My new DD/Toy (1981 VW Caddy Diesel Dagmar)

3908 Views 28 Replies 8 Participants Last post by ShadyUrS4, Feb 15, 2014

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · Jul 16, 2013

15

Yesterday I went and bought myself a 81 VW Caddy. I heard my friend had one for sale and I decided to buy it after I said screw it to the Genesis. I picked it up for 1k. It has the 1.6 diesel engine with a 5 speed transmission. I have a good bit of plans for it already and I can't wait to start messing with it. I wanna dump the truck down low and drop another engine in it later on but right now I'm getting it fixed and killing rust.

She had a tool box in the bed. Wasn't my cup of tea so I took it off.

She needs a new hood and a paint job but she don't look to bad.

Cleaned out the truck bed but still got a lot to do. after I kill the rust I need to get it coated in rhino-lining.

The interior was meh but I was gonna redo it anyway cause I was gonna pull it out cause they were bad for rusting the floor boards.

Cleaned the engine up and changed the oil and filter but I gotta replace the bolts on the intake cause there were none.....

So the past few days been tearin shit up and finding rust. I knew I was and I thought it was going to be more so I'm glad. I am for sure having to patch some panels but nothing I haven't done.

Got some 3M adhesive remover and that stuff works amazingly well. Sadly it's 16 something a spray can.....

These are the seats I am putting in the Caddy.

Love these old school Recaro's

Also just bought another Caddy pickup for 500$ came with a lot of spare parts and sheet metal I need.

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1 - 20 of 29 Posts

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #2 · Aug 10, 2013

12

Got a few things on the way for the Caddy. On order I have the front core support for the round headlights and since the one on the car is jacked up.

Also bought the cross member piece under the windshield. The old one was all rusty and crappy from age and abuse.

Also bought control arms and new brake calipers for both sides. They were horribly worn out.

Also my weekend I worked on a few rust issues and got the hood and tailgate sanded and in primer.

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yotapower

· #3 · Aug 10, 2013

Love the old Caddies! What did the Recaro's come out of or what model are they?

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 10, 2013

2

From what my father tell me they came out of an 86 audi 5000 but they had the larger rails on the back like a 5000 but the front sliding track like the 4000's. Sadly my father now doesn't want to give them up

also I've been wondering what these bumpers are off of. Wanting to go to this style.

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90quattrocoupe

· #5 · Aug 11, 2013

Bumper is from a late MKII. I don't know what the fender flares are from.

Greg W.

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 17, 2013

90quattrocoupe said:
Bumper is from a late MKII. I don't know what the fender flares are from.

Greg W.

Thanks man!!! I'm thinking of buying a set of the MKII big bumpers from Black Forrest Industries to put on it.

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #7 · Aug 17, 2013

16

so my past weekend I did a few things to the caddy. Hope to have it ready to drive in the next month or two.

But also dammit my caddy has swag!!! D:

I cut off the front core support and bought the one to put the euro lights on the car.

Ground down all the welds that the body shop who fixed the caddy when it was wrecked. Really shitty job they did, most the stuff I'm fixing is their fuck ups that they should have fixed when it was apart.

got most the rust cut out of floor pans.

Also got a few of the patch panels made up as well.

The biggest pain in the ass though was getting the hood and tailgate ready for epoxy primer.

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vagrant_mugen

· #8 · Aug 18, 2013

ohhh you bastard. i love caddys...
need to get that thing "T" D'ed for sure.

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 20, 2013

vagrant_mugen said:
ohhh you bastard. i love caddys...
need to get that thing "T" D'ed for sure.

lol I've been wanting one forever myself and when this one fell into my lap for 1k I couldn't pass it up.

also "T' D'ed?

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 27, 2013

7

So last week my radiator came in and I sand blasted the fan housing and painted it. Got the spare doors sanded to bare metal and primered. They had almost no damage at all which was badass.

So now just waiting on the euro fenders and the euro bumper to get here to fit them and get them into primer.

