Pat_McCrotchs' Classic Green VR6

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

Right, seeing as this 'cheap' VR6 attracted allot of interest from the Corrado Crowd at Stoner Park I thought it was about time I started my thread on the car :)

 

So, a little background history on myself and why I wanted a Corrado...

 

My fascination with the Corrado goes back to around 1992 when my father used to own a VAG Approved bodyshop. During the school holidays I used to spend my time fascinated by the damaged (and brand new!) Volkswagens, Audi's and BMW's that were repaired there. I remember sitting in many Brand Spanking new Corrado's and BMW 840i etc :D But what really started the ball rolling was when he reshelled a Tornado Red G60. I just fell in love with the shape.

 

Fast forward to around 2004; I'd been driving brand new VW Polo 1.2S for around two years and the idea of owning a Corrado seemed like a very attractive idea. Yes, the insurance was rediculous (I was getting quotes for £1500) but at the end of the day I was getting raped whether it was a Polo or a Corrado I was driving!

 

I registered on here in 04 and quickly became friends with local Corrado owners pianowire and Supercharged. Working for Audi also meant I could keep them supplied with discounted Corrado Parts, usually in return for a lift to Corrado meets 8)

 

In December 04 I started searching for an 8V, not an easy task but it was the only sensible one for insurance. That was until January 2005. I was driving our Parts Van to cover for our Drivers sick leave when I was caught doing 84mph on a Dual Carriageway. I should actually have been doing 60mph but I never knew this (and should never have needed to!)

 

Anyway, this then put my insurance quotes up to £2200+. Not even a sane person could justify that on a car worth £3000. So I decided to go mad and buy a SEAT Ibiza Cupra TDi. Which whilst a hoot to drive broke down every 2000 miles. I eventually sold it after 8 months.

 

Because I wanted to get out of the car as quick as possible I decided to up the ante big time. So I bought an A4 2.0TDi S-line Saloon in Dolphin Grey. To date I still feel it was the best all round car I ever owned. It never went wrong and was actually fun and at the same time easy to drive. Sadly due to an error of judgement I hit a tree and ended up in hospital for 3 days over Christmas 2006. But it looked after me well until the last because I wouldn't have lived had I been in the SEAT Ibiza.

 

Next up, a red Audi A3 2.0TDi S-line 3dr in March 07. Again, did everything brilliantly like all Audi's do. But it was just lacking that little sparkle, so after 9 months I decided to take the new Golf R32 for a drive. A couple of words sum up the R32; suppressed insanity! I HAD to have one!! :grin: After 15 months of ownership it never takes the grin off my face and I will never sell it. Believe me that is saying something with my car history :wink:

 

But despite all this, there was still a little bit of me that yearned for that 'Childhood Dream' Corrado, and something to take the miles off the R32 was always handy. So I was always keeping an eye out for 8v or 16v Corrado's.

 

Sadly, over the four years it appeared much harder to find a decent condition one. Many were 'chaved' up or mechanically not maintained. After 2 months of searching and coming across nothing except scrap I (for a laugh) looked at some VR6's on the For Sale section and saw a 1995 Classic Green VR6 for £2300.

 

But hang on, I was trying to save money. Was having two VR6's wasn't the right way to go about it...? :norty:

 

The car looked too good to be true; chains done, 263 cams, koni's and a working Sunroof!! So in theory my only expenses would be a few trim bits and a bloody good service! The idea was to keep it as original as possible anyway.

 

Within 48 hours I was in my R32 with Supercharged on board to view it. When we got there it turned out the sunroof wasn't working and the paintwork, although fairly fresh, looked like it had been done by a Stevie Wonder type character with Parkinsons desease. But the important thing to me was that it was rust free. Which meant I could leave the bodywork to a later date. In the end I paid £2050 for the car and collected the next week.

 

It's said that a Corrado can determine when it's got a new owner, which is obviously true. Because within 300 yards of driving the car the Wiper Linkage packed up, followed by the 4 branch coolant hose exploding 100 miles later. Luckily me and Steve (supercharged) were heading to Tom's for the Stoner BBQ/Camp Site and were only six miles from Tom's. Within 20 minutes he was in his valver with Jim , a 4 branch hose from his VR6 and a bottle of G12++ Luckily, I had also made the (wise) choice to bring some coolant just in case so within 30 minutes of the hose exploding we were back on the road thanks to the efforts of Tom.

 

So, in the end I was able to make it onto the Stoner Park stand the following day and sort out my CCGB membership :salute:

 

So far, myself (and pianowire :salute: ) have already done allot to it after only 6 days. This is what I can remember;

 

* Full Valet inside

* Full Service inc plugs

* Coolant change (now pure G12++ ;) )

* MK4 Coolant Bottle

* OEM leads put back on

* New engine covers ('VR6 DOHC' etc)

* New Dash Bulbs

* New Sunroof Seal

* New number plates

* New Seat guides

* New Ariel Seal

* New Leather Gearknob

* New Rear plinth (and some rustproofing ;) )

* VW and Corrado badge Colour Coded. New VR6 badge.

* Drivers door lock retumbled to ignition etc.

 

And the question everyones been asking. "Was it a bargain?" - I'm my opinion, No. But it was priced just right :)

 

So, the first picture it what she looked like when I got her. The other two are her as of today;

[Toad 0]

:) You've made some good progress. :)

 

Only problem is that Herisites will get jealous that you're Kev's bitch now.... :tongue:

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

It's great knowing someone like Kev. I popped round there on Tuesday just to show him the car and he ended up doing a Service and Coolant change for me! :lol:

 

Happy days!

[Jim 1]

It was definitely a bargain mate. Don't let broken wiper mech and a split coolant hose make you think any differently!

[til2143 0]

Looks a nice tidy motor Pat and a really good price, good luck with it

[mic_VR 3]

Looking good chap, and just think that all these small issues have given you the chance to get to know some fellow Corrado owners. And you survived a weekend with Tom!

 

Where abouts are you based? I assume near Kev. Him and Steve are definitely great people to know if you need a hand on your car that's for sure.

[vornwend 0]

I thought it looked pretty darn good on Sunday and certainly a great base to work from. Didn't notice the Stevie Wonder paint job - will have a closer look next time :eek:

 

Does seem a great time to be a buyer these days - Never has so much been bought for so little by so many

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Only problem is that Herisites will get jealous that you're Kev's bitch now.... :tongue:

 

:lol:

 

I think £2K was a bargain for that car. Being as it's the first one he's owned (and probably driven) he doesn't realise how good it is compared to some others out there!

[Leonard 0]

Looks bloody good to me! I amost bought a green Storm when I was looking for a VR many moons ago, so always got a bit of a soft spot for them 8)

 

£2k is just ridiculous! I have probably spent that in the past 2 months LOL. Perhaps i should just get a new Corrado each year use it for 12 months then break it, thus making each subsequent Corrado more valuable by itsincreased rareness :grin:

 

Keep up the good work mate anyway, as everyone has said looks like a really good base for a stunning car.

 

Matt

[VR6 0]

Looking good matey - don't spend too much time with the Wiyah though or you'll be thinking forced induction before too long ;)

[Danny B 0]

Nice price for nice car by the looks of it......what are you plans for it ?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You'd love his Toyo R888s Leonard mate. I don't think I've ever thrown a Corrado round a corner so hard :D Very, very, very grippy! Neil was hanging on and wetting himself and seemed genuinely shocked his car could corner that fast!

 

I don't think it's got a rear ARB on it, but it needs one (imho) to sharpen up the turn in, otherwise it's a great handler 8)

 

One thing I noticed was how sloooooooooow it was, LOL, no offense Neil! Not because it lacks a turbo, but because of the standard gearing, it's WAAAAAAAY too tall. I forget how tall it is on a standard VR as I've had the shorter diff for so long now. Makes a huge difference :D

[Danny B 0]

......if Neil hasnt got plans for it then someone else has by the sounds of it :lol:

[VR6 0]

Aren't the R888's pretty much a road going track tyre? Heard some very good things in terms of performance but don't imagine the life span will be particularly huge....?

[big ben 10]

£2000?? BARGAIN!!!! :clap:

[Leonard 0]

You'd love his Toyo R888s Leonard mate. I don't think I've ever thrown a Corrado round a corner so hard :D Very, very, very grippy! Neil was hanging on and wetting himself and seemed genuinely shocked his car could corner that fast!

 

I don't think it's got a rear ARB on it, but it needs one (imho) to sharpen up the turn in, otherwise it's a great handler 8)

 

One thing I noticed was how sloooooooooow it was, LOL, no offense Neil! Not because it lacks a turbo, but because of the standard gearing, it's WAAAAAAAY too tall. I forget how tall it is on a standard VR as I've had the shorter diff for so long now. Makes a huge difference :D

 

Used to have the R888's on the Evo for track days, so yes I know how obscene they are :lol: Not the best in the wet though and i would be worried that my car couldnt handle that much conering force without falling to bits :grin:

 

And you had to mention the bleedin gearing didnt you. Now I want the 6 speed box again...... LOL

[Leonard 0]

Aren't the R888's pretty much a road going track tyre? Heard some very good things in terms of performance but don't imagine the life span will be particularly huge....?

 

The balder they get the better they get :grin:

[herisites 0]

Only problem is that Herisites will get jealous that you're Kev's bitch now.... :tongue:

 

Hey! Kev's MY man, you can all get your own! *does the clicking fingers and head shaking thing* :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

:lol:

 

Yeah the triple 8s are awesome. Noisy as feck and absolutely useless in standing water, but otherwise very usable on a road car. Not too bad in the damp, but in the dry, happy days! The danger is over confidence though. You think you can lean on the grip on any corner at any speed, but they will slip eventually and at a much higher speed than a normal cut tyre....so the metalwork to wall interface will be a bit harder!

