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docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/18/21 10:27 a.m.

Way back in the day, I owned a 1991 VW 2l 16v GTi.  While it wasn't my truly my first car, it was the first car I owned that I really wanted.  I bought it slightly used when I graduated college and had it for 8 years, eventually swapping in a Corrado G60 motor.  It was featured in the January 1997 issue of European Car magazine.

Since it had corrado power, I started to meet and hang out with the corrado folks, many of whom owned corrado vr6's.  Which I was enamored with, I loved the way they looked and the smooth, sonorous power of the VR6 motor.  Eventually I stupidly sold my GTi and ended up with my friends '93 Corrado.  While he'd cared for it well and it was relatively low mileage, they can be fickle and needy.

That's NOT a good combination when you don't have the tools, space nor funds to address it.  I was active duty at the time, so definitely didn't have the funds.  The base I was at didn't have an auto shop so I didn't have access to tools or space.  Yeah, that created a big issue!  So as much as I didn't really want to, I sold the corrado and bought an Audi A4.  It was a much better car for me at the time, especially since it was still under warranty.

Ever since then, as I've played with other German cars, I've always wanted another Corrado.  For the past year or so I've started to look more in earnest.  My first one was black with a tan leather interior, which I liked.  I wanted a 93+ as they came with a much more updated and modern looking interior.  I also didn't want a green one.  Nothing against green, I just like the way the car looks in the other colors.

Of course for whatever reason, all the cars I was finding were green.  I almost bought a nicely setup 1994 Corrado in January of 2020.  It was Dragon Green, which I wasn't stoked about but the car itself was so nice I felt it was worth it.  I had a PPI done and some small issues were found.  I proposed splitting the costs with the seller and he balked.  So I passed on it.  Then Covid hit and I was closed down for 2 months at work and was relieved I hadn't bought a toy.

Once I was back at work and things were going well business wise I started looking again.  I was dismayed to find that I couldn't find another corrado as good as the one I'd passed on for anywhere near the same price.  Not only were the ones I was finding as much or more money but they had a long laundry list of issues.

I found one via happenstance on Rennlist and almost bought it.  The owner owned several corrados and had for 30 years, he obsessively maintained all of them.  I passed on this one because it had multiple accidents on the carfax and needed a full respray.  My friend, who'd gone and looked at it for me ended up buying it.  Then I thought I'd found another one but at the last minute the seller decided to keep it.  I found another one locally, with no sunroof, which is very rare but was a 1992, not my favorite.  I made what I thought was a very fair offer but the seller turned me down.

After stewing a little bit I went back to the seller I'd almost bought the one corrado from.  I knew he had another corrado that he'd totally built up but last year he'd tossed out a number for it that I thought was too high.  We talked about the car again, he sent me pics and a build list and we chatted about price.  The price was much lower this time and we were able to work out a deal!

So I present to you my next project, which I hope to get here in May.  He still needs to get a title for it and then I need to figure out how to get it here from the Boston area.  I'm debating fly and drive but I don't have a ton of free time and it's a 3 day journey.  Anyways, here's the car:

1993 Green Corrado VR6, 125k miles, clean carfax.  Full windows out respray in a darker than OEM color, which I like much more.  Canadian heated recaro interior, glass sunroof swap, Mk4 climatronic hvac sway, rebuilt motor, all suspension taken off, media blasted, painted, bushings replaced, new brakes, rebuilt window regulators and rear wing motor, H&R lower springs with Boge shocks, techtonics exhaust, techtonics 268 cams new in a box, AC gone through, european seatbelt swap, european headlights, more and more.

It has some needs, mostly small.  I need to source the bezel for the climatronic hvac unit, get a shift boot and knob, new fog light lens, headlight bezels and lens (no longer made, ugh!) under hood insulation, drivers side mirror glass and address some paint issues on the drivers rear fender flare.

After that there are some period mods I'd like to do like add an upper front stressbar, a rear swaybar, install my momo steering wheel, install the cams and see if I can find a Schrick VGI intake manifold...

BoxheadTim (Forum Supporter)
BoxheadTim (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/18/21 10:31 a.m.

That looks very nice.

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/18/21 10:36 a.m.

In reply to BoxheadTim (Forum Supporter) :

Thanks!  I also want to get the Euro lower chin spoiler for it.  The US one is 50mm, euro is 90mm.  I think Spoonfed sells them...

JoeTR6
JoeTR6 Dork
3/18/21 10:45 a.m.

I had a dark green mk.3 GTI with the VR6.  It was a great car that needed a diet and better suspension.  The engine was by far the best part of that car.  A Corrado with it will definitely be fun.

JeremyJ
JeremyJ Reader
3/18/21 11:12 a.m.

Nice find. I always liked Corrados. I hardly see them on the road anymore. 

84FSP
84FSP UltraDork
3/18/21 11:29 a.m.

Love them.  They are without fail the only VW that everyone I have ever met loves.  

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/18/21 11:34 a.m.

In reply to 84FSP :

They're unique that's for sure!  The only other modern ('90's up) VW that has the same sort of cult following is the 2004 Mk4 R32 but even that still mostly looks like a Golf and nothing special.

