tony_ack

Not sure if it's right, but my maths instinct tells me that a three lane motorway with a 50mph speed limit would have a lower capacity in terms of maximum no. of cars per hour than a three lane motorway with a 70mph speed limit.

Hi Matt, Could you send some pics of the damage? Alos, let me know how much you would be wanting for the bits, posted.

bump for updated list..

Your missus obviously isn't a named driver on your insurance then..

Probably shouldn't have boasted so much about the sunroof... Headed to Dubfreeze today, and I had the sunroof open - it wasn't really sunroof weather, but it was warm in the car, and I was driving down some nice B-roads. After a couple of times opening and closing, including once on the full closure, I opened it again, but when it had slid fully open, I heard the relay click twice instead of once... I tried to close it again, and nothing! The relay clicked if I tried to open it more, and if I tried the tilt functions, but nothing when trying to close it. Then it started to rain too.. When we got there, I got the panel off (easier said than done - I butchered the screws with the flat screwdriver from the Golf's VW toolkit, as the screwdriver was missing in mine), and started to wind the sunroof back with the crank. Moved freely and easily. I then tried the motor again and it worked fine the rest of the way! How odd.. not really sure what has caused this, though I have a suspicion that the end caps on the rails were missing from the replacement sunroof - maybe this was the problem? Needless to say I have the sunroof closed since then. Not many pics today due to manky weather - just one of the Corrado and one of the Golf

You saw one more than me unless you can count your own? Quite a few MK1/MK2 Sciroccos though

Bump - no longer need the springs, but all other parts still needed.

I thought that for every inch you add in rim diameter, you add 1/2" to the ride height, assuming tyre width and profile are kept the same for the larger rim. If you go for wider tyres with the larger rims, but keep the same profile, then the tyrewall size will actually increase as the profile is proportional to the width of the tyre - I guess this, coupled with the increase in rim size adds up.

http://www.dpmperformance.co.uk/kw-variant-1-basic-coilover-suspension-kitbr-corrado-18-18-g60-20-28-vr6-29-vr6-0988-p-6939.html?zenid=db9b4ac0e22c48076f1babe8e0305490 http://www.kw-suspension.co.uk/coilover/products.php?vid=738 Only the galvanised versions though, not the Innox. The stance in your pic looks spot on to be honest, what is the drop on that? The cat guard scraping on the spped bumps has me a little worried though!

I appreciate the advice - it's a bit of a bummer that the OE shocks won't handle the springs (or more appropriately that there aren't any lowering springs to compliment the OE shocks). With the H&Rs only a 30mm drop, I thought there would have been a chance of being able to use standard height shocks without ruining the current handling or ruining the ride. I wasn't really looking for a massive improvement in the handling in the short term - just a slightly lower stance, however as I said, I didn't want to make the handling or feel of the car worse, which it sounds like it may be. I think the main thing was the shock (no pun intended) of the overall price of springs and shocks, especially given the KW v1s can be had for £550 for the galvanised versions. For the sake of £800 for a full set of springs and shocks, you may as well head for the V1s if on a budget - they seem to handle well from what I've read without killing the ride - or save that little bit more for the v3s if you're going all out. And believe me - I never try to modify (or repair) using cheap rubbish - I prefer to go for tried, tested and approved quality parts and try to get them as cheap as possible - there is a difference! I was hoping the springs and OE shocks would be a good comprimise, but obviously not! Is there anyone in Sheffield with KW V1s who would be willing to demonstrate what they're like?

Was probably Monday or Tuesday - just after 5pm, saw a dark red/purple VR coming the other way on Hellaby Industrial estate in Rotherham. Sounded awesome as it went past - I wanted to return the salute but the engine was still cold!

I see what you're saying, and I would normally hold out, but it's going to be 1-2 years before I can splash out properly. I've got a 288 brake setup to go on too, and the wheel alignment needs doing as it's had a new n/s ball joint and new o/s trackrod recently, so I may as well fit the springs at the same time as the brakes, then get it all aligned Bump stops aren't really an issue - I changed the rears a couple of months ago anyway and they were pretty straight forward. Luckily the suspension on all four wheels has been worked on in the last few months, so most stuff should come off easily. For everything else, there's Irwins and a big lump hammer

I was looking at a few options, and wanted to lower the car a bit cost effectively while maintaing the ride confort as much as possible. I looked into the much-discussed H&R/Koni combo, but it seemed very very expensive for what it was - about £700-£800 for springs and 4 shocks?!? Is this right? More than the KW V1s and only a couple of hundred quid less than KW V2s? Think I might just go for some H&R springs for now with the standard dampers - in terms of handling I'm guessing that this at the very least won't make the car any worse? How much do you need to take off the rear bump stops? I can live with a slightly wallowy ride until I can afford something better.

VERY PROBABLY going along in the MK2 and the Corrado, but don't know for sure yet

Deffo need to try the one in Dronfield next time I need dealer bits then!

Cheers Tom, I'm still interested in the dash, heaterbox and cigarette lighter/ashtray (unfortunately my clocks surround also has an LED hole!). Let me know when it's out. I'm heading to Dubfreeze on Sunday via the peaks, so may be a good opportunity to have a look/collect?

Do you have the dash? I'm looking for one in very good condition, with good screwholes. I'm also after the clocks surround, centre console surround, cigarette lighter and ashtray as long as they're good! Finally, I could do with the heaterbox if the levers are intact, and the gears aren't worn I can collect too.

Need a few parts: -Beige trim side panel from lower dash to door, passenger side -Beige panel from centre console to centre tunnel (under the gear lever surround) -Beige gear lever surround trim panel, preferably with Karmann badge, but not essential - FOUND -Beige handbrake cover -Black later style interior door handle surround, driver's side -Passenger door interior triangular trim panel (black) - (kind of like an interior mirror cover trim panel) - FOUND -Dash centre console cover - no broken clips or screwholes!

There is a connector connecting the pipe into the door to the pipe under the dash... it is just below the dash speaker. I pulled mine out by accident when swapping the door, took me about 30 minutes to find and reconnect it!

If you are running an upgraded loom you MUST unplug the dim-dip resistor, otherwise the dipped beam will come on with the side lights Same goes for a MK2 running an upgraded loom

The real work starts in a week or two I hope! I've heard good reviews about 288 brakes, and managed to find almost everything I need on one of the Golf forums for about £40 - hopefully these will arrive in the next couple of weeks. I gave the car a good wash and wax today, and I thought the speedlines really do look lost with the current ride height. Lowering is going to be one of my first jobs... I've picked up a spare set of speedlines with half decent tyres and put them on the car. The old tyres look pretty bad, and were wearing unevenly - probably because of the ball joint being so bad. Going to get everything aligned once the springs are swapped. I'm planning to refurb my Speedlines (myself) and get some decent rubber on them. Power upgrades will have to wait for now.. I foolishly forgot to take pictures of the clean car today. I've been driving around whenever it's not wet outside with the sunroof open... BECAUSE I CAN!!!

Ah yes - I was thinking of the rears! Plus I also thought at first you needed new hubs, but thankfully you don't :-)

I've also read that the 288 setup was also used on MK3 GTIs from late '95 onwards, so that should make second hand setups easier to find. Will the ABS rotors that are already on the Corrado fit on the 288 discs?

I'm still thinking about plans for the car. With the Golfs, I liked to keep them standard-ish, but I want to play with the Corrado a bit more. I still want to keep the looks though I'd love a set of 16" BBS RXs at some point... My first plan is to lower it. I don't want to comprimise the smooth ride, but it sits far too high. I'm thinking about getting some lowering springs - 30mm H&R seem to be recommended if you want to keep the original shocks, though they seem pricey. I've also heard you need to trim the bump stops, to stop the car riding on them? I don't think the brakes are bad at all on the VR6, so no plans to upgrade these yet. Engine side, a K&N panel filter, to start with, then possibly a Schrick VGI and upgraded cams, folllowed by a remap... all very pricey though! Also, it currently has the standard exhaust - I appreciate the quiet sound and don't want anything loud, though it would be useful to get something that breathes better (6-branch?)

