Scirocco through the Years
Like the 1975 Rabbit, the original Scirocco was fitted with a carbureted, 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. The 70-horsepower engine propels the 1900-pound car to a 0-60 time in the mid-12's. The following year saw the addition of another 100cc of displacement, coupled with Bosch CIS mechanical fuel injection. Horsepower was raised to 76, and 0-60 times dropped into the mid-10-second range. A single windshield wiper was also introduced this model year.
Besides upgrades and refinements that centered around the cars day-to-day manners, a five speed transmission was introduced in 1979, and displacement was raised again in 1981 to 1.7 liters.
For 1982, the Scirocco was completely restyled. Several different designs were proposed, including a revision by Giugiaro. However, an in-house design won out, yielding a new car with more interior and luggage room along with a coefficient of drag of 0.38, down from 0.42. (One interesting footnote: Giugiaro's design was purchased by Isuzu for their Impulse.)
Still based on the original A1 Rabbit chassis, the slightly heavier Mk2 Scirocco was less sprightly through the 1982 and early 1983 model years, as the 74-horsepower, 1.7-liter engine left it at a disadvantage against other cars of the era.
That situation changed midway through 1983, when Volkswagen introduced the Wolfsburg edition. Powered by the Rabbit GTI's 90-horsepower, 1.8-liter engine, and coupled to a close-ratio, five-speed transmission, performance was drastically improved. Volkswagen once again upped the ante halfway through 1986, with the installation of the 123-horsepower, 1.8-liter, 16-valve engine from the Golf GTI 16v.
It wasn't just a change of engines that made the 16-valve Scirocco a nice package, as Volkswagen fitted larger 0.1-inch brake rotors, a rear anti-roll bar, 14x6-inch alloys, and a four-point lower subframe reinforcement. Zero-to-60 times dropped to around eight seconds.
Spiritual Successor: The Corrado
Introduced as a 1990 model, the Passat-based Corrado (B2 chassis) was a pretty big leap forward for Volkswagen. The new car was larger, heavier, more powerful and more luxurious than the Scirocco that it replaced. As you can expect from this quantum leap up-market, the Corrado's price was increased as well: $17,900 base price for a new Corrado, where the 1986 Scirocco 16v started at $11,980.
The Corrado was first introduced with a 1.8-liter, eight-valve engine that was fortified with a G-shaped supercharger denoted the G60. The "60" referred to the displacement of the supercharger in cubic centimeters. The G60 Corrado put out 158 horsepower and could scoot to 60 mph in about nine seconds.
In 1992, Volkswagen came out with the Corrado VR6. The 2.8-liter, narrow-angle V6 replaced the supercharged four and produced 178 horsepower. With the new engine, the Corrado SLC's 0-60 times dropped to about seven seconds.
In addition to the engine change, the six-cylinder cars also received five-lug wheels, 11-inch brake rotors and a revised front suspension geometry called the Plus Axle. This Plus Axle system was designed to decrease torque steer, a requirement for this quite powerful front-wheel-drive coupe. Despite the newfound lease on life, the $25,000 Corrado was discontinued in 1994, much to the dismay of Volkswagen enthusiasts.
Where They Race
Racing and Volkswagens are like food and roaches: if you've got the first, you're sure to find the second. It's easy to see why Volkswagens have become so popular in the amateur road racing and autocrossing scene, as they are inexpensive to buy, easy to work on, and fun to drive. There is also a very strong aftermarket industry specifically aimed at modifying the water-cooled Volkswagen, and most of these cars have someplace to race with the SCCA.
For Solo II 's Stock category, Sciroccos are all classed in E Stock, with all Corrados placed in G Stock. In these classes, modifications are limited to bolt-on changes like tires, mufflers, shock absorbers and front anti-roll bar.
The SCCA's Street Prepared classes received a reshuffling for 2000, and the watercooled Volkswagens have benefited greatly. All eight-valve Sciroccos are in the new F Street Prepared class along with many other eight-valve, water-cooled VW products: Golf, Jetta, Rabbit and Cabrio. Other cars in the class include the Datsun 510, Mazda Protege, MG Midget and various non-turbo, front-drive Dodges and Plymouths.
The 16-valve Scirocco, Corrado G60 and Corrado VR6 are all in D Street Prepared, along with cars like the Acura lntegra GS-R, Dodge Neon, Nissan SE-R, Merkur XR4TI and the VW New Beetle Turbo.
The Scirocco and Corrado are also eligible for the SCCA's new Street Touring and Street Mod classes, categories designed for late-model, front-drive compacts.
For road racing, SCCA's Improved Touring category has the Corrado VR6 in ITS, alongside some proven competitors like the Nissan 240Z, 13B-powered Mazda RX-7 and BMW 325i. The 16-valve Scirocco has an equally hard task ahead in ITA, where it with the rest of the class must deal with the 1988- '91 Honda CRX Si.
The SCCA places the 1.7- and 1.8-liter Scirocco in 1TB, where it faces the VW Rabbit GT!, the higher-horsepower Golf GTI, the Volvo 142E and BMW 2002. The 1.6-liter Scirocco runs in ITC, where it is one of the more capable chassis in the class. The 1.5-liter Honda Civics and CRXs are also tough, but the Rabbit and Scirocco chassis have been extremely well developed for this class. This could be the best place to race a Scirocco–provided you can find a decent chassis to build.
Drivetrain
Volkswagens are renowned for parts interchangeability, which means that the "big motor into little car" mantra holds true. Racing rules aside, a late-model Corrado engine can be made to fit in a Mk1 Scirocco. Of course, it's been said that you have to drop the motor to change the alternator.
On a more reasonable level, i1early all of the eight- and 16-valve engines can fit and often bolt right into any of the different chassis–although some swaps are easier than others.
Probably the easiest and most practical street engine swap is to put the 2.0-liter, eight-valve "tall block" in line four from the 1994- '97 Golf III/Jetta III into the Scirocco (or any other A1 chassis). These engines bolt right in, and the fuel injection components work properly with no modifications. Plus, being newer, these engines won't need a rebuild and should still have plenty of life left in them. VW rated this engine at 115 horsepower, but it responds very well to tuning.
Another fairly popular trick involves swapping the 2.0-liter, 16-valve engine from a 1990-'92 Golf GTI into either the Mk1 or Mk2 cars. While the engine produces 134 horsepower in stock trim, this isn't the easiest project. Yes, technically it's a bolt-in deal, but you'II need the intake and exhaust manifolds (along with...lots of other bits) from the 16-valve Scirocco for this swap, plus the 2.0-liter engine from the Golf GTI. While a potentially expensive project, you'll have a very quick Scirocco when done.
If a 16-valve conversion is in your future, one way to build a true monster is to bolt the better-breathing, 1.8-liter, 16-valve cylinder head onto the 2.0-liter bottom end. The 1.8-1iter head not only breathes 16 percent better, but is also more receptive to porting. (Try porting a 2.0-liter head, and there's a good chance you'll strike a water jacket.)
Obviously the 1.8-liter, 16-valve engine also bolts into the Scirocco, but just buying a Scirocco 16v is probably an easier–and ultimately cheaper–experience. On the same note, swapping in the supercharged G60 engine is potentially more work than it's worth. VR6 swaps have been done, but it's not a mod for beginners.
For those restricted to the SCCA rule book, things aren't as interesting. Improved Touring has few, if any, update and backdate allowances, so your best bet is to go with the fastest Scirocco in each particular class. Out of all of the different Sciroccos, the one with the best hope in IT racing is the injected, 1.6-liter Mkl car in ITC.
If you're planning on taking a Scirocco autocrossing, you can swap the 1.8-liter from the Mk2 into the lighter Mkl for a potent Street Prepared combination, allowable since all Scirocco eight-valve cars are listed on the same line in FSP.
Solo II Street Prepared update and backdate allowances do not help the Scirocco 16-valve or Corrado, however, as they are listed separately from other cars in DSP. Since the Scirocco and Corrado are both based on more commonly modified cars, there are many parts available to make their engines put out more power.
The first step in any horsepower enhancement program for a Scirocco centers around the exhaust system. (However, the Corrados have well-engineered systems from the factory and should be over-looked until later.)
There are many systems available for the Scirocco, with nearly all of the major tuning firms offering something. If it's going on a race car, look for a system that uses 2.25-inch tubing. On the street, you may want to stick with some 2.0-inch-diameter pipe, as some of the 2.25-inch systems are a very tight fit and thus rattle. Mandrel-bent tubing and low-restriction mufflers should also be part of the system. Aluminized tubing is most prevalent, but more companies are offering high-quality stainless systems that are a good choice if the car will be subjected to salt.
The next place to look for more power on a non-street-licensed vehicle is by replacing the manifold, downpipe and catalytic converter. The rules for both Street Prepared and Improved Touring allow for removal of the catalytic converter and the use of headers. (Many headers are now smog legal, however; check what your local laws require.) The headers should have fairly long, equal-length primary tubes to allow better torque at lower rpm.
Make sure that any header that you use has a flex pipe or a ball-and-socket arrangement at its collector. The rocking motion _of the engine will quickly crack a header that does not have a flexible joint. If you have a 16-valve car or an eight-valve car with the factory six-bolt manifold, you can replace just the downpipe and catalytic converter with a dual downpipe with long secondaries. This will yield strong torque figures, near-header horsepower figures, along with better"longevity.
