The life and Explots of Sid (As Named by my Girlfriend)

[Dranoel4a 0]

Hi All, been mooching about on the forum reading vast amounts about how much these wondrous motors cost to run and how frequently they break down and so i thought it seemed like a sensible plan to get one. truth be told I've wanted one ever since i was 16. one of my mates got one and pulled up outside in it and my instant reaction pretty much ran along the lines of "holy hell that's amazing.........what is it?" fortunately my ignorance was quickly dealt with and it turned out it was a valver and the passion for VWs was born, sadly I've not had the chance to own many as my cars up to this point have been more about being a sensible car to run to work and back in but about 12 months ago i managed to acquire myself a VW LT28 Camper which i felt made a good start to the fleet. then i realised that at the end of most months i was coming up with a bit of spare cash so i asked myself how best i could make myself bankrupt in as short a space of time as possible and a car seemed like a fun way to do it. so after a bit of digging about, what seems like endless nights of research and a stack of notes with the queen's head on i found myself this:

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from the day that i picked it up i had three days of carefree happy driving, during which time i think i may have developed an addiction to it that i may never be able to break. then on the way into work on the third day half way up one side of a hump back bridge the clutch went, Whoop-de-doo. i had hoped I'd get at least a week out of it before something happened but C'est la vie, so 48 hours and an RAC ride home later it was looking more like this:

Corrado92.pdfDSCF0242.JPG[/attachment:aa30q35l]

it turns out it was the slave cylinder (although i still have suspicions that the master may be on it's way out too so i got one of each). and after a week of holiday every day of which was spent taking bits off (and in the process breaking them) then re-ordering and replacing them it's now back up and running ok (ish) i still have a list longer than my arm of things that need doing foremost on that list including sorting the heater matrix (which has been bypassed at some point) and stopping my stereo falling out of the dash every time i accelerate :) it would be quite handy to be able to open the drivers window too.

 

anyway ....... after a good wash and a coat of wax I've realised that the colour (burgundy pearl effect which before the wash looked the same as my brother's vectra) is actually stunning when looked after, especially with the sun on it so I've taken a couple of pics of my new mistress, in a rare bit of clear weather and i thought I'd offer them up for people's opinion's

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climatronic wiring-Golf from May 01.pdfDSCF0305.JPG[/attachment:aa30q35l]

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2.8l 24v Climatronic system.pdfDSCF0310.JPG[/attachment:aa30q35l]

It's got a very long way to go and i think it may eat the entire income for the next 10 years but i definatley think it'll be worth it. next big jobs will be a full engine rebuild and sorting out the fist sized rust hole in the front cross member. unless something else breaks first (fingers crossed it doesn't)

any comments would be really welcome :) and of course i'll keep you posted with any updates.

[dukest 0]

very shiny :)

and we'll never expect to hear you moan because you knew what it would be like before!

[Foxster 0]

She looks nice, i can see where youre coming from about finding things you want to replace, i want to replace all the rusty screws. . . every single one of them! :lol: It's my mission.

[Adz The Rat 0]

Very nice!

Hope you enjoy it!!!

[Philuk 0]

looking good mate, im sure you will find something in the near future that needs fixing aswell as what youve got :D lol

[Benny 0]

My old vr....i'm missing it like mad, but at least its gone to a good owner who will give her the care and attention she needs! :D Got it looking good already matey...keep me posted!

[vornwend 0]

looking good pal, the more time you spend on her the more you'll love er :wink: I like this colour (my old valver was this colour)

[nickycooke 0]

Nice looking motor mate... Keep up the good work :clap:

[Dranoel4a 0]

thanks for the comments everyone. not really had the chance to do much but i'm currently in the process of sorting out the sound system in it so with any luck i should soon be able to listen to music again, how civilised that would be.

[Dranoel4a 0]

hey everyone. whilst looking at this thread it appears that i got the car running and then dropped off the face of the earth, life did go on. My career plans changed directions and i decided to go to university, i am now (results depending) the proud owner of a BEng in Electrical Engineering, alas being a lowly student i couldn't afford to keep the car on the road while i was studying so it's been at my grandparents' getting gradually sadder and sadder as the years passed.

