Don't give up on us darling, Don't Turn Your Back On Me- 1977 Scirocco Resto-Custom Project

[IronTrap]

Since day 1, I've always wanted an early Mk1 Scirocco that was Silver with plaid interior. Probably 5 years or so ago I pulled this old gal right out of the ghetto of Brooklyn. Short story is, the original owner of the car was a librarian in a D.C. library and only drove it to and from work a short way and it was always garage kept. Years later he passed it on to his nephew who moved away and used the car as a daily beater.. along the way the car was street parked and it earned many battle scars and half assed body-repairs. I found it on NYC craigslist and plucked it out of its doomed NYC life. It had 77K miles when I got it, I think it has 83K-ish now..

For years I've dealt with the damage and patina and the car has changed many times over the years. Over the past few years I haven't given it much attention and really have let the condition go downhill as I focused on other projects. After the same buyer has bailed on buying it from me twice.. I have decided it's only right that I give this car the attention it deserves and build it how I've always wanted.


I've been quietly collecting parts for this car for a number of years, so far I have almost all of the body panels I need to replace all of the damaged ones. From a NOS Hood, fenders, to a NOS early rear hatch (courtesy of SciroccoJim).. all I need is a good or new front core support and I'll be in business! I also have a nice collection of oddball/rare parts for the car that I've been hoarding to really make the car stand out and give it my special touch. I'll start digging into this as I get time between my other 2 projects and I'll post as I dig into the car and find what rust, rot, and damage I need to tackle.

Some photos of it over the years.. and some goodies I have set aside...

When I bought it.



First Mods



First Engine Swap



First H2O



2nd Set of wheels



3rd set of wheels and with a g60





Some goodies set aside...

Replacing the G-lader with some oldschool tuner bits.. Autotech Magnacharger Kit



16" Type 5's





Watch this space... just getting geared up....

[Mtl-Marc]

[California 16v]

watching

looking forward to seeing the Autotech Magnacharger Kit installed on your engine

[Sanityana]

Cool, kind of itching for an early mk1 myself. I've even been considering swapping my Cabrio for one but just can't bring myself too since it's such a good dependable car. For now I will be watching this thread with envy

Very cool project

[prom king]

I want those wheels sooo bad, those are beautiful.
Are you selling them??

[IronTrap]

I want those wheels sooo bad, those are beautiful.
Are you selling them??

Those are the 15" type 5's I had on the car prob close to 5 years ago. I sold them and they have changed hands a number of times.. but sets pop up from time to time. I currently have the much more rare 16" type 5's I'll be fitting to the car.


This weekend if I have time I may start the disassembly on the car so I can diagnosis how bad the rust really is, and what other repair panels I will need.

[Chris16vRocco]

Finally!

Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

[LubsDaDubs]

WATCHING
I want to see what other goodies you have to install, i'm still very jealous of the one piece duckbill

[.:Hinrichs:.]

been waiting to see you start up on this one

[Meltkamp]

i your rocco. love the tv lights and over riders just looks perfect together

[8716vrocco]

Should be an amazing car considering what you have built in the past That Autotech blower looks awesome! I have never seen one actually installed on a car, just pictures of the kit.

[IronTrap]

WATCHING
I want to see what other goodies you have to install, i'm still very jealous of the one piece duckbill

Unfortunately that died a horrible death one a highspeed climb up over a hill

I want to either find a 75 front core support or fabricate one from scratch and repair my OE support. Either way I dig the small metal molded lip of the early cars.. so I'll stick with that.


Thanks for the kind words folks, I love this car too.. definitely deserves the attention I've given to other projects..

[83mk2scirocco]

[PoorHouse]

5 years, doesn't seem like that long ago...

Looking forward to seeing it come together.

[vlksdragon]

I want to either find a 75 front core support or fabricate one from scratch and repair my OE support. Either way I dig the small metal molded lip of the early cars.. so I'll stick with that.

I actually have a spare 75 core support, but I just can't bring myself to give it up. I'll keep
an eye out for another one for you....

[IronTrap]

5 years, doesn't seem like that long ago...

Looking forward to seeing it come together.

Tell me about it.. time flies!

I actually have a spare 75 core support, but I just can't bring myself to give it up. I'll keep
an eye out for another one for you....

Pahhhhhleeezzzeeee!! I'd love to replace my damaged one instead of having to repair it...

Definitely keep me in mind in your travels dude

[IronTrap]

Decided to pull the scirocco up to the garage and start tearing into her a bit.





Here's some previous damage/repair.. tell tale sign whats underneath won't be pleasant...




I then pulled the grill, tv lights, and front bumper to keep safe for now. I then pulled the fenders and as expected I found a bit of rust in the inner fenders, but also found some on either side right where the radiator support connects to the inner fender. One side was even rust loose of the core support.. leaving the passenger side of the rad support to just kinda of float around.











Also some rot in the raintray... explains the wet carpet when it rained...




Tomorrow I'm gonna get up early and start pulling the interior out and storing it all until I decide what I'm doing with the interior in this build. For now it's only gonna get worse as I dig in and find all of the rusty areas. Stay tuned

[IronTrap]

Today I dug into the interior and removed everything. The seals are pretty bad on the car and it has had standing water in it from time to time and I wanted to get the interior out of the moisture ASAP. The floors have a little bit of surface rust and a small spot at the passenger inner rocker/floor union that I need to repair.. but otherwise no major rot!












I then dug into the passenger side inner fender with a wire wheel to see how extensive the rust was. Not horrible.. but was getting bad if I hadn't done something about it soon. I decided to drill out the spot welds where the inner fender outer and cowl meet and separate them so I could treat the rust between the panels. I also cut out the major rot in the inner fender. Ill cut the stuff in the wheel well next and start hand building these patch panels as best I can from scratch. The original metal is solid enough I should be able to use it for a pattern to copy for my patch panel.









If I get some spare time tomorrow I'll try and extract the last of the rot in on the passenger side wheel well, clean and treat the remaining metal and begin fabricating the patch panels.

[Blaines_Rocco]

Oh wow... It's things like this that make me glad I don't live up north

[IronTrap]

Oh wow... It's things like this that make me glad I don't live up north

Mk1 sciroccos anywhere in the world have rust like this. People are usually just fooled by shiny paint and wheels..This is minor compared to a lot of mk1 Roccos on the eastcoast. Should have it all patched up in a few weeks.

[IronTrap]

Today I started fabricating and fitting the first couple patch panels. Since it isn't an easy task to find these pieces in better shape, I decided to make them from scratch. I started by cutting out the rough size out of a sheet of aluminized 20 gauge mild steel with the Eastwood electric metal shears.



I then marked and bent the top section.



I then used a piece of wood that had a similar shape as the pressing in the OG panel and used it as a dolly to start the rough form with my Eastwood body hammer set.



I then took a leather shot bag and started blending the shape in better.. starting to take place here.







I then cut the piece down to size and fit it in the opening I cut, sprayed some self etching weld-thru primer where the panels overlapped, and slowly worked my way around the panel stitch welding it all up.





I then made up the lower portion by forming the another flat piece of 20 gauge by forming it around a piece of pipe that had a similar shape as the OE panel had. Again I trimmed and fit it in the opening, and stitch welded it in place. The result is pretty close to the original shape, and once I etch prime, seam seal, and undercoat it all, should be hard to tell it was ever messed with.







Next I'll work on cutting out, forming and welding in pieces in the wheel well/tower.. then on to the other side. A nice vortex member has also come forward with a nice 75 scirocco rad support, so once I get that I can remove the rad support and replace it with some west coast metal.

[veedubtek]

Awesome!

[jrgrinder]

i'm glad you're giving this car a solid. i never doubted it.

[mellbergVWfan]

One of my favorites cars. Can't wait to see what's next.

[vwovw]

nice work!

[scirocco*joe]

I'm so in for updates on this. This car has always made me want an early Mk1 Scirocco. Keep up the good work, Matt.

[PoorHouse]

Working fast.


I know it takes time to document all this and post it.

Thanks for that, here's a couple Arnold Palmers for your trouble.

[TBerk]

1st of all, fer all youze yung'ns out there, this is what the Thread Title is referring to:



Some of us, at the time, having watched David Soul on Starsky and Hutch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starsky_and_Hutch found it very amusing, if not unsettling, to find him putting out a song album. (As apposed to a Comedy Album, Spoken Word, you know; all those categories the Grammys give out prior to the actual TV Broadcast...)

So, having acknowledged the ref, I'd plunge ahead-

Dude,

the Tin Worm isn't Evil, but it's Hungry, always Hungry.

Kudos to those who get out the Resto Skillz and slap back the hands of Entropy.

Now, Here is where I ask forgiveness for being 'biggedy'; It's too low. For me.

That said, all is forgiven 'cause I see some tasty Blower Bits in there, so, this time, I'll let it go.


PS- Just to pin this in context to the reason why this particular song would be appropriate in more than one way for the Restoration of a 1970's era automobile, I submit the following from the Great Wiki:

Preceded by "Dancing Queen" by ABBA

Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 16, 1977

Succeeded by "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston

(Last night, on a long trip down the freeway, I actually said "If we keep listening to this station, we're going to hear some Pat Benatar ...")

[IronTrap]

Haha glad someone got that. Fun fact.. was a chart topping song in '77 when this car would have been new rolling off the lot. I may or may not be in the market for an in-car 8track player to rock in this car and that would definitely be an tape I'd be looking for!

Rust isn't too bad for an east coast car. I plan to have the major rust all repaired within a month (if I get the core support in that time frame) and then strip the engine out and start welding and cleaning up the bay. I'd love to drop it off for paintwork over the winter!

Low and fast and subtle custom is the name of the game with the cars I like to build.. this won't be any different.. but I may add airride to allow it to be parked at a "scirocco purist" height so don't fret!

More work on this tonight. I've got a fire under my ass to make this car 100% solid.

[VWinston]

Deffo one to watch!!

Great work so far!

[-camber]

always enjoy your builds whether it be golf or scirocco

[IronTrap]

Tonight I decided to finish up the rot holes in the inner fender/wheel well. Exciting for me, but probably mundane to look at



First patches in place



Last piece formed and welded in place




A little flap disc action to blend the welds a little bit and its ready for some self etching primer and rubberized rust encapsulator. I want to do the entire wheel wells and inner fenders, so for now I just sprayed some fast etch to etch the metal and stop it from flash rusting. Next I'll move on to the drivers side inner fender rust. Moving right along

[California 16v]

looking forward to more photos & updates

also watching since I will to put some metal patches on my 78 someday

[Michael Bee]

Your audience is set.

<---- subscribed.

[Sanityana]

very noble efforts!