If you port the factory cast-iron manifold in conjunction with the longer dual downpipe, you can increase top end a bit more. There are also higher-performance catalytic converters available; Techtonics offers custom-fit, high-flow cats that offer low restriction and keep your exhaust clean.
On CIS-injected cars, the intake can be improved slightly. There's a flapper valve at the bottom of the intake box that directs warm air into the engine during start-up. On higher-mileage cars, this valve tends to get stuck, preventing cooler air from entering the engine. The Corrado's airbox can also be replaced entirely with a conical filter that connects directly to the airflow meter.
Due to the system's mechanical design, the CIS cars are not equipped with computer chips, so intake gains here are accomplished by careful adjusting of fuel pressure via the warmup regulator. Operations like this are usually best left to an expert tuning shop. However, the VR6 Corrado's fuel injection can be tweaked via an aftermarket computer chip with revised ignition and fuel mapping, while the boost and engine maps on the supercharged Corrado can be custom tuned via different engine chips.
If you are delving into the engine, you can port the intake manifold and the cylinder head for more power, although SCCA IT and Street Prepared rules only allow machining within one inch of the cylinder head ports/manifold junction.
If preparing a race engine seems a little outside your area of expertise, dedicated VW tuners like BSI Racing and Shine Racing Services have the facilities to deliver a fully-prepared engine or cylinder head.
While the SCCA rules limit cylinder over bores to only .0472 inch, the 1.8-liter engines can be bored out to around 2.0 liters if it's so desired; the 2.0 liters can then be punched to 2.2, and the VR6 motors can be increased to about 3.1 liters. Another popular and effective non-race-legal mod would be to install an alternate camshaft. Like many motors, the Volkswagen powerplants benefit from higher lift, longer-duration camshafts, which make a good addition after the simple intake and exhaust changes are made.
G60-equipped Corrados offer another avenue of improved performance, as the drive pulley of the supercharger can be changed for one with a smaller diameter. This will cause the unit to spin faster and yield more boost.
In addition, fuel enrichment kits are available that increase power. Later kits include parts to bypass the idle stabilizer valve, leakage from which can prevent the G60 from getting maximum boost. However, there can be a problem with too much horsepower. (Yes, there is such a thing.) On a front-wheel-drive car, like these Volkswagens, a lot of horsepower is wasted with inside wheel spin.
On later Sciroccos ( 1984 and up), the factory differential comes equipped with a small spring and brass washer mechanism that will offer some limited-slip action and can be improved with a shim locking kit, which is available from companies like Velocity Sport Tuning and BSI Racing. These kits give you up to 40- to SO-percent lock. The advantage is that they are cheap (usually less than $100) and can be installed with the transmission in the car.
OPM Motorsports offers a clutch-type limited-slip differential for around $700 that is very popular with IT racers. The next step up is the Quaife torque-sensing limited-slip differential. It is expensive (about $1100), but many people swear by it. Plus it has no wear items, making it a one-time purchase. Like the OPM diff, installing a Quaife requires a complete teardown of the transmission. Corrado owners have the option of either the Quaife or OPM limited slip, too.
High-performance clutches are available if you have slippage problems; however, a lowbuck way to improve the clutch in an eight-valve car is to use a 16-valve pressure plate with an eightvalve disc. Often times, a slipping clutch is a sign of a bad clutch pushrod seal, which allows oil to spew onto the clutch disk; be sure to replace the seal whenever a clutch is replaced.
Brakes
Nearly every manufacturer of brake pads makes something for the Scirocco and Corrado. Street drivers should stick with pads such as the Carbotech SSF compound, Performance Friction HPS, Mintex Street or PBR Metalmaster.
Autocrossers can kick it up a notch with Carbotech Mean Green or Panther compounds, and road racers tend to favor Hawk Blue or Carbotech Panther compounds. For more on brake pads, check out the March/April 1997 issue of GRM.
The earliest Sciroccos should be upgraded to the larger Kelsey Hayes calipers for banana-style pads. If you are running in Street Prepared, you can update all solid 9.4-inch rotor Sciroccos to the 9.4-inch ventilated discs found on 1984 and later Sciroccos. Rotor changes, such as cross drilling, slotting, and combinations of the two, aren't legal in most racing classes and really don't help that much.
Suspension
Modifications to the Scirocco or Corrado suspension should only be done after you figure out what you want to do with the car, as nearly every change to be made will be done differently depending on the car's intended use. Street drivers require one avenue, Solo II Stock class competition requires another, and Solo II Street Prepared and Improved Touring require a third approach. If you know what you want to do, do it right the first time.
