1980 VW Rabbit Pickup Caddy - 1.9L TDI

1980 Caddy with 1.9L ALH TDI swap

[@miketaylor6282]

Looks AMAZING!!! You can tell you paid attention to the details.

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Thanks Mike, it was a fun build.

[@katyhart5054]

Very nice, I’m working on restoring my 81 rabbit. I can’t wait to have it as nice as yours 👍

[@jamessnyder5390]

What a project! Good job, Doug!

[@darvinmorales350]

Amazing!!! I just purchased one last week

[@StressedYeti]

Saw this for sale and even tho it's a bit out of my price range, it is exactly what I'm aspiring to achieve when I do buy one! Hot damn, this one is the cream of the crop!

[@ElChris619]

What did it sell for?

[@castillomn971]

This is such a beautiful truck! Love the work

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Thank, it was a fun projeci.

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Great looking Truck I love the modifications you did along with the Paint and Body finish I’ owned a couple of Water Cooled VW first generations , a 1975 Rabbit and a 81 fuel Injected Rabbit I would like a Diesel Pickup eventually and. Always like the GTIs as well on the Pick up I always thought it would be cool to do a Dually conversion mainly to be Unique ironically in the 1970s JCWhitney. Used to sell a bolt on Wheel Adapter kit to convert Domestic mini Pickups. Into Dual rear wheels on trucks like the Chevy Luv and Ford Courier

[@aj_nichols]

Great build! Crazy clean original truck! Mine has 333,000 miles on it.

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Thanks, it was a fun project.

[@July.4.1776]

I have an ABA in mine has nice power gets great mileage and cost the same to drive as the difference in cost per gallon from gas to diesel makes up for the slight loss in MPG from diesel to gas.

[@joeddejohn]

Very nice. Had a 1981 Rabbit Diesel.

[@yahirbello4919]

Super nice I want to do something like that on my 19824 door diesel rabbit

[@andymorgan8008]

A lovely build . We didn't have square lights in the UK .

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Thanks. I thought about converting it over, but since it was all original and in great shape, I left it. Also, since it was a 1980 without the side turn signals, I didn't want to mess with that either. Thanks again.

[@July.4.1776]

Excellent job. 👍👍

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Thanks Tim. It was a great project and came out great! A blast to drive.

[@kaseypoole947]

This wheels are awesome

[@ben_isai]

I would love to buy this off you, you're in my neck of the woods. This is truely my dream build with a ALH :)

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

This was sold about 2 years ago. Thanks, it came out great and ran fantastic.

[@jaysmachone]

Damn that truck is sweet!

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Thx Jason, it was a fun project c t and blast to drive

[@jaykross8794]

wow looks good

[@wiredbanjo]

Hey Doug, my father-in-law left me his beloved 1981, and it's my main ride. What's the flip switch on the lower dash for? We've been leaving it flipped up because he said to, but something's draining the battery. Thank you!

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

This sold and has a new home in North Dakota!

[@6ixthstage845]

oh man would have loved this thinggg

[@rileyroyer9792]

Hey Doug, where did you source the window strippings?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

@@rileyroyer9792 Hey Riley. What do you mean by window strippings? The new window seals?

[@rileyroyer9792]

@@dp-vwbuilds5579 yes, around all the windows and windshield

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

@@rileyroyer9792 vwmk1man.com

[@whitesnake1439]

I got an 81, and live in Temecula too. Looking to do a 1.9 swap soon myself. The 1.6 is pretty worthless in todays traffic in so cal

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Look at S-P automotive. He has all the swap items you'll need. Better to find a donor car because there are a lot of parts you need, it will save you money in the long run. Unbelievable difference though. Thanks for your msg.

[@Mikefngarage]

Just do yourself a favor and put AC in it. I have one and the ac on the 1.9 aaz works perfectly. unlike the 1.6 which works terrible. engine vibrated to death. with 1.9 it is smooth as can be.

[@caspermarly5992]

Would like to do a TDI for my 82. As it is I put a 1.9 diesel in it and it is a lot more powerful - relatively speaking. North Dakota here as well.

