Portent

Ok, I finally wired these in today. It was easier than I expected and I ran a new connection off the back of the fuse box, with an in-line 20 amp fuse, as recommended. It worked first time and the car has lasted several hours without bursting into flames. So thanks fot the advice. Now my question... I don't need the ignition turned on to move the seats. Is this correct, or have I taken a feed off the wrong part of the fuse box? I had assumed that I would need the ignition turned on for there to be power. Obviously it only uses power when I move a switch but I thought I'd check if I've done it right.

A minor update and a busy weekend. Oily Bits Gearbox oil changed today, courtesy of floppyman. I know the gearbox has had some work on it in the past (invoice in the folder from a previous owner) so the oil probably didn't need changing. But it does feel good now and it's all preventative maintenance which is good. He found a slight oil leak from either the oil cooler seal or the cam sensor seal so that's probably the next job to get done. I hadn't noticed any oil on the floor but I'll keep an eye on the level until it gets done. It was also nice to hear floppyman comment on there being quite a few new parts on the car. Not being mechanical I had to take it on trust when I bought it (and looking at invoices of course). So it's good to know someone independant say the same. Interior Cleaning With a bit of spare time on my hands this evening I shampood the interior again. I only did it a couple of months ago but I've changed the seats recently. While they weren't dirty I just like the idea of it being clean and free from anyone elses dirt. It also makes the car smell great. Electrical Bits I replaced the mirror switch and drivers door handle for a slightly better condition one. The switch worked fine but one of the four LED's wasn't working when I bought the car. So I went hunting for a replacement. Bizarrely it seems to have fixed itself upon the threat of being replaced as all four now work on the old switch. But I swapped it out anyway as the LED's are much brighter on the 'new' one. I then found the replacement didn't actually move the mirrors so I stripped the whole switch down and cleaned it up, then greased the movement. It's perfect now and nice and bright :) And lastly... I finally got around to wiring in the seat movement. The family were out so I knew I had a good few hours to sort it out if it all went horribly wrong. But it was actually very simple. The only slight snag was that one of the movement switches didn't work. So I stripped that down too and cleaned it up inside. Again, it works fine now. So at last I can get the seat into the right position :D I have one question about the wiring still but I'll put that in a separate thread about them. And significantly the switch LED and the seat movement were the last two electrical items which didn't work 100%. So, as far as I'm aware, everything electrical works now. Happy days (how long will it last!) I'm starting to have tempting thoughts about tidying up the stone chips on the front of the car and the mirrors. So if anyone can recommend a good bodyshop near the Surrey area then it would be appreciated. Otherwise I'll probably go back to my regular place in Epping (I trust them completely, but they are quite expensive and not very near). I'm probably not getting it done quite yet as funds don't really allow. But as I get the other little things sorted out it's starting to nag at me.

Very nice indeed :)

You're screwed. Now you'll start spending loads on it. In a year you will decide to sell and get something more sensible/cheaper/reliable. Then six months later you will come back and buy another.Welcome to Crack Corrado addiction.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind I think it's due a Haldex change soon. It's done about 56k and I think it should be changed at 60k. So I may get back to you on that one.

Welcome to the forum. I always wonder how people don't find this place before buying. I know I did a lot of research into them before I bought :) Candy white... nice, any pics?

Another one to try: http://www.parcel2go.com/

Nice to meet up this morning floppyman. Thanks for doing the oil. I met up with him this morning and he changed the gearbox oil in mine. He did it at his lockup garage so if anyone else gets this done, don't expect full dealership facilities :D That's why he can only do the smaller jobs. But he's a really nice guy who clearly knows his way around cars and particularly the Corrado. He has both a VR6 and a G60 and rebuilt his VR6 engine himself a few years ago. So definitely a Corrado lover. The difference after the change wasn't 'night and day' because it was already quite smooth, having had some gearbox work in the last 6 or 7 years anyway. But it is certainly smoother now and I'm very happy with it. Would I use him again? Yes, definitely. While under the car he spotted and showed me a slight oil leak from one of the seals. So I'll probably be getting him to fix that soon. I may also get the gearbox oil on the 4Mo done as that has never been changed and I'm sure it would benefit it.

