Every time someone says the Corrado is a future classic...as story

[HeadlinerG60]

OP: if you have to complain more than twice that people aren't getting your "satire" or "sarcasm," your meter may be off. and if you ARE trying to be not un-disgruntled, you might just be schizo.

and the proper comparos from its time are not toyotas or hondas or mitsus, but bimmers and p cars. the corrado is/was/will be a CLASSIC. truly one of a kind in a world of cookie cutters. it endures.

Upvote for speaking the gospel, IMO.

[Fahrvernugen]

I got a 1992 SLC since 2004.
It was my Daily Driver for 3 years. It was then my backup car whenever my brand new 06' Jetta decided it wanted a trip to the dealer every season for a warranty repair. It never, ever let me stranded.
Overheated? Yeah, sometimes...since i never bothered to permanently fix the Fan's wireing harness. Suffered from battery drain issues when i didnt use it for more than a week...still havent really bothered to look whats wrong with it. A/C was broken half the time...bever bothered to simply fix whichever gas line was leaking. Lately, it suffered Alzheimer on the Alarm module (alarm would go off at 2am randomly lol) so i just deleted the module.

An here i am...over 8 years with it and it still starts up inmediately whenever my "newer car" decides to take a crap on me (luckily, very uncommon AFTER the warranty wore out).

Its a 20 year old car. Far from a classic...but farther from being a mistake for me! lol

[apexT]

Im so sick of biased, close minded complaining about cars.

[apexT]

All cars suck and are a terrible investment I am going to jump on my razor scooter and be done with it

[HeadlinerG60]

Remember that time I had a Maserati BiTurbo?

[turtledub]

I am headed out right now to work on mine. Call me crazy.

[HeadlinerG60]

I am headed out right now to work on mine. Call me crazy.

Wear gloves. Protection is key, IMHO.

[ajhvw93]

While entertaining to read, your comments can easily be attributed to any car of the same generation from a multitude of manufacturers. Nothing from the 1990s, save for possibly Hondas, was virtually bullet proof and not prone to some problems. Quite frankly, the G60 was a half-hearted execution, and its wiring gaffes were none different than a mk2 GTI, but for some reason that car lives are a handling legend - nevermind that the Corrado can and did run circles around it.

Having owned two, with my current one at the tail-end of a now 6 year build, all of my current issues are due to not choosing to leave the car 100% stock, or at least with just a basic lower kit. There was nothing wrong with my wiring, and yet I opted for an OBD2 conversion. There was nothing wrong with the factory brake system, and yet I opted for the system from the 96+ VR6s. The stock brakes were more than adequate, but I saw fit to purchase a ridiculously large set of Wilwoods for the front and rear. All my issues are my own doing, and of no fault of the car.

This ^^^^^^

The Corrado VR6, and virtually all VR6 cars of the generation are surprisingly simple. The go together quite easily, with minimal wiring, and everything is straight forward. To compare a 1994 or later car to a modern R32 is plain stupid, not to mention that you would have preferred to own a Porsche 944, and yet those were laden with their own collection of issues, one of which being a weak transmission that cause 3rd gear to pop out...which of course was the best gear to be in to take advantage of that turbo charged engine.

As car enthusiasts, we hold some brands and some models above others. Why? Because we are enthusiasts, border lining on masochists, and as such see everything through rose colored glasses. Why do I lust after an R34 GT-R, when by the time I can legally import it, parts will be even HARDER to find and driving right-handed in a left-hand country will most likely be a comical learning experience? Why do I covet an Integra Type R, and E30 M3, or even and original Mini? Or what about the more obscure fascinations, such as a first generation Taurus SHO, wrapped in matte black vinyl just so I can emulate Robocop?

We, as a automotive enthusiast collective, seem quite troubled by the Corrado, and similar vintage VWs, and yet the beloved E36 M3 and E39 M5 get a pass despite needing a complete cooling system overhaul at a paltry sum of 50,000miles. Or how about the M5 and its need for a new clutch, at again 50,000miles, because the worshipped BMW thought the stock 540i clutch could deal with an extra 120hp? Is the much-loved Porsche 993 really THAT durable? Doesn't even the basic of maintenance require engine removal?

