scrappydog

Looking for a cheap(ish) coupe type car that is fun to drive, with decent build quality and hopefully decent residuals in the future (as I'm looking to keep this car for quite a while). Was originally looking at RWD cars such as 944 Turbo or 968, but 944s all look a bit ropey/tacky and 968 too expensive at the mo.

I think a VR6 Corrado might just be the ticket because it seems you can pick up a 94 reg car for between £3.5-£4.5K. I would welcome any 1st hand ownership experiences such as:
- Reliability
- Cost of running
- Are they fun to drive (compared to say a Scoob or a Lotus Elise)
- Do you think they are a bit Max Power these days?
- Things to look out for when buying
- Any on-line resources I should look at?

Cheers,

Andy

Dracoro

I had an M reg VR6 with all the spec (beige leather, electric pack etc.). Fantastic car.

The car does nearly everything I wanted. Fast (0-60 in 6.7), great FWD handling, comfy, decent interior, room for 4, hatchback practicality and rear seats fold down, good economy (28/30mpg in normal use).

Reliability - Had not much go wrong but do do a check, make sure ABS works, exhaust is fine, do an AA check thing to be sure. It will be a 10 year old car so budget something for fixes. Most bits aren't too costly but the more Corrado specific stuff is (panels etc.).

Great fun to drive, you can really play with it on the limit, play around with lift off oversteer etc and the car is so compliant. I've driven a 260bhp M reg WRX and personally find the Corrado more fun. Having said that, it's a different kind of fun. Obviously, neither the VR6 or the scoob will be anywhere near as fun as an Elise!

Still got respectable image as long as it's not been modified. Certainly a lot less max power than scoobs or other equivalent aged coupes (calibras, probes etc.)

There's a yahoo groups (search for corrado uk) that I used that was rather informative.

scrappydog

How long did you keep the Corrado? What do you have now?

Andy

Simon S3

I also had a `95 Corrado VR6, it was, without doubt, the best car I ever owned, why I sold it still remains a mystery.

I kept mine for 2 years and 25,000 miles. Nothing at all went wrong with it, all I did was get it serviced at VW dealers and fit a set of new tyres (Very cheap too as they were the standard factory 205/50/15).

Mega fun to drive, quite fast too if you remember it was ten years ago nearly.

Image wise I still think they are a cut above Calibras, 200SX`s and Preludes but I`m biased.

I`d love to find a decent, low mile, original VR6 btu they are hard to find now.

Oh, I replaced it with a Golf GTI turbo which was OK because at the time I needed to free up some cash and reduce running costs.

Dapster

I was on the brink of buying a VR6 after having had a loan G60 for a few months in the early 90's - I spend my money on a house in the end but regretted not getting the Corrado for ages. It handled amazingly well, was not corrupted by having a big motor up front and went like the clappers with all that creamy V6 urge.

Running costs should be containable as there are so many competant VW/Bosch/German type specialists out there. Having said that, while most mechanical componants are the same as the humble Golfs and Passats of the day, most of the trim and panels are unique and horrendously expensive if you want to replace them with originals. Check out the front fog/indicator and headlamp units before you buy as replacing those is a pretty miserable experience.

Like any 90's VW they take abuse in their stride but only if they have been well looked after and serviced regularly. Avoid the "South London Massiv" alloys, skirts, single wiper conversions and kick *** sounds and get the most original, well looked after one you can afford and you cant go far wrong.

Dracoro

I had mine for two years. Then sold and got an S2000. Now sold that and am close to getting a westfield!

If the Corrado was RWD and as good, I'd probably still have it. That's the only reason I sold it (I wanted a RWD car).

I think Top Gear (or one of the car mags) said the Corrado VR6 is one of the cars you could live with for the rest of your life (there were 4 others, an M5 but can't remember the other 3)

jas03WRX

I owned a VR6 C for 2-3 years and have to say it was one of the best cars I have ever had.... I had the full Supersrint zorst on it with BMC filter and i sounded like a subtle V8. Thay are very underatted and the handling is probably the best 2WD about then, due to its passive rear stear (which in 94 was the business)... and still embarrases alot of modern cars today.
Things to watch out for is that parts are V.V expensive and even German&swedish are embarassed when quoting you for parts... having said that mine was very reliable.... very fast... and i mean fast. still makes the hairs on my arms stand i when i see one.. shame VW never replaced it.

BUY ONE - YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE!

scrappydog

Thanks for the messages and no ones said anything to put me off so far.

To put things in perspective, I currently own a MY98 Scoob estate (the sensible family car) and a Lotus Elise (RWD fun & track car). Do a fair bit of servicing myself, buy 2nd hand bits cheaply off ScoobyNet to keep the Scoob on the road and the running costs for both cars is relatively low. Bought the Scoob for a song so both cars are on the slow side of depreciating. Now the Wife has a Fiat Bravo, which is quite funky and supposed to be the "cheap hack" car, however it is the biggest pile of poo ever and the servicing costs are horrendous. I would say that in the last year I've spend more money on the Fiat than on both the Elise and the Scoob put together. Everytime I take it in something needs replacing due to a mech fault or corrosion! I just hate cars that rust to bits

My *logic* is that a solid, but old Japanese or German car will actually be more reliable than a 2-3 year old French or Italian car (sweeping generaliszation I know). More importantly, if I get a car that is fun I don't mind doing the servicing myself. So Wifey gets the Scoob, I sell the Fiat and buy a Corrado. My aim is to get one with between 60-70K on the clock. How long do these motors last?

Andy

corradoboy

Not VR6, but I've still got my 16V Corrado after 9 1/2 years. I drive the Scoob mostly now, but I still like a blast in the C from time to time. Ditto what everyone says about some parts. I had some kind soul stuff my door in the snow a few years back. To put it into perspective, Audi TT front wing £62, Corrado door skin+trim £748 . Worth tracking down German&Swedish and Europarts, plus I have a local independant called IVC who have saved me many £00's over the years. Front bumper £800, bonnet £800, headlights £200 each.
Even though they're VW, they are not reliable. In the last 3 years I've been on a mission to fully renovate mine, and, touch wood, it's been fine since but I have replaced almost every part of the engine, gearbox, clutch, drivetrain, suspension and brakes. That's the reason I've kept it after getting the Scoob, as no-one will ever pay what it's worth to me.
Make sure all the electrics work, roof, windows, mirrors and especially the rear wing. If the oil pump goes in the VR6 it is costly as the engine needs to come out IIRC.

This is mine.
For lots of help & advise go here

boxst

Hello

I had a VR6 Corrado as a company car years ago. I loved it. Brilliant to drive. It's not as maniac as a Scooby, but still 0-60 in 6.5s. Don't buy mine though, as I managed to have a little accident just before I gave it back to the company.

As for image, it's a bit "macho". As in medallion and hairy chest type macho. But if you can ignore that, it's a great car.

Steve.

ZippyEFC

I had one for 3 years and the only problem i had was a faulty ABS sensor. It was without doubt the most reliable car i have ever owned and the build quality is fantastic. When i bought the scoob and sold the VR6 i had doubts that i had done the right thing for some time. I was really sad to see the car go and i dont normally care when i sell my cars. Buy one you wont regret it.

Harry_Boy

What can I say that's not already been said. I had a VR6 for three years from '94 to '97 - brand new at the time.

No doubt about it - the best car I have EVER ownded, Scoob included. Beautiful narrow angle V6 engine, decent poke as well. Not as fast as the WRX to 60, but not far off to 100, so it must be gaining somewhere after the standing start.

Nice - not too intrusive - traction control. Great reliability and one of the best handling FWD chassis of all time.

Ace exhaust note when pressing on, but a very refined cruiser. Oh, and on the motorway, if you don't go daft, it used to do 30 plus to the gallon.

If you find one that's only done a few miles, don't tell me, as I'll be racing you to the sellers!

Mine was a dark burgundy pearl effect (almost purple/black), but described as red on the V5 doc! Reg plate was M1 VRG - if you see her around, send my love!!

jas03WRX

maybe check out the forum for the corrado owners club.... used to have the link but lost it... maybe on the MKIV.net site somewhere.... you’ll probably find alot for sale there to. some of them are supercharged running 275-285 BHP and although only 5.8 - 5.9 to 60.... to 100 (and in gear times) they will cream alot of more exotic cars... believe me.

scrappydog

Thanks for the info. Sound's like lots of positive experiences and also regrets for selling the thing.

Anyone owned one more recently, i.e. bought one with a reasonable number of miles on the clock?

Andy

PS. Jas03 - I know where youre comming from, but I can't afford to start tuning *another* car!

Goochie

buy one - the first car i did 120mph in

Dracoro

wuss, you still had another 30mph to go

MadMark

Scrappydog - I used to be the technical advisor to Club VR6 (unfortunately not what it once was) and I can echo the comments above ..... buy and enjoy!

Few points:
1. Suspension and bushes will now often need attention at their age, so be prepared to fork out £600-£700 for new Koni dampers and springs. Big improvement in handling.
2. Make sure you cannot see any oil leaks in the engine bay - this will prove expensive later on.
3. Discs and pads take a beating. Check carefully.
4. Clutch is very strong - but expensive to replace. Whilst never featherlight - it should not feel "heavy" this means it is on it's way out.
5.. Exhausts do rot, but a nice Supersprint or Miltek Cat back will not cost a fortune and sound great.
6. Cone filters add nice lump of bhp / torque and make the most amazing induction snort I have ever heard.
7. Avoid any chipped car where the name is not well known. (AmD is very good).
8. A slight "miss" on idle is usually the coil pack which is very expensive!
9. Driven hard they eat tyres - but they aren't that expensive. Brands make a major difference to the handling.
10. If the temperature gauge goes beyond 1pm on the dial - the thermostat needs replacing before it blows a cooling hose (a known failure on the early ones). Cheapish to fix though .......

