Thought I'd share this experience:

My '86 Golf's accelerator pedal cable snapped from wear the other night.
Without warning, I found myself stranded in a car with a gas pedal that
didn't work! I was stuck on the road, it was late and I had to get home
somehow...  I opened the hood and started the car.  I then took some duct
tape and rolled it into a small "football".  I placed the tiny football onto
the fuel injector rod in such a way that it kept the engine revving at about
4000rpm...  (My car is an automaatic and it was in "Park", of course!) I
then closed the hood, got into the car, put the car into "Drive" and drove
the rest of the way home at a comfortable 35mph... That got me home.

Next day, I went to get a replacement cable at the local parts store.  I
live in the White Monutains of New Hampshire, so there is not much in the
way of last minute VW parts... I was anticipating buying a new cable and
putting it in myself - a rather simple replacement.

I had to fix it that day as I had to be in Boston (three hours away) the
next day at 8am...

No accelerator cable was to be found at any of the parts stores, including
the local VW dealer!!! Best they could do was to get me a cable the next day
afternoon - too late, as I had to work in Boston the next morning at 8am.

So, I went to the nearest bike shop and bought a 1/16" steel wound brake
cable for $2.  I then went to the hardware store and bought a cable nut with
a screw inside of it that could be tightened onto the cable - making an
excellent cable stop for the gas pedal.  Cost: $ .49...

Within an hour, my gas pedal was fixed!  Total cost of repair: $2.49!!!

I made it to work the next day in Boston, 15 minutes early :)

P.S.: I ordered a factory VW gas pedal cable "just to be safe"...  Will
install it once I get back to North Conway later this week...