Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,784
Club RR Member Number: 34
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i also don't believe those weights. a lada weighs more than 875kg from the factory, and is significantly smaller and less equipped than a 'rocco.
a passat isnt a huge barge, its a mk2/3 golf platform (and engines) with about 8" added to the wheelbase, which improves its handling quite a bit.
1.9td is also the heaviest engine vw did of that period. a 1.6 is a lot smaller/lighter, although underpowered i think. id rahter have the extra weight and power of the 1.9. b3 passat has a much better suspension design (vw redesigned the setup on the scirrocco, and what they produced was the setup on the passat). b3s handle really well, especially when low. a lot of that is down to the longer wheelbase/wider track though.
b3/b4 passats really do make excellent all rounders/daily drivers. given their mix of affordability, handling, load lugging space, parts availability, availability of cheap upgrades (wheels, coilovers, etc.) reliability, fuel economy and lack of real rust issues, i think most cars of that age or even newer would struggle to beat them.
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speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member
"Nice Cortina mate"
Posts: 2,296
Club RR Member Number: 118
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I'd go with option 1 for the reasons listed earlier. Pocket the cash and get your head down for 2 or 3 months. Then you'll find yourself with a bit of cash and the enthusiasm to get stuck into something new. At this point, sell the passat and get something fun.
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Scrocco option for me. Great looking car.
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'03 Porsche 996 C2 3.6 - Sort of Retro
'84 Porsche 924 - Definitely Retro!
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Thanks for the opinions everyone! Sciroccos really are around the 900kg mark (depending on spec) the book figure for mine's 890kg, and I'd believe that personally. Having owned both back to back, with the same engine, the Passat's handling's good for a car it's size/type, but the Scirocco's in a different league in the twistys, both in terms of driver feedback and performance. 400kg's is one hell of a lot of weight to loose, not to mention how low slung and stiff shelled Sciroccos are. The suspension's slightly better designed on the Passat, but the improvements are very marginal from a performance point of view, it's mostly just beefed up for the extra weight, and tweaked to work with power steering better. Plus what improvements there are can be replicated easily on the Scirocco anyway. Also when I say a 'Fun' car I don't just mean a car that's fun to drive, I mean a car that's fun to own. I miss the looks the Scirocco got, the comments at petrol stations, never seeing another on the road (ok you don't see many B3's, but you see hundreds of later Passats), and the reaction when you tell people what you drive. It's the whole experience of owning a retro, while the Passat's just transport in my eyes. Damn good transport, but it's not a car for enjoyment, it's a car for going from a to b. Having slept on it (again) I'm decided that option 3 isn't really an option. If I decide to go with the idea of something more fun, then I really can't think of anything that would suit me more than the Scirocco, and I'd be kicking my self to let it go. Plus there's the fact it's a known entity, so I can rely on it (with the current issues fixed). If only the Passat wasn't such a Damn good car, then this choice would be easy! I really couldn't ask for more from the type of car it is. So far this thread seems to go either way, hmm... another forum seems to be siding with the Scirocco (not a model specific forum either.) I'm really not sure still. Part of my reasoning for wanting something fun is that ok, having the Passat as my only car would in theory make me more keen to get the Mini done, as I'll miss having a car that's anything more than just transport, but then it also removes me from having contact with a fun car regularly to remind me why I want the mini done. Sometimes isolation from something's far from the best way to make you want it more! I know what I want to do, but I'm still undecided if it's really what I should do.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 3, 2012 20:07:20 GMT by RobinJI
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i almost always agonise over something and then make the wrong decision anyway so my advice is useless but i would say
you SHOULD do what you WANT to do
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PHUQ
Part of things
Posts: 861
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You've got me stumped on that one too- not much help I know.
The Marina is now off the road awaiting engine swap and various other TLC and we're just left with her indoors' Mk2.5 MX5. I'm very much missing the usefulness of the old shed ('tho this is a bit of an extreme case) and on that basis I'd say keep the estate.
However, instead of buying a dull estate to use while the Marina is sorted I've got something wholly illogical lined up that I know won't be sold when the Marina is done... So to make me feel better about this, and because logic is somewhat overrated as a concept anyway, I say keep the Scirocco!
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Option 1 was my take. Then I saw the Passat, and it's cooler than I thought, so it's definitely option 1 for me now.
That always leaves you open for option 3 late if you wish.
