Dear GRM: I never thought this would happen to me!

I got a free car! Got an '82 Rabbit 2-door. (It's worth what I paid for it...) Runs, but uses about 1 litre of oil per 10kms! Right, so engine swap.
I'm thinking ABA crossflow 8v with ZX9 or R1 carbs and DIY manifold and use the stock '82 ignition system with that distributor adapter thingy from Techtonics Or, I found a complete 16v motor for sale cheap locally. What could I do (easy and cheap) for an ignition with the 16v in that car? 16v would end up carbed too. Any experiences to offer? This car won't be street driven, just a CHEEEEP auto-x beater.

If it were me? Rebuild the head and stuff an ABA bottom end underneath with the TT dizzy gear and bushing. Way cheap for the power gained.

Yeah, but I've done that already before. I want carbs. Carbs on a 16v are too cool. Just not sure what the easiest ignition to run would be on a 16v

Lucky! I have been searching CL for the past two days in search of a Rabbit to run carbs on.

I would do carbs of ITBs on the 16v

btw, I am envious.. a 2 door golf/rabbit is a must have car

I have in my yard at present a 84 Rabbit with twin Dellortos and stock ignition. It ran great until a few years ago when the ignition failed (I think) in the middle of my driveway. It is still languishing there waiting for me to find the time and resources to get it back on the road.

where do you people get these deals? i want a free rabbit! esp a 2 door!!!

I got it from a guy in our local club that bought it in the fall for a rallycross car for winter, and never got it going.
I got about what I paid for... I went and looked at it tonight in the dark. It actually MAY be a 1983 GTI. It's got the badges and seats and gauge console, but somehow doesn't look quite right. I'll know more this weekend when I go to get it. The body has had damage in the past and is quite rusty. I'll likely paint it with bed liner.

I'm thinking of totally STRIPPING the car, plexiglass windows etc. Should be able to get weight to 1650 or so? Or is that too optomistic?

So, can I run a 16v electronic distributor with knock box system? Is this fairly easy to wire into this car? I have had lots of VW's over the years, but never a Mk1. I know there's somebody on here that must know what ignition to run.

Megajolt Lite Jr is like Megasquirt but for just the ignition.

Alternatively, I've heard that you can run parts of Ford's EDIS system without a computer but then it will only have a static timing of 10° BTDC.

The lowest output VW 16V motor still makes more power than the ABA. I love 16V's.

Also for a bike carb conversion the 16V head will be easier to make a manifold for. The ABAs have their tiny intake ports squished together in the middle so the manifold has to have some bends and ends up unequal length for carbs/ITBs. With a 16V you just cut off the runners from the flange and weld on new aluminum tubing.

doc_speeder wrote: So, can I run a 16v electronic distributor with knock box system? Is this fairly easy to wire into this car? I have had lots of VW's over the years, but never a Mk1. I know there's somebody on here that must know what ignition to run.

Yes you can. VW's knock sensing ignition is pretty much a standalone deal. Hell I had it working on my Fiat motor for 6 months.

http://www.driversfound.com/scirocco/techtips/engine/knocksensor/

There is also the option of a non turbo Saab 900 distributor. It fits the 16V head but has vacuum advance. I don't like it because of master cylinder clearance problems in rabbits.

Thanks Ditch! That was exactly the answer I wanted to hear!

I just got a free 2.0 16v with a MKI berg cub body kit I bought. I can't wait to use it!

Btw: nice score I love free bunnies!

Yeah free is good. It's rough, but then I won't mind beating it to death when (if) I get it going good.