Scirocco Central

I started off with an X-reg MG metro I bought off my brother for about £500
I think that lasted for less than a year before it died circa 1991

Then I bought a '90 G-reg MG Metro (not bad cars!!) from a car supermarket place for £5k.

Kept that until about 94 when I swapped it for an ex demo K-reg 106 XSi. That was a cracking motor. Like a go-kart with doors. I thrashed the knackers off it for 60,000 miles and 5 years when I chopped it in for my current 1.7 Puma which I bought brand new in Oct '99.

That's been a great car and I've been waiting ages for something to replace it. It's just the right size and space for what I want. Comfortable and quick enough without be crashy and buzzy like a lot of hot hatches. Other coupes were either too big, too pricey or just didn't float my boat.

Until now! When the 'roc has gone straight to the top of my list of replacements

So, what have you had?

I started off with a Ford Escort Ghia 1990 G reg which I think I bought in about 91 or 92.

Then I started getting practical with a baby on the way and swapped it for a Mondeo.

I had that pinched from outside work! Got it back but it had been left parked on a lamp-post. After the insurance sorted that out I got rid for a Passat. I kept that for 4 years or so then moved on to an Audi A4 2.0 with a CVT box. I was planning to keep that for quite a while but it started to lose drive on odd occasions just for a few seconds and the box warning light kept flickering. I figured that was going to be expensive so I offloaded it for a Lexus IS 220 which I have at the moment.

The kids are growing up and we've got a touran for shuffling them around so I think it's time for me to have something a bit more sporty. That's why I'm looking at the scirocco.

late starter to the car game given i was a perpetual student.

1998 a new rover 216 as a company car, it never recovered from 30,000 miles in first year, it had a short life due to k series engine after it left me, brakes were shocking and prone to catching fire after prolonges use

1999 did a swap at work for a P reg Golf Mk3 3 door GTI (known as Wigit at work due to WGT reg), I loved it and kept it for 5 years (in order to avoid an avensis as we had gone to toyota) and drove the door handles of it for over 90,000 miles in it, alas the syncromesh ate itself and made a large hole in magnesium gearbox casing and was uneconomic to repair

2003 as a punishment was given a 5 door avensis sri in green with green velour seats and fat alloys, a truly appaling car, handling (it had four and they opened the doors), had a major thirst problem and at could manage less than 10mpg, this was sold and is now a mini cab in oxford, it still makes me smile

2004 a3 tdi sport in akoya silver, ditched the company car and bought myself an a3, kept it for 54,000 miles, very frugal and relaible, couldn't afford much kit on it, residual value on it was amazing, decided to seel it after getting blitzed on the way back from lemans despite tourque, criteria was new car needed circa 200bhp

2006 a3 2.0tfsi sportback lava grey, ticked lots of options and loved this at first, its not grabbed me like i thought it would and i still regret not buying a mk5 GTI to this day (audi snobbery got in the way), love the engine in it too bits and done 52,000 in it and the engine just gets better

2008 other half agreed to get a five door so i could go back to a 3 if i wanted, toyed with a gti, s3 and tt, then scirocco grew on me, other half went for a gti pirelli in black and we couldn't have the same car so scirocco it was, easy decision in the end, if a3 goes soon may have to live with other halfs astra sxi for a month (joy), as soon as r version is available scirocco will be upgraded

First car was an X reg '82 knackered company dustbin of an 1100 Ford Escort 3Dr estate. This was quickly upgraded by the Boss as it did about 15 to the gallon.
So my second was still an 1100 Escort company car , but at 18 years old with a brand new motor - I'd arrived.
Then redundancy - no car. Managed to pick up an old Mini 1000 on a P plate (1978 I think) Great fun motor!
Fourth , back to Escorts unfortunately - a 1.3 3dr 1984 ex company car from my fathers works . Did the job but rust!!
Fifth , A 1990 Rover 214 Gsi - what a leap up from the Escort that was! Leccie windows and roof- Luxury! No ps though
Number 6 ; Astra 1.8 Sxi in black on a W plate (2000) bought when it was just 9 months old. Really enjoyed that car until..
Seventh and the best :My current - Golf Mk5 Gti (05) The first car I'd ever specced and purchased new .Fantastic car
So sometime this October my 8th motor will arrive
Scirocco .............

Started with a 1.3l escort in white back in 1998, it was bog standard as I could not afford to do anythingbar change the stero.

Then bought a green 1.0 saxo, was very basic but a good little run around, stupidly fitted 15's that did not fit the rear archs.

Then I got a brand new saxo furio 1.4, with this car I did th usual lad thing of alloys and stero

Then I bought a saxo vtr, which had stupid amounts of money thrown at it as it was the time when body kits where the rage, I got very lucky and got some very good sponsership deals with the likes of recero, fusio, wolfrace, triplexxxtreme. As such the car was totally redone in an exterior sense thee times over having 5 magazine features one of which was front cover of redline back in 2003.

I then bought a new civic type r (old shape back in 2004) but I finally got rid of it this year

At the same time as the civice i had a company mini copper, was never a fan but it was a good city run about for about 8 months

Then traded that for a brand new company Golf Tdi sport. Which went about a month ago when I changed jobs now just waiting for the roc to arrive some time in October.

Hi

Started off with a Mini then graduated to a Fiesta whilst at college late 80's. Then had a Rover 216 when I started working, but found it a nightmare to keep clean (it was white) and it had no power steering. Then moved to a 1.0 Nova which did 500 miles a weekend (courting!!) for 2 years without a hitch. Then got married and inherited a 1.6 Nova GSI from wife - this car was awesome. Then the kids arrived so we bought Clarkson's favourite, a Vectra Estate, which was actually OK for our needs, and I also had a Rover 214 for the short daily commute. Then in 2003 I got posted to the States and ended up with a Dodge Grand Caravan Sport (7 seater MPV) and a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 SUV (fuel was cheap comparatively). 3 years later came home and due to petrol prices (and unfortunate separation and subsequent divorce) decided to go for a diesel so got an Astra SXi diesel which was OK but a bit dull so I swapped that for a Skoda Fabia VRs which was a rocket ship and my best car to date. After a run to Scotland from Hampshire in one go in the summer of 07 I decided I needed something bigger than the Fabia (kids were cramped in the back) so I naturally thought an Octavia VRS TDi would be the business, which in a way it is, however this is too big (!! - can’t make my mind up lol) for me, even though the 170 BHP common rail diesel unit is brilliant. Like Kev then chanced on pictures of the Scirocco on the internet, won a place on the What Car Reader Test team this March and when I saw it I was sold on it. Decided I didn’t want to wait for the diesel version so have ordered the petrol. Not long to go know.

...... and my company car for the last 15 years has, on and off, been a Sea King helicopter with 2800 horse power!

BW

Various MK2 Golfs, All highly modified, complete rebuilds and repaints, but using all the best OEM parts

Currently building a 2.8 24v VR6 Engined MK2, have a bare shell int he garage with all new MK3 VR6 powdercoated running gear, rebuilt Peloquin LSD Gearbox, MK3 Golf Dash, Corrado Interior, just gotta find time to finish smoothing the engine bay, and build a cradle to rotate the shell to clean and mint the underside.

Last daily car was a 2006 Polo GTI 1.8T 20v, Remap to 200bhp, coilover, brake and wheel upgrdes along with the VW cup bodykit - Stripped the car of parts in Aug sold them off and Traded in against the Scirocco.

andy-gti mk2 project sounds excellant, oem route so much better given some of the horror shows, danny smith of oxford edition fame leaves a few doors down and currently has a way to cool mk1 gl auto which top trumps anything in our road

Cars
1. Lowered, 1776cc engined VW Beetle (standard when I got it)
2. Ford Fiesta 1.1 Popular Plus (a real low point)
3. Vauxhall Astra 1.4
4. Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX
5. Nissan Primera 2.0GT (great car, superb balance and handling)
6. Ford Puma (only for a few months, company lease while waiting for no. 7)
7. Seat Leon 1.8T Cupra (Revo Remap, Forge DV, retrofit cruise control. Still got this one)
8. MR2 2.0 GT, revision 2 (the first 'round' one, built in 1994. Still got this one)
9. Replica Porsche 356 Speedster (built it myself, still got this one)

Bikes
1. Yamaha FZR400
2. Yamaha FZR600
3. Suzuki SV650
4. Yamaha FZS600

3 MkII Golfs (best was a big bumper MKII GTi)
3 MK 1 Audi A4's (best was a 1.8T Quattro Sport)
MK 1 TT 180 Quattro
Latest is an Audi A4 2.0 TFSi Quattro S Line Special Edition
:
Now for the Scirocco...

