In the old days of piston engine aircraft, a good wax job could account for a 10-mph increase over a dirty plane. With most automobiles, it unfortunately doesn't work the same way. It takes a lot of technology and raw horsepower to speed things up. Here's one Scirocco that has an incredible Zymol waxed finish-and it didn't need any help in the top speed department.

Ric bought the Scirocco II new in 1984 from the Danbury VW dealership. The car cost just over $11,000, reasonable sounding in this day of inflation. Ric notes that it was a nice car to drive in stock form. But this isn't the story of a stock Scirocco. In the eight years he's owned the car, Ric has made a few changes. He drove the Karmann-built coupe a mere six months before setting it aside to build what he considers the ultimate Scirocco. An additional $23,000 or so later, this original investment has grown into the consummate Scirocco show car, with muscle to back up the good looks.

Weighing in at 2350 lb, the red Scirocco II has what it takes under the hood to get things moving. When he went looking for performance, it seemed only natural that Ric, a native of Connecticut, would find something close to home first. The first step was a big one: Ric upgraded the stock engine with a Callaway Stage II TurboSystem with MicroFueler and intercooler. Horsepower is like peanuts at a ball game; you hace a little and you find yourself wanting a whole lot more. When the bug bit bad, Ric contacted Bob Bornachella, a former Callaway engineer, at Performance Vehicle Engineering to transform his Scirocco's engine into the ne plus ultra of the breed.

PVE invested over 100 hours in the cylinder head, with extensive porting and careful matching on the intake and exhaust manifolds. Custom intake valves and four-off titanium exhaust valves round out the breathing of this red wonder. To actuate the valves, a VW Motorsport camshaft was installed-but Ric's not talking about the top secret specs of the bumpstick. The original turbocharger was upgraded to a more modern Garret AirResearch T2 with a watercooled center section for better life. Twelve pounds of positive manifold pressure supply the push in the back-and it comes on demand. The turbo outlet exhausts through a hand-fitted 2¼ in. stainless steel exhaust designed for maximum flow. A Borla muffler interfaces the sweet sound of the engine with the outside world.

Down under the cylinder head, the motor was taken as close to pure race as street driving would allow. The forged VW crank was left at its stock stroke of 86.4mm. Cast genuine Mahle pistons are also stock size, with a 81mm bore. After blueprinting, the crank was nitrided and shotpeened for added strength. The forged Audi-style rods were polished and shotpeened as well. PVE didn't ignore the lubrication system. A modified 16V oil pump draws its supply from a baffled oil pan. A 13-row Earls oil cooler keeps the temperature of the Mobil 1 motor oil under control.

All of that boosted horsepower gets to the ground through a flywheel lightened to a mere 9 lb. The lightweight flywheel is coupled to the trans with a proven Sachs 190mm Sport pressure plate and disc. The gearbox has been massaged, too. A Neuspeed short shift offers fast shifts to help keep the boost up. The stock 0.91 fifth gear was replaced with a taller 0.71 5th gear to increase the top speed of the aerodynamic coupe. That stout Callaway boosted motor has the ponies to make use of the gearing, too: Ric had to replace the stock 120-mph speedo with a 160-mph model just to keep track of the sizzling Scirocco's terminal velocity.

The underpinnings haven't been left alone, either. Big 15-in. BBS wheels mount BF Goodrich 195/50-15 tires, and suspension chores are handled by a Koni suspension kit with Koni sport springs, and gas adjustable shocks front and rear. The suspension bushings have been replaced with polyurethane for high-speed stability. The chassis has received the best that Neuspeed has to offer, with front upper and lower stress bars and their trick triangulated rear stress bar. The stock front anti-roll bar is retained with a 28mm Neuspeed bar fitted at the rear. Stopping power has been upgraded, also. The stock A1 dis-drum combo was converted to discs all around, with braided stainless steel-covered Teflon brake lines and silicone brake fluid.

Inside, Recaro LSC seats provide the necessary lateral support and comfort for driver and passenger. They are upholstered in gray and black Monza cloth, with matching rear seats. A MOMO Monte Carlo steering wheel and shift knob add a touch of class. Instrumentation was upgraded with Callaway boost gauge and a complement of VDO gauges. And to keep the Connecticut woods well illuminated during those high-speed runs, the headlights received Hella H1 and H4 halogen upgrades.

If you're wondering about the incredible depth of shine of the original Mars Red paint on the Scirocco, the answer is easy. Ric was first a consumer and is now an employee of Zymol, makers of prestigious high-end and ultra-high-end automotive waxes and polishes. And it is Zymol Carbon wax that accounts for the incredible show car depth of the Scirocco's finish. A flawless finish for a Scirocco that has been tweaked to a faultless state.

ND Turbosystems Time Table
The Blower is Back
First the bad news: If you're like most Volkswagen enthusiasts, you know that among the fastest, baddest Volkswagens around have always been the Callaway turbos. It's also likely that you know that Callaway slowed down development a few years ago and has generally tapered off their interest in the Volkswagen kits. Those seeking forced induction VW performance have been in a quandary over where to get the truly massive power gains associates with turbocharging.

Now the good news: New Dimensions has purchased the entire line of Callaway Turbosystems for the Volkswagen-lock, stock and barrel. And they've reopened the files on product development, too. The soon-to-be comprehensive line of Volkswagen turbo kits has been given the name of ND Turbosystems. The initial focus was on producing parts for those current Callaway owners in need. Virtually any part you need for you Callaway-turboed Volkswagen is now available from ND Turbosystems.

The next step for ND is even more exciting: They're bringing back the awesome VW turbosystems. Look for initial availability at about the time this magazine comes out. The kits will all feature watercooled turbochargers for longevity, as well as refinements and upgrades on any past problems that New Dimension's experience has uncovered. Most importantly, work is currently underway to hace the awesome performance capabilities of each ND Turbosystem qualify for California Air Resources Board exemption, or what we less politically correct simply refer to as "smog legal."

To help keep prices in line, ND will be offering each kit in three stages of tune. Stage 1 will be the basic kit-basic, but complete, developed and tested for reliable performance. It will include a watercooled IHI state-of-the-art turbocharger and a 2.25-in. exhaust system. Stage 2 will add the enrichment capabilities of the TurboGroup Fueler for fuel enrichment and increased boost capability. Stage 3 adds an intercooler for even higher power levels.

Prices are only estimated at this time, but here's an idea of the range for A2 cars, the first kits to be available. A2 Stage 1: $2695. A2 Stage 2: $3195. A2 Stage 3: $3695. ND Turbosystems will have an upgrade path available at each level of performance. And, of course, New Dimensions offers complete installation facilities for all of the kits and service for owners of older Callaway kits.

For information regarding Callaway Turbosystem parts or service, an ND Turbosystem, or just to be included on the mailing list for ND's biannual newsletter, contact New Dimensions.