Gotcha, 92 Black Corrado in Michigan, what rims/tires to buy?

[Bob's Dad 10]

My son and I bought a Corrado last week as a fun/project car. It shows a lot of signs of tinkering by previous owners. But it still looks a lot like an old car. The seller was kind enough to hint that a timing chain repair would be in our future ... I'm hoping that and a slick pair of rims will be our only major expenses in the near future. It will need fresh paint at some point. So, the boy (19) wants to get cool wheels, who cares about a timing chain :)

 

We aren't afraid of staying at 15", but fashion these days is for bigger. Any problem going to 16, and what aspect ratio tires would suit 16s? Oh, and yes, this has coil-overs and is lowered.

 

Or if we stay at 15s, is the stock 205/50 ratio the way to go?

 

Dad's noob question is that after our first extended drive around town, found it wanting to pop out of 2nd and 4th. Maybe I need to get my old touch back, or is there something to be concerned about?

 

Thanks in advance, I see lots of questions to toss around here in the future.

 

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[MZpog 10]

I went from 15" to 17" with 205/40/17 on my Corrado (on coilovers) and regretted it because of the ride quality. Swapped back to some nice 15" and was running 195/45/15.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

hi & welcome

 

i am guessing by the mention of chains you have an SLC?

 

wheel size & ride quality will depend on quite a few factors; wheel size, tire profile, suspension setup & age of running gear

 

from my experience i found that changing all of the running gear produced a more 'cushioned' ride. new front wishbone & rear beam bushes make a real difference in the feel in your backside on the seat lol

 

new drop links & other running gear help to bring back the sharp steering response etc

 

i run KW V1's on my VR6 & love them. they really turn the car into a chuckable go kart BUT they can be a bit too hard on the crap UK roads. however, on smooth tarmac it feels sublime & they reward you in the twisties :D

 

my VR is still on the standard 15" speedlines wrapped up all round in bridgestone RE002's at 205/50/15 - if i were to change wheels on the VR i wouldnt go above 16's

 

on my 1.8 16v i have had the pleasure of running all 3 wheels sizes mentioned. when i 1st owned it it had standard 15's & as the standard suspension was in a better state back then i recall the ride being as many others would describe.

 

when i brought it back, having sold it & parted for about 6 or 7 years, it had 17's on it - they were fecking awful!

 

whoever put them on did not consider widths & offsets etc. they made the steering super heavy & very unresponsive/uncommunicative, plus they rubbed the inner arches. as such the ride was pretty awful

 

i changed those out very quickly for some 16" BBS RX2's with a 195/45/16 tire on the front. i left the 205/50/16 tires on the back as i quite liked the tiny rake it gave & a bit of a hot rod feel to the back end

 

i have so far only refreshed drop links & steering related parts so far. it runs on whatever suspension is in there (lol), stock i believe but who knows, & i am yet to change the front wishbone & rear beam bushes

 

TBH it is a bit boat like, neh ferry like, compared to the VR but it is a lot less bumpy & much more sedate to drive.

 

couple that with the fact i dont drive it with a heavy right foot, as i do the VR but then who can resist the sound result of a combination of VR6/BMC/2.5" straight through SS exhaust & plenty of gas lol, & it is a nice comfy ride

 

so, it is horses for courses really

 

as for the 'cool wheels' part - hopefully your son will learn quickly that the corrado itself gives him all of the super cool he is looking for & it doesnt need flashy wheels ;)

[seanl82 23]

As mentioned, you can go as big as 17" easily enough as long as it's not "slammed". 50 profile for 15" wheels, 45 for 16" and 40 for 17". It's the stud pattern and offset you need to worry about. 5x100 is correct, and an offset/wheel width take some thinking about. 6.5" width with an offset of 43 is standard, I run 7.5" on an offset of 35 without issue. Hubcentric spacers may be required if the offset is lower but be wary of wheel width there.

[VR-Sixy 0]

Don't ignore your timing chain if there's a potential problem. Mine jumped a cog quite a while back and after trying to start it the following morning royally screwed up the engine. This was an engine out and re-build job. Ignore at your peril!! Just a word to the wise you understand........ Hope you enjoy your new project. :)

[Bob's Dad 10]

Thanks for the replies, they are exactly the viewpoints we needed. I think Bob is thinking more toward the classic 15".

 

Thanks @Endeegee, I've been thinking if the chain has to be done sooner or later, why not sooner. I'd try it myself, but I haven't pulled a tranny since I was Bob's age, and he's not ready for that, either. So will talk to the local VW mechanic.

[Bob's Dad 10]

Okay, trying to figure out shifting problem (2nd & 4th not engaging/popping out after running a while), I noticed the cables running awfully tight to the header. Is this normal ... and is it possible that the heat would stretch out the cable during use? Etc.

 

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