Restoblog feature ride: Wayne's Rabbit Truck

This cool Caddy belongs to Wayne Richards from Poole in Dorset. Wayne is a very decent chap and was the hero of our recent jaunt to VW Mania in Belgium. Not only was he stopped twice and searched – before he even got anywhere near Belgium – but he also served as our guide and all-round gent.

This truck has been around for a few years and you may well have seen it at some of the shows, like GTI International where it made an appearance at the premier Undesirables lineup. Here is a little bit of background in Wayne’s words.

The truck started life in the USA but was imported into the UK in 1995. It was first used by the Florida Police, patrolling the streets. One of the Police drivers retired and decided to bring the Caddy to England along with his belongings, mainly so he could tow a little boat to the sea.

Then a friend of mine spotted the little blue Volkswagen and managed to buy it off him, with the intention of using it as a window-cleaning wagon. He got the hoops made for the back of the truck by a local Harley Davidson specialist and used it for about 4 or 5 years!! I saw it and promised myself I would own it one day!! A few years passed and one night, at a friend’s birthday bash, I met up with the, then, owner and after a long conversation, I managed to begin to twist it outta his arms – but no price was mentioned!! All I knew was that I desperately wanted it!

6 months passed and I got the feeling that I would never get my mits on it, until one day I got a call and we arranged to see the Rabbit in a lock up, where it was stored during the winter. We agreed on a price, even without a test drive (big mistake – but I wanted it bad!!) and was brought back to Bournemouth. I then became the owner in April 2002. I then spent the next 3 months solid, replacing everything from brakes to water pumps, cables, head gaskets, suspension, gear linkages – the whole works!!! The underneath of the Caddy was still covered in sand from Florida and took a few attempts to rid the body of it to reveal an untouched floor in brilliant condition!!!

As soon as it was finished, I booked a ferry to Santander (Spain) and dragged it all over Spain, France and Portugal for a months holiday, using the Rabbit's 6 ft bed as my camp bed and storage!! I covered 3,300 miles in total – in the height of the summer – and she never missed a beat all the way!! I was totally hooked on the little truck by then, and slowly replaced even more parts that I thought were due for replacement, or would make it even more reliable!

I ordered some new Weitec height-adjustables to replace the Konis I had fitted previously, and flipped the rear axle, slotting-on a pair of aircooled Beetle rear shock absorbers too finish the back end. The original US-spec day runner lights were wired back up and I sent away for some replica American license plates to make it more authentic!!


I then planned a visit to the VW factory in Wolfsburg for a winter holiday, travelling around Europe in the Rabbit for Xmas and New Year. A Truckman top was bought second hand to keep all my belongings dry and safe!! I have made about 5 trips around Europe in the truck and its been such a wicked vehicle and always turned heads where ever I have taken it!

The Rabbit truck is for sale to fund Wayne's new project. If you think this ride is as cool as we do, give Wayne a call on 07950 616 044. The price is a bargainous £2,500.