Rpmayne 0 Posted August 19, 2008 I have been offered a 'project' speed boat with trailer and if I do take it up will need a tow bar on the Corrado. I know its not the done thing but a boat just sounds like a good laugh to me. Anyway; Does anyone know of a make/model of tow bar that will fit to the Corrado without any holes or welding that is ideally detached easily when not in use? Also, I take it the brake / indicator / number plate electrics are mandatory, is there a kit for this? Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toad 0 Posted August 19, 2008 Tow bars = 8) I don't think there is a kit that you can remove easily. You could have 2 rear bumpers you swapped around?? Still a bit of a PITA though. Electrics will be a requirement. I would buy a section of the 7 core cable, and the plug along with some spade connectors and make your own loom. The spades push in the back of the standard light units, which is a pretty shonkey arrangement TBH. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rpmayne 0 Posted August 19, 2008 Ok sounds good for the electrics then, may pick the connections up via solder joint / heatshrink and pass the cable through the ABS sensor gromit. I tried searching this and the net and thought there may be a tow bar you could get that attaches to the rear bumper bolt fixings and feeds under the bumper? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rpmayne 0 Posted August 20, 2008 I take it nobody has fitted a tow bar which doesn't need the bumper cutting or any other nasty mods to the car? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevej 0 Posted August 20, 2008 My C had a tow bar attached when i got it. there had been no major mods to fit it, but it looked like there had been some 'thinking on the job' when it was fitted. (he towed a large caravan with it for years) dont know if this was a genuine tow bar kit for the C or was custom made. it was primailry secured to the spare wheel compartment with a curved metal plate attcahed onto the plate that the toe ball bolted onto (A). on the inner apsect of the spare wheel compartment there was another curved metal plate which the bolts went through (B) (see attached pics). there is also a long and wide metal strap which runs horizontally allong the inner aspect of the boot below the level of the rear panel which was bolted to the body ©. plate A ias alos secured to metal strap A. hope the pics help better than my poor explanation ! if i can help further let me know. as you can see the tow ball is off the car now. saying that, its now not getting used and i also have an already cut rear bumper too ...... if your intersted Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VAG-hag 0 Posted August 20, 2008 ouch!!! ^^^^^ I had a tow bar on my first C thats still in the garage. Ill dig it out & take some pics this w/e. It fits by replacing the 'elbows' that fix your rear bumper in place & requires no bumper butchery! Look in the 'for sale' section soon. Your the 2nd person to ask about tbars this week..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
n3p 3 Posted August 20, 2008 Slightly off topic, but doesn't a tow bar significantly decrease the value of a car? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevej 0 Posted August 20, 2008 ouch!!! ^^^^^ I had a tow bar on my first C thats still in the garage. Ill dig it out & take some pics this w/e. It fits by replacing the 'elbows' that fix your rear bumper in place & requires no bumper butchery! Look in the 'for sale' section soon. Your the 2nd person to ask about tbars this week..... sounds a lot less painful and easier to fit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
was8v 0 Posted August 20, 2008 Slightly off topic, but doesn't a tow bar significantly decrease the value of a car? Not when you take it off before you sell it? I suppose if I went to see a car like a corrado, and the seller said "i used it to tow my heavy caravan every weekend" I'd probably leave it, or at least look very closely for any damage and expect a discount. But my car may well have been used in this way in the past without my knowledge. Who knows how many of our previous used cars had a towbar fitted then removed?! Most just bolt up to existing bumper mounts. That one above looks a little heath robinson, and the I doubt the spare wheel well is designed to take heavy loads like that. It would be fine I reckon for light duty eg a small boat. I suspect VW designed the bumper mounts to take a loading, due to their similarity to golfs etc that could be expected to be used as light duty tow cars. IIRC there is one out there that bolts up to the bumper mounts and goes around the bumper. On a low car this might affect ground clearance, I'd probably just get whatever I can find and get a spare bumper sprayed up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rpmayne 0 Posted August 21, 2008 Thanks for the info. Cheers for the offer stevej but I was really tring to avoid any mods to the car like the holes in the spare wheel bay etc. VAG-hag, that sounds more like what I was after, let me know if it does go up for sale. Now for the boat... :grin: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites