joeyboswell

Forgot to update on this but anyone needing a mechanic in or around north / west london...I would defo recommend nando. From the sounds of what they have done they are pretty much up to anything. I've got a few more jobs in the pipeline and will defo be using nando and Bam Racing.

yeah i'm in two minds...I like to keep everything as standard as pos for now. so you don't think ride will be affected in any way?

nice one...just looks really noticeable when they're not on the car so I was wandering if it would look proper daft on a car on stilts like mine!

Considering getting some speedlines as one of mine has a ding. My current set have the usual 205/50R15 and the car is not lowered. The set of 4 for sale have 195/45 on the front and 195/50 on the back. The width is 10mm less so profiles will be quite a bit different from standard (nearly 15mm on the fronts). I'm sure it is fine to do this but would anybody not recommend this set-up. Will ride be compromised in any way? Will it look completely daft with standard suspension and will the difference from front to back be noticeable? What do yous reckon? Any pics of cars with this set-up? Anyone else got a set to sell?

Just dropped it off at Nando's home. He really is a boss lad so cheers for the heads up. He even offered me a lift home cos it was raining. Should be getting a few bits done and then I'll finally have a good mechanic in London!

I'm going to give Nando a call in a bit and if he can't help I'm going to torque. The old beast needs bits I've been putting off done like wheel bearings, splash guards, cv gaiters maybe, and a tiny oil leak but the most pressing thing is a scary noise it has just developed. I thought it might be a clutch bearing but it doesn't stop when I press the clutch...thinking it might be the engine now so need someone who can find the problem and fix it. Hopefully it won't be that bad but I'm preparing my wallet to take a hit. ---------- Post added at 11:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 AM ---------- Just spoke to Nando...seems like a top lad. Cancelled Torque and I'm meeting Nando about 3 miles from my house so it's worked out boss. Props to Lion and Abdul for the recommendation! Looks like I might have a good local mechanic finally.

nice one for the suggestions lads. i've booked into torque for saturday but after reading your comment abdul I might give it a miss and try nando. any more info on nando? is it a garage or a one-man mechanic? Wish I would have seen this earlier to try to arrange a drop off this weekend. Harlesden is even closer so I'm defo up for paying him a visit. My nandos loyalty card says I'm due a free chicken on my next visit so I'll see if he'll honour it. Cheers

Need some work doing on the old VR and I'm stuck in London (Golders Green...North West) with no good garages. I have dodgy wheel bearings so I don't want to drive far. Just rang up A1 it Stop in Barnet and they said although they do old beetles they are not well versed on Corrados so the time spent and therefore cost would be high. I went to Stealth last time and then my friend's garage whilst in Liverpool. Abdul recommends Torque in Enfield so I'm going to give them a bell now...their website is down so hopefully they haven't shut down. Phirm may be a little too far to drive but I'll keep it in mind. So boys and girls....any more suggestions? Cheers ---------- Post added at 12:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 AM ---------- Anyone?!

Yep...both got violet fever about the same time. Tell me about them being costly to maintain! I started doing DIY but have since gone to professionals. Still plodding on with it but it's not getting the TLC it deserves since being down in London. Love the look of the new beast though! Good look with it bud.

A few of the same symptoms as I have had....revs dropping, cutting out and not starting sometimes. Sounds like your car actually lost electricity fully, as mine did. It's hard to tell if it cuts out fully or just enough to turn stereo off for example. Have you lost power steering? I cleared my ISV out and that helped...sounds weird but it stopped the revs dropping, and car cutting out. The main culprit is the ignition switch though...I have a new one waiting to go on but I have fixed it temporarily by pushing the switch in more and lifting the key in the ignition a bit when it's stubborn. I know I have a slight drain somewhere and if i leave the car for 2 weeks it won't start. Don't know if this is anything to do with it. I get the same symptoms as you when I have let the battery run flat IN THE CAR...if I use the car and keep the battery topped up (through driving or charger) it doesn't happen. Weird ay? Anyone else got any ideas?

that's a shame. how come you sold mate?

Haven't posted here for ages! All is good in the world of my Ice Violet! After a few issues with the ignition switch (which I have bought but haven't fitted) and battery it is all good now. I invested in a CTEK battery charger for when I don't use it for a week or so and since then I haven't had an issue. Can't recommend them things enough for charging and as importantly, reconditioning them. Had another MOT which I got through no problem but got some work done anyway. I got two new wishbones and had the brakes unseized a bit. I'm holding off an any other work until I get the 288 and MK4 brake upgrade which I never seem to get around to. When I get these done I will fit new wheel bearings all round, splash guards and CV gaiters were needed. Car is not used that much these days but still gets me from London to Liverpool and back once a month without any issues. I'm considering getting a new windscreen and sorting little bits of rust around the windscreen but I think I can get the winter out of the way first. Car's still looking good...that good I came back to it to find the ultimate chuftie under the wiper: IMG_0619 by jonty oconnor, on Flickr

good work!!

