brett@kodak.com (Brett VanSprewenburg): Re: Sciroccos

[mark.peele@juno.com (Mark A. Peele)]

All that Brett said was true - in the U.S. (my turn to whine)

The rabbit & scirocco shared the same engine in the US through (i think)
the 1979 model year, after which vw offered an "economy" carburated
rabbit on the low line rabbits. The main advantage the scirocco has (all
other things being equal) is a lower center of gravity and better
aerodynamics)

The fact is, that VW ignored (to it's detriment I say) the performance
cars until 1983's GTI. From 1976, Europe had a 110 hp Scirocco GTi, while
the best that was offered here was 82hp in 1977. (until the JH) It always
pissed me off to read about the great cars you could get in Europe and
then each model year saw the same tame Sciroccos (I've been driving
Sciroccos since 1977). I was excited when the "S" model came out (1979) -
only to find that it was just an appearance package (nice seats, air dam,
black out trim, no swaybars). VW finally got a little wiser and dropped
in the JH motor and swaybars about the same time the rabbit GTI came out.

The last insult was that they stopped selling roccos here in '88, while
they continued on through 1992 in Europe.

There. I feel better. 
__________________________________________________________
 . . . Mark
Scirocco 1982, 1980S (dying), previously 1981S (RIP), 1975TS, 1975
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: brett@kodak.com (Brett VanSprewenburg)
To: scirocco-l@privateI.com
Subject: Re: Sciroccos
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 09:39:02 -0500
Message-ID: <199711051439.JAA06570@kaos.kodak.com>


> 
> 
> On Tue, 04 Nov 1997 10:37:44 -0500 Kevin McGrath <kevin@pelican.net>
> writes:
> 
> > Also its very unfair to compare a scirocco
> >and a regular rabbit. A GTI is wahts closer.
> 
> 
> Really? I think its fair to compare a rabbit to a Scirocco. (83 and
older
> Scirocco's with the similar 1.7L motor, stock.) They're basically very
> simular mechanically and the GTi Rabbits would compare to the MK-II
> Scirocco's with the 1.8L JH motors. Thats would be specifically closer.
> 
> Deposit $0.02 here   |----|
> 
> 
> 
>               Shawn Meze

<KA-CHING! KA-CHING!>  (2 cents)


Anyway, you're right on the ball as usual. :-)

All A1 cars (rabbits, jettas, sciroccos, convertibles) are directly
comparable to each other mechanically.  They all have had at one time or 
another the same engines, the same transmissions, and the same
suspensions.
And as far as this specific comparision goes (early 80's scirocco, early
80's non-GTI rabbit) they are FAR more alike then different.  In fact,
the stock rabbit GTI is more mechanically performance oriented
then ANY stock scirocco from the same years.  This was true up until
the scirocco got the 1.8 JH engine.  Even still, the scirocco was stuck
with 8.5:1 compression, while the GTI got 10:1 (and the HP advantage).

The stock scirocco didn't pull ahead of the stock GTI's until 1986.5 when
the scirocco 16v was introduced before the GTI had the 16v motor.  This
also brought along a host of other goodies like bigger tires (although
the GTI's still shipped with 205/55's while even the Scirocco 16v only
got 195/60's), a better suspension that was swaybar equipped. (yes, I
know these were their before for some models, but the 16v got the lower
strut tie-bar as well and stiffer spings), and much improved braking.  
The scirocco was *always* the car that VW forgot.  I remember 
the commercials (both TV & print) from that era showing the
entire line-up of cars VW had to offer, which NEVER showed a scirocco.

I suppose this makes me less then popular, eh?  ("Blasphemer!  Get him!")

Did you ever notice that VW has introduced their hottest motor in the
most
sporty car, then discontinued the sporty car as soon the GTI also got
this motor?  Happened with the Scirocco when the GTI got the 16v motor.
Happened with the Corrado (first by years with the VR6) when the GTI got 
the VR6.  Things that make you go 'hmmmmm'.

(Stepping lightly off soap-box to avoid fruit being tossed in my general
direction)

==Brett
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