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Original Owner 8 Valve: 1984 Volkswagen Scirocco

This 1984 Volkswagen Scirocco is listed by its original owner, of which there can be relatively few of these cars left still in the care of their first caretaker. Of course, this one hasn’t been run for a few years so it will have to be towed, but these weren’t exceptionally complex machines to begin with. The Scirocco has been in the California/Nevada area since new, so its body remains in excellent condition. This is a lower-spec 8V model and not the “hot” 16-valve that everybody wants, but it still seems like a survivor worthy of restoration. Find it here on craigslist in Reno for $2,400.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Pat L. for the find. The Scirocco is quite authentic, including its old-school California blue plates and original dealer plate frames from a VW shop in San Diego. The Scirocco is a hit-or-miss item on the collector car marketplace, with low mileage survivors with the 16V powerplant pulling very respectable money and everything else trailing behind. Still, the seller has priced his car fairly, even though it’s unlikely to appreciate all that much over the next few years. The Scirocco retains its U.S.-spec bumpers and headlights, and converting to the European-style components will improve its cosmetic appeal greatly.

I have conflicting emotions about the Scirocco – I owned a red 16V for a very short period, put way too much money into it, and discovered I didn’t enjoy driving it. They are racy cars and seemingly always want to rev higher, but that doesn’t mean it is fast by any means. Although the 16V accelerated respectably, the car didn’t sound all that exotic, and it really did feel fairly cheap inside. That said, they have a strong following, and they rarely come up for sale. This particular car wears plenty of sun-related scars, including faded paint on the bumpers and I suspect plenty of dried out trim, like on the rear hatch spoiler.

The sunroof is likely an aftermarket install, as these didn’t come with moonroofs. The seller reports that the crank operation works well; hopefully, it was a tidy installation and it hasn’t leaked into the headliner, as these cars had issues with blocked sunroof drains. The tires have just 5,000 miles on them, so he clearly intended to use it before being parked. The Scirocco is an oddball but also part of the rising class of 80s classics, but for the money, there are lots of choices for running, driving cars with more power and potentially rear wheel drive. Would you restored an eight valve Scirocco that looks clean but doesn’t run?

Comments

  1. Avatar nycbjr Member

    Not one interior photo!!

    Like 2
  2. Avatar alphasud Member

    No interior shots because it’s probably a shamble. Dashboards did not do well in these. I have a 16V Scirocco and the dash is horrible. These are really fun cars to drive and at the time they were as fast as a Porsche 924S. Typical VW reliability of the 80’s. As mentioned interior and trim did not old up but the power train was pretty durable unless flogged hard. As far as this one it would be a hard pass unless the interior would be nice. FYI vehicle specific parts are virtually impossible to find.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Robert Thomas

    I had an 8-valve Scirocco right after college and the highlight of ownership was using it once in a time trial at Lime Rock Park facilitated by the Poughkeepsie Sports Car Club. It wasn’t a really fast car but it was fun.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar Bluetec320 Member

    I had an 84 Wolfsburg in black over black. It was a fun, sporty car to drive, and I really liked it, but it really wasn’t fast at all. In fact, I really didn’t see much difference in performance over my 1.7 Rabbits, but it certainly handled MUCH better. The biggest selling point of the Wolfsburg, was the new “Space Aged” trip computer that was only available with that package. All cars now have a “trip computer”, but back then it was a big deal! As @alphasud said, the interiors were the weak point in most late 70’s and 80’s VW’s. I have owned water cooled VW’s with high mileage, and they seemed to become very needy after 200 – 250K miles and started to nickle and dime you to death. IMO, this one would make a good parts car, but not at that ask.

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Graham Line

    Have had both 8V and 16V Golfs and Jettas over the years. The 8V is much less work around town; the 16V needs to be wound a bit higher but it’s more fun when it has room to run.
    My ’89 Jetta Wolfsburg 16V had an odd stumble to it and sometimes launched poorly from a dead stop. My wife really disliked that. VW&Porsche magazine presented a complex fix for the stumble, but I never really got that solved before it was stolen and the wheels and tires and the complete interior disappeared. I don’t think the stumble carried over to the 2.0 16V.

    Like 1
    • Avatar alphasud Member

      I know the 89 Wolfsburg Ed. was a special blue but I didn’t think they were available in the GLI 16V. You sure it wasn’t the 1.8L 8V with Digifant? The 88 and 89 models with VW’s own efi were very troublesome. Lots of stumble from a idle and yes several repair modifications were done to correct. Several ecu updates and modifications to the idle stabilizer valve.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar t-bone BOB

    Located in Dayton, NV

    Like 1
  7. Avatar PRA4SNW

    gone.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar PRA4SNW

    gone.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Mike Hawke

    It was a no-brainer at the ask for someone with mechanical ability and who knows a decent upholstery guy. Can’t find these without rust or accident history at this price anymore. Those days are over.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Graham Line

    Off the subject of Sciroccos, but in 1989 the Wolfsburg GLI was available with the 1.8 liter 16V engine, BBS wheels with body-color centers, Recaro seats, and in the Helios Blue color. Don’t recall the number code.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar altsys1

    I’m looking for an ’81/’80 Scirocco if anyone has one for sale!

    Like 0

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