Got a question about how fast rabbits are

[Claudinho3]

I have a question. I'm lookin at buying a rabbit. what are all of the different types and what are their stock 1/4 mile times. I like how they look but i think they're really slow. what times do they get including the GTI. BTW, what years have the GTI?

[tylerrules84]

1983 and up have the GTI. Assuming you live in the States. Now, 1/4 mile times on them are relatively deceptive. A stock 1983 Rabbit GTI in good condition will absolutely eat a new 1.8t GTI in a 1/4 mile. This is despite what the official specs say. Its a proven fact, don't argue with me, I'm right.
Its at high speeds, due to gearing and aerodynamics, that the Rabbit craps out. But if you want to drag race (don't ask me why, drag racing sucks), the Rabbit could be made to be pretty frickin fast for relatively cheap.
On a track, its all relative on how fast the rabbit will go. If its a very curvy track, the rabbit will excel. If it has long straightaways the rabbit will have problems due to its low top speed. But they love corners and are very fun to drive.
The Non-GTI cars are all very slow, don't ever bother with them, unless you just need a cheap cruising car.

[greymatterdp]

I Drove A 1980 Rabbit For 3 Yrs. It's A Tough Little Car! Mine Didn't Reach Higher Speeds Very Fast But Once It Got There It Would Hold Its Own. Max Speed I Drove My Rabbit At Was About 65 On Hwy. I've Been Down Narrow, Bumpy Dirt Roads To The Lake, And Once Sank It To The Axles In Sand! If You Want A Speed Car, Don't Get A Rabbit. If You Want A Dependable, Take A Lot Of Wear & Tear Car That's Fun, Great On Gas, And Soundly Built,go For It!

[rubin_bc]

i wanna get a rabbit
currently own a vw fox but thinkin of selling for a rabbit instead.
i like the vox but would rather have a smaller car

i got my fox to like 160kmh arent they the same engine? i got a 1.8 8v

[JapPrecision]

Rabbits are sick. Theyre not fast but I've always wanted a GTI. Only problem is where i live, they all have body cancer. I've seen a rabbit with a VR6 swap. Yeah that's not a typo. Seems crazy but it's been done. With the right setup, a VR6 rabbit would def. do some damage in the street. They are so light and agile. Not sure if the weight of the vr6 affects handling though.....but like i said ..right setup.

[jettaboy1884]

The VR6 in a Rabbit will make it handle like crap, but It would have a ton of potential on the drag strip... From what I hear the VR6 will bolt right into the Rabbit chassis, but doing the wiring is the tough part.

[retrorabbit87]

Originally Posted by jettaboy1884

The VR6 in a Rabbit will make it handle like crap, but It would have a ton of potential on the drag strip... From what I hear the VR6 will bolt right into the Rabbit chassis, but doing the wiring is the tough part.

oh dear...just to clear this up in case it is ever searched a it is completly possible to put a vr6 into a rabbit (or any othe mk1 chassis). however, it takes a lot of fabrication. ALL motor mounts must be fabricated and the front clip must be strengthened in order to handle the torque of the VR. and no, THEY DO NOT HANDLE LIKE CRAP!!! i have ridden in two vr bunnies and they both drive like a dream, sound great, and are fast as all get out. bottom line is it is an expensive swap for something that can easily be achieved with half the effort and half the money. but even so, a vr6 a1 is cool as hell.

if you want a fast rabbit you have a couple options...
1. 2L bottom end (more simple than a toilet) - massive low end torque - $300
2. 16v (relatively easy) - fast as balls - >$1000
3. g60 (err, better get help) - 160hp s/c 1.8L 8v, insane - >$1500
4. 1.8t (it will need to go to a shop) - 225hp, nuff said - $4k when its all said and done
5. VR6 (hope you have kills) - not as heavy as people say it is - <$2000
...that should sum it up for you.

one can always play with injection systems (i.e carbs, ITBs...). this can net you massive gain (60+hp) if you do it right.

anyway, i have a 1983 VW Rabbit GTi with a 2L 16v CIS-e swapped into it and it is crazy fast. it isnt going to slaughter every car out there, but for the little money i have invested it in it enjoy it quite thoroughly. hope this helps someone.

[retrorabbit87]

Originally Posted by tylerrules84

The Non-GTI cars are all very slow, don't ever bother with them, unless you just need a cheap cruising car.

this is also a bullshit statement. non gti/gli cars are not slow. the GTI only has 10hp more than the regular rabbit. the differences are small. the GTI comes with an uprated suspension, interior appointments, exterior cosmetics, and recieves largers valves. most of these things would be ugraded anyway during the buildup of a car so why not save yourself some cash and buy the less expensive car. plus, a higher performance car is more likely to be driven harder by previous owners.

[jettaboy1884]

I recently got a 83 Rabbit GTI. I absolutely LOVE it!!! I would reccomend to anybody that has the chance to get a Rabbit, to get one if it is in good shape. My GTI is slightly modified with a Dual outlet manifold/downpipe, Bigger Throttle body, No Cat converter, and A Techtonics Tuning Exhaust from Downpipe Back. I have to say that it is very fast, when I let my friend drive it he said it scared him...

As for my previous post about the VR6, I asked around a lot and it depends on how your suspension is set up. If you can find out the best springs and shocks combination, along with other suspension stuff, A VR6 Rabbit could handle just as good as a 4 cylinder... It's all in the suspension.

And as for the guy who said that Non-GTI Rabbits are slow, I disagree. The GTI only has about 10 or so more horsepower than the normal models, along with upgraded suspension, interior and other stuff. The main reason why the GTI's feel so much faster when compared to the normal models is that the GTI's came with a close-ratio 5 speed Tranny, so they accelerate a lot faster, even though they don't have a lot more hp.

Besides, If you buy a Rabbit, chances are you are not going to leave the engine and suspension alone anyways, so in the long run It doesn't come into play.

Like I said earlier, If you have the chance to buy a good condition A1 car like the Rabbit or Caddy, I would definately reccomend it.

Check out my Rabbit on cardomain.

Mikes Rabbit GTI on Cardomain.

Mike.

[Patatron]

I am currently building a rabbit VR6, and a rabbit with a turbo charged 2.0 16V. rabbits are the best cars ever! I put a picture of the VR6 rabbit in my Gallery.

[carolinarocco]

porsche eating rabbit...
http://www.endless-c.com/general/golf.mpeg
http://www.tracracing.com/movies/sgt97start1.wmv
nah, rabbits aren't fast
:-P

[1badwgn]

Originally Posted by retrorabbit87

this is also a bullshit statement. non gti/gli cars are not slow. the GTI only has 10hp more than the regular rabbit. the differences are small. the GTI comes with an uprated suspension, interior appointments, exterior cosmetics, and recieves largers valves. most of these things would be ugraded anyway during the buildup of a car so why not save yourself some cash and buy the less expensive car. plus, a higher performance car is more likely to be driven harder by previous owners.

Missing a BIG point. The GTi's also came with either the 2H or 4K transmission. These have a final drive of 3.86 and are geared soley for torque and midrange power bands. It is becasue of this transmission that makes it so fun to drive. The GTi's do not fair well at high speeds with these transmisions. They make 5the gear conversions for this particular problem. If you were to take a 1.6 liter 77-78 motor and attach it to one of these transmissions, you would have a screamer of a car because of the high-revs of this particular motor. The GTi and the 1.6L would perform almost equally with the same transmissions listed above. Trust me, I have both and a few others.