Jim

Hehe.. I'll have to buy one of those from the dealership, and replace the badging on our works VW Transporter :D :D :D Don't think they'd like it an awful lot, but it would be funny :)

Thank god.. I thought someone had actually put wheels like than their 'rado - obviously desperate to get an SUV version or somethin! Glad to see it was just G60ING messing around :) I guess it depends on the alloy style, but 16's or 17's would be the biggest I would ever go.. but seeing as alloys cost so much, i'll be sticking with my 15" Estorils and getting em refurbed at some point or other!

Um - the Corrado badging on the back of my car is silvery as a pose to matched to the cars colour? But, I have seen quite a few VR6's with the Corrado lettering matched to the paintwork before - does anyone know why its so random?

Hm... I would be interested whats causing it as I get similar problems. Can sometimes pull quite strongly when I am slowing down to stop at lights, yet I know tracking and stuff are all fine - just had it done. I was told it could possibly be : Camber is out, Wheel bearings (ruled them out as showed up as fine on MOT), Suspension bushes.

I think its just one of those things you have to accept.. I have spent a lot more on my car that I had hoped I would have too, after just one year of ownership - but for some reason I just can't bring myself to ditch it. The Corrado is a funny thing - its a relatively cheap car to buy, and it doesn't exactly have earth shattering performance (ok, well, the VR6 is quite quick compared to most cars on the road!) but it costs a bomb to insure and run. One of the biggest gripes is one you have experienced - as they are relatively uncommon, mechanics dont have a lot of familiarity with them - and dealers are pretty anxious to get them off the road (they'd rather see you driving a shiny new Polo) so they charge a bomb for the parts. What you end up with is conflicting support from garages and dealerships - you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't! The only way you will feel any comfort is if you find a local 'specialist' who knows what they are doing. All I can say is, take some comfort in the knowledge that you are driving a modern day classic :)

Valver.. Cool - I'll check em out as soon as I come to buy :) And yeah, I'll see you around no doubt :D

I think its actually a different part. :(

Thats pretty good.. I can get up to 37 or so MPG if I cruise down a motorway at about 70/80MPH for some time, but general around town driving never sees me get above about 25MPG. And I seem to get worse fuel economy in this cold weather?

It is most definately worth hunting for mint & unmodified originals. They only ever made 500 Storms, so they are getting pretty few and far between. Expect to pay anything from £7,000 to £9,000 for a very good condition one - and make you sure you look for the specific Storm features (as lots of people try and sell VR6's as Storms, when in fact they are not). Storms should have as standard : * Red 'Storm' badging on rear of car * Red 'Storm' badging on centre console * Solitude six spoke alloy wheels * Leather interior (cream on Classic Green and black on Mystic Blue) * Should be either 'Mystic Blue' or 'Classic Green' colour. Good luck.. and don't rush. Plenty of people have ruined Corrado's by missing services and just thrashing the arse off em.. :)

How much do you charge for a full, fitted Milltek system on a 2.0 16v, just out of curiosity mate? :)

Will be a few months before I can afford an exhaust, but Magnex and Milltek are the two that I keep hearing about. I have been quoted for both Supersprint and Jetex by Stealth Racing, but I heard that Supersprints need continual tweaking and tightening (dont fit too well), and the Jetex is just a bit too loud. I dont want either of that.. just want a nice rumbly, well sealed and good quality exhaust. I will enquire at Halfords when I am down there next :)

Valver, Thats the one. Was just on the way to my sisters boyfriends house. The car is looking seriously dirty at the minute so thanks for the compliment :) I have been keeping an eye out for your car but if you say its off the road, then no wonder I haven't seen it :) And yea could definately link up at some point. :mrgreen:

Hm.. unfortunately I dont have any mechanic friends.. think i'll be going the normal route for getting a new exhaust fitted then :)

Andy, I think it helped that I was running on Optimax at the time. As far as I know, the car is basically standard - it could have been rechipped in its life at some point, but I can't be sure. A new panel filter is the only real engine upgrade. Mind if ask where you are getting your Magnex & how much its costing? As I have said, want a new exhaust some time this year - but Stealth quoted me for a Jetex but I have had a tepid response off people about that. Not too sure on the rolling road day - I'll have a dig through the archive and see if I can find it. John Munyard said he will be sending an email out when people can start putting their names down so...

Andy, Nice to see you made it to the forums mate :) Thanks for the opinions.. I am starting to get over the need to sell the car..

