Stella 0 Posted June 20, 2011 Ready to purchase a Corrado but am a girl and have no clue, any advice would be helpful! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vw.bones 10 Posted June 20, 2011 Hay ya I have just bought my first Corrado about 8 hours ago but I have to tell you I have been looking for the rite car for about 4 months everyday literally Auto trader, pistonheads, classic car lovers..all the usual sites...all I can say is there are loads out there so no need to rush into anything keep to your budget and just check daily e bay classifieds are a great resource to..I have had alot of cars everything from the 8v,16v,VR6 GOLF THROUGH to Honda S2000 even a Mitsubishi Evo 8....but I sat in this Rado today and felt like a kid at Xmas...any worries just drop me a message..first night on here too. happy hunting and take your time.Good luck, Bones Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beaky 10 Posted June 21, 2011 What's your budget? Also, don't forget to get an insurance quote before you buy.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Portent 0 Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Welcome. Old Cars First of all I'd suggest buying with the right mindset. Even the youngest car is 15 years old now and almost all cars will need some degree of maintenance and probably have a few issues when you buy it. It is rare to find one which does not need any work. Model Next I would suggest considering which model you are after... do you want a VR6, G60, 16v, 8v? All have different pro's and con's. Why Buy One? Then, I would suggest considering why you want to buy one. I think many people buy them as a daily driver and are then a little disappointed when they are not as 'nice' as modern cars and also need extra care and attention. My view is that they work best as second cars and you can then appreciate both the Corrado and also the daily driver for each of their qualities. People should appreciate that they are no longer common cars and are now crossing over into classic status. Parts can be hard to find and many are no longer available new. Budget Then there is the question of budget. Are you buying at the low end (up to £2k)? If so then most cars in this range will need a lot of work, potentially expensive. £2.5k to £3k starts to get a reasonable car. Over £3k is the range for a good car and around £4k+ will be a very good car with little work needed. Obviously you can still get bargains too. Early v Late Models Later models (post 1993I think but someone may correct me) had an updated exterior and body. The interior had relocated window switches (on the doorpods instead of the door itself), rotary heater controls instead of sliders. The body had a raised bonnet in the middle rather than a sunken bonnet, and also slightly modified front wings. The changes are subtle rather than dramatic. Common Faults To Look For Obviously read the guides here. But in general the common faults are: * Late rotary heater dials break (obsolete item - can't be bought new) * Sunroof motor fails (obsolete) * Sunroof mechanism breaks (repair kit still available) * Spoiler fails to raise and lower on either manual switch or automatic * Heater matrix fails (cheap part but dashboard out to replace it) - so recent replacement is a plus * ABS not working (could be controller, pump or more likely a cheap wheel sensor) - Check that the light comes on when you start the car but then goes out a fe seconds later - Some people remove the bulb so check this * Rust - They were not galvanised and rust is quite a pain so check it over carefully - inside wheel arches, petrol flap, around windows, etc. With regard mechanicals they share a lot of components with other cars so generally parts can be found either new or used. But replacement body parts and interior trim is a little harder to find. These were made bespoke for the Corrado by Karmann and are no longer available new. Viewing Cars If you are not confident in viewing a car then I suggest asking for a forum member to view it with you, or before hand if it is far away. Quite a few people on here are willing to do that and it's a very helpful and friendly place. Happy to help in the Surrey and surrounding areas (although I'm not a mechanic I spent a year looking for my car so have a general feel for what they should be like). Good luck and they raelly are lovely cars. So full of character. I love driving mine. Someone on here once said you should think of your time with the car, not as owning it, but it being your time to look after it before passing to the next owner. Edited June 21, 2011 by Portent Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swiftkid 1 Posted June 21, 2011 Take a peek here for buying advice as well Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bristolbaron 10 Posted June 21, 2011 where are you based? what model are you looking for? welcome to the forum.. good luck with the hunt! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vw.bones 10 Posted June 21, 2011 Quality :dance: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stella 0 Posted July 28, 2011 Hey Well thank you all for the good advice, I have been dreaming of owning one of these since I was at school when I spotted a brown funny looking car n thought to myself that is pimping!!!! I live in Birmingham so Hams Hall here we come !! Ideally I want a 2.0 16v in Grey with cream leather! I have been researching n been told about heater Matrix, what are timing chains???? Quote was £500 fully comp so not too bad! Thanks again x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
