TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) Right here we go, after visiting a couple of shows last year and having a go in a few more old school VW's I decided that my MK4 Golf GTI just wasn't going to cut the mustard as a serious project. Great as a daily driver but I just wasn't feeling it, so after a month or two of looking at various different things as a project the MK1, MK2 golf's, caddy's etc I just couldn't bring myself to pay scene tax for stuff which frankly were sheds. Then one day last week whilst having a look through ED38 and Ebay this popped up so a couple of e-mails later two trips to Coventry later some cash was exchanged and she was mine! I wasn't looking for anything pristine just a solid car that's as good as rot and rust free for a 24 year old car, I do understand this car has been on the forum once or twice before for brief periods so any further info on it would be great!! I do have a few plans in mind for it but for now it will be getting stripped down to fully assess what needs to be done, but for the immediate future as its currently sat on a set of borrowed wheels a new set is in the pipeline over the next month or two. Getting some measurements to knock up a straight through exhaust and rear silencer at work, stripping out the interior ready for a re-trim and giving it a good clean and sound proofing if the floors are as solid as the rest of the car. I do love the original colour so once I get the small dent in the rear passenger corner pulled out it will be getting a full respray.. I do have much more planned but its going to be one step at a time as these things never quite go as planned. But for now here is some pictures from the advert and the day I picked her up! (Sorry for the poor quality be some better ones up soon) [/url] Edited March 30, 2017 by TomBarker1991 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) Made a bit of start on getting the car stripped down this afternoon a few little surprises but nothing more than I expected it does look like its had a small bump on the front but I guessed that by the fact the upper grill being a completely different colour to the car, but the lower slam panel has been pulled back out but is no good so that will be getting replaced but everything else on the car is straight. I was told that that it had the headlight loom had been upgraded but turned out to be about 50p's worth of wire wired straight from the battery into the headlight unit and soldered on that has been ripped out and will be getting replaced courtesy of the suppliers forum. Im also going to be on the look out for a complete wiring loom as the wiring really has seen better days and is just clumps of wire chucked together with stuff not leading anywhere. Hopefully on saturday I will be getting the engine and subframe up and out to get some bits prepped for sandblasting and getting set for the bare block engine rebuild need to do some more reading up on the 16v KR tuning options pretty set on keeping the 1.8 16V... Also beginning to start the work on smoothing the bay up a bit nothing OTT just get rid of what doesn't need to be there and relocating the battery to the boot so got plenty to be going on with for now anyway here is a quick picture before i got the knackered slam panel and radiator out! Edited January 6, 2015 by TomBarker1991 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrahamU 6 Posted October 8, 2014 Welcome to the world of Corrado's I'm sure there will be many little irritations you find like your headlight wiring but fix them and it will be worth it in the end Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 8, 2014 I didn't expect anything less from a 24 year old car from what I gather reading up on here there all pretty common faults but can't wait to get the ball rolling with it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanl82 23 Posted October 8, 2014 Thought I remembered those wheels. Not my cup of tea tbh! I thought the slam panel was a "style" mod.................. Anyway, heres the previous members gallery thread. Hope you get everything you need sorted in good time, and it doesn't throw up too many gremlins. :thumbleft: http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?t=82118 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 8, 2014 Yeah they weren't mine either!! I was not a fan of the red slam panel but it will be getting blasted and sprayed to the proper colour... Thanks for the thread mate I'll have look through Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 8, 2014 @seanl82 Thanks for posting that thread up mate had a look through so far no real nasty surprises car is solid! Well managed to get an early finish from my training course today at work so decided to take the opportunity to get an hour to two in on the car stripping the wings off and getting stuff piled up for paint prep. Only issue I had was trying to get the wings away from the bonding on the sills as it was well and truly sealed on there. Also carried out stripping the looms out ready for taking the engine out on saturday, decided on going for a whole new wiring loom as the current looks like Stevie Wonder has had a crack at it just reems of electrical tape everywhere, so if anyone knows if they can be sourced or made that would be much appreciated! Anyway a few standard progress pictures nothing special, the sills and bay need a real good strip down and degrease... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanl82 23 Posted October 8, 2014 Best bet for looms is to ask on the breakers threads for a good uncut one. You think yours was bad, mine didn't even have electrical tape. Just bare twisted wire shorting and earthing all over the place! I soldered and heat shrunk everything in the short term, but I've just bought a good replacement entire car loom off a breaker to get it sorted once and for all. Make sure you strip all the seam sealer and bonding off the wings if you can. It stretches out of shape, and is an utter nightmare trying to get it lined back up and sitting right afterward. Good luck though, look forward to seeing this progress. :thumbleft: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robrado974 1 Posted October 8, 2014 Getting stuck in straight away then ! Well done . Looks a nice straight car . Looking forward to the updates . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 8, 2014 @seanl82 I am planning a trip to a few local yards that I know have Corrado's in to find myself a few bits so Ill have a look for a decent loom set, if I get an early finish again tomorrow ill give getting the bonding off a go just going to be a time and patience thing i feel, but I have set myself a deadline of ultimate dubs in march to have it somewhat ready haha @robrado974 Yeah having set myself a pretty tight deadline I'm trying to hit it hard early on as I fully expect there to be problems with stuff a little further down the line, but she is coming apart quite nicely for now. Soon be getting a stainless steel exhaust TIG'd up at work just need to source a rear silencer that suits it from somewhere Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) Had another day on the car today stripping some more down including the scuttle tray and disconnecting all the remaining pipework and wiring all thats left is to take off the driveshafts and undo the engine mounts and lift the engine out after. I have decided to drop a 2.8 VR6 lump in not really after big power but want that VR6 noise without the R32 conversion price tag, couldn't say no at the price I was offered it all for.. Also made a start on getting the rear stripped down to blank off the rear wiper and sort out the rear wing situation as I'm presuming mine has the raising rear spoiler? Started to give the sills a quick rub down with degreaser to prep again with waxoyl, but until the engine is out and I have seen pay day and I can start rebuilding the VR but here is a few pictures for now... Edited October 25, 2014 by TomBarker1991 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrahamU 6 Posted October 11, 2014 Also made a start on getting the rear stripped down to blank off the rear wiper and sort out the rear wing situation as I'm presuming mine has the raising rear spoiler? They all came with the raising rear spoiler, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 11, 2014 Thought they did, mine you can lift up one side by hand but not with the other it feels like it has been forced Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrahamU 6 Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) It might not be bolted in place on both sides or the mech may be broken If you lift it up, either using the switch on the dash or by turning the rotary on the motor you'll be able to see it better Edited October 11, 2014 by rado20vT Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanl82 23 Posted October 12, 2014 You shouldn't be able to lift it up. Sounds like the cable or securing parts are broken. You know you need pretty much the whole front axle, subframe, gearbox, etc for the vr conversion don't you. It'll convert it to 5 stud, so you'll want the whole rear axle for consistency too. :shrug: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanl82 23 Posted October 12, 2014 Oh and yours being an early car, you'll need a late bonnet too as the early one will hit the engine when it's all in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 12, 2014 I'm going to get the mechanism out and have a look, I do have a whole Corrado front end waiting for the conversion. But sure I have seen somewhere that the 16v is the same and you upgrade to VR mounts of course? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanl82 23 Posted October 12, 2014 Think it's more drive shaft size, hub fitment, etc although I'm not 100% sure what you'll need. Just what I've seen put here previously when folk have asked about converting to a vr. It the whole wiring loom too, probably need a bigger fuel pump, suspension at the front as the vr is so heavy........the list just goes on and on which has put an end to most others attempt previously. It has been done though, so if you have a parts and the enthusiasm, good luck dude! I have a spare spoiler mechanism with broken guides but it's yours if you need it. You can swap the guides over from yours if you can remove it without breaking them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 12, 2014 I do have the facility to get driveshafts made, the old Coilovers will be getting switched out for a new setup but do already have a loom sorted out but I'll definitely have a look into other smaller bits, I may take you up on the mechanism mate! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dox 23 Posted October 12, 2014 The front slam and rads etc are different too (as well as the previously mentioned crossmember and maybe rack etc?). These cars are cheap enough to buy, building one doesn't make sense? They're difficult to sell on too and I suspect a non genuine VR would be even more so. I've bought 2 VR6s off this forum for less than £1K each, one completely standard with leather runs and drives the other a Storm has a goosed engine. Good luck if you go a head with it :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 12, 2014 Definetly giving it some more reading up considering some of the advice I have had recently something lighter maybe a better option! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 17, 2014 Well after doing some reading up on the whole VR conversion after some help from members on here I decided I could be getting a lot more bang for my buck by going for something I am more familiar with, so with a little help from @rabbit82 I managed to pick up a complete 1.8T AGU conversion with 80,000 on the clock including a load of extras for a pretty good price all thats left to do now is to make the 3 hour drive to go and fetch it. But in the mean time I have got the KR lump out of the bay and started to do a bit of degreasing and tidying up as well as getting the subframe dropped to prep some parts ready for sand blasting and repainting to get it all tidied up... I have also been looking through a few forums and have decided to give smoothing the front bumper and wings a go as well as relocating the washer jets to the underside of the bonnet. Found this corrado whilst I was searching and fell in love with the front end! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 21, 2014 After a 6 hour round trip last night with a help from the old man and my mate Dan who is helping me throughout this build we managed to safely get the 20VT lump and other bits back in one piece. A lot of the stuff that came with the conversion won't be much use so I will sell it on to help offset the cost of it all but I will hopefully try and utilise the down pipe and straight through section of the exhaust and get a new rear silencer at some point. As for the rest of the car I am cracking on with stripping it down and pulling the loom out ready to be cut and spliced with the new one and will be imminently making a start on getting the bodywork sorted out and smoothing up a few bits here and there and getting it prepared for paint. I am planning on tidying up the scuttle tray as best I can by relocating the ECU behind the dash as well as all other wiring that feeds through there and doing something with the wiper mechanism as it has seen better days, hopefully by christmas the engine bay will be tidied up and the 20VT will be in and running it will be staying as it is for now but will still be getting stripped down, cleaned out and new gaskets fitted but for now here is a few more standard pictures... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrahamU 6 Posted October 21, 2014 You need a SWG scuttle cover ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomBarker1991 10 Posted October 23, 2014 I have been having a look at those, but not sure quite what I want to do with it yet.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
