Looking at Corrados

[Iroczgirl]

So I've been looking at SLC Corrados.

What are the pros, cons, what to look for?

Thanks!

[leitmotif]

There is a Corrado forum, ya know. I hope you have a savings account...

[Spiller337]

You're going to need another car to use for when the corrado doesn't work

[Lexi]

It will be like daily driving an 80's Lambo, but without any of the pro's of daily driving an 80's Lambo.

[roadtripper]

i have been daily driving an slc for 9+ years. it has, by far, been the most reliable used car i have ever owned (that's dozens). i am still trying to find a good "third" car that is reliable enough to convince me it's safe to take the corrado offline a few months while she gets the comprehensive treatment. while that's been a love/hate/laugh adventure, driving the masterpiece has been a love/lust/love relationship. i just wish she was silver. alas, none in '94.

i have owned cars with more power, faster, more luxurious, fancy, etc. i have owned cars that are, supposedly, all the things the corrado is not. i have owned new cars, old cars, large cars, and all sorts in between. none has offered the pleasure/fun/guilt-free/efficient/value balance as well as the corrado.

times may have changed in those nine years. cost of ownership is probably higher now and the unmolested ones vanish daily. be very patient. don't buy a project unless you want a project. it may never end. judge the previous owner. don't quibble over the little things. enjoy your purchase.

i can be more specific when i have time. but for now, while the peanut gallery is giving you the stock corrado BS story, borne of a thousand botched hack/mod tragedies, i feel i must weigh in on what was most certainly one of the most enjoyable, and significant, cars vw has ever built. treat one well and it will reward you well.

[VR6 GLX Man]

Yeah the corrado forum would be the place to go, but also spend time in the 12v vr6 technical section since it's an SLC. Timing chains always comes to mine with these engines.

[roadtripper]

hint: if the a/c blows cold, you have found a quality previous owner. listen to the engine closely. there is plenty out there on the venerable old VR6; mileage is less important than how regularly and predictably the PO put it through its paces. if you can be patient enough, accept ZERO issues with the electrical system (ie, no hacked stereo jobs, etc etc etc etc). don't worry about stuff like the wing and seatbelts and abs and sunroof. you can work all those out. but if the car lived a rough life, sat for extended periods, or has an azzhat for an owner, get your test drive and get out.

by the way, did i mention how important it is to find a quality (prefarably adult) previous owner?

the only mods worth paying extra for are: LSD, schrick, and that's about it. original paint would be nice.

[GotEuroCorrado]

loved my corrados (all vr6's) ... they were the most dependable vehicles ive had next to my v10 touareg which is damn perfect.

do the chains, dont buy anything with front end damage cause those parts will cost a TON, if your spoiler motor still works take it apart and re-grease it.

best mods,

vr6 eurolights, with headlight relay harness so you can see and not roast your headlight switch
lsd so you can get pulled around corners like your on rails
coilovers w/ dampening control to swap for the unpleasant stock suspension
passat glass sunrood (95-97)

power mods are generally more expensive. save on the chip/intake/exhaust/cam/head work/header/etc and get a used complete low boost turbo kit. superchargers rob you of power in the low end and the current turbos on the market spool just fine to make power across most of the band. you will make more power, and enjoy more of your money then any of the other goofy power adders out there.

i probably missed something else... check the corrado forum.

edit: o yea, try for original paint. its not easy painting these cars because a lot of the rubbers around the car need to be removed. most will be completely useless after and you will spend more on new gaskets and seals (windshield/windows/roof/etc) then you would on paint. spend the extra $ and get the best paint you can, everything else can generally be fixed.

[LethaOne]

You're going to need another car to use for when the corrado doesn't work

and about $2500 in your bank account at any given moment for repairs.

[mk3_vdub]

the only mods worth paying extra for are: LSD, schrick, and that's about it. original paint would be nice.

i dont necessarily agree with that last statement. id pay more if the car has been resprayed correctly and has pristine paint. (as long as its original color, or it was stipped down to the bare shell to be repainted in a different OEM color)

[Geesixty]

Certainly not a trouble-free car. I have learned (and will continue to learn) a lot about fixing different things on my Corrado. I think of it like I am getting a free education on how to "fix cars" while keeping the old girl running well. I think the trick is to keep up with maintenance and fix issues as they crop up.

Although I only drive mine once every week or two when the weather is nice, I get a smile on my face (and feel 5 years old all over again) when I hear that cammed VR6 howling from underneath the hood. It is undoubtedly, the fastest and most enjoyable "slow" car I have ever driven. It is a very well balanced, forgiving and tossable car that one can drive close to, or at the limit without getting thrown on the slammer for 20-years-to-life. That's not say I haven't exceeded a speed limit or fractured an occasional law a time or two while feeling a little frisky.

And for what it's worth, I got a good chuckle when my older, female co-worker told me I rattled all the windows on our nearby Starbucks drive-thru as I blasted by on my way to work yesterday morning.

[Eightysixturbo]

[Waarp]

I love these things. I test drove one in 92 and I still think the original VR6, 2 valves and all, is the best.


http://www.a2resource.com/brochures/...o/source/2.jpg

[TM87]

Keep on looking, unless you want a project car. Finding a clean unmolested example is almost impossible. Even if you do they will be expensive.
If you are looking for a project I would look for a clean shell and start from there.

[boner]

I've had mine for ten years now. It has been supremely reliable BUT that because I am totally on top of the maintenance and these days it's summer use only. Really it gets pretty much babied now. Mechanically no different than A mk3 vr. The issue now is all of the NLA corrado specific stuff. It's in that phase of life after the manufacturer has stopped supporting it and before aftermarket has ramped up.

Could one dd a corrado? Certainly. Would I? Not unless i had to. Luckily i have a choice nowadays. That wasn't always the case.

[Sonic303]

All is already stated above.

1. Check out the classifieds
2. Buy the most expensive unmolested one with records
3. Enjoy
4. Profit
5. Repair & fix any problems
6. Enjoy
7. Profit

[unimogken]

You didn't just sell that car to buy a Corrado did you?

[Iroczgirl]

You didn't just sell that car to buy a Corrado did you?

No. I sold it so I can fix the Rabbit

I just go kind of crazy when I have some money in my pocket.

Glad my friends are talking me out of this.

[mhjett]

Then you need to spend some time in the Corrado forum.



Love the comparisons on the right - Corrado is the most expensive, fastest, best braking, best roadholding, and worst fuel economy.

Funny how in the Motorweek video, they complain about the "incomplete gauges" and then in the '93+ cars VW added the console gauges.

[GotEuroCorrado]

dont get talked out of it. go test drive one. they are a wonderful car to own if you dont one that has been raped by multiple previous owners.

[Dubai Vol]

My Corrado:



It's a sweet ride, and impressive, but it is a grand touring car. For pure handling my mk2 16v is actually a far better car.

[Rob.]

Always wanted a corrado.. was my dream car in highschool, if you can believe ! lol

[poorman]

owned a g60 for 8 years .... was fun and semi reliable, cannot convince me to buy another one.

[VwG60Kid]

unmolested is key if you don't have intimate familiarity with them. i'm on my second owned a g60 for 10 years now dailying an slc thats mechanically and electrically super solid and rust free but could use paint and some minor body work. I am also looking for an another SLC shell for a project car and my unicorn... a mint, stock, running g60. I do however have an e30 in waiting for the occasional Corrado gremlin.

The Corrado was my dream car when they came out, I lusted after them every time I saw one. I was only 9 at the time. Saved up for a few years and when I got my license I bought one and was in heaven even though it cost me every penny I made to keep running. Just something about corrados does it for me. I plan to always have at least one in my stable.

My current SLC

[RafaGti]

Nice Rado, what wheels are those????

unmolested is key if you don't have intimate familiarity with them. i'm on my second owned a g60 for 10 years now dailying an slc thats mechanically and electrically super solid and rust free but could use paint and some minor body work. I am also looking for an another SLC shell for a project car and my unicorn... a mint, stock, running g60. I do however have an e30 in waiting for the occasional Corrado gremlin.

The Corrado was my dream car when they came out, I lusted after them every time I saw one. I was only 9 at the time. Saved up for a few years and when I got my license I bought one and was in heaven even though it cost me every penny I made to keep running. Just something about corrados does it for me. I plan to always have at least one in my stable.

My current SLC

[Mosbius Designs]

It's the most fun FWD car I've ever driven. I would never own one if I needed to depend on it every day to get me from point A to point B, but as a second or third car - what the hell.

[FoleE]

Nice Rado, what wheels are those????

Look like Compomotive mo5's.

[VwG60Kid]

Nice Rado, what wheels are those????

Compomotive MO1776 (ie. MO5)

17x7.5 ET38

[invisiblewar]

Were these cars like dating a model or something? It seems there's a lot of love for them, but no one seems to want to touch it unless its for a weekend of hooning.

[Geesixty]

Were these cars like dating a model or something? It seems there's a lot of love for them, but no one seems to want to touch it unless its for a weekend of hooning.

I equate them to a hot psycho chick... great to ride, but hard to put up with.

[VwG60Kid]

Were these cars like dating a model or something? It seems there's a lot of love for them, but no one seems to want to touch it unless its for a weekend of hooning.

They can be horrendously unreliable and alot of the parts are expensive and especially these days getting hard to find or simply are just no longer available.

I should rephrase that... they just need constant attention... preventative maintenance is the key to Corrado ownership... many have fallen victim to neglect and have just become nightmares especially G60s. Alot of people (most younger ones) pick up a basket case G60 for like 1000 bucks and expect it to be like a civic and just take abuse... it wont... it will just blow up. Corrados have a fairly high cost of ownership.

[Mosbius Designs]

I equate them to a hot psycho chick... great to ride, but hard to put up with.

Yours, in particular, is especially hot. (If that was you at cars and coffee a few weeks ago)

[SgtArky]

I cant remember the last time I seen a corrado in person..hell I dont remember seeing any new. I remember when they first came out and thought they looked pretty good, so this is no hater talk.

[Aw614]

I see one daily near my work, guy who owns it is an auto tech so he should have a handling on things, it was a one owner car, actually the same one I used to see on the same plaza, I guess he was constantly pestering the owner to buy it when they were ready to sell

[Fe2O3]

All is already stated above.

1. Check out the classifieds
2. Buy the most expensive unmolested one with records
3. Enjoy
4. Profit
5. Repair & fix any problems
6. Enjoy
7. Profit

Fixed?