MartinB's ongoing Rado Saga! 1 nugget 16v, 1 Red 16v & 1 grey G60! Corrado no.3 pg10

[Philuk 0]

shame you had to sell from the last feqw pics at ED it looked in really good nick and really nice. you put loads of time and effort into and it paid off! you getting another lol

[martinb 0]

I have regretted selling this car almost every day since I got rid of it! I would love to know where it is now? Anyone on here own or spotted it?

 

Sooo after selling this I have had a Bora, oak green mk2 gti and an A3 T Sport and although they were all good cars, the yearning for another Rado has got stronger until I finally gave in a couple of months ago. I thought I would revive this thread rather than start a new one:

 

 

 

 

could do with a new drivers seat (anyone?)

 

small scab on the arch:

 

 

 

the basic spec is:

 

1.8 16v KR engine

Coilovers

Powerflow exhaust

9x16" Brock B1 alloys painted in Rover Tempest grey

red tint rear lights

bonnet bra

HID headlight kit fitted.

All electrics work! (although the passenger window is tempremental)

 

In typical Corrado style it broke on about the 2nd day of my ownership but after I stopped it leaking electricity (new battery and alternator) it all seems good.

 

---------- Post added at 07:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------

 

progress has been pretty slow as I was sorting out my wedding just a couple of months after getting the car. Had to replace one of the front new wheel bearings and hubs, also fitted and 2 new tyres on the fron and got the tracking done as it was miles out! These tires were ok when I got the car a month earlier!

 

 

 

 

Drives like a different car now!

 

Took the Bra off as I prefer braless....

 

 

I have got the bonnet looking okay again after a lot of tcut and polish. Also got a new steering wheel and found a standard gear knob:

 

[dannyboy 0]

Good lad, once the corrado bug has bitten you'll never be without another one again!

[martinb 0]

next fitted some new clips to the seat runners to stop them rocking all over the place managed to find a 7 slat grill as Im not a fan of the debadged ones. The badge was grotty so rubbed it down and started painting it black:

 

 

 

fitted, much better:

 

 

---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 PM ----------

 

Good lad, once the corrado bug has bitten you'll never be without another one again!

 

dont plan to be! I'm sure several people on here said I would end up getting another at the time!

 

Unfortunately this ones not quite as clean a base to start from as the nugget was but sure it will get there in time. At least I dont feel guilty about changing bits on this one, whereas if I found another mint standard nugget, Im not sure I could bring myself to mess about with it.

[aide 0]

welcome back, you're making good progress already :)

[martinb 0]

The standard KR engine feelsa little tired and drops a fair bit of oil, but a good mate of mine was breaking a mk3 VR6 and offered me the engine at a price that was far too good to refuse. Its a bit grubby / oily but runs as sweet as a nut and wont be going in until after christmas giving me plenty of time to replace buts before it goes in. Straight out of the mk3:

 

 

 

 

 

bit of a clean and some paint:

 

 

 

Got the whole family to help me sort the loom out and removing all the grotty tape

 

 

 

---------- Post added at 07:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 PM ----------

 

so thats about as far as I have got so far. Still collecting bits for the engine swap and finally managed to track down an unbroken drivers door speaker grill.

 

The most recent pics I have, from last weekend:

 

 

 

 

 

[martinb 0]

won some new front seats on ebay today as my tatty drivers seat has bugged me since I got the car. Same pattern as my orginal seats but half leather, not sure if these were like this from the factory or have been retrimmed?

 

(sellers pic as have not collected yet)

 

Will be selling my cloth fronts if anyone interested....

[martinb 0]

new seats fitted:

 

 

Pretty pleased with them, need to get some leather treatment on them though

[KADVR6 0]

nice to see the whole family getting involved, i never had that which was a shame :-(

[KIPVW 0]

They are probably from one of the early press cars as they werend like that :-)

[Jim Bowen 1]

it was probably you i passed the other day then :D

 

Nice work :thumbs:

[boost monkey 0]

you're a brave man doing a 16v to VR6 conversion! :salute:

[jbcorrado 0]

Awesome Story!!!

Sweet Car :)

[martinb 0]

Cheers for all the comments.

 

nice to see the whole family getting involved, i never had that which was a shame :-(

 

My lad loves getting his hands dirty, but its rare for my wife and daughter!

 

They are probably from one of the early press cars as they werend like that :-)

 

Cool, will look into that!

 

it was probably you i passed the other day then :D

 

Nice work :thumbs:

 

Where was that dude? I didnt see you?

 

you're a brave man doing a 16v to VR6 conversion! :salute:

 

Cheers - I,ve been told its pretty straight forward - I have a mate helping me (well most of the time its more me helping him haha!) who has done VR conversions before and helping with the ABF swap in my Nugget so fingers crossed all goes to plan.

