Kevin Bacon

Absolutely and Cats are no longer as restrictive as they used to be, when first introduced. I actually like the muffling effect it has on the exhaust, just like a turbo quitens the exhaust and smooths out turbulence. Kev

Let's just say C an I have a Love-Hate relationship but I love it more often than I hate it :D I'm guess I'm just used to it now and I've always been a fussy git anyway! At the moment, it's absolutely flying - just as I've ordered a bloody MAF sensor from Bosch :x The Quattro sounds gorgeous mate, can't agree with you more on that. The BMW 6, especially the M20 engine, sounds fantastic, crisp, mechanical and powerful. I didn't buy the VR for it's engine note though, I just like the performance :D Kev

Nah, a better noise is a turbo'd 4 cylinder when it comes on boost and the rollers struggle to keep up with the road wheels :lol: The noise a VR6 produces is very over rated in my opinion. A BMW 6 sounds 10 times better and a Chevy big block V8 better still :D Kev

That won't happen at Stealth, believe me. Two dirty great straps restrain the car to the ground and a huge fan supplies cold air to the radiator. If your car doesn't blow up pulling 6K+ on the road, there's no reason why it should let go on the rollers. The noise is VERY VERY loud and it's very unnerving to rolling road virgins. Well worth it though but be warned, Stealth's RR is VERY accurate and some of you might go home dissapointed - but with some pointers on improvement. Kev

You need a 150+ lb torque wrench to retighten the hub nut. Make sure the handbrake is on good and tight otherwise you'll drag the car down the drive before the nut slackens off. Kev

There is no substitute for cubic capacity and to that end it's got to be a blown VR or 3.2 transplant - when they're more plentiful. VAG have chosen to use the V6 for their high performance models now, owing to it's flexibility, character, torque and smoothness. The front end weight problem is now as much resigned to history as Porsche's rear engine layout pendulum effect problem. VW have stuck to that configuration tenaciously and it's paying off, just as Porshce found with it's physics defying 911. Kev

Yeah, that black smoke is a combination of the chemical agent and softened carbon deposits. I'd be more concerned if there was NO smoke upon application. Always add inlet cleansers upstream of the MAF sensor, especially on hot film and wire sensors. It's not for everyone but I felt duty bound to bring it to your attention. I'm more interested in the Prolong myself, as it does actually sound effective. Kev

They're not that bad really. Just having a downer on the car at the mo.... The C is a stunning car, no question. It's just the naff interior that gets on my goat! It also doesn't help that VW treats the Corrado as it's Frankenstein creation it wants nothing to do with :( VW were so on the right track with the Corrado, such a shame they went all sensible on us. Rant over.... K

About £5K I reckon. Check Autotrader as there's 5 pages of VR6s. All fed up with stupid parts prices and shite build quality I suspect. Kev

Well, it is a proper test because it's designed to be a once a 20K treatment, therefore you're looking for instant results on the first application. The test was done on a standard car and all the dyno runs were done on days with the same ambient temperature and barometric pressure, to ensure there weren't any outside influences affecting the readings. How can it affect bore wear? It's just essentially a much stronger version of the cleansers put into petrol, which we use daily. The spray is foam so it clings to the valves and piston crowns. Besides, at 100K, normal engine wear would have taken place anyway, which this product does not offer a solution for. I'm not saying it'll work on every car but the magazine that tested it is highly regarded over here, so if it yielded no improvement, they wouldn't feature it, simple as that. Kev

AFAIK, all Corrados are cable change 02A boxes, which are taller than the 020 rod change Golf boxes. All the Corrados could do with a restack of the ratios imo, especially G60 and VR6 models. The VR would be devasting with a close ratio box but you have to be careful not to shorten the ratios too much or the engine will rev-out too quickly. Therefore I'd recommend a 6 speed box, keeping 5th as 6th and restacking the lower range accordingly. It ain't cheap, but it's the best way of doing it. Alternatively, the current VW six speeders allegedley fit the C. Kev

Because the G60 is a good engine. Too true regarding the VR availability, 5 pages of them on Autotrader, prices rangine from £2,500 for K reg to £9000 for a Storm. Average price for a L/M reg is £4K. Kev

I actually lost 4bhp using a Supersprint exhaust, but gained 5lb/ft torque though. That was on a 16V Golf. I would only ever change the exhaust if the VW system is knackered as it's often cheaper, but VW systems are actually pretty good. Kev

I did a 16V manifold years ago...took a week to do, each evening after work. Start off by sanding the main runners down with varying grades of emery cloth until smooth. Then with some coarse metal polish, go over the manifold repeatedly with a buffer in a drill. Then do the same with a finer metal polish like Autosol. The more intricate parts of the manifold can be polished with a dremel, which come with numerous attachments. Or you can detail the hard to get at parts with black smoothrite paint, which also looks good. One thing to bear in mind. Winter. Road salt. Either laquer the finished product or rebuff every weekend. Happy buffing. Kev

I picked up a copy of Car & Car Mechanics today and found a couple of interesting things in it. First off was that PowerBoost spray we've discussed in the past, and secondly, an oil additive called Prolong. They did a proper test of the Powerboost on a E36 BMW 320i with 88K on the clock. Before - 111KW. After - 120KW. A week later, 120KW. CC&C are like me, very sceptical of 'pour in' fixes but they did everything objectively and by the book and found 9KW. So it does work. Secondly, this prolong stuff. It's like Slick 50 but get this.....Prolong offer a free lifetime warranty on your engine if treated at less than 100,000 miles and under 10 years old. I'm thinking VR6....timing chains....free repair? It's a bold offer but worth a look? I haven't looked into the warranty small print and the chains would probably be classed as normal wear and tear, but if the engine welds itself together using it, at least you can get a fresh lump put in, at their expense. http://www.ecotekplc.com http://www.prolong-uk.com Kev

I know it doesn't help matters but it's good for security if it's that hard to release from the outside, unlike the Golf! Kev

The sensor is dead easy to fit. It's above and to the right of the coilpack. You need to remove the plastic cowling that sits above the coil to get at it. One bolt holds it in, takes mere minutes to change out. All that VW see on EKTA is 'impulse sender'. There's only one on the head, so you can't go wrong. 16Vs don't have cam position sensors as they mechanical timing. Only cars with 'fully' electronic management have impulse senders. Kev

VW stock both the red and silver VR6 emblems, about £6 I think. I believe the VR had a red badge up to 93 and then the facelift model has the chrome one. Kev

According to my calculations done the old fashioned way, I average 33mpg in mine. The VR has longer gear ratios so sitting on the Motorway in 5th at a steady speed often sees a VR return 30+ mpg. Kev

One thing often overlooked is the Mass air flow meter. If nothing shows up on VAG-COM and the inlet system is leak free, then it's pretty much assured the MAFS is operating out of range. Kev

Corrado build quality is nothing to write home about and not all Ferraris are poorly made. Take the 456 GT for example. It's a real solid machine with stunning interior and exceptional build quality. Sounds every bit germanic when you shut the doors. The F355 is a weak Ferrari though....I've seen the damage caused to one hitting a grass verge at 27mph :shock: Kev

The error code will read "Cam position sensor Gxx - Implausible signal". It's lost it's resolution. Replace it and feel how much quicker the car will feel. Thank god it's not the engine speed sensor as that costs £140+VAT. Kev

Shouldn't be any oil coming from that. It's the inspection cover for the flywheel (for reading the TDC markings). Nothing in there except air and a clutch/flywheel assembly. Some people think that is the gearbox filler plug and I've seen NUMEROUS people fill that hole with gearbox oil. Smell the oil, if it smells like peanuts, it's gear oil. If it's odourless or with a slight tinge of petrol smell, it's engine oil. Kev

Water drips off the inner wing and onto the airbox. It shouldn't get inside the airbox if the filter's seal is sound and fitted correctly into the channels. Water won't do any harm anyway, that's why the lower half of the box has drain holes and considering where the default air inlet is (behind the headlight), water gets in the box anyway, when driving in heavy rain. Kev

The 2.5 version is not particularly fast but the newer 2.7 and the 3.2 Boxter S are much quicker. The Boxter never has been about straight line performance, that's what Porsche have the 911 for, but more for sublime handling, build quality and value (for a Porsche). Kev