Automotive Comfort Food: 1983 VW Scirocco vs 1984 Dodge Daytona

Sometimes, you just want something comfortable and familiar, especially when you’re in a lousy mood. My truck is still acting up, and it’s driving me nuts. It’s almost too hot out to work on it. And within a week, not one but two huge influences from my formative years passed away: Ozzy Osbourne and Shunsaku Tamiya. I’m definitely in a bit of a funk over it all. So I hope you’ll indulge me by letting me show you two cars I just plain love.

And thank you for going along with me on that silly ride yesterday. The idea of a $5,000,000 car being listed on Craigslist was just too absurd to pass up. Of course, no mere mortal is going to be able to drop that kind of money on a car, but it is fun to think about. And you’re right; the dashboard of the Ferrari F40 does look like it belongs in a kit car. But I don’t think interior luxury is the point of it.

For me, even if I did have Ferrari money, I wouldn’t go for an F40. My true Ferrari love, ever since 1984, has been the Testarossa. I can’t afford one of those either, but I do have a 1/8 scale Pocher model kit of one that my wife bought me, that I’m very much looking forward to building someday. The Fiero would do nicely to make runs to the hobby shop for paints and supplies for it, so that would be my choice between these two.

The term “comfort food” has a vaguely apologetic feel to it, like “guilty pleasure.” It’s stuff you know isn’t good for you, but it’s yummy and it makes you happy. And what’s wrong with that? Life is too short to eat “healthy” stuff all the time. Have a damn donut once in a while, and you’ll feel better. Don’t make apologies for it.

I’m certainly not going to apologize for liking these two cars. They’re both very similar to cars I’ve owned in the past, and due to circumstances beyond my control, wasn’t able to enjoy properly. I’d love a second chance with either of them. I know neither one of them is a particularly good car, but I don’t care. So I’ll make my case for each of them, and you can decide which argument was more convincing.

1983 Volkswagen Scirocco – $5,500

Engine/drivetrain: 1.7-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Hood River, OR

Odometer reading: 195,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

In 1989, I got my very first car: a ten-year-old VW Scirocco. It was owned by a family friend, and I had known it for years. It was very rusty by the time I got it, but I didn’t care; I was sixteen and it was a car. I drove the hell out of it for a year and a half, before the rust became a structural issue and I had to scrap it. I’ve low-key wanted another Scirocco ever since, but the cool Giugiaro-styled early ones are nearly impossible to find. For years, I considered this second-generation bodystyle to be a poor substitute, but I’ve come around to it now. Besides, these don’t rust nearly as badly as the first-generation did.

Until the arrival of the 16V engine in 1986, no Scirocco was what you’d call quick. My ’79 made 78 horsepower from 1.6 liters; this one displaces 1.7 liters and ekes out a paltry 74, mostly due to having more emissions controls and a really stupid exhaust manifold design. But old water-cooled Volkswagens are basically Lego sets; if you want more power, it’s not hard to get. Back in the day, Callaway made a turbo kit for it, but I imagine that’s as rare as hen’s teeth now. A 1.8 or 2.0 from a later Golf drops right in, though. As it stands, this one runs and drives just fine, and has had a bunch of work done recently.

The biggest advantage this car has over the earlier Scirocco is interior room. You lose the cool three-spoke aluminum steering wheel, but you gain a bunch of headroom, and your friends won’t hate you quite as much for making them ride in the back seat. It’s in good condition, though I expect there are some cracks in the dash under that cover. Also, be warned that for some unfathomable reason, the seller (or someone) removed the air conditioning, which likely makes those black vinyl seats unbearable in the summer.

It looks great outside, with shiny red paint that’s probably original, and bumpers that are actually still more or less black. It has the original wheels, too, which is nice to see; VW and Audi had some great alloy wheel designs during this time, and I’ve always liked these. You should probably check underneath for rust just to be sure, but considering its location, I wouldn’t expect to see any.

1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo – $6,000

Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.2-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Portland, OR

Odometer reading: 120,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well, but needs minor work

In the spring of 1995, I plunked down $600 for a car almost exactly like this one: same year, same color, same engine. The differences were that mine was a Chrysler Laser XE instead of a Dodge Daytona, and it had an automatic transmission instead of the five-speed stick. I had ot for about a year, if I remember right; it was fun to drive, but the entire electrical system was one big gremlin, and I lacked the time, money, and adequate space to work on it to get it all sorted out. I replaced it with a Honda Accord, which was a lot more reliable, but also ended up getting scrapped due to rust. And about six years ago, someone in my old neighborhood in Portland was selling a nice ’85 Daytona Turbo with a rod knock for $300 – and I passed it up, since I already had an MG that demanded my full attention. I like to think someone saved it and fixed it – but I fear it ended up in the Pick-N-Pull down the road.

Turbocharging was all the rage in the 80s, with nearly every manufacturer offering an engine with forced induction. It was a clever way to boost power on the smaller engines that dominated the market after the malaise era, and Chrysler’s version worked better than some others. This engine made 32 horsepower more than the “High Output” 2.2 engine in the Shelby Charger, and almost sixty more than the standard 2.2 in the Aries. I remember turbo lag being an issue; my Laser was a dog off the line, but passing gear on the highway was great. I imagine the five-speed would help acceleration. This one runs and drives, and has had a bunch of work done, but it needs a little more; it idles high, which is probably a vacuum leak, and the electric cooling fan just recently quit. Both are easy fixes, but important to do as soon as possible.

This Daytona has leather seats, which my Laser did not have, but lacks a digital dash, which mine had. The seats in these are great; they have good support and lots of adjustments, including air-pump lumbar supports, operated by a little squeeze bulb on the seat. It’s all in good shape, but the seller says some of the gauges don’t work. I’m not surprised; electrical faults are kind of a trademark of these cars. My Laser had the talking Electronic Message Center, but it developed a sort of automotive Tourette’s syndrome – it would randomly tell me the rear hatch was open or the oil pressure was low, for no reason at all.

The photos in this ad are terrible, but the seller is a young kid, so I guess I can forgive them for not knowing they should have taken it to an empty parking lot for photos. From what I can see, it looks like it’s in good condition, but the paint is a bit faded and chalky. I still love this bodystyle, though, and I always will. And I know I’m not alone; the Mechanical Wizard of Wilmington, our own Stephen Walter Gossin, is a big Daytona fan as well.

I can already tell that one of you, probably more than one, will say these are both overpriced. And they’re both a lot more expensive than they once were, it’s true. But when you look at some of the ridiculous selling prices for 80s cars on the auction sites, they start to look more reasonable. They do both say “open to offers,” and both sellers sound like enthusiasts who really love cars, rather than speculators out to make a quick buck. They’ll both need a little care and feeding, but so do all older cars. Which one would you welcome into your garage?