# VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II



## Parklife (Feb 23, 1999)

_Welcome to VWvortex Project Car Week. We're bringing you five cars in five days, projects old and new. Kicking off the week is Project Rabbit, one of the longest-running project cars in the VWvortex garage._
So let’s dispense with all the jokes that you could have restored a Rabbit faster than what we have tried to do. I would hazard a guess that the Titanic could have been raised, restored and crossed the Atlantic, successfully I might add, multiple times in the vast amount of time it has taken us to get this car close to the point of being on the road. Yet we persist on in trying to get this car roadworthy. So the question becomes, “Why?” In short, sheer stubbornness and determination are largely to blame. If it wasn’t for those two personal characteristics, I may have abandoned this project long ago. Trust me, the thought would cross my mind for a fleeting moment. Also, face it, A1 Rabbits are getting harder and harder to come by these days as they rust into oblivion or are retired to being parts cars to keep other Rabbits from disappearing back into the Earth from which they came. *FULL STORY...*



_Modified by [email protected] at 12:55 PM 6-30-2008_


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## boraIV333 (Mar 10, 2003)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part III ([email protected])*

Look great so far http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## V8Star (Jun 27, 2007)

Track rabbit http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
Good job so far, keep it up!


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## silverbullet01 (May 20, 2004)

Looking good!! Looks like you have a solid body and the paint looks great! How about I take my motor n seats and put it in there







wed have a perfect car














Since my undercarriage is pretty much done as well as fuel pump and tank : / Just another thing to do haha, Good luck guys!! 
Dont forget AWD http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## scotaku (Sep 3, 1999)

*FV-QR*

#insert hugesighofrelief.h
'Glad to see this little gem getting some love again, David. You both deserve it!


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## [email protected] (Oct 7, 1999)

*Re: (silverbullet01)*


_Quote, originally posted by *silverbullet01* »_Looking good!! Looks like you have a solid body and the paint looks great! How about I take my motor n seats and put it in there







wed have a perfect car














Since my undercarriage is pretty much done as well as fuel pump and tank : / Just another thing to do haha, Good luck guys!! 
Dont forget AWD http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

LOL.. well that would be tough to do since the motor and tranny is already in there let's just say.















Sco.. thanks dude. It really has turned out better than I thought it ever would.


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## CorradoSLC (Jan 20, 2000)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Very nice!
Definitely want a ride when she's buttoned up...


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## Raring 2 Go (May 22, 2000)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part III (boraIV333)*

"So let’s dispense with all the jokes that you could have restored a Rabbit faster than what we have tried to do."
Screw restore, I was actually thinking I could have built a Rabbit faster from scratch, including the chassis and body panels.








Sorry! Looks fantastic. Can't wait to see it in person and, dare I say, drive it


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## [email protected] (Feb 18, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part III (Raring 2 Go)*

You know what they say. Slow and steady wins the race. No wait, that was the Turtle... not the Rabbit. Dang.


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## 83Caddy16v (Jul 31, 2000)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II ([email protected])*

IT'S ALIVE!















Looking forward to seeing it on the road !!


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## RabbitJockey (Nov 25, 2004)

punks being scurred of rust in their eyes.


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## NJRoadfan (Sep 16, 2006)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II ([email protected])*

Lets see a picture of those Aeroquip fuel lines. I might have to replace my Audi 4kq's lines soon. If you think finding Rabbit parts is hard, ask George about finding classic Audi parts and spares.


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## [email protected] (Oct 7, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (NJRoadfan)*


_Quote, originally posted by *NJRoadfan* »_Lets see a picture of those Aeroquip fuel lines. I might have to replace my Audi 4kq's lines soon. If you think finding Rabbit parts is hard, ask George about finding classic Audi parts and spares. 

I'll post some better pics of those up. We just found it was WAY more cost effective not only w/the parts but labor as well just to do stainless steel lines. The hard part was actually getting the end pieces which were backordered for 3 months. That kinda ticked me off, but we have the pieces now. 
Next installation I'll have pics of that and what we did w/the motor/tranny, etc. It all makes for a rather funny story.
BTW I wouldn't want to try to find parts for an Audi 4kq. Nooooo way. Rabbit stuff is getting hard enough to find. You think small parts will be cheap and you find out that they aren't. That's always a big surprise. Case in point window scrappers/window gaskets. Holy crap are those things expensive now.


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## NJRoadfan (Sep 16, 2006)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_
BTW I wouldn't want to try to find parts for an Audi 4kq. Nooooo way. Rabbit stuff is getting hard enough to find. You think small parts will be cheap and you find out that they aren't. That's always a big surprise. Case in point window scrappers/window gaskets. Holy crap are those things expensive now.

At least you can buy them, the term NLA comes up all over those pages on ETKA for most of the older cars now. I was actually looking at nylon-11 tubing for the fuel lines, mostly because of cost and ease of installation. VW uses it on Mk2 and newer cars, but I am a bit concerned about long term durability, so the braided stainless might be worth it.


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## [email protected] (Oct 7, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (NJRoadfan)*

A bit of advice... don't use the plastic stuff unless you want leaks long-term. I believe Paul tried that with his car and on the older cars it just means leaks and having to track them down. The stainless steel stuff is very easy to work with and run. 
I hear you on the NLA stuff. You think with something like the Rabbit that a lot of the stuff would still be around. Not so much. 
I ended up getting some parts from VW Classic Parts in Germany as well. While not cheap at least it was new.


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## bluerrrabbit (Dec 7, 2000)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II ([email protected])*

What? Vortex did "project cars?" Next thing you'll try to tell me is there are also "feature cars."


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## [email protected] (Oct 7, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (bluerrrabbit)*

Hey now... at least my car for the first time is closer to being on the road than yours is!!!






















First time for everything eh?


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## 83Caddy16v (Jul 31, 2000)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (bluerrrabbit)*

once upon a time they did "feature caddies"















been a long time Mike. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## bluerrrabbit (Dec 7, 2000)

*VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (both yous guys)*

Been a long time coming, David. I'll let you enjoy it.
Feature Caddies—yeah that was a fun day. Hard to believe how long ago it actually was.


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_A bit of advice... don't use the plastic stuff unless you want leaks long-term. I believe Paul tried that with his car and on the older cars it just means leaks and having to track them down. The stainless steel stuff is very easy to work with and run. 

Actually mine Scirocco was stainless to the fuel head other than the points in which the fuel line had to be flexible..and in that case it was good old standard high-pressure rubber fuel line covered in that fabric material that CIS powered cars have been running for years.


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## VDubnDad (Jun 21, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II ([email protected])*

Wow David, great to see the old girl back "on the lift" Looking forward to following the latest installments and seeing it finally hit the street! Good luck!


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## A2brb (May 29, 2003)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (VDubnDad)*

Looking good...What color is that? It looks along the lines of the Helious Blue Color....


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## [email protected] (Oct 7, 1999)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Rabbit GTI Part II (A2brb)*


_Quote, originally posted by *A2brb* »_Looking good...What color is that? It looks along the lines of the Helious Blue Color....

Actually it's Indigo Blue from an A4 Golf. It has a bit of red in it and it does change colors a bit depending on the light which is kinda nice. If it's dark at all it almost looks black.


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## OLDSKOOLVWS (May 12, 2004)

Any updates on the longest running project?


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