Enjoy and mail me if I can help further!

mj

sorry to hijack....


I have a golf mk2 shell, and a 2.9 VR6 lump, though they have yet to be bolted together. I will keep the engine standard bar possibly a chip & induction kit, maybe a new SS exhaust.

no frills, no interior whatsoever, just 2 fixed front seats and the bare minimum of the dash, heater gone etc.

what kind of performance can I expect

scrappydog

Mark,

1. Aren't suspension parts from MkII golf and Passat?
3. What sort of price are we looking at for pads and discs? Any comments on upgrades such as Seat Bembos?
9. Does it run on 16 or 15 inch wheels?

My thinking was that the Corrado was originally a "parts bin special", so running gear would be readily available. However, I am a bit concerned about the price of body panels! Any comments on sourcing 2nd hand panels and parts?

Andy

Dracoro

As a rough rule of thumb. All 'parts bin' stuff will be cheap. All Corrado specific stuff will be expensive but apparently getting cheaper, esp if you get non-main-dealer parts (euro car parts etc.). Certain stuff is easy to do and cheap. I replaced my brake pads, took 20 minutes to do the fronts.

Most the dash is from the passat apart from the red needle/dials and the heater controls. They look the same but are slightly different. unit was £300 from VW !!! I got a replacement from the scrappy for £20 in top coindition and fitted myself (this was a pain! but got there eventually).

willy

I absolutely agree with the comment you made earlier Scrappydog,I had a 206 xsi from new and it was aweful. It was 2 years old when I sold it.(34k)
I sold it and bought a 1995 Uk turbo wagon(73k)... its so much better engineered and more reliable too.
It does make sense!

*****

ZippyEFC

Mine had 100000 miles on the clock when i bought it with FVWSH. I had it for 3 years and it never missed a beat. It had almost 120000 miles on the clock when i sold it.

Rob Walker

Think the syncro's are a bit of a weak spot too.. Mine used to crunch between first and second if I changed gear too quick...

Like everyone else is saying I wish I'd never sold it....

MadMark

Scrappydog -

1. Yes the design is the same but springs and dampers are rated differently to cope with the extra weight in the nose - more sporting bias.
2. Standard stuff (genuine) can be puchased for about £100 but is really at it's design limits. Black Diamond Discs and Ferrodo 2500 Pads will cost about £200-250, but much better response / staying power if you drive fast or do the odd trackday! Standard stuff will be smoking and useless after 2 fast laps of any track!!
AP Racing upgrades etc are excellent once you start adding more power!
3. 15" with 205/50/ZR15 tyres. Normal upgrades are to 215/45/Z16 or 205/40/Z17 tyres, but I prefered the 16's .......

Lots of second hand parts around - it's just the new stuff that's getting rarer!!

stormyuklondon1

vr6 storm in green, mmmmmmmmmmmmm

scrappydog

Not going near any Maxed out ones with 17" wheel! 15" tyres are dirt cheap, but 16" are getting cheaper. Want to keep it std looking, but I think the brakes will probably need uprating. Are they 2 or 4 pot brakes up front?
RE: Suspension, does it use front & rear ARBs?

Thanks for all the info so far,

Andy

planky

Single sliding callipers and yep it has front and rear ARB'S

Have a look here for more info on corrado's...
click

ST-Aye!

WHOEVER ERE SAID IT WAS 'MACHO' NEEDS TO TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK OUTSIDE THEIR NEAREST SALON! lol! It is SO not macho!!!

I had one till last week - fab car & great handling.

I think this thread points towards the importance of hanging on to yer car rather than chopping and changing and losing thousands...

A lovely car - get a good un' - but dont feel tough

MrFlibble

As the above posts suggest, it's a great car. The only reservation I had about mine was the FWD, which I dislike. Replaced with 944S2 which has a much better chassis IMHO (although engine not as good!) -and can still be found in good condition at a good price (see forthcoming issue of '911 & Porsche World'.

jas03WRX

Macho or not... Who cares!!! most people are f***in’ jealous that they have never owned one.... The thing is in most DECENT car mags disgarding all the rubbish with more **** per page than BHP.... they will say that the VR6 corrado is still to be bettered today!!! and for a car which is 10 years old..(VR6 model)... that is some act to follow. PLUS if you read any Porsche mags the drivers of 911’s have usually parted with a C VR6 before hand.... So, from one quality motor to another... get my drift.

And although the Concept TypeR is going ahead by VW.... the Corrado VR6 is going to be its bench mark. So VW have certainly got their work cut out.