Discussion
Anyone here owned one? Started looking at mk2 Golfs and 'rados and thought I might have missed a car out! Rather like the looks of the scirocco and I know they're not lightning quick (don't worry I'm not expecting a VR6 eaterer) but at half the cost of a 16v golf or rough coraddo one rather appeals.
(apart from that one in the classifieds for £5k that is, I don't share his sense of humour...
)
Would be particularly interesting to hear from anyone who's also driven a mk2 golf gti or 4 cylinder corrado to hear how they compare (in terms of handling, performance, economy, usability etc...)
(apart from that one in the classifieds for £5k that is, I don't share his sense of humour...
) Would be particularly interesting to hear from anyone who's also driven a mk2 golf gti or 4 cylinder corrado to hear how they compare (in terms of handling, performance, economy, usability etc...)
If you like the 1980tastic styling:
Stock suspension and brakes are terrible, rip out and fit aftermarket stuff (most knackered by now anyway).
Same bulkhead problems as a MK1 Golf.
All engines bar 1.8 K-Jet (GTI) a bit crap.
Interior is pretty horrible.
Well sorted one amusing in a cheap fun sort of a way, worth nothing standard or modified so may as well wait for one someone else has splashed on modernising.
Stock suspension and brakes are terrible, rip out and fit aftermarket stuff (most knackered by now anyway).
Same bulkhead problems as a MK1 Golf.
All engines bar 1.8 K-Jet (GTI) a bit crap.
Interior is pretty horrible.
Well sorted one amusing in a cheap fun sort of a way, worth nothing standard or modified so may as well wait for one someone else has splashed on modernising.
So you wouldn't go for one over a golf? 
Ironically the consensus on the golf GTi forum seemed to be that they actually handled better than a golf, but most people couldn't stand the looks and the gutless engines.
I personally rather like the looks (I have a talent for being drawn to cars nobody else likes...) but I do think a standard one might be a little too slow for it's sporting pretensions. Thing is, they seem to be less than half the price of a mk2 gti condition for condition. I could get one, replace the tired shocks and bushes and run it for a year for the cost of buying a 16v mk2.
...Ok, so safe to assume a Scirocco is no match for a 4 cylinder Corrado?
Ironically the consensus on the golf GTi forum seemed to be that they actually handled better than a golf, but most people couldn't stand the looks and the gutless engines.
I personally rather like the looks (I have a talent for being drawn to cars nobody else likes...) but I do think a standard one might be a little too slow for it's sporting pretensions. Thing is, they seem to be less than half the price of a mk2 gti condition for condition. I could get one, replace the tired shocks and bushes and run it for a year for the cost of buying a 16v mk2.
...Ok, so safe to assume a Scirocco is no match for a 4 cylinder Corrado?
Mk2 Scirocco - engines identical to Mk2 Golf in every respect.
Every other mechanical component bar none is Mk1 Golf.
Scirocco is quicker accelerating and higher top speed than equivalent Golf due to about 60kgs less weight and a slightly more slippy profile.
85% handbuilt by Karmann.
1985 onwards very rust resistant. Easy way to spot the cars less likely to rust - they have space saver spare wheels. Full sized spare - check sills and rear arches carefully.
Engine options:
1.6 GT - 75bhp - economy box. Very slow. 0-60 about 12. 100mph.
1.8 GT/early Scala/GTII - 90bhp - GTi ratios - swift. 0-60 9.5. 110mph.
1.8 GTi/GTX/late Scala - 112bhp - as above - fast. 0-60 8.0. 123mph early cars, 119/120mph late cars.
Fuel injected cars definately the ones to go for. Only cars with anti roll bars front and rear. Also, sit 10mm lower.
1.8i Scirocco will demolish an 8v Corrado and keep pace with a much heavier 1.8 16v Corrado.
Brakes as standard are poor. Fit discs and pads from a 1989 onwards 16v Golf gripped by Audi Coupe calipers and you'll be much happier. Pedal is a little dead. Can be improved by fitting servo and master cylinder from Mk2 Golf.
Suspension can be economically replaced with Bilstein or Boge shocks and springs for about £200.
You know you want one! I was going to replace mine for a Corrado but after driving a few, I prefer the Scirocco for some aspects. The brakes are far superior on a Corrado but I didn't get on with the rest of it. The Scirocco's are far better built too.
Every other mechanical component bar none is Mk1 Golf.
Scirocco is quicker accelerating and higher top speed than equivalent Golf due to about 60kgs less weight and a slightly more slippy profile.
85% handbuilt by Karmann.
1985 onwards very rust resistant. Easy way to spot the cars less likely to rust - they have space saver spare wheels. Full sized spare - check sills and rear arches carefully.
Engine options:
1.6 GT - 75bhp - economy box. Very slow. 0-60 about 12. 100mph.
1.8 GT/early Scala/GTII - 90bhp - GTi ratios - swift. 0-60 9.5. 110mph.
1.8 GTi/GTX/late Scala - 112bhp - as above - fast. 0-60 8.0. 123mph early cars, 119/120mph late cars.
Fuel injected cars definately the ones to go for. Only cars with anti roll bars front and rear. Also, sit 10mm lower.
1.8i Scirocco will demolish an 8v Corrado and keep pace with a much heavier 1.8 16v Corrado.
Brakes as standard are poor. Fit discs and pads from a 1989 onwards 16v Golf gripped by Audi Coupe calipers and you'll be much happier. Pedal is a little dead. Can be improved by fitting servo and master cylinder from Mk2 Golf.
Suspension can be economically replaced with Bilstein or Boge shocks and springs for about £200.
You know you want one! I was going to replace mine for a Corrado but after driving a few, I prefer the Scirocco for some aspects. The brakes are far superior on a Corrado but I didn't get on with the rest of it. The Scirocco's are far better built too.
......the scirocco fights back 
Very nice car. That's not yours harassing elise drivers on you tube is it? (just wondered with the lotus link....)
Think I'd find the carb models rather sluggish, but a scala inj/GTX/storm sounds like a possibility. Even the more desirable ones seem to go for peanuts, so I could afford to stick a new set of shocks and bushes on there and maybe sort the brakes. With the extra practicality and huge ammounts of support I think the golf is still subjectively a better choice, but I like the fact a 'rocco isn't the obvious choice....
Very nice car. That's not yours harassing elise drivers on you tube is it? (just wondered with the lotus link....)
Think I'd find the carb models rather sluggish, but a scala inj/GTX/storm sounds like a possibility. Even the more desirable ones seem to go for peanuts, so I could afford to stick a new set of shocks and bushes on there and maybe sort the brakes. With the extra practicality and huge ammounts of support I think the golf is still subjectively a better choice, but I like the fact a 'rocco isn't the obvious choice....
Not guilty but I'll have a look at Youtube later!
I think support is the same for the Golf or Scirocco as all the mechanicals are interchangeable. The Scirocco boot is about twice as big as the Golf. The one thing that may put you off a Scirocco is that the rear seats are not for adults. I'm 6'3" and whilst there's tons of room up front, my seat is about 1 inch from the rear seats!
Save yourself a useful amount of money and don't do the obvious!
I think support is the same for the Golf or Scirocco as all the mechanicals are interchangeable. The Scirocco boot is about twice as big as the Golf. The one thing that may put you off a Scirocco is that the rear seats are not for adults. I'm 6'3" and whilst there's tons of room up front, my seat is about 1 inch from the rear seats!
Save yourself a useful amount of money and don't do the obvious!
One of the best cars I ever owned!!! An old 'B' reg Scirocco - started off with a cooking 1.8 carb engine (90bhp). Finished up lowered (slightly - nothing tasteless) with Eibach springs and spax shocks. Engine finally putting out a genuine 130bhp (tested on AMD's rolling road) - using Weber carb, Gti camshaft, better exhuast manifold and free flow air filter. You can get even more than this - but your'e into capacity increase, larger bore (or longer throw crank - can't quite remember) but certainly much bigger money. Driving it was great fun, gave plenty of people a surprise, mid range was particularly strong, and still returned 35+mpg on the motorway (due to the tall 'E' fifth gear).
BTW: I'm not biased because I've also owned a MK11 and MK111 Golf GTI's and for some reason, still prefer the Scirocco.
BTW: I'm not biased because I've also owned a MK11 and MK111 Golf GTI's and for some reason, still prefer the Scirocco.
