Stonejag

I would have thought the numberplate was worth more than that? :shrug: Not to my taste at all. My gf has a Mk1 Cabrio - it's cramped and noisy with crap handling - don't imagine this would be too different. Yes, the VR will make it quick but it's not exactly pretty and your back will thank you in the long run! Stone

It's all in the stickied post immediately above this one ;) (link) The mk4 calipers are less likely to seize on because VW redesigned the handbrake mechanism. Should just be a case of taking the old calipers off the carrier, swapping the new ones onto the existing carriers and using Goodridge conversion hoses to hook them up. Probably a sound longer-term investment but I don't see much point unless your calipers are already sticking - I'm only doing mine because the rear beam has to come off to do the bushings and wheel bearings... Stone

Exactly what mine was doing (N-reg so 1995 manufacture). On mine one of the end wires had got metal fatigue and fallen off - the previous owner had fitted a cone filter without any mounting bracket, so its weight was making the MAF bob up and down and the connector suffered. I tried to get hold of a connector off a car being broken but it turns out there are at least two types and I'd got the wrong one. To fix it in the meantime, I cut into the back of the MAF connector with some side-cutters until I exposed some of the wire and then soldered the loose bit of loom back on, with a bit of heatshrink over it to stop it getting wet. I keep meaning to sort it out but it's still holding up fine months later! I can take some pics later if it would help? Stone

D'oh, I thought you meant the engine didn't fit! :bonk: Think I'll go and have a lie down...

Can open, worms everywhere :lol: Go on then: what's the difference?

Just had a look at its ring (:camp:) - it fell over the dipstick tube when it snapped so at least I didn't lose it! It's worn almost flat but it looks like 021 115 611 - from this it looks like that's the early one, isn't it? My engine number is ABV0013403 but I think that's a transplant as the vehicle check I got before I bought it says it was built with ABV017711. Stranger and stranger! I haven't got the guide sleeve either :shrug: Stone

Very nice car :thumbleft: Don't suppose you've still got the carbon VR6 cover? My plastics have gone all crumbly and that looks great! Stone

Just a quick question: do the AAA and ABV engines use the same (length) dipstick? Mine's snapped in half - quite fancy a gruvenparts billet one but they're built for the AAAs that were fitted in the States. Same part, or not? Cheers :) Stone

Wow, lots of good work going in here! Don't forget to check for rust under the spoiler - water sits in there without draining, and once it's visible between the spoiler and tailgate you have a huge bubble to sort out! Mine's too far gone for DIY, going to get it done along with all the other bits before a full respray sometime next year :) Stone

Had to do some night driving in a hire car with tinted rear screen once, it was a nightmare! I can understand why people would want them the same all round but why not keep the fronts legal and then match the rears to them? Having heavy tints just gives bored plod a reason to stop your car and find all the things you haven't got around to fixing - plus if you have an accident the insurance may decide you were at fault! I'd think about getting a windscreen with sunstrip if I ever need a new one but that'd do me... Stone

Whoops, sorry! IPA also stands for isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol), aka rubbing alcohol. Makes a great all-purpose solvent and degreasing agent for when soap and water don't cut it :) Stone

THe police documentaries just show them tearing it off in handfuls! (only for the front windows though - you're allowed less tint than on the rear windows so they catch people out more often). For the back I'd just go slowly and try to peel perpendicular to the resistive elements so they don't get pulled away. IPA is good for removing most kinds of glue and will leave it streak-free. Stone

I'll definitely have the leather handbrake handle if all the stitching's still intact (did they only come in black?), and the heater controls if fully working. If nobody wants the engine loom in the next few days, any chance you could cut the MAF connector off it for me? I'm also after the two speaker grilles from where the windscreen meets the A-pillars but you may want to sell them with the dash. What wheels has it got? I should be in Reading at the weekend so I can come and say hello :) Cheers! Stone

Anybody got a set of 16/17" wheels with decent tyres on going cheap? Flat tyre yesterday (and flat spare too :bad-words:) so I'm now running on the space-saver, but even after I get new tyres my alloys are badly in need of a refurb so it'd be good to have something to run around on for the winter and while the refurb happens. Need to be 16" or 17" so they fit over the incoming 312mm brakes :) For winter wheels just a set of steelies would be fine, but feel free to tempt me... edit: forgot to mention: VR6 so 5x100 please :) Stone

Go on then, who did I just follow into Rye in X*** XKX? :)

Heading into work this morning I spotted a red Corrado with black/carbon bonnet on the B653 Lower Luton Road (airport end, near the sewage works) at about 0820. I've seen it before near Parkway station but not while sat in mine before! Looked early-spec but at a closing speed of 80+mph I didn't get much of a chance to inspect, wave or beep. Hello if you're on here :) Stone

It's not like it's very accurate anyway! I blame the long stretch of 50-limit on the M1...

