Portent

Thanks for the feedback guys. No clear decision yet. I guessed C5 OEM was going to vote chrome and OSV vote black as that's what each of them already have :D I'll leave the black one on there for a while and see how I feel in a week or two. Leaning towards chrome right now but that's probably just because it's what I'm used to. I like chrome on the back and have just replaced my faded VW roundel with a much newer one. But yes I also like the contrast of the black side trim and other black details against the paintwork. I see your point about black making it a more sporty look and considering the cloth interior in the car I think that's probably what I'm leaning towards too.

Is there water in the boot too?

Very nice. Welcome back. I love silver.

Thanks emu but I think I'll leave it. It's definitely a good price and I'll change the fog at some point. But it's a very small crask and, as it doesn't affect the MOT, I think I'd be better off putting that money towards other items on the car first.

I tried my black grille badge today but can't decide whether I prefer chrome or black... opinions?

Have pm'd you (not about the samcos).

Well yes. For example I bought my 4mo in 2004 when it was 6 months old. I think I paid around £17k back then. It's worth around £3.5k now I guess. So in 7.5 years it has cost me £13.5k in depreciation alone. It is one of the reasons I bought a Corrado as a second car instead of changing the 4mo for something newer like an R32.

...you're gonna see some serious **** :) Car looking great as always.

Wow. I'm not a million miles from you so will keep you in mind. Could be tempted by a gearbox oil change. I've been trying to find somewhere local that I trust. My local dealer is great but I suspect the only Corrado they have seen in the last 10 years is mine as I wander up to buy more parts, and my local indie did a rubbish job on my Golf so I won't use them anymore.

Well if you prefer a deeper red then go for it. As mentioned, I'd keep it standard colour. But at the end of the day if you think you'd enjoy the car more with a different shade then do it :)

Have fun :) Don't forget to open the widow and roof and find as many tunnels to drive though as you can.

Which relays do you have left? I may bag a few as spares.

Don't think I can make this one unfortunatgely. Too much DIY to do on the house tomorrow.

Good to know. Does anyone know what the bulb type is in the heater controls, and the LED's type in the mirror / window switches? I assume a bit of soldering would be needed there.

I've just bought a new mirror switch from ebay as one of the LED's on mine doesn't work. Unfortunately the new switch itself doesn't move the mirrors so I'm contacting the seller. However I did notice that the LED's in it were much brighter than the ones in my current switch. That got me thinking... would replacing all the LED's and bulbs in the switches and dials make it brighter? Everyone complains they are dim but could that simply be because they are old and at the end of their life?

I'm definitely getting hte urge to try a G60. But likewise I can't afford two Corrados.

Well he has options. Could break the car to fund a retrim of the seats, or just do an interior swap and sell the car on still with cream leather. Last option doesn't make as much money but is a lot less hassle :)

What was the reason for them suggesting a different shade? I vote for keeping it the right colour.

Currently trying to resist phoning. Had I not bought my cloth recaros a few weeks ago I would have been driving up there already. Sad to see such a nice car from a previous owner getting broken though. I assume that's what will happen just for the interior.

Easy profit there for someone. Or a free set of recaros.

Spotted these while browsing...http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3230663.htm

Well if it's the pump then they are expensive to fix if using new parts (Obviously much cheaper with used parts): http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?58255-ABS-Pump-Please-help-me-I-m-clueless! It's usually a sensor though (£40 for the part??). But I'd always ask myself the question why someone is selling it with an obvious fault if it was simply a sensor. The heater direction will be one of several things; the heater controls often break (now obsolete - £40 to £80 on the second hand market) or it could be faulty bowden cables (obsolete - not sure on cost on second hand market). The flaps in each of the heater vents are controlled by bowden cables that are pulled when the direction dial is moved on the heater controls. It's a mechanical movement unlike a lot of modern cars. So if they aren't moving then something has snapped or stretched. Common fault though. So let's look at it this way... * Faulty sunroof * Faulty ABS * Faulty heater direction controls * (possibly) retrimmed non-heated leather (also grey which isn't most peoples first choice) All of these are fixable at a price and are common Corrado issues. The car is up for medium to higher end money for a valver.

The sunroof issue is a common problem and is likely one of two things; broken mechanism (repair kit may still be available from the dealers but I think will need the roof trim removing to do) or the motor which is simple to fit but you will need to find a used one as I think they may be obsolete (worth checking with your local dealer).ABS could be a sensor (cheap) or pump or controller (not cheap). Keep in mind that ABS is an MOT failure.

To find the right car you will need to be prepared to travel. ---------- Post added at 03:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:57 PM ---------- That one in the classifieds that Jim linked to does look good though. Not sure if the leather is original and heated though (the doorcards look like they may have been retrimmed, and I can't make out heating controls on the dash - could be wrong though). So check that before travel if it's important to you.

Thanks. I will let you know in a day or two. The crack is only small on mine and I gather its not an MOT failure. So will have a think if I want to spend that much in it.