 

Yeah got loads of plans for this car, Neil just doesnt' know it yet :lol:

[herisites 0]

:lol:

 

Yeah the triple 8s are awesome. Noisy as feck and absolutely useless in standing water, but otherwise very usable on a road car. Not too bad in the damp, but in the dry, happy days! The danger is over confidence though. You think you can lean on the grip on any corner at any speed, but they will slip eventually and at a much higher speed than a normal cut tyre....so the metalwork to wall interface will be a bit harder!

 

Yeah got loads of plans for this car, Neil just doesnt' know it yet :lol:

 

That's the same case as Slick tyres which I have experienced all too well on a motorbike when I used to race :( ended up in a 120mph highsider out of Clearways Corner at Brands Hatch! First time on slicks, they had bags of grip over cut tyres (which were pretty slick anyway tbh!) so I got overconfident, ended up squeezing the power on too early (on a race tuned R1 this is so plenty of power to squeeze on!) and they just let go. Spent 2 days in hospital and came out without any injuries :cheers:

[Supercharged 2]

I think £2K was a bargain for that car. Being as it's the first one he's owned (and probably driven) he doesn't realise how good it is compared to some others out there!

 

Yeah this is it, he hasn't really driven many others and I could feel how tight it was just sitting in the back on the test drive, I would have been a good buy for £4k in my opinion but for £2k it's a real bargain!

 

Like Neil says the car is rust and dent free, It drives and handles well with the Koni's, engine is quiet and smooth and pulls well, leather and interior in good condition as are the electrics + refurbed solitudes and the R888's - superb!

 

Neil also has an R32 MKV and I think his reaction to driving the VR6 goes to show how good a drivers car the Corrado still is!

 

Your right about the tyres too, I hate Toyo's but am tempted to dry a set of these, unbelievable grip but not sure i'd like to try them in the wet! Bit noisey too and sounds like you're on a bus!

 

Did you think they were a bit wide in 205mm profile Kev? seemed to stick out a bit on the Solitudes and not sure what that does to the sidewalls under cornering - think i'd buy 195's for standard wheels and they are much cheaper too.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Like Neil says the car is rust and dent free,

 

We had to cure some rust under the rear number plate plinth, but they all bubble up under there, very common! Other than that, seems totally fine to me structurally.

 

Your right about the tyres too, I hate Toyo's but am tempted to dry a set of these, unbelievable grip but not sure i'd like to try them in the wet! Bit noisey too and sounds like you're on a bus!

 

Me too, but those 888s are something else! I suppose any brand of rubber is gonna be good if there's 30-40% more of it flat onto the tarmac, but they and the Yoko A048R are impressive tyres :D

 

Did you think they were a bit wide in 205mm profile Kev? seemed to stick out a bit on the Solitudes and not sure what that does to the sidewalls under cornering - think i'd buy 195's for standard wheels and they are much cheaper too.

 

Yeah they're like that mate. Remember Jon Malik had some on his 15" Comp MOs and looked the same? They're just very wide for their size! Doesn't harm the sidewall as they are deliberately very stiff compared to a normal road tyre!

[Toad 0]

As I recall I wacked a bit of Hammerite on the front subframe when I did the cams. Think it was a case of a quick wire brushing and paint where it was getting a little tired looking. Was pretty solid, but might be worth casting an eye over.

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

I had starting issues late last night after the Radio shorted itself and on the advice of previous topics ordered an ignition switch, fuel pump relay and an ECU temp sensor. Started on the ignition switch at 7pm and was finished at 8:30pm. The screw to get the switch out was a mare but otherwise a fairly easy job and it cured the starting issue too :clap:

 

Bodywork wise the car is shiny and looks the part but on close inspection both door shuts and the rear boot show signs of blowing in and the Drivers side has pitted filler on the rear quater panel. It shows signs of someone looking after bodywork but obviously on the cheap, but it's a catch 22 situation as thats what's kept the rust away from the car I guess.

 

She's having the tracking checked then a brake fluid change tomorrow. Then in the afternoon I'm off to Kev's for another mammoth repair session :D

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

Unfortunately not a great deal done today, it all went bit Pete Tong as older cars do. We could only replace 1 out of 6 brake hoses as all were seized :( The Off Side Caliper Bleeders were also seized. We also found a few areas of the underseal which were bare from jacking etc so I'm sorting that tomorrow.

 

I popped into Kev's in the afternoon and in the end we replaced the remaining engine covers (looks brand new engine wise now :D ) , tightened the handbrake cables, fitted new handbrake trim and leather grip. I also put lots of VAG rattle tape on the centre console area so it's now very solid and no common centre console rattle anymore :D Kev also deleted the rear wiper which makes the rear end look so much cleaner and puts less stress on the boot struts so it opens nice and easy now.

 

I also found out why there was overspray on the drivers door sill, someone had just blown over the sill with paint without treating the rust spots underneath :nono: So I've removed plastic sill trims, rust treated the sills, primed then and i'll paint them tomorrow :salute: I've got the later 'corrado' adhesive sill trims to go on when done.

 

The plan is to do a proper brake overhall in 3 weeks when I'm back from France. If necessary make new copper pipes for the seized brake hoses etc. I will also replace the rear axle bushes as these looked WAY past there best.