 

Fortunately I appear to now have enough money again to get it on the road. So i've spent the last week and a half working on it poking, cleaning and fettling. on first inspection it wouldn't start, a problem that was (relatively) quickly identified as being caused by the fuel pump being 'tatered. After replacing that along with the filter for good measure it seems to be running as sweet as anything. I really feel like i dodged a bullet as i accidentally left it with just water in as coolant rather than antifreeze and it's been -15 in cheshire these past two winters.

 

Today was a big day, i managed to get it insured, MOT'd and taxed all in a day. there were 3 advisories on the MOT but nothing horrendous.

 

So i have a happy working VR for just over £2k including MOT tax AND insurance.

 

i did take a load of progress shots with the intention of writing a how to on fuel pump replacement but my iphone broke so i was using an old on and for some reason it didn't save any of the pics it too :S

 

ANYHOO, i hope to be able to do little tweaks here and there and gradually continue sorting out it's many foibles. and i'll try and keep you all up to date with what's going on.

[OSV 0]

Looking good after hibernation

[Dranoel4a 0]

Cheers, i've been driving around Cheshire and Yorkshire for the last couple of weeks now and aside from having to pump my tyres up every time i want to go anywhere it seems to be settling down and running happily. I still want to do an engine swap at some point later this summer but i've not really got time or funds to do that at the moment. was up on base last week and we get some amazing sunsets across the airfield so took a couple of quick snaps :D also found a cool car park at leeds uni that I took a snap of.

 

Incidentally i was cycling through Leeds a couple of months back and saw a Green(i think) Corrado coming past the leeds met building with the reg H15 VR6 (i think) it was a while back so details are a bit sketchy but i thought it'd be interesting to know if the owner was on the forum.

[Dranoel4a 0]

Ugh. Sooo I've discovered what the winter did to the car......

 

It turns out that the radiator is knackered. I looks like the pipes have been sort of stretched, I guess it's only to be expected since it was -15 in Cheshire last winter. All in all if the only thing I've knackered is the radiator then I recon i've gotten off pretty lightly. Nevertheless it resulted in the c being taken Back to Cheshire on a tow truck :(

 

So the story with the radiator so far: VW apparently Nolonger have ANY parts for corrados (slight exaggeration but the last four or five parts I've tried to get hold of have been discontinued and are out of stock) so the recommendation of the nice RAC man from leeds was to contact a company called northern radiators who were apparently "The Shiz".

 

£120 later and 1/2 a day poking and prodding and I've realized that the bolts that hold the top hose elbow joint to the rad are in the wrong place (about 1 maybe 2 mm too far apart) JOY!!!

So now I have a radiator with a big hole, a radiator that doesn't fit, a car that doesn't work and no obvious way of rectifying the situation without spending an arm and a leg on taxis.

 

Right, rant over. I was wondering if anyone else has bought a radiator from these guys? They've got places in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield. Really just wanted to know if They're just rubbish or if I've just been really unlucky. Also if anyone else has had the same problem and found a solution???

 

Leo

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

Have you tried Euro Car Parts? They might still offer an OEM equivalent?

[CazzaVR 0]

VW still do rads. Expensive, but pretty much the same price as the one Euro sell.

[GlosterOx 0]

Have you tried Euro Car Parts? They might still offer an OEM equivalent?

 

I've just had an ECP Rad put in my VR6 after mine resembled a sieve, fitted no problem and appears to be good quality.

 

Ian.

[Dranoel4a 0]

Cheers guys. I'd completely forgotten about ecp. I'm taking this one back in tomorrow to swap it and hopefully they'll sort it, if not then I'll get my money back and try and source one elsewhere. :)

[Dranoel4a 0]

It works! :D

 

I got a replacement from gsf in Leeds in the end and it fits like a dream, it was £150 all told so cheaper than ecp (£180) took a cheeky pic of it all back together in the hangar before taking it for a test drive.

 

So now I've only got the other 3 million things to get sorted, like the heater matrix and the fact that sunroof not only leaks but it collects water to considerately pour it into your lap when going round corners after it's rained and then the rest.

 

I have a feeling I'll never get to the end of the list though the more you do, the longer the list gets. :S

[Dranoel4a 0]

so..... the 'rado was out of action again last week, the alternator that I changed over the summer went pop :( i've had it repaired by a company in Bradford and re-fitted it along with a new Bosch battery (thank you warranty). all in all a week from breaking to having it back on the road again is pretty good in my book. unfortunately, since time has been at a bit of a premium recently and i've had sod all money, things have been going wrong faster than i can fix them. so in order that everyone else feels really good about how little is broken on their car, i thought i'd go through what doesn't work any more :S

 

- windscreen wipers:

at anything over 50 mph the move but don't appear to touch the windscreen, at least they do nothing to help with visibility (slightly worrying on the motorway) also they only work on "crazy wipe" speed, i'm thinking that might be the stalk.

 

- handbrake:

the other day i was pulling my car forward and i neglected to take off the steering lock, without thinking i grabbed the steering wheel and turned it vigorously. the arm thingy span round and smashed the windscreen (Which I had replaced today) on seeing the smashed glass, I became enraged and yanked on my handbrake, and it came off in my hand :(

 

- Heater Matrix:

been bypassed since I got the car

 

- Driver side Window:

doesn't go up and down properly. One of the rollers in the door has been snapped in half (I presume from when it lived in Liverpool and was nicked)

 

- Rear Suspension:

There's a wierd knocking noise from the rear suspension when i go over bumps, also the MOT said there was excessive play in the rear near side wheel hub so i guess that means new discs pads, bearings and bushes :S

 

- Sunroof

leaks whenever it rains or I wash the car and also doesn't open or close at all.

 

- Ignition

you have to woggle the ignition wires to get it to start which is, lets be honest, less than ideal.

 

- Bodywork

3 of the 4 arches are dented, when it lived in Liverpool it was keyed down one side and on one occasion i fell over into it while drunk and scatched the C pillar

 

Front Crossmember:

there's a fist sized rust hole in the front cross memeber (the thin bit where the oil cooler pipe screws on)

 

Update:

between writing this post and putting it up, she's stopped working again, leading to this:

 

Arrghh it never ends.......

[swiftkid 1]

Argh! the joys of corrado ownership but stick with it. I'll try help with some of your problems

 

Windscreen wipers - buy audi TT or lupo aero wipers, best thing I have done on my car! no squeaking, no skipping and a nice clear screen when its raining!

Handbrake - had the same thing happen to me, minus the windscreen, will probably need the bracket welding back in place

Heater matrix - I'm afraid it may be a replacement needed which is a bit of a pain in the arse to do!

Window - if its just a roller you need Alex_G60_fan had some made for a reasonable price, not sure if hes got any left though.

Rear suspension - has your car been lowered? could be exhaust tapping on the beam which is a bit of a common problem.

Sunroof - plenty of information on here about how to fix sunroofs, apparently you need to use VW only grease for it though and a new seal! You could even fit a moonroof from a passat!

Ignition - replace ignition barrel, they are about £20, bit of a pain in the arse to fit, bit fiddly but it is soo worth it just to be able to jump in a turn the key!

Bodywork - dent man and a bodyshop!

Front crossmember - I'm betting you could get a replacement one in good condition for about £20.

 

Its easier said than done I suppose but its worth it when you can jump in your 15 year old car that starts on the turn of the key and drive past a brand new car broke down by the side of the road.

[wy906 0]

My favorite colour!

 

Good luck with the problems.

[VW_OwneR_85 2]

nice looking car!! stick with it dude!! just thinking about my corrado, i brought the biggest vr6 shed money could buy and i feel lucky with the fact that running wise its been realy good, just had to replace a few bits and bobs and its not failed on me once.its only the bodywork that lets it down {rust scabs}, you might just wanna take it off the roads for a few weeks and just give it a blady good service and going over! new leads.plugs,oil cooler seals,oil and filter change,gearbox fluid, discs and pads etc etc. its a good idea to check the rubber hoses in the engine bay includeing the fuel hoses!! the one hose that had a hole ,on mine was the crankcase breather pipe , it would drop oil on to the exhaust manifold sheild, for what its worth you might also wanna consider the mk4 rear caliper upgrade for a better handbrake, goodluck and dont give up!!