[martinb 0]

no real progress with the VR conversion at the moment, its been keeping me busy enough just keeping it working at the moment - a new starter motor and some (of the many) wiring gremlins sorted means I can now start on the key again! Also had the handbrake freezing on in this cold weather!

 

Its probably the dirtiest its ever been but a couple of snow pics:

 

 

 

 

:)

[dickie 0]

Nice looking car! I've never seen those seats before but I like them. Good find!

[martinb 0]

not updated for a while!

 

I've been testing the breakdown cover I get through my insurance thoroughly recently!

 

 

 

Firstly a wheel bearing gave up, then the bracket for the front engine mount snapped, causing the enging to drop and split the oil filter on the front crossmember! Alex enjoyed helping the recovery man though! The last few months seem to have been just going from one problem to the next - 2 wheel bearings, water leak, wipers breaking etc!!

 

Touch wood, severything seems ok now (it's over a month since my last breakdown!) and she now has a fresh 12 months mot!

 

I've decided against the VR6 swap and the engine has been sold on. Just trying to decide now whether to sell up the valver and buy a VR6 or keep the 16v and bite the bullet and get all the piantwork and bodywork etc done.....?

 

A few little buts I have done recently though are change the nasty Kenwood CD player for a much nicer Alpine one, binned the pressed plates which I have never liked for some standard ones and removed the rear wiper as I prefer the much cleaner / smoother look it gives.

 

A few more recent pics from the runway at GTI Inters (couldnt resist) and with Steve's (caddymans) lovely white Corrado:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:)

[aide 0]

Looking well. I think the majority of us have been let down at one time or another by these cars :)

 

If you're tempted by a vr I think you may as well buy one rather than spend money on the 16v which may be short term, prices are in your favour and looks like you can sort most vr niggles yourself, just get the most sorted one you can, some strong contenders out there at the minute.

[Jim Bowen 1]

If you get a vr im quite local with a vr if you ever need help with anything or borrowing some spares etc.

 

I only really know about the vr6

 

Keep seeing you in your rado, but im not in mine so not been waving lol

 

Sent from my X10i using Tapatalk 2

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

not updated for a while!

 

. Just trying to decide now whether to sell up the valver and buy a VR6 or keep the 16v and bite the bullet and get all the piantwork and bodywork etc done.....?

 

:)

 

paint and body look good to me in the pics ;) couldnt help but think your money would be better off going else where, imo theres only two downsides about havein fresh paint, your constantley paranoid about where it goes , or maybe thats just me? also once its done you are prety much stuck with that car unless you dont mind looseing out on money, the prices that vr's are going for are prety insane , if a vr's what you want i suggest you go and try one before splashing out anymore money otherwise its allways gona play on your mind later on...

[martinb 0]

paint and body look good to me in the pics ;) couldnt help but think your money would be better off going else where, imo theres only two downsides about havein fresh paint, your constantley paranoid about where it goes , or maybe thats just me? also once its done you are prety much stuck with that car unless you dont mind looseing out on money, the prices that vr's are going for are prety insane , if a vr's what you want i suggest you go and try one before splashing out anymore money otherwise its allways gona play on your mind later on...

 

its really not that bad and scrubs up well for a daily driver but the dings and scratches etc bug me and as I want more power and a car to keep long term it seems cheaper and easier to change the car than swap the engine AND get this one painted.

 

Sooooo after much though over whether to do the VR swap or go out and buy a factory Vr6, I made the obvious choice......and went and bought a G60 :grin:

 

 

So here is my latest purchase. I went to view the car as it was fairly local but still ideally looking for a VR6 but when I saw how clean it was, I had to have it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm rather pleased with it!

 

Got it home and fixed the central locking, some interior trim and my ~Alpine headunit and some speakers as the previous owner removed all his (cheers to Steve / Twin45 on here who was straight round to assist as always). I was not sure on the carbon wrap on the bonnet and spoiler at first but it has grown on me. The de-badge grill and pressed plates are next on the to-do list as not a fan of either :)

 

I see what you mean about the paranoia though, I have done less that 100 miles since I bought the car and noticed someone has already clipped and scratched the rear bumper...I was fuming :mad2:

 

Need to sell the red one quick now before I start robbing bits for the new one :)

Edited August 13, 2012 by martinb

[Portent 0]

I chuffing love all of them :)

[martinb 0]

small update

 

changed the oil and filter as a precaution (thanks mr Bolton / twin45 again) and got my hands on a new rocker cover thanks to mr motorpsycho :) :

 

 

Also changed the plates for some proper UK ones and the de-badge grill for the correct early spec 7 slat, just need to find a G60 badge now (anyone?):

 

 

:)

[aide 0]

that looks lovely, good purchase!

[Craig 0]

Looking good mate, has the engine had any work? Chip pulley etc?