Parts situation for Corrado... ARGH!

[Redfox 10]

Hi all,

Having had my Corrado for about a month I am in that very sad situation to experience, like all of you too I believe, the lack of available parts from Volkswagen.

For my Golf II I could get anything, at least when I built it. For the Corrado, it's almost impossible to get any spares from VW. Every time I get to a local dealer close to where I live, they take a look at Etka, and say: No sir, nat available any more. We can take a look at Classic Parts...

When they get an answer some days later, it's no, no and no.

 

Just to name a few:

 

Doorhandles, notoriously break: NO.

Buttons to hold the cover over fusebox: NO.

Intruments for centerconsole: NO.

Rubbers to hang the parcelshelf in: NO.

Front lower grille: NO.

covers in corners of instrumentation: NO.

doorcards: NO.

Seats: NO.

Karmann sign: NO.

Jet sign: NO.

G60 rearbadge: NO.

G60 frontbadge: NO.

Gearbox stiffening arm: NO.

Door seal (on car body): NO

Leather handle for handbrake: NO.

Leather gaitor for handbrake: NO.

Loudspeakergrilles for doors: NO.

G-ladders: NO.

...

..

.

and so the list goes on and on and on.

I have never ever experienced such a bad ability to deliver spares. Even the british woke up and produce spares for old british sportscars. But Volkswagen: NO. So what if it cost some money to do so? It's not a matter of money, but a matter of prestige and integrity. Volkswagen have had that for many years, but not any more, because they refuse to make spares for their only sportscar ever? Quite a bad one in my humble view.

I a m aware that there were only built 97.xxx cars, and many are not around any more, but come on, it was Volkswagens best and most expensive sportscar, at a formidable price, even more than a Porshe.

Even Lotus can deliver for the Esprit! Lotus, a miniature in comparison!

I think VW needs to wake up and get themselves together to deserve that extreme following and marque-loyalty that they have.

I can mention no other single brand that have such a strong level of brand-awareness other than VW.

But respect is not something they can claim, it's earned, and to me at least they are loosing it.

I am very happy about my Corrado, and will keep it hopefully for very long, but it will eventually end up as a garage-queen, because I CANNOT GET SPARES!

Did you hear that Volkswagen?

PLEASE make us some SPARES! WE know you have the money and the ability to do it! Please!

I often read in Volkswagen mags, that they are very proud of old Volkswagens driving around. But what about a new car like the Corrado? A prestige car? A top of the line car? Even built by Karmann?

 

What is you good people's take on the situation?

 

Cheers,

Redfox.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Redfox

[Jim 2]

Here here.

 

Even the Classic Parts division of Volkswagen, which I'd hoped would be our saviour, I'm now less optimistic about. The folks that run it are really enthusiastic it seems and trying very hard to get the thing off the ground. But VW are, apparently, quite uninterested in it's existence. They're badly underfunded and are struggling to get any real official support from within Volkswagen. The latest story I heard was that Classic Parts wanted to expand out their enterprise and launch Classic Parts counters within VW dealerships.. incredibly this was met with NO enthusiasm from Volkswagen, and this has been instead spun out to a seperate company and run as an entirely seperately funded enterprise. Do VW not care about taking care of their longer term customer base? Are they not proud of the cars they made? VW it seems are purely interested in selling new cars, and have no interest in keeping the old cars on the road.

 

Like you, I simply can't believe their total disinterest in supporting their older cars. I had to laugh when the new Scirocco launched, and a number of VW dealerships went scrabbling around to find good condition examples of the Scirocco and Corrado to stick in show rooms. No thanks to the parent company who have been steadily obsoleting parts, making it virtually impossible now for us to keep pristine examples on the road without having to resort to all kinds scrabbling through parts bins and individually refurbishing parts, etc.

 

I'm lead to believe that BMW and Mercedes-Benz are substantially more interested in their heritage and I do quite seriously keep thinking about chucking in the Corrado towel and going off to buy a nice old 3 series or W124 Merc knowing at least the parent company are proud of the cars they made and are a bit more keen about keeping them on all the road.