Fact is, in its heyday, the Corrado was the fastest VW, the best handling, and with few compromises.

Most in this thread have no clue because either A) they have limited if any experience with corrados or B) they only know corrados after a bunch of mods have been done to them.

When I bought my car it was 100% bone stock, down to the original Eagle GA tires that came on it back in 1994. So yeah, I probably should have just kept it that way. And for about 20k miles miles, I did just that. It was a spectacular car in how it would just eat up highway miles---it was such a stable highway car compared with anything else in its class when it was new. But like everyone who still owned these cars in the late 90's through, say, 2005, I felt the need to mod the car. Unlike the guy a few posts up, who felt that he had to spend 10's of thousands of dollars to keep up with the Jones', a few key mods will really wake the car up and still roughly maintain the reliability. Most people who owned these cars in the later years were kids who simply didn't or couldn't afford to do things the right way, and yet, they still insisted on modding their cars. The cars ran like crap, likely made less hp than they could have if done right, and yet the owners still beat the hell out of the cars. You tell me, does that sound like a recipe for reliability for any car?

This^^^

I have no delusions that my car can keep up with a stock Evo, but that was never the point to me. I tried to do it as right as I could--either doing it myself or enlisting the highest quality people I could afford to do the job. I've almost always been happy with the work and over 12 years, the car has very rarely let me down. But most people would simply walk past my car because it's not flashy and it doesn't have every possible performance mod thrown at it, which was and probably still is, the way to get any respect in the "tuning" scene. And yet, very few of these guys ever drove their cars hard---I mean road course hard, not on some back roads. And those guys who did, usually ended up flat bedding their cars home. If you're going to pretend to be some heavy hitter and maintain reliability, you're basically going to have to re-engineer the car. Throwing on a mkIV headgasket and using some forged internal parts isn't going to get you far by itself.

I keep the corrado because it's fun. Period. My mustang, as it sits stock, could likely throw both my corrado as it sits now and any stock Evo (at least if you go by lightning lap times) a pretty decent beating on most road courses. But in some ways, what I like about the mustang is the same thing that I like about the corrado---it's a blank canvas and noticably flawed in certain areas from the factory. The current mustangs are far less flawed, IMO, than anything that came before them though and that is the main reason why I own one. I don't need a second project car. A little suspension work and if I end up doing track days, an oil cooler. Boom, done.

My car has left me sit once in 13 yrs. Like the statments above. Not Fu***g with the car has a lot to do with reliability and of coarse doing the obvious up keep.

[HeadlinerG60]

The empirical evidence states that the Corrado is a reliable car that was made unreliable by chucklehead owners and it's a first-ballot Hall of Famer –*9 notches above the Jaguar XKE. Wikipedia confirms this.

[SexyLoveCart]

Funny story, well written, and made me giggle like a young girl in with Mommy's Black Card in Build-A-Bear workshop.

However, sorry to hear you have been so butthurt by an inanimate object. My Corrado runs and drives into the damn ground every single day for me, and through the three and a half years, 70k miles, and upwards of 10k in fresh paint, interior pieces, brakes, suspension upgrades, Cams, forged pistons, Ecodes and lighting, and et cetera...et cetera..., it has never given me such issues as you describe with the exception of the damn seat belts...thanks 1990s

What I am saying is that my Corrado has been nothing less than a pleasure and joy to own, visually experience every day when I come out of my house, and more importantly than anything else, it is an absolute blast to drive. It handles excellent, pulls hard as hell, and turns nearly every head as I drive through towns and cities. It may not be a mechanical masterpiece as you so delicately stated, but you are correct in saying it is aesthetically one of the greatest creations to ever hit United States roads.

Every damn time I get discouraged, and run out of money being the broke ass college student that I am, I just look at it, and take a seat in the driver's chair. Instantly, all thoughts of destruction and arson subside, with images of fields of fuzzy white bunnies playing with toddlers and flowers, then my VR comes ripping through at 100mph single handedly ripping a hole in every single layer of the atmosphere, turning the bunnies into furry little pancakes..It is then that I realize, I will never, ever....sell my Corrado.

