Thinking about buying a Corrado...
Discussion
I'm thinking about buying a Corrado in the near future and wondered if I could ask some questions.
Are there any Corrado-owning PHers in the Herts/Essex/North London type area who'd let me take a look at their VR6 and possibly take me out for a ride to get an idea what to expect?
- Are there any common issues to check for before you buy?
- Are there any options particularly worth holding out for? A lot of my driving is (sadly) motorway miles over long distances, so comfy leather seats sound like pretty much a given - I also like the look of the cream/tan seats in some Corrados! Air con would be good, but I gather that's an incredibly rare option?
- What distinguishes the Storm from a regular VR6?
- Quite importantly - does anyone know if you can get two mountain bikes inside a Corrado (and, failing that, can you fit a bike rack)?
Are there any Corrado-owning PHers in the Herts/Essex/North London type area who'd let me take a look at their VR6 and possibly take me out for a ride to get an idea what to expect?
Biggest things to check are timings chains, sunroof and heater matrix- Corrados are quite high maintenance so expect bills with the coolings system (radiator, thermostats housings, crack pipes and top hoses), coilpacks, Mafs, internal fans etc. There seem to be a lot of dogs around so choose carefully and its worth it
Biggest single option would be leather recaros but they certainly don't look as comfortable as the standard seats which are really comfy. Air con is tricky to find. Look out for the bolster wear on the drivers seat- some interiors are down to the rail on the drivers thigh bolster at 125k yet others can look mint
Storm come in blue or green (blue is storm only), leather, colour coded grill, BBS solitudes and erm Storm badges (ie not much extra but they seem to hold their value far better).
One mountain bike in the boot easy, I have done two before but never again.
A test drive in a good C VR6 would be well worth it- they are seriously quick cars (on a good day its easily R32 straight line pace)
IWS
Biggest single option would be leather recaros but they certainly don't look as comfortable as the standard seats which are really comfy. Air con is tricky to find. Look out for the bolster wear on the drivers seat- some interiors are down to the rail on the drivers thigh bolster at 125k yet others can look mint
Storm come in blue or green (blue is storm only), leather, colour coded grill, BBS solitudes and erm Storm badges (ie not much extra but they seem to hold their value far better).
One mountain bike in the boot easy, I have done two before but never again.
A test drive in a good C VR6 would be well worth it- they are seriously quick cars (on a good day its easily R32 straight line pace)
IWS
Hi,
There's a buyer's guide on the-corrado.net but I'd broadly agree with the above points. Despite what you may read the VR6 engine is generally quite robust and stands big mileages well. You should expect to replace the timing chains at between 100-130k and because of the work it's common to get a number of other jobs done at the same time, so typically this will be an £1800-£2000 bill in the paperwork. You should also be looking at fresh dampers at this point too.
Aside from that ensure that the heater dials and all the switchgear works. Note that some parts - particular interior trim and switches - are now out of production and may be hard to find.
As a buyer you should try and get an example with the best bodywork you can find. It's a cheaper car to put right mechanically than in bodywork as the panels are expensive. Heated leather was an option in either cream or black and is not as rare as people may have told you, although electric Recaros *are* rare but probably worth it unless you have your heart set on them. Personally I would recommend looking for leather on a car as it's harder wearing and even the youngest cars are now 14 years old.
Air conditioning is slightly rarer. The system is an aftermarket Davia system which was fitted at the dealerships to order. It's not a particularly elegant piece of kit but it does produce a good chill. Again I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you really feel you need it. If you are handy with spanners I know of people who have transplanted the VW Climatronic systems from later cars into them but it's not a simple job.
The Storm is mostly a badge job, but will bring you a car with leather as standard (but not a/c). There used to be a price premium for Storms but nowadays I personally would dismiss paying a premium for one. Note there were two Storm colours but Classic Green was available on non-storms and was a popular colour. If you decide to look for a Storm beware of examples which have been "badged up" to get a higher price. The "limited edition" solitude wheels fitted to Storms were nothing of the kind as they were standard fitment on Golf VR6s from the same era.
As you suspect this is a very easy car to do big distances in comfortably. The seats are really comfy, and the big V6 makes life very easy on motorways. You should see 30-32mpg in motorway driving with a modest right foot, but around town 22-23 will be more like it.
Hope this helps.
John
There's a buyer's guide on the-corrado.net but I'd broadly agree with the above points. Despite what you may read the VR6 engine is generally quite robust and stands big mileages well. You should expect to replace the timing chains at between 100-130k and because of the work it's common to get a number of other jobs done at the same time, so typically this will be an £1800-£2000 bill in the paperwork. You should also be looking at fresh dampers at this point too.
Aside from that ensure that the heater dials and all the switchgear works. Note that some parts - particular interior trim and switches - are now out of production and may be hard to find.
As a buyer you should try and get an example with the best bodywork you can find. It's a cheaper car to put right mechanically than in bodywork as the panels are expensive. Heated leather was an option in either cream or black and is not as rare as people may have told you, although electric Recaros *are* rare but probably worth it unless you have your heart set on them. Personally I would recommend looking for leather on a car as it's harder wearing and even the youngest cars are now 14 years old.
