[jyl]

I've been interested in getting a Mk 1 Rabbit or Jetta or Cabriolet. Sort of a run-around car, casual project car, spare car, and maybe in 3 years my daughter's first car - although when the time comes she might get stuffed into a Volvo tank.

On Craigslist, these seem to go for anything from $500 ("runs and drives") to $1,000-2,000 ("nice condition, everything works except this one teeny thing that I can't afford to fix) to $8,000 ("fully restored").

I'm a newbie here - back in they day I owned Dashers and Foxes and drove Rabbits, but never wrenched on them. So, can I get pointed in the right direction here?

1. What's reasonable to pay for a straight, non-rusty, complete, looks nice from 20 feet, driver?

2. Are parts all available and reasonably priced?

3. Viewed not through the rosy fog of 30 years, do these cars suck?