1977 MGB Roadster
1975 MGB GT - ltd jubilee edition
1977 MGB GT
1998 Audi A4


Next up.....Scirocco

93 Nissan Micra L (997cc)
96 BMW 320i 4dr
05 Mitsubishi Colt Mirage 1.1
92 VW Scirocco GT2 1.8 Gti 16v

P reg 306 2.0 XSI
T Reg 306 2.0 cabriolet
51 Reg 306 cabriolet.... bit unique this one...was originally a 1.8 that I bought from a guy who's hobby was ICE Audio installs so the car came with a very bespoke install... then I had NOS fitted.... & it went 'woof'' so I had a V6 lump from a 406 coupe fitted upfront (inc all running gear etc etc)... pics belowl... it took a lot to get me to fall in love with something else.... the new 'rocco did exactly that...

that looks like one very clean pug.

Fiat UNO (First Car)
Fiesta
Astra SRi
RX8
Civic Type R

having never sold a car privately and after a quiet few weeks in autotrader the first person to come and look at the a3 has bought it for what i realisticly wanted and a tidy sum over the px value, given the current climate i am thrilled, so goes on friday before i go on my hols and what i now save in airport parking when i am away next week will cover a hire car when i am back (scirocco is 2/3 weeks away)

other halfs astra sxi has now departed and the gti pirelli collected, i'll post some pics when the weather improves, i'm not allowed to drive it yet (she knows me too well) put certainly feels eager, looks good in the black, the interior is not to everyones tastes but the alcantara feels fabulous, have a feeling she will destroy me in a straight line and how much i will claw back in the twisty stuff

Well crikey I feel like I'm the youngest here 25!!!!

My car ownership has been very small by all of your standards, and I learnt a very hard lesson by starting out to soon, but here goes

Started out life with a Civic Type-R (I was 20 lol)



Then after a little bit of time I fancied a change to the S2000, always loved the cars but it was probably a little too much too soon,





Then after the insurance settled out, I bought an ST170 as a step back



and now after a little more experience......

Here goes, started off in 1985 with.........

fiesta 1.3 sport
Escort 1.6 GL
Escort XR3 Did I really own one of these.......hangs head in shame
BMW 320 SE
Toyota Corolla GT RWD awesome car in its day
Peugeot 309 GTi
Chevette
Golf 1.6
Astra 1.6 estate

The last 3 were bangers cos I was saving to get married

Rover 114
Rover 620 Ti
Astra 1.7 D
honda Accord 2.0i
Mazda 323 Gt
Rover 620 Ti
Polo 1.9 TDi sport
Golf MKV GTi

and finally..........Rocky

Oh and
ZX6r j1
GSXR 600 K2
GSXR 1000 K1.........proper mental fast
Diversion 900 commuter hack........crashed and ended my biking career

and coming next.........rocco R36 if they were ever to build such a thing. I will start saving for the fuel bills now.

To many to list but here are my last 5.

VW EOS 3.2 Sport
BMW 525d M Sport
BMW 325d M Sport coupe
BMW X5 3.0d SE
Merc C220CDI Sport Estate

Might seem like a bit of an oldie compared to some on here
Started when i passed my test in 1982
1973 Ford Capri Mk1 facelift 1.6 XL Sebring Red (yes it was Orange) Black vinyl roof Rostyle wheels.
1978 Ford Capri Mk3 2.0 Ghia Oyster Gold Alloys Boot spoiler.. WOW !! It was the Eighties...
1985 Ford Escort Mk3 XR3i Diamond White Pocket Rocket !
1989 Vauxhall Astra mk2 Facelift 1.8 SRi Red Tartan Seats Pocket Rocket no:2
1993 Vauxhall Calibra 2.0 Spectral Blue Alloys Leather Alpine Stereo & Cd Autochanger. My 1st brand new car. I was so proud.
1998 Volkswagen Golf Mk4 1.8 GTi Diamond Black Sunroof Climate CD Autochanger Finally seen sense... Took 6 months to arrive..
2002 Volkswagen Golf mk4 1.9 GT TDi 130 Reflex Silver Sunroof Sports pack Climate Roof spoiler I loved this car
2005 Audi A3 1.6 FSi Sport Silver Too Many Ticks made with the options list on this one. What i saved with the engine choice i made up with the extras...Gone to new owner last weekend...
Stop Gap 2007 Volkswagen Golf Plus 1.9 Luna Loaned to me by Dealer until my new scirocco turns up..