Air conditioning is slightly rarer. The system is an aftermarket Davia system which was fitted at the dealerships to order. It's not a particularly elegant piece of kit but it does produce a good chill. Again I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you really feel you need it. If you are handy with spanners I know of people who have transplanted the VW Climatronic systems from later cars into them but it's not a simple job.
The Storm is mostly a badge job, but will bring you a car with leather as standard (but not a/c). There used to be a price premium for Storms but nowadays I personally would dismiss paying a premium for one. Note there were two Storm colours but Classic Green was available on non-storms and was a popular colour. If you decide to look for a Storm beware of examples which have been "badged up" to get a higher price. The "limited edition" solitude wheels fitted to Storms were nothing of the kind as they were standard fitment on Golf VR6s from the same era.
As you suspect this is a very easy car to do big distances in comfortably. The seats are really comfy, and the big V6 makes life very easy on motorways. You should see 30-32mpg in motorway driving with a modest right foot, but around town 22-23 will be more like it.
Hope this helps.
John
Edited by corozin on Monday 5th April 20:56
Hi guys,
Many thanks for that, some good info. A few more thoughts occured:
Many thanks for that, some good info. A few more thoughts occured:
- What's the service interval?
- What are they like to work on yourself?
- I noticed a lot of 'sunroof and spoiler don't work, but they're only minor faults' type adverts. What's involved in actually putting these right?
- I managed to dig out a buyers guide from an old copy of Performance Car and it reckoned the valve guides and seats tend to need re-cutting after about 100,000 miles to maintain compression - is this job commonly done or is it something that's often neglected?
- How likely am I to find a car with no rust? Again I've seen a few 'but they all have that' kind of ads!
- Can you recommend anywhere good to look for them? I'm keeping a close eye on the PH classifieds of course!
Chris71 said:
Are there any Corrado-owning PHers in the Herts/Essex/North London type area who'd let me take a look at their VR6 and possibly take me out for a ride to get an idea what to expect?
Great idea - and one i hope someone gets in touch with you on.I really wanted a Citroen C2 VTR a few years back and test drove one from Citroen dealer with very little fuel in it and a pushy salesman waffling on about 0% finance when all i wanted to do was drive.
So i got in touch with some folks on the C2 forum, met up with a guy that night who took me for a blast, bought him a coffee, had a blast back and realised it wasnt for me. Wasted his time i suppose but saved myself about £8k!!!
If you do a search you'll find some good threads. JimNotJon started one last week. I started one five or six years ago and that was a long one with lots of great info - http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...
As others have said, there are the common aforementioned issues. Best to buy a good one as a lemon will cost you dear. It is a question of ringing and asking all the right questions. Most of the vendors in a well known magazine didn't have clue what I was talking about when I spoke to them so that made me think they didn't know much so probably hadn't done much to the car. I took about six months to find a good one. Having said that I have spent a small fortune getting parts replaced but for a car with 113,000 on the clock at time of purchase I guess that was to be expected.
Anyhow...As for leather seats, I take what corozin said but I'm glad I didn't go for that option in the end as hot leather on a hot summer's day on bare thighs didn't appeal. Being a girl I bare more flesh than a man I guess. My interior is in excellent condition at 160,000 miles though there is some wear on the driver's seat near the door.
I personally dislike the cream interior that comes with Dragon Green Storm option. It's a bit too Eighties for my liking but if you like it then go for it. The other Storm colour option was Midnight Blue. I think the Storms command more money as they only made 250 I believe in each colour option.
They are great for motorway driving, quite effortless in fact. I clocked up on average 350 miles per day on a Eurohoon and found it very comfortable and an absolute joy to drive.
I live in SE London and would be happy to take you out for a blast to give you an idea of what it's like in terms of handling and performance and to answer any questions.
As others have said, there are the common aforementioned issues. Best to buy a good one as a lemon will cost you dear. It is a question of ringing and asking all the right questions. Most of the vendors in a well known magazine didn't have clue what I was talking about when I spoke to them so that made me think they didn't know much so probably hadn't done much to the car. I took about six months to find a good one. Having said that I have spent a small fortune getting parts replaced but for a car with 113,000 on the clock at time of purchase I guess that was to be expected.
Anyhow...As for leather seats, I take what corozin said but I'm glad I didn't go for that option in the end as hot leather on a hot summer's day on bare thighs didn't appeal. Being a girl I bare more flesh than a man I guess. My interior is in excellent condition at 160,000 miles though there is some wear on the driver's seat near the door.
I personally dislike the cream interior that comes with Dragon Green Storm option. It's a bit too Eighties for my liking but if you like it then go for it. The other Storm colour option was Midnight Blue. I think the Storms command more money as they only made 250 I believe in each colour option.
They are great for motorway driving, quite effortless in fact. I clocked up on average 350 miles per day on a Eurohoon and found it very comfortable and an absolute joy to drive.
I live in SE London and would be happy to take you out for a blast to give you an idea of what it's like in terms of handling and performance and to answer any questions.
Edited by EmmaP on Tuesday 6th April 22:18
The tan leather is a tad 'Miami Vice' admittedly, but the cabin just comes across rather dark with greys and blacks everywhere I reckon. I wouldn't say no to the cloth interior either if it proved comfy though - I just assumed the leather would be nicer for mