1986.5 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V
DrivetrainTransverse front engine, front-wheel drive
Engine1.8-liter inline four, dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinderMods: Cylinder head street port, Schrick 260/276 cams, Techtonics exhaust, Techtonics fuel enrichment module
TransmissionFive-speed manual
SuspensionMods: H&R sport springs, Bilstein sport shocks, Neuspeed anti-roll bar (f)
BrakesMods: Stainless-steel lines
Wheels and TiresRonal R10, 7x15Dunlop SP8000, 195/50-15
ExteriorEuropean bumpers, lighting, badge
Tuners' PerspectiveNow that you've found one, where do you go to make it perform better? Surprisingly, a quick survey of the old school tuners revealed there are still a lot of go-fast parts available for this neo-classic. Being that both Sciroccos are based on the A1 chassis, parts availability is plentiful and exchangeability easy.
Ralph Hollack at Autotech said simply, "You name it, we have everything." In addition to hollow anti-roll bars, brake upgrades, suspension components and aluminum strut braces, Autotech also offers a good selection of transmission parts for final drive alterations, four-to-five-speed conversions and limited-slip differentials. Although demand isn't quite what it was 10 to 15 years ago, Hollack said they're still ordering more parts from their suppliers. One thing Hollack and the others said was that body parts were hard to come by, especially some of the aftermarket body kits that have gone out of production. www.autotech.com
Raffi Kazanjian at Euro Sport runs a 16V in the SCCA ITA class, so he knows them inside out. Euro Sport carries tie-bars, shocks and springs, and race headers in addition to a long list of factory parts. For those who want to set up for the track, Euro Sport also has adjustable camber plates for a wider window of camber settings. www.eurosportacc.com
According to Aaron Neumann, Neuspeed still carries about 90 percent of the parts they originally made for the car. Particular goodies include Koni coilovers and their highly regarded triangulated rear tie-bar. www.neuspeed.com
Jeff Ashlock from Techtonics Tuning says he gets a lot of calls for the Scirocco. Techtonics' particular area of expertise is in the exhaust department: race headers, downpipes, high-flow catalytic converters, aluminized or stainless-steel 2.25-inch exhaust systems that are even compatible with engine swaps like putting a 16V into a Scirocco I. Along with exhaust systems, he said Techtonics also sells a lot of motor mounts, fuel enrichment modules and shift linkage rebuild kits. The engines, he said, are near bulletproof. He's heard of 1.7-liters going to 300,000 miles with out rebuilding. www.techtonics.com
For the increasingly elusive body parts, salvage yards are a good source. Techtonics refers many customers to VW Dismantlers in Sacramento. A call revealed they had 12 Sciroccos, mostly Scirocco IIs, on the lot and ready to be parted out. Non-factory reproduction body panels are best if examined and fitted before buying. (916) 969-1600
Online, www.vwvortex.com has a Scirocco I project car that makes me wish I'd never parted with my 1980 Scirocco S. There's also www.scirocco.org, some serious devotees who might be good for tips on finding parts and maintenance procedures.
1981 VW Scirocco S
DrivetrainTransverse front engine, front-wheel drive
Engine1.7-liter inline six, single overhead cams, two valves per cylinderMods: K&N air filter
TransmissionFour-speed manual
SuspensionMods: Neuspeed lowering springs, Boge gas shocks
BrakesRebuilt stock brakes
Wheels and TiresBBS RS 047, 7x15Toyo Proxes T1-S, 215/45-15
ExteriorHella H4 headlamps, Bosche foglamps
References:"Volkswagen Illustrated Buyer's Guide" by Peter Vack, ISBN 0-7603-0574-9 MBI Publishing Co., 1998
"Water-Cooled Volkswagen Performance Handbook" by Greg Raven ISBN 0-7603-0491-2 MBI Publishing Co., 1999 Online: www.vwvortex.com