Hi, Thought I'd get a thread going on my Corrado. I'm crap at remembering to take photos but enjoy reading other peoples and perhaps this will prompt me to get the camera out at the various milestones. Back in Feb 2018 I decided I wanted a Corrado. For some reason I homed in on this white Corrado advertised on eBay in Colchester over anything else advertised. It was up for £3500 and I paid somewhere around that for it. It had approx 149k, FSH and looked nice for an old car. This was my first classic so I did what any respectable person would do, got down on my knees, thought it looked alright under there and bought it there and then. I could see it had been painted in the past, had a bit of surface rust in places and masking lines around rubbers were not tidy but I said to myself - it's fine you don't want perfection, you want a useable classic. Well - spoiler alert - I learnt I did want perfection and bodywork is not cheap and neither is it easy to find decent bodywork outfits. Here are some pics from the for sale ad:
Next was to take it to Lavenham in Suffolk for a weekend away with my wife, couple of stops along the way. Trouble free and enjoying life.
I then remember taking it out at lunch time for some photos in a wooded area. It was at this point I started to think the suspension was a little bit high looking in factory form
... So after a lot of research and some fiasco with Eibach supplying incorrect rear springs (well known in the Corrado world) I fitted the Bilstein B12 (B8 shock, Eibach Pro springs) and marvelled at the end result. I was sore after spending £650 on the kit and felt satisfied my work was done with the car (boy I was wrong!)
I continued to use the car and started to find some mechanical type issues. The first being a failure to restart when warm. I did a bit of research, saw it was a common compliant and set about changing sensors. I changed all the coolant sensors, crank, cam, coil pack, refreshed the cooling system (except rad), new sparks, new HT leads, new 4bar FPR and a 1 way valve on the fuel line. Problem solved right? Nope. Around about this time I also started to notice a cabin vibration at idle over 2 or 3 seconds. The revs would drop slightly as well. I posted on the corrado group and people started talking to me about timing chains. I brushed off in my head intially. Can't be me, my car has FSH!!! Yes I was one of them people that bought cars on FSH, low owners and "looks alright underneath". I've learnt alot of the years... ... anyway I bit the bullet and booked her into Stealth Racing Well just in time looking at that tensioner
So, it went into Stealth. The original brief was to do the chains, clutch, new brakes, brake lines, and ABS pump but we added on 263 cams, head refurb, Miltek non-res, new fuel pump, new suspension bushes all round and god knows what else. It was a sizeable bill but I was very happy with the car being in such capable hands - Vince and all are epic at what they do.
The car was fantastic after all that work. It made 220 BHP / 212 ib ft of torque on the dyno and was night and day different to how it performed before. The bottom end still has 150k on it. Rollers video Exhaust video
I enjoyed the car for a year and then started to look at those masking lines. Not good. I started to hunt around for bodyshops - I was getting some really high quotes - £10k for the sides and some other bits. I finally settled on a place that had done some Corrados in the past for £5k in 2020 - glass out full repaint, fix any rusty areas. Strip down of car I'll continue updating tomorrow...
So got it home and starting the teething issues - leaked in the boot - fixed spoiler not sealed and grommets on badges not installed - windscreen cracked on the drive home and also leaked in the corner - fitter came out and replaced for free - MAF sensor died - Baffle box and crank sensor died
Goodness what a journey and thanks for sharing. I'm guilty of buying eBay specials too but never had the funds to go for 'resto' / body and paintwork like this. Hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel and you can enjoy driving it at some point. Looks decent in the photos at least and I bet the VR6 sound brings a smile when you hear it Not wanting to add salt to the empty wallet but in hindsight would you have kept the bodywork 'ratty' and driven it instead of aiming for gleaming perfection? I'm sure there's plenty of arguments for and against and curious to hear your and other's opinions.
Unfortuntaley I'd be taking all of the interior back out after fitting as I started to refubish the underside.
Thanks Daz! So moving on to Winter 2020 following inspecting the underside - the car was pretty on the outside but needed some protection and repairs. If I was really going to go to town I'd get the car on a jig and strip it back but I am trying to be pragmatic and save to money as do really want to achieve a car I can use and enjoy that is well protected from the elements. I need to find protection for the fog lights as that worries me if I crack one and is just another reason that stops me driving it. Not looking so good under there. I wire wheeled, cut out, welded in new metal where it was needed. I used Epoxy (non porous) primer, seam seal, primer again, gravitex, spot of colour and then dinitirol wax in cavities and as a primer layer for dinitrol 4941 black underseal.
Overspray everywhere I set about cleaning up and repairing. I found a tricky repair around the driver brake line but got there in the end. I was not confident to do any welding where panels could be seen - but as part of the work that will be done in 18 months time the sills will be bare-metaled as the chap said that the stone chip is not VW spec and he'll do that and repair whilst in there.
She's looking a bit tidier underneath these days - need better photos really. I just painted the rear axle. I probably should have had it stripped and blasted when it was off at Stealth - it had a new bias valve, bushes and brake lines. I didn't think or know about it at the time. Plus I've read bad stuff about power coating and metal rotting out underneath?
Starting putting car back together, fitted the new Speelines. Thread coming on that red car soon! Little cheeky exhaust video (Miltek Non Res, 263 cams)
