI...it was great fun, handled well on the many curvy roads we had in West
Vancouver, had good performance while being economical. Mar 22, 2008
What users have asked
Engine Timing
I have an '81 diesel engine in my '79 rabbit. I was wondering how to tell if the engine is a two stroke or a four stroke. Thanks
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"1979 voits wagon rabbit diesel
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