James.

Hi Steve We'll be in for this. What time at the services ?

Thanks Paul. I'm chuffed to bits with the result if I'm honest. Just about to blow in a second coat and build up any relevant areas. Then it's off to VW this afternoon for an order of clips / screws / brackets / blanks excetteraaah exceteraaah ! Just had a quick bash with the heatshields ( wd40 and a metal bristle wheel ) and they're a lot better than they were. Think I'll give them a high temp coat though. Dont fancy taking them off again in a years time. And lastly yes. Cavity wax will be the life blood of this machine once finished. Dad uses Waxoyl. Which one do you reccommend ? I've heard stories of some waxes literally pouring out of the car when it gets hot ?

So then, where were we ? Ah yes, I was telling the tale of lying down on the garage floor, underneath the old motor for three days. Well, in between drifting off and dreaming of rolling the old girl out once more, I actually got a bit of work done. Received the brushable underseal and set to work, giving the underneath a well deserved 21st century refresh. After being quoted £20 a tube for the VW stuff I did a bit of research and came up with some underseal from a company called Indasa. It's grey and comes in 1KG tins. I bought three tins for £30. It's quite thick going on, but not un-workable. I added a drop of solvent later on, as todays heat was causing it to dry out quicker than I would have hoped. Glad I opened both garage doors though, as it was causing quite a dizzying effect. Weeeuuw !!! I'll give it a second wash over on Friday but so far I'm wearing a big grin as I feel I'm quickly reaching the tipping point where all the parts start to get installed. Here's a couple of before and after shots:

Sorry Dave. Foiliage cover needed as per picture, not the seal. Ping me some images if you change your mind about the heat shield and window seals. I'll sort the pound notes out with you at Harewood. Thanks, James.

Hi Dave If available, I'll take: Inlet fan foilage seal. Powder coated splitter support bar. Powder coated bonnet prop. Pay for them at Harewood ? Also, have you had the tank off yet ? Looking for a very good condition heat shield. The one that is shaped like and sits in front of the tank. It's held in place by the tank straps. Will need to see it first. Lastly, looking for a pair of very good, straight window outer wiper seals.

Good spot David. The engine is indeed the later ADY engine from the Mk3 Golf cabriolet and Seat Alhambra. I've no experience of the 2E engine, but judging by others feedback, they seem equally well engineered. Yes I read your thread recently and thought the same. Funny how things work out. If you haven't installed a new ignition switch before, then I couldn't reccomend it enough. The difference between the two of mine was like night and day. And considering they're on £27, it's a no brainer. I'll be doing the timing belt in a couple of weeks. Should go okay. Anything you could suggest to keep in mind as I've yet to do one on this engine ?

What a difference the front suspension overhaul made to the steering. It's transformed. I had to replace the track rod ends as they then became the "weak link" up front, but that's no hardship. Sent him off for laser camber/tracking alignment last Friday which once more helped no end. Saturday I set to giving him a good going over (read: battering with the Harley wax) in preparation for VWNW at Tatton park on Sunday. I love this show. Really laid back, lots to do and see. Friendly people and great cars to get power from. Loaded the car up the night before, parked him in the garage next to his sister and set off for VWNW at half seven in the am. We all had a great day (Oscar got inked up as well) and encourage anyone wanting a great show day out to mark it on their calendar for 2013. Fingers crossed we might be back in the Campaign by then.

Some great shots there folks. Here's my (and Oscars) offerings. On a side note. With the exception of my 8 valve, all the Corrados on the stand were VR6's. I was also flanked by blackberries... ...but we won't go there.

Tres bon. The second shot makes the 8v's paint look almost presentable. I'm a massive fan of your D90's, but keen to see the new rolling stock. How did you get on with your under tray ?

Indeed it was a great day Chris. It flew by. Didn't get chance to chat with everyone, but as it seems most will be at Harewood in a couple of weeks, I'll see you all there. Weather wise was bordering on perfect. Just as we crossed the Thelwall the heavens opened and we were greeted with a great lightening show. I'll put some pictures up in tomorrow. Anybody else care to share some ?