Mine had the same issue (leak from bottom of radiator under pressure, fixed with K-Seal, amazing stuff!) but also a faulty radiator fan switch and possibly yellow temp sender (now replaced). With the leak it wouldn't warm up at all, after the leak and new senders it gets up to 95-100 sitting in traffic and drops to 65-70 when cruising so it's pretty obvious my stat is stuck open or missing. I would have thought it was the same thing with yours and you've disturbed something that's jammed it. Incidentally my fuel consumption has improved by about 10mpg without the leak, got 36 the other day :D Stone

The lock barrels get filled up with crap, especially in the boot lock (the aerodynamics drag road dirt into it). I've not had many locks apart but almost all of them have had one or other wafer seized - if you can get the key all the way in then it's probably one of the back ones; if the front ones are jammed you won't be able to insert the key any more. I got my boot lock working again by sticking some WD40 in a jamjar and soaking it for a week with a shake about every couple of days - then I was able to gradually pound out the stuck wafers enough to get the mole grips on them for removal. Alternatively if they won't shift at all you may be able to nudge them a little get them stuck in line with the lock barrel - they won't contribute to the locking mechanism and depending on the shape of your key you may not be able to get it in any more, but on mine I was able to sacrifice the end one and have it still work. An automatic centrepunch (with a steady hand and a vice!) works quite well at moving stubborn wafers, you need something to give it a sharp tap to get it moving. No real advice other than lots of oil and patience :) Pretty sure you can still get replacement lock barrels if it's not happening. Stone

I was looking for the selector cover a week or so ago. There's one in Edinburgh (Wayside VW? I'll dig the number out for you when I get home) but brace yourself, list price is around 170 quid! I asked them if they'd do me a deal and they'd only go to £145 ex VAT so I decided to make do with my one :bonk: The part number is 536863209J 4FB for the black one, substitute 4YV for light beige or 9DK for platinum. fla printed his own replacement legend for the plastic bit so I'm going to do that on mine - I assume yours is peeling off since that's the standard fault. I also replaced the light that tracks the selector position with a 10mm LED as the bulb holder and cover on mine had been snapped off and clumsily replaced by soldering a new bulb direct to the leads...shout if you'd like any pics. Don't forget to flush your ATF if you haven't done it yet, it makes a massive difference to how smoothly it shifts! Instructions here. Stone

Yep, sorry, mine's a VR. Also would have been a much better deal if I hadn't already bought new bushes and bearings...! Thanks anyway though.

Need to sort out all the bits for an all-round brake upgrade - a rear wheel bearing's gone along with the beam bushes being perished so it makes sense to do everything at the back at once while they've got the beam off. While they're bleeding those they may as well be bleeding some new fronts too... So I need some mk4 rear calipers (with or without pads but I'll need good seals) and some 288 fronts with the carriers. I'm happy to sort out all the hoses, pads and discs, just need to crack on and get everything in one place :) Cheers Stone

I've got a sunroof motor that works, but it's a bit noisy. Probably just wants packing with new grease and it'll be fine. £20 posted? Stone

I got a new switch the other day which came with one - but it was only a tenner, if you can't be arsed to go running around ;) link Stone

I had one but it was quite badly corroded so I chucked it a few weeks ago. All the ones I've played with (4 or so including boot lock!) have been pretty badly affected by the crap that seeps into them - seized wafers seem pretty common. I fixed my boot lock by soaking it in WD40 for a week and then pounding out the corroded wafers with an automatic centrepunch but they aren't all that easy, and I still have two stuck wafers! As long as you can nudge them up to the cylinder line then it'll still lock and unlock fine, just with slightly less security. Then again if they really want to get in they can always smash a window! :shrug: Stone