Phil C said:
One of the best cars I ever owned!!! An old 'B' reg Scirocco - started off with a cooking 1.8 carb engine (90bhp). Finished up lowered (slightly - nothing tasteless) with Eibach springs and spax shocks. Engine finally putting out a genuine 130bhp (tested on AMD's rolling road) - using Weber carb, Gti camshaft, better exhuast manifold and free flow air filter. You can get even more than this - but your'e into capacity increase, larger bore (or longer throw crank - can't quite remember) but certainly much bigger money. Driving it was great fun, gave plenty of people a surprise, mid range was particularly strong, and still returned 35+mpg on the motorway (due to the tall 'E' fifth gear).
BTW: I'm not biased because I've also owned a MK11 and MK111 Golf GTI's and for some reason, still prefer the Scirocco.
BTW: I'm not biased because I've also owned a MK11 and MK111 Golf GTI's and for some reason, still prefer the Scirocco.
.....did you keep the standard brakes?
Having owned 2 Sciroccos and a Mk2 Golf GTI 8v in the past, a few comments in addition to the above good info:
The brakes are not all that bad if you really press the pedal! They feel almost unservoed (UK RHD cars still had the brake servo on the LHD side; IIRC the linkage mechanism had 11 parts...). Standard diameter Tar Ox G88 discs, Pagid fast-road pads and fresh brake fluid made my GTX stop quite efficiently on track-days. A mate had a 280mm Corrado front-disc conversion with Pagid pads and steel braided hoses on his GTX and the stopping power was impressive in such a light car. Still needed to put your entire bodyweight through the brake pedal to get them to work though.
The Roccos are very well screwed together, very solid IMO. So was the Golf, mind you. Both my Scirocco GTX and Mk2 Golf had K-Jet 112 bhp 1.8i engines, and there was nothing in it performance-wise between the two. Torquey, flexible engines. IMO the Bosch K-Jet injection gives better throttle response than the later Digifant in the 8v Golfs, although all injected Sciroccos are K-Jet only IIRC.
I prefer the driving position in the Scirocco, it's lower-slung than the Golf, with the steering wheel right in front of you. Handling-wise I considered my Golf to be more adjustable than the Sciroccos; the Golf lift-off oversteered much more on track, both the Sciroccos were more benign in their chassis response going on and off the throttle. FWIW my Golf was always several seconds faster round Knockhill racing circuit than my GTX with identical power and the same Boge lowering springs and uprated dampers. VW Motorsport lower-strut braces improve the turn-in on the Scirocco no-end, I had them fitted to both of mine, but as mentioned, the Golf just seemed more adjustable where the Sciroccos ultimately just understeered.
My other Rocco was a race-prepared GT-S (see my profile), and despite only having 125 bhp trounced a lot of quicker, more modern cars on track.
GTX-owning mate as mentioned above also owned one of the original RHD VW-imported Scirocco GTX 16v cars. That was hilarious. Having spent years in 8v Sciroccos it was comical to see the rev-counter approach 7000 rpm and still have acceleration!
As far as non-injected Sciroccos are concerned, I wouldn't bother TBH...
Lastly, can't comment on 4-pot Corrados, but I own a Rado VR6 and it is immeasurably better than the Sciroccos in every way. Handling, steering feedback and ride are vastly improved. Having said that I could have bought 5 decent injected Sciroccos for what the Corrado cost me!
The brakes are not all that bad if you really press the pedal! They feel almost unservoed (UK RHD cars still had the brake servo on the LHD side; IIRC the linkage mechanism had 11 parts...). Standard diameter Tar Ox G88 discs, Pagid fast-road pads and fresh brake fluid made my GTX stop quite efficiently on track-days. A mate had a 280mm Corrado front-disc conversion with Pagid pads and steel braided hoses on his GTX and the stopping power was impressive in such a light car. Still needed to put your entire bodyweight through the brake pedal to get them to work though.
The Roccos are very well screwed together, very solid IMO. So was the Golf, mind you. Both my Scirocco GTX and Mk2 Golf had K-Jet 112 bhp 1.8i engines, and there was nothing in it performance-wise between the two. Torquey, flexible engines. IMO the Bosch K-Jet injection gives better throttle response than the later Digifant in the 8v Golfs, although all injected Sciroccos are K-Jet only IIRC.