Matt B (fs)
Matt B (fs) UltraDork
3/18/21 11:58 a.m.

Fell in love with these in high school, but fell into Hondas instead when I got my 93 Si.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't have afforded the insurance on a Corrado even if I could scrape up enough to buy one.  Always sort of held a candle for them though. Congrats!

preach (fs)
preach (fs) GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
3/18/21 4:00 p.m.

Sweet. I had an '82 (early 1 wiper) Scirocco and loved the Corrado when it came out. 

Wife drives an '04 TT 3.2. Because of the "wookie sound" of the VR6 she just ordered a sticker for it that says "If I lose I will rip your arms off."

Yes we are Star Wars nerds...

Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter)
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
3/18/21 4:05 p.m.

One of the few vw's that make my pants tight 

captdownshift (Forum Supporter)
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
3/18/21 4:08 p.m.

Probably the best beltline ever on a car, the subtle dip along the door then gracefully arching over the rear wheels and extending rearward is a sublime design cue.

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter)
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/18/21 6:22 p.m.

In reply to docwyte :

Yours looks nice enough to make me almost miss mine! Almost. 

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/18/21 8:42 p.m.

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

LOL.  Yeah, this is a totally extraneous car for me.  That makes it much more appealing!  I don't have to depend on it for any type of transportation. 

What sucks is a lot of the aftermarket parts are no longer made.  Simple things like a stress bar, or swaybars that are still made for a Mk2 Golf aren't made for the Corrado any longer.  I've asked one of my So Cal VW buddies to see if he can find some stuff for me.  Fingers crossed...

matthewmcl (Forum Supporter)
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
3/18/21 9:00 p.m.

Isn't it just Mk2/Mk3 suspension goodies? Autotech still has sway bars, and lists the same parts for Mk2, Mk3, and Corrado.  Is it just the G60 stuff that matches up because the VR6 track is wider?  I know the fronts are different for that (and still available), but I thought the rears were the same.

 

Edit:

Strut bar

http://www.greedspeed.com/351025-upper-strut-tie-bar.html

 

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/18/21 9:14 p.m.

In reply to matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) :

I'm skeptical they actually have that in stock.  Neuspeed doesn't even list it on their website!  I'll try and contact Greedspeed to find out.

G60 stuff is the same, VR6 front stuff is totally different.  Some of the Mk3 VR6 stuff is the same, some isn't.  I can find swaybars, but not the eurosport/autotech/neuspeed front strut bars that were so common

matthewmcl (Forum Supporter)
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
3/18/21 9:37 p.m.

I will see if I have a shift boot. Are you looking for a fancy knob or a regular one? It looks like you have a regular one in the photo.

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter)
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/18/21 11:08 p.m.

In reply to docwyte :

I've run into that with the DSM too. It sucks reading about old project cars then realizing you can find any of those parts anymore. 

matthewmcl (Forum Supporter)
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
3/19/21 3:43 p.m.

I think this is a Corrado boot.  I don't have the center console to fit it into but I can't think of what else it might be from.  Good shape.  Some slight residue from glue or something on the aft; one small cut on the forward end.  It is a really dark blue, which does not make sense for a gray interior, but I believe the matching shift knob is the matching dark blue.  My dash is gray, though.  If you have any broken bits down in the shifter from not having a boot, let me know.

 

 

 

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/19/21 9:39 p.m.

In reply to matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah, I'm really looking for a black one

matthewmcl (Forum Supporter)
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
3/19/21 11:04 p.m.

It does surprise me that it is dark blue instead of black, but perhaps it is just because it was a 1990.  The seats are dark gray/black, the dash is gray, the steering wheel was black, all the trim pieces inside were black, etc.  Ah well.  Luckily they are not too hard to find.  I would spend the whole $20 and go leather, myself. 

I have complete mirrors (red) and it would be nice to keep them complete, but if you have too hard of a time finding glass, let me know.

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/20/21 8:25 a.m.

In reply to matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) :

There are complete mirror housing with glass for sale on eBay.  They're not that expensive but many have glass that's really not in very good shape.  How's the glass in yours?

matthewmcl (Forum Supporter)
matthewmcl (Forum Supporter) HalfDork
3/20/21 10:09 a.m.

Well crud. Now we see one of the problems with old cars and NLA parts.  Even parts saved in boxes can get damaged in moves.  The passenger black surround is crunched, so I no longer have a pair of mirror assemblies in good shape.  I guess I am now more open to whatever.  The driver's side glass has more separation along the bottom edge.  The passenger really only has a little spot at about 8:30 and a tiny one at 6:00.

84FSP
84FSP UltraDork
3/20/21 11:14 a.m.

There is a legit VWMotorsports variable intake on FB for the princely asking price of 2500 but is is legit oldschool awesome...

chandler
chandler UltimaDork
3/20/21 11:45 a.m.

All that VWMS stuff is crazy, I think I still have the badge that came with my 6spd conversion

docwyte
docwyte PowerDork
3/20/21 12:30 p.m.

In reply to 84FSP :

I saw that.  My friend bought it.  It's missing a bunch of parts too.

I should be able to find a schrick vgi complete for less money and the schrick performs better.

doesn't have the cool vw Motorsports cred tho

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