 

Get a grip Volkswagen.

[dragon green 5]

Completely agree,this is why this forum is so important to us Corrado owners,most of the parts you listed are readily available in the second hand market,here and e-bay.It is getting harder to buy parts,but your door seals are available by an aftermarket company,there is a thread on here somewhere.Rear shelf hangers,available on e-bay,there is good stuff still to be had !

good hunting

[Supercharged 2]

It is annoying but you have to remember the newest Corrado is now 16 years old - 5 years ago you could buy all the parts you listed above and at the time we encouraged people to buy spares before they became unavailable as was the situation at the time with the MK1 based cars. Hence I have a loft full of 535 specific trim parts.

 

I like you had a MK2 when they were under 10 years old and like you say it was nice that you could order anything and most stuff I bought like badges / wheel bearings / mirror glass was instock which always surprised me!

 

Hopefully Classic Parts will offer more lines soon as they are a growing business - we were quite impressed last week in Germany that they seem very enthusiatic and are open for suggestions of parts to re-manufacture... prices are not too bad either when going to them directly - the 3 boden cables for the heater (same as MK2) are obselete but they can supply all 3 for 11 Eur (£10), rear VW roundles are the same price etc.

[Redfox 10]

Thanks all,

Then we certainly must put a little preasure on VW to remanufacture, and kindly ask them to get their hands out of their pockets, and it sounds good with Classic Parts.

Can I buy from them directly, instead of VW?

 

PS: I still think it's a lousy stand that VW have taken. In this day and age, where we want to spare mother earth of digging even more material out to manufacture new cars. If kept in perfect shape, I don't see a Corrado as a bad car, neither for the driver, nor for the environment.

With that attitude I will deem VW as a german made korean like crap car company (well not entirely), where you buy a new car in a buble foil, and instead of changing oil, you scrap the car and just press out another new car from your buble foil, if this development continues, and I feel most certain, that I am not the only one. Wake up VW, we need your support, now that we have bought yet another VW!!!

 

Yeah, that old 3.0 L BMW sportscar with airvents in the fontfenders is a nice classic sportscar. I would go for a Lotus Esprit Turbo.

 

Cheers,

Redfox.

Edited September 8, 2011 by Redfox

[Fulltimejunglist 0]

I too agree with all which has been said.

 

Dorr handles need to be done, soon they will run out.

[Redfox 10]

What about an international petition from Corrado owners all over the planet, and send it all to VW?

 

Cheers,

Redfox.

[OllieVR6 0]

I'd sign it!

[James. 9]

No different to asking most other manufacturers for parts on a 16 year old car. A line in the sand at some point has to be drawn, based on how many approximate cars are still in existence. It's frustrating but this is business. The parts you mention are only cosmetic and don't physically stop the car from being driven though.

 

It may well be that to some, these cars will shortly be of any serviceable use as average mileage daily drivers. Okay I have a Corrado daily drive, but I went into ownership with my eyes open based on the following:

 

I do all my own servicing and repairs.

 

Mechanical parts car be sourced from other parts of the VW range.

 

I only do 3k a year mileage.

 

Yes there will come a point where the car needs to be replaced, but I don't expect that to be for quite a while.

Edited September 9, 2011 by James.

[tony_ack 0]

I agree that VW don't have the same commitment to their classics as some companies, but with Corrado parts we should be realistic.

 

Yes - anything with a 191 or 1H part number should remain available as long as there is demand for them, and the same can be said for Corrado specific parts which need replacing regularly. But you can't expect VW to keep making other Corrado specific parts indefinitely!

 

How many Corrados were made?

How many of those were RHD?

How many of those are still on the road?

How many of those are in a certain trim colour?

How many of those need a replacement part or will need one this year?

Of how many of those will the owner actually want to buy a replacement part from VW?

 

I realise that not all of these questions apply to all parts, but VW aren't going to keep tooling operational to make a part of which they sell 1 every 5 years!

 

What would have been nice would have been for VW to assess the demand for each part and discontinue a part when sales fall below a certain level.