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ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 1, 2013

2

Fenders came last friday and I got them on the caddy to see how they look. Got to do some work to them but they'll look good and straight soon.

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cuatrokoop

· #12 · Sep 2, 2013

I wish I would have had time to fix our old one up...'83 with SnoWay plow, 1.7L gas, 4spd manual, A/C, radio.

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #13 · Sep 7, 2013

cuatrokoop said:
I wish I would have had time to fix our old one up...'83 with SnoWay plow, 1.7L gas, 4spd manual, A/C, radio.

Fix it up man! Caddy's need some lovin!

cuatrokoop

· #14 · Sep 8, 2013

It was rough...and sold. I should check in with the owner who was going to work on fixing it (it still ran but needed a LOT). They posted on Vortex if anyone had plowed with one, and he got a bunch of people saying "oh it'll suck, it's FWD". Well, I didn't want to sign up just to refute their claims, but I used that truck a LOT to plow, never once had trouble with it, even when the DC hydraulic power pack died and would no longer lift the blade.

AngryTaco

· #15 · Sep 23, 2013

Turn the "max fuel" needle all the way up. That was when i had to most fun with my '83. I was outsmoking cummins

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #16 · Sep 24, 2013

AngryTaco said:
Turn the "max fuel" needle all the way up. That was when i had to most fun with my '83. I was outsmoking cummins

Fir the time being I'm gonna just get it painted and lowered with some nice rims. Later I might try that but ultimately I'm going with some kinda tdi swap.

ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #17 · Oct 5, 2013

9

been lazy and haven't really cared to post any pics of the caddy for a while. When removing the rear window I found to rust areas that I had to repair. After the 1000th time it seems but it will all be worth it in the end. I cut out two patches from the parts truck and fitted and welded them in. As well as cut to small access holes so to paint and kill the remaining rust. After all I could do at my shop I took it over to my friends body shop where he has a very nice frame machine which I needed to use. By took it over there I mean I drove it over......no head lights....no tail lights......not glass...nothing other than a seat and a steering wheel. If I got caught all I would be able to say would be that it's insured lol. When I got there and everyone had a few laughs at how I drove it there they thought it would be funny and put a little joke sign on it XP. But the next day I got it on the frame machine since it was free and clear and had one of his body men to help me figure where and how to pull it.....as well as pull it. I'm not gonna fuck it up and pull the truck apart cause I got no clue as to what I was doing; but two pulls and everything was lined up and very close to as close as it is ever going to be.

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ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #18 · Oct 13, 2013

9

Got like two more things to weld up then the car is basically done on my part. After that all it needs is just to be painted.
Can't figure out which color I'd like to go with. Competition orange or lime green.

This is the part of the fire wall/Plenum that was messed up and leaking water into the car which caused it to rust out so badly.
Used a friend air chisel to cut most of it out. With out it the job would have been a real pain to do.

This is the piece out of the parts truck to replace it.

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ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #19 · Nov 11, 2013

15

Over the past month I've been busting my ass on the caddy getting it ever closer to paint. So far it seemed like I'd never see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can finally see a little glimmer of light. So far I've gotten all the welding I had to do to the truck done and all the major body work is over. All I have left is little dents and waves to take out of the metal. I have decided that I am going with nogaro blue which is an audi color and will look good on the caddy. Also I haven't been able to find any other caddy's with the same color so that makes me like the idea of negaro blue more.

I also got one of the seats into the truck. I had to modify the track to make these seats fit. I still have to work on the drivers side at some point. To make them work I'm having to cut the tracks and move them in because they were made for a wider car. After I cut and fit them I'm having to tack weld them and try them out before I completely weld it together. It takes a while but the final product looks badass.

Last week I finally got the lower part of the windshield welded back in. I'm glad its done and over with cause it was a pain in my ass.

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ShadyUrS4

Discussion Starter · #20 · Nov 22, 2013

7

SO SO CLOSE!!!!!!! I got the paint and there is only the truck bed to primer now. After that all that's left is paint.

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