At $16,000, Does This 1991 VW Doka Do The Deed?

The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Doka (Double Cab) claims it to be a great daily driver. With around 200K on the clock, it’s seen a whole lot of those daily drives. We’ll have to decide if we can see paying its asking price.

When you consider all the noble and worthwhile car brands that have fallen by the wayside in the U.S. market, the one marque that most surprises you with its gumption to still be here is Mitsubishi. That never-say-die attitude has kept the lights on at its dealers despite two decades of what is arguably a humdrum model lineup. The company’s modest success over the years is perhaps due to its chameleon-like ability to hide behind the nameplates of other marques, in the fashion of the Mitsubishi-engineered and jointly-built 1992 Eagle Talon we looked at yesterday. 

At $4,500, that kissing cousin to the Mitsubishi Eclipse looked to be in great shape and featured a funky backstory about its brand and build. That all was just enough to push it over the edge, earning the sporty little coupe a 55% Nice Price win.

Let’s all think about things that are unbelievably slow. Most obviously, there’s the tortoise from that allegorical Aesop fable. Another hurry-up-and-wait action is glacial ablation, which, despite climate change speeding things up, is still the action equivalent of binging CSPAN at 3 AM. Then there’s today’s 1991 Volkswagen T3 Doka diesel pickup. Yes, despite being cool, commodious, and laudably versatile, the one superpower this truck does not possess is alacrity.

That’s due to the fact that this brick-like bus is powered—if one can say that—by a 1.9-liter naturally-aspirated diesel four-cylinder that manages a mere 70 horsepower and slightly less weak-kneed 120 lb-ft of torque. In the truck’s favor, that lack of oomph is made up for by improved fuel economy over the flat-four gas engine of the era and some fun clacky noise.

Volkswagen never officially imported the pickup edition of the T3 Transporter to the U.S., either in Doka (Double Cab) or Sinka (Single Cab) layout. Additionally, the diesel engine was done in the standard Vanagon here by 1985. That was for the best since that was an even more milquetoast 50-horse unit.

According to the ad, this Doka was imported from Poland and is described as being a “great daily driver.” Aside from the whole getting-out-of-its-own-way issues, these are remarkably spacious and flexible carry-alls. The cab seats fully five, although the left-most rear of that group may feel a bit hemmed in since the only egress to the back seats is by the single door on the right. The seven-foot bed has a flat floor, which can be overhung by the removal of the folding sides and rear gate. Not only that but there’s an under-floor passthrough storage space in front of the rear wheel arches. That was likely the inspiration for Rivian’s similar space on the R1T.

One thing that is missing on this Doka is AWD. This is RWD only, meaning it lacks the Steyr-Daimler-Puch-developed Syncro system. That also means the four-speed manual gearbox is absent a crawler gear for getting out of the rough stuff.

Looking on the bright side, that also means less to go wrong and better performance, seeing as it has less frictional loss and lower weight to haul around. Speaking of hauling, this Doka has done a remarkable 320,000 kilometers over the course of its life. In the ad, the seller claims that it equates to 867,530 miles, but according to my calculations, that’s actually around 198,000. Stil, that’s a lot, and not all of the truck has made it this far. The seller notes the engine was at some point replaced with one that has 200,000 kilometers on it.

Aesthetically, the truck has the air of a work truck about it. The baby blue paint is chalky, and the truck is shown with two different lower grilles in the ad—one with a broken turn signal and fog lamps and another sans fogs and the orange indicator intact. The interior is cloth upholstered but un-carpeted and looks to be in solid condition. There’s no obvious rust or other boogers in the bodywork, and the steel wheels make for a nice touch.

The asking price for the Doka is $16,000, which is reflective of its spec and condition. If this were a Syncro edition with shiny paint, it would easily be asking twice that much. Seeing, however, as this one has some miles on it and wears those proudly in its paint and patina, it’s understandable that it would be worth less. The asking is still a lot of money for an old—albeit relatively rare in the U.S.—truck, which just goes to show what a rabid following these old VWs have built.

What’s your take on this T3 and that $16,000 asking? Does that feel like a deal to get into the Doka club? Or does this truck’s presentation leave much to be desired, including a lower price?

You decide!

Facebook Marketplace out of Kalispell, Montana, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Bill Lyons for the hookup!

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