ProdigalSon

Hi arcticlittlemonkey, welcome to Postville :) There are loads of posts in the Suspension Discussion thread: http://www.the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewto ... discussion - have a read there. However, I've been doing some research lately into the same kind of suspension as you are considering... I ordered a Corrado B12 kit (Bilstein dampers and matched H&R springs) before Christmas for £490 inc. delivery, but the supplier was told by Bilstein that the kit was discontinued, apparently due to lack of interest :( :x You can still buy the B12 dampers and H&R springs separately, but the kit was heavily subsidised, so the current option costs nearer £650 :| The reasons that I wanted the B12s were: I had great previous experience with Bilstein dampers, 40mm drop is adequate (don't have a dropped kerb outside the house!), I don't need the adjustability of coilovers, B12 monotubes seem to be very high quality and hard wearing units, H&R springs are well regarded. Now that the parts for the B12 kit are more or less out of my budget, I am considering the H&R Cup Kit (actually made for Mk2 Golf), which has two spring options, 35mm all round or 60mm/40mm front/back drops. If you are also after improved handling within a fixed budget, you might want to consider a slightly less expensive suspension kit with an anti-roll bar fitted as well - this would/could give you better handling and cornering than a dampers+springs upgrade alone (willing to be corrected on this one by those with more experience)! Coilovers will allow you to adjust the ride height to your exact specification (within the limits of the unit), and may also allow you to tailor the 'feel' of the ride, depending on the features of the particular coilie (usually related to how much you spend!). For me, I don't do any track days (yet), and all my driving is on the road and pretty samey in terms of road surface quality, so I'd be happy with a preset kit (non-coilie). The Cup kit from H&R uses dampers made for them by Bilstein anyway, so could be considered as a lower cost relative of the B12 kit, which might allow me to get an ARB at the same time :D Have a look at some of the pictures on the 'show us your drops' thread: http://www.the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewto ... your+drops to gauge how low you want to go. 8) As for your passenger window switch, mine does that too... :scratch: think i might need to take out the switch and give the contacts a good clean! Anyone else know what it could be? Let us know what you decide to get, and post some pics in the Members Gallery :wink:

(Thread resurrection?) Has anyone ever considered (or fitted) a second stock intercooler between the boost return outlet and the charger, perhaps fitted on the opposite side of the car to the original unit :?: Figured that it might give a couple of benefits: i) boost is still recirculated so off-throttle driving is still efficient, mpg-wise, because there's less drag on the engine from the charger when the charger is not contributing to the engine ii) the recirculated boost goes through two intercoolers (original one after the charger, and the recirc unit just before the air re-enters the charger) so stays cooler than usual (so does the charger) iii) sudden 'enthusiastic' driving would benefit from cool intake air that's not being heat-soaked by a hot(ter) charger, compared to stock :D Downsides are: i) makes the engine bay more 'cluttered' :roll: ii) might be a lot of pain (time/cost etc.) for relatively little gain :( iii) would require some 'custom' (read 'homemade') piping and a second intercooler, all of which has the possibility of developing a leak... :x I wonder how much hotter the air gets from being compressed, and how much heat is picked up from hot inlet manifold/black plastic boost pipes in a hot engine bay etc... Maybe better insulation of the boost pipework would give better results than my ghetto twin intercooler idea?! :lol: Thoughts/opinions on a postcard please...

Not yet, have you seen house prices in Oxford?! :shock: :lol: Hmm, take your point, but would be spending 'coilie money' on a kit anyway - the B8 dampers + springs would be around 700 notes... I'd rather spend the money on a 'simpler' system that's higher quality than a setup that has lots of features I won't use (and the basic reliability/quality has been compromised in order to get all the bells and whistles in at that price point...) An extreme example to make my point, I know :wink: I loved the improved handling on my Audi, and apparently those Bilsteins and the H&R springs together are the canine's crotch-luggage! :lol: It'll be a while off yet though... :( Darned MOT :x

