New Corrado Owner Deciding What to Do

[jared_nomak 10]

Hey All,

 

I am finally the owner of a 1993 Dark Grey Corrado VR6 with only 79k from New.

 

I am just deciding what to do, the car is coming from Jersey as we speak.

 

Currently has a cloth interior but looking to change this.

 

I worked for Volkswagen back in 1997-1999 and always loved the VR6 engine and hankered after one ever since.

 

It will be a 4th car and will be joining my Esprit and my Deon Mirabeau.

 

Do I keep the car standard or go with a supercharger?

 

Car is getting delivered to Stealth Racing for a health check before I even get to see it!

 

Ross

[a_riot 0]

Hard to say not knowing what you plan to do with it. If you are daily driving it, I'd just get it running well and leave it alone. Modifying Corrados can be tricky because they were good cars from the factory, so they are hard to improve upon. Many owners end up making them perform worse with modifications. A KN filter and aftermarket intake often reduces power due to sucking hot engine air, an aftermarket exhaust will also likely reduce power, especially low in the range, etc. Its difficult to get more power out of the engine with bolt ons, so many end up with turbos/chargers, which come with their set of issues. But if you can be more specific on how you plan to use the car it would be easier to make recommendations.

[jared_nomak 10]

Hi

Thanks for the reply, car will not be a daily but will occasionally be used going to work on nice days.

 

Anything I do I would want to be reversible. If the exhaust needs replaced would probably replace with a stainless one.

 

But would prefer an oem+ look, not fussed for polished bits and looking for a VSR or Schrick manifold but will all be painted black under the bonnet.

 

Ross

[Geeba 0]

Hi Jared

I'm also an OEM+ man... I've kept the 12v engine and have added a few nice bits which I'm hoping will just liven it up a little.

 

I've completely rebuilt the engine, re-bored/new pistons, fully balanced, ported cylinder head with matched inlet and exhaust manifold, Shimmel 263 cams and a Schrick manifold. all built with genuine or as close as you can still get parts.

 

Unfortunately the project has stalled due to an unscheduled house move :(

[delfinis38 1]

Hi Jared

I'm also an OEM+ man... I've kept the 12v engine and have added a few nice bits which I'm hoping will just liven it up a little.

 

I've completely rebuilt the engine, re-bored/new pistons, fully balanced, ported cylinder head with matched inlet and exhaust manifold, Shimmel 263 cams and a Schrick manifold. all built with genuine or as close as you can still get parts.

 

Unfortunately the project has stalled due to an unscheduled house move :(

 

That looks rather nice giles

[jared_nomak 10]

Hi Jared

I'm also an OEM+ man... I've kept the 12v engine and have added a few nice bits which I'm hoping will just liven it up a little.

 

I've completely rebuilt the engine, re-bored/new pistons, fully balanced, ported cylinder head with matched inlet and exhaust manifold, Shimmel 263 cams and a Schrick manifold. all built with genuine or as close as you can still get parts.

 

Unfortunately the project has stalled due to an unscheduled house move :(

 

That look really nice and along the same lines I want to go :)

[robrado974 1]

Personally I’d stay Oem with a nice low mileage car . I’ve had a few engine mods done . I also removed the side strips and had the rear join lines filled to make a clean line on the body ,but that’s it really .

[delfinis38 1]

Standard.... with only modification of those very common recaro interior :)

[Billzeebub 1]

Only mods I ever do are a BMC Carbon induction kit (easily reversible) and a cupholder in place of the rear ashtray. The cup-holder along with air-con are pretty much the only items I wish the factory had included (along with the shrick)

 

Other popular items which are subtle modifications but add greatly to useability are Bigger brakes, Lupo wipers and an uprated headlight loom.

[tonedef 8]

Kev Bacon wrote a thread a long time ago, best mods for small money, or something along those lines, which listed Dave16v short shift (reduces the excessive front to back throw) and centre console fixing bracket (another usual Corrado creaky part!) is Dave still making these even? Lupo / Mk1TT wipers, 288 front brakes (the biggest brakes you’ll get under standard wheels), Mk4 rear callipers and OBD2 engine management. I think he also suggested re-bushing the front arms with Powerflex front bushes and OEM R32 rear bushes. There may have been others but I’m not quite sure!

 

I’ve done all the above, I’m also running climatronic from a Passat VR6 although I’ve modified that recently with a Mk4 Golf condenser which hasn’t yet been recharged so the jury remains out on current status. Plus of course the leather recaro interior you’re hankering after, remember they don’t generally have a/c fitted and in the current weather the interiors can be pretty sticky with leather! Plus an assortment of other renewed items too numerous to list!

 

I’d be making sure it’s all structurally sound, even a low mileage car is getting old now, make sure everything underneath is rot free. Consider condition of all bushes, the rear beam ones can be a pig to do so are often the original ones still in there! Brake and fuel lines, again, they could be pretty old now. Brake bias valve functionality.

