I am thinkg of getting a 1981 diesel rabbit, and everyone is saying there super slow, are they all that slow?

Question 1
I am thinkg of getting a 1981 diesel rabbit, and everyone is saying there super slow, are they all that slow?...  

Answers
1)   yes - megan480

2)   It all depends on your definition of slow. Compared to cars nowadays, sure they're slow. Compared to a gas '81 Rabbit, is a little slower. What 20 year old car is quick for today's standards? (except a small few). If you wanted quick, you shouldnt look at a 20 year-old four cylinder diesel car anyway. Reliability and economy would be the key. - kinghielo

3)   It was one of the slowest accelerating cars on the road when it was new in 1981. Cars, of all makes and models, are significantly faster in 2011 than in 1981. Speed limits on open highways are also higher today than in the 1980s fwiw...

You'd definitely be driving the slowest car on any road if you drove an '81 Rabbit diesel in today's traffic. It might literally be scary trying to merge onto a busy 65mph freeway in an '81 Rabbit diesel today given the relatively short length of some on-ramps. If you're OK knowing it's going to be pitifully slow, you will be rewarded with really good fuel mileage though, even by today's standards. - Ben Linus

4)   the best advice i can give you is DRIVE IT FIRST then decide if you wish to buy.
true story: i pulled out on a road in one of these and was nearly smashed by lawn tractor [this particular car was a special mpg model that had a very "fuel friendly" final drive gear ratio. normal 0 to 60 times were measured with an egg timer but the customer sweared it would get 60 mpg at 45 mph constant speed
while alright in there day these cars came with many problems, a short sample follows:
water leaks on to fuse Panel corroding terminals and shorting relays
the lift pump made on the drive end of the injection pump [pump shaft wear and shaft seal leaks combine to form an air embolism stopping fuel flow]
engine and transmission mounts, as car ages these rubber parts harden and the car becomes a horrible rattle trap.
shifter bushing wear, v.w. stopped producing repair kits for this years ago. some parts are available from the aftermarket but i have not seen a complete kit in years
except for the valve cover these stayed fairly dry but always the valve cover leaked.
kiss of death engine [if timing belt broke an expensive valve job was necessary]
note: most of the guys that worked on these have retired, going to a shop for a proper timing belt job requires a couple special tools if you can find a mechanic that knows how to use them.
good luck on your decision - hobbabob

5)   they are insanely slow. I rode in one for a while back in the 80's and could not believe how little power they have. - Doug W

6)   They are not slow they just take their sweet old time gaining speed and dont like hills. My 1980 diesel Cadillac will do 90 mph easily. Its going to take forever to get it to 90 even if I was already going 85 and no way its doing that up a hill. It can be pretty annoying to drive it in modern city traffic especially if you are used to a more modern or high performance car. Power to weight ratio the rabbit may actually be better than my caddy. My caddy weights 5,000 pounds and only kicks out about 105hp. You have to remember a early 80's Corvette was only in the range of 150hp and the Turbo V6 Buicks were the fastest cars you could buy in America. - doornobk

7)   I made my husband sell his rabbit because it looked like a death trap to me. (Just my opinion) Plus diesel fuel here is 3.29 a gallon already. Unless this car is an awesome deal and in really good shape look for another car. Diesels can be a money pit. - venshore

8)   they are slow to accelerate, but should have no problem running with traffic when up to speed. They are also maintenance intensive...make sure that the oil was changed RELIGIOUSLY! This is a car that the oil has to be changed and not ignored or you could have major problems with the car. This is definitely not a race car but very frugal transportation. - frdafury


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Question 2
how far can I drive with grinding brake sound? (VW golf MKII 1985)?...  I'm away for Christmas/New Year at the moment and it's a problem to get this fixed here and now. I have a 300 mile drive home in a couple of days. Is that going to be OK (presuming I need new pads)?

The grinding sound just started yesterday.

Answers
1)   Sounds like your brake shoes have worn through to the rivets. If you continue to drive not only will your braking be effected but you will cause some damage to your cars brake discs and or drums. - asseenfromoutside

2)   not very long; you should have your brakes checked asap - Greg P

3)   brake pads are down to the metal backing so its metal to metal when the brakes are applied, eventually the discs will wear through and shatter,so it is common sense to drive nowhere while it is in this condition - J R

4)   There is an indicator pad on your brake bads that is designed to sound terrible when your brakes are low, this is made of soft metal so it doesnt grind into your discs. I think your will be able to cover 300 miles easy. just make sure you get them changed. - Stewart

5)   do NOT drive at any distance or speed with such a noise. it indicates metal on metal and if it gets too hot? or brakes are applied heavily may cause it to have metal to metal bonding ( seize) this will be virtually instantaneous and has caused a few accidents in past . one guy has his car jerked into path of a lorry when his front brake seized causing car 2 be written off an d personal injuries.. to boot his insurance company refused to pay out so he lost car and still had repayments on HP to make etc.
simply isn't worth risking!! get them changed asap ( today) as if you were to have an accident ? any insurance company checking your car WILL find the brakes and a they are not being maintained ( a condition of your policy) then it will cancel insurance and any payouts and claims will eb down to you. not worth it to put off a few quid now. your car. your safety and passengers are not worth the risk. avoid comments such as ' it should be fine' a these folk tend to have ideals not based in real world of legal and practical matters. - hornchurchmale

6)   I wouldn't drive it further than the garage when it opens again on Monday.

