Is this the start of the end for parts support?

[corozin 0]

In December last year I had to buy a set of new Corrado parking brake cables from TPS and was told that the set I had bought was the last set that they had - or ever would ever have.

 

This morning I had to order a new foglight button unit from Volkswagen, and they've told me that the one I've ordered is the very last unit that VW have in stock in the UK and there won't be any more of them.

 

So the moral of this story... is if you need any remotely unusual parts you might want to get them ordered now before I get them! It suddenly feels like a lot of Corrado parts are now running out. For example you can’t buy OE door seals anymore.

 

On a serious point though, is this an indication that we're coming to the end for parts support for Corrado specific parts now? Has anyone else had a similar experience or information on this they can offer?

[davidwort 0]

If demand is low, after the 10 yr (EU law?) manufacturers drop parts, VW seem to continue supply if there is sufficient demand well beyond this, so as has been said on here before, if we all keep buying door handles they'll keep making them, once demand drops to a trickle they'll either discontinue or only have more manufactured when there's sufficient back orders.

TBH for a 20yr old car I've found parts supply pretty good, hardly surprising that items like door seals that tend to last 20 years anyway have been dropped.

I think we are getting into that point with an old car where pattern suppliers start to pick up on the need for items, unfortunately there's not as big a market for them as there is for golf 1's and 2's.

[Yandards 0]

In December last year I had to buy a set of new Corrado parking brake cables from TPS and was told that the set I had bought was the last set that they had - or ever would ever have.

 

This morning I had to order a new foglight button unit from Volkswagen, and they've told me that the one I've ordered is the very last unit that VW have in stock in the UK and there won't be any more of them.

 

So the moral of this story... is if you need any remotely unusual parts you might want to get them ordered now before I get them! It suddenly feels like a lot of Corrado parts are now running out. For example you can’t buy OE door seals anymore.

 

On a serious point though, is this an indication that we're coming to the end for parts support for Corrado specific parts now? Has anyone else had a similar experience or information on this they can offer?

 

Yes.

 

Everytime I get some updates to a popular VW parts catalogue I always have a flick through the Corrado stuff, there has been a huge amount of 'dropped' parts over the last 2 years as the 15 year parts support policy is kicking in. We are now just using up whatever VW has left on the shelf and as such I have been parts hording certain items for a number of years.

 

I think mechanically that as long as the parts we use are common to Golfs etc then we will be ok but Corrado specific trims etc will be impossible to get hold of. I also think body panels are going to be a right royal pain in the bum to source in future too - they just did not make enough to make it worthwhile for companies to produce pattern items.

[Kempy 0]

the old inbuilt obsolescence theory, thats how you make moneys

[James. 9]

I visited Corkills in Wigan yesterday with my weekly "list of annoyance" here are the results (along with some from the past few weeks) Some are obvious but I wanted to confirm for my own records:

 

Sunroof seal £44 +vat

VR6 badge front (both colours) Obsolete

VR6 badge rear (both colours) Obsolete

Corrado rear badge - available in primer only (didn't check price)

Wing mirror lens (left) - £54 plus vat

Wing mirror lens (right) - £48 plus vat

Bonnet prop holder (white) 40p + vat

Rear number plate plinth - £58 plus vat

Underbody spalash/wind deflectors (left) - £38 plus vat

Underbody spalash/wind deflectors (right) - £38 plus vat

Bonnet sound deadening/heat foam - £138 + vat

Fog light and black housing (late - left) £112 + vat (not inc indicator)

Fog light and balck housing (late - fight) £112 + vat (not inc indicator)

Battery cover £20 + vat

Rear wiper/wash cover £1.28 + vat

Wing mirror gaskets (left) £5.00 + vat

Wing mirror gaskets (right) £5.00 + vat

Bonnet pin locator - left (riveted type) £2.41 + vat

Bonnet pin locator - right (riveted type) £2.41 + vat

Door handle gasket (non sided) - 32p each + vat

Blue badge clip (for rear "Corrado" and VW badges) - 41p each + vat

 

Mods: Is it worth creating a "Confirmed obsolete parts" thread (with part numbers ???). That way, one could search the thread and potentially save themselves time at the parts desk (always a good thing) Though there's an absolute sweetie working at Corkills so I may have to make a few return journeys there for "Research Purposes" :wink: .

[delfinis38 1]

it makes me sad seeing all these corrado's being scrapped.... but i guess eventually it's going to be the only way non wearing parts are going to be replaced... long live the Rado :D

 

Mines coming to the stage where a few things need replacing. only ever had an abs sensor / set of front bearings / pads / and discs and a set of tyres since new.

