The Corrado's Future

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Well if you look at where this country is heading, all the ingrients are there for a mass uprising :lol:

 

My salary increase this year was about 5%. How does that fit in with 20% fuel increases, as much as 50% increase in certain food prices, 20% rise in council tax, 15% rise in gas and electricity, houses unobtainable for average earners and so on?

 

It doesn't.

 

Even if you are careful at budgeting, the cost of living is rising massively and wages are not increasing to match.

 

And what is Brown doing about it? Making matters worse by recalling the 10p in the £1 tax rate he announced some months ago, for starters. He's allowing OPEC to dictate prices. He's not controlling inflation. He's not spending [our] money where it needs to be spent. And so on....

 

How can British people NOT feel bitter, cheated and angry about this?

 

It's basic economics and brown was chancellor FFS, he should have a basic grasp of mathematics and the economy!!!

 

Anyway, if he doesn't do something about it, I can easily see riots and protests happening, just as in Maggie's reign when she used to make ridiculous policies....

 

Rant, rant..... better do some work now :lol:

[Neil VR6 0]

Silly tax hikes haven

[_leon_ 0]

yeah I should also get back to work :D

 

I think tax is in scope as it does have an impact on the Corrado's future - thats what we're talking about right - or it's the title anyway. When you read about people saying they'll keep them forever - that commitment is put to the test when the government are willing to tax you from every angle if you stay firm and keep it. And that certainly has a direct impact to the car's value - as the demand will be significantly reduced.

[Neil VR6 0]

I guess so

[_leon_ 0]

Maybe they should test the vehicles GBrown uses to get around then - like his private flights for him and his team. I keep reading about ideas/plans officials have to ban cars that are over 10years old or similar... Singapore do that - once 10yrs old they're scrapped afaik. For me speaking personally, these sorts of things play a much great role in determining the Corrado's future than worrying about depreciation!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

They'll never get approval for scrapping cars over 10 years old because there's no evidence to suggest ALL cars of that age are significantly dirtier than new cars.

 

Most of these stupid ideas come from the Brussels bureaucrats who are unfortunately head of the European union.

 

Their most stupid idea yet is get all cars sold in Europe to produce a ridiculously low C02/Km figure by 2012.

 

Porsche have threatened to pull production out of Europe if this bill goes ahead. Audi, BMW, Mercedes, big VWs, etc etc.... they'll all follow suit. And if VAG pull out of Europe, it'll feck the economy pretty damn hard!!

 

But bureaucrats seldom consider the implications of such moronic proposals.

 

So we're safe at the moment, whilst they're focussing on the new car markets. But you can guarantee when they've wrecked the European auto industry, they'll then turn their attention to taxing classic cars to death.

Even more worrying is the proposals of a nationwide C02 spot checking systems.

 

Hopefully a freak act of terrorism will wipe out Brussels.

[Jim 1]

I'm curious to know - what price at the pumps will it take to 'break' us Corrado owners?

 

I won't lie that i'm genuinely shocked how it's now costing me nearly £60 a time to fill my car, knowing it'll last me 330 miles. Seriously - once it cracks the £60 mark for a tank of fuel, i'm going to have to think about taking the old girl off the road as a daily and find something really cheap to ferry me to work.

 

I admit I have actually bought a bike to cycle to work (20 mile round trip) and have done the ride a few times (and am loving it) but decided i'd only do it when the weather was good as I just aint cycling in the rain - but its rained SO much that i've only been able to do the ride about 4 times since getting the bike a month ago!

[dukest 0]

i know the fact that filling up with super at £70 per tank has led to me deliberately driving at or even below the limit on long journeys in order to get better mpg.. even though I am very skint, i seriously never thought that i would do that as it basically defeats the point of having a performance car.. am looking forward to having a job again soon!! :)

[Toad 0]

By being a bit gentle on the car you'll see a huge difference in economy.

 

Averaged 35mpg over 1100 miles this weekend with 3 of us and a lot of luggage in the car. Was around 36mpg on the way up, and that was sticking to 70-80, motorways, and twisty A roads.

 

The last 140 miles of A road and Motorway I stuck to 70ish and got 39.8mpg out the valver, going to seriously consider how I drive in the future. :)

[dukest 0]

its sad but true!