The Volkswagen suspension is a fairly well-known quantity, and there are many companies that offer all of the necessary ingredients for whichever type of suspension that you'd like to create.
Street drivers have the easiest task: Open up this magazine to the T2K feature, point a finger at a YW tuning firm, and let the VISA do the talking. It's a pretty straightforward recipe of mild lowered springs, larger rear anti-roll bar and mild shock absorbers (Boge Pro-Gas, Bilstein, and Koni Sport come to mind).
To tie everything together, chassis reinforcements for the upper and lower front suspension points are usually used. (Aftermarket lower chassis braces often copy the Scirocco 16-valve piece.) Put these all together, and you're pretty much assured a decent ride, good handling and improved chassis dynamics.
The rules for Solo II Stock category indicate that you can install any front anti-roll bar, use all of the factory alignment adjustment, and run any shock absorber with stock dimensions. The general consensus has been to install the largest front anti-roll bar that you can find (22mm is the largest one we know of for the Scirocco, 25mm for the Corrado), even though it does seem to go against some conventional wisdom.
The factory crash bolts for the Corrado can yield up to three degrees of negative camber with 1/8-inch toe out. Scirocco owners should take up as much slop as possible with the factory bolts, including the lower ball joints, for maximum negative camber (probably less than 1.5 degrees). Coupled with Korn Sport shocks, you can make the car more balanced and neutral. The big front bar will reduce body roll to the point where you limit camber change, allowing more front traction rather than less.
In Street Prepared and Improved Touring competition, you are allowed any spring rates, and adjustable coil-over conversions can be used and are very popular. This will allow you to limit body roll and camber change without reso1ting to large front anti-roll bars. In fact, many racers remove the front bar entirely (more common in road racing than in autocrossing) and use higher spring rates to make the car understeer less. The rear suspension, however, works best with large anti-roll bars, which will prevent the inside front wheel from spinning while exiting the corner.
Commonly used spring rates for the Scirocco are 400 to 600 lbs./in. up front and 275 to 400 lbs./in. at the rear. With the higher front rates, you don't need a front anti-roll bar, and a healthy rear bar (25mm or 1- to 1.25-inch torsion bar) will keep the front end working.
For Street Prepared racers who don't want to switch to coil-over spring perches, there is another option for higher rates. Neuspeed markets a spring called simply the Race spring which has a rate for the fronts around 350 lbs.fin., while the rears are around 250 lbs./in.
At the Street Prepared and Improved Touring level, custom-valved shocks are the way to go. Talk with companies such as Koni, Ground Control, Truechoice or Carrera for your specific needs.
The upper strut bearing is often a failure point for both the Mk1 and Mk2 Scirocco, although Corrados have few, if any, strut bearing failures. (If your G60's strut bearing fails, you can upgrade it with units from the YR6.)
The ultimate solution for upper strut bearing problems on Sciroccos would be a set of camber plates. If you go with this route, find a set that allows adjustment for both camber and caster. Some manufacturers also machine spacers that you can bolt under the plate, increasing much-needed wheel travel without raising the car.
Speaking of alignment settings and ride height, on an autocross car with higher spring rates most people like around 2.5 degrees of negative camber (more if you have Hoosier radials) and four degrees for the Improved Touring car (that's for the outside front; around three for the inside).
Toe-out will be set around 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch. The ride height should be set so that the lower control arms are parallel to the track surface while the car is sitting still. This will prevent a lot of the unwanted geometry changes that occur when the car is lowered too much, which will lead to bump steer and premature CY joint wear unless the axles are shortened.
Polyurethane bushings can help prevent unwanted alignment changes, while still being somewhat comfortable on the street. If you're willing to give up some comfort for performance, Delrin suspension bushings are also available. Shine Racing Services goes one step further in offering bearings to replace the flexible bushing joints in the front suspension. This would only be recommended for certain competition classes, as it's illegal for Street Prepared autocross use and would be excessively harsh for the street.
Wheels and Tires
Typically, the fast Stock class autocrossers are on BFGoodrich g-Forces or Kumhos, while the top Street Prepared and IT drivers tend to use Hoosiers. Tire widths should be around 215 to 225mm for Sciroccos, and at least 225mm for the Corrado.
Wheels, as with any race car, should be as light and as wide as possible within the rule limitations: six inches wide for 1TB and ITC, seven for ITA and ITS, stock sizes for Solo II Stock, and unlimited for Solo II Street Prepared.
What More Can We Say?
If all of this talk on Sciroccos and Corrados has piqued your interest, look for more editorial on these cars in future issues. Later this year, we' II detail the buildup of an ITC Scirocco.