 

I tried to get an orig exhaust last year for mine and was told that there was only 2 left in the country for a VR. And rear badges are a No No... bought an old one and currently experimenting with spraying it up chrome.

[Yandards 0]

James, I don't think an obsolete thread is worth it for 2 reasons.

 

1st, the amount of times someone pops up on here saying, this is obsolete or that is obsolete when the part isn't is too frequent for any level of reliability. This is mostly down to a lack of understanding of the Corrado at the dealership, it's easier to say it's obsolete than spend hours trawling through ETKA for a 50p part.

 

2nd, The more frequently that we as Corrado owners order parts from the dealers the more likely it is that when the part stocks have been exhausted a new batch will be manufactured. Rear number plate plinths area good example, you could not get any for ages and it looked like they had been dropped, then thanks to the demand VW made a new batch.

[James. 9]

My concerns regarding the thread were along the same line lines as your Yandards. That said I thought it worth bringing to the table as to garner opinion.

 

It does make me wonder whether VW are purposley upping the price of some items (wing mirror lenses for one). Therefore no one will buy them and VW can rightfully say "No one bought them so we stopped making them" or that they are still making them in small numbers and that is affecting the retail price.

[Yandards 0]

My concerns regarding the thread were along the same line lines as your Yandards. That said I thought it worth bringing to the table as to garner opinion.

 

It does make me wonder whether VW are purposley upping the price of some items (wing mirror lenses for one). Therefore no one will buy them and VW can rightfully say "No one bought them so we stopped making them" or that they are still making them in small numbers and that is affecting the retail price.

 

I think they do watching some of the prices over the years. Although wing mirror glass has always been expensive and thankfully is used on other models so they will keep making them for now.

[dukest 0]

fogs have gone up £30 this year then, on top of the £20 they went up the year before.. I bet you they wont stop making those at those prices.. :nono:

[Critical_Mass 10]

So what happens when theres no scrapped vehicles or parts available! We're all DOOMED! :(

[muppetlab 0]

what i dont understand is the prices of the parts of some corrado parts is expensive to say the least, but yet there are nice sorted cars out there selling for silly cheap prices. No wonder they all get broken for spares but surely there must be a point when a whole car in good working order must actually be worth more than scrap value?? Or am i going to be very old and grey before that happens :lol:

[dukest 0]

what i dont understand is the prices of the parts of some corrado parts is expensive to say the least, but yet there are nice sorted cars out there selling for silly cheap prices. No wonder they all get broken for spares but surely there must be a point when a whole car in good working order must actually be worth more than scrap value?? Or am i going to be very old and grey before that happens :lol:

 

no, i think we passed that point about 2 years ago and you wont see it again for a long long time..

[muppetlab 0]

i guess as more and more parts become obsolete, forums such as this become invaluable. People find ways to adapt other vehicles parts and through the corrado community they will ensure these old cars are around for a while yet. Necessity is the mother of all invention!

[Jim 2]

R32 engine, Audi TT interior, Seat Leon brakes... get all that lot on and then all you have to worry about are body panels :)

[davidwort 0]

what do you think VW will do with those Karmann panel presses? Sit on them forever, or sell them to China :shrug:

[delfinis38 1]

what do you think VW will do with those Karmann panel presses? Sit on them forever, or sell them to China :shrug:

 

go to brazil like the Beetle :norty:

[gsbellew 0]

James, I don't think an obsolete thread is worth it for 2 reasons.

 

1st, the amount of times someone pops up on here saying, this is obsolete or that is obsolete when the part isn't is too frequent for any level of reliability. This is mostly down to a lack of understanding of the Corrado at the dealership, it's easier to say it's obsolete than spend hours trawling through ETKA for a 50p part.

 

2nd, The more frequently that we as Corrado owners order parts from the dealers the more likely it is that when the part stocks have been exhausted a new batch will be manufactured. Rear number plate plinths area good example, you could not get any for ages and it looked like they had been dropped, then thanks to the demand VW made a new batch.

 

I definitely agree with the above, the amount of times I have read on line about certain parts being obsolete or one dealer has said they were obsolete and another can get them from Germany is unbelievable.

 

Also worth a try is the CLassic Parts Centre in Wolfsburg http://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/ they pick up on parts supply for older models when VW dealers drop them.

[gsbellew 0]

My concerns regarding the thread were along the same line lines as your Yandards. That said I thought it worth bringing to the table as to garner opinion.

 

It does make me wonder whether VW are purposley upping the price of some items (wing mirror lenses for one). Therefore no one will buy them and VW can rightfully say "No one bought them so we stopped making them" or that they are still making them in small numbers and that is affecting the retail price.

 

I would say the exchange rate between the Euro and Sterling has a lot to do with the increase in prices, every £1 is not buying as much as it used to, so prices go up.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

If parts run out, you'll just have to use your nonce and do some research. :D

 

There are companies out there who sell every kind of door / boot seal under the sun, by the metre, so it's just a case of matching what you've got to their stocks, or better still, using a superior replacement.

 

Foglights. Why pay £112 when all you need is the glass? How does $9 per lense sound? - http://www.corradoworld.com/article/fogs.html

Providing you replace the lense in a timely fashion instead of idlely letting the chrome plating corrode away, it'll still look good.

 

Mechanicals - They're nearly all Golf bits, so panic ye not, and again, it's an oppurtunity to upgrade.

 

Interior parts - That is a problem area. The broken Corrados market is fairly buoyant at the moment, so as John says, if you need anything, get it NOW before it all runs out!

 

Body parts - When I replaced a wing recently, there were 3 in the country and more in Germany. You can also still get sills, rear 1/4s, sunroofs etc etc. Plus you can fit a slide only roof from a MK2, or a tilt and slide from an Audi 90. The panels are all the same size.

 

Wheels and brakes - Most people upgrade them anyway, so plenty of standard spec kit kicking around, aswell as 288s/312s but the bucket load.

 

Rather than viewing this as a potential nightmare, instead, see it as an oppurtunity to improve! :D

[Yandards 0]

The only real problem with body panels is early parts, you just can't get them and it is very unlikely they will do another panel run of them.

 

But as Kev says, there are a lot of bits out there cheap right now and with a little creativity even things like seat bolsters can be made by some companies for not huge sums (it is just some shaped foam after all).

[muppetlab 0]

If parts run out, you'll just have to use your nonce and do some research. :D

 

There are companies out there who sell every kind of door / boot seal under the sun, by the metre, so it's just a case of matching what you've got to their stocks, or better still, using a superior replacement.

 

Foglights. Why pay £112 when all you need is the glass? How does $9 per lense sound? - http://www.corradoworld.com/article/fogs.html

Providing you replace the lense in a timely fashion instead of idlely letting the chrome plating corrode away, it'll still look good.

 

Mechanicals - They're nearly all Golf bits, so panic ye not, and again, it's an oppurtunity to upgrade.

 

Interior parts - That is a problem area. The broken Corrados market is fairly buoyant at the moment, so as John says, if you need anything, get it NOW before it all runs out!

 

Body parts - When I replaced a wing recently, there were 3 in the country and more in Germany. You can also still get sills, rear 1/4s, sunroofs etc etc. Plus you can fit a slide only roof from a MK2, or a tilt and slide from an Audi 90. The panels are all the same size.

 

Wheels and brakes - Most people upgrade them anyway, so plenty of standard spec kit kicking around, aswell as 288s/312s but the bucket load.

 

Rather than viewing this as a potential nightmare, instead, see it as an oppurtunity to improve! :D

 

I agree, whenever i have to replace anything that goes wrong i always look to upgrade, brakes, hoses, electrics etc. theres a wealth of race and rally parts specialists who can get anything to fit. The only problem i see is if you want a clean original car. In that case original parts are going to get very hard to find or very expensive.

[vwdeviant 0]

Been dealing with this all my "Car-life" (coming over from the Air-cooled world obselence is ust another daily hurdle - try getting anything for say a 1969 Type 3 Notchback - a one year only crossover model!). As Kev said there a lot of common parts, and a lot of "alternatives", as well as companies that will supply seals etc (it's where the air-cooled seals come from).

 

As to Body panels, wings etc will be a case of finding "Best of the worst" outr there and then entrusting to a Good body-man, I'd suggest looking for one with "proper" old-skool know-how such as Lead Loading and shrinking/stretching rather than the more modern "Bolt on and kipper over".

 

To find these guys get into the wonderful world of Classic cars (Pipe smoking optional) or "Proper" hot-rods... these skills are still out there.

 

 

I tried Lead loading once and after wasting most of a bar it just looked like a robot had chucked up over the panel.. :epicfail: it really is an artform.

[dragon green 4]

Got to agree with vwdeviant and Kev. ! If something breaks,replace it with a superior part, thats what we are doing with door handles,wipers,light looms et etc

Is the Corrado going to be the Hot Rod of the future ?

[vwdeviant 0]

Is the Corrado going to be the Hot Rod of the future ?

 

 

NOPE!