Got the backend of the 83 up on the ramps to check out the reversing light
probkem last night. Find the switch, pull the wires, connect together, key on
reverse lights work! Problem in the switch. Took it off 
wires, push in on switch and lights work fine on-off-on......GROAN - problem
in trans ??????  Go in house for a cup of coffee for therapy. Come out 5 minutes
later and lights are on again - switch dangling under the trans ?????????

Upshot is switch is flakey, in a way queer enough to give me heartburn 
worrying about the internals of trans. I doubt VW will have this in stock, so
I will try Recycled Inc monday am.

BTW there has been some p&m (P*ssing and moaning) about recycled inc on
rec.autos.vw lately; my reading of the situation is that someone ordered
some parts in the fall, waited until spring to put them in and then found he
had parts troubles. Apparently the shipping charges back and forth were not
settled to his liking. Having seen the 'other side' of business i think they
were going the extra mile to even deal with this return N months later but
thats just mho. They have certainly saved me thousands over the years, and
the few problems i have had withthem have been handled gracefully.
Rapid Parts is being lauded as having better prices than Recycled Inc. on
the net btw.