James.

Don't mind at all. No, that's not me. But I do have one. I wondered how long it would be before we were mixed up. Must be something in the name and the car.

That's the most important bit. When I started mine (many moons ago) the intention was to make it "as new as possible". Then I thought to myself, If I make it "too good" then I'll either never drive it or leave it unattended. So I set about cleaning/restoring it to a drivable standard (Clean, tidy, 12 months old kind of look). Point is, everyone has a different level to which they want to restore a car. The important thing is to enjoy it. Additional things to remember for paint: 1, Fuel filler flap. 2, "Corrado" script badge (if it was colour coded when period correct - Pre Aug 1993. Or even if you want this anyway, as silver badges are getting hard to come by in decent condition ) 3, Bumper edges (wheel arch and bottom leading edges) 4, Slam panel. NB: Keep a small pot of the mixed paint back for touching up. As for the rust on the powdercoated parts. Neutralise it with something like Jenolite or POR19 and touch it up before it creeps. Get yourself some spray cavity wax and fill the inside spaces of the underside parts. I bought a bunch of cans from Wurth, which is thin enough going on and then firms up to a thin layer. Once you get the car back, book it in for an MOT. It then gives you a deadline to work towards.

Poor thing, being left alone in a dark room! Seriously, great to see a new build thread. Hopefully your idea of “taking my time” is different to mine (currently up to nine years !)

That’s the puppy. It was just a marketing exercise by the looks of it: Blackberry metallic and a leather interior. Plus that all important “Exclusiv” label (but without the badges !)

Oooh an Exclusiv. I have a German brochure for that. Shame it’s a lefty.

Thanks for all the advice all. Certainly lots to read up on. Sorry Chris, you can have your thread back now.

If you don’t mind that would be great. It looks like the original is still on the car, so it wouldn’t make sense to replace the system, without at least considering the cat.

Thanks Chris. Thought I remembered you having one before. They do look very clean and well finished. What’s it like at cruising speed on the motorway ? Have you any experience of their cat replacement as well ?

Plenty to be getting on with then ! Have a look at the spoiler sooner rather than later though. The spoiler mechanism may just need a clean out and lube. They can get a little stiff if left unused for a length of time. The friction then causes the motor to overheat, with subsequent stuttering from the cables binding in the housing. End result, the motor starts blowing fuses. The spoiler is a swine to remove, so if you can fix it and avoid extracting it then all the better.

Thanks all. The last stainless system I purchased, was from a local company called Blueflame (18 years ago) for my first Corrado. It was great quality, but droned a little bit too much for my present tastes.It also knocked on the rear beam a little when loaded up. As OE as possible is the objective. Ah yes, Miltek. That’s the other brand I was thinking of. I’ll have a look at them as well. Chris, if you’ve any input on his subject, I’d be keen to hear it.

Wow, that’s safe ! It amazes me the lengths some owners (and that goes for owners of other marques as well) will go to, with oddball repairs. When I bought the VR, under the steering wheel it had a toggle switch to disable the alarm horn. Yes, please. More if you have them.

Nice exhaust Chris. I’m kind of out of the loop regarding stainless exhausts. But what makes this better than say, a Jetex system ? (Also recommended). I’ll be in the market for one for the VR very soon (once it’s up and running). So I’m gathering as much information as possible (would like an exhaust that is pleasant to drive on the motorway and doesn’t drone. If that’s possible).

The tabs can break if not removed carefully. And they never stay put after that. Any Corrado from 1993 on will have these. So fire a want ad up either on here or even better, reach out to a breaker on FB.

C’est magnifique. And Porsche wing mirrors as well. What are the other jobs ? (doesn’t seem much from this angle). Tres bon.

Care to elaborate ?

Cheers. I can just about order a weisse beer in German, so copied the text into google translate. Standard seats was the outcome. No trouble. I’ll take the old one out and see what I can do from there (sure I patched it up years ago). It’s not hard making a new foam up though. Just a faff ordering the foam and the time shaping, when I have loads of other jobs on. I’ll update the thread as and when it happens.

What’s the word on lower Recaro bolster foams ? Before I start making my own, anyone found a suitable replacement and/or solution for those saggy sides ?

I tend to agree, never seen one of those before (neither the VR or 8v has one either). Bracket for aftermarket cone filter? Certainly worth holding onto, should the need arise. Regarding paint. Did you use any particular paint,undercoat,primer ? I’ve had issues with paint chipping real easy. Always curious what the home sprayer uses ?

I see. Shame you can’t shorten the mounts to reduce the overall height of the block.

Stock’s the way to go. Will you have to modify the bonnet ?

Looks great. And certainly not out of the realms of the home enthusiast. Tried this myself a few years back, with mixed results (chunky stuff great, delicate items not so much). Arm and hammer soda crystals and an old battery charger was what I used if I remember. Love the use of a wheelie bin though. You told the council yet ?

Being the proactive bunch, the residents are. I would imagine the answer is yes. But has anyone measured a set to see if this can happen ? I fancy a new set of front seats, but would prefer to travel down the OE route. The frames I can manage. But if their too wide/tall etc then it’s a dead duck to begin with.

So what’s the deal with Ford Recaros not fitting ? Too wide/high/american ?

Completely forgot about updating the thread. Which is a shame as a lot has happened since last time. Spent mornings, days and evenings, tidying up, painting, cleaning, wire brushing all the bits that need to back on. And then fitted em'.

Not seen one for a very long time. In fact the last one I saw (in any form) was the one featured on the cover of Autocar. It came up for sale about 2008. Was in Blackpool and was in really rough shape. I had my eye on it, but as much as I wanted a press car to add to the family, it was just too far gone. In fact, If I remember the advert correctly, his wife bought it for him as a project off ebay. Once he saw the state of the cills/arches he fell out with the idea (It certainly put me off). It was also a time when early 16vs (without an MOT) were changing hands for £300+. And ones in good order £1000+ So not much interest in putting the effort in. Running a check of their regs in the MOT checker looks like they've all been SORN (broken for parts ?) for at least 6 years.