 OZ has made a name for itself...  OZ has made a name for itself in the racing industry as a force to be reckoned with. With the release of its new super-light Superleggera (offered in an awesome gunmetal finish), there was no hesitation when it came time to order wheels. Toyos T1-S tread pattern and high-grip compound has proved itself time and time again as the only tire used in the Speed GT series, so when I needed to install a high-performance tire, I immediately knew which tires I was going to use. |
 Costly, but good
really...  Costly, but good
really good. The ride is fairly harsh in contrast to what was on the car; what was on the car were 17-year-old blown dampers, and what is on the car now are track-developed H&R coilovers. Installation was extremely straightforward, and although the car pushes slightly now, adjusting the spring heights will eliminate most of that. Dont let the $1,750 asking price scare youthe coilovers are worth it. If you dont have the cash, I recommend stepping down to H&Rs less costly sport or race packages. |
 The Autotech lightweight sway...  The Autotech lightweight sway bars weigh a fraction of solid bars, so they were ideal for use here, where weight was a major concern. Autotech claims its 25mm hollow bar is 32 percent stiffer than a conventional 22mm bar, yet weighs 31 percent less. The clearance between the axle boot and the front bar bracket is a close fit, but it does fit without rubbing. The rear bar attaches to the base of the rear shocks via a trick polyurethane mount that comes as part of the kit. If your car doesnt come equipped with factory sway bars, Autotech also offers complete retrofit kits. |
 Guess which axle is old and...  Guess which axle is old and which is new. The gaping hole on the left axle is where the CV and boot once resided. The car has made clicking noises ever since I purchased it, and it was only a matter of time before the CVs would have given out. Renner Motorsport installed a set of rebuilt axles with CVs and new boots while I was having the coilovers installed. Doubling up work usually results in a lower labor cost when compared to spreading out the work over many visits. |
 Installing the struts can...  Installing the struts can be done at home if you have an impact wrench and a spring compressor. Installing the axles is probably a job left to professionals. Although it isnt that difficult, without a lift youll probably cut every finger on your handand if you install the axles incorrectly, youll be in a world of hurt. |
 Savas Tires and Wheels mounted...  Savas Tires and Wheels mounted and balanced the wheels and tires, as well as finished the install with a professional alignment job. Unfortunately, running 16x7 OZ wheels, 205/45-16 Toyo tires, and H&R 8mm spacers results in the front tires sitting out of the fenders. To eliminate rubbing during bumps or hard cornering, Savas temporarily set the front camber to negative 2.5 degrees. |
If you just paid attention to the weight count of this buildup, it would seem like Im not building a sporty car. Before you crucify me, however, consider what Ive accomplished with a mere 20-pound gain since the first installment of this project. Ive not only picked up 11 hp to the wheels and made the engine reliable, but this month Ive added quite likely the best Scirocco suspension possible and doubled that with some of the cleanest-looking wheels on the market.
After the weight issue is put to rest, the next topic of discussion on the Web will undoubtedly be what I spent this month on a car that cost a measly $500. It should first be noted that the Sciroccos private-party Blue Book value is nearly twice what I paid for it
not that that makes spending over four grand on the suspension any better. Im just trying to justify the cost for my own sanity. What the $4,300 bought me was quite possibly the best-handling Scirocco ever. At the limits of the sticky Toyo T1-S tires, there is only minimal body roll. The car does suffer from slight understeer with its present setup, but that can easily be corrected by adjusting the coilovers at a later date. I was going to corner-weight the car for this installment, but I have plans to strip the interior fairly soon (to lose some of the weight thats slowing me down), and that would offset the balance of the car, thus making corner-weighting now a complete waste of time.
Another problem is that the wheels and tires are so wide that in order to fit the tires into the fender with an acceptable level of coilover body clearance and with no rubbing during compression, the front wheels have to be set to 2.5-degrees negative camber. Negative camber aids in turn-in, but although Project Scirocco will see ample track time, it will not be a dedicated track car. As such, accelerated tire wear is a concern. I'm starting a search for possible solutions to this problem. This month, I also opted to pay for the installation of the suspension rather than doing a bloody-knuckle dance under the Rocco on jack stands. I had the tires mounted and balanced as well as the alignment adjusted at Savas Tires and Wheels in Bell, California; its a wheel and tire shop well known in the aftermarket industry. The coilovers and sway bars were installed at Renner Motorsport in Inglewood, California. Renner Motorsport has made a name for itself modifying many Southern California VWs, and after a brief ride in Renners 300hp turbocharged 16v Scirocco project, I was completely sold on the abilities of the shop. While the car was on the lift, I had Renner Motorsport also replace the axles with newer ones, as the old CVs had pretty much decided they didnt want to be part of this project anymore.
It should be noted that every company I used for my suspension upgrades offers less-expensive, high-quality components to fit any budget. I opted for fairly pricey components because, in my mind, the two most important parts of a car are brakes and suspensionso you can only imagine what I have in store for a brake upgrade. The next installment of Project Scirocco, however, will undoubtedly cover a trick Summit Racing radiator and fan shroud upgrade, as well as a Pioneer head unit with MP3 and WMA decoding abilities, offering the versatility of a CD changer at a fraction of the weight.