Top 10 cost effective Corrado mods

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Whilst fitting a couple of Daves16V's products, I wondered if we had a top 10 recommended mods list, which are cost effective and make a real world difference?

 

If not, here's mine, in no particular order:-

 

1) Daves16V short shift - All

2) Daves16V tunnel trim reinforcement bracket - All

3) 288 front brake upgrade - VR6

4) Uprated headlight loom and good bulbs - All

5) Rear anti-roll bar (e.g Eibach) - All

6) Blue / Anti-blind spot wing mirror glasses - All

7) Uprated front engine mount - All

8) MK1 Audi TT wipers - All

9) BMC CDA-50-185 - VR6

10) TT/R32 rear wishbone bushes - VR6 (possibly All?)

 

All of the above are cheap, with the BMC being the most expensive at £180. Over 9 years of Corrado tinkering, I've found them to make a big difference to the car in every day driving.

 

I'd like to commend Daves16V for his contributions to the forum! I couldn't believe the difference his tunnel bracket made! For years I've put up with loose and creaky tunnel plastics, but his simple & cheap fix makes a HUGE difference!

Edited May 2, 2012 by Kevin Bacon

[jamiehamy 0]

I'd add No11 as Dave handle fix kit. As all Corrado's will suffer this failure eventually, it's a must! Doing it before it breaks might just stop your handle failling just as you start a roadtrip to France...lol

 

Braided hoses No12 - what a difference to the feel of the brakes.

Red dash light filter - This was so easy and now my dash lights are a lovely red, looks so OEM and much nicer than green!

[Craig 0]

I'd also add rear wiper deletion but I guess that's each to their own taste?

 

Sns chip and 68mm pulley for a g60 would be my must have cost effective mod. Cost me about £200iirc and best bang for buck you can do. Totally transformed the car into an animal with a Dyno proven gain of 44bhp at the wheels :)

[rolex 0]

Whilst fitting a couple of Daves16V's products, I wondered if we had a top 10 recommended mods list, which are cost effective and make a real world difference?

 

If not, here's mine, in no particular order:-

 

1) Daves16V short shift - All

2) Daves16V tunnel trim reinforcement bracket - All

3) 288 front brake upgrade - VR6

4) Uprated headlight loom and good bulbs - All

5) Rear anti-roll bar (e.g Eibach) - All

6) Blue / Anti-blind spot wing mirror glasses - All

7) Uprated front engine mount - All

8) MK1 Audi TT wipers - All

9) BMC CDA-50-185 - VR6

10) TT/R32 rear wishbone bushes - VR6 (possibly All?)

 

All of the above are cheap, with the BMC being the most expensive at £180. Over 9 years of Corrado tinkering, I've found them to make a big difference to the car in every day driving.

 

I'd like to commend Daves16V for his contributions to the forum! I couldn't believe the difference his tunnel bracket made! For years I've put up with loose and creaky tunnel plastics, but his simple & cheap fix makes a HUGE difference!

 

what about Polybushes?........transform the car!

 

(does the rear arb promote understeer?)

Edited May 2, 2012 by rolex

[Chris Langdon 0]

excellent list Kev so you defo recommend the short shift kit??? easy to fit?? ive done 3,7 &10 and as said above excellent mods

[daves16v 1]

Kev, kind words, cheers matey.

[KADVR6 0]

keep on thinking about one of daves short shifters, are they really that good?? and not for one second i'm doubting they arent dave.

[ben_wooduk 0]

When you say BMC CDA do you mean the filter replacement or the induction kit?

[KADVR6 0]

When you say BMC CDA do you mean the filter replacement or the induction kit?

 

induction kit

[daves16v 1]

keep on thinking about one of daves short shifters, are they really that good?? and not for one second i'm doubting they arent dave.

 

You're not stuck with it if you don't like it, just return it for a refund, no probs.

[Jim 2]

Never used Dave's other stuff but the door handle repair kit should earn him godlike status alone! Have always appreciated your efforts for the Corrado community mate!

[KADVR6 0]

You're not stuck with it if you don't like it, just return it for a refund, no probs.

 

 

well i cant argue with that can i, pm me over your address then dave and i will send you over a spare shifter, infact i have two spares if you need another one??