But for tits' sake why the hell is it not rear wheel drive????

[DUBLUV401]

I rather enjoyed that read.

X2!

[SexyLoveCart]

For what its worth, I bought my Corrado as the second owner, at 77k miles, bone stock besides some uggo wheels and a sticker or two, which needless to say, were promptly removed. It ran and drove like an absolute beast then as well as now, and the only maintenence I needed to do besides tune-ups, fluid flushes/changes, and brakes, was a faulty wheel bearing. Now, 70k miles later of daily driving and beating on it, it continues to perform nearly flawlessly.

Sure, I put a bunch of upgrades in it, but all into suspension front and rear, along with wheels, brakes and basic motor internals with a chip and intake...big deal. Modded or not...mine has left me stranded twice....once, about a year ago, due to a broken throttle cable...which was fixed on the spot three hours later. And the first time, my hood flew up and smashed the living piss out of my windshiled on rt. 30...not exactly major mechanical flaws. Anddd insurance hooked me up for the hood and glass

[-:VW:-]

IMO, I blame the P.O.'s not the Corrado's themselves, throw in the fact that they are now 22 to 18 years old into that and think about it for a moment. Do you really think they aren't going to need work? I daily drove a well maintained (3 previous owner) 1992 SLC for 3 years didn't have much difficulty with it other then some minor maintenance work and other mods I choose to do. I also think some of you have some really sh!tty luck...

[P-Body]

I'll agree with that. But Bell Biv Devoe was still making money in 1992, also.

Hip hop smoothed out on an R&B tip with a pop feel, appeal, to it.

[Jason78]

GOD DAMN RIGHT!!!!!------Former SLC owner.

[MikkiJayne]

For the record i drive my Corrado 3500 miles a month... without issue

I tried to do that with mine, I really did. I just got tired of having to do something to it every weekend to keep it going and eventually gave up.

[HeadlinerG60]

You had the best intentions. We all did.

I think the next logical decision here is to buy an imported Escort Cosworth and then complain about it.

[a2a4raddo]

You had the best intentions. We all did.

I think the next logical decision here is to buy an imported Escort Cosworth and then complain about it.

Most Corrado owners graduate to a 944 Turbo, 968, or E36 M3 and complain about those.

[HeadlinerG60]

Well, I skipped the 944 and went for a 911. So far, no complaints. Except the dash looks like something from a Pontiac and the headlights look like eggs. But that's my fault for opting for a 996. It drives incredibly well. I'm contemplating a Cayman S, 993 or 964 as my next toy. I did look at a 944 S2 earlier this week and passed on the temptation.

[FissionMailed]

Noticing a strong trend between reliability claims and SLC ownership.

[Jordan 191]

I daily drove my SLC for 9 years, autcrossed it all the time, and took roadtrips all around the midwest. Yeah, I had to replace a heater core and timing chain tensioners, but it was a reliable car.

[RafaGti]

From what I've read so far in here, all of us still need/want a corrado. Thats what ive gathered so far.

[Numbersix]

This post just intensifies how much I want a Corrado.

But then again, I own a Rotary, and will own another Range Rover Classic.

I are teh dumb.

Dumb, maybe. Masochist, without question.

(Then again, I owned a heavily modded B5 A4 that bent a rod within a month of purchase, so I'll shut up now )

[onavarro8]

As nice as those cars were, I quite nearly broke my neck when I saw a Corrado for the very first time.

I love breaking peoples necks with my car. See my sig.