t700bes 1 Posted July 28, 2011 Timing Chains are instead of a cambelt, and only used on VR6's I believe? Whats the reason for a 2.0 16v? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stella 0 Posted July 28, 2011 Not too fast but not too slow, I had a 16v Renault before n that was good! What would you suggest? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bristolbaron 10 Posted July 28, 2011 yup dont worry about chains, although check for recent cambelt.. to be honest with a 16v there's not that much specific to worry about.. grey corrados are hard enough to come by on their own, let alone with cream leather. be on the look out for one with cloth and buy a separate interior.. there's one on here at the moment. good luck with the search! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
t700bes 1 Posted July 28, 2011 OH I'm not saying its a bad choice at all! Just wondering why you have chosen that :) The 1.8 16v and the 2.0 16v are pretty similar, infact the 1.8 is apparently quicker... Wikipedia has them down as the same Hoursepower (136), but with the bigger engine comes more weight.. I'm not sure how true this actually is though! I had a 1.8 16v and it was very responsive, although I now have a 2.0 16v (from a Golf GTi) so its 150BHP and a lot more torquey! Might be worth looking at 1.8 as well as the 2.0. and see if you can drive them both somewhere to see what the difference is! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vw.bones 10 Posted July 28, 2011 Just wanted to say hi and from a fellow brummie rado owner good luck with you search if I can help in anyway please don't hesitate to ask. All the best Bones Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stella 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Hey Thanks for all your adivce! Silly question but where would I find the bulbs to check the light? What does the symbol look like when it comes on? I have been warned about heater Matrix too! I'm going to look/buy this one tomorrow, it is the most beautiful car so I hope it does all it says Check it out on ebay item no. 280706225547 If i do buy it I will never sell it, will buy a bigger shed!! thanks again, yours looks lovely too !! xStella Last updated on 29 Jul, 2011 00:12:45 BST View all revisions Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joby 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Was there not a thread about this car before from TCS, Forgive me if im wrong but be carefull with this company Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beaky 10 Posted July 29, 2011 check out this tread before you buy from tcs http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?52514-Should-I-go-to-TCS-for-a-Corrado Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OSV 0 Posted July 29, 2011 The Khaki valver looks and interesting car, just go through all necessary checks to satisfy yourself when buying, this issue with TCS is silly to a point, he hasn't owned the car for the last 18 years, it what happened during this time that matters. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joby 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Im sure someone else was looking at this car before and there is a thread about it,can`t seem to find it though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stella 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Am taking a mate so he will check it out properly for me, does look too good to be true! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vw.bones 10 Posted July 29, 2011 Hay Stella good luck with car I am sure you know what to look for now I was tempted with this car but found one closer to home looks great and if all the paper work is in order seems good to me. Bones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stella 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Hey Cool noone buy this i want it!!! Will replece interior one day hehe x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted July 29, 2011 Timing Chains are instead of a cambelt, and only used on VR6's I believe? The 16V has a chain as well :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KIPVW 0 Posted July 29, 2011 Hi Stella, I was due to look at this car 3 years ago but decided against it due to it being a cat C/D write off. nothing major i just thought it was up for too much considering the status and it still is too much if you ask me. I think he's relying on someone liking the rare colour and jumping the gun with a pocket full of money. One to avoid if you ask me. Recent thread here too, http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?56522-Corrado-Valver-in-Khaki-Green/page2&highlight=khaki Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bristolbaron 10 Posted July 29, 2011 agreed with all the above, I would be VERY cautious buying this car and would be taking at least a couple of Rado experts with me to view it! .. However i'd love to go and see it. Khaki green is AMAZING! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KADVR6 0 Posted July 29, 2011 hi stella, i'm only in sutton coldfield so would glady come with you and give the car a good looking over. karl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
