_Matt_

I was chatting with my mechanic yesterday. He’s retraining in leak detection which gave me some confidence it would be possible to eventually change direction once the mortagage is paid etc. He’s only retraining as he’s a mobile VAG mechanic based in east London and has found since the government plans to stop older cars driving in London his business has begun to take a down turn as people turn to leasing new motors. He fears another scrappage scheme will take what is left of his business and he’s also going to be forced to buy a Euro 6 van at a cost of 12k plus (people won’t pay 12.5 on top of say diagnostics at 40 quid) Something a self employed trader can’t really do. Must be the same across all trades in London and whilst I get the environment I think it’s ironic killing off decent useable cars only to go and pollute 10 times more than those cars ever would by building new cars!

Yeah it’s had a new sump in the last couple of years, it’s dry around the sump seals. The drip comes from the cover that covers the gearbox next to the sump. Oil makes it was across to the power steering pump as well. Is the breather hose the one that joins the inlet above the thermostat sensors? If so that’s all dry up there. I have stripped the cool pack off and whilst there was a very small amount of oil on the end of the coil pack bolts it was pretty dry.

Hi, I've got an oil leak on my VR, more so when I drive it harder. I suspect crank seal as upper parts are dry and the drips are between gearbox and sump. Whilst my mechanic was servicing my family car today he suggested I check the breathing system for blockages as that will cause oil to leak via the easiest exit, he suggested I blew through it to check. He had a Corrado 16v for many years but without looking wasn't 100% on the VR6. I know the PCV valve, and have replaced it in the last 12 months, but is there any other hoses I can check for blockages before succumbing to the gearbox off & new clutch job of replacing the crank seal.... I have tried forte stop leaks to no avail. Secondly, if I so find a blockage in the breathing system how do I clean it out? Probs should have asked my mechanic but didn't want to take the pish too much. Cheers, Matt

Shame everything is out of date - my first aid kit is still in its original shrink wrap.

Has anyone changed career paths later on in life? How do you do it - can't do apprenticeships, join the forces etc. I'm 36, have a decent job but work in an office. I vowed to myself I'd get out by the time I'm 40-45 and do something active or with my hands. I'd love to do something with my interets: cars - restoration, aeroplanes - technician/mechanic, national park warden, maybe cycling (probably not though) related. I like the satisfaction of doing a job and being able to stand back and admire, whether that's restoring somehting or fixing something. Although I get that to some extent in my office role (I create reporting and planning soltuions) I just don't want to be stuck in an office forever and certainly don't want to climb any further up the management pole (hate the politics and less hands on).

Hi and Welcome. Good luck in your seach - I agree the things like the spoiler, VR6 (and other engines such as 16v and G60) are what makes it special to me. Sorry to hear about your old one. I carry a 10mm spanner in the car just incase so I can disconnect the battery if it happens. Do inspect your wiring around the battery connections - seen a couple go up in smoke due to this (and hence carrying the spanner!). Matt

Recreation of the centre console VDO gauges would be epic

Bobby this thread is 6 years old but you never know! Just don't wanted to manage your expectations...

Thanks for coming back to us, that's a shame but I get it from a business point of view. Sometimes wish I bought a mk2 Golf instead - waaay easier to spend money on....

Hi Anna, Is there any chance the vdo centre console gauges could be re-produced for RHD cars? I'd love a set and I've seen quite a few others are hunting them down too. How many people would have to be interested to get it done? Since 2nd hand sets are going for between ~£300 each I'd be happy to pay that sort of money for a re-pro.

Does look nice indeed and very well maintained. Tidy on those wheels too. Hope he gets close to his price. I probably should have tried a 16v out.

Found a picture of it here, but I think it's from before you sold it - it was having some major restoration work at a bodyshop so would seem a shame if it was broken. If SORN and low mileage it could be being stored in some collectors lot. http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=220032.0

Spen - id like to get to some shows this year but got a couple of young kids who aren’t quite old enough to want to attend for a day (without driving me mad) and free weekends are few and far between these days. I reckon next year my eldest will be old enough (6/7). RE TT Seats I’ve done some digging - don’t think the rears will go in. I do really like the look of Recaro’s. I also think my idea of trimming the TT Seats in cloth is silly and it would be easier to retrim the rears to match in leather. I’m not horrified with my cloth interior - I just need to do something with my seat and thought an upgrade to Recaro’s would be nice.

