[Vwdiesel] '81 Rabbit questions

[Erik Lane]

As far as running hot, I would also look at the thermostat first. Of course
everything else people said are possibilities, but in my personal experience
I've seen a few thermostats fail and start to get sluggish, or just not open
at the right temp, or not open far enough. They're both cheap and easy to
replace!

I had a clunk in the front suspension that was really hard to find. I
finally took care of it when I replaced the large rubber molded
bushing/bearing that sits at the top of the front strut towers. I don't know
of any way to diagnose if that's it, however.

Good luck!
Erik