1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V

One of my favorite cars from the 1980s that has seems relegated to obscurity these days – at least in the US – is the Volkswagen Scirocco. This isn’t too surprising, as it has been 27 years since the last one left showrooms. Like the Karmann Ghia which preceded it, its underpinnings came from rather humble origins but strove to attract the VW shopper who wanted something perhaps a little bit more sporty and unique. Late in its life, the Scirocco got a shot in the arm by way of the 1.8 liter 16 valve engine and some styling tweaks such as monochrome bumpers and fancier alloys. This 1987 Scirocco 16V for sale in California isn’t original, but has benefitted from a thorough refresh to ensure it is on the road for a good number of years to come.

Click for details: 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V on eBay

Year: 1987
Model: Scirocco 16V
Engine: 1.8 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 187,000 mi
Price: $8,500 Buy It Now

I might be open to considering cash + a trade for an MK1 or MK2 Rabbit/Golf GTI, MK2 GLI or MK2 Cabriolet (but only the Carat or Etienne Aigner editions from ’88 – ’92).

Pics here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ni4sdk2kjd5fwwy/AAC-EVNt9CTYRD4dllXoCNcAa?dl=0

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bb-isKGN84

If you want to see and hear the car idle and get an in-depth tour of it, watch that 11-minute video that will show you every detail! Video stops at the 6:50 mark. DOZENS more pics of the car from 6:57 to 11:14.

*A few things to clarify on the car from the time this video was taken:
Clock in the instrument panel has been replaced
No BBS replicas- factory teardrop alloys installed
No Momo steering wheel- original Scirocco steering wheel installed
Momo shift knob

I’m [reluctantly] selling my 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V because my wife and I just welcomed our second child into the world. This is my dream car that I had to wait 20 years to obtain. You’d be hard pressed to find a nicer one. The engine, interior and exterior all look brand new. The car runs perfectly.

This car has been thoroughly redone (practically restored, but not technically a complete restoration) in 2013 by West Coast Rocco’s in Fremont, CA. Car has been returned to stock. This 1987 Scirocco 16V has pretty much been taken apart entirely, cleaned, and put back together. Always well cared for its entire life.

It runs like a Scirocco 16V should- which is to say that it runs like a dream!

Currently has ~187,000 miles on the odometer. Engine was essentially rebuilt at 180,000 miles. The head was replaced by the previous owner around 140,000 miles. In 2013, West Coast Rocco’s pulled the engine down to the head, inspected the cams and chain, then put it all back together, fixed the wiring and anything else that needed attention. All new belts, hoses, brake pads, fluids- i.e.; all wear and tear items replaced at 180,000 miles. Intake has all new gaskets, injector sleeves, seals, spark plugs, cap rotor… so the engine was rebuilt in the sense that it was taken apart, engine bay thoroughly cleaned and then put back together again with new parts.

Original paint but recently resprayed within the past two years. Paint is almost “show quality” and glossy after a quick wax and polish. West Coast Rocco’s removed the interior, cleaned everything and had seats redone in leather. Wheel wells all detailed and spotless like original.

This is an extremely rare VW Scirocco 16V in this condition. Looks, runs and drives excellent. Very few, if any, flaws on the car’s exterior or interior. For a VW enthusiast, this would make a great collector’s car. One of the cleanest and best-kept examples of this model that I have seen anywhere.

It breaks my heart to sell this and the only reason I’m selling is because we just had our second child in November and I feel guilty letting a car like this (especially in such pristine condition) just sit. It’s meant to be driven and it’s built for fun, performance and enjoyment! It deserves to be enjoyed by a Scirocco enthusiast that will appreciate it and will DRIVE it for the magnificent automobile that it is! The Scirocco 16V’s are an absolute blast to drive.

Car is IMMACULATE! EXTREMELY clean, clean, clean. Insane amount of detailing in the nooks and crannies
All body panels are straight, no gaps with the doors/trunk/hood/etc.
Many New Old Stock parts
All interior lights work (dome light, glove box light, trunk light)
No power locks, no power windows (Everything is manual. Power options wear out over time and need to be replaced – you don’t want power options on these older cars)
Power mirrors work perfectly (the only power option)
Uber-rare NO sunroof!
No power steering
Dashboard has one small crack, so I now have a dash cover to prevent future cracks.
Newly recharged AC blows ice cold
The car was just smogged in 5/2014 and easily passed with flying colors
Brand new hoodliner
Fresh bumpers
NO rust ANYWHERE
Tires are in fantastic shape with minimal treadwear and plenty of life left on them
Idles perfectly and excellent throttle response
Car runs at a very cool temperature even after hours of use
Carpet is perfect condition
Dynamat in trunk
Spare tire in perfect condition
New Old Stock leather upholstery installed (brand new- NOS- front bucket seat upholstery)
New headliner
New Old Stock taillights and Euro corner marker lights
New Old Stock grill and badges
New radiator and fan
New calipers
Brand new Bilstein shocks with Neuspeed springs, polyurethane bushings, new upper struts
New exhaust
Custom Sony car stereo CD player with AUX jack and USB input. Blaupunkt speakers.
Brand new $400 Covercraft Custom Fit Car Cover for a 1988 VW Scirocco 16-VALVE with 2 mirror pockets (Weathershield HP- Gray, size G2. Comes with a gray tote bag plus a lock and cable kit as well)
Recent oil change (synthetic)
I have always used premium octane gasoline
I have most of the car’s service records from this car’s 28-year history – from it’s first purchase at a dealership in Hawaii (I even have the original bill of sale!) to it’s stints in Washington state, Oregon and finally to California.

The rear window wiper motor needs to be replaced. Everything else with the car works perfectly (all windows, door locks, etc).

THE SPECS (WHEN NEW)
ENGINE: 1.8L DOHC I-4, 123 hp, 120 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual
DRIVE: Front-wheel
SUSPENSION, FRONT: Strut-type, coil springs
SUSPENSION, REAR: Torsion beam, coil springs
BRAKES f/r: Vented discs/discs
WEIGHT: 2287 lb
PERFORMANCE (PER MANUFACTURER WHEN NEW)
0 to 60: 8 seconds
TOP SPEED: 124-mph
MORE INFO
Years produced: 1986½-1988
Number produced: 10,000 (U.S. market, est.)
Original price: $12,300 (ORIGINAL BILL OF SALE COMES WITH THE CAR)
All sales are final. No warranty or guarantee of any kind. Buyer is responsible for pick-up/shipping of the car. I am located in San Francisco, CA.

Normally I’m not a huge fan of beige (or Flash Silver in this case), but somehow it’s not terribly offensive to me on the Scirocco 16V. Sure, I’d prefer Tornado Red or maybe even black, but the lovely Giugiaro lines are what I’m more focused on when I come across these cars from time to time. We saw a 1987 Scirocco 16V with 66,000 miles sell for $6,750 back in October 2013. That’s about the high water mark for 16Vs that we’ve seen, so the price here is strong considering the higher mileage on the chassis. This one has had a lot of work put into it, though, so I wouldn’t consider it too far off the mark in comparison to the aforementioned 66k mile example. That being said, at the current ask, we start dipping into the territory of the E36 BMW M3, Porsche 944 and Corrado VR6. So in this case, you’d really want to have a Scirocco. But this is certainly a nice one.

-Paul