The Iconic 1984 Mk1 VW Rabbit GTI Driven & Reviewed
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2014
- (www.TFLcar.com) Join us as we review the original hot hatch: the 1984 Golf GTI.
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That GTI was pulled out of a barn in Kalamazoo, Michigan by me. It had 57, 216 miles on the odometer at that time. Time capsule!!
What a beautiful little car. All it needs is to fix the exhaust and it's golden.
The one and only car I ever bought brand new.. Loved my red 84 gti... Don't care what this guy says, it was a quick little car!
Back in the early 1980s I belonged to a very competitive autocross club. The serious members had highly modified MG race cars that they brought in on trailers. But then the 1983 GTI came out and it was faster stock than the modified MGs. So they all ditched their MGs and started racing GTIs in the showroom stock class. I got one too because it was so much fun to drive. The reason was, and the reviewer could feel it but couldn't put his finger on it, is the manual steering and the way it connects the driver to the road.
I had an '83 Cashmere White with blue interior. Loved that car.
I drove the first GTI in the United States I worked at the plant that built them in Pennsylvania
Awesome!! Share some stories, please.
@@x-man4702 w been
Thank you for your service. You may have built my ‘83. Good work!
Nothing but fond memories of the Mk 1 VW's here. They lived and died by the quality and condition of their dampers, but were such an engaging car to drive. I'd love to take one on a black top road trip today! They were a real breath of fresh air when they were introduced. They proved that driving could still be fun in a an era where sports cars were constrained by emissions technology.
I had a brand new white 1984 GTI with blue interior. There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret getting rid of it. They cornered like they were on rails. Hands down the best car I ever owned.
I remember my 1985 MK 2 had that raspy exhaust note as well.
Brings back memories. I had a 1977 Scirocco with a heavily modified version of this powertrain in it (actually out of a wrecked '84 GTI). With some work you could get up into the 160-180 hp range and in the super-lightweight gen 1 Sirocco it made for a real Camaro killer.
When you mentioned the word "tossable", that really sums up the GTI, and the Rabbit for that matter. That was one of those rare cars where you could use 100% of it's grip....you could charge hard into a corner, lifting the inside rear wheel, and it still felt perfectly planted. The torque steer was monstrous though, especially without power steering.
Yes. The car could be driven at the maximum and not cost you your license. I would prefer that to a super-car that could only perform at a percentage of it's ability at the same speeds.
I owned an 84 red rabbit GTI. First car! It was a blast to toss around. I could circle a lamp pole and lift the inside rear tire and keep it off the ground for as long as I wanted. I loved that car!
@@alexpaszly7511 Sweet! My first car was a '79 Rabbit 2 door hatch....not a GTI, but it did have Bosch mechanical fuel injection so it didn't feel slow. I loved mine as well, but alas, northeast Ohio winters rotted it out so bad that the front subframe rails fell off the car
@@justsumguy2u I miss those old VW's! Only had it for 2 years but so many memories!
I totaled my Mustang 64 !/2 (yeah the one on my profile), from there I moved onto a yellow piece of crap, son of Hitler, called Bettle.The shittiest rolling object I have ever owned. Absolutely hated it.
Then came the 1st gen. Rabbit, the heavens opened!!! Even with terrible brakes and a humble 1.6 engine that Rabbit made me look like a star in front of any American Muscle, my RIP Mustang, Monte Carlos SS, Demons, "new" and old muscle alike. Nobody could beat me in my Rabbit on the side roads... Got the nickname "Skulls" for my fearless driving.
Finally my sis got her GTI and that's when I fell in love with German engineering.
Maybe not in Europe, but in most of the world. This GTI marks the dawn of an era; when we finally realized that well applied engineering could humiliate V8s anytime if driven smartly.
Das Auto
Look like andre did not speak english 2 years ago
Every time I feel nostalgic about an old car, I go over to the IIHS channel and look at the small-overlap crash tests. Then it makes me appreciate newer cars until I see another car I once owned.
I had a 1981 VW Rabbit diesel....canary yellow. Man I miss that car.
I had four of those, a 16V Jetta, a couple of Golfs and a bunch of SAABS and BMWs and except for my 2002tii the MK1 GTi was the shit. If you didn't have one you'll likely never know now because they've all been crashed, burnt out or modded beyond discretion. What a car. Sure the new one is amazing too but whatever. Honorable mention to my SAAB SPG and BMW 535is.
I purchased one at the close of "84 just before the new generation came out. My first new car and I loved it.
I have a 1984 GTI still, and it is still so much fun. I also have a Mercedes C300, but the GTI thrills me more. My nephew loves the roll down windows since he never has seen them before. I have a Franco cam advancer that serves me so much power that I am still thrilled with the performance.
