[Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in the May 2015 issue of Grassroots Motorsports.]
The early 1980s were a trying time for auto enthusiasts in the U.S. Thanks to the oil crisis and government regulations, muscle cars were fat and slow, sports cars were festooned with giant bumpers and choking emissions equipment, and sporty sedans like the BMW 2002tii were simply …
One Bad Bunny
While a fast, inexpensive, well-balanced, good-looking hatchback is enough for most people, for others it’s merely an invitation to turn the knobs up to 11. Reeves Callaway, an industrious driving instructor with a knack for turbocharging, belongs to that second camp.
After founding Callaway Cars from his home in 1977, he began selling his turbo kits straight to consumers. Rather than being loyal to any one manufacturer, he instead made kits for whatever he felt deserved them. “It was a point to choose only cars that could stand a substantial increase in power and still remain reliable,” he explains. The Volkswagen Rabbit GTI earned a place on his list.
Under the hood, nothing has really been touched since 1983. The turbo kit is nicely made, and everything looks factory. Notice the intercooler up front.
Callaway’s turbo kits bumped the Rabbit’s 90 ponies to either 120 or 186, depending on the chosen option. Both turned the GTI into a legitimately fast car, but the 186-horsepower stage two kit turned it into a rocket ship. Callaway calls the stage two car “a quite amusing torque steer proposition.” That’s a chilling evaluation of a little front-wheel-drive econobox packing twice the power it was designed to handle.
Lab Rabbit
One of these ludicrous stage two turbo kits was bolted onto this particular car, a white 1983 Rabbit GTI with a red interior. This car is special, and not just because of the rare upgrade. It’s special because its original owner only drove it 18,000 miles. Besides some rock chips, this Rabbit still looks like it did the day Callaway Cars installed its $4500 turbo kit.
The driver’s view reinforces the fact that this car is over 30 years old. The gauge cluster is simple and to the point, while creature comforts include a radio–and not much else.
Lance Miller, owner of Carlisle Events, bought this pristine…
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