[roadtripper]

Most Corrado owners graduate to a 944 Turbo, 968, or E36 M3 and complain about those.

i went the other way around. i lucked into a situation where i could ridiculously acquire my boss's pristine off-lease estoril blue 99 m3 (27K miles! never revved past 4K!), and after much pilot sport purchasing, turn a profit for my trouble.

ever since the old european car cover, i always thought the dream matchup was m3 vs boxster. so i finished the comparo and abused a nearly new 986 for ~24K miles of its 34K mile life. after about 11 months, my dealer called and told me my R32 was finally on its way, which was supposed to replace my 01 VR gti. so it was time to flip the porsche. he made a nice offer for the trade. i drove the proper piss out of the R32. i went home in my gti. i fell asleep thinking boy, that R32 was nice. as nice as a mkiv gti could possibly be. really, really nice.

but it was the VR love that inspired me, not the tall, heavy, luxurious mkiv. if i was looking for the ultimate expression of my GTI, which don't get me wrong, i loved, would it be that bulging blue beast of a thing (that would have cost me about 6K over the boxster trade), or the car that was truly always responsible for all that i loved about the VR6?

i used the boxster as bait for my wife's minivan, and found a perfect (to me) one-owner SLC. other than being red, she has never let me down, and that $32K i didn't spend on the R32 has been paying enjoyable dividends. in a day and age where my wife's hyundai minivan packs more hp than my old M3, everything is relative of course, and worn and withered and nothing but a dream.

but i would own a boxster again. i miss it all the time. the M3 was brilliant. brutal, and brilliant. probably the "best" of the three when new, and mine was a lowly cabrio.

the corrado, however, will always stay. there's a lot more to the story than that, of course, and maybe straight logic doesn't always guide me, but the corrado is the one car i've owned that will never leave. i can not imagine a thing she could do to me that would lead me to betray her.

[Jordan 191]

People always wanted to talk to me about my Corrado. As I told my wife, that car brought me constant attention from dudes - not that there is anything wrong with that.

[KC Jazz]

that was one of the funniest posts i have ever read on vwvortex

[Fe2O3]

It seems like Corrado buying is very similar to the Porsche rules of thumb: Buy the nicest one you can afford. The cheapest ones are the most expensive.

[paroxysm]

I owned a 944, and thought I'd like to get my girlfriend a fun car, she fell in love with corrado.
To get a clean car we had to buy an automatic off an old lady, I then found a lysholm to put in the car, had a friend install the chip he was a computer tech, and I was scared to tackle that job.
Girlfriend drove the car for a week loving it, then had to make an emergency stop the car instantly died. I found my friend had left a screw loose and in the stop it had shot across the ecu killing it.
Found a new ecu was from a 90 corrado, they didn't come with automatics so we had to shift the auto manually.


Now my girlfriend was getting very frustrated and not enjoying being a car enthusiast.
I said lets change it to standard.
I got the car running let her drive it for awhile, there goes the fuel pump.
She wanted the car lowered, she smashes the intercooler out of it.
The cars running again and now the car will just instantly randomly die, found the hall sending unit at fault but not before an srt ran me off the road.


Today my wife only remembers the good times with her car and really misses it.
I daily a vr corrado and its had its issues, but would much rather have the g60, I've forced my wife to drive the vr but its not the same to her.

My 944 was reliable except for the window switches, and a nasty hunger for fuel pump relays(fuel pump died after selling it)but it drove so much nicer than either corrado.
I saved the motor from the g60 and it now spends its days in the garage going in and out of my 914 eating my money, but so did the 914 before it ever received the the g60 sacrifice.
The 914 has over $25000 invested and hasn't really seen the road in 11 years, and before making that financial leap I only drove it for 5 months.

So my experience is if you mess with cars you fix them, If you don't mess with a car you have to fix it, and if you give your girlfriend an enthusiasts car you'll definitely have to fix it.

[a2a4raddo]

another great read for those interested

[t_white]

So my experience is if you mess with cars you fix them, If you don't mess with a car you have to fix it, and if you give your girlfriend an enthusiasts car you'll definitely have to fix it.

This sums up every car/owner on this forum (or at least 99%).

[a_riot]

went through the hands of several douchebag vw modsters before making its way to your driveway, how reliable do you think it would be?

people that own good corrados and take proper care of them understand. people that bought shat on examples with magazine mods deserve what they get.