Brian Merz
Once you get used to driving an E 550 , the rabbit will again thrill you more.
There is no substitute for the experience. I drive my 83 on weekends a few times a year. To enjoy. And to remember. Its a time machine of fun.
@@wdwstreamfinder I agree. After all these years, it is still so fun to drive.
You almost curbed the wheel
I was in Boulder going to CU in the 80s and playing Baseball. I had a 75 914 2.0 that had been bored out and produced probably close to 150 hp. I know cause I could easily take 911s. I remember a fraternity mate had one of these mark ones and I got to drive it up on The Hill and I remember how impressed I was with it’s power but I also was thinking, “what’s the point“? It seemed like it was too much power for the chassis and it wasn’t well balanced being a front wheel drive car. But it did go fast, at least back then it did.
He said 94 at first
I had one. It was my first new car and I loved it. It was black no a/c hot in the summer however the sun roof and vent windows fixed that. I lowered it and had BBS wheels and 165 15 60 tires TOO Much fun!
Sold it at100,000 miles and WHAT A MISTAKE that was.
Bought one new from the Tallahassee VW dealer April of 83''. $13800 off the lot. Compared to the standard rabbit going for $6000. Fast, handled well, stock pirellis, wow....Had it 11 years.
One of the all-time great cars. Absolute game changer.
that thing looks so fun
in south Africa you could still get a new mk1 golf/Rabbit up until 2009 it was called a vw citigolf
I remember seeing those everywhere in Capetown when I was there a few years ago! I was shocked, had no idea they were still being made anywhere. Still looked good, a testament to Giugiaro's original design.
I had a new 1.8 Golf Gti back in 1982. 0-60 in 8.2 seconds and 112hp. Unfortunately back then the right hand drive factory conversion did not swap the wipers to suit and the brake servo remained on the left and was linked to the pedal by rods and triangular brackets across the firewall. The favourite comment at the time was that the GTi went like an Exocet [French missile] and nothing would stop it. Literally you could stand on the brakes and they wouldn't lock any wheel.
I had a Mk 1 just like that but with blue interior. I wish I had kept it.
Was there any MK2 GTI 16v 2 liters there to Drive? My fave VW, EVAR.
The problem I have with mythos behind the GTi, at least here in the UK is that growing up in the era of these cars, my memories as a car guy does not fit with with todays blurb. What you have to remember is that in Europe at that time there were a whole host of small quick fun to drive cars. Ford's Escort RS 2000, GM's Chevette HS, Chrysler's Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, Fiat's Abartth Mirrfiori and whole host of others. Now they weren't all hatchbacks but they were hard core versions of basic grocery getters. So VW marketing gurus appeared to target the GTi not at the hard core car guys but at the emerging Yupi's culture. Back then, drive by any of the so-called 'trendy' hotspots and you'd see parking lots filled with GTi's and 911's often with a filofax sitting on the passenger seat. It was a great strategy, but for a long time the GTi was really just a budget designer purse on wheels, the top notch purse being of course the 911. It wasn't until they began to filler down through the second hand market that you really began to see a following in the car community.
cheyennedogsoldiers This is an excellent point. RWD Ford or FWD VW... 70s battle? It's a no brainer. :)
If you ever want to review it, I have the last of the great Whips. The 92 VW GTI 16v.
I had a VW Golf Wolfsberg edition, cant remember the year, like 90' maybe 92'?, but it was one of the best cars ive ever owned, went 260K miles then the odometer broke, so I gave it to my brother, maybe he drove it to 300K miles? 1.8liter, 4 door hatchback, I had 21 speakers and 1000 watts from 2 (2-channel) JBL amps and 1 (4 channel) Kenwood amp, two 12 inch woofers in a band pass box that took up most of my trunk, had to wedge my car jack between the box and the frame to keep it from vibrating so much (not the box the CAR!), LOL, not kidding.. . .
Shame on VWoA for not installing a OEM genuine exhaust on that 84 GTI, the
crappy aftermarket sounds terrible.
Now there was an NSU TT -an early ancestor of the Golf Golf GTI . The air -cooled Engine and in Slalom ist was the best-until today! In Germany i can still see competitions.. ;)
When you compare a new golf (1500kg) to the old 80’s (700kg) you’d drive and want the old model everytime. Cars after that 90’s turned into lead weights.
I had a 1979 Sirocco and at the time it felt fast. It was nimble though its small size made the interior a tight fit for me at 6'1". I will always fondly remember it but have no desire to repeat the ownership experience(not good.)
Dan Troop They say VWs are rock-solid and bulletproof. Please do tell?
TassieLorenzo In the thirty + years since I sold the car the smaller problems do not leap to mind but I do remember the cam belt jumping a tooth which required a limp to the dealer. At about 30-40K (exact mileage not recalled) I was told it needed a valve job. When the head was off it was clear that what was really needed was not a valve job but a new head without a crack in it. Neither repair was covered under warranty, of course.
Haven't owned, or even considered, a VW product since then. What happened to me may have been an aberration but it turned me off to the brand.
Interesting, Dan, because I owned a 1978 Rabbit from brand new. Mine, plus countless others, starting burning oil very early on because of worn valves and/or valve guides (I forget which). Known problem, acknowledged by VW, and fixed at no cost to me at the dealer. I can't recall but the whole head might have been swapped out for speed and ease. Car was fine for years after that. Top Line Automotive in Chicago, still in business, did thousands of refurbishments under contract with VW. I met the owner of the company 20+ years after the car was history and he chuckled when I told him my story. Sorry your outcome was not the same.
In the "day" they they were considered a hot rod.
Out run the same year Corvette up to normal highway speed.
You know zilch and maybe you even rode the clutch?
I had a 84 silver with blue interior. Little gocart. Wish still had
Had the same thing, wish i still had.
It might not be quick by modern standards but I’ll bet it’s a hoot to drive...
If only the US version had more than 90hp...
Wow a sunroof? In the 80's???
Absolutely! My 1978 Rabbit had one. First year of the Rabbit was 1975. During my purchase decision of my new '78, I test dove a '75 or '76 (I forget which) and that car, too, had a crank-operated factory sunroof.
dammit the music in between the car noise :/
Please, shut your YAP, and let Andre have a few words, even in Russian.
I really like the video, everything had some surreal note to it.
Beginning with the name of the car - a "VW Rabbit" - which I know as a "VW Golf". Then I have only seen mark I Golfs as rustbuckets (and even that only many years ago) with 1.something liter engines and 75 (or less!) horsepower. And I don't remember having ever seen a GTI on the road. Then, I *never* have heard a mark I Golf ever sound so cool.
And _then_ Andre talking in Russian was the surreal cherry on top - and the kicker for me was: I understood half of it. Really made my day :-)
The Golf/Rabbit are really great cars. I have a friend at work that has been driving an '83 Rabbit DIESEL forever. Lately, the driver's seat fell through the floor, nearly hitting the pavement below. So he's looking for another body to put the diesel into. I mean, can't you afford a NEW one?
Lol! Your comment reminded me of Chris Farley 🤣
It's a lot smaller or are you a lot bigger?
I wish I could buy a brand new 1984 VW Rabbit GTI! Unfortunately my car was stolen in 1995 and never recovered. Sad, day, and I still miss my best mechanical friend, my old GTI.
Mine was stolen too man. I know the feeling. Went to a movie theater here in NY, and they got me. 1984 black GTI with real 3 piece black bbs.
Bathgate155 Sorry to hear about your misfortune as well. I'm certain that somebody cased the location before they stole my car. I still have the dealership invoice and VIN #.
What's interesting is that back in 1995 when my car was stolen I didn't think these cars were even very desirable to thieves. Odd way back then.
Bathgate155 I bought my 1984 Rabbit GTI brand new off the dealership lot with only 12 miles on it!
+watershed44
I forgot to mention, that I found it 3 days later stripped to it bare frame. Vin# was still in the dash.
Bathgate155 I'd be completely steamed, did they dust for fingerprints?!?!?! I hate thieves and I believe that grand theft should get a perp death.
Love the rabbits not thw fastest but definitely put you in ur seat
I used to own one back In the late 90's ...same exact but is was black with a blue interiors .Ihad no idea what I had. I was 18 yr old. I hate myself
yes PLEASE mute that exhaust
Was it just me or was Andre speaking Russian when they frist got in the car?
shit and have old people nostalgia again :D
but it's cool to read all of them to be honest ;)
Andre didn't speak English back then?!
looks like a dodge OMNI. car of the future. easy to work on motor!
The First GTI is in 1983...
@@Only-Memories-In-The-End in México just GT 1984-87
Thank you. Had to grit my teeth all through this video. I have 1983 as well as its sales receipt to prove it to these amateurs that do no research when they get to drive history…. And its the 0:17 AMERICAN GTI. Europe of course predated ours here in the states.
Best car I ever owned was a 1980 (German-made) Rabbit, I would kill to have a new one. but, the Golf has gotten too big and too $$$$$ for me
0:04 Sounds like you had too much to eat..
а у меня он есть - бе бе бе
1:20 holy cannoli - ride the clutch much : )
Second !!!!!!!!!!!!!
First comment and like!!
Very poorly presented show !
Exactly. You get the chance to drive a legend, and then you screw it up without looking up the history of the car itself.
How the owner is a legal alien without speaking any english?
what a horrible review.