I prefer the driving position in the Scirocco, it's lower-slung than the Golf, with the steering wheel right in front of you. Handling-wise I considered my Golf to be more adjustable than the Sciroccos; the Golf lift-off oversteered much more on track, both the Sciroccos were more benign in their chassis response going on and off the throttle. FWIW my Golf was always several seconds faster round Knockhill racing circuit than my GTX with identical power and the same Boge lowering springs and uprated dampers. VW Motorsport lower-strut braces improve the turn-in on the Scirocco no-end, I had them fitted to both of mine, but as mentioned, the Golf just seemed more adjustable where the Sciroccos ultimately just understeered.
My other Rocco was a race-prepared GT-S (see my profile), and despite only having 125 bhp trounced a lot of quicker, more modern cars on track.
GTX-owning mate as mentioned above also owned one of the original RHD VW-imported Scirocco GTX 16v cars. That was hilarious. Having spent years in 8v Sciroccos it was comical to see the rev-counter approach 7000 rpm and still have acceleration!
As far as non-injected Sciroccos are concerned, I wouldn't bother TBH...
Lastly, can't comment on 4-pot Corrados, but I own a Rado VR6 and it is immeasurably better than the Sciroccos in every way. Handling, steering feedback and ride are vastly improved. Having said that I could have bought 5 decent injected Sciroccos for what the Corrado cost me!
Had the pleasure in owning two Scirocco's GTi's, both 1800 Mk2 and both A reg. Can honestly say that I loved them both. Have owned and still have a Mk2 Golf GTi, I would say that the Golf is a bit more user friendly, but the Scirocco has a fond place in my memory. Check out Ebay there is an old B reg GTi on there at £50, quite rare as the GTXi was out by then with the bodykit etc. A bit biased but I loved my GTi, no bodykit and only produced with the 1800 for a couple of years. Probably as rare as Storm's now.
ps Had to laugh when the old Scirocco would go off it's 120 mph clock. (On a good day with the wind behind her)
ps Had to laugh when the old Scirocco would go off it's 120 mph clock. (On a good day with the wind behind her)
I have owned a scirocco. It was my first car to learn to drive in. 1.6 GT 75 bhp economy gear box. Slow as hell, but my mate had a mk 1 X reg GTi 1.6 very rare and it went like stink. Handled better than most cars of the day. It had a special edition engine in it from standard. Alot faster than the golf GTi too. I would love to have one again but the same as what he had.
One of my daily drivers is an 82 Scirocco, US spec car. These have the CIS or K-Jet injection, which is not that hard to sort out and stays sorted a long time.
The US cars got a very restrictive exhaust manifold in 82, but mine has the more desirable earlier version.
I put a set of adjustable Koni shocks on, I like these but the instructions that come with them are pretty sketchy, you have to guess how many turns you want to set the rebound damping to, and can't change them once mounted.
To what's already been said, I can only add that the 5-speed "economy" gearbox seems to be a bit prone to leaking, does not hold much oil, and 5th gear is up high physically in the box, so keep an eye on the gearbox oil level. I use and recommend Redline MTL in this box.
Sciroccos, at least in the States, came with Recaro seats that would cost more than the car itself if you bought them new.
It's not a muscle car, but it's a good cheap commuter that's fairly entertaining to drive. Cheap and easy to maintain. Agreed, the brakes take a hard push on the pedal, not actually a problem IMHO.
The US cars got a very restrictive exhaust manifold in 82, but mine has the more desirable earlier version.
I put a set of adjustable Koni shocks on, I like these but the instructions that come with them are pretty sketchy, you have to guess how many turns you want to set the rebound damping to, and can't change them once mounted.
To what's already been said, I can only add that the 5-speed "economy" gearbox seems to be a bit prone to leaking, does not hold much oil, and 5th gear is up high physically in the box, so keep an eye on the gearbox oil level. I use and recommend Redline MTL in this box.
Sciroccos, at least in the States, came with Recaro seats that would cost more than the car itself if you bought them new.
It's not a muscle car, but it's a good cheap commuter that's fairly entertaining to drive. Cheap and easy to maintain. Agreed, the brakes take a hard push on the pedal, not actually a problem IMHO.
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