[Yandards 0]

I know I can get about 400 miles out of the 55 litre tank on the G with gentle driving and it is my daily so I dont need to thrap it about everyday.

 

I do agree with Kev though, prices are going through the roof for everything, base rate cuts are not being passed on because banks are incompetent at lending and have exposed themselves in the US to bad debt so the rest of us have to pay for it :shrug:

 

Thing being despite some issues Corrados are not that bad when it comes to fuel economy, I used to do a 100 mile a day trip in a 98 Pug 306 Turbo D and got about 500 miles out of it. My valver would do 400+ miles on the same trip (and I usually drove it a bit harder) and when I replaced the Pug with a 'rocco I was getting 500 miles to a tank out of that. When you consider petrol has been around 3p (at least) a litre cheaper than diesel it was cheaper to run the 'rocco - not bad when you consider that it was nearly 20 years older than the 306 in engine design and managment.

 

The only car that will save you some serious wedge is the bluemotion Polo, but they are too expensive 2nd hand or new and it is a small, light car.

[craigowl 0]

I know the VR6 engine is the reason many people have a Corrado powered by it. Tax and the price of gas may well become too expensive for all but the rich to run them, though, unless we as a community protest.

 

I don't commute every day and only do about 1500 miles max/p.a. in the C for god's sake! :brickwall: Probably thousands of people who own interesting cars are in the same position.

 

One could still keep the C if the engine was replaced by one of the new generation VAG turbodiesels like the 1.9 PD130.

We have seen this on the forum, non?

 

I tentatively asked my local garage man about an estimated cost for the transplant.

He mumbled something about "donor car - electrics, etc, etc". and I have heard no more.

 

He is in racing (Ecurie Ecosse, IIRC) and his father has a Ferrari. Oh, and they own a garage business. I expect he thinks I am nuts. :nuts:

 

I don't think I am - but I know I may well be an even poorer motoring git soon!

 

Any comments/estimates, cheps/chepesses?

 

PS - A lot of us will be thinking the same way right now. Yesterday we did 140 mile run - mostly M90 - in Pug 205D, not going above 60mph to see if consumption will better the normal overall 50mpg/tank.

Was against all previous instincts, I have to say, but honestly found it pretty relaxing. All that concentration required in overtaking/slotting back in dispensed with as most cars overtake you and plenty of other things run at 60 as well.

Will check consumption at next fill up.

Maybe a primitive diesel able to run on anything oily will ultimately become more desirable than the VR6 Corrado!

[Walesy 0]

A PD Corrado is something i've wanted for years, but it's not an easy conversion and is certainly not a cheap option - I reckon to do it properly you'd be looking at around £3k-£4k, so going by your 1500 miles a year it would take a LONG time for the conversion to pay for itself and start saving you money :(

[craigowl 0]

I would be prepared to invest £3-4k to keep the Storm and be able to use it more often, knowing that the engine is almost state of the art, and using no more fuel than are millions of modern (boring) cars.

 

Newer 1.9 TDi 105 in, say, latest Octavia

(Band C 121-150 g/kgm CO2)

claims 119mph/0-62 in 11.8 secs and 57mpg overall.

 

1.9 TDi 140 (still Band C)

claims 129mph/0-62 in 9.6 secs and 51mpg

if you prefer to sacrifice economy for performance.

 

I do believe, though, that fuel costs will become an overwhelming consideration for most motorists when considering their next purchase.

 

With a modern diesel engine, the Corrado would have a longer term future, become a much more desirable purchase to a vast audience and perhaps even appreciate in value. No?

 

Cheers

"the weasel in the diesel". :lol:

[dukest 0]

i would seriously worry about putting an engine that cannot even make 60 in under 10 seconds into a storm.. i think everything else on it would swiftly and repeatedly break in protest :lol:

[Goldie 2]

Id agree that a diesel Corrado would be worth a few bob but i wouldnt scalp a Storm for one..

[Toad 0]

Those engines might make 0-60 "slowly" in their current homes, but there would be a significant weight saving if you fitted it to a rado. Plus... What do 0-60 times count for in real life anyway???

