16v Sciroccco
12-14-2003, 05:43 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Posts: 223
My 88 Integra was completely destroyed in a rear end collision a few days ago and I have been considering my options for replacing it. I need a beater car to get around in when doing errands, driving in bad weather, and when I just don't want to risk the FC at the hands of inattentive other drivers in traffic. So I found an 87 VW 16V Scirocco for sale local to me and checked it out. The owner was a car enthusiast and autocrosser and was very nice. He took a lot of interest in my FC and I don't blame him. He was surrounded by rare european piston (under)powered cars and before him was a ferocious streetported 13B nestled in a bright yellow 2400 lb street legal race machine; who could blame him for his justified curiosity?
Checking out the Scirocco gave a few first impressions. As far as coolness in comparison the the RX-7, they were both really cool cars. Interior comfort was subjectively superior in the FC because the Scirocco seems to have been made for shorter people than the FC was. Engine bay: both were very cool. The scirocco was very German and european with a hydraulic-only Bosch fuel injection system while the FC had a more pure sports car engine layout (complete engine mass behind front axles) and used industry standard fuel delivery components (efi). The intake manifold on the Scirocco was very unorthodox, as it wrapped up and over the valve cover in what appeared to be an effort to create long runner lengths. Coincicentally, that was how the FC intake manifold was also built.
Sterting the Scirocco's engine was uneventful, as it fired up immediately after turning the ignition key. I was surprised at how foreign the whole interior felt. Everything was very weirdly laid out. The black leather seats were comfortable and "different" feeling. The shifter was very long and not easy to use, however. The forward / back shift gates were very far apart while the left / right gates were extremely close, making the shifter feel broken. It was sometimes hard to find a gear when driving and trying to downshift from, say, 4th to 2nd gear. The sound of the engine was awesome! I have never heard an engine sound like the 16v 1.8 NA engine in this particular Scirocco. It sounded like "Woooooooooaaaaaaaaaarrr" when revved - almost exotic. The 16V 1.6l engine in my former Integra would just growl when revved, and of course the FC engine purrs like any wankel. The Scirocco had more torque than the Integra's B16 Honda engine, and a little more top end power. It could be taken to 7250 rpm but there was no point in that, as the power dropped off after 6000-ish rpm. This particular engine was slightly out of tune, which could have accounted for that.
Handling in the Scirocco was definately european. It felt very connected to the road and very taut, but not stiff like my FC which has Tokico HP struts and Eibach springs. There was normal understeer in the Scirocco during turns but trail braking could be applied to even it out, and overall the Scirocco understeered less than my Integra, and felt very nimble. Despite power steering, the road feel and steering feedback was very good and similar to the FC, which has a manual rack. The handling of the chassis made me comfortable with taking turns in a spirited manner. The Scirocco seemed to have significantly less body roll than my former Integra, while having about the same overall level of ride harshness. One drawback of the Scirocco was that engine, transmission, and wind noise were louder than either the FC or the Integra.
Overall the Scirocco was a very interesting car that had a few quirks, but was comfortable and fun to drive, with a very european feel that was unlike any Japanese or American car I have driven. The interior was very different from anything (other than a couple of older VWs that I used to own) I have ever been in. Other than some mechanical noise and a funky stick shift, the car was decent and seemed worthwhile to own. As far as forward acceleration is concerned, my street ported FC was completely out of the Scirocco's league despite being a non-turbo. It could totally destroy the Scirocco 16V in a drag race. It had much more low end and midrange torque, and a top end that would just fly away from the Scirocco's, although it returns quite a bit fewer miles to the gallon than the 16V VW, making the Scirocco a worthy daily beater candidate. The Scirocco was very unique and interesting, very fun to drive and handled like any good european small coupe. In my opinion it was a unique and worthwhile car to own as a beater - very rare and interesting, yet cheap, and definately fun to drive - so my fingers are crossed as the insurance claims adjusters decide the fate of my crumpled 88 Acura.
Checking out the Scirocco gave a few first impressions. As far as coolness in comparison the the RX-7, they were both really cool cars. Interior comfort was subjectively superior in the FC because the Scirocco seems to have been made for shorter people than the FC was. Engine bay: both were very cool. The scirocco was very German and european with a hydraulic-only Bosch fuel injection system while the FC had a more pure sports car engine layout (complete engine mass behind front axles) and used industry standard fuel delivery components (efi). The intake manifold on the Scirocco was very unorthodox, as it wrapped up and over the valve cover in what appeared to be an effort to create long runner lengths. Coincicentally, that was how the FC intake manifold was also built.
Sterting the Scirocco's engine was uneventful, as it fired up immediately after turning the ignition key. I was surprised at how foreign the whole interior felt. Everything was very weirdly laid out. The black leather seats were comfortable and "different" feeling. The shifter was very long and not easy to use, however. The forward / back shift gates were very far apart while the left / right gates were extremely close, making the shifter feel broken. It was sometimes hard to find a gear when driving and trying to downshift from, say, 4th to 2nd gear. The sound of the engine was awesome! I have never heard an engine sound like the 16v 1.8 NA engine in this particular Scirocco. It sounded like "Woooooooooaaaaaaaaaarrr" when revved - almost exotic. The 16V 1.6l engine in my former Integra would just growl when revved, and of course the FC engine purrs like any wankel. The Scirocco had more torque than the Integra's B16 Honda engine, and a little more top end power. It could be taken to 7250 rpm but there was no point in that, as the power dropped off after 6000-ish rpm. This particular engine was slightly out of tune, which could have accounted for that.
Handling in the Scirocco was definately european. It felt very connected to the road and very taut, but not stiff like my FC which has Tokico HP struts and Eibach springs. There was normal understeer in the Scirocco during turns but trail braking could be applied to even it out, and overall the Scirocco understeered less than my Integra, and felt very nimble. Despite power steering, the road feel and steering feedback was very good and similar to the FC, which has a manual rack. The handling of the chassis made me comfortable with taking turns in a spirited manner. The Scirocco seemed to have significantly less body roll than my former Integra, while having about the same overall level of ride harshness. One drawback of the Scirocco was that engine, transmission, and wind noise were louder than either the FC or the Integra.
Overall the Scirocco was a very interesting car that had a few quirks, but was comfortable and fun to drive, with a very european feel that was unlike any Japanese or American car I have driven. The interior was very different from anything (other than a couple of older VWs that I used to own) I have ever been in. Other than some mechanical noise and a funky stick shift, the car was decent and seemed worthwhile to own. As far as forward acceleration is concerned, my street ported FC was completely out of the Scirocco's league despite being a non-turbo. It could totally destroy the Scirocco 16V in a drag race. It had much more low end and midrange torque, and a top end that would just fly away from the Scirocco's, although it returns quite a bit fewer miles to the gallon than the 16V VW, making the Scirocco a worthy daily beater candidate. The Scirocco was very unique and interesting, very fun to drive and handled like any good european small coupe. In my opinion it was a unique and worthwhile car to own as a beater - very rare and interesting, yet cheap, and definately fun to drive - so my fingers are crossed as the insurance claims adjusters decide the fate of my crumpled 88 Acura.
12-15-2003, 03:41 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Fort Lewis Washington
Posts: 705
man get it and leave that engine exactly as is.
I can get with my best man, VW master mechanic and uphill specialist.
He custom builds upgrades for that engine. He has on putting out 345 to the wheels.
get it and we can discuss boinger power later if its important.
I can get with my best man, VW master mechanic and uphill specialist.
He custom builds upgrades for that engine. He has on putting out 345 to the wheels.
get it and we can discuss boinger power later if its important.
12-15-2003, 03:46 PM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Posts: 223
Whatever the new beater becomes, it will probably stay stock so if anyone else wants to crash into it, it won't be such a loss to have to replace it. 
I always knew that people were generally fools when driving, but I never expected to have someone total my car.