Re: Hello all!

[drew <drew@dyermaker.cs.uoguelph.ca>]

As a fellow VW Diesel and VW Wolfsburg Scirocco driver, I have to
congratulate you on your choice of cars.  (BTW I came across my 84
Wolfsburg in much the same way - it had been sitting in a drive for 5
years).

I can offer a few tips for cheap performance improvements on your car,
especially if you have access to a variety of VW parts (sounds like your
Dad, like me, can't bear to "PART" with any of his VW's).

First off, as many on the list state, the best spot to start is an all-out
tuneup - cap, rotor, plugs (haven't used Quads, but the regular platinunms
or silvers work very well in my JH) fuel filter (you've already done the
air filter).  Techron fuel additive will help to clean the crap out of the
injectors and combustion chambers.  New injector seals will restore a
smooth idle and reduce lean-running (note that although often overlooked,
the o-ring on the air-shroud port often cracks or dries out and allows air
to leak past).

The best "cheap" performance mod is to replace the lawnmower-sized exhaust
stock manifold with a decent flowing one.  If you're planning a new
exhaust sytem, you may wish to do this in one step.  I would not make any
exhaust improvements (increased diameter, removing cat, full-flow muffler)
without replacing the manifold.  If funds are tight, you can replace the
current one with a dual port from an early gas/diesel (requires some
rigging of the downpipe/frontpipe, or a TT downpipe), or use the clip-on
style from a late 1.7L gas.  These manifolds use a crossover-style tri-y
as opposed to the restrictive 4-into-1 stock 1.8 manifold. (At least
Canadian models do).  You can use this manifold with your stock downpipe -
but you will have to use a torch or other means to cut about 1/2 - 3/4"
material off the front pipe that protrudes up inside the flange.  If your
donor car had an O2 sensor in the manifold, you're away (up here only the
JH had an O2 sensor).  If not, you can add one to the downpipe by welding
a fitting over a hole drilled in the pipe.  This is my current setup, and
flow is significantly better than stock - with very noticeable gains in
low-end and high end power.  Next year I plan to install a dual-port w/
techtonics down-pipe - but it just wasn't in the budget this year.

Another cheap mod is to remove the pre-heat jucntion from the intake
hose.  There's a thermostatic element that controls a door in there.  I've
hollowed mine out and capped the pre-heat side.  An alternative would be
to remove it entirely and plumb straight down to the airbox inlet under
the rad.

An A2 throttle body won't buy anything with a stock exhaust (some say it's
not much good without port matching or polishing the intake runners to the
head), but once you've upgraded your exhaust it is a fairly
straightforward swap, especially if you get the TB for free.  A dremel
tool or die grinder will help to port-match the TB to the intake, which is
a must.

Ditching the extra weight from the air conditioning will also improve
performance... :)

Buy a Bentley out of next semester's book budget - you'll thank
yourself...!   If you have a 01/84 or later production car, get the
Bentley that covers 85-93 Scirocco/Cab, as your car is basically like '85
production in most repsects.  The 80-84 RJS Bentley only covers pre 01/84
production Sciroccos.

Hope this info helps...

Drew

'84 Wolfsburg
'83 (Turbo)Diesel Jetta
'99 A3 Jetta TDI

On Sun, 24 Oct 1999, Lee Folkman wrote:

> Hey listers!
>    I never formally introduced myself.  I've been on the list for a month 
> but haven't had a chance to keep up 'cause of college... anyways, I'm from 
> Wisconsin, going to college in Michigan, I have an '84 Wolfsburg 8v, got it 
> in the end of July and i love it.  VW are nothing new to me though 
> considering every member of my immediate family has at least 2 or 3...my dad 
> has tons more that that (almost all parts cars though).  The car I had 
> before this one is an '82 Jetta Diesel w/over 225,000 miles(odometer just 
> quit working recently) and it still gets approx. 47 miles per gallon, most I 
> had calculated it at was 53 with a lot of highway driving.  I wasn't 
> planning on getting another car, but i got the scirocco for real cheap 
> 'cause the person selling it thought is was a piece of junk, since the 
> battery was dead, the tires were flat, and the engine looked a little 
> corroded.  Well, I had to get it, so i went over there and put a new battery 
> in and put tires on it, turned the key and it started right up on the first 
> try...only thing it need was a new muffler, and front springs.  Needs a 
> little body work, but not much, little surface rust.  What's the best way to 
> get rid of it so it doesn't come back, just sanding?  It's ran great since,  
> stranded me on the highway once because the belt broke since the A/C's 
> seized up a little(thinking about just taking it out), can't blame the car 
> for that one.  I'm planning on tweaking it up soon as I started getting some 
> cash flow.  The only mods I've done so far are putting a Jamex airfilter and 
> GTI springs on it.  I'm getting some new rear shocks for it as well, and 
> thinking that a bigger exhaust would be the next best thing.  What do you 
> think?  Anything else to make her run better?  Does anyone have any comments 
> on the Bosch Plantinum Quad Fire (something like that) spark plugs?  Might 
> get those, too.
> Thanks!
> 
> Lee Folkman
> '84 Wolfsburg Scirocco 8v
> '82 Jetta Diesel(225,000+ and can still get 50mpg)
> 
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Drew MacPherson, Network Analyst, University of Guelph

drew@dyermaker.cs.uoguelph.ca           |  visit the Massey-Harris page:
http://dyermaker.cs.uoguelph.ca/~drew   |  http://m-h.cs.uoguelph.ca


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