Did you settle at £250 for a full set? I'm going to get my brakes overhauled (including 288s and mk4 rears) so may aswell get the lines done. I'm based in London but in Liverpool a lot and will probably get stealth to do the work. Any of these destinations best for pick-up / delivery?

Ages since I've posted on this thread. After a winter of uneventful driving and corrado ownership...finally got around to giving it a pamper today. Full wash, polish and wax and even new magic trees! Look like a rastaman with a red, yellow and green tree hanging from the mirror! Having issues with a battery drain but nobody can find it so I have to leave the battery disconnected if I leave it for over a week. Hopefully replacing the ISV and ignition switch next week and clearing out all the pipes, throttle body etc to solve minor cutting out issues. Also need to sort out a full brake overhaul too.

Car was fine for a year and nothing has been changed so it is a fault. I think it is intermittent as AA have looked for a drain twice and a good auto electrician said it was all fine. Now my clocks etc are resetting to zero all the time so there is definitely a short or something. At least the isolator will stop it going flat I suppose. I can't trickle charge it unless I used a solar charger. The dis-car-nect isolator cost £7 or so delivered from ebay so it is definitely worth having anyway...even if I need to disconnect a battery for any reason.

Got a slight drai on my battery. Had a couple of people look and said it is tiny and shoudn't cause the battery to die...but it does if left for a week or so. Replaced battery and checked alternator. Thinking of getting a dis-car-nect but want to know if I connect the fuse link (to maintain memory of radio etc) will the drain still be there or should I just fit it without the fuse link? Bored of getting flat batteries every time I don't use the key.

cheers. might cut down on the 4 letter words when working on the rado!

Update on my starting and cutting out problems... Picked car up from garage and it cut out at lights a few times straight away. After a bit of driving and a bit of red-lining it didn't do it again. Decided not to put the alarm / immobiliser on over night and the next morning it still had a bit of trouble starting...a couple of seconds before it kicks in (which has never happened). Drove London to Liverpool with no stalling at all (actually idling very nicely at 650) but put the alarm on after the drive up. Getting back in the car it stalled about 3 times at lights before settling in. Does anybody know what could cause this to happen and be worse when the alarm / immobiliser has been on? Nothing has changed in the car other than a flat battery. I'm thinking the ignition or the alarm / immobiliser now.

Garage it is at hasn't filled me with confidence. Straight away said to replace the ISV but with no reason so I have told them to clean it. They tested the drain and have put it down to the alarm / immobiliser, saying the drain increased drastically when the alarm was turned on. I've asked them to look into other causes (relays, MAF etc) and clean the throttle body but I'm not confident that they are taking it on board! I have had to remind them about 3 times to do stuff and each time they forget so won't be using them again. ****es me off not having the time to do stuff yourself and it being a daily.

belt and tensioner have been replaced and working fine. Haven't a clue when ignition and ECU relays were changed but will have a look. I'm stuck for time at the minute so I will probably have to take it to a garage and go through the motions of the car behaving when they look at it! Well cheers for the responses and hopefully it won't be anything too bad. Cheers

anyone?!!

Sorry for the new thread but I'm properly ****ed off and was hoping for some advise. A while ago I got a new battery because mine was dying. It has worked fine for about 2-3 months but the last fortnight the car has not been kicking in 100% on ignition. Today it wouldn't start so AA came out and tested it saying it was goosed and I had a small drain. After a jump I was on my way but cut out (including elec) on a roundabout on a motorway exit. Luckily I quickly started it and it played kangaroo for a bit (the ISV needs a bit of attention so maybe that). All was fine until off the motorway the power steering gave way and all electricity went off and then the car cut out (maybe I dropped revs whilst wrestling the steering!). Luckily it started again and worked fine. Anybody got any ideas what could do that. The car started again so it can't be that the battery was flat. In order to work out were I take the car to get sorted (garage, auto electrician ?) what do people think is the culprit? The drain? The battery? The ISV or something else linked to revs for the cutting out? All three? The annoying thing is I need my car every day to get to work and I'm moving flat in a couple of weeks so I need it sorted asap. Being busy in work and being skint doesn't help too!

http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=92039#p1060847 simoniz cheap stuff part of a 4 pack worked a treat for me.

I got some and did what the crap halfords stuff couldn't.