Kevin Bacon

Comments from a Scooby WRX forum member:- "I was keeping fuel economy figures for a long time and found that BP Ultimate gave the best economy and most consistent power by far. Mobil 8000 was next and Optimax last. I'll only use Ultimate now where possible (it's hard to find in the country)." Pretty conclusive I'd say :lol: Glad I'm not the only one that thinks Optimax is over-rated. Kev

Good work guys and gives reason to the recent Optimax TV advertising campaign! I look forward to sampling some of this new motion potion. Is that the official line about Optimax being 96.5 RON? I often thought to myself it isn't all it's cracked up to be as I've had really variable results with the stuff, often finding that normal Shell 95 is just as good. Regular BP 97 RON stuff often gives better results than Optimax. Kev

Everybody perceives suspension mods differently, so it's a question only you can answer fully. Koni and FK kits are reputed to be very good. I don't think the budget ones come close to be honest and avoid AVO, many people have problems with them. Kev

My non-starting valvers always started after clouting the ISV! Kev

http://www.stealthracing.co.uk can get them for you. I think they're about £250, ouch! Personally I prefer the cheaper modded stock box route. Probably won't get as much of a gain but it's neat and does the same job and costs a few quid!. And it's quiet too, if you prefer the refined approach but I went out in a BMC equipped VR6 and the noise isn't that bad, way way quieter than a K&N 57i type cone filter but you still get that angry straight six sound when pushed. Basically, under the airbox lives a carbon canister. If you delete it or relocate it, you're left with a big hole which you can poke a hose like the above into to feed cold air into the airbox. You then match the hose diameter to a suitable drill attachment and drill away, feed the hose into the hole and seal it, and off you go! Kev

Nah, the VR lump is sound. Don't forget it was a very innovative engine in it's day but two side effects of such compact dimensions (it's not much bigger than a 4 cyl engine) are hot running and timing chain tensioner wear (no room for traditional cam belts). Apart from that, you may get the odd engine sensor die here and there and that's pretty much it. Trust me, if you find a good one that's been well looked after, you won't regret it and it's a different power to the Honda. Much more relaxed and torquey but devastatingly quick if provoked and given enough room to stretch its tall geared legs. Mid 30s if you cruise and take it easy, mid 20s if you give it death at every oppurtunity. For such a large engine, that's pretty good and you'll get around 400 miles from a tank if you're sensible. Costs, just general maintanence really unless you plan on modding it. The rear axle bushes are a weak point so get those checked out before parting with any cash but they're usually OK up till 85-95K. Everything else is robust mechanically. The interiors could have been better and the sunroof is another Corrado achilles heel. Check it works in both tilt and slide mode before handing over the readies. They can use a bit of oil too. Between 1/4 litre and 1 litre over a few thousand miles but you should be used to that with a VTEC :wink: Overall, it is a reliable car and regular maintanence and attention will keep it that way. Kev

Absolutely. It's not until you drive other cars that you think could be better than your car that you realise you were wrong to doubt it. For example, my Dad has just picked up his new company car, a Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi (diesel) which I was in awe of. Really really strong and punchy acceleration, engine smoother than the VR6, near silent cabin, awesome stereo, aircon, interior AND exterior foot lighting - the works. BUT, it's just no Corrado. Devoid of any character and emotion. It's just a car you get in and drive to work. The Corrado you form a relationship with. Sounds corny but I think you get the drift! Indeed. Over 3 months of ownership of another car I'd always fancied, a graphite black E30 325i Tourer (the sexiest compact estate ever imo), it needed a new steering rack, new cyl head, new gearbox, ALL suspension bushes, MAF sensor, water pump etc etc and I by comparison of the money I've sunk into the VR, I resented it. I don't mind on the C! Kev

is it bad then?? what should i know about the VR6 before spending my well earned on it? They're not REALLY unreliable. It won't leave you stranded by the side of the road. There's just a few quirks that seem to afflict the Corrado and many other cars, come to that, of the same age. When/if you take the plunge, we'll reveal all but do browse the 'problems' forum to get some ideas in the mean time. I've heard the VTEC is VERY rapid. But to be honest, I'm getting old now and I can't be doing with thrashing my cars to prove a point :wink: You would I'm sure. They are nice cars but total cost of ownership can be on the high side, so make sure you've got deep pockets! Kev

Agreed and it's worth noting that VW's time recording method is:- Choose a day with little or no wind. Half fill the petrol tank. Install one passenger or equivalent ballast (usually 75Kg) Do two runs in both directions. Take the average. Some manufacturers go a few steps further by using a car loaded with all available options, include more ballast and do the runs on days of varying wind speeds to get the worst case scenarios. At the end of the day, the discrepencies are usually 10ths of a second, so it's not really that important. It's just that psychologically speaking, a 0-60 of say, 6.9 seconds is MUCH faster than 7.2! In the real world, it aint, but on the race track it can probably mean the difference between winning and coming second. Oh and the Handbook has the G60 down as 8.5 to 60. 6.9 for the VR and 9.3 for the 2.0 16V. Kev

IIRC, the journos at the time were comparing the Corrado and Prelude 4WS from a rear wheel steering point of view. The Prelude's was active, the Corrado's passive. Both are excellent handlers but I think the Prelude was more civilised about it and therefore appealed to a wider audience. Kev

You get that on all forums. I'm glad you're able to think for yourself and you're not narrow minded, opinionated and biased like so many immature in-duh-viduals that populate these car related forums! Bang for buck at the moment, you can't beat Jap cars. Many 'old skool' german car scenes seem threatened by the current 'Rice' culture and do nothing but slate them. My mum has a 1.3 Corrolla (don't laugh) which she's had new from 1994. How many problems has she had with it? Zero. Reliability VW can only dream of. Yes I know Corrollas are bland but where daily driver's are concerned, it's everything. Not encountered a CRX on the open road but am aware of their reputation, so I'd probably leave it be. It's all down to personal taste at the end of the day and I chose the Corrado because it has a good blend of performance, style and desirability. Yes there are numerous faster cars but I really don't care. Where on Britain's over crowded roads can you fully exploit a 1.0 Fiesta, let alone a CRX or VR6? Kev

Attached is a table of acceleration times done in 5th gear. Look how the G60 and VR surge ahead of the 16Vs and also note how the VR6 and G60 are very evenly matched at higher road speeds. I'm not disputing any of the figures, just posting them for your info. I must admit the 2.0 16V times seem very unfair and not indicative of a good one I'm sure. I think also the author of the book has muddled up the car weights as apparently the VR6 is lighter than the other cars! Kev

See attached pic, which is a bastardised creation from a book called 'VW Golf and derivatives' as my scanner is bust! All figures were recorded by Autocar and Motor in early 90s. Hope it helps Kev

Can't comment on AmD's workmanship but on the odd occasion I've needed to contact them, they've either been abrupt on the phone or not bothered responding to Emails. Stealth are totally the opposite. You've experienced several bodges by the sounds of things and I must admit, given AmD's reputation, that does come as a shock. I've always been sceptical of their rolling road dyno plots and now I'm inclined to thinking they are not particularly good mechanics either. AmD's main area of expertise is ECU programming, courtesy of Geoff Everett's degree in microelectronics. Both the proprietors have VAG backgrounds though. Stealth have a wider knowledge base and skillset, having built and prepared race cars for over a decade. What they don't know about VAG cars, electronically and mechanically isn't worth knowing. Yeah and it puts the Dooms Day book to shame on the page count too! They're worth having if you can procur one cost effectively. Any idea how much they are out of interest? I do most of my own work and always have done but I leave all the heavy metal stuff to the Stealth as I'd rather pay someone to do that kind of work than break my back climbing under the car on the drive. Kev

Spirit levels aren't accurate enough as your eye cannot detect fractions of a degree using an air bubble trapped in fluid! If you fancy a play though, you adjust the camber by undoing the lower ball joint bolts (x3) and sliding the strut in or out and then retighten the bolts once the new position has been set. If you don't fancy that, H&R sell camber bolts which makes life a litte easier. Kev

Yep no lights on buzzer and no you can't recirculate the cabin air. Kev

You might also want to consider a BMC CDA too as many VR6s see 7bhp with this kit. It's not cheap though. Kev

Never seen a C in that shade before and I don't think it suits the car to be honest. It's a bland colour you normally see on Toyota Carinas and Renault Lagunas. Kev

Dunno about the springs but I've never been impressed with their gas dampers. They feel uprated at low speeds but wallowy and uninspiring at a faster pace over undulating B roads. I would personally save up for better quality kit. Kev

If you're prepared to travel to AmD, then switch to Stealth (as Jim mentioned) as they are very close to AmD. Vince is the main man at Stealth and you are quite free to watch the work being carried out and chat to him, Graham or John. Many garages don't let you anywhere near the workshop (Health and safety laws) but Stealth understand we are enthusiasts (as are they) and like to get involved. Providing they have enough time, they are always prepared to do other things that weren't on the original job sheet as when the car is on the ramps, you always spot other things that need doing! They are the only people I trust to work on my car, which speaks volumes given the distance I am prepared to drive to get there. Kev

Only use a genuine belt. Takes about an hour to change. VW say the tension needs to be set with a dial guage but I've always done the usual bend it through 90 degree trick with no problems. You may need a C Spanner to adjust the tension as not all 16Vs had a regular bolt head to adjust the tension with. There is a timing mark on the top pulley which aligns with the head when no 1 is at TDC. Kev

As Roddy has already said, the original Beru ones can be bought for £17 each!!!! Which wishbone bolts did they snap? The rear ones or the front ones? I've never seen either snap. The most common problem is misalignment of the rear bolts which cross threads the captive nuts welded to the floor pan. They're easy to get to (large grommets under the carpet) and replace. Just make sure they use plenty of copper grease when refitting the new ones. Kev

Sounds like the threads in the radiator are knackered. Someone may have removed them in the past and over-tightened them. As Joe said, the lower the gear, the more initial engine movement you get when taking up drive. Kev

Yes the MAF wiring connector can only go on one way but the MAF itself can be reversed. There is a flow direction arrow on the connector housing, should point toward the windscreen, but if any doubt, look into the MAF and you'll see a thin wire and a temp sensor. The temp sensor end faces the air box, the wire end faces the driver. As for power loss, it could either be a coincidental failure of some other sensor or the 57i is just sucking too much hot air off the engine. Kev

VW always have been conservative with the performance figures. They probably don't want customers stop-watching their cars and complaining! Kev