I dont mean to take the piss out of them really.. but what I don't get is why they bother... On the one side, you have the guy who puts a few stickers and a sports exhaust 'tip' on his car and then proceeeds to thrash the arse off it for a few months before it packs up. Then on the other side you get the guy who gets a 2.0 16v engine, Quaife diffs, new gearbox, suspension, etc... but at the same time its a frigging Nova, and for the money he has blown on that he could have bought a Toyota Supra 3.0i Twin Turbo, Corrado VR6, Celica GT4 - you name it. They are all affordable performance cars. I just dont get the Nova thing... :roll:

Just in case you end up sobbing : :D :D :) :) ;)

BTW - just did a hunt on Google and found this gem : http://www.roybacer.co.uk/ Look at some of the 'featured' cars.. I found one where the only modifications to the car were a 'cherry bomb exhaust', a Vauxhall sunstrip, and some 'Jap graphics' down the side. Quite what Japanese graphics have to do with a Luton based car company, I have no idea! :)

Haha.... Very good :) Though the Micra with the GT-R badge is frustrating.. he must have nicked it off someone at some point. I can imagine the anger on the face of the owner of a spanking new Skyline R34 coming out to his pride and joy one morning, only to find a few scratches in the paint from a screwdriver where that badge used to live!

Well I went over my cash flow and figures with the old man.. I think its just a matter of prioritisation as you point out Roddy (sweet Audi btw m8!) I already know I would seriously regret selling my car, and that is why I am so loathed to do it. Jobs due in the next few months? Due a good service at Stealth Racing around March time.. and I also really want to get a new exhaust system put on as the current one just sucks totally - plenty of rattles, squeaks, and the thing blows from just about every joint and seal! Mechanically, as far as I know, the car is ok - I think I have an occasionally sticking rear calliper, but thats not causing any big problems for now. Engine seems to be fine fow now. Though I do need to pick up some new proper OEM ignition leads - my cheap Hella ones dont have any way of getting the cars ignition reference sensor onto the cables.. not ideal leaving it off really! :) Then the rest of the jobs are cosmetic.. alloy wheel refurb, get stone chips looked at, get some scrapes on the sills painted up (from people getting in and out) and the car should look great again. Need to get a local lockup garage sorted out too!! Help keep it out of the hands of vandals and people who dont know who to park! Thanks for the advice chaps. :)

Lets get back on topic shall we! :?

I don't think she'd be up for it m8... sorry dude ;)

Believe me, I really really dont want to sell it. I am definately like you Andi - I had a crappy old Pug 205 before my C and I really didnt give a rats ass about it - but the Corrado was something I had wanted since I got my license, and when I got one, I bought it for the reasons you say. I love the car, I love to drive it, and I love the compliments I get and the conversations I can have about it (I think mailing lists and forums like this are proof enough! :)) Maybe stuff will work out soon - christmas has been tight, I am seriously overdue a pay rise that I have been promised for months and months, and I have a few niggling debts that I really want to settle. I do really want to hang on to the Corrado - as I said, the posting was just to get some ideas on value. Thanks :)

It pains me to admit it but I am fast realising that I just cannot afford to keep or run my Corrado. I really really like (love!) the car dearly but I am just way out of my league with it.. insurance is silly for what is not exactly a huge performer, the cost of parts and consumables is just driving me up the wall, and thanks to recent parking mistakes by moron drivers, I am just so sad of seeing it still needing repairs and not being able to do anything about them. There are jobs outstanding, and the fussy side of myself is telling me that they desperately need doing! I can't be sure that I am going to sell it, but I just want to get an idea of what its worth.. here are the details. Plus side : * Religiously looked after by myself in the year I have owned it - I have reciepts for around £1,500 including new tyres, battery, new windscreen (fix water leak), a big service, tappits, belts (including timing belt), 2 oil changes, and various little parts. * Washed and well looked after generally, both inside and out - I hand wash the car pretty much every weekend to keep it in good shape. The bodywork is generally sound condition - there appears to be no rust anywhere. * Seems to be generally a good runner - I have had the ignition system inspected on diagnostic kit a few weeks ago, and I have had the car rolling road tested a few months back (144BHP using Shell Optimax) - it all seems to be ship shape. * Loads of old MOT's and reciepts. Down side : * Not exactly got a FSH - if you were to patch it all together, you could roughly say it has a comprehensive service history, but it doesnt have the appropriate stamps in the book - I'd say its missing out on about 2 stamps. * A small but not awful scratch on the front left bumper - about the size of a packet of cigarettes. I have been quoted about 90 quid to get it put right. * Pretty bad stone chipping on front of wings and bumper - but it hasnt rusted or anything. Not really noticable from a few feet away, but pretty horrible if you look at it in bright sunlight up close. * Your usual quota of parking dents and random scratches which are the norm? * Some of the electrics and bits dont quite work inside - electric mirrors work sometimes, and the heater controls are a bit fussy - only lets me put the heat on the windscreen or footwells - any further round the dial, it just jams and wont go. The car is a 1994 2.0 16v, it has 86,500 miles on the clock, its in Blackberry Metallic - it has just passed its MOT and I am just about to tax it for another 6 months. What do you guys think its worth? I had really hoped it wouldnt come to this but there we go. Cheers.

Steptoe - "You dirty old man.." ;)