Also spen - funny how our CCGB member numbers are sequential!

That’s intereting about the TT Seats. As I don’t have leather door cards I’m wanting to keep it oem style cloth or perhaps leather outer and cloth centres. My existing drivers seat is no longer comfy. Padding has worn and can feel metal supports on longer journeys. Comfort is quite high on the list. I do like the look of Recaro’s though, especially in modern classics.

Since genuine Recaro’s are hard to come by... what about fitting some other Recaro’s of a very similar design i.e Rover, Ford instead? You can get them for sub £300. My father in law is a welder: can I just chop the base off of my cloth seats and weld them to the Recaro’s? I’d also want to get them retrimmed in the oem (or close) cloth too as my cloth door cards are in great condition. Any recommendations on someone who could do this would be great too.

I definitely agree there Keyo. Merc and Porsche both are committed to keeping their cars on the road. I think it’s great for the brands as it shows pride in the product and adds to the reputation for building cars that will last. Bodywork is sadly really expensive. I had a few touch ups, rust repairs, new boot and wheel refurb and it set me back 2k. One of the arches they repaired it rusting again too. I haven’t got involved in bodywork before but think I could have got it done for less now I’ve read some other posts on Facebook, maybe.

Yeah nothing to worry about, my drive is on a slight slope and i park diagonally across it - more water pours out one side vs the other. Originally I’d thought something was wrong with the water plus the rust (now fixed I’ll add!) but it’s allgood and doing as designed

What has psychological resilience got to do with steering input? :scratch:

Agree, I’ve not experienced electric steering yet. My family car is an Exeo (A4 in disguise) with fluid steering. It is lighter than the Corrado though. I think I saw the reference in a magazine review. Probably cut and pasted from somewhere else! Probably should take it with a pinch of salt; for example I used to own a mk4 golf, standard spec 1.9 tdi, to read the reviews you’d think it was a tank to drive but I found it perfectly fine.

Cheers Philly, school boy error there - I didn’t even think to look at the manual. Now realise what the yellow wire with the black box is for. I think I’ll go for it. Assume I can connect up the aerial’s 12v live to the yellow wire (ignition live?). The aerial instructions ask for a 3amp inline fuse... Cheers Matt

Added myself. Not many around my way. Wonder how many are now past owners.

Ahh sounds normal then! I wondered if there was something wrong with the rack but it’s smooth etc. I’ll probbaly flush the fluid and replace the fluid this year for good measure.

Hey all, I see reviews of the Corrado and see people talking about how light the steering is. Mine isn't light at all, it's definitely assisted somewhat and I car hear the pump on full lock but requires effort to turn compared to modern cars - mostly noticed when turning into side streets. I've eyeballed the fluid, looks clean and doesn't smell burnt or anything. Just wondering what's normal. Car has had an alignment but I feel it needs a general bushing replacement and have noticed one of my drop links is split. Just mentioning as don't know if tired bushes would cause stiffer steering. Cheers, Matt

Hi all, I haven't installed a new headunit for years. Last time I did it (Vauxhall Corsa!) I remember it all being plug and play, perhaps I had to buy an adapter for the plug to the car. I know I want DAB and bluetooth this time round and have the original Sony stereo currently in situ with original wiring. I've narrowed my choice down to this unit (must have LED option for green lighting): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-Electronics-KMM-BT504DAB-Bluetooth-receiver-Black/dp/B078SLHVJH Since I have my headlining out for retrimming (that job is now done) I bought and installed a new bee-sting DAB aerial. The aerial has FM, DAB and 12v power leads to install. Couple of questions before I pull the trigger and buy the head unit - - I can't see a DAB aerial port on the back of the unit in the pictures - does it instead locate on the connection harness? - Do I need to buy any adapters for the wiring? - I need a perm live (ideally switching on and off with the unit) to power the aerial, just so I am double sure which colour is it? I will test with multimeter. Please let me know if there is a better way to power the aerial! Cheers, Matt