Mike Edwards

The black VR6 is sulking at the local Bosch garage at the moment. It has: Fuel in each cylinder (injectors serviced); Spark in each cylinder (new coilpack, lead and plugs); Compression in each cylinder (all well within tolerance); No hint of ignition in cylinder 3 whatsoever. The garage have asked to borrow my copy of the Bently...

If your car feels heavy and sloppy round corners, it may be that you still have the original suspension fitted. This will be well knackered by now (sorry for using "technical" terms...). A new set of bampers and suspension bushes by just about anybody will improve things a lot. Important point to emphasise - fit new tope mounts all round when fitting new dampers - the old ones will be shot by now...

Can I interest you in a fully functional air distribution housing?? :D

What's wrong with having more than one VR6???

Shhhhh! He'll think it's too easy and fit A6 lights...

Sounds more like a dodgy valve. A leaking matrix will steam the windows up, empty the coolant, and lead to the destruction of Zion... Actually, ignore that last comment - wrong e-group.

1. Set damping to minimum - the only time you might need more is on a racetrack (or as they wear perhaps). 2. Make sure they are adjusted to the same setting side to side 3. Fit them and see how it sits. 4. Adjust to get desired stance - making very sure that the setting is identical side to side.

Scott, What flavour crisps??

Yes. The cable on the LHS has broken loose from the sliding part of the mechanism on that side so it can only pull. It's likely that you will also have to replace the locking lever on that side. If you're really unlucky, you'll also need the mounting for the locking lever.

The bit that attaches the cable to the mechanism has snapped. There is a How to fix it guide on the Yahoo group.

37. At 21 I had a 2 litre twin-cam Alfa Romeo - and a modded Beetle.

If you buy early-style lights they're even cheaper - less than £70 each. Then you just swap the lenses and surrounds (assuming you have later-style headlights at the moment)

The prices of parts for older cars drops. As an example, the headlight unit for the C used to be £140 + VAT. They now cost less than £90... Any garage should be capable of doing the CV joints - you can even do them yourself if you like messy jobs...

Right... need to get some gas-flowing done.... 1.8 16v - 153.8bhp at flywheel, 114.7bhp at the wheels, 128.9lbft (38.1bhp transmission loss...)

Similar kit from AMD for 5-stud wheels costs ~£800. Disks are even bigger though.

Gone sorry...

Or - for a lot less money - you could get yourself a set of Kent GF1602R cams, a Miltek exhaust and K&N panel filter. Fit that little lot yourself and 150+bhp can be yours for less than £500...

I think you need may need to consider the wording of that post - not that it isn't an entirely wonderful and valid lifestyle choice that you and Steve are making. And well done for being so open about it... :twisted:

Doesn't rain much? :shock: Ummm... that was irony - wasn't it? I've yet to visit the "Emerald Isle" without this particular experience... :)

The 16" wheel may be sufficient, the offset may be fine, but the shape of the spokes may mess it all up. I have ET35 7.5x17 wheels and the spokes only just clear the calipers.

Brake disk material does have some bearing on the performance and feel of the brakes, but pads have a much greter effect. That said, certain pad materials do profer particular disks. Andy, if the ATEs were "crap" it's more likely to have been something else in the brake system that wasn't right.

A remarkably concise statement of you situation. :D I felt fretty much the same way when I realised that the squealing sound wasn't the alternator drive belt, but the cambelt tensioner* :shock: * shortly after the loud bang and puff of smoke out the back, with a plume of burnt rubber smoke coming from the cambelt cover for several minutes after... :( Repeat after me: "...a full rebuild will only cost £800 and the car will go much better afterwards..."

The 16v was an "old beater" Corrado. It now has Koni T/A coilovers, Brembo 4-pots, genuine German market half-leather interior, 17" wheels and.... 154 bhp. The question is more - "what next???"

Fit a TT engine and running gear in the 16v? The price is good...

Right, they're on at last. I'm going to need to get the driver's side brake pipe replaced (had to use a blow torch and mole-grips to undo the original fitting), but otherwise no problems. After some bedding in all I can say is JESUS H CHRIST!!!! :shock: It's the 1st time I've ever felt the springs on the front coilovers compress under braking (they are a LOT stiffer than standard). It's also the 1st time I've managed to get the fronts to lock at speed on a straight dry road with a good surface. They work "quite" well... :D