tony_ack

Schricks aren't in huge demand at the moment, and you should be able to pick up full thing (inlet, pipework, ECU) for about £750. Add about £400 for the 268 cams if you go second hand, but you'll need a new cam cover gasket and cam sensor trigger wheel. I got a remap for £350 a couple of years ago. So yeah, a pretty pricey way to go... but I'm glad I did it - the Schrick means the torque and power kicks in earlier down the range, and the cams smooth the changeover at 4.5k rpm. It pulls very well all the way to the red line. The results were max 212 bhp, which Vince said was a little on the low side, as he'd have expected about 215-220, but then again the engine has done about 230000 miles, so I can forgive it :-) I fitted the Schrick first in isolation, and it helped bring the power band down the range straight away without any other fettling, and you could feel the results instantly. My view is that it's quite a pricey way to go to get an extra 20-25bhp, but then that's just the headline, and you need to think about improved power and torque all the way through the range. It gives you a much more responsive car, and you can feel the extra power, but without changing the character of the VR6. If you're in it for out and out power, forced induction is more expensive, but will give better gains pound for pound.

Watching with interest as I'm currently opening the bonnet by pulling the cable with a pair of mole grips.

Hmmm... Couple of points here. The police don't actually need to check whether you're insured for mods or not. But there's nothing stopping the police telling your insurance company that the car is modified, at which point they're obliged to state that the insurance isn't valid if the car is modified (as the insurance cover is effectively void and the driver is breaking the law by driving without insurance). As to what constitutes a modification - I'd say that ANYTHING that wasn't standard on the car from the factory, or offered as an optional factory/dealer extra needs to be declared. It's a moot point whether an assessor would notice 288 v 280 brakes or uprated cams. Also means that's it's fine to go from, say, Speedline alloys to Solitudes as both were options, but not okay to go to BBS RCs as they we're off a MK4 Golf.

Think youre missing a bit of pipework too. There's also an isv damper but it is not essential.

A little voice inside me is saying that the grey one is for the ISV, but I don't know for sure...

Did you put the intake boot back on top of the metering head properly, and made sure the rest of the intake connections are secure? Have you checked for vac leaks? May sound obvious but I've made that mistake twice - once on the VR and once on my old MK2 16v :-$ Would also explain why you're getting no fuel. May also be worth checking the fuel pressure to the metering head on cranking to make sure it's getting fuel. If it is, and there is no fuel at the injectors then either your metering head has had it or it's getting a lot of false air somewhere in the intake and the air entering the engine is bypassing the metering head.

VW Heritage are UK agents for VW Classic Parts so anything located in Germany will have to be ordered from Classic Parts, hence the long delivery times. Anything they do have in stock is either new-obsolete VW or pattern (and usually they only stock air-cooled, MK1/2 Golf and Scirocco parts). Their pattern parts are of mixed quality but to be fair they do try to locate the best quality pattern parts they can, sometimes using the original part manufacturer. I've used them a few times and not had any issues, except the long waiting for parts from Germany.

30/35mm lowering springs won't make it feel terrible but there will be a difference over the bumps. I lowered the VR 30mm with H&R springs and Koni T/A dampers and it feels 'okay' but not as sublime as it did on standard suspension. To be honest, I think if the roads were in a better state it would be perfectly fine, but I do find myself steering around potholes and rough bits of road. The spring rates will probably make more of a difference to how crashy the springs feel, than the difference between 30/35mm. Replacing the rubber bushes/joints/mounts/etc will make a difference if the current parts are worn. Depending on how worn they are, they could make a massive difference. You should be able to visibly tell how bad your top mounts are by looking how high the top plate sits under the bonnet. You should also be able to feel for play in the track rod ends and the ball joints with the wheel off the ground. If you're doing the top mounts you may as well do the bump stops for the sake of a few quid. Worth checking the ARB drop links too. I can't remember if I used Lemforder before or not, so don't know how good they are. Don't forget to align the wheels (track AND camber) when done to get the full benefit. Oh, and I don't know if it will make a big difference in an 8v as it has a much lighter engine, but I upgraded to a solid front engine mount and it improved the feel of the front end A LOT.

So are you after better handling/grip/chuckability? Or better ride quality/comfort/bump absorption? Unless you throw serious money at it, there's a trade off between the two - improve one and you sacrifice the other (you can add stance into the mix too). 35mm lowering springs and 16" wheels with 45 profile tyres will improve your stance (subjective), may improve handling (you need a decent pair of dampers to match really), but make the ride quality worse. If you want to improve ride quality, then stay on the original suspension and fit 15" wheels with 50/55 profile tyres. Replacing worn rubber components should tighten up the suspension a little and improve handling and feel. A rear anti roll bar should preserve the ride quality and make the car a little less wallowy in corners. Up to you as to what works best, but unfortunately there's no magical cheap solution! BTW If you're working on a budget, all the rubber bits aren't super cheap if you get (recommended) genuine VW.

Won't a faulty crank sensor stop spark AND fuel?

I have a 95 VR6 and there are two connectors going into the ABS light on that iirc - you sure you haven't got the later type?

