do I come back into the fold..........?

[24V Renshaw 0]

Afternoon all.

 

despite having a browse on here quite a bit, its been a while since I was on here properly. Main reason is simply every time I come on here I want another Rado.

 

This is my situation. Currently my "daily" is a BMW X5. I know I know :) We are expecting our second child and therefore my wife will be back off work again and would ideally have the BM as her car. So that leaves me with her 1.8T MK4 Golf. Now its a great car, runs well, comfy etc.. etc.. but it does nothing for me and I want something I look back at when I walk to pay for petrol. You all do it :) Can enjoy a proper drive down a country lane, round a track, across europe etc..etc.. but also drive 40 mile round trip on the motorway to work every day.

 

So. My issue is this, which I have sort of convinced myself about anyway, but thought it was a good discussion point. If I get a Corrado VR as a daily, which is my plan, will I get fed up with the car being old and start tinkering and end up with a full on project again, which I have zero time and money for. Or would I be able to live with a "standard" i.e just nice wheels, suspension, brakes etc.. and be happy with it just getting it properly tidy, clean and reliable.

 

I had a long chat with Andy earlier (Mr C5 OEM) and am seriously in the mood for it now, so much so that I am going to have a drive of his VR to remind me of exactly what I am missing/could live without :)

 

So has anyone gone from a "modern" car back to a Rado as a daily?

 

Discuss

 

Oh and it feels good to be back!

 

 

Jay

[OllieVR6 0]

Why are you asking? You already know you're going to buy one :smug:

[24V Renshaw 0]

...its reading your signature that makes me question it though ;) LOL

 

Jay

[OllieVR6 0]

It's going for MOT next month, the only reason I haven't done it already is because I'm scared it'll fail (although I don't know what for).

 

Then I'll change my signature :D

[BILLCOR 1]

Its a no brainer, I sold my last Rado a year ago, my plan was to have an R32 as a second car, I have the cash to go out and buy one now, what did I do? bought another Rado :bonk: just made more sense to have a 4k car sitting doing nothing on and of than have a 10-12k car doing the same, get another Rado, you know it makes sense :scratch:

[KIPVW 0]

Hi Jay,

 

Welcome back, now what i have to say is this....lol! you say yourself that you have zero spare time and zero spare cash to do the sort of projects you have done in the past, therefore if you are happy to live with a standardish VR other than some suspension and nice wheels then i think you should definately consider another.

 

The way i see it is that you created probably the worlds finest corrado and that is something a lot of people still admire. I'm sure you'll be able to look back on this project and think to yourself Yeah!!!! I did that :)

 

I have no doubt that you'd want to change a few other things but also know you will be content to drive a reasonably standard car and just enjoy the whole mythos that is the word, Corrado.....

 

Kip ;)

[KADVR6 0]

well recently had a 2001 540i sport then a 2001 225 TT, and serioulsly love being back in a corrado, and yeh your right you do keep on looking at them for no strange reason, its like seeing some well fit bird on the other side of the road, and you just have to have a cheeky little look dont ya lol.

 

DO IT

[Jim 1]

Hm. To be honest I agree with some comments made on here recently though that the Corrado is just starting to get to that age now where it's becoming less enjoyable to use as a daily. I'm currently using my VR as a daily and already little mechanical issues that have come up, not to mention the continual degredation of the overall condition are starting to depress me.. I'm quite ready to retire it as a daily driver and get something newer and more comfortable sorted for the daily duties so that the VR can have money spent on it and know that work will be good for much longer than a few years!

 

You say you have zero time for sorting problems - I think it'd be a mistake. Even though it would be great to see you back in a Rado again Jay! :)

[24V Renshaw 0]

Some useful and very flattering comments, cheers guys. :)

 

When I say zero time, I service, maintain and generally tinker with any car I have, so I still have time to "look after" the rado and that always means upgrades :)

 

I guess a big part of it for me is the social aspect too. I miss popping round to see a fellow rado nutter for a brew. :)

 

Anyone fancy a swap for a 1.8T MK4 with cream leather recaros ;)

 

Jay

[OSV 0]

Jay who?:scratch: Would be great to see you back in a Corrado and the Corrado community

[Portent 0]

I'm in agreement with Jim. I think Corrado's are no longer best used as daily's if you don't have the time to address the issues. So either buy for occasional use and as a project, or buy the absolutely best one you can afford to minimise the maintenance effort.

 

I wouldn't fancy using mine as a daily. In fact it makes it more special when you only use it occasionally.

[ben_wooduk 0]

I'm not sure i agree with comments about the C not being a good daily, mine stood the test of time.

 

Although i completely agree the C feels so much more special when only used occasionally. You just get used it to (until you step back into the other halves Megane, feels like your on a bus!)

[Wullie 1]

Well mine is a daily and has been since the minute I bought it 13-14 years ago. Still look back at it, love getting into it. It will never be as good a looker as most of the cars on here and doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but then I didn't buy it as an ornament. I bought it as car, a rather special fun car to drive. Every day.

[24V Renshaw 0]

I guess part of my problem is that I modernised my previous Corrado completely and it had everything that makes a modern car more daily useable, but in a Corrado shape and soul. I will drive Andys and see how I feel, but I have a feeling I will want one even more then!

 

I guess if I find the right Corrado it will have most of the nice bits anyway and any level of maintenance does not worry me to be honest, I just want to be able to drive it every day.

 

Jay

[tony_ack 0]

Well mine is a daily and has been since the minute I bought it 13-14 years ago. Still look back at it, love getting into it. It will never be as good a looker as most of the cars on here and doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but then I didn't buy it as an ornament. I bought it as car, a rather special fun car to drive. Every day.

 

Exactly!

 

Why have a fun weekend car, when you can have a fun car every time you drive it? It's perfectly adequate for daily duty, all it's really missing for me is aircon, and that's soon to be rectified hopefully :-)

 

Plus cars seem to develop more problems when they're stood for long periods. And they go downhill rapidly if they're left stood outside.

[SamG40 0]

Hm. To be honest I agree with some comments made on here recently though that the Corrado is just starting to get to that age now where it's becoming less enjoyable to use as a daily. I'm currently using my VR as a daily and already little mechanical issues that have come up, not to mention the continual degredation of the overall condition are starting to depress me.. I'm quite ready to retire it as a daily driver and get something newer and more comfortable sorted for the daily duties so that the VR can have money spent on it and know that work will be good for much longer than a few years!

 

Whilst I agree with all that I cant help thinking that we should just get on and use them. Its going to be very interesting in the next few years with petrol prices etc just how much you can use a car like a VR. I say make hay when the sun shines and enjoy them whilst you can but at the same time trying to stop them running into the ground completely.

[jamiehamy 0]

Mine is a daily and never really misses a beat. My theory is that being driven daily is good as there is no time for water to sit in places and rot it, and the sensors and working parts are always working, warm and lubricated. I wouldn't have another daily, this one is doing 20k miles a year in complete comfort :)

[aide 0]

i wouldn't have one as a daily in my circumstances, those simple little jobs that quickly get complicated, wrong parts ordered, and those 'rush to complete in a weekend jobs' just wouldn't suit me anymore - wife, kiddy, very busy worklife ensures this, with a second on the way say you'll be even busier!

 

welcome back tho :)

[OSV 0]

I suspect with Jay's ability, resourcefullness and uncanny part finding track record it will be a breeze to run a Corrado daily. Its just that most of us haven't got that same skill set.

[Rob_B 0]

"do I come back into the fold..........?"

 

yes

[bristolbaron 10]

it all depends on what you can find.. get something too special and you wont want to use it. get something not special enough and you wont be bothered about it.

 

i was running an 8v for a while and it was a great car as a daily, fuel was great and it was nippy enough - i was really surprised by it.

 

i think the running costs of a VR would do my head in though and with a family i'd be wondering why i'm not running a well sorted A6 tdi.

 

do you get you fuel paid for?

[24V Renshaw 0]

Some interesting points coming out here. I must admit the maintenance side of things is not a worry for me, the single thing I am not 100% on is going back to an older car for day to day driving. One comment I have to admit I will never think is "get something too special and you won't want to use it". I would 100% rather use it than not however special it may be.

 

Jay

[Yandards 0]

I've run my G60 as a daily for the last 3+ years and it's a great car for the job, fun to drive but ultimately if I want something fun thats why I built the 16vG60.

 

So as a daily something newer and diesel powered is more appealing as I will still have access to a 'rado to play around with that I can keep tidy and overhaul bits without having to worry about getting the job done in a weekend.

 

Do they feel old? Yes and no, compared to say a mk 6 then yes the interior dials etc seem dated (I prefer retro chic) but at the same time the Corrado is quite refined when driving, very little road noise and very comfortable to drive long distances in. The real difference between the 'rado and a newer car is that is lacks a 6 speed gearbox that would help the fuel economy.

 

You will also struggle with some critical spares, seat bolsters are no longer available new as with many of the interior bits - but given your history I am sure a new interior wouldn't be much of a challenge..

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I'm not sure i agree with comments about the C not being a good daily, mine stood the test of time.

 

Totally agree.

 

The Corrado is not a crumbly old MK1 Golf, Beetle or an Escort, it's a mid 90s German tank, the era in which german build quality peaked imo.

 

Modern build quality isn't half as good. It's just 'perceived' to be better because of the 4" of padding you get in Audis & BMWs these days but the actual core unibody construction and general attention to detail, fit and finish is poor compared to predecessors. I've seen shoddy loom quality in current BMWs and I've been under MK5 R32s that are starting to corrode already.

 

The Corrado's apparent longevity is something VW should be proud of, but they choose to snub it for what ever reason. You won't see a car like that from VW again, so we should be making the most of them instead locking them up for summer only, or labelling them as unreliable because of owner neglect.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Kevin Bacon

[C5 OEM 0]

Totally agree.

 

The Corrado is not a crumbly old MK1 Golf, Beetle or an Escort, it's a mid 90s German tank, the era in which german build quality peaked imo.

 

Modern build quality isn't half as good. It's just 'perceived' to be better because of the 4" of padding you get in Audis & BMWs these days but the actual core unibody construction and general attention to detail, fit and finish is poor compared to predecessors. I've seen shoddy loom quality in current BMWs and I've been under MK5 R32s that are starting to corrode already.

 

The Corrado's apparent longevity is something VW should be proud of, but they choose to snub it for what ever reason. You won't see a car like that from VW again, so we should be making the most of them instead locking them up for summer only, or labelling them as unreliable because of owner neglect.

 

bang on