ITB question - help?

[Anviltester]

So ive been out of racing for a short while - started in itc w/ a dodge colt then to its w/ a rx7, off to american sedan w/ a front runner, then to dsr radical. life took over and i systematically sold them all. i have time and want to get back into racing so here is my question:

i have 2 1985 vw sciroccos w/ the 1.8L and the cis injection that i will build for myself and a client. are these cars (if built properly and leaving the driver out of it) front runner competitive in the class? i am taking all the "if's" out and just need a straight answer. if they are not, what is "the" car to own in ITB? my mechanic is a vw nut and seems to think that these will be competitive but as a past racer, what looks good on paper doesnt always translate to the track. I have a full cnc machine shop, the guys and equipment to build a top alms gt car if we wanted to but we are not wanting that. just a fun weekend racer to get back into it. can anyone help with a straight answer? also if the car will work, where to begin to start to find the parts (suspension, engine, etc) that are the go-fast units?

Michael

[Knestis]

Scirocco would be fighting an uphill battle, but could be OK with a real dedicated development program.

The MkIII Golf is a solid bet right now but I'm biased, I suppose. If you are planning on actually spending the $$ to do it right, I'd recommend you save yourself a lot of time and dough and buy Tristan Herbert's example that's listed in the classifieds here. It's very well developed and has the right parts, and couldn't be duplicated for 2x what he's asking for it.

K

[Anviltester]

i emailed him already. i need twins basically for the 2 cars. but thanks for your response. is there a reason why it will be uphill battle? is the lighter weight not a discernible advantage for the scirocco? does the 2.0 capable of that much more power?

[Ralf]

Might also consider replacement body panels and where you will get them from. One of the guys running an 87 Scirroco with me got his fender ripped off and has had a tough time finding a new one. Someone offered him a spare car for $1000, but that's pretty pricey for a fender. Yes, he'll have plenty of spares, but what if the same fender gets damaged again?

[StephenB]

simple answer... NO
Buy Dave Grans Honda if you want one of the fastest cars for ITB or if you want to be a Dub (VW guy ) then buy Tristans Brimtech Golf. You can't get a better deal than either of those and many think the Golf is "the" car for the class. (I do)

Stephen

[Knestis]

>> .... is there a reason why it will be uphill battle?

The CIS isn't as controllable as a more modern EFI system. Scirocco has smaller brakes. The biggest disadvantage though (in my opinion) is the 1.5 points of compression you'd give up to the MkIII.

I don't know that you can get a Scirocco II down to the ITCS ITB race weight but if you want a light car, it would be better to get one with suspension that really likes to go around corners (Civic) to maximize the advantage.

K

[R2 Racing]

Those Scirroco's are proving to be very capable Limited Prep H Production cars. Build both of them up for that, and instantly have cars that are capable of winning The Runoffs. VW even has a great contingency for national club racing.

Here's its HP classification:

Volkswagen Scirocco (8-valve) (83-88):
Prep Level - 2
Weight - 2065
Engine Type - 4 Cyl SOHC
Bore & Stroke - 81.0 x 86.4
Displacement - 1780cc
Valve Size - (I) 40.0mm & (E) 33.0mm

Fuel Management - Fuel injection
Wheelbase - 2401mm
Track F/R - 58.9" / 57.2"
Wheel Size (max) - 15" x 7"
Transmission Gears - 5
Brakes - (F) 239mm Disc & (R) 180mm Drum
Notes - Comp. Ratio limited to 12.0:1, Valve lift limited to .425”