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Option 2 doesn't work. You'll end up walking or pressing the Mini into daily service. And you can't be a car enthusiast without driving a car.
Option 4 could be jam the Scirroco into one of those caravan storage space that appear in the small ads, but ask yourself is it even realistic to keep it. Winter storage gives you time to weigh that up.
Option 5. Daily the Mini. Why not?
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Option 5. Daily the Mini. Why not? 'cos, erm, this is why not:    I'm really beginning to think keep the Passat for now but find some storage for the Scirocco for later on. It's basically what I've done. Not the cheapest of solutions though. |
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Thanks for more opinions guys. To clear things up a little, my Mini is a long way off completion. As in 18 months at best, and a lot more cash than I could free up with car changing at the moment. Plus when it's done it'll be a pure bred racing-car, dailying it won't be a very viable option with 2 seats, no boot, 65mm of ground clearance under the entire floor, fibreglass doors, plastic windows and my head at about the same height as a range-rovers bumper.  It'd be great fun until it got broken into or beached in a carpark, or I wore out a pair of the rear tyre's which are only available in track compounds at ~£120 each. So yeah, basically the Mini doesn't really come into the decision other than what's going to motivate me most. Fixing the Scirocco would take less than a week, and cost less than ~£500 even if I fixed stuff I didn't have to, I'm confident of that, because I know where I can do it (full workshop with all the kit I could ask for and 4 post ramps) and I know how long it'll take to do, as it's all stuff I've done to that car before, it's currently on it's 3rd engine in my ownership! So if I decide that's the option to take, there's no problems getting it done, and it will be done quickly. I'm still torn though I think I'm going to have to think about this a little longer, but any opinions/arguments either way are more than welcome! Edit: Haha, thanks James, yeah, that pretty much sums up why I can't daily the Mini! It's a hell of a lot of work away from being drivable, and even when done it'll be a pain to drive on public roads! I see where you're coming from, the trouble is storing the Scirocco will cost money, and that's something I can't really do, the other 2 options actually free up a few hundred pounds, which is a big bonus. The way I'm working at the moment means money's coming in fits and spurts, so although I'm not broke as such, I need to keep my fixed monthly outgoings absolutely minimal, because there's always the chance of the odd month where I only just scrape by. Keeping the Scirocco in storage until I can afford it as a 2nd car has always been the plan, but with free storage going away, and my cash flow getting less steady it's becoming a bit of an issue.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 4, 2012 20:10:37 GMT by RobinJI
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rob0r
East of England
Posts: 2,743
Club RR Member Number: 104
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Passat for me, I still miss my B4 1.9TD wagon and it was no where near as cool as yours.
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E30 320i 3.5 - E23 730 - E3 3.0si - E21 316 M42 - E32 750i
ETC
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Oct 23, 2012 18:33:39 GMT
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Well a decision's been made, and after an awesome weekend of playing with cars I've decided I can't be doing without a fun car any longer, so I'll be selling the Passat and sorting the Scirocco out.
Now the question is, what engine will go in the Scirocco? At the moment I'm swaying towards saying 'sod it' and doing things properly by treating it to 1.8 20vt conversion, full poly-bush's and a new set of wheels. Should be fun if I can manage it time wise.
PS, anyone who's interested in the Passat, fire me a PM, I'll be sticking it up for sale for £900ono, but it won't be available for a few weeks as I need it until the Scirocco's sorted. Those of you who know me are well aware that it's probably the cleanest B3 you'll find, with arguably the most desirable engine. There's 1 or 2 very small faults, but all in all it's a bloody good car in very good condition. (Includes the coilovers/BBS, the towing hitch and a car-specific roof rack.)
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Last Edit: Oct 23, 2012 18:38:19 GMT by RobinJI
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speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member
"Nice Cortina mate"
Posts: 2,296
Club RR Member Number: 118
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Oct 24, 2012 14:27:01 GMT
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I'm glad you went for the fun car, even if I advised you the other way  I think for maximum fun you should possibly fit the 20vt, unless there's something marginally better you could fit? |
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EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,932
Club RR Member Number: 108
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Oct 24, 2012 15:28:26 GMT
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It'd be great fun until it got broken into or beached in a carpark, or I wore out a pair of the rear tyre's which are only available in track compounds at ~£120 each. So yeah, basically the Mini doesn't really come into the decision other than what's going to motivate me most.
I think for maximum fun you should possibly fit the 20vt, unless there's something marginally better you could fit?
