A Hot Dusty Wind from 1981

SCIROCCO!

It's been a long day and SWMBO suggested I have a couple beers to slow myself down after I got home. I was a *little* excited. I think this will be more pictures than words for now, but we'll see how it flows....

Over two weeks ago I was thinking about $2019. After realizing that the $2,750 for 3 Porsche 914s https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/d/porsches/6697716538.html would get me into trouble, I saw another ad by the same seller for a 1981 VW Scirocco:

Life was too busy. I didn't call. I didn't call, but I checked on the ad every day. Yup, it's still there.... Eventually, I told a couple co-workers about it. They said, -"Cool, you should do it." I didn't call. I checked on the ad every day, a couple times. Another week passed. I told my wife. She said, -"Go ahead, we can call her 'Sriracha.'"   ..? Oh, yes, lets call it that... (I hope not, but if it makes her happy, I can do that.) I checked the ad; still there. I called.

Finally a day off and I have to got to Tulsa for my annual flight physical. I can see the car after. Driving to Tulsa there is a crashed airplane beside the road. Surreal. Nobody is there. I slow down, then see the crime scene tape around it. I drive on to go to the physical, no time to check it out. https://ktul.com/news/local/plane-crashes-east-of-wagoner

I saw the doctor and got my FAA medical certificate to fly for another year, then had lunch with my son before going to see the Scirocco. It was north of Tulsa at a junk yard that had closed and was being cleared out before the real estate was sold. I would have loved to have a whole day to wander and check it out.

The seller, Ken, was friendly and engaging. He was also firm on the price. For a moment we wandered over to the three 914s and I imagined how they would look in my yard and probably not meet a $2019 budget as a complete single car. Scirocco $750 it is. We shook hands and I explained that I'd have to go back home (hour and a half each way) for a trailer - I didn't want to have it when I was parking in the city.

Almost four hours later I was back. Ken adeptly loaded the car onto my trailer with his forklift (I need one of those) and we exchanged title for cash. Loaded and ready for the road. Then, luckily I noticed the hood wasn't latched and fixed it before I got on the highway.

"Prepped for painting"

Home too late to really do anything. I don't know what I've bought yet. Tomorrow, tomorrow...

In reply to AAZCD :

Awesome!

We used to have one of these, same year & color. Yours is beyond the "touch up" phase, but Duplicolor T183W is an exact match for that silver.

Dude, I  love your threads! 

So will it be 1.8t motivation?

I dig it, in for more updates

So much want. I miss mine.

yupididit said:

Dude, I  love your threads! 

I’d have to agree. 

Also love your threads and I love that Porsche yard parking arrangement (I mean that with sincerity and no offense, they look so nice staggered like that. Plus anyone who has 4 Porsche's they park outside has my interest).

This is going to be good, and from what I've seen so far that looks to be a really clean scirocco! Love me some watercooled VW stuff so I'm in.

I’d scrap my mk2 for an s1 Rocco in a hurry.

Up here in eastern Canada they disintegrated due to rust.

84FSP said:

So will it be 1.8t motivation?

I think so. Wishing I didn't sell the one I had, but they are easy to source and cheap. In my yard/garage/shed/driveway there's an Audi 4.2 V8 (ABZ), VW 2.0 (AEG), Audi 2.0T FSI, Honda D15, Porsche 2.5, and VW 2.8 30 Valve. Of course, what I need is the ONE I sold. The ABZ would make for a fun car, but I really think that for practicality and budget I need to stick with a transverse 4. Before any of that, I'm going to see what's in it and try to make it work.

The pouring rain just stopped and I went out for a peek under the hood. 1970s German over-engineered fuel injection with some cut wires and a spare 'Jetronic' ECU in the back. Overall it looks original and complete, but not powerful. I know nothing about this VW generation. The Bentley has been ordered...

Thanks for all the positive comments.

This is going to be fun, but it's not going to happen quickly. A stop and go project as I get time and develop inspiration. I think that my first priority is going to be prepping, priming, and sealing the exterior before the colder weather sets in. My wife hurt me this morning (after serving me breakfast in bed) by saying, "It looks like a rusty old Pinto." Ouch... but still, Pintos are cool in their way. Anyway, First stop: uniform coat of Primer.  Primum non nocere,  this car is an uncut gem and I need to carefully consider my plans and not make hasty moves that will compromise it's potential.

