andy

Cheers Pete. Yes Lisa's Blackberry has gone, beautiful car. She wanted an oil burner and something a bit newer and tighter. Shame really, we spent ages finding that one! Have you still got her old blue one?

So true, I think thats why its been a really difficult decision. The Corrado is really special. If it wasn't for road tax/insurance and more importantly space I'd keep it as a 2nd car. I've done a lot to it over the years too. Its a long way from where I'd like it to be but equally its a lot further on as a driving machine than it was. The throttle response is savage compared to the BM, the over-firm handling makes it feel like a bit of a weapon too.... but then you can't have it all ways. I think the Corrado probably is the best of all worlds in many respects.

Brilliant review that! Some fine praise there.

The E46 has pretty good weight distribution, they certainly aimed for 50/50 front rear compared with the previous model. You can feel the shove coming from behind, i.e. pushing you rather than pulling you. The steering feels super responsive yet weighty. It'll take some getting used to for sure, the Corrado is just so easy, very capable out of the box yet no nasty surprises.

I looked at the 330 coupe as the 'logical' (in my mind) sucessor to the Corrado VR6. Then decided the saloon was not that different in looks, doubly practical and (apparently) a slightly stiffer chassis. I think what has sold it to me most is the build quality, when I went to see the new one yesterday I drove there in the Corrado, over some very rough roads, I'll say no more.....I then got in the BM after giving it the once over, for a test drive. We drove over the same roads and it was sublime, not a single squeak or a rattle from anything, just like the whole thing was cast in a solid block. The wheels on the BM are 18 inch (pretty low profile) with sport suspension and it still rode like a magic carpet. Then there were the Xenons vs 17 year old Corrado lights (even with Nightbreakers and relayed straight off the battery, not a fair comparison I realise!) Mirrors you can actually see out of......my all time pet hate of the Corrado. The best bit, I paid 4k, its pretty mint, topaz blue metallic with very nice cream leather, full history, xenons, harmon kardon stereo upgrade. Roughly the same as nice (well specced, low mileage, but 7 year older) Corrado money. However, having dropped it off at my folks, I headed home in the Corrado, cranked up the tunes, opened the windows and loved every minute of it. I haven't fallen out of love with with the Corrado at all...... I'm thinking of not selling my Bentley manual.......just in case.......

The time has come, I've bought a replacement for my storm grey howling beast! I've had it 7 years, easily the most reliable car I've ever owned. Easily the most capable car too. I've bought a 52 plate E46 BMW 330i Saloon, roughly the same figs as a VR6, 6.5s to 60mph, 150mph top end. Never owned a rear wheel drive and fancied something newer after years of deliberating about selling the Corrado. Its one of not many cars, post 2001, with a big engine that isn't silly tax. Anyone had one? Any experience of them. I'll still stay around the forum, I find it a brilliant resource for all car related subjects and I've found some top people on here. I don't think I'm ready for life without any Corrados in it, I've owned two and my other half has owned two. Also had a golf VR6 before that. I have a very real lump in my throat about moving it on, its been emotional! Anyway she'll be in the classifieds before too long, she's been a fantastic work horse rather than a show piece and has never let me down in 65k miles, she's now on 155k. Never been apart engine wise, runs like clockwork. How many cars manage that!

You can get a BMC cleaning kit with oil for sub £20. You take the screws out of the carbon case, remove the inards, apply the cleaner, rinse, dry, re oil with a pump spray, reassemble. Thats what I did, theres a post on here somewhere about it.

I've had to do a couple of these, the wire leading to the sensor is quite feeble. The sensors are pretty cheap I seem to remember too. Easy fix either way. Your engine flatness does sound like a duff cam position sensor to me. The symptoms sound very similar, again I've had a couple go over the years. Easy fix, not too dear either. I suspect you might have overestimated the drop in power with the polo comment! Something is terribly wrong if its that slow!

Hmmm sounds like a plan. Perhaps mine fell off last timed I had it out to do the sunroof, pesky things!

Mine is rattling something chronic at the back, it is free to move up and down a good cm or so. Has anyone else had this or got any suggestions for how to fix it? It rests on top of the associated trim panels exactly as it should and looks right, however as soon as you drive anywhere it bounces up and down on those trim parts and rattles loudly.

Cheers Rod, thanks for checking, I'll decline for now, I really need the fixings to be good. Thanks again.

It's much cheaper and easier to put a 2.8 bottom end in, they can be had for as little as £50, plenty of them too. There's so little diffference in capacity between the two its seriously not worth the hassle or expense of boring one out to 2.9. The power output difference is nigh on negligible, that's what I'll do when my 155k engine gets tired.

Thanks everybody, Matt/Rod can you confirm no damage...especially on lower edge corners. Also do you have the fixings available?

Cheers Jim, much appreciated :-)

Thanks for the reply Dragon but the one I have has broken corners too, hence the desire for a mint...ish one. So I'll say no for now, do you know the part number? Rob, do you mean the stealers or is VW Classic Parts a company in their own right.

The plastic panel that the number plate sits in, in good nick please as I'd like to colour code it before fitting it.

Mine have those grooves too, I think it will only change the stance i.e. height of the car, shouldn't affect the damping unfortunately.

I'll second that, Eibachs aren't generally softer than H and Rs. However I run H and Rs with Koni TAs and there is night and day difference between mine and a standard car. Mine handles like a demon but the ride is barely acceptable. In fact it isn't acceptable on anything other than a very good surface.

What springs are anyone using with Konis? I've got H and Rs and they're way to harsh for the roads round here. Would be interested in changing them for something else if anyone had any recommendations...?

My thats a lot of questions! Oil temp is very high for sure, not 100 % sure what is causing that as your coolant temps seems ok. I think VRs should run on the pink stuff, you should be fine on G12++, I think it is all backwards compatible, as long as its pink and VW, G12 ish you'll be fine. I wouldn't bother with a lower temp stat personally, the quicker the engine reaches operating temperature the better in my book. I also wouldn't bother with the mocal yet, get it running properly as standard first. Mine is standard and has never reached anything like those temperatures, no matter how hard I drive it. MPGs seem a bit low, I can see 37 mpg at a steady 80 on a run, 30 to 33 day to day driving. 22, I have never seen that other than a very short blat. The mpg should go up nicely with distance. Hoses are not the easiest things to get old of cheaply, maybe post a wanted on here, someone is probabaly breaking a car.

Not sure, it was a dark colour, whoever was driving waved back.

Saw one in Salisbury this afternoon, waved, might have been a G60.

I can't get a trade account out of the Portsmouth branch, I ask every time, spent over a grand in there in total.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V5_engine Used across the range, good lumps apparently but a tad thirsty!

Good work, its the little things that make the difference! When you say Mr sheen on the rollers, do you mean the rollers or the channels the windows slide in? I always put grease on my rollers.