[easypops 8]

Never had to use the door handle repair kit but have used the tunnel repair and Dave very kindly made me a bracket to fit a humped rear bench into a non humped rear. The guy is a legend :thumbleft:

[MarkFoster 0]

Haven't got mine fitted yet, but from what I've read the fixed steering column is well worth the effort. I bought all new parts for £80 (thanks Pat_McCrotch!) so not particularly expensive either. - Just need a 2nd hand polo column and I'm all sorted.

 

Mark

[P3rks 11]

Just PM'd Dave16v for the tunnel bracket and short shifter... Been looking at the shifter for a while and I was blissfully unaware of the tunnel bracket.. That is a piece of ingenious engineering! That tunnel squeaking and being ill fitted rots my brain :lol:

[SamG40 0]

Any more details on the front engine mount? Cost, supplier, what difference it makes etc?

 

I've done lights and wipers mod and it makes a big difference. Cant believe no one has mentioned Mk4 rear calipers.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah I defo recommend Dave's short shift. Some of you may have seen posts from me in the past about how slick and smooth my standard shift is and how I was reluctant to mess that up with a short shifter. I've not heard a single good word about B&M's pricey short shift, so that was out. I've not seen much feedback on DieselGeek's and Neuspeed's was just silly money, so they were out too.

 

So when Dave's came along for the small sum of 5 sheets, it just had to be tried!! It hasn't affected the smoothness of my shift at all and unlike some other shifters, the throw reduction is a very well judged and sensible one for a road car.

 

And the tunnel repair was a revelation too. I know it's not an 'exciting' mod really, but anyone who's pulled up the handbrake or leant on the tunnel plastics and sighed at the creaking and excessive movement will be pleased with this cheap upgrade! It's rock solid stable afterwards! Way better than what VW could ever have achieved with the hopeless and brittle lugs and plastic retainer method.

The biggest complaint I've read about corrados is how rattley and creaky they can be internally, and believe me, sort that and it will make the car far less irritating to live with!

[KADVR6 0]

i have been looking for just a rear ARB for ages, looked at all the usual suppliers and they only do front and rear kits, i can get one of the Neuspeed rear ARBS from Awesome gti but they are the 28mm diameter ones and they cost £252 for just the rear. Think i'm gonna email some suppliers and see if anyone will just do the rear eibach/kw/weitec ARB.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You can have my Eibach rear if you want mate?

[davidwort 0]

more soundproofing, particularly in the doors, but also in the rear quarters and anywhere else you can squeeze more in.

a lights on warning buzzer has paid for itself a few times too :)

and a centre sunvisor or tinted foil above the rear view mirror fixes another corrado niggle

[P3rks 11]

more soundproofing, particularly in the doors, but also in the rear quarters and anywhere else you can squeeze more in.

a lights on warning buzzer has paid for itself a few times too :)

and a centre sunvisor or tinted foil above the rear view mirror fixes another corrado niggle

 

Lights on warning buzzer hey?

 

Do go on.. The amount of times I walk away from the car then have to go back because I've left my lights on is unreal!

[Yandards 0]

Wiper motor cover from the mid nighties Passat tidies the engine bay up very nicely.

Retrofitting the later model door lock black plastic covers also tidies those up.

Another vote for extra soundproofing in the rear passenger area as a lot of the in car noise comes from there.

Black plastic leading edge wishbone protectors, 4 cylinder only and from a mk 3 Golf, massive reduction in the number of stones the end up on top of the wishbone.

 

Big no to polybushing, new rubber ones also transform the car without the harshness of poly.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Wiper motor cover from the mid nighties Passat tidies the engine bay up very nicely.

 

Hmmmm, any more details of that? :D

[jamiehamy 0]

You can have my Eibach rear if you want mate?

 

Kev, can I be cheeky and register interest in this if KAD doesn't want it? Please :)

[bristolbaron 10]

Wipers and headlight upgrade are essential upgrades.

I'm going to have to give daves tunnel repair and short shift a go now.

I have repaired door handles, which are excellent and the polished radiator brackets [one of which is custom due to radiator length]

I think passat moonroof qualifies in terms of not having to worry about breaking the original.

My favourite free mods are:

shortening the aerial, pulling of the end cap, cutting down and putting the cap back on.

removing carbon canister. looks much tidier and doesnt cost a penny.