The Leningrad Cowboy

Not sure where the power's coming from! A couple of things, though. Apparently there was a German car tax increase for cars of 200bhp or over when the VR6 was on sale, so VW probbaly slightly underquoted. The other thing is, that the 190bhp quote must be a minimum (I'd be upset as a VR6 customer if I got less than that!), so I guess most VR6s are actually over 190bhp. Certainly at Stealth, they all made it to at least 198bhp, I think, but for one with an MAF problem. Have you run yours? Suspension is probably a bit steep to go for at the mo. Maybe later next year. I have already bought one leather gear knob from a broken Corrado, but I guess by now they've all had a fair few miles on them, and it's worn pretty badly again. Jim recommended this knob and gaiter combo, and you don't even have to plug it in! I did consider just taking the ABS warning light bulb out, but with my driving, I need all the help I can get!

OK, got the car back from Gemini in Brissle just in time for the Stealth Rolling Road day, and they have done a great job, and tidied up a couple of additional places too. I'll wait until a nice day for a couple of snaps. They also refurbished the rear offside wheel, which I didn't expect, including a new tyre. It just makes the others look sad now though! On having a puncture repaired, the garage chap suggested that my front driver's wheel had buckled (accident maybe, possibly just time) and therefore needed a lot of weight to balance it. This could explain the vibration I get above 85-90mph. This, coupled with a bit of a heavy, passenger side pavement kiss on the way to Stealth has encouraged me to try and source some cheap Speedlines. I think I'll get these refurbished and then swap them for those on the car that need it. I'll get a full laser alignment after that. The other thing that now needs doing is the ABS pump. Vince confirmed my suspicions (although I had been in denial) that the ABS pump was the cause of the always-on ABS light. VAG quoted £1744, hopefully I've managed to get one from bigpantsbaby for a fair sight less than that! Lastly, RR figures: 27-11-2005 Max power speed: 5776rpm Power at flywheel (corrected): 203.4bhp Power at wheels: 149.6bhp Max torque speed: 4463rpm Max torque (corrected): 193.2lbft So, pretty pleased with that for a twelve year old stock VR6!

dinky, i went out to wipe over the wheel with a wet sponge and there was a chap out there ultra-polishing his M3 right next to me. I didn't hang around, especially when he watched me taking a photo of a wheel!

Jim, this is about as good as you will get from me, I'm afraid. I'm not sure how to thumbnail it, either, so please edit if you wish.

You must have just got back from the pub, right?

I know, I know! Gotta say, though you deffo got some great skills with the presentation stuff - good job! I'm always pretty jealous of people with any kind of creative talent, because my mind just don't work like that! (In fact, I sometimes wonder how my mind does work, but that's another story!)

Well, I'll try and check it out tomorrow afternoon. But I'm sure someone else has nicer wheels than I do, and probably a better camera as well. Mine will do 2272x1704.

I can get a piccy of my Speedline tomorrow, but it will be dirty and bent. You don't know how sorry I am to say that! Actually, I forgot, I have one shiny one! Any good ones on eBay?

Maybe should be the C-team? (The VR boys probably aren't too keen on the G!) Looks great - I'd prefer a Speedline, but that's just me. And, of course, it'd have to have a few curb dings!

Doesn't Hannibal need a cigar, though?!

"In 2002 a crack mod unit was sent to prison by a mainstream car manufacture for buying a car that didn't conform. They promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the internet underground. Today, still wanted by the establishment, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the Corrado Forum mods."

And you've got rice in your sig pic, but we still let you post :D Hilarious! Good spot.

Bloody hell Jim, that looks great, and I thought 16V was the Photoshop daddy! Great shot of Keith's cockpit. One question, though. Where's the shot of my expert parking? I thought that would be centre stage!

The car was designed and hand built in Osnabruck by Karmann, not Wolfsburg by VW. VW stuck their noses in and provided some initial design criteria (floorpan, suspension, switchgear). Another gripe - when you open the driver's window after it's been raining, it all drains from the roof onto the inside of the door. Huh?

RIP H Toivonen.

My problem with them is, no other bugger knows what they are, or are interested. Corrado, what's that? Skinflower, Godlike.

Sympathy there, mate.

How many windows can you look out of at the same time?

Like your style 8)

Ahhh, OK Nick, that's another twist on the telling a speeding story next to your car's reg photo. Good point, having no mods, I didn't think of that. Mind you, how many insurance companies read the internet forums! (By the way, did I mention that I have no mods?)

So what's his reg? And what is yours?

Thing is, if you don't believe in the Daily Mail (or Richard and Judy), it doesn't happen to you! I know what you mean, mate, but I'm so annoyed with stuff like this that I'm pretty much willing to take it head on these days.

Good point. I guess I'm too naive to think of that! Just hope no-one has a blackberry Corrado they need to clone a number plate for!

Just a general question. Apart from somehow linking your registration plate with some sort of illegal activity (eg speeding), why do people get worried about their plates being shown in pictures on the internet? Surely anyone can see the car on the road anyway, so what's the issue? I feel like I must be missing something!

I had a problem when the airbox worked itself loose at the jubilee clamp (OK, I may have forgotten to tighten it properly!) it kept stalling, and the only way to keep it going was by way-over revving. This was because the air was getting into the engine bypassing the filter and the Air Mass Flow Sensor, so the ECU thought there was tiny amounts of air going through, and thus fueling at a very low level. So, over-revving was the only way round it until I redid the band. I'm assuming that you've checked that the air filter etc is all connected and feeding the engine properly, so I'm not sure if my diatribe will help, but ultimately if the air flow meter doesn't think air is going in (whether it's disconnected, shorted or really not seeing any air) then it will idle very poorly, and need some revs to get anything near normal. I feel like this probably won't help, but there you go - my tuppence (ok, quarter of a penny's worth!).