It sounds like the brakes are worn down to nothing and the car is dangerous to drive. All that needs to happen is for someone to suddenly walk out in front of you and you'll have a death on your conscience for the rest of your life because you knew your brakes were faulty. - EvelynThe ModifiedDog.

7)   By the time you get home you will also need new discs - that is if you make it with underperforming brakes. - Timbo is here


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Question 3
Is a 2004 vw r32 with 19k miles worth 18 thousand?...  

Answers
1)   Look it up http://www.kbb.com

"BLUE BOOK® SUGGESTED RETAIL VALUE
In excellent condition $19,285

Key word is excellent. Trade-in and private party values are lower for good condition which is the condition of most cars. - Oogoo

2)   not to me - ladystang

3)   18 thosand rupees yes
pounds no
dollar no - hitmanjay99uk

4)   I would buy it if it's in great shape! - Rami

5)   Yupp definitely just make sure to take it to a certified VW mechanic the R32s are beautiful cars especially the MkIVs, they're extremely rare considering there is only a few thousand made (can't think of exact numbers)for sure a collectors car. Best of luck ps what color is it?! - The yiff


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Question 4
VW golf issues, please help with any knowledge or ideas of prices to fix?...  i have a 2001 (y) golf 1.4 engine I have a couple of queries,
1st the ABS light has just come on, can this be a simple problem like a fuse or something or is it usually more serious? any guide of what i might be expecting to pay in the worse case would be good so i can prepare myself :-)
finally also the central locking does not work, this is a problem since i bought thew car a few months ago, I was aware and thought i will get round to fixing eventually, can this usually be a simple fix or can it also be a big job?
Any info / advice greatly appreciated!

Answers
1)   ABS fault needs seen to by someone with a diagnostic code reader to see what the problem is. Hard to guess a price, might be a couple of quid, might be hundreds. Central locking often goes on Golfs, it's probably a bad connection in the control unit in the drivers door. Fiddly but not difficult. - EvelynThe ModifiedDog.

2)   computer diagnostic will vary from place to place but expect £60 maybe more.
In many cases the central locking problems can be caused by a bad connection on the tailgate. This is caused by water from the rear wash wipe getting into the connections and causing corrosion, if you are confident enought then you could take the tailgate door card out and have a look to see if this is the case otherwise it isnt a particuarly big job and shouldnt cost a lot.
Asided from this as mentioned the control units in each door are known to fail and its a pretty common problem so it could be one of these, these can generally either be replaced or resoldered. Again not a massive job. - H

3)   Get a Bentley Manual. http://www.bentleypublishers.com/volkswagen/repair-information/vw-golf-jetta-gti-99-05-lpv800.html

Get Vag-Com. http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/index.html

Scan the car. Find the fault code. Use the Bentley to remove the part. Order a new part. Use the Bentley to properly install the part. Use Vag-Com to clear the codes.

Both a sort of expensive. $110 USD for the Bentley and $250 USD for the Vag-Com

If you only buy one....buy the Bentley it's absolutely essential to owning a VW. - Nick

4)   ABS will not be a fuse - most common fault will be a wheel speed sensor needs replaceing and thet will likley be at least £100
Central locking- -rarely cheap or easy to sort out. May need a new controller which is expensive. Might be best to live without it if you can - Timbo is here


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Question 5
Can you ever redline at top gear?...  Can you ever redline at top gear in a car? Is it possible and if it does should i slow down? i'm a noob to cars and engines and stuff. but i'm very interested and curious. I wanna be a gear head not a ricer. lol

Answers
1)   some cars have a rev limiter that kills the engine if over revved. without one you could blow the engine. - Mike V

2)   Depending on your gear ratios you can, but the lower the ratio the slower your top speed would be. It's hard in stock car because as your top speed increases the air resistance also increases and makes it difficult to achieve redlining because of your engine's power output. Hope this has helped you understand! - Aaron

3)   Some can and some cant. Most modern cars are electronically limited or drag limited (doesn't have enough power to overcome the drag and go faster. Some Porsche's run short enough gears that the top speed is limited by engine speed not drag.

Doing it for a second or 2 wont hurt it if your engine is in good shape. Driving around at that engine speed will cause your engine to wear out faster. - emiller1998

4)   My 87 GTI16V and my 92 GTI16V both would redline at 124 and 120 MPH in 5th gear, bouncing of the rev limiter.

Haven't found out with my 2003 GLI, I will ne of these days- 160 MPH predicted

ASE Cert Auto Tech, 2003 GLI - sci


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