[Redfox 10]

I went to a mazda dealer today, and asked for parts for the Mk. I MX-5/Miata. All is available. Around 1 million sold, all models included up till' today.

 

Lotus can deliver.

Mazda can deliver.

Old british sportscars can be serviced with new parts.

 

I think VW needs to come out on top again for their only real sportscar ever.

 

They know what breaks down; just a few examples:

 

Doorhandles,

Frontspoilers 90 mm,

Frontspoilers 50 mm,

instrumentation fastner covers,

G-ladders,

radiator 90 degree neck on top left side,

numberplate holder,

ash trays,

small protective stickers etc, because we give it a new paint.

Door sill trim, the black "Corrado" one,

Roof trim (long ones),

lights, so we are not forced to buy inpro or similar.

and so on.

 

They break all the time, so why stop making them 10 years ago, when many people needs them frequently ?

It's not that they only sell one item of these every five years worldwide.

I have spoken to every single carbreaker both private and company in my homecountry, Denmark, which is neighbour to Germany, and there's a good demand for these parts, and noone have anything. They tell me that when they buy car for breaking in Germany, many of the sought after parts are already missing.

 

In my view, they should run a production again, let's say 20.000 sets of each, just to pick a number. Trust me, they will sell. Pricew will not be an object for the discerning owner, because more and more of the remaining Corrado's are bought by people who look at them as classics, and take really good care of them. The time when a Corrado was worth nil, and was bought by students to be trashed every Thursday, Friday ans Saturday is coming to an end. No bashing of weekend warriers meant, but I think this tendency is there, as in the classic motorcycle market etc.

I for one, wil buy more that I actually need, just to put in on the shelves, ready for future use.

 

I think a part of the problem is, that VW don't like their own car enough to think it will be a classic. Not exotic enough. Not an E-type so to say. But just another comsumable.

I still think about a call to every Corrado owner around, to hear what they say.

 

So what say you?

 

Cheers,

Redfox.

Edited September 9, 2011 by Redfox

[TanVr6 0]

I am new to the Corrado as only had mine for almost two weeks and already starting to make a list of bits I want to refresh n repair and its a pain knowing that I have to search eBay or scrapyards for parts or pay dealer prices for second hand bits!

 

It is unacceptable for such a big producer of quality cars! Especially the Corrado!!! Which I think I would be buying a second or even third one!

 

Start a petition guys!

 

Vw need to know we are serious!!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Even if Volkswagen were willing to help, they are at the mercy of the OEM component manufacturers. The tooling for most of the interior parts were probably scrapped years ago. The OEMs may also demand a minimum 1000 orders before they'll even entertain the idea, so we can't really hold VW solely responsible for the lack of parts.

 

Instead of whining about it, use your noodle and improvise / modify parts from other VWs, or look to China for replication :D

 

Where there's a will, there's a way. Some enthusiats will stop at nothing to keep their cars on the road.

[P3rks 11]

Even if Volkswagen were willing to help, they are at the mercy of the OEM component manufacturers. The tooling for most of the interior parts were probably scrapped years ago. The OEMs may also demand a minimum 1000 orders before they'll even entertain the idea, so we can't really hold VW solely responsible for the lack of parts.

 

Instead of whining about it, use your noodle and improvise / modify parts from other VWs, or look to China for replication :D

 

Where there's a will, there's a way. Some enthusiats will stop at nothing to keep their cars on the road.

 

I'm with FishWick..

 

By law automotive OEM manufactures have to supply parts for 10 years after the initial contract is up. After that then they don't. My experience is once the initial contract is up, never mind the 10 years, the machines/fixings/moulds/tools will all either get scrapped, will be damaged/worn beyond use or dumped in a storage room to rot and any extra parts made before, will be the spare parts supply.

 

E.g. I work for an automotive aluminium extrusion company, we are currently 7.5 years into a 8 year contract with BMW, then we have to supply; by law 10 years of spares. There is no way in hell our machines will last another 10 years without a 100k overhaul.