Did I see this at Boddelwydden castle just before it went off the road ? If I did I'm sure it's my late friends old car. Fair do for having a go at the g-lader and congrats on the MOT pass.

Buy it from VW. It's not dear.

Not bought any for years but you used to be able to buy a mixed bag of about 50 from VW. Failing that, I once popped the key in and filed down the ones that stuck out. When I pulled the key out, some of the others popped out. It was a quick cheap fix for a friend. Seemed to work okay.

They are an awesome bit of kit. The conversation has already been raised about one for school. And by speaking to others in education, there's a few of them out there already. The days of the lathe are numbered.

Like the Harlequin and the K plate Mk2. The Matt black Corrado i'll pass on that thanks.

Rain it is then ! Tatton has always been kind to us over the years, so here's to praying.

All I can say is to keep the BI with the keen eye on side. Neighbours may have had different inspectors (their attitude to actually building, not just best practise can differ wildly). Personally, I'd chop the bush out, get him round again and put the kettle on. At the end of the day, if that's what the BI wants, then that's what he's getting. Cost doesn't even come in to it. Hope you work something out either way.

Don't fret Henny. All good things come to those who wait. Just spent all afternoon cleaning and priming various random pipes / brackets / parts. Feel like all I do is wash, wire brush and set aside bits at the moment. It's a bit of a double edged sword though. I can jump out of one job and into another if I feel it's wearing me down. On the other side, I feel like there's loads of jobs still left to do and none of them are finished (some are finished, I just feel that way). Anyway, the brushable underseal should be here tomorrow. Zinga all the scabs. Dab in with a bit of seam sealant and hopefully should get the underneath finished. Famous last words...

Welcome to the North ! Seriously though, pack the cagoule and even if it all goes pear shaped you can always seek refuge under the trees. The roads can get choked round there, so earlier the better is my 2p. See you all on Sunday.

The gates open at 7pm for display/trade type people. You not on the club stand Steve ?

They're not the worst things to look at now are they. Really like the body colour split rim polished bolted neo retro corrado a-go-go type of thing. Fancy a "dress up" set like this for the VR. Don't fancy the hours of polishing though. You rocking the au-natural alu look or having the outers anodized ?

Thanks for the tip Judith. That'll come in really useful when the repair gets underway. When I chopped the grot out, a hand full of dirt/ sand/ grit fell out. It's obviously been building up over the past few years. Kind of ironic that I bought the car because it visually didn't have any rust and hadn't had any paint ! And what with the comment about OSV needing the same job, guess it goes to show that even the best cars aren't immune from the red devil. She's done 175k and was used as a daily hack before I bought her, so guess I can't complain too loudly ! Getting quite excited now. Once the underseal is finished, I can start building her back up. All those lovely P/C parts to be bolted back on. Really want to spend everyday on her, but as is the way, I have to earn money for the shiney new trinkets. Note to self: work harder to buy more bits.

So long as the loud pedal works, you can resolve the faffy fixes along the way. All the upgrade boxes have been ticked as well, which is always great to see. Welcome aboard.

That's fair enough. I always gave shows a swerve, but found myself at them with the family anyway. Thought we might as well get good parking and miss the queues if the opportunity is there. Cleaning the carpets really does give you a sense of achievement. Especially when you see the colour of the water when finished. Replacing the sound deadening is also a yes. It makes my stomach turn just thinking about the smelly horrible stuff that's chucked out. Sorry to hear about the accident. Hope it all gets fixed up soon enough. PS: Westwoods are a cool wheel anyway.

I guess this really is a common rot spot. And what's a rot spot not ? Annoyingly the sheet steel and welder is in work. And seeing as we only broke up last week, I won't be back in for six weeks. Might have to sneak in next week as looking at is driving me crackers. Expanding foam and filler ? Joke !