Another daily driver, it's absolutely fine as a daily car. It can get on your nerves a bit in the winter when everything in the cabin is rattling and all the windows are steamed up, but when the sun comes out you forget all that. I think driving it on winter roads does no favours for the underside of the car, though I don't think mine will ever be show quality and it's got lunar mileage so I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts. I've noticed that when I do lay it up, even for a month or so, it develops little niggles, which all disappear again after a week of driving. It's not very practical, but not really an issue for me as it's just me in it most of the time, It's not great on fuel, but if you're not so bothered about that, when you weigh up looks/handling/performance you probably couldn't get a better daily for the same money. Oh, I also used to have a MK1 A4 TDI as a daily driver but it bored the hell out of me so I swapped it for a MK2 Golf and put the Corrado back on the road.

Impact driver, hammer and suitable socket is a good cheap alternative to an air gun.

Right, time to head off to the petrol station. With a few lines, just in case the party gets started.

Switch it on and the switch should illuminate with an orange ring, like the front fogs.

The car remains yours until you accept the insurance company's offer for a total loss.

Some days you feel the car is really out to get you... I need to change the front left and right rear ABS sensors as they're causing occasional ABS light issues. It was a nice-ish day today, so I thought it was a good opportunity to tackle them. Besides, it can't take long to replace a sensor, right? Wrong. I tackled the rear one first. The bolt came out fine but the sensor was seized in. I tried pulling to out, and the sensor fell to bits, leaving the metal casing in the hub. After much hammering and Plusgas later it finally loosened up but then I must have pushed it through to the other side. Damn. So I had to pull the rear brakes apart to get at it from the other side. Finally got it out, reassembled the brakes and got the new sensor. But it wouldn't fit in the hole. The hole didn't feel too corroded, but I tried to sand it down anyway, but it didn't make much difference. I ended up snapping the bolt hole off the new sensor. I was about to give up but then I thought 'sod it, it WILL work'. I glued the sensor back together, dismantled the brakes again and got my drill out so I could widen the hole a little and get rid of the remaining corrosion. Finally, it fit like a glove, and I reassembled it all for the second time. Routing the wire wasn't the easiest thing to do in the world with the car on the floor, but was a walk in the park compared to getting the sensor out. But then I completely forgot how to remove the rear seats and spent a while battling with those. It took me nearly two and a half hours in total. The sun was getting low and I thought about doing the front sensor. It looked at the new part. I seemed easy compared to the rear one. How hard can it be? Then I saw sense and went inside. Nothing is ever easy on the Corrado. That battle can wait for another day. If I was doing this job again, I'd remove the discs immediately once I'd found the sensor was stuck. It improves access massively, and the exposed sensor gives your hammer something to aim at.

MK2 16v hubs are different to other MK2 ones. Not sure about G60 and Rallye but they are either going to be like the 16v hubs or different again.

As mentioned previously corrosion is a common problem, had it on my old Golf, exactly the same symptoms you described. Part of the copper wire had turned to green dust - as soon as I replaced the damaged part of the wiring and cleaned up it was fine.

As other people have said, can't say I've noticed any specific 'hatred' or vitriol towards me when I'm in the Corrado - just the normal level of impatience, ignorance of road rules and intolerance. I'm pretty sure most people don't really know what it is enough to feel 'threatened' by it. I get the odd racer (don't bite) but that to me is a sign of idiotic respect more than anything else. To be honest, I got a lot more attention - both chufties and from racers - in the MK2 than I ever get in the Corrado.

Shame you want to sell the MK2 - I didn't find them that bad money-wise compared to the Corrado. It could have had the touch up in Pearl Grey btw - the colour is very close to Atlas Grey and pearl grey replaced atlas on the later cars. I did exactly the same as you at the beginning of the year btw - swapped a working Audi A4 TDI for a MK2 GTI that needs a new engine!

The speed is used to calculate all three of those readings. If your speedo and mileometer are working, then the speed sensor on the back of the clocks is the problem. Not sure what it's like on the Corrado, but I'm pretty sure this was a replaceable part on MK2 Golf clocks which work in a similar way to early Corrados.

Quick Google search... http://www.remoteskeyrepairs.co.uk/replacementkeyfobs/keyrepairsandreplacementfobsgt_auto.php Also fob refurbishment on ebay. Unfortunately seems quite a rare alarm fob, and considering a lot of places are offering to 'refurb' them it looks like they're all in bad nick. So not cheap to repair/replace the fob, but much better to fix up the alarm you have, than to buy a new system, unless you're flush with cash.

Not sure if I'm being a bit thick (probably), but how many speakers are included? There are 6 in the Corrado - two tweeters in the dash, 2 x 5.25" in the door pokets and 2 x 6x4" in the parcel shelf supports. Which ones are being replaced? Also, the dash tweeters have cross-overs built in which is a useful thing to have as it stops the dash speakers from blowing when you turn up the bass and volume (as I discovered to my cost in the MK2, when I installed 3.5" speakers in the dash with no cross-overs) I do think that decent sound can be got out of uprated speakers and headunit, though from experience "4x50W" does vary greatly between different manufacturers and headunits and some hit distortion well before others.

Sounds like the factory immobiliser, definitely will be if you have no transponder in your key! The Clifford immobiliser doesn't replace the factory one - the factory one will still be there as they both work in different ways. The factory immobiliser immmobilises the ECU, and the Clifford will probably immobilise the fuel pump and ignition. Where's the main key for the car? If you never had it, how did you start it in the past? You could probably do with it. I think you can still get a new key from the dealer (not sure if they need reg no/VIN code or something like that?), but it ain't cheap.