Advice and guidance is welcome.

Don't leave it in primer too long, it absorbs moisture. Even if it's just "hit it with a coat of whatever", that's better than bare primer.

I almost bought one for my first car. Fun car, but dad didn't trust the germans. Got a 70 duster instead. 

Subbed for the $2019 build

AAZCD said:

  Primum non nocere

Thanks for elevating the discourse, and making me go look that up

I haven't done challenge yet... but I wonder if converting it to MegaSquirt to start is an idea... dunno if that'll ease the 1.8T swap in the future... but probably better than fooling around with old jetronic stuff?

The old techs called the CIS injection "black magic".  When it's working, its great!  Now, when it has issues, it can make you wish for death.  That's the reason I converted my old Audi 10v turbo engine to EFI on megasquirt.  This looks like a fun project.  Hope things go smoothly for you.

I’m in for the MK1 fun too!

I was told the same thing about the CIS when I bought my 84 Rabbit- “If it’s working don’t touch it!”.

A 1981 should have the 1.7l engine in it. Not terribly inspiring, but easy to work on. I bet if you put a battery in you'll have it running in no time. The CIS is pretty simple except for the fuel distributor inner workings. Basically with the key on and a running fuel pump if you pull up on the air-metering plate fuel should squirt out of the injectors.

I've owned three S2 Sciroccos and am always on the hunt for another but these things have really increased in value (as have all early watercooled VW's). I used to buy Sciroccos for like $900 but it seems those days are largely over. 

It was a rainy day. I didn't do anything to the Scirocco today.

It's still on the trailer and I need a place to put it. Another project is in the garage. This is going to go behind the garage where my Audi A4 sat as I scrapped it.

Loading the A4 for scrap (video): https://youtu.be/5M8Z2C1Rf2E

I hauled the car away in April, but about 700lbs of it has still been sitting there. I'm just not sure what to do with it. Today I disassembled the 3 main pieces (front sub-frame, engine, and transmission) and dragged them away with a dolly to clear room for the Scirocco.

There's an old Harbor Freight tube-frame shelter (broken and rebuilt) that I can wrap with plastic for a Stampie-style paint booth ( https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/team-stampie-50-q45-challenge-build/116724/page21/ ). It's right at the back door of my garage, so I have compressed air, tools, and a beer fridge right there. It only has line-of-sight for one neighbor and they have never complained.

Trailer unloaded, Scirocco parked.

With some space cleared in my scrap pile, I laid down a fresh tarp floor.

Future plans are to pour concrete and extend the garage. Not today. I will use some plywood or patio blocks for now if I need a solid base.

It rolled off the trailer fairly well. I'll center it up later after I get the driver's side primed and sealed.

Next week, I'll haul off a ton of scrap on the trailer to tidy things up a bit better.

I love the term "fresh tarp floor". Looks like a solid place to put the car. 

Thread needs more Mexican Radio

Nice!  I have always loved these cars, all the awesomeness of the Mk1 Golf with a sexier body wrapped around it.

Also, I have personal experience with inspiration for the name.  I spent 2 years in Sicily in the late 80's.  When the Sirocco is blowing you know it!!  It's no joke, feels like standing in front of a forced furnace!!   

Epoxy primer will save you moisture problems later on.

Thinking about paint. I'm pretty sure that paint matters for the budget of the $2019 Challenge and I think this is going to be a $2019 car. I don't want to Berkley the car with a E36 M3 paint job, but sixteen one dollar bills makes $16.

I have old paint; stuff still in the can when a job was done and a couple full cans that I planned to use, then didn't. Receipts are long gone. An unopened gallon of Anthracite Gray that has sat since about 2013 might work nicely. I need to figure out how that effects the budget. Preventing/stopping corrosion and surfacing the car is more important to me than a shiny metallic coat, so a good 2K primer may be a better investment than a finish coat. What do the rules say about old paint: FMV? Original cost? Found it by the roadside and it's free? Integrity matters, so I want to sort out the gray areas before I paint them.

The other thought is to just go with tractor and implement primer and paint from Atwoods or Tractor Supply. It is a little slow to dry and has orange-peeled a little when I tried it in the past, but with a hardener and some patience it can make a very nice, inexpensive, and durable finish.

I'm going to have to read the rules and FAQ a few more times....

EDIT: I think this clears up my question about old paint: