I bought the Red Cabby as a last ditch to keep good graces with the Ex, it was supposed to be her car, so much so that she wanted to take it with her when she left, but that wasn't going to happen. Oh don't get me wrong, it wasn't cuz I was a prick, it had more to do with the fact it was a 30 year old mk1, and guess who local VW shops call when they're in a pinch for obscure mk1 parts? Yeah, you want a divorce? That doesn't mean you can still come to me for auto service.
Red Hare is a mild mannered 87 Best Seller edition, nothing fancy. It came to me cheap, only $1200 delivered from Windsor. No rust or rot to speak of, but it did have a failed automatic trans when I got it, which was no big deal. The first week it was here, a 4K 5 speed was swapped in. (which has to be swapped out now for project Last Chance GLI) The power steering rack was also replaced with manual, and the AC was removed to clean up the bay, and back to the single and simple V pulley system.
Its an awesome ride, very strong JH in it and it starts and idles beautifully. But one thing really pissed me off about it. I saw one of the headlights was deer-eyed, and the grille a bit twisted on the drivers side. Upon further investigation, I found it was hit pretty hard on the LH bumper strut. The strut under the battery telescoped in, and there was 1" of bondo on the rad support to make it look 'right'. Yeah right...grrrr. It really shows up when the euro bumpers were installed, as the close fitting bumper shows the gap clearly from side to side....Oh brother....time to find a donor car to repair this...
A local VW friend just happened to be purging his yard, and was offering his 88 Azur parts cabby. I drove to Dorchester, hooked on the towbar and dragged her home. She gave up alot of parts for Gerry's sweet ALH built cabriolet project, but I was just looking for sheet metal for the rad support.
But the more I looked at it, the more it started to show its merit. There was zero rust or rot on this car, nothing. I can't cut this up!?!?! Can I??? So I have to find another donor. Enter Hans S. a local VW mechanic that was just diagnosed with a terminal disease, He's notorious for never selling anything, but rumours swirl that he sold his shop property and everything has to go! So over to his shop I go. He's a fickle man, He actually kept telling me that he had plans for his Azur Cabby, and I have to keep persistence on him, reminding him that he sold his property. I mean, he's in his mid to late 70s, lets be real here. He finally relents, and I drag another Azur home.
This one makes me happier...its complete, but the bodywork has zero merit. The quarters are rotten, the floors holey and the roof cut by vandals. So out comes the sawzall! My brother wanted a clipper kit, so that's gone. The engine and trans are out, and the rest diced up.
Rad support and bumper struts acquired!
So now that Red Hare has all acquired parts for restoration, what to do with Gerry's Cabby? Its too good to scrap, but who the hell needs 2 cabbies? I kinda wish I got Gerry's first, so red hare wouldn't have been needed but that's not usually how it works. So, Shawn B was selling his race car shell, for a cheap price, So I decided to kill a boring Sunday by going to Stratford to get it. It had another non power rack, some minty doors, and performance suspension, so it was worth so little cash outlay.
Now this shell is in minty shape, worthy of being put back together using parts from an otherwise complete but rusty Westie, but here lies the problem. This shell was imported from an obviously rust-free US state, but no one ever bothered to finish the import paperwork, suffice it to say she would be impossible to register, as she's not in the MTO database, and the importation paperwork is long gone. Wouldn't even know where to start. So, I'm forever turning gears in the old cranium, and thought maybe its feasible to drop the tintop body onto Gerry's cabby frame? It should work, they share common lineage, how hard could it be? So I sacrificed the front clip to another VW buddy, and started drilling spot welds. I ran out of time last fall before the weather turned, so I built a craddle to hold the body over the frame, while I have to whiddle away the last of the B pillar and rear fender flares.
Its not for the faint of heart, but with every piece whittled off, it gets closer and closer to marrying up. I figure I only have a few more hours before the 2 are one. It is up for sale, mostly because space is a premium at my house, but I'm not going to let 2 rust free halves go away for nothing. It's missing pretty much every piece, hatch, interior, etc but once stitched together will be super sturdy with all the cabby gussetting, and will take VR6 hp without issue. Is that the plan? Depends on the engine donor carcass I drag home for it. Ha!
Update June 1, 2020
The Red Cabby is SOLD. I'd like to say it went to a better place but I'd be lying. When the owner asks; "where is a good place to get it oiled/undercoated for winter driving" I knew I shoulda took a chance on another buyer.
UPDATE; The red cabby is back up for sale...for $4500 more than I sold it for! It infuriates me when people don't pay it forward, and I know...its the free market, she can do what she wants, but it still boils my blood. I made the mistake of challenging her on it, and she told me it turned out to be a very unreliable car, yeah d'uh! Driving a 34 year old car daily, every day, all year long WILL BE THAT WAY!!!! She's trying to recoup all her trips to the mechanic over the 2 years she had it, which is total bullsh^t and she has no idea how car values are dictated. I'd love to add up all the oil changes I've done and recoup all that money as a car depreciates. And of course, she tried to play the victim, like I played this car on her. I gave her a ride to the DMV, waited while she got the plates, and drove her back to my place to get the car. Because of her, I won't be doing that again for anyone. Yeah, "I" preyed on you FFS. I shake my head...Good Luck with the sale, as you "apparently" will "play" the next buyer!!! This is why I wring every ounce out of most of my cars, AND SCRAP THEM!!!
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