Old car learns a new trick.

General discussion for Scirocco owners
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SteveUK
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Doug Teulie hat geschrieben:At this point I am not sure what 2009 will be like. 2008 was fantastic. With money becoming more difficult to come by and so many people out of work it is looking like 2009 will be a bad racing year.
don't lose heart, money is always a problem, but not THE problem. To your advantage, suppliers will want to make good deals in order to secure custom over this "difficult" period. So chin up mate, it'll be alright...
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Tempest
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Just clicked on all the images there, all on the famous Parts4VW site :grins:

What would really be interesting now is to see the new one in the new race season, but I guess VW USA still don´t want the new one to be sold across the big pond, or has that decision changed?

Tempest
My Mk1 Rocco, Rado and 928
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Doug Teulie
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SteveUK hat geschrieben:don't lose heart, money is always a problem, but not THE problem. To your advantage, suppliers will want to make good deals in order to secure custom over this "difficult" period. So chin up mate, it'll be alright...
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Thanks for the encouraging words.

From my experience racing finance/ competition works differently than the usual consumer supply and demand and consumer retail spending. Outside of oil and gasoline I can’t find any parts or services at a retail store or shop that help put me on the podium. My source for parts is the junk yard, sponsors, custom made parts like shocks or I make it in the machine shop.
When people stop spending money because of low confidence or because of job loss they pull out and stop racing. For me to “run” my car I need money for tires, time, replacement parts and transportation. That is only part of what I need to “race” my car. I need good competition and a long list of entries too. When several of my competitors can’t make the rent, can’t afford the tires and can’t keep working at jobs the entries drop off. Many of the dedicated racing teams that I ran ageist this year don’t intend to compete in 2009 due to job losses or reductions in income. The low volume race tires we need don’t get produced when demand drops off. The Scirocco runs tire sizes that are not popular for newer cars. We have to wait as much as 6 months to get tires sometimes even when the economy is doing OK. The tires are expensive ($840.00 USD for a set of 4) and only last 30-60 miles. After 60 miles of use they are only good for practice tires. Some of the prize money we earn from winning races comes from the tire manufactures but they require good turnouts to award prizes. I was fortunate to get some Hoosier tire prizes in 2008. Some auto manufactures offer prize money. VW paid out prize money this year. In 2008 I raced 27 events and I did 11 practice events in the Scirocco (38 events in total). I raced my 1976 Scirocco more than ½ of all the Sundays in 2008. I placed 1st 19 times, took second 4 times, 3rd three times, and 4th one time. It takes real dedication to run a 32 (now 33) year old car and keep up with cars that are 1/4 as old and have nearly twice the horse power. Believe me I am dedicated. You have to be to take the top spot more than any other of my competitors in a year. My dedication extends to my wife that also races her Honda S2000 (1st in the ASL SoPac Divisionl and 4th Overall in AS class) and she also raced the 1976 Scirocco in seven events this year. Due to budget cuts her Honda factory co-driver is moving to a less expensive class in 2009. Seven of the Honda S2000 drivers that my wife ran ageist in 2008 will not be returning in 2009. We anticipate a redaction in our income for at least six months in 2009 due to the economic down turn and increased state taxes (our state has the highest taxes in the US).
Tempest hat geschrieben:Just clicked on all the images there, all on the famous Parts4VW site :grins:

What would really be interesting now is to see the new one in the new race season, but I guess VW USA still don´t want the new one to be sold across the big pond, or has that decision changed?

Tempest
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If VW wanted someone to drive the New 2008 NON Karmann built Scirocco I wish they would contact me. The car does not look like it would perform well but I will hold judgment until I have the chance to race it. As it stands I believe that the NON Karmann built Scirocco will be sold in the US as soon as the dealers are set up. The car will not be eligible to race for one year after it is available in all 50 states. If VW is serious about racing the Scirocco they need to talk to me about the way the car is offered. How the car is offered determines its classing and its performance.

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Doug T (California USA)

76 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
80 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
87 MK2 Scirocco 1.8 16V
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Tempest
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Beitrag von Tempest »

The car does not look like it would perform well but I will hold judgment until I have the chance to race it
:grins: You went for my bait :-)

Interesting news, however, that VW US seemingly are interested again in the new one rather than what they said some time ago, that the new one would impact too much on Goof GTI sales.

Tempest
My Mk1 Rocco, Rado and 928
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Doug Teulie
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Tempest hat geschrieben: :grins: You went for my bait :-)

Interesting news, however, that VW US seemingly are interested again in the new one rather than what they said some time ago, that the new one would impact too much on Goof GTI sales.

Tempest
New topic (see thread called Non Karmann Scirocco 3)
Doug T (California USA)

76 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
80 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
87 MK2 Scirocco 1.8 16V
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Doug Teulie
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The finally to the 2008 season.
(Awards)

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Doug T (California USA)

76 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
80 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
87 MK2 Scirocco 1.8 16V
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OSLer
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Beitrag von OSLer »

Nice award you got there, needs some fine tuning regarding the tires. ;-)

So how are the plans for the 2009 season? Racing with only one car or do you continue with the Scirocco and the S2000?


greets
Manu and Lars
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Doug Teulie
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OSLer hat geschrieben:Nice award you got there, needs some fine tuning regarding the tires. ;-)

So how are the plans for the 2009 season? Racing with only one car or do you continue with the Scirocco and the S2000?


greets
Manu and Lars

The 2009 season has gotten off to a very slow start. The S2000 has not made it out of the garage to go racing. Kathy drove the car on Jan 1 with her new Dunlop tires and got a flat on the passenger side rear tire. It is difficult to change tires on the S2000 because you can't put the small spare tire on the rear. We had some friends with us so we used both jacks to lift the entire side of the car to make the job go faster.
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The Scirocco has only attended 2 races this year (missing 6 so far). Both racers were won on old tires. With the economy failing in the US it is becoming increasingly more difficult to make money to pay entry fees and pay for tires. This is a picture from the last event. We ran so late in the day I had to tape up the windshield.
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Kathy is not driving this year unless things improve.
Doug T (California USA)

76 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
80 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
87 MK2 Scirocco 1.8 16V
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Tempest
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Well, at least you´re still going, which keeps spirits up a little, I hope.

Indeed the credit crunch and car crises have hit the old EU quite hard as well. Interesting to see the different approaches different countries within the EU take to solve the problem, even more interesting or actually just plain annoying how politicians of these different nations slag each other of, claiming that only their solution will work.

Result so far: None have worked!

Tempest
My Mk1 Rocco, Rado and 928
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Doug Teulie
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Beitrag von Doug Teulie »

Tempest hat geschrieben:Well, at least you´re still going, which keeps spirits up a little, I hope.

Indeed the credit crunch and car crises have hit the old EU quite hard as well. Interesting to see the different approaches different countries within the EU take to solve the problem, even more interesting or actually just plain annoying how politicians of these different nations slag each other of, claiming that only their solution will work.

Result so far: None have worked!

Tempest
Yes I have concerns that the EU will not be truly united and fail to take action until it is too late.
Doug T (California USA)

76 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
80 MK1 Scirocco 1.8 S8V
87 MK2 Scirocco 1.8 16V
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