Is the rabbit worth it?

I managed to sneak the rabbit (79 1.5 n/a 2-door, currently unlicensed) down the street to the local machine shop where Gustaaf, straight out of the Fatherland, works. He looked over the car, and gave me the following diagnostics:

- it needs a new head gasket for sure - oil in the coolant, steam when you open the oil cap on the valve cover, and the valves need some serious adjustment

- the injector pump needs some work, there's no fuel coming out the return lines of the injectors or the main return line (but I can push some through by the primer bulb I installed)

- the tranny rattles at idle with the clutch out and in neutral, he said sommething about the bearings; I'm going to check the fluid level today -

- the alternator mount is a steel one that is slightly bent; he suggested replacing it with a cast iron mount that's available -

- he wasn't sure about the water pump; hard to tell over the racket of the tranny

- by the amount of blue smoke, it probably needs rings, or it could just be from the head gasket

and then there's the electrical - there's apparently an overload relay that it looks like I'm missing; that's why the wipers, blower motor, and rear defroster don't work, among others.

So my question is, given that I've spent $300 on the car, another $125 or so in parts, and given the expense of the above items, doing as much as I can by myself, is it worth it? I also have work on the house that needs to get done, and I'd like to do some relaxing over the summer and go sailing after work and on the days off where the weather permits. On the other hand, it's an opportunity for learning, and I really want to start making some biodiesel, but without a diesel vehicle to put it in it doesn't make much sense. And of course, there's limited funds until my wife gets a job, and even then there's a lot that's competing with that money, mainly the house (attic/back room renovation).

So, what do you think? Go ahead and do it, or sell it and look for a better prospect, one that's newer and running and will do 70 on the highway so I can take the occasional 1 1/2 hour trip to Seattle without getting run down by a semi? Any thoughts or input are greatly appreciated.

whether the end result of repairing your rabbit is worth the effort depends on much more than if you have the money or not. i am in no way trying to discourage you, but i am going to give you a few more things to think about. but first i am going to say that i have been quite satisfied with my rabbit and will venture to say that you probably will be also once all of the car's problems have been rectified. engine work (especially on the rabbit diesel) is a straight-forward type of thing, and the vw diesel engine is the easiest-to-work-on automobile engine that i have encountered. as long as you have a manual, a more or less complete set of hand tools, and an area where you can work you should be able to pull this off.

1. the most important (in my opinion) factor is do you have a "shop" where you can remove and store, in a more or less organised fasion, the parts of your vehicle? while this task can be completed in non ideal conditions (read: your back yard) i really would not recomend that for the first timer.

2. do you have, or can you access an implement that can lift heavy objects (like the engine/transmission or the whole front of the car)? i've found that the easiest way to remove the eng./trans. from the early vws is to lower the assembly to the floor and lift the front of the car enough to clear the top of the engine and slide the whole mess out from under the car.

3. if you want a complete rebuild can you afford the machine work and replacement pistons? i just checked the price of n/a wv diesel pistons at vwdieselparts.com and i hope that the prices displayed there do not reflect the going rate (4 oversize pistons and their rings went for $295, i hope you can find them cheaper elsewhere). while you can get an engine to run by replacing the rings only, the benefits that you see won't last as long as you want them to. i'm not going to say that you ABSOLUTELY MUST bore the cylinders on EVERY engine that you rebuild; i will say that i will never rebuild another engine without doing so. take that information any way that you want.

4. is the head in usable condition (not cracked or warped)? there is disagreement about whether a vw IDI head can be resurfaced. some people say absolutely, most say only if very little material is removed, and some say NEVER. i don't know if it is feasable to resurface a head, but i can say that if it is cracked i'd rather not use it and replacement heads are not cheap (unless you can land a deal with someone who does not know what they have).

5. the fuel pump is going to be expensive to have rebuilt. the going rate on the east coast seems to be $300, but that fixes all of it's woes (unless the case is corroded around the pump head, a pump tech. told me it was irrepairable but i think a good welding shop and machienist could see to that).

6. transmission service could be sortof pricey too. bewhere of the transmission shop. maybe you should carry some garlic and holy water when you visit them. maybe the price of their service will be significantly lower if you take them a transmission rather that a whole car, or maybe not.

7. is the rest of the car in good order? are the suspension componets worn out? is the brake system in need of a major overhaul? is there major rust dammage? is the interior trashed? is the paint in terrible condition? the condition of the body is a determining factor for me as i do not do much sheet metal work. hopefully paint condition will soon become a non-factor because i have found that i have a knack for auto painting but don't have a paint booth yet. (i might consider posting pictures of my own car after i paint it, if that ever happens) anyway, what i'm getting at is the engine condition might be quite important, but the rest of the car has some bearing as well. the best advice i can give you is to plan for the worst and price every item and service that you MAY need, and see if the total falls in your budget. then decide what parts and services that you can buy later to defray the initial cost of resurecting your rabbit. if you are mechanically inclined rebuilding an engine is a pleasurable venture, and driving 45 miles on a gallon of fuel is great no matter who you are.

Well, the fact that you are planning on going sailing leads me to ask, if you have enough money to go sailing, then why are you worried about having enough money to work on a small project car? No offense, just seems a little silly. But sure, I for one am all about getting things done and doing it myself. Is it worth it? Well, you have to ask yourself that; a car is only worth what it is to you. For instance, I wouldn't go through the trouble of doing all this work to lets say, an old nissan sentra or something like that, cause those cars do not intise me. However, someone who truely has a passion for those cars would. I have an 84 GTI and and 84 Cabby and a 77 Chevy Malibu. They are ALL worth it to me to put every penny into. Why? Because I love the way they look, sound, make me feel when I am driving in them... they make me happy to know that I have made something out of what I love... Your particular project is a big one and it would be a definate fun experience to tear into that motor and rebuild the whole thing.. parts are not all that expensive for bunnies. Check out www.thepartsbin.com discount parts at cost and free shipping for orders $50 and over. BONUS: you have a deisel correct? Do something fun.. run it Bio-Deisel. It is fuel produced from soy bean oil to burn cleaner and lubricate better than deisel. Plus you can enrole with the government to get half the money you spent in fuel back at the end of the year.This is not a greaser, where you separate the vegitable oil grease in your car and do it that way, there are no conversions and mess to be made, it is just filling your tank with something new. Just the same, you could have fun and try your hand at making a greaser. Then you can just drop off at a fast food joint and ask if you can have some of their disposed grease out back, fill up and run your car pretty much for free. They have to pay per gallon to dispose of it, so I am sure they will be more than happy to give you barrels of the stuff.
Happy tinkering.

My sailing is in a 15-foot dinghy that I bought on e-bay for $30, not a gold-plated yacht...

The reason I bought the car was for biodiesel (see last part of my original post). According to the PO, it was running fine when he had parked it years ago, so I was thinking a little work and get it running again; not the work anticipated. I don't mind the work, it's a matter of prioritizing my spare time. I have two jobs, only one day off, and lot's of things that are screaming for my attention. So the question is, spend time and money on the rabbit while delaying everything else, or buy something cuurently roadworthy, and begin doing biodiesel that much sooner.

Ah, that makes alot more sense... Heh, sorry. Yea no doubt get another road worthy deal and work on the other car slowly. It is NEVER a good idea to try and make a project out of something you need to rely on on a day to day basis. Specially if something comes up, you will have to up and run down the road, you won't be able to otherwise. A whole new light has been put on this... I say, keep the car, buy a better running car and work on this one in spare time.