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?
I vote Dodge because Black Moon Rising and Hunter.
Meh, I usually drive with the windows down anyway. Gimme dat VW.
Although both are overpriced.
I can’t explain it, but the Dodge really gets my attention. I feel like getting behind the wheel each day would make the work commute a little joy. Walking up to it would not get old. It screams 80s in the best way from the brown paint to the little spoiler to the wonderfully tasteful factory wheels. I adore it.
The VW lacks joy. It feels every bit the safer bet and is trying to win this particular argument with spreadsheets and well researched facts. I respect it.
I’ve gotta go for the fun choice here, consequences be damned.
Objectively the Daytona was and is the better car. But at this point in time, there is basically no support for this car, so you’ll be entirely on your own in terms of fixing and sourcing parts. Whereas the VW at least has a fairly large user base and support network, and its problem spots are well understood by now.
This is one of those days where neither really tugs at me.
As for the turbo lag, I’m not sure the 5M is going to do you many favors. It seems to me that having to lift to shift is going to generate a series of lags.
I loved the styling of the first gen Scirocco too. And unlike you, never even liked the second gen. And a deleted a/c system is a) dumb and b) disqualifying.
What? You’re supposed to lift when you shift? Dang
I’d rather try to figure out a climate control option than chase electronic gremlins. We’ll ride like the wind!
My sister had a Dodge Daytona of that vintage back in the day. My (future) brother-in-law drove a Scirocco.
Scirocco all day, every day. Not even close.
Scirocco all the way. This one has the doggy 1.7L, even though they introduced the GTI’s more powerful 1.8L that same year in the Wolfsburg Edition. This is one of the few cars on these showdowns (vintage pickup trucks being the other) that will appreciate in the coming years.
WTF, I just voted for a VW.
I had a 1st gen ’81 Scieocco and my sister had a turbo Daytona. The Daytona was way faster, but the VW felt more connected to the road. The VW fit and finish was much better, but both cars were fragile (frequent unscheduled maintenance).
Ugh – very much a “neither”. I’m not a fan of the 2nd gen Scirocco and this one, for God’s sake, doesn’t have A/C. But the other option is a mid-80’s Dodge? Geez. Since I’m forced into a choice here, I guess I’d go with the Scirocco to be used solely during the winter months.
Pre-teen me lusted after the ’86 Daytona Turbo Z my uncle had, and the later Daytonas too. This one will probably be a headache, but I buy old cars expecting them to be endless projects and I wouldn’t expect the VW to be a paragon of reliability either. I also happen to know that the 80s turbo Mopar community is quite active and provides a lot of support. (You might even think of it as a support group….)
The Scirocco is probably my favorite VW product ever, but it gets edged out by the Daytona today.
I’m a sucker for that copper color, so I’m in for the Daytona. It always came in 3rd in the detroit pony wars, but i always admidred the try, since they were limited in engine choice. I’m also kind of amazed at how bad the execution is – i first thought that there was a big chunk of rub rail trim missing on the entire side of the car, but couldn’t figure out why that rail had a “finished” end on the nose and tail section. Oh…it’s because it wasn’t ever there to begin with…makes sense. Don’t care – this car was a still a significant part of the era.
Was leaning toward the Daytona until I saw “ It idles high, and I check the oil frequently because it’s often low. The radiator fan broke two days ago”
So we have a car that possibly has a vacuum leak, IAC valve issues or some other issue. Plus it needs a radiator fan. And it possibly burns oil and may need a rebuild.
And the seller ALSO mentions that some gauges don’t work… but doesn’t mention which.
If it didn’t have these issues, then $6000 would be reasonable. But with these issues? I’d say it’s more of a $3000 car. Would only be worth more with these issues if it was a Shelby model with the 2.2L VNT turbo or one of the last Daytonas R/T models with the DOHC 16V 2.2L.
On a Charger with the regular non-intercooled 2.2L turbo? It’s not really worth investing the time/money.
So my vote goes to the VW. The 1.7L is known to be a reliable engine. It’s not terribly powerful, but with the manual, it should be fast enough to be fun given that it’s a relatively light car. And this example will likely need less work compared to that Daytona and it’s also cheaper.
The VW is the better car in better condition. But I like that generation Dodge Daytona. I can’t explain why and admit it’s illogical, but I’m going for the Dodgey Dodge.
That Scirocco is straight OJ: If there’s no AC, I’m not going for a ride!
But it still beats the Daytona. This is going to come across as quasi-classist or something, but it’s not, it’s just anecdotal.
The Scirocco is the car that strangers come up and say “Hey cool…” and they start a conversation whether you like it or not.
The Daytons is the car that strangers come up and say “Is everything ok, do you need any help?” whether you need it or not.
In 1992 I owned a 86 Daytona Turbo Z. It blew a head gasket a month after purchase. Then did it again a year later. Hard pass on that heap.
I’ll take the V Dub any day over a turbocharged 80s Chrysler product.
Both can be fun. I wouldn’t want to own either of them.
I had an ’84 Daytona when I was a teenager in the 90’s. It was a really good and a really terrible car! It was a sporty design and I thought it looked cool. It made turbo noises. It was relatively quick for its time.
But it always needed repair. I remember that I was constantly chasing leaks (oil, vacuum, steering fluid, brake fluid), that the wheel cylinders in the rear needed replacement multiple times, that the steering pump needed replacement several times, and that the revs would occasionally run to redline without me pushing the gas pedal. It eventually blew its head gasket then the motor followed shortly after. I ended up selling it to the local pick-a-part for a few hundred bucks with 120k on the odo.
I replaced it with a little Honda eg hatch that lived to 220k miles. The Civic hatch was smaller, a lot less hp, a little less fun (when it was still stock), but it was 100% reliable.
I also owned a first-gen Scirocco as a teenager- two of them, in fact. While dog-slow, they handled great and were a blast to drive. And a boss I had in the later 80s had a new one like this, with the turbo, and the one time I got to drive it I fell in love.
But, oh, no A/C? And it’s removed? Yikes.
Neither one is worth the price, but my VW nostalgia wins out.
I love Sciroccos of both generations, though I never owned one. Mopar = Nocar as far as I am concerned. Easy choice.
I just adore the Scirocco. That and the Corrado are such awesome looking cars.
If the VW is not a rust bucket by now, I will take it.
Though the Dodge will let me do The Wraith cosplay.
Even though it has a name only Dodge can ruin like Daytona, I’d rather experience a Turbo 1 car well before I experience a VW product like that Scirocco.
I’ll take my chances with the Scirocco. I once owned a new ’84 Chrysler product and was the worst car I ever owned.
I like both of these. Went for the Scirocco because it looks like a great basis for a 16v/Euro styling conversion, but those Daytonas were peak 80s in the best way.