scirocco springs

[jemery.wa]

i have an 84 scirocco that i am parting out, it has new struts in the front and the springs have been cut slightly along with new strut bearings. i have read that your not supposed to use A1 rabbit springs on the cabby's, does the same apply for the scirocco? and if i did use them what would the result be, way to low in the front, same height, or possibly raised. my goal is to lower my front end by only 1".

[Briano1234]

Since both are mk1's there would probably be no difference in the spring but you would be lowered by that amount.

[sixsracing]

Cut springs are usually a terrible compromise. You lose stiffness and rebound at the same time. I have not heard that you shouldn't use Rabbit springs in the Cabriolet. I have springs from SRS and they listed no difference between the two. There was an early and late spring for the Rabbits. I believe the difference was Westmoreland or German production. Cabriolet's to my knowledge were not produced in Westmoreland. We used to use the headlight rule. Square headlights were Westmoreland, round were German.

[gull]

IIRC all Cabriolets were built at the Karmann plant in Osnabruck, Germany.

[rabbitinfife]

I have a friend that has worked at various vw dealerships around the PNW for a long time and he says that cabby springs are actually stiffer than other cars. I didn't believe it at first but a cabriolet is actually heavier than a hardtop car because all the extra metal used to reinforce the strength of the chassis with having the top removed. I tested this theory my friend had a rabbit 79 westy that was sagging and rubbing in the rear we installed a set of cabriolet springs problem solved. I've actually read that most of the earlier cars had thinner springs that wore out quicker and started sagging in the rear at about 100k most of the later cars 81? I think and later had a better spring that lasted longer and didn't sag and rub i have a 1989 cabby with over 300k and the stock springs ride great no sag at all. However my 1978 rabbit with only about 130k sags in the rear and bottoms out and rubs over bumps with more than 1 person in the car.

[rabbitinfife]

Also just to clear it up the round headlight vs square isn't always true. All cabbys,early jettas,dashers, roccos and rabbits till about 78 were built in germany. The westy rabbits went into production in 78 in the states pretty much all rabbits and caddys from 79 on for the U.S market were made in Pa. Everywhere else in the world they were round headlights. They also made diesel cars in canada as well with rounds i owned a late 79 inari silver 4 dr diesel made by vw of canada. I have seen 79 and 80 caddys with round headlights as well from canada. The late westy style cars aka gti rabbit style front end with corner blinkers and aluminum bumpers were designed and built in america hence alot of americanized parts like fuseboxes light and heater switches, look at a ford or chevy of the same genre the style switches are about the same. Hope this clears it up. They later also started producing mk 2 cars in mexico, brazil u,s and canada and germany,

[kamzcab86]

The Golf I/Rabbits, Sciroccos and Cabriolets share the same springs provided the weight rating is same. There is a reason the OEM springs have painted dots on them.

And, to clarify all of the differences (USA/Canada models only):

Hardtops:
1975-1978: Rabbits built in Germany; round headlights
1979: Diesel Rabbits built in Germany; round headlights
1979-1984: Rabbits, including truck, built in Westmoreland, PA, USA; square headlights
1980-1984: Jettas built in Germany; square headlights
1975-1982: Sciroccos built in Germany (by Karmann); round headlights
1983-1988 (1989 in Canada): Sciroccos built in Germany (by Karmann); square headlights

Convertibles:
1980-1993: Cabriolets built in Germany (by Karmann); round headlights

Volkswagen has never had an assembly plant in Canada. Volkswagen of Canada has imported "special" models from Europe, one reason Canada received the GTI years before the USA (with round headlights).

[rabbitinfife]

I could of sworn they made them im canada i had a 82ish tan 4 dr carb rabbit that had a canadian flag on the door pillar by the vin tag said vw of canada

[sixsracing]

80-84 Jettas from Germany with square headlights isn't fair. They have 4 headlights. That's why I specified Rabbits. Good catch and great info. Kammie.