[aide 0]

the arm thingy span round and smashed the windscreen (Which I had replaced today) on seeing the smashed glass, I became enraged and yanked on my handbrake, and it came off in my hand

 

 

never seen this thread before, and that's the funniest post i've read in ages, realise its your misfortune but you tell it well :)

 

keep your head up, i got rescued by the AA last week!

[budhilton 10]

Whereabouts in Cheshire are you? I have only recently bought my 16v and to be honest other than the heater controls everything works. However if you're not miles away I could come and help at weekends. I am no mechanic in fact couldn't be further from it but I can read and direct and laugh a lot plus try to help if with nothing else but encouragement and the odd lift !!.

 

Plus it will probably benifit me in the long run as I am sure I will experience some of your pain so I get to learn as I go plus I have my eye on a VR6 myself at the moment but I am struggling with getting rid of my white one as I really wanted this colour but I really want a VR6 now too. Hmm decisions.

 

So if you need a hand let me know. Oh and great post it gave me a laugh. Sorry it was at your expense but if I buy this VR6 I am sure you will get your own back

 

Andy

[Dranoel4a 0]

Windscreen wipers - buy audi TT or lupo aero wipers, best thing I have done on my car! no squeaking, no skipping and a nice clear screen when its raining!

Handbrake - had the same thing happen to me, minus the windscreen, will probably need the bracket welding back in place

Heater matrix - I'm afraid it may be a replacement needed which is a bit of a pain in the arse to do!

Window - if its just a roller you need Alex_G60_fan had some made for a reasonable price, not sure if hes got any left though.

Rear suspension - has your car been lowered? could be exhaust tapping on the beam which is a bit of a common problem.

Sunroof - plenty of information on here about how to fix sunroofs, apparently you need to use VW only grease for it though and a new seal! You could even fit a moonroof from a passat!

Ignition - replace ignition barrel, they are about £20, bit of a pain in the arse to fit, bit fiddly but it is soo worth it just to be able to jump in a turn the key!

Bodywork - dent man and a bodyshop!

Front crossmember - I'm betting you could get a replacement one in good condition for about £20.

cheers for the tips, good to know i'm not the only one who's pulled their handbrake off, it wouldn't really matter that much except I live on a ridiculous hill so i've got bricks in the road outside my house to park on :)

I've actually ordered some of the rollers so hopefully that'll be done soon, and I was thinking i'd fit a remote start kit while I was doing the heater matrix (since you have to pull everything out anyway) and while i was doing that i could have a poke about at the ignition wiring to see if it actually needs a new barrel

 

The Sunroof has already been "upgraded" to a moonroof which is great, someone took out what was probably a functioning and water tight sunroof to fit a broken and leaking moonroof. ho-hum, most of the interior trim is currently on the back seat so i can get at the sunroof, it looks like you have to take out the headlining to get at it, it'll get done, even if i just stick in some bathroom sealant until I can do a proper job of it, at least that way the car will be water tight.

 

My favorite colour!

 

cheers, i really wasn't keen when i bought it but when it's clean, it looks awesome, especially at night, sort of like a really tasty boiled sweet. must confess though eventually i want to have it resprayed as a sort of red black pearlescent colour, the sort that looks black most of the time but if you get it in bright light there's a hint of reddish purple. we'll see, i'm also a big fan of the nugget yellow, and the thought that driving past a group of school kids and making them all punch each other is quite pleasing.

 

 

you might also wanna consider the mk4 rear caliper upgrade for a better handbrake,

 

is it a big effort? i've seen that people have done this but i'm a bit concerned that it'll end up costing a small fortune.

 

 

i got rescued by the AA last week!

Solidarity!! i'm sure you only really need to worry when you start to do more miles on a recovery vehicle that under your own steam :D

 

 

Whereabouts in Cheshire are you?

 

Hi Andy, i'm actually living in Leeds at the moment. My family home (as in Mum and dad) is in Cheshire but i'm at uni in Bradford so only really in Cheshire for enough time to earn some money and then head back to Yorkshire, where abouts are you? maybe next time i'm back around we could get a pint or something.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Dranoel4a