VR6 Coolant hoses obsolete

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I think the original hoses stand up remarkably well to the excessive movement and heat of the VR6 engine. Mine are the originals still. Car is not far off 200K old. How many 200K old Samco sets do you know of?

[Jim Bowen 1]

I dunno, i don't really get to know many :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

LOL... I'd be interested to know how long they last though. Eventually I will need to replace the hoses but I've always resisted the Samcos. Seen them pull off flanges all too easily as they have less give in them and some are too thick to get the OE constant torque clamps over them. Have they improved this over the years?

[davidwort 0]

I've used samco hoses for over 10 years now and I'm mixed about them, the material certainly lasts well, but they do have their downsides, as Kev says, they can leak where they fit to flanges as the material is more rigid than rubber (so not ideal for rad-to-engine type positions where some flexing is needed), they are more prone to damage from sharp objects/tools than OEM ones, and you need good quality hose clamps to get even pressure fitting to flanges and to prevent hose damage.

Coloured ones stain badly from oil and the right 'internal' size may not have the same 'external' size which can cause fitting issues for places like header tank return hoses where they clip into plastic trim/guides.

They are very resilient to heat and ideal for applications close to the engine block though where rubber ones last less well.

[SamG40 0]

Exactly why I set up the group buy from Roose - the auto VR6 top hose is still available (at £160+VAT I can't see them flying off the shelves!) but the lower hoses are all obsolete.

 

Lifetime warranty on Roose ones ;) Their 'OE' black ones look very close to the originals.

 

Stone

 

I didnt know the auto one was any different?

 

I had this response from my dealer when I emailed them in Febuary as mine went pop.

 

The part number 867845113G is £99.41 inc VAT. We haven't got one in stock however Volkswagen have only got one.

 

I managed to get one off here for a reasonable price thankfully which is fairly new looking at the condition of it so should last a few years yet.

 

As for VW using older vehicles to sell their new ones I had a rant at the TV the other week when the VW commercials commercial came on and starts with a scene of a guy polishing his mint splitty. The Mrs was asking what was wrong with me and I said it annoyed me that they are quick to trade on their heritage but are far too quick to forget about the poor buggers that mean they are able to use them in adverts and for dealer launches like Jim mentions. They dont deserve the support imo but I'm not swapping to a cavalier with a bad frock on anytime soon.

[guildmage 11]

Really, cars really have no road life before being replaced with a couple of years... sad times.

 

Yup, from sales point of view no car manufacturer want you to own a car for +10years!

What they want is that you buy a new car every few years so that it can generate more money. I strongly believe it is possible to make a car that will last 10, 20, 30 years no problem... it was possible to achieve such thing 30 years ago... why not now?! well because car makers do not want that as it does not generate any profits. Just imagine how many parts you would have to buy in order to generate sales of one new car.

 

Now then, if the new cars last up to 10ish years (probably less nowadays)... it is a pure profit for them, because most people will buy a new car, and yeah there will be few hardcore people who no matter what will keep their +20year old cars running but with parts going obsolete and prices going up... not many of them will be driving them as dailys.

[vornwend 0]

This story is about a guy who has driven his Volvo P1800sports car almost 3 million miles in 45 years. Uses it as a daily (obviously to get those miles). Its an amazing story - didn't even need an engine rebuild until 680,000 miles! Apparently Volvo have given him several new cars over the years as a reward for all the positive publicity he's given them. Nice looking car as well

 

http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/the_volvo_p1800_part_3_irv_gordon_and_true_product_longevity_19432.asp

[Critical_Mass 10]

Nice story and nice car.

 

I can imagine VW stealing the car from your driveway in the middle of the night and burning it :lol: NOW you HAVE to buy a new car muhahahaaaaaaaa

[guildmage 11]

In 90's many taxi drivers in Poland were driving a certain type of Mercedes car (I cannot remember which model) but they were known for doing 500 000 km without a hickup, while very little maintenance required. Now try doing that with some modern cars! OK I really have to go back to work now ....

[huggy 0]

And then find they have perished with age.

 

Better than them perishing while doing 70 on the m1

[Critical_Mass 10]

In 90's many taxi drivers in Poland were driving a certain type of Mercedes car (I cannot remember which model) but they were known for doing 500 000 km without a hickup, while very little maintenance required. Now try doing that with some modern cars! OK I really have to go back to work now ....

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apspJLp7rCI/TzEnNSMjr7I/AAAAAAAAAc8/PD9nWMo2G1w/s1600/mercedes-200.jpg

 

---------- Post added at 2:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 2:10 PM ----------

 

Speaking of which -

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/269962/new_vw_golf_is_go.html

[Kevin Bacon 5]

This story is about a guy who has driven his Volvo P1800sports car almost 3 million miles in 45 years. Uses it as a daily (obviously to get those miles). Its an amazing story - didn't even need an engine rebuild until 680,000 miles! Apparently Volvo have given him several new cars over the years as a reward for all the positive publicity he's given them. Nice looking car as well

 

http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/the_volvo_p1800_part_3_irv_gordon_and_true_product_longevity_19432.asp

 

Over 66K miles a year! He's obviously done a lot of road trips as New York is not a big place! I've walked from one end of Manhattan to the other in 2.5 hours! :D

[Portent 0]

Mmmmm, 300bhp dual charged.

[vornwend 0]

Over 66K miles a year! He's obviously done a lot of road trips as New York is not a big place! I've walked from one end of Manhattan to the other in 2.5 hours! :D

 

He's a dedicated driver that's for sure. I think he moved out of Manhattan so he could drive more!

 

"The engine on his car has been apart only twice [2] at 680,000 and at 2,690,000 miles. Gordon credits his longevity secret to a strict but sensible maintenance program. He changes the oil every 3,000-3,500 miles using Castrol Oil and Volvo oil filters, he changes the transmission fluid every 25,000 miles, and he replaces the points every 20,000-25,000 miles along with the spark plugs. To put 2.8 million miles in their proper perspective, Gordon could have driven his Volvo P1800 to the moon and back (560,000 miles) five times. Instead, most of its first 35 years were spent in bumper-to-bumper traffic on his daily 125-mile commute on the Long Island Expressway, which Gordon refers to as the world's longest parking lot."

 

Apparently he thinks nothing of driving to Cincinnati for a coffee and once drove it to Sweden to see the factory where it was made. He drove 1500 miles in the first 48hrs he had the car and now says he might sell it to Jay Leno but for no less than $1/mile - if only we could get those prices for our Corrados!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Blimey! That's quite a story!

 

We could never do 3,000,000 miles in a Corrado as the fuel is too expensive here :lol:

 

If we take 30mpg as a VR6 average, that gives us 450 miles per tank. To cover 3,000,000 miles we'd have to fill the tank 6667 times. 6667 x £95.34 (@ 1.40 a litre) = £635,631.78!

 

And a VR6 engine would need rebuilding several times along the way! :lol:

[fendervg 33]

The w123/124 mercs are legendary - practically bulletproof. Rumour had it that Mercedes had to lower their standards or they wouldn't have been able to sell any new cars.

[Redfox 10]

yes, I agree than VW with their policy these days, no longer deserves the enormous loyalty their customers show.

If I go and ask for a 30 year old little part for a Porsche, I can get it. And it's a small company.

Imagine what happens to Volvo now that it's on chinese hands. And Saab gone with the wind. For an old Saab, you could get even the smallest part.

I don't think we'll see many stories in the future similar to those of the very nice P1800, as that way of thinking from a company is simply getting extinct, and the shareholders (us) scream for maximum profit on our small savings investments. Greed does not exactly help the prolongation of spares to a P1800 or a Corrado.

I just took a good look in a panel manufactures catalogue and here I can see most panels for a VW 1300, but nil, zero, nothing, rien, for a Corrado. Never made. I guess a prestige car like the Corrado was, is only prestige until the next eyecatcher comes around. Next bling bling. Marketing has some things to say here too, as they develop the buy and throw away mentality!

So, when VW announced the Corrado in 1988 it was certainly a special car (in more than one way). I think one thing that upholds the Corrado is a strong forum like this, where people really do something to help eachother out with spares, advice and so on.

I guess it's the way the world goes, and what we deserves, as the vast majority don't care about such things, as long as they get their daily amount of tv-entertainment and beer. A bit sad.

Well, the sun is shining, and I am going to do some tlc jobs on the Corrado anyway. Who gives a s..t about tv anyway?

 

Cheers,

Redfox.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Redfox

[bristolbaron 10]

Considering the cost of a full oe look silicone kit it's well worth making the change.

I wouldn't even bother waiting for the old ones to perish, there's enough that have already gone to know the rest will go soon!

[Critical_Mass 10]

I think a big factor is the fact the Corrado was deemed a failure and VW wanted this failure to die a quiet death. So were less keen on supplying parts long term compard to the Mk2 Golf for example.

[RW1 0]

I think a big factor is the fact the Corrado was deemed a failure and VW wanted this failure to die a quiet death. So were less keen on supplying parts long term compard to the Mk2 Golf for example.

 

Volume of turnover governs. 97,000 built v ?????? and its a lot larger, so it still a demand and economic to make batches and get money back.

 

.

[Critical_Mass 10]

True. I think i was only looking at it from a UK perspective. Are VW abroad, such as the states the same with obsolete parts?

[Portent 0]

Just for reference, there was a company doing aftermarket panels for the Corrado. My passenger front wing was replaced when the car was about 4 years old with a pattern part (I have the invoice in the folder of receipts I got with the car. Strangely it was still fitted and.painted by the VW dealer so Is guess they must have had problem sourcing OEM parts even back for some reason.

[RW1 0]

Karmann were still producing body spare panels back in 1999 when I went to the factory.

 

.

[Jim 2]

Heaven knows what happened to all the presses for panels. I mean we can only hope that VW bought all the ones of interest to them (including Corrado ones) and that there might be panels made in the future.. but really I'm not optimistic :(

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

I'd hope they eventually sell the presses to another third party manufacturer so they can be reproduced cheaper.