Friday - what's the fastest you've ever taken your Scirocco?

[ron at bunch.org (Ron Bunch)]

David:

I don't know. However, I have some old German mags with details and will 
look at them to research that.
They are buried amongst the posters of Claudia Schiffer in posters for BMW 
and Porsches 20 years ago, but I'll suffer through that trash pile called 
my office to find the Scirocco summaries.
Maybe some of our Deutsche friends can help here with such details.
I loved my 77 US Beetle and my 79 German GTI, but never became a VW 
/Scirocco nut until one of my sons ran my 86 8V out of oil several times 
whilst in Univ at Boulder. That was 12 years ago, and it is still my DD.
I've made some prompting remarks on the list to see if anyone knew how the 
German spec Sciroccos compared to the US versions but have yet to receive 
anything in detail.
I do know my 79 German GTI was a high compression ratio and would break 
120MPH equivalent straight and level.
My US spec 86 8V was low octane for the US and would only do 115 MPH 
straight and level at best.
The US spec 86 16V was rated at 123 MPH, but I never drove one on the 
Autobahn. Certainly, it would reach that speed much more quickly than 
either US or German 8Valves I drove.
But, that 79 GTI seemed to enjoy the higher RPMs more than my 86 US 8V or 
the  88 16V I enjoyed for a couple years here in don't speed land.
It's a good question to which I don't have the answer.
However, I suspect (only suspect) the 79 German GTI head was high flow 
similar to the JH. I definitely know it was a higher compression ratio.
Considering a swap of my JH head to a 2.0L, I also suspect the benefits of 
such a swap also derive from a significantly increased compression ration, 
cramming that increased displacement into the same JH chambers. Don't know, 
but maybe some listers have measured that with water or Coors.

In looking at performance figures some reliable listers have presented, I 
suspect some of them have found that best combination of German specs in an 
8V, even if aftermarket Neuspeed or some other mix.
(I would love to know what the cam numbers were on my German 8V).
We already have a reported baseline of 123 MPH top end for the US 16V. 
That's a little more than my German GTI 8V, but only 4 MPH and 8 MPH more 
than my US 86 8V.
However, I will say the 88 16V I drove for a while would out accelerate the 
German 8V GTI and certainly the US 8V.
Where the German 16V models fit performance wise, I just don't know, 
because that was when I was only visiting Germany every few monthsand 
renting other cars.
Maybe some German listers can give such details.
Perhaps we should be scratching around German boneyards for 8V heads at 
good prices, instead of the 50mm holy grail of 16Vs, with less low end 
performance.
What would really be interesting is to know the compression ratio, head 
design, and final drive ratios for the best German spec 16 V models. I'd 
take that in my US 86.
Downside is, I might also be spending as much on lead additives and octane 
boosters per tank as for fuel, as in feeding my German spec 83 911SC.
That's a personal decision.
Nothing's free, except for Leftists.
The rest of us still have fun.
BTW: The only outlandish claim I've seen lately about Scirocco top speed 
was 245KPH , but I don't recall where I saw that. .

7/04 -0600, David Utley wrote:
>Ron,
>    Was this engine the type with the Heron head, or is it more similar to
>the JH we have here?
>
>Just curious,
>   David
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: scirocco-l-bounces@scirocco.org
>[mailto:scirocco-l-bounces@scirocco.org]On Behalf Of Ron Bunch
>Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 9:15 PM
>To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
>Subject: Re: Friday - what's the fastest you've ever taken your Scirocco?
>
>My 1979 German spec CIS Scirocco GTI (attack/fighter version:no AC, no
>power anything, no options at all, not even a radio) would run all day
>straight and level at 200 KPH (124 MPH). It did that for 7 years and 160,00
>KM until I sold it. (Should have brought it back with the 86 US spec.)
>Great motor in that one!