Faults:

Split CV boot.

Corroded brake line.

Worn top suspension mounts.

Hole in edge of driver's seat (Performance VW trait)

General Comments:

I bought this car just before Christmas for £150 without any Tax or MOT, but it was in fairly good condition for the age despite minimal maintenance with the previous owners. This is obviously a testament to the original build quality of the vehicle. The work to get through the MOT cost less than £30, and was fiddly rather than difficult.

Lack of rear space is of no concern, because the charm of the Scirocco is from the driver's seat. I drive the car, I am not driven around in it.

The performance is on a par with my friend's Modified MkII Golf GTi, but the handling is, even in standard form, FAR superior.

Running costs so far have been minuscule, with general fuel economy being better than that of my previous car, a 1.0i Polo.

I will not sell this car in a hurry!

Faults:

I have had very few problems with my Scirocco. The fuel tank was leaking when it was above 1/2 full. After some haggling and running around, I got a dealer to replace the whole tank for free under a recall. The hardest part was finding a dealer that was willing to do it. I offered one guy some money under the table, and then once the keys were in my hands, asked him what kind of fruit basket he wanted. VW of America informed me that these dealers are under contract to do these types of jobs.

Currently I think I need a new ignition switch, new relay for the rear wiper and maybe a better ground cable for the battery.

The mods that I have installed include the following :

4 to 2 exhaust manifold from an MK1 Rocco.

Tech Tonics dual down pipe, catback 2 inch exhuast, & DynoFlow muffler.

14 inch GTI *snowflake* wheels (stock was 13in.)

Euro headlights (so much brighter)

Momo steering wheel and hub.

Kamei golf ball shift knob.

Just got a new suspension too, but went the more economical route. I put KYB gas shocks and left the original stock springs.

General Comments:

I love this car.

It drives like a dream and is perfect for NYC. Parking is easy to find and it doesn't look too attractive to a thief. I gotta get a low temp fan switch because it gets hot in stop & go traffic during the steamy Summertime jams.

The body is pretty clean too with just a couple of minor rust spots.

Faults:

Purchased with broken clutch - turned out to be clutch cable fouling as well.

Wheel bearings all needed replacing.

Fuel filler neck totally corroded, filling tank with rust particles and causing fuel pump failure.

Front suspension assembly corroded and out of alignment.

Engine mounts worn out and replaced.

Leaking oil from gearbox due to cheap clutch repair.

Gear linkage failure combined with oil leak (above) necessitating gearbox rebuild.

Passenger side front constant velocity joint failed.

Rear shocks and suspension mounts worn out and replaced.

Water gets into cockpit - don't know where from.

General Comments:

Despite low body, plenty of room for tall drivers.

Fast and economical.

Comfortable driving position.

Looks great!

Faults:

Replaced:

- alternator

- distributor

- starter

- spark plug wires

- various hoses

- drive flange (out of differential)

- fuel pump

- front struts

- tires

- valve cover gasket

- timing belt

- other small things.

Good maintenance is absolutely key to longevity, no matter what one drives.

When I bought this car, maintenance was terribly neglected, hence the large initial investment in repairs.

General Comments:

This car is 15 years old and still outperforms many sports cars of today (ie. Honda).

The car is easy to work on as the engine bay is not cluttered or crammed.

Gas mileage is between 6 and 7 l/100km on the highway (even at 140 to 150 km/h!!) and about 8 l/100km in the city!

It is still easy to find factory parts or good German OEM parts.

My engine has 200,000 km on it and the compression reads 175 ± 5 psi on all cylinders. New engine spec for this is 145-189 psi according to Bentley!