dinkus

Eep. But then again, if they're stainless anyway, then they probably don't need replacing...

Ah no you did, I just didn't know what you had on there already ;) In that case I'd just replace it all with new VAG stuff. Doesn't seem like a lot of point in going silly for a full-on SuperSprint for a poop load more money. But then that's just me :)

That, my good man, is entirely up to you. Personally I'd want a G60 or VR, but that's just me. The 1.8's seem to go pretty well and are a whole bunch cheaper to buy, run and insure.

TBH for £700 it doesn't look bad on (electronic?) paper. However, you're not gonna know until you see it and go through the buying guide checklist. If the doors don't match then it's a sign that they don't really care about it that much and could mean that other things have been done 'well enough' rather than properly. It might not seem like a lot of work, but make sure you have an idea of how much all the things will cost to put right. You'll be amazed at how quickly it all adds up. e.g. New suspension all round (springs and shocks) - min. £380 New pads all round - £120 New stainless exhaust - £400ish And you're then well over the value of the car, let alone the cost of the re-spray. It might be absolutely fine when you see it, but don't hold your breath. Then again, for £700 you're gonna struggle to a mint Corrado. If you're planning on spending a lot on it then that's fine. Lastly, make sure you get an hpi done first tho? ;) - http://www.hpicheck.com

Well my view is, if you're going to have that much of the exhaust off, you might as well replace it all. If you're still using the standard exhaust then it's living on borrowed time as it is, so you might as well replace it now. However, as to which exhaust you go for, that's a bit more of a personal decision. The Milltek/Magnex are comparable so we'll start there - They make a 'nicer' (i.e. louder) noise than standard and give a little more bling for your tailpipe. They do squat as far as performance goes (in fact if you go for the 2.5" bore option on the Milltek you actually lose torque). Option 2 is a SuperSprint which costs HOW MUCH!?!!? :lol: but will give you a tiny bit more grunt, a heck of a lot more noise and last til about 3yrs after the next apocalypse. Option 3 is to put a new VAG exhaust on there. I don't know about the G60 one, but the VR one is plenty loud enough for me and it's also about half the price of either of the stainless options above. However, to fit it properly, you need to drop the rear axle, which is a big poop load of extra labour. This means it will probably end up costing the same, if not slightly more than the Milltek/Magnex option. And that doesn't even cover how much of the exhaust is what... the SuperSprint and VAG can be the entire exhaust, but the Milltek/Magnex can be either VAG with cat-back stainless or full exhaust. So yeah, not much help, but in short - If it was me, I'd replace the exhaust with a whole new VAG one. The choice, as they say, is yours.

Yes way :) The Pagid pads do make a world of difference to both the pedal feel and the stopping power. Although this is comparing it to tired VAG pads on very, very tired VAG disks.

Disconnect the battery, go make yourself a cup of tea. Return 20mins later, re-connect the battery, take her for a varied drive. Only downside is you'll lose your MFA settings and have to reset the clock.

Doesn't look too bad, although the 16v badge on the back is in the wrong place. It sounds like it's certainly had a lot of work done to it, which may be a good or bad thing depending on how well it's been done. Things you need to check when you go look at it (in addition to the buying guide points) are... 1. What's the interior like? It says 'good condition' but if it's done 220k + miles it's probably going to be looking rather tired 2. What exactly was replaced with the engine? Find out exactly what was done and who did it etc. Dunno much about 16v's so some specialist tips would be good there. 3. What exhaust is it? A good quality one is obviously better, but have a listen to it to see if it's gonna get on yer wick on the motorway. 4. What lowering springs are fitted? What shocks are fitted? If a) both the springs and shocks are crap or b) the standard shocks then it'll ride like crap. You need uprated shocks to go with lowered springs otherwise the standard shocks will be bottoming out all the time. Also check the bumpstops (particularly rear) to see if the shock is riding on it, if so then they need trimming down. 5. Inspect the doors VERY closely... do they match properly? Are they fitted properly? Does the same key work in both? 6. What brake pads are they? Again, if they're crap they'll need replacing. And probably some other stuff too... good luck :D

According to Mr. Haywire they're not the same grade steel and wear out a lot quicker. They're made by the same company, but don't meet the same quality specs. The VAG ones certainly work very well with the Pagid pads tho...

:) Oh and I've just got standard VAG disks (genuine, not GSF!) and Pagid FR pads... nowt that exciting, but they do a damned good job 8)

Ahh excellent stuff, he's spreading the good word then 8)

Yeah me too... I shall have that discussion on Monday. I'll get em re-balanced first and see if that improves things tho.

We were filming a driver training video for someone (him driving not me :( ) and he needed a front wheel drive car to demonstrate some braking techniques on. I'll get some of the footage up as soon as I can 8)

He is indeed a god... :notworthy: :notworthy: Did you see my flyer there? :lol:

Ahh dammit the pictures came up in the wrong order. You get the idea though. I've added a pic to my sig too...

My phone call to Kev earlier "hi, umm do you know how I can turn the ABS off?" "Err, why do you want to do that? What's wrong with it??" "Oh nothing, we just need to do a demonstration with them" "riiight" "I'll post pics this evening" Edit: Now with linkage: http://www.brainwavemedia.co.uk/~domini ... redder.wmv

Mk3 is slightly better, but still pants, Mk4 have a re-designed mech and they're made of alloy so they work properly and keep working too 8)

Good stuff, you'll be amazed (relieved?) at the difference it makes 8)

He has a problem with a front caliper dude. :) Gavin Yeah but he's got stiff nipples all round ;)

Depends on what type it is... if it's just he heated wire one, then nope you'll break it as soon as you touch it. The later mesh ones may be cleanable, but don't count on it. They go through a cleaning cycle anyway. Every time you turn the engine off they heat up to 1000 degs briefly and burn all the crud off. I guess if your MAF is dead anyway then you've got nothing to lose trying to clean it. I would go for something like carb cleaner.

If you are going to replace the calipers, Mk4 Golf rear ones are highly recommended. You get a fully working handbrake as well then 8) You will need some new flexi-hoses to fit them tho.

Must add yet more to your weight having to carry all those extra pairs of underpants with you tho? ;) You'll need to take me for a spin (not literally) on Sat...:D

AFM = MAF :) They're £300+ from VAG :roll: :lol: and apparently around £150 exchange from Bosch.

Mmmm firm. Just out of interest how much more does the VT mount cost over the VAG one? IIRC the VAG one is about £50? If so, then you're 'only' paying £95 more for the VT one. I'll definitely be replacing mine with a VT one when the time/money comes.

Yeah it's all about the power to weight ratio. Adding 20kg to an already rather lardy 1600ish kg doesn't make a big difference to the overall power:weight ratio, especially when you've got 190 horsies pulling it. However, if the car is lighter (e.g. Clio) then 20kg is a much bigger % of the overall weight, thus it makes a little bit more of a difference.