 

The newest Corrado's are what? 16-17 years old? That's a 6 year window where these tools can officially be scrapped. No company will keep these tools around and if they do, why would they keep them in good condition if they never use them? They won't. It's just business. Contract over, cars no longer being made.. What's next?

 

The tools which are still around will be worn beyond belief and will be out of tolerance. We work within 0.05mm.. 20year old machines which will have produced hundreds of thousands of parts will be useless.. New tools will be thousands to make. (We spend 60k on a single fixture alone and have about 4 fixtures per product - to put things in perspective.)

 

This is obviously for mass production, any parts from now on will be in thousands of units, not hundreds of thousands, so cost will be lower, but the set up costs for new tools or repair costs for any existing tools will still be into the thousands.

 

On that note, VW see the Corrado as a fail, it had low sales and was a financial nightmare, it's not in their interest financially to make obsolete parts again.

Edited September 13, 2011 by P3rks

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Sadly we live in a statistical age. Car makers know [insert number here - say 85%] of car owners trade-in after 3 years and once the warranties are expired, the cars fade into the murky depths of the s/hand market, where no one other than enthusiasts really give a t0ss about them anymore, so they simply don't make or expect cars to be in service much longer than 10 years as it's not statistically 'normal' for someone to keep a car that long, but thank god for the 10 year rule mentioned above!

 

Imagine if they were only obliged by law to keep parts stocks for 5 years!!

[Redfox 10]

Then I will look for Lotus next time - completely unreliable, parts can be bought, and a lot of fun can be had. Why chose something so boring and ordinary as VW (except the Corrado), when one can get real enthusiast car for little money (well, a lot in Denmark)?

I am very satisfied with my Corrado, and I am not afraid of trying all kinds of ways to get a part made, remodeled or whatever, but it just amazes me, that VW's only sportscar ever made, and even a real expensive one, is not supported better by the largest car manufacturer on the planet. Look how it went for Saab, whose followers are quite enthusiastic about their car.

The buy and throw away mentality is at large an error of the past, not real for todays modern view of using the Earth's resources, but still manufactures seem to have not taken this point into their production. The idea of eternal growth is a dinosaur. I drive not very much, and I take god care of everything I have. Therefore I am punished or forced let's say, to buy something new all the time, and so are many others. Sad day.

Interesting to hear other peoples opinion.

I'll stick with my Corrado as long as I can ;)

 

Cheers,

Redfox ;)

[GCDG60 0]

the Corrado is a rare car, finding parts is what makes it unique, what...makes us love them, if parts were available easily it would be more popular and we wouldnt get people asking 'what car is that' or police pulling us over just to check the car out...we love them, they sometimes love us...:-), also alot of parts are available from the dealers, i bought a 90mm splitter today....youve just got to search and improve, ive had 3 G60'S now, because when ive sold each one, i miss the car, this one is for keeps....

[Wendy 0]

Understanding all the points made, I do not see a problem though with a petition - if it gets the point accross and gets just some of the parts made - then surely it was worth it.

I do think it would need to be a Worldwide petition though, not just the UK market.

 

Don't ask - don't get - Simples !

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Agreed, still worth a shot!

 

Lots of compliments to VW HQ about how revered and much loved their Corrado still is, might oil the wheels of negotiation :D

 

If we go in there demanding parts they'll just slam the door in our faces.

[tony_ack 0]

I think Classic Parts are a better bet for restarting parts production - as Kev says the OE manufacturers no longer have a contract with VW to supply the parts, and I don't think VW have any interest in restarting these relationships (if they won't do it for the MK1/MK2 Golf, then they're not going to do it for the Corrado).

 

VW Classic Parts seek out the original OE manufacturers in an attempt to either get a new production run of parts or to buy the tooling if it's still available. They already supply some Corrado parts, but need to know if demand is there for others.

