Aha; a gen2 Scirocco…that’s worth stopping our walk for a quick shot, even though I’ve already done a CC on one. As I move in a bit closer, I see a sticker on the fuel filler door…what?
Sure enough; a DIESEL sticker to make sure no one pumps gas in what would be presumed to be a gasser.
Needless to say, these Sciroccos did not come with diesels from the factory. But then why not swap one in? easy enough. And that was confirmed by a friend of the owner who cam out and talked to us. She said the owner does lots of engine swaps for others, specializing in swapping in Subaru boxers into Vanagons.
This is also probably the only Scirocco that’s been re-purposed as a mini-van of sorts. The seats are all gone except for the driver’s and a plywood platform has been put down to make a pretty decent-sized load area. I wouldn’t be surprised if he carries engines back there.
A cargo-carrying diesel Scirocco; where else but in Eugene?
More:
CC 1982 VW Scirocco – We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Italian Designers
Even with those bumpers and that sticker on the tankflap, that’s a better looking car than Giugiaro’s original.
To each their own, but to me the Gen 1 Scirocco was an outstanding design and had such perfect design language tie-in with the Gen 1 Golf/Rabbit. The Gen 2 in-house effort is way more fussy and gawky looking.
It couldn’t have been that gawky looking, Guiguaro used almost the same styling for Isuzu on the 1st gen 1983 Impulse(Piazza).
I always found those two to be almost identical … Except, to me the Impulse executes the design better, with the longer nose and slightly raked profile. Plus, it’s RWD, so it gets my vote. 🙂
I’ll agree to disagree with you. I’ve always preferred the purer “origami” styling of the 1st generation. These always seemed a bit watered down in comparison.
I’m just glad he didn’t do this to a 16V model since they were the best of the 2nd generation.
I have to disagree here. The second-generation Scirocco is blander in styling than the more aggressive original. It almost looks like VW was chasing after the Honda Accord with this car – not ugly, but tame.
Really? Then you better not read my CC on these that I linked to at the bottom. 🙂
When these came out, I was sorely disappointed. Very VW home-baked. Not terrible, but a big comedown from the brilliant Mk1 Scirocco. VW having realized the error of their ways, tried very hard to recapture the Mk1 design in the Corrado.
The Mk1 is clearly better looking, but the Mk2 appeals in a different way. I find the rear window and spoiler and rear 3/4 view attractive.
Yep, i read it. The gen 2 has a touch of the Piazza, but i don’t think the gen 1 anywhere near as good as this or the first Golf. Gen 1 scirocco looks awkward.
Ironically, I personally I prefer the gen 1 Scirocco and the Gen 2 Golf
The NA bumpers on the Mk2 overweight the visual lower half and pinch the front clip, the Euro version is much nicer, but still a letdown after Mk1. The Guigaro designs deserve a large portion of the credit for VWs revival after its bankruptcy in the early 70s, something everyone seems to have forgotten.
I think these 2nd-gen cars were improved with the composite lamps as opposed to the quad sealed-beam. Not as pretty a design as the original, but they do have a good look from certain angles, and I do like the hatchback with the spoiler mounted above the lower glass.
The diesel conversion is interesting indeed! Wonder if it’s the same diesel as used in the contemporary Rabbit/Golf/Jetta/etc?
Gen 1 or the spiritual successor the Corrado are the best. These second gen ones are way too anonymous.
No comparison….the Mk1 is lithe, great proportions and detailed so much better than the Mk2.
My 1981 Scirocco S
Very nice!
In profile in particular the MK1 wins, I love the concave tail and that upkicked quarter windows.
If that was a VW Quantum(diesel or not), I’d be all over it, the sedan preferably.
The Syncro hatchback looks like a bloated Scirocco. Eww
I’ve never even seen a Quantum hatch “in the metal”. I know of their existence, but that’s it. Saw a Dasher hatchback or two years ago, but not the Quantum. Sedan and Wagon versions, sure. And one ute.
Chris, is that ute homemade? Past the B pillar, is a piece of metal protruding.
There was a MINT, one owner grey Quantum sedan, in my area, with only 63,000 miles… Going for about $2500, about 8 months ago.
Again, I didn’t have the money. Why is it, the deals are out there, when you’re broke? 🙁
It is. I can only assume the “tail” on the roof serves some purpose to the owner, as it’s a super clean finish job otherwise. An interesting thing is that it’s actually made from a sedan; the wagon had completely different taillights and didn’t have the cut in the quarter panel for them to wrap around like these do.
I actually saw that near where I used to live in Durham, North Carolina. Wish I could have spoken to the owner but I had to do an illegal U-turn just to get that one photo!
A pretty cool Shop Truck or Delivery Vehicle IMO .
These were derided as ‘ Secretary Cars ‘ back in the day , I never liked them but saw nothing bad about them , just different styling taste .
-Nate
Pizza delivery vehicle! I had a friend who used to do this to all of the cheap beaters he used for that job…
VW realized their “mistake” years ago and when the “new” Scirocco came out they added turbo diesel engines to the model mix….a necessity in some countries in Europe.
I really like these cars, both the 1st and 2nd generations, but turning one of these into a delivery van is very sad.
What next, a Miata as a snow plow?
Well, I used to pull hay racks and manure spreaders with my New Beetle TDI… (c:
Well, a Miata IS the answer to everything….
http://s1215.photobucket.com/user/AlexKnight18/media/100_7626.jpg.html
I grew up seeing the 2nd generation Scirocco, and for some reason, I’ve never seen any of them offered with a diesel engine, not even a turbodiesel. It would’ve been something interesting if Volkswagen did. 🙂
Finally a good handling, economical minivan, with no kiddies allowed. VW missed out on this parts bin possibility. There might well have been a market for it. Nice find.
I love the cup holder cut into the plywood. Classic.
I had two 1983 GTis and always loved those wheels.
And you can stash your weed under that platform!
This definitely looks like something my brother would do. He’s currently swapping a TDI into his pre-TDI Jetta. He’s talked about rebuilding one of his other VW diesel engines and swapping it into his Cabriolet, and would’ve done it by now if he had the time.
Current gen Scirocco is available as a diesel, and makes a compelling case in Europe, if you accept diesel in a sporting car.
Audi TT also comes with diesel, and the Golf GTD is a sweet spot in the range
Same segment: Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi 185 ST.
Thanks, Roger…
Rub it in, that us Americans got denied the current Scirocco. 😉
I bought a 49-state ’77 Scirocco here in California that had come from Montana or Wyoming, from a used car dealer. They had done a quick wash and ArmorAll job but no real detailing. When I pulled the rear mat over the spare tire well, it was full of hay or straw. I think it must have hauled hay bales in its native land. BTW, as a Gen 1 owner (only briefly, that car was a joy to drive – but a headache to own, least reliable car ever), I always liked the 2nd gen just as much. Whereas I think the Golf II and III were horrid looking compared to the original and successors.
I wouldn’t want to lift engines in and out of this car. VW hadn’t figured out the whole luggage opening concept when these were made, which I guess is understandable considering their rear engined heritage. Perhaps that’s why this mechanic removed the passenger seat and replaced it with a board. It is so he can slide the engines to the passenger door rather than having to hoist them over the tail panel of the car.
I can’t imagine what kind of strength it would take to be able to lift an engine in and out of the back end of this car.
I recommend a burly obstetrician with some mechanical skills.
That is what they make engine hoists for, its not it would be practical to do engine replacements/swaps if you don’t have access to one. Connect the chain with as little slack as possible and it should not be a problem at all. I’ve carried a couple of engines in the trunk of one of my Crown Victorias. When I went to the “used engines imported from Japan” sellers to pickup a Subaru engine the guys asked where is your truck. I told them it was going in the trunk. They of course said “it will never work”. I had them adjust the length of the chain to just right and they dropped it right in with the fork lift, no problem. When I got to where I was going I set the chain to an appropriate length and hoisted it out with my engine hoist w/o a problem.
Over the memorial day weekend I went to one of the local Pick-N-Pull locations to pick up a few things as it was 50% off Fri-Mon. As I was leaving there was a guy putting a Subaru engine in the back of his Subaru wagon. Because it is a wagon he couldn’t use one of their gantry style hoists so it was sitting on one of their engine carts. A guy walking in helped him pick it up and slide it in no problem.
This wasn’t that easy, either…
I’m not really sure he carries engines back there; most likely not, but just his tools and such.
Does any nerd here know how much more the 1.9 TDI weighs than the 1.6 indirect-injected TD? People love to swap later engines from the Mk3 cars into the A1 and A2 chassis care, and aside from the weight difference (VR6 is a heavy engine), it makes sense. It’d be fun to stick a TDI in a car like this–lots of torque and lots of MPG from the unstressed nature of such a set-up.
I doubt there’s any/much weight difference as they’re essentially the same block/family of engines.
The thing about the TDIs is that they’re all electronic, including drive-by-wire. Which means one has to rig up an e-pedal and such. It can and is done, but it takes more doing.
The easy swap is a 1.9 non-TDI turbo diesel, an engine that was sold in Canada and can be sourced. Not quite as powerful as the TDI, but a very easy swap.
As far as I know, 1.9 TD engine (code AAZ) was sold in Canada for only one year, in the 1993 Passat (not Golfs or Jettas). I have one. Owner’s manual says 75 hp, 100 ft. lbs. However, engine was used in wide range of VW group vehicles in Europe. One shop in California imports used engines from Germany; they report 75 hp and 114 ft. lbs. torque.
Are you sure about that? From what I have read, it was used for longer than that up there, as I recall reading about it on the TDIclub forums – I recall it being used at least up through the mid-1990s and it was available in the Jetta as well. Here’s a post from a guy who bought a 1996 Jetta with one:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=329845
I drove my 1996 Passat TDI to work today. It’s full of 20 gallons-worth (if you vent the tank) of $2.14/gal diesel right now, courtesy of the Safeway fuel points discount. The headliner may be held up with straight pins and half the windows don’t work, but darn if it doesn’t still get me almost 50mpg, and it’s just getting broken in with 201K miles on it.
Interesting, looks like you’re correct. ’94 and up TDs seem to be rated at 90 hp. 1996 was apparently changeover to TDI for Passat, with Jetta still using TD. Read the TDI forum link, and also Wiki’s list of VW diesel engines, but still not that easy to determine which years a particular engine was used. Anyway, plan to keep mine for a long time, as I invested in engine rebuild and new turbo a few years ago. Like being able to drive from Calgary to Vancouver (>1000 km) on one tank, and have a bit of fuel left over.
The Scirocco is available today with TDi in Europe:
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/scirocco-gp/configure/engine/1868/1882
Diesel in a Scirocco? Why not? If it can handle the torque and compression, go for it! 🙂