[@fastinradfordable]

A 1.9idi is 95% as potential for power as the TDI You just need a real turbo

[@Mr19paul77]

👍👍👍

[@jaykross8794]

wooow

[@patreon2dollars466]

Do you recall the year on the cabriolet wing windows? I need to change mine out.

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Sorry, I don’t, and I’m trying to remember how I figured that out. I’ll look thru my notes.

[@krutonvw]

Beautiful truck. Where did you get the radiator/intercooler combo from?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

S&P automotive. I got most of the swap items from them and everything was great.

[@krutonvw]

@@dp-vwbuilds5579 thank you

[@OisinTarrant]

Hi, any chance you remember where you sourced the turbo piping? Thanks!

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

If you mean for the turbo and intercooler, I got it off EBAY. I bought a kit with different lengths and angels, as well as the rubber couplers. Cut some pieces to fit, but worked out great.

[@hylndrfan]

Where did you get the plumbing for your intake and intercooler?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

I got a universal kit off Ebay. I did a basic layout of how it needed to be plumbed and bought a kit that had enough 90 degree and 45 degree angles to make it work. Had to cut several pieces to length, but the rubber splice sleeves made it work pretty easy. Worked great, but blew a line on my first run, so make sure all your hose clamps are tight!

[@jpsautomotive]

Did you do all the work yourself or what local shop did the work for you?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Did pretty much everything myself except for the paint and interior install. Did the tear down of both the pickup and the donor car (2003 Beetle TDI), then completed the swap, all the suspension work, etc. Came out great and drove fantastic. Thanks for the comment.

[@caspermarly5992]

IN seeing the engine bay - Where is the rain tray?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

I put the rain tray in after I shot this video.

[@angnoop2]

How much did it sell for?

[@Mikefngarage]

put a late model wiring harness in there. but NO AC? what did it go for anyone know. thanks I have a 1980 with aaz turbo. 12lbs of boost that I am going to sell with AC....I am just too tall for it.

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

The ALH motor had AC so I put a brand new AC compressor on it as well as all the plumbing, just didn't hook it up into the cab. New owner was in North Dakota so wasn't too concerned about it.

[@mikeponseigo931]

Where did you get the radiator set up?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

s-pautomotive.com Got most of the swap parts from them, as well as this radiator/intercooler combo. Worked out great.

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

$17,500.00

[@vgrepairs]

Dude I have an 81 diesel rabbit pickup id love to get worked on.... Any chance I can pay you cash to do it?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Where are you located and what are you looking to have done?

[@vgrepairs]

@@dp-vwbuilds5579 I'd love to get a swap that you recommend, it's a diesel model as well, I swapped the rears to disc brakes but that's about as far as I've gone in upgrades. Here's my phone number 6193956674. The 1.9L swap seems great!

[@vgrepairs]

I currently have a 1.7l gas installed. I'm in San Diego but I can drive it up to you and I'm patient for good work.

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Did what you were going to do with your pickup?

[@vgrepairs]

@@dp-vwbuilds5579 I broke my ankle pretty badly, I'm on crutches for at least a few more weeks. I had to put this project on the shelf but I'm still certain about getting it started by September.

[@projectkod]

what kind of mpg can you get on that set up?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Typical TDI is getting about 40mpg, but this might be better because there is no EGR, better intake, larger exhaust, etc. I have a 2009 Jetta Sportwagen TDI and just got 41 mpg doing 75mph for 400+ miles.

[@projectkod]

@@dp-vwbuilds5579 exactly why I want one. plus the styling is really classic 80s for me.

[@projectkod]

@@dp-vwbuilds5579 by the way, how much did you sell something like that for? All build out with restoration and motor swap>?

[@hylndrfan]

Did you keep AC

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

I put a new AC compressor and condenser on the truck, but never completed the system. This was a non-ac unit so I was going to mount a new under dash unit and plumb to that. I wanted to make it so the next person to own the truck could hook it up, but I didn't care about it so didn't complete it.

[@ManuelHernandez-pk2gc]

Do you know the paint code of your truck?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

LE1N. Mojave Beige

[@Freakinsweet1234]

Would you ever sell this?

[@dp-vwbuilds5579]

Sold this about 18 months ago.

[@worldalvin]

UH UH UM UM UM UH UH UH all I hear