Scirocco Tuning

" Scirocco Tuning"

The  Scirocco had a production run from 1974 to 1992 with a face-lift in 1982. Sharing many of the engines of the Golf range it was sold to the young driver. Its sharp coupe looks and sparkling performance worked so well together. The Limited edition "Storm" with its white paint and soft top became a classic.

Ignore the 1.3 to 1.7 engines as these pale into insignificance compared to the 1.8 16 valve (the 8 valve actually seems to improve with age according to some of our members.) Sadly VW stopped production of this model as the recession slewed demand for hot hatches.

The great news though is that it is set to make a comeback. The original concept in 2006 was very well received and VW are going to repackage this car for the 21st Century. It is too early to speculate on tuning mods for the new  Scirocco (check our forum for updates) but we shall look at the tuning options for the original classic Scirocco

Improving the handling should be your first priority in your Scirocco tuning project. We would go to a maximum drop of 35mm on most models. You risk rubbing on the arches if you go lower than this.

Our aim in Scirocco engine tuning should be to increase peak power and Torque at the top end.

The best power gains come from larger engine sizes. The more you start with the bigger the return on investment so engine swaps are good value mods for small engined cars.

Volkswagen Scirocco Tuning modifications.

By raising peak power you maintain economy and reliability. A fast road cam will be one of the best power mod you can do mechanically to your engine. Don't forget to uprate the fuelling when you are increasing the power - it makes the car more thirsty. You can get a more snappy acceleration by fitting a fuel pressure boost valve. Uprated injectors will enable you to supply sufficient fuel to the engine. When increasing your fuelling you will also need to get a bigger fuel pump to supply it.

Volkswagen Scirocco Intake and Exhaust.

Breathing mods are usually next up. For small Scirocco engine sizes go with a washable panel air filter. On larger engines and turbo vehicles an induction kit will help increase power. Do not go with the biggest exhaust you can find - the best for power gains are usually between 1.5 to 2.5 inches.

A good fast road power clutch will help to keep that power going where it should. Never skimp or expect a standard clutch to cope. Turbo engines are just begging to be custom remapped.You will see big power gains on most turbo engined cars including diesels making a remap one of the most cost effective modifications.

The biggest power gains for NASP engines usually involve the addition of forced induction. Turbos are harder to add than supercharger. Turbos give boost in exponential proportion to increasing engine speed and this can make mapping difficult.

The nice steady boost to rpm characteristics of the supercharger make them easier to map. Adding forced induction will usually require a lower compression ratio or water injection.

Volkswagen Scirocco Wheel modifications.

The benefits of alloy wheels include a lower unsprung weight and more efficient brake cooling. It is worth noting that although they can look cool on the Scirocco Big alloy wheels will actually decrease your performance. The larger you go the lower you top speed will be due to the change in your effective final drive ratio. Although some people have gone larger we would stick to a 18 inch rim size as the maximum.

Please join us in our forum to discuss the Scirocco options in more detail with our Scirocco owners. It would also be worth reading our Scirocco tuning articles to get a full grasp of the pros and cons of each type of modification.