VW Pickups (“Caddy”) are still a fairly common sight hereabouts. I’ve done several as Outtakes, but never yet as a proper CC. One of these days… What also caught my eye was the VW’s load; if I didn’t know better, it looks like the stuff in the back is spent potting soil, like the kind commonly used hereabouts for growing a certain plant that is…often grown hereabouts. Time to haul off the spent old soil and get some new? Planting season is just around the corner. And just what are they doing in there?
Looks like a pipe being re-filled or cleaned out? Naw; folks don’t do that while waiting at a red light.
Snicker .
A pipe because roach burns don’t look cool on your new shirt =8-) .
Those old Rabbit based pickups were pretty neat IMO .
-Nate
Richmond, VA (or at least my part of town) is full of these old VW pickups as well. Three live in my immediate neighborhood and I’ve seen several others in the area. Interesting how unsual vehicles tend to “cluster” like this (I only very rarely saw them in my previous residence in the ResearchTriangle region of NC).
Unfortunately, Richmond, VA has a much more close-minded attitude towards the substance being enjoyed.
One vehicle whose smoky haze outside is matched by the smoky haze inside?
It looked like he was cleaning his glasses…perhaps to more easily find the Taco Bell?
Interesting wear pattern on the head rests. The woods of Oregon are much spookier than the woods of New York, I think I need a hiking buddy before venturing too far.
That’s sun damage on the headrests.
You don’t need to worry about the woods, as long as you stay on trails, which is a good idea anyway, in order to not get lost. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/auto-biography/autobiography-vanished-into-the-wilderness-the-daming-xu-memorial-hike/
Thank you for the article.
Even if I stayed on the trails I would be concerned about Mountain Lions, Wolverines, and Bears.
Oh My
I don’t know how many of these were made but bet you will still find some 20 years from now. Somewhere there may be a drawing of one in a cave dwelling. I guess a diesel will be the longevity champ when it’s all over.
Never realized that this pickup was the original Volkswagen Caddy. These have always been rare, it seems I see more of them now than in the days they were new.
Say VW Caddy and I immediately think of one of these, of course with a diesel. The current Caddy model is more something like the Ford Transit Connect.
Hmmmmm… That would make a great dutch oven.
Eating a few bowls of chili at the truck stop. Then, after sitting behind the wheel for a while, open the Caddy’s door for a beautiful female hitchhiker….
Is that what you mean ? Come on Don, you’ve got Italian roots. You would never do such things !
….a Dutchman on the other hand….
Dutch oven is oz stoner speak for a vehicle with windows up filled with ‘smoke’. Anecdotal knowledge only.
I see…I googled “Dutch oven” and came across some sort of practical joke involving bed covers and building up some steam….
Yep. There’s that one as well. Anecdotal knowledge only as well.
There’s one around here I see somewhat regularly but they’re pretty much extinct from Cleveland’s streets.
While viewing the website of a classic car dealer here I came across this “brand new never used 1990 Caddy”. Lots of detail pictures here: http://www.ruylclassics.nl/vw07_eng.htm
A pick-up in its purest form. The beauty of utilitarian. Makes one forget the horror of F150 or Silverado all at once.
“Makes one forget the horror of F150 or Silverado…”
Going for the low-hanging fruit there, eh?
I had a 1981 VW Diesel Pickup. I loved it. Would be great to own another, brand-new one.
CC effect… Saw one two days ago. It had stripes along the rocker panels with the word “caddy.” I never knew that’s what they were called, never heard it used back in the day.
In Europe they were. In the states they were officially called Rabbit Pickup
Amazing how many of the trucks are still out there. They really lack for leg room and the seatback has to be set upright. I made the mistake of reclining the backrest to a comfortable angle and then moved the seat all the way back. The back window partly popped out from the back of the headrest. VW just used sedan seats with no limit of the angle adjustment. A little silicone spray and a rubber mallet and I was able to pop it back in. If you put too much weight in them, due to no frame and unit construction the floor over time would start to buckle and the seams could pull apart. They were good for light duty, but a lot of people tried to overload them and they weren’t like a body on frame truck that would tolerate the abuse. What are those funny little pinhole burns on the seat? Let’s go to Taco Bell and get the runs at the boarder!
I agree, they used the 4-door doors rather than those from a coupe or 2-door, so the cab was too short for anyone of my 6′ 2″ height. They didn’t really need the box that long, they were a light-duty vehicle anyway. I think that these pickups would have been a better competitor for Toyota and Datsun pickups if they’d had roomier cabs.
My late uncle’s copper Rabbit Pickup is still sitting in the garage at my aunt’s. My cousin’s husband is a huge VW fan and was interested in perhaps buying it and getting it running, but when I took him over to check it out, he barely fit in it. He is 6’4.” Oh well…he wound up buying an orange and white ’71 Westy last fall.