The car wasn't without a few problems of course. There were a few bits of beigie trim still to find. The headlining had been trimmed in Alacantra - it was an okay-ish job, but not perfect, and there were still a few ripples in it where it had been glued on. The sunroof didn't work (I was told it was the motor, but assumed the worst anyway), and the passenger window also didn't work. Externally there was a bit of damage where they had tried to break in, a deep scratch on the passenger door, and loads of marks/dents/scratches across the swage line. There was also quite a bit of rust on the tailgate and a little on the driver's front wing. One of the foglights was cracked and there was a push button start installed. A good list to get stuck into, but the rest of the car was good. The front end was gleaming - it looks like it has had a spray on the front end at some point as the paint is perfect with no stone chips at all (I've checked and no signs of accident damage, so not sure why it was sprayed..). The engine is amazing. So tight, smooth quiet and torquey - I really can't believe it has done over 200000 miles. It burns clean and doesn't use any fluids except a tiny bit of water around a pipe going into the aux water pump. It runs a little cool, and I've never seen the oil temp over 105 (usually 90-100 on a spirited drive). So far I've done the following: Foglight Got a replacement for fairly cheap, easy swap! Push button start I looked at the wiring for this and connected back to the ignition switch. As expected, it didn't work. I couldn't really understand why someone would want to drill a hole into the trim and install a push button rather than replace a cheap switch. I ordered a new ignition switch, and managed to change it (after butchering the old switch to get it off!). Works fine now Beige trim Struggling to find this - I keep scouring the classifieds and even eBay but nothing yet. A few overpriced items, but £125 is too much for a gear surround. I got a black boot carpet to replace the grey one left over in the car. Aero wipers I didn't believe the Corrado wipers could be as bad as people said they were until I drove the car on the motorway in the rain! It had to be changed as the car is a daily, so I went for the TT wiper conversion. I also got a VW aero wiper for the rear so it all matched. I'm not fond of the style of the wipers, but they work Sunroof, headlining I made an attempt to get my sunroof working with a new motor. It tilted, and didn't slide... typical. I tried winding it back by hand, but then felt a 'snap' as the cable guide broke. I closed the sunroof the best I could and unplugged the switch so it couldn't be used. I managed to pick up a second hand classic green sunroof panel and mechanism for quite cheap (and free motor, and switch, and cover, and headlining - cheers Phat!), but it seemed to stick a little when sliding back. I decided to dismantle the whole mech and clean it out. Wasn't too bad, but the 'fur' on the cables took a while to remove. I put it all back together, and sprayed in endless amounts of white grease. The cables were aligned, and the panel now slid back and forth freely. I then set to work cleaning the headlining using some Biobrisk and a damp cloth, and it came up a treat! The big day finally came to fit it all - dismantling the old sunroof and removing the headlining is easy if you work methodically, and it was out in about 30 minutes. Then it was a case of installing all the new stuff. Before the headlining went in, there was the moment of truth... Testing... and it worked perfectly with the motor! Took me another 15 minutes or so to align the panel properly and a little while more to get the new headlining in. Looks much better now! Passenger Door I picked up a replacement door in classic green, complete with rubbers, glass and working mech. It had quite a few light scratches so I gave it a good polish before putting it on the car. It's definitely a two-man job to replace the door, but foolishly I pressed on alone. Got there eventually though. Looks good now, though I still need to adjust the striker pin a little. I think I need to redo the weather seal though Tailgate Got a replacement one of these too - the old one is rusting around the window seal, and under the spoiler. Not fitted yet - theres a bit of rust inside the tailgate that needs treating first. Rear brakes It went in for a service and I was told the rear brakes were shot, as were the wheel bearings, and the handbrake was lousy too. I got all VW parts, as the discs weren't too pricey. Took me a day to do, but not too bad in the end once I had pressed (hammered) in the new bearing races. Also did the bump stops at the same time. One of the handbrake cables had got stuck in the guide sleeve, so that took a lot of huffing, puffing and swearing to get out. Front suspension The lower n/s ball joint was pretty bad, and got steadily worse. I was also told the inner track rod joint was worn on the o/s and a wishbone bush had split. I got the garage to do this as I didn't fancy tackling these in a cramped lockup. Much better now