Exactly. Too big, too wide wheels with the wrong offsets ruin the front wheel bearings, strut tops and rack which ruins the handling/steering. Too low/stiff a suspension ruins the handling, the ride, and ingress/egress, drastically alters the suspension geometry, and shakes the car apart. Too large front sway bar makes the car understeer. Too large rear bar makes the rear tires scrub and defeats the rear beam design. Poly bushings get rid of the necessary slop that a street car needs, and puts extra wear on metal parts like brackets that then fracture and break. Intake mods lower power due to the intake of hot engine air and incorrect flow, and dirty K&N filters lower air flow significantly. Aftermarket chips ruin gas mileage, run rich, ruin O2 sensors and cats, and push the power band too high, and allow over revving. Aftermarket stereos, alarms, and other doo dads wreak havoc with the electrical systems and cause fires and other electrical gremlins. Not realizing how the cooling system works, owners don't replace the radiator fan when the low speed goes, and the car runs hot all the time, ruining seals, o-rings, and plastic cooling parts and wears out the coolant faster which is often a mixture of different coolants from Walmart.

I could go on but I think you get the picture of why these cars get the reputation they so undeservedly have.

[VDub2625]

My MKIIIs never have had cooling issues. I live in Miami and installed the low temp pieces and my oil temp never goes over 222 even during Italian tuneups. On the stock parts it averaged 230ish in summer and got close to 260 once.

my Passat b3 was a very hot runner. But that car had no grille. But by cooling issues, I really meant the whole plastic situation. Those problems plagued all VR6s because they all had plastic coolant systems.

so are you saying those $1.5-2.5K ones that pop up on craigslist from time to time would be a bad idea?

because i want one. not as a daily though, more of a toy.

they aren't bad if you know what to look for and replace every part that could potentially be bad. Lol.

You know that the Corrado is really just a 3rd generation Scirocco with a different name, right?

soooooooooort of. They sold them together in Europe for a while. The Scirocco was a fancy body Golf, with the same crappy engines and low equipment content. The Corrado was a fancy coupe with a big powerful engine compared to most Golfs (though in Europe you could also get a 115hp Corrado as a base model, don't know how that fit into things).

The VW-issued recall, which can still be done today, solved the problem with a flow-restrictor on the in-board coolant line. The issue was not necessarily a design flaw in the heater core (everyone clamors for an all-aluminum item), but rather too much pressure from the cooling system. I have had two heater cores replaced (one Corrado, one Passat), with no troubles there after.

I have never heard of a flow restrictor. More details?

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[Waarp]

Exactly. Too big, too wide wheels with the wrong offsets ruin the front wheel bearings, strut tops and rack which ruins the handling/steering. Too low/stiff a suspension ruins the handling, the ride, and ingress/egress, drastically alters the suspension geometry, and shakes the car apart. Too large front sway bar makes the car understeer. Too large rear bar makes the rear tires scrub and defeats the rear beam design. Poly bushings get rid of the necessary slop that a street car needs, and puts extra wear on metal parts like brackets that then fracture and break. Intake mods lower power due to the intake of hot engine air and incorrect flow, and dirty K&N filters lower air flow significantly. Aftermarket chips ruin gas mileage, run rich, ruin O2 sensors and cats, and push the power band too high, and allow over revving. Aftermarket stereos, alarms, and other doo dads wreak havoc with the electrical systems and cause fires and other electrical gremlins. Not realizing how the cooling system works, owners don't replace the radiator fan when the low speed goes, and the car runs hot all the time, ruining seals, o-rings, and plastic cooling parts and wears out the coolant faster which is often a mixture of different coolants from Walmart.

I could go on but I think you get the picture of why these cars get the reputation they so undeservedly have.

Who says you have to modify the car to ruin it lol? How bout people not changing the oil or keeping it topped off. How bought finessing the gear changes and not popping the clutch.

I'm wondering how many people here bought their Corrados NEW. Or any of their cars.

[RedYellowWhite]

i have no idea what your talking about

couldnt care less if it becomes a classic, puts a smile on my face every time I drive it and I love it...

...Sorry headliner.....The reality is, you are disgruntled like many people who buy Corrado's that are modified, have tons of beat on miles and have gone through 5-6 owners.

^^This


OP, should be interesting you post this in the Corrado forum