I Can't imagine why they would be different. I'm sure someone knows for sure, but I've never noticed any differences.

Any scrapyards around you that you could check? Sometimes it's nice to lay hands on a part before you commit to purchasing...

 

The differences are:
Ac used a 2 speed fan and 2 speed radiator fan switch.
Non-Ac used a single speed fan and a single speed fan switch.


On a single speed fan there are 2 wires.
On a 2 speed fan there are 3 wires.


The same for the switched in the radiator.


The Fans can come off the shaft, so it may be possible that you can get one from a wrecking yard and change the fan, or the whole motor.
VW used about 3 different connectors for the fan, so just be sure you take the connector with you.

 

Checked the fan motor and control switch and everything has two wires, so I have a one speed Non AC fan and SW.

So it looks like I can use a one speed non AC fan on this guy, correct? It all looks original.

 

Our 1980 Rabbit with A/C has original fan/motor and it's 1-speed. We don't know when VW introduced the 2-speed setup for a/c but we'd guess that it was some time after 1980.

 

My 81 rabbit Diesel had a 2 speed fan.

 

Yup, 1980 had single speed fan only whether A/C or not.