My mirror switch had one faulty led so I had bought a set of handles with a switch included from eBay. But despite the LEDs in the switch being much brighter it didn't move the mirrors. So I stripped the switch back down, cleaned it all up inside and then fitted it. It works perfectly now. I also really cleaned up the handle and it looks great. Ironically though my old switch has fixed itself and all the LEDs now work on it, albeit they aren't as bright as the one I've refurbished and fitted. So I have a spare if someone needs one.

I'm not as close to the market as I was last year when buying. But I'd guess the engine conversion adds some value so I'll suggest it is worth around £3k. It loses a little value for having low tax, faulty heated seat, no blower and needing a waterpump. And the ABS (which is an MOT failure) won't help either. You'd get more money for it if you fixed the issues of course. Especially in a poor market like today. But why do you want to sell? I've seen quite a few boomerang owners come back again so make sure you think it through. The issues probably aren't going to cost a huge amount to fix so maybe get them done and then think about it again? And if you still want to sell then put it up for £4k+ when they are done. I went out for a drive tonight after finishing a really crap week at work. It was dark, roof open, music on, kids in the car. It still felt special. yes it was noisy and rough compared to something modern. But it was special. It had character. I could have gone in the Golf but the Corrado is an event. Do you really want to sell?

I can't help directly but it would probably help some of the more nowledgable people if you could tell us what you're converting from... valver, G60, VR6? EDIT: Just looked at your other post so I assume you have a 16v?

Thanks guys you've finally convinced me to break mine for the profit :) (over my cold dead body!)

I've not been spotted yet either. I have Stealth Mode activated :D But if you think about the probability it really is fairly low nowadays. There are around 3500 on the road? Of those how many people are on this forum? And then take out the people who simply don't notice for any reason. Then add in the size of the UK. The only one I regularly see near me clearly isn't owned by someone on here unfortunately. But have patience, it will happen one day.

I vote OE silver too. Mine has been painted the same colour as the bodywork. While it looks ok and I'm sure makes it a lot tidier than a tired one, I'd definitely prefer it standard silver.

The Corrado is strong in this one, young Jedi :)

Well it depends how heavy the plates are and how much surface area you can use to stick them on. But it's worth a try as it will be less destructive than glue pads or screws. You'd be amazed how strong it is once fully dry. However your problem might be putting them back on after a show; the silicone does take a long time to fully dry.

I'd suggest trying silicone sealant from a DIY shop (the big tubes you use to seal around a bath - but get the clear version). Hold it in place until it dries a little. When fully dry a few hours later it will stick very well indeed. But when you need to remove it a firm prise away will release it and the residue will peel off.

I'll take the locking petrol cap please. Thanks.

That does look nice. Shame you don't have the funds to fix it.

Not mad on the colour. But would definitely have one for the rarity factor.

Well maybe the saving grace is it happened before the respray. I doubt the insurance payout would be much difference between pre and post respray. So it could have been a lot worse. Any idea what you would do now? Another Corrado or take a break? Once again, crap news :(

Please stop bumping this thread. My will power is ebbing :(

The big difference for me between spending on this car and spending on another is that (so far) I enjoy spending on the Corrado as I see it getting better with every little step. As mentioned by others, it's a hobby not just a tool. With other cars it's a chore spending money. For example the 4Mo had a couple of advisories on it's MOT this month. I'll get them done at some point. But with the Corrado I'd have already had it done. That may all change of course when I get faced with a big bill, of course.

That's not good :(

I'll probably take them all. Would you mind counting how many there are and I'll then make an offer as I'm not likely to be able to get to look at my fusebox until next weekend to check them. If anyone else desperately needs them to get their car running then I'll step aside for them as these will be going in a box of spare parts for future breakdowns :)