Finally got the brakes sorted late autumn, but just before Christmas had a 70mph bonnet release! :shock: :( See here for all the pics (don't want to upload them all twice...): http://www.the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewto ... 70#p748051 Anyway, got a new bonnet from mrbeige (thanks :wink:) and will get a new sunroof panel soon... The next big thing is the MOT due on the 13th, and I know it won't pass due to overfuelling and a bust seam on my exhaust's back box :roll: So, off to G-Werks again next Thursday for a stainless cat-back system and a serious retune! Hopefully on Friday will get an OE windscreen replacement on the insurance. Following the MOT, I will be looking at at respray in Satin Silver, and then some suspension options - Was getting a Bilstein B12 kit but they've discontinued it :( :x So instead will be looking at an H&R Cup kit (they use Bilstein dampers apparently...) or maybe Bilstein B8 dampers with H&R springs. I don't need coilover 'adjustableness', and really rated Bilsteins on my Audi :) Getting the ride height down would be nice too :oops: (And those BBS LM replicas in the Group Buy thread are awesome - at that price I'm thinking of getting 2 sets so I have spares 8) Gonna be an expensive winter! :lol: ) Watch this space... :wink:

Good point! It's hard work driving the car 'gently' while the new seals bed down - too tempting to give it some beans, especially if you've gone the chip and pulley route 8) So, the fewer trips before it's ready, the better! :wink: And like the man said, it would nearly be done by the time you get home! :D

Hey Jay2, How about removing your charger and posting it to G-Werks? Will save you a lot of time, and a little money (as Daz won't have to charge you for its removal or refitting :wink:) I'm sure there are other places that will do a good job of checking and refurbing your charger, but can't think of many - got my first G60 done at Jabba back in 2001 I think, but G-Werks did my new G60 last summer. Storm Developments http://www.stormdevelopments.co.uk/g-lader-refurbishment.html also do G60 refurbs but are not that much closer, being based in Reading... You'll have to live without the C for a week or so if you go the postal route, but I assume it's not your only car? Of course, you couldn't easily get the chip and pulley done remotely! But if it's peace of mind regarding the state of the seals etc. that you're after, and you can't afford the time and money to come all the way down to the coast for a couple of days, it might be the best option. Good luck with getting it sorted :)

Yeah, been trying to figure that out... :? :scratch: I noticed earlier that day the bonnet catch was stiff, so I gave it a good lubing with WD40 and was happy that it had loosened right up. However, it still managed to stick in the back (open) position later that evening when it really ought to have been preventing the bonnet from trying to take flight! :lol: Maybe I accelerated so fast that the inertia popped the catch to the back 8) :) No idea why the cable released the retaining pins, it all seemed so solid and, well, shut before :( :roll: Like CazzaVR said, at least it was an empty, straight road Edit: None of the slam panel or cable is corroded or broken, perhaps just grungey and got stuck in the released position?

There is one nick in the paint work just behind the windscreen's top edge - easily touched up I hope. Looking at the roof in the cold light of day, there are a couple of shallow depressions where the bonnet must have slapped down - barely dents, you can only see them when looking flat across the roof from one side... Hoping that they can be pushed/pulled out. That would also explain why the light cluster popped out of the roof and smacked me on the head. No broken clips so it went right back in again! Looking forward to getting her all sorted veeeery soon :)

Happy New Year everyone :D My wife and I spent a couple of hours today fitting a new(ish) bonnet and fogs: 01012008 small.jpg[/attachment:1ai3vnuz] Next up is a front-end respray and a new windscreen... 8)

"What I did to my Corrado (not quite) today"... just before Christmas I had a bonnet release issue at 70mph :( Thankfully there was no-one else on that straight piece of road and the only thing that got hurt was my pride :oops: :wink: Pics: Broken O/S hinge: 5722 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Mangled N/S hinge: stromlaufplan_gamma4.pdf5723 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Spot the fold! ETKA Corrado.pdf5724 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Screen impact N/S: stromlaufplan_gamma4.pdf5725 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Crumpled bonnet: Corrado92.pdf5726 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Screen impact O/S: passat climatronic wiring diags.pdf5729 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Front view (spot the emergency-tie-wrap-to-hold-it-closed-so-I-can-limp-home!): climatronic wiring-Golf from May 01.pdf5731 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Not the best fit ever... 2.8l 24v Climatronic system.pdf5733 small.jpg[/attachment:m64l5mih] Thanks to mrbeige, I now have a new, late spec bonnet in Bordeaux Pearl, so it's gonna be a two-tone beast for a few days until I can arrange a respray! Will fit the new item tomorrow and give her some dignity again :wink: :)

If it runs well and gives reasonable (ie. more than 20mpg on average) economy, then I wouldn't worry about it :wink: I noticed exactly the same a while ago when I was trying to check the coolant system - I was idling at the kerb waiting for the temp to get up, when my wife got into the driver's seat and upped the revs, then suddenly she floored it to the redline! :shock: Thankfully she'd checked that the oil was over 70C :) Anyway, on full throttle, the ECU deliberately overfuels slightly, and above 5k it goes crazy (to protect the valves), so I had a nice big cloud of black soot shoot out of the exhaust. :lol: Was initially very concerned until I checked here on the forum and had my worries allayed :wink: Apparently it's a common safety measure for sports cars. Edit: Perhaps I meant more than 25mpg on average...

The lambda probe (a.k.a O2 sensor) sits in the exhaust gases after the downpipe (and before the cat - where fitted!). You may be able to see a 4-way wiring plug down the rear laft side of the engine bay (looking in from the front), has red, 2 x brown and purple wires on the upper connector. The probe measures the amount of oxygen left in the exhaust and sends a voltage between 0 and 1V to the ECU, which uses it to adjust the fuelling, so that the engine does not run lean and overheat. This sensor is ignored by the ECU for the first few minutes after cold start, to allow it to clean itself, warm up etc. If the probe is dead, or the wiring is bad, the ECU will go into 'limp home mode' where it deliberately over-fuels because it can't detect how rich/lean the mixture is. This causes lumpy idle, poor economy/major fuel bills and grey/black smoke from the exhaust regardless of how hard you drive it... The wiring from the probe to connector and on to the ECU is relatively exposed (esp. to exhaust heat) so is a fine contender for cracking and other forms of dodgy electrical connection. Would be worth checking out - don't have all the details here so do a search for 'lambda probe test' or similar - lots posted elsewhere on here. Good luck! :wink:

^^^ And it only took five minutes... We had the wheel off as it sounded like a squeaky brake pad/caliper/carrier noise when I drove it on Saturday, but it became pretty obvious that it was a missing caliper bolt as soon as the wheel was off... Thankfully I had a few spare caliper bolts in my boot (left over from an almost total brake refit recently), so after a good smathering of copper grease on the runners and pad backs and one bolt later, it was sorted ;) Just glad to have been of assistance :D And the black boot carpet was a good trade too - cheers mate 8)

Update - the coolant system decided to protest at the newfound speed and engine power, and popped a hernia a couple of weekends ago, weeing coolant into the engine bay :( It was quickly and effectively 'barned up' with gaffer, a piece of plastic from a washing-up liquid bottle and a couple of tie wraps, but this was the third such fix to the hoses (two were made by previous owners). So, a Samco coolant hose kit order was placed with G-Werks (due in a couple of weeks now), and all-new 70C thermostat, plastic flanges and expansion tank are also lined up. Decided to sort out rear brakes in the meantime, as the pads were obviously not making good contact with the disk - scratchy rust spots at inside and outside edges. When removing the calipers last weekend, the bleed nipple sheared clean off one side (and the piston was well stiff too), so decided to replace the calipers as well as the disks... Ordered parts earlier this week from my local VW dealer and got 25% off (I asked about Parts Club discount), plus an instant surcharge rebate of £63 IIRC - no questions asked :D So, off to Halfords tonight for caliper paint and then we'll be fitting them tomorrow :) Will try to take some pics of the action too :wink: 8)

I get the impression that MOT testers will probably be suspicious of a post-'92 car without a cat, and could make life awkward. I'm not going to de-cat mine as the blowing was from a loose joint, not from the cat itself (and emissions from last MOT were spectacularly low thanks mainly to a new lambda probe). IIRC, doesn't a 4-2-1 exhaust system spread the power band so that the torque is shallower and wider (rather than having a very 'peaky' response)? Looks like the PG, KR and 9A engines all have that arrangement (from vagcat.com), or are the drawings incorrect? I'm no expert, so enlighten me! :wink: :)

Hi Steve, Was thinking about something similar for my '92 G60 as I thought I had a dodgy cat - from reading elsewhere on the Forum, it appears that it is illegal for a manufacturer to build a post-August 1992 car without a cat, but not for an owner to de-cat their car. As long as it passes the emissions tests without a cat (and most will), then you're fine :) But don't take my word for it, ask your friendly neighbourhood MOT technician or do a search on here for who originally said that! :wink:

I had my first Corrado at 25 (could just afford the insurance then!) and my second at 32. I really think that it is a classic, or is a 'future classic' as far as all non-VW-nuts are concerned! Anyone of any age can drive a Classic car and not look a little silly, so enjoy it for its feel and drive now, and for its looks and style while increasing numbers of people realise how lovely and unique it really is :wink: Ditto many comments above - I can't think of another car costing less than £35k that I'd rather have :D

I had a permanent 1/2 inch gap between the top plate and the suspension turrets on my Audi (fitted with Bilsteins), which got me an MOT warning from the local bog-standard garage :? but the re-test was at a 'performance tuning' garage and they said it was totally normal and nothing to be concerned about. :wink: And yes, occasionally (ie. too fast over speed bumps) there was a slight rattle. If you do find that the nut is loose, you'll need a deep-offset ring spanner (probs 22mm) and an allen key with a long padded handle (7mm I think) - I have both and can lend you them if you like :wink: You may find that the nut has been distorted into a more-oval-than-round shape due to the forces exerted on it - for that reason it may be wise to replace it with another single-use nut (eg. the Bilsteins had self-lock nylon nuts). A small piece of tubular scaffold is also recommended to extend the length of the allen key (to get extra leverage/torque), to stop the piston rotating as you tighten the nut, and may require two people to pull/push in opposition! :D If you don't get it sorted with A1 VR6 at E38, perhaps we could do it when I pop over for that carpet etc?

Hi Doug, Are you running a VR6 or a 16V? Both can be charged without too much difficulty, but it's good to know what you're starting with! :wink:

Cheers mate, will check it out... :idea:

No, sounds like a good tool to have! :) Where can I get one jonny5?

Yes I will :D Cheers bro!

Thought I'd start the Bank Holiday weekend with a little light work on the Corrado, so decided to start by swapping out the rear disks, followed by a full brake fluid bleed. :) Anyway, to cut a long story short the piston was very stiff when being wound back into the caliper, so I decided to open the bleed nipple to allow the back pressure to escape. Yep, you guessed, it completely and cleanly sheared off. :mad: So now I'm left with one completely duff caliper and am wondering what the best plan is to get my car roadworthy as soon as possible. Options appear to be: 1 - tap and die the remains of the nipple out of there and replace it (drilling it failed but probably because I don't want to cut into the original caliper thread), 2 - part-ex the caliper(s) with GSF to get reconditioned replacement(s), 3 - blow some cash at the local VW for new parts, 4 - 2 or 3 above, but get Mk4 Golf calipers instead of Corrado units. Advice? :?

Don't worry about your English - we understand the meaning :wink: But... I have to ask - what is the 'rebar' that you would have to hack to install the FMIC? :?

The Sealey tool did the job well - the piston was well stiff, and thinking that it might be a back-pressure thing, I removed the brake fluid reservoir cap. Not any easier to wind the piston in so I thought I'd slacken the bleed nipple, which promptly sheared off. Grrr. :bad-words: The piston turned out to be pretty knackered, and the nipple was a total lost cause, so will have to shell out for new caliper(s) :roll: Just trying to decide whether or not to go the Mk 4 Golf route... Never had handbrake issues before, so not an obvious choice from experience! Missing it already and it's been less than 48 hours since I last drove it...