 

After that, modify cautiously, they’re a car that doesn’t need much modification to stand out as they’ve always been pretty special. We’ve had two of them, continuous ownership for 23 years! And I can honestly say that they’ve been really reliable cars, none of all the regular failings, the sunroof has always worked along with the rear spoiler, door handles, handbrake etc, yet a mate at work had all the standard faults within a few weeks of each other.

Edited July 13, 2018 by tonedef

[daves16v 1]

Hi, yes I'm still able to supply short shifters and the tunnel bracket.

 

Thanks

Dave

[seanl82 23]

And finally the inline fuse to the light switch.

[tonedef 8]

Hi, yes I'm still able to supply short shifters and the tunnel bracket.

 

Thanks

Dave

 

Satisfied customer :thumbleft:

[jared_nomak 10]

Hi, yes I'm still able to supply short shifters and the tunnel bracket.

 

Thanks

Dave

 

Will contact you shortly to purchase

[jared_nomak 10]

Well started collecting parts:

New wing mirrors.

Used

Gearknob going to retrim

 

Parts on the buy list

New grill

New vw badges front and rear

New Corrado badges

De locked Passat door handles

New or used metal strip under grill

2nd set of rear lights for red tiniting

Lupo wiper

Headlight wiring loom (where should I buy this?)

Sort passengers window

Sort sunroof

 

Another question I’d like opinions on do I paint the delocked door handle and do I paint the grill? Opinions

 

Are the red vr6 badges still available

[Tjninny 10]

I would say leave the door handles and grille as is but obviously we all have our own opinion!!

[seanl82 23]

The metal strip under the grill forms one piece with the slam panel btw

[jared_nomak 10]

I think from rarity and low miles I will keep the car pretty much standard other than suspension and wheels and hopefully a black leather recaro interiour.

Car is currently at Stealth racing having a small fortune spent on it bringing it upto standard.

Then I will get some paint work done and any dent removal etc.

In time I will restore other parts too.

Unfortunately this will have to live outside and my other cars will be the ones living in the garage.

[jared_nomak 10]

The metal strip under the grill forms one piece with the slam panel btw

 

 

 

So would it be a full new slam

Panel I would need if I wanted to replace it?

[Geeba 0]

So would it be a full new slam

Panel I would need if I wanted to replace it?

 

Yes it a large part that's all spot welded together, mask and spray it?

 

One forum member plastic textured the whole part to match the grill and it looks really good IMO - makes it look like a modern slam panel.

 

Red VR6 badges are long since discontinued... I've managed to get a rear in red and there is a chap on Facebook that remakes them, which I will probably buy if I can get my house finished and get back to the Corrado at some point.

 

Grills are still available new, speak to Anna on here she works for VW Heritage and is really helpful.

 

Another no from me regarding painting the door handles I'm afraid... OEM+

[jared_nomak 10]

Think I have decided to stay with black handles and black grill.

 

Anyone got a good condition non rusty front slam panel they are crazy money from classic parts.

 

Ross

[marks2 0]

I have a slam panel with a few minor rust spots. Let me know if you are interested.

[jared_nomak 10]

Just looking for opinions what’s is a grey Corrado with no leather worth, car has 79k on the clock with 20 stamps in service book. One previous owner and one trader from jersey and now me.

Car came from Jersey and the bill to get car U.K. road worth is really high.

I am just looking to see if I go ahead and get it sorted what’s it worth. The car is solid with no rust other than needing some dents removed and I will probably get some paintwork done to make it mint. The slam panel has a small dent in it and the grill is also cracked.

Just need to know if it’s worth giving the car a new life or not

[tonedef 8]

It's always worth giving them a new lease of life as they really are great cars, although whether or not you will ever recoup the investment if that is what you're after is not so certain! Corrados have been under priced for a long time now, I'm sure we contribute to that as whenever one is for sale for strong money, people here will suggest that it is not worth that money. I've spent countless thousands on mine recently getting it back on the road (countless because I daren't add it up!) but know it's still not perfect and is still only in the 6 to 8K range if I were to try selling, which after all I never would.

 

Home truths; you bought it from a dealer who has to make his living and are considering selling privately, plus I don't believe you've had it all that long so would suggest that it's probably worth less than you paid as a trade purchase unless you really had the guy's arm off. Anything you have invested making it UK road legal is more or less irrelevant now, that adds little to somebody buying a UK car. The mileage, service book stamps and sound condition are in its favour if you make it immaculate but if you don't, then it's still a scruffy, if sound, car and considering they're all twenty plus years old now, people will look for condition rather than simply miles.

 

You can pick up a slam panel and a grill on eBay, I believe I saw more than one of each yesterday, and then spend some money getting the body issues sorted out and some paint which would then improve the value although not necessarily by the amount that you put in as it rarely does. They do seem to be gradually strengthening in price so sitting on it for some time and slowly improving things could pay long term dividends but you should be realistic as to what those might be, it's not a Porsche or Ferrari after all.

Edited July 28, 2018 by tonedef

[Dox 22]

Do you see the car as a long term purchase or short term hobby before moving on to something else?