 

It is also worth trying to get VW Heritage (formely BBT) on board as they are committed to finding new manufacturers for air cooled/early water cooled cars who can produce replacement parts as close to the originals as possible. Although VW Heritage do import for VW Classic Parts, they don't have any of their own Corrado lines currently, and don't plan any. Maybe we can change their minds if we make them see that the Corrado is going to have a classic status like the MK1/2 Golf and Scirocco?

 

It all comes down to demand though. I still maintain that I don't think that sufficient demand is there for some of these parts to make a new production run worthwhile. For example, what if it was only viable to produce a run of roof trims in a quantity of 500 pairs? Could you find 500 buyers?

[dannyboy 0]

I suppose you have to remember that the corrado was a money loss for VW and its now over 20 years old. Manufactures legally only have to stock parts upto 20 year point and then your on your own.

 

I agree with fishwick,parts are expensive to manufacture and make profit on(its a business afterall) so until the demand is high enough and a company is willing to take the risk to put the part into production.I just dont believe in buying chinese copy though,sodds law what happens when you use them.Only as a last resort!!!

 

On the flip side,VW should have a bit more interest in their heritage.The GTI is the icon that still lives today and one of their selling points so why neglect the one that made it happen for them?Simple,Money.Older cars dont earn enough for them.If its not going to make big money,they dont want to know!

[Jim 2]

I just find it sad that a company as massive as VW simply can't set aside a shred of their clearly mahoosive profits to try and setup programmes / schemes for people who are enthusiastic about their old cars and trying to keep them on the road.

 

I guess that's what happens when all you care about is answering to shareholders who have very little room for sentimentality and only care about the bottom line.

[tony_ack 0]

I guess that's what happens when all you care about is answering to shareholders who have very little room for sentimentality and only care about the bottom line.

 

This is what all big buisness is about - as much as we'd like VW to act out of sentiment to keep old cars on the road, they will only do so if it benefits VW. This is not a slight on VW - all big business thinks this way - anyone who believes they care about their customers out of the kindness of their heart is sadly dreaming!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I just find it sad that a company as massive as VW simply can't set aside a shred of their clearly mahoosive profits to try and setup programmes / schemes for people who are enthusiastic about their old cars and trying to keep them on the road.

 

The engineers who built the original GTI (out of hours), the Herbie films, the G60 Limited, the Rallye, the Pikes peak cars, the VR6 engine, the R32 engine, the G lader etc etc are all examples of their heritage and engineering excellence they can and should be proud of, but are at odds with their current profits first attitude. The MK2 16V was also the first proper, mass produced 16V hot hatch too.

 

All these are cars & engines you don't invest a lot of time and money into if you have zero car enthusiasm within the business, otherwise all car makers would be like GM, who just dish out the automotive equivalent of white goods all day long.

 

Unfortunately the bottom line does come first and it's always the accountants who push back on the enthusiastic engineers.

 

Although not in the same league, you will never, ever see BMW trying to forget all knowledge of it's M1 or 8 series like VW does with the Corrado. Both flopped financially, but they're still part of the family and their E30 M3 certainly wouldn't be missed off their time line website. BMW also have a *much* better parts scheme for older cars.

 

I think VW just have a once bitten, twice shy attitude to their cars. They clearly don't like taking financial gambles any more but when they do take a chance, boy can they deliver. The MK5 GTI and R32 are both superb cars. Handling and build quality wise, they're at the top of their game right now.

 

So yeah, all we can do really is get a list of names together, express our concerns about a parts shortage and see what they come back with. If they're not interested, then quite frankly they don't deserve our loyalty or business.

 

P.S. It's not just Corrados. MK3 Golfs are also feeling the axe of obsoletion, as are some MK4 parts.

Edited September 14, 2011 by Kevin Bacon

[Rustynuts 0]

The reality is that VW cannot be side tracked by areas of business that simply won't make any money. There is not room for any sentiment I am afraid, you have to keep on moving in business otherwise you end up in a position like Saab. Saving money is the only way to make money and economies of scale are where it is at, not descaling and fragmenting. I am afraid that VW cannot move into non profit making operations. Also them not appreciating their heritage is incorrect, they have one of the best museums in the world dedicated to their brand covering all the heritage.