 

Supercharged's PD130 rado is supposed to be great for cruising in.

[dukest 0]

lol, i wasn't being very serious, it was just the thought of struggling(/smoking :)) away from the lights with the storm/vr6 badge still on the back that just seemed wrong! :)

[corozin 0]

And what is Brown doing about it? Making matters worse by recalling the 10p in the £1 tax rate he announced some months ago, for starters. He's allowing OPEC to dictate prices. He's not controlling inflation. He's not spending [our] money where it needs to be spent. And so on....

 

It's basic economics and brown was chancellor FFS, he should have a basic grasp of mathematics and the economy!!!

 

Well it's hard to believe that anyone would think differently of a man who spent 10 years as Chancellor, but in my view that is clearly proving to be a questionable conclusion. Anyone who's listened to either Brown (or his useless puppet Darling) interviewed on the radio will quickly realise that these men's knowledge of financial management of even basic economics are shallow streams indeed.

 

There was a story floating around the City institutions 3-4 months ago during the height of the Northern Rock debacle to the effect that Lloyds Bank had actually asked for Alistair Darling to be excluded from thier negotiating meetings because he understood so little of the conversation. Apparently some of the things he's come out with caused open sniggering in the room.

 

But don't take my word for it, have a read of David Craig's book Squandered http://www.amazon.co.uk/Squandered-David-Craig/dp/1845298322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209641624&sr=8-1 for a damning catalogue of Brown's record as a prudent Chancellor. You just won't believe what you read and despite Craig's rather Thatcherite commentary, the facts and numbers in there are mostly true.

 

Without aiming to spread the depression too far, the Country's finances are now so screwed, that it may well take between 10-20 years to undo the damage, assuming a future Government even wanted to unpick it all. No future Government is going to be able sack 700,000 extra civil servants quickly, or remove thier gold-plated pensions. No future Government is going to be able to undo ten years of well above-inflation pay increases to the public sector easily. We're going to be paying for Blair/Brown's decisions for years and years to come, trust me on this.

 

As a parting thought consider this. The Government could (should) have cut 9p/litre from petrol taxation in the past 5 months to offset the increases in tax receipts from the spiralling cost of fuel and and it would have still been tax neutral to the Treasury, but it isn't doing that. As a result the Treasury is going to rake in £750million extra this year in industry and VAT taxes simply due to the increase in the underlying costs. Think about that when you fill up next time...

 

John

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I disagree with all of that /\

 

LOL, only kidding :lol: Interesting reading.

 

For years we've seen our government flit back n forth between labour and conversative. Each making a damn mess of things and the successors then spend their 5 years in office blaming said mess on the previous party!

 

I just cannot believe how we allow such a bunch of incompetent bafoons run this country, time and time again. I guess we're all too easily suckered in by their spin campaigns?

 

I think it's time to vote in a different party and see what kind of job they can make of it? They can't make matters any worse, surely? How about the Lib Dems? Definitely NOT the green party though :lol:

 

Anyway, £100 to fill the Corrado would be my breaking point. It would have to stay in the garage until prices came down again.

 

But what's the alternative? Deisel is stupid money aswell and unless you do a kazillion miles a year, it doens't really balance the books.

[_leon_ 0]

Speaking of voting - Go Boris!

[Guest]

BNP is the way forward its not all about Racists/hate anymore, more about England and English people, the Scotts and Irish have their own government so should the Welsh

[Jim 1]

BNP is the way forward its not all about Racists/hate anymore,

 

lol - I wouldn't vote for the BNP party if they were the only party TO vote for. Sorry but I think at the core they're exactly that which you say they're not. They'd ruin the country. IMHO of course.

[Guest]

BNP is the way forward its not all about Racists/hate anymore,

 

lol - I wouldn't vote for the BNP party if they were the only party TO vote for. Sorry but I think at the core they're exactly that which you say they're not. They'd ruin the country. IMHO of course.

 

 

:lol: what any worse than a bunch of hypocritical snakes like labour or contraseptive?

[_leon_ 0]

I'll eventually take my savings elsewhere abroad. Whoever runs the country - you'll be working to pay off a mortgage for the majority of your life here. And get taxed several times over for everything else while you're at it.