zygalski 10 Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Hi. Long time admirer of these & think they're fantastic. :notworthy: I currently own an Astra GTE 16v which I bought over 3 years ago as a daily driver. What would I be looking at paying for an unmodified vgc/excellent VR6 with history & fairly low (-100k) mileage? Also, are there any specialists in the West Sussex or Surrey region who deal mostly with Corrados? Edited March 15, 2015 by zygalski Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tim@Prestige 10 Posted March 16, 2015 Hi & welcome! I hope you enjoy your time on the forum. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hairyarse 10 Posted March 16, 2015 Price range seems quite wide but I guess you're starting in the £2-3k ballpark, depending how mint you want it to be. Find one that's solid, and ideally with timing chains, clutch and heater matrix recently replaced and then you shouldn't have too much to worry about! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
16VG60 1 Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) http://www.johnmitchellracing.co.uk (JMR Ltd) we are VAG group specialists based in Littlehampton West Sussex. We have a particular affection for all things Corrado. Both myself and Troy are Corrado owners, myself for some twenty plus years. We will be very happy to help you with some info on what to look for. We recently assisted Auto Express with their write up on buying a Corrado, a copy of which can be viewed on our website. Be prepared for a reasonably long search to find the better quality examples. I would also add that the buying price could well take you into £7K for a truly beautiful example. Whatever you don't pay in the buying price, you will typically pay three times more to build into the car. We are here to help and welcome your call. Best regards, John Edited March 16, 2015 by 16VG60 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 16, 2015 Thanks for the welcome. :thumbleft: I collected my Astra from Scotland, over 500 miles away, so if I can find the right car I'm prepared to put the effort in. I suppose my budget is around £5-7k, but it would have to be something pretty special. As I say, unmolested, plenty of recent service history, 50-100k miles, all major jobs done promptly, no rust, excellent/mint interior & so on. Not fussed about the Storm edition. It would be used a daily driver not show car & I generally do between 3-6k per year. I love blasting around in the GTE, so certainly no rush getting a VR6, although a Corrado is a big fat box that has remained unticked! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanl82 23 Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) Welcome! Good luck with your search, you have a healthy budget which is always a good start. I think maybe the first reply was a bit wide of the mark for what you are for though. Not many around with less than 100k, and certainly not many for sale. Keep looking for the right car and it'll come up eventually, and it's good you're prepared to travel. John at JMR has an excellent reputation too which is handy, being very near. All the best in your search and good luck! Edited March 16, 2015 by seanl82 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ray1965 10 Posted March 16, 2015 Welcome!Not many around with less than 1000, and certainly not many for sale. Welcome to the forum, hope you find the car you are looking for. Your budget is healthy for a start. You should get a top motor. I must be one of the lucky ones as my car has now got 89k on the clock and had 85k when i bought it nearly 3 years ago. I paid just under 3k for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 16, 2015 Yeah I'll keep my eyes peeled in the usual places. Sounds like you got a bargain, Ray. Did you have any nasty surprises during the first few years of ownership? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robrado974 1 Posted March 16, 2015 Welcome along . Good attitude for willing to travel and find the right car . If you are willing to spend as much as that on a Corrado , you will be looking at the top end , as others have said . They are increasing in value all the time now .Plenty of help and info on the forum , so any niggles you may come across can be ironed out . Good luck with your search . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karmannski 0 Posted March 16, 2015 Thanks for the welcome. :thumbleft: I collected my Astra from Scotland, over 500 miles away, so if I can find the right car I'm prepared to put the effort in. Welcome! I got one RHD UK spec in Poland 1994 monnlight blue, VR6/auto , gray leather recaro... very nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 16, 2015 Hi. Thanks - I appreciate your help. I'm really after a sub-100k manual VR6 with history. I should have mentioned that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystic Blue VR 10 Posted March 16, 2015 I was in your position when I sold my 944 but then decided to lower my sights a little. mainly because I wanted a Mystic Blue Storm & there isn't a lot of choice! Your in the right place on this forum & buy a car off here if one comes up but I wouldn't get too hung up on the 100k mileage. Buy on condition, history & mileage, in that order & you won't go far wrong. The VR6 is a great car & find a good one & you'll love it. Good luck with the search! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarkR 11 Posted March 16, 2015 Welcome to the VR6 and the forum. It took me 6 months, but I managed to find a VR6 with 69000 on the clock. It only cost me £3,800 a couple of years ago. Since then I have probably spent a similar amount on repairs and new parts. As well as this forum they occasionally appear on eBay and Autotrader. By the way I'm not looking to sell!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 17, 2015 http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201503081539919/ That looks quite nice. Too soon for me though, as I have to get a new wing fitted on the GTE before I'd sell it. Info a bit limited on a £4.5 sale. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
16VG60 1 Posted March 17, 2015 Not a bad start. Agree the info could offer a little more detail, but typical advert line up. Personally when it comes to the Storm I prefer Mystic Blue but then I always go for blue cars . I think if you were in a position to buy it would definitely be one to go and view. Hey it's good to see straight away that you are finding quality examples. Always an exciting moment finding your next car. Happy hunting. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 17, 2015 http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201503081539919/ That looks quite nice. Too soon for me though, as I have to get a new wing fitted on the GTE before I'd sell it. Info a bit limited on a £4.5 sale. Has a few cosmetic issues. Rusty arch, lacquer bubbling on sunroof, ding in door. Owner says he was going to get a full respray. Seemed a straightforward chap though. Not sure if I want to spend another £2k just getting one cosmetically right. Are Corrados supposed to have fairly squeaky/rattly interiors? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
16VG60 1 Posted March 17, 2015 The right Corrado for you, and indeed most I have encountered and care to recall, do not and should not have a rattly/squeaky interior. The body damage you detail illustrates just how much photos can beg to deceive! A proper repaint on a Corrado wherein the owner requires it to look as it left the factory is going to cost considerably more than £2K. Given many have over the years had numerous minor repairs, or even partial reprinting, then most Corrados now will require a bare metal strip down, trim removed, and glass out to ensure a proper job is done. For this to happen at a professional body shop £2K won't be any way near sufficient. This Car sadly looks like it just fell off your radar, and it needs some major investment to bring it back to glory. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chuggs1 10 Posted March 17, 2015 If it helps I paid £6k for mine in December has only 54 coming on 55K on the clock with fsh an d pretty standard - I've spent just under £1k getting a new alarm fitted and upgrading the brakes all round (a fairly normal modification for better safety. Think I paid pretty top end at that as bought from a dealer. So your budget should be just right. Ive seen a couple recently go for around the £7k mark which looked to be stunning examples but equally ive seen some lowish mileage ones going for as low as £4k or so Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coullstar 0 Posted March 17, 2015 As said don't get hung up on the mileage, history is more important. I would argue that anything with low mileage hasn't been used a lot and these cars don't like sitting around. That's the main reason mine is for sale, in fact take a look at mine and see what you can get for your money. Best to leave at least £1k regardless of what car you buy for snagging issues. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 17, 2015 If it helps I paid £6k for mine in December has only 54 coming on 55K on the clock with fsh an d pretty standard - I've spent just under £1k getting a new alarm fitted and upgrading the brakes all round (a fairly normal modification for better safety. Think I paid pretty top end at that as bought from a dealer. So your budget should be just right. Ive seen a couple recently go for around the £7k mark which looked to be stunning examples but equally ive seen some lowish mileage ones going for as low as £4k or so Exactly what I'm after. If you ever get bored..... ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zygalski 10 Posted March 17, 2015 The right Corrado for you, and indeed most I have encountered and care to recall, do not and should not have a rattly/squeaky interior. The body damage you detail illustrates just how much photos can beg to deceive! A proper repaint on a Corrado wherein the owner requires it to look as it left the factory is going to cost considerably more than £2K. Given many have over the years had numerous minor repairs, or even partial reprinting, then most Corrados now will require a bare metal strip down, trim removed, and glass out to ensure a proper job is done. For this to happen at a professional body shop £2K won't be any way near sufficient. This Car sadly looks like it just fell off your radar, and it needs some major investment to bring it back to glory. Cheers John. You have a PM re/servicing costs :D The owner sent a few more photos. This Storm does indeed need a bare metal respray. I replied in a very polite manner re/costings & his asking price but I'm not sure I'll hear from him again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
16VG60 1 Posted March 17, 2015 Sadly a lot of folks who own Corrado still have their pricing of such works rooted firmly back in the days when their car was current issue. All too often is the case where too much nostalgia replaces real research and the dream becomes a nightmare. Buy the right car, get connected with a trusted support network, know your limitations, don't buy in over your budget and you can own a fantastic 90's classic. Furthermore you can enjoy it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
