Driving the dream?

[MK21800]

I did experience the same thing when my Rocco was off the road recently and I was driving a MK4 Golf - when I got back in the Rocco it felt a bit heavy etc. - but now after driving the Rocco, the Golf feels weird. Just a matter of getting used to whatever car you're driving.

Anyway, the steering will keep you fit

[whiteshark]

Scirocco = go cart! I always put 256 brakes on the front, discs on back, update the suspension, either konis with eibach springs or coilovers, steel braided hoses, Webber on the carb models and poly bush the engine mounts so that the four branch doesn't crack, then I'm good to go. I not a giant person so a Rocco is a perfect fit. SUV,s should be restricted to people who live on a farm and maybe need that type of transport for access. I also have a Volvo V40s, a Mk3 2.0l Golf but if I did not take the kids to school in the Rocco there are tears! I love the unpredictable torque steer in the 16v and love turning into a corner at high speed and being able to control it better without the power steering. If you enjoy driving then a Rocco is an easy choice. I have no problem with people that keep it original or like polishing, I enjoy mine for the engineering and the driving experience. I have a lot of friends with Porsches that get very offended when I choose my car over theirs for the driving experience.

[stormchaser]

I've come to this thread late, but thought I'd add my own thoughts. I'm lucky to own 2 storms - a mk2 Scirocco and a Corrado. They feel very different cars, the older being the back lane hero and the latter a consummate mile muncher. The 3 biggest differences are the power steering, brakes and sound deadening. I love both dearly as they offer unique and different driving experiences.

Personally I think there is a missing link which combines the best of both - a lhd 16v Scirocco with power steering. I can say this with some confidence as I've also got a mk1 classicline golf cabby. Being lhd this has better brake feel and also has power steering. As a result it drives like a much more modern car in town whilst still being loud and fun on the lanes. I know power steering is not to everyone's taste, but I've always found vw's hydraulic system to be one of the best. Great feel and not overly light at all.

I think we all have a 'one that got away' car in our history and mine was such a 16v scirocco from a guy in Germany, which also had aircon. Bought a house instead and have always wondered what if. I just think it's a shame that VW stopped developing the rhd A1 based cars around 1986, as some of the refinements our continental cousins got after then would have enhanced the refinement and offered a less raw experience. BUT, any of the above are a much better daily driver than anything you can buy new today!

[Mr Funk]

BUT, any of the above are a much better daily driver than anything you can buy new today!

I love the cars but I'd never want to drive one every day.

I drive a modern car as a daily and it's bloody great - Quick, reliable, decent stereo, handles incredibly and 4wd. Wife has a diesel and that's a corker - built like a tank and incredibly fuel efficient.

The driving experience may be more fun but that certainly doesn't mean they're "better" cars. Plus, I see my classic as a bit of a toy, a treat.
Maybe it's the work/life split. Can be serious and business like in the audi/polo and whizz around all weekend with a grin on my face in Yoda.

[MK21800]

I like 'em because of the way the sunroof leaks slightly and rattles above 20mph.

Tell me you get that kind of driving experience in a modern car. You can't can you. Cos you don't.

S'all about the sunroof. No I haven't fixed mine yet.

[Mr Funk]

Yeah, I'll grant you that.
The random rattles and the chance to play fuel roulette are sadly missing from my daily.
sprayed a load of bits with a rattle can Sunday and it's seven shades of the same colour, can park it Anywhere next to the 4x4s with zero fecks given.
Certainly not saying it isn't more of an adventure driving it, I love it. But I couldn't do it every day, got too many other things to sort

[stormchaser]

I admit my spectacles were made in the late 80's and have a tint of finest rose, my commute is less than 10 miles and I have secure parking when I get there. All reasons why it works for me but can't for others. Mind you the concept of appreciation rather than depreciation whilst using a car is pretty cool, the k-jet keeps things smooth in town and I still get a combined mpg of 30. Cheap but fun motoring!

[hiltow]

It's funny how this thread that I started has come back, as I was thinking of adding something to it.

At the weekend, I took the Scirocco out for the first time in a few weeks, but was in a bit of rush to get to my destination. I wasn't speeding, but I gave the car a bit of mild stick for a change; driving with a purpose let's say......and what a difference - I actually enjoyed it that time!

The car felt better, and I was too busy concentrating on the driving to be bothered about feeling vulnerable mingling with todays oversized vehicle fleet! What had felt primitive a few weeks ago felt somehow better - let's hope it lasts!

Personally I think there is a missing link which combines the best of both - a lhd 16v Scirocco with power steering.

That's a good point. I could see VW not wanting to put the 16v engine in the Scirocco at the same time as selling the Mk2 Golf GTi 16v so as not to dilute GTi sales, but the decision not to have a 16v car in the UK line-up after '86 but in most other markets was bizarre. We only ever received 10 LHD 16v Scirocco's in the UK - I'd love to know why thatwas.

Perhaps the GT/GTII models all should have been 1.8 injection 8v engines, with the more highly-specced 16v model sitting above it, perhaps in Scala trim? This is really a discussion for another post, but worth thinking about.

[MK21800]

Yeah I'm not sure I enjoy them in traffic jams and so forth. Best on the open road, these cars.

Seems nowadays most people get the privilege of buying an ugly looking bread loaf on wheels for 40 grand that they get to drive at 3 mph while pressing the clutch in and out about 200 times to get half a mile up the road. What a bargain, eh? Maybe more people shoot for automatics for this reason? Maybe these big hummers are just comfortable in traffic jams, hence why people buy them? Seems that everywhere is a traffic jam nowadays. You have three rush hours, then you have two more rush hours with the school runs, another rush hour of people leaving work early, another rush hour with people leaving work late, another rush hour with traffic held up with roadworks etc. etc.

But yeah, below about 15 mph for stop/start driving the Scirocco isn't exactly in its element. I used to own one of those SEAT Toledo SXE's years ago when I was working in an office that I got cheap, with power sterering, air con, etc. - that one was much more comfortable in traffic jams. Like a sofa that you could steer with your little finger.

If I come up to a traffic jam in the Rocco, I get annoyed pretty quickly.

The main thing I enjoy about the Rocco is the "mechanical" feel - as I guess is the case with a lot of old cars, you feel directly in touch with whatever it is that you do.

Oh another point, which isn't so much rocco related, but does apply to it, to do with the K Jet injection - they start within about 0.2 of a second because of the held pressure in there. I always thought that was great.

Glad you enjoyed it more this time!

[MK21800]

Yeah, I'll grant you that.
The random rattles and the chance to play fuel roulette are sadly missing from my daily.
sprayed a load of bits with a rattle can Sunday and it's seven shades of the same colour, can park it Anywhere next to the 4x4s with zero fecks given

[mark1gls]

I use my Mk1 Golf as a daily but I'm lucky not to have much traffic to contend with on the 25 mile commute into work, the clutch does get heavy if stuck in a lot of traffic for some time so I would not want to drive through a city every morning but saying that I did used to commute around London in the Mk1 Scirocco back in the late 90's when I lived there for 5 years.

This is the sort of roads I now drive along as I took this picture during this morning commute to work, Scirocco taking up daily duties at the moment

[the edmundator]

I'm using my GTX daily at the moment, since it's drawn the short straw and is living on the road. I never feel intimidated by other traffic, but I do enjoy every journey in a way that I don't in the boring mk2 Jazz or the much faster and more refined 2016 A4 avant family wagon. The mk2.5 MX-5 is the only car that I've similarly enjoyed.