Any Scirocco fans?

[jyl]

what kind of oil will you use?

[island911]

LOL /\

I expect this thread will keep going without need for that

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jyl

what kind of oil will you use?

I'm thinking name brand 20w50, same as it ran since new. Non-synthetic. Did you see the picture of the cam? If that doesn't settle every oil discussion forever, nothing will. The important thing is to change it on time, mileage-wise. Time means nothing, IMO.

There was recently a thread here with a poster wondering if he needed to change the oil in his Toyota Corolla because it had been in the car a whole year while only being driven a couple of thousand miles during the pandemic. The correct answer, that I shouted, was ABSOLUTELY ****ING NOT!

Plenty of others disagreed. They had all kinds of weird theories about what happens to oil sitting in a crankcase, never brought up to proper temp, etc. It's all kind of a *does the refrigerator light really turn off when you close the door* discussion...no one knows and everyone feels fine guessing. I actually rebuild engines, (a lot of them), and have brought numerous cars and motorcycles back from long slumbers. It is possible for moisture to get into a sleeping engine under the wrong conditions but if it does, changing the oil ain't going to help.


This Scirocco last had its oil changed in 1995, ~500 miles ago. The car was driven very little in the next few years, (500 miles in 5 years guessing on the timeline), and then it sat until now. 20 years ago, the owner, now living 3k miles away, had his mother start the car occasionally to keep the battery from going dead. Talk about not reaching operating temperature, it probably only idled for 5 minutes every month or so. Then it sat for 16-18 years without being touched.

The oil that is in the car from 1995 is perfect and I could run it for 6k miles if I wanted to with no adverse result. If there was any condensation in the oil, (a non-issue), it would 100% show up on that cam shaft, which is the easiest rusting metal on earth. The moisture would affect the relatively dry top of the engine the most, if it existed. Nothing else happened to the oil in the crankcase, it's the same clean oil as when the car was parked. This is not a theory or a guess, I'm looking at the oil and the engine it's in.

I'm going to change it and the filter, of course, to start out fresh and put a German filter on it. Oil filters are the scary thing to leave in too long, they can deteriorate in some instances and the media can turn to toilet paper and travel through the engine. I've seen it happen on an old Mercedes where the owner took it to Jiffy Lube and they did not have the correct filter, so they only changed the oil. For years. Cost her an engine.

On a side note, I posted some photos of the owners manual last night and someone even responded, now I can't see them(?)

[speeder]

Last oil change:

[speeder]

Should I write, "2021" on the *next maintenance due* line?

Don't ask me why he took his turbocharged Scirocco to Ford for an oil change, must have had a coupon.

[maxnine11]

Speeder, you posted the pics of the manuals in Fred's fake OEM parts thread:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1096586-remember-my-thread-about-oe-timing-kits-e-bay-2.html#post11374855

[speeder]

Originally Posted by maxnine11

Speeder, you posted the pics of the manuals in Fred's fake OEM parts thread:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1096586-remember-my-thread-about-oe-timing-kits-e-bay-2.html#post11374855

Thanks, man. Weird mistake but mystery solved.

[thor66]

will you hotrod it?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by thor66

will you hotrod it?

Not sure I understand the question(?)

The car is already modified with a Calloway turbo and upgraded suspension, wheels and tires, sound system, etc. I do not plan on modifying it further, if that was the question. I'm just going to drive it a little and decide whether it's a keeper. It definitely scratches an itch I've had for 40 years.

[DonDavis]

Originally Posted by speeder

Not sure I understand the question(?)

Denis, I'll take this one.



In it's current state, it IS a hotrod.

Gawd, that car is just the bee knees. Most us us saw them new.

In 1978-ish, my Dad and I ( I was 13 ) were visiting our family in Northern-ish New Jersey in Dad's European spec 1967 Mercedes Benz 250S, 4 speed on the floor, manual everything.
While on the freeway we come alongside a new Scirocco. He and Dad exchanged nods and then had some spirited gear shifts. Just geardowns, passing swaps, and waves. It was the same color as Denis'.

Loved them ever since.

Can't wait to see this one cruising about.

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by speeder

I'm just going to drive it a little and decide whether it's a keeper. It definitely scratches an itch I've had for 40 years.

I've had that same itch as well- also for a Fiat 124 Spider. My gut feeling is the BaT value on that thing will be in the stratosphere for a few months, and likely the bubble will burst when the ether wears off. Personally, I'd sell it on the bubble.

[Jeff Alton]

Great purchase. If I saw it for sale I would buy it on the spot! Great find and very cool car.

Cheers

[speeder]

First time on the road in 21 years, it drove ok right off the bat. A couple of minor things to address but nothing serious. Turbo boosts up nicely and it runs great through the gears. Clutch releases a little high for my taste but that is easily adjusted. Seat belt retractor is sticky, stuff you would expect after a multi-decade slumber.

The car has modified suspension with Bilsteins and larger sway bars and mounts, it has a firm ride that borders on unpleasant on bumps. It's tight as can be, though, like the mileage would make you expect. Synchros are perfect, steering tight, etc. I'll try to get a video up soon when I get a co-pilot.

We need to figure out the A/C, compressor goes on quietly when jumped but fan switch doesn't work at this time. Might just be a fuse. I also need to figure out the component stereo...I can't even figure out how to turn it on.

All in all, just a joy. I can't get over how tiny it is....makes a modern Mini look like an SUV in comparison:

[speeder]

Put new brake lines on:


What came out of the old fuel filter, I expect I'll be changing this a couple more times:

[Heel n Toe]

What's the wheel diameter? Those look like they might be from the +1 era. Remember +1?

I think you mentioned it has old tires on it. Take a look at comparison tests of the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp 2 A/S Plus when you're ready to replace them. Got some for my car about a year and a half ago on my indie mechanic's recommendation (they're basically Michelin construction) and they're great. A beefy looking tire from all angles, too. I put the stock size on my car (it had some Yoko Advan tire on it) and the BFG has a much larger contact patch.

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/bfgoodrich-g-force-comp-2-a-s-plus

EDIT: Looks like Plus 1 and 2 is still a thing. I was thinking of when it was a new thing back in the days when your Scirocco was born... and before.



The shorter sidewall and older, harder tires are probably contributing to the stiffer/harsher ride you mentioned.

[speeder]

The car has 4 brand new tires on it, I could not have driven it on the old tires. They had 100% tread but were from 1994 and dry cracked. Completely unsafe. The old tires were BF Goodrich, new ones are Yokohama Advans that are rated pretty highly.

The stock rims were 13" with skinny tires, the ones on the car are 15" with 195/50 tires. Along with the stiffer suspension, it rides nothing like it did when new. It's also slightly lowered. The performance is undoubtedly improved but there is some charm to the stock ride and light steering that is lost on this one. It's still fun, though. Just getting to know it after one day on the road.

[speeder]

Put these on before it went one foot on its own:

[Steve Carlton]

What happens with old shocks? Would it be worth it to replace them?

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

What happens with old shocks? Would it be worth it to replace them?

The same thing that happened to all of the other parts after basically sitting on a climate controlled shelf for 25 years…absolutely nothing. They are Bilsteins and perform as they should, which is really firm for these particular shocks. It might be worth it for someone to change them out in the future but I’m already getting done with working on this car. It’s July 1st and life beckons.

I did get the A/C working and recharged today.

[Heel n Toe]

Wow... had no idea the stock wheels were 13" and thought they'd be 14". The proportion and size of the wheel/tire in the wheel well looked off for sure.

Those new tires look like they're "Summer High Performance" and ready for fun times... and in SoCal weather those are appropriate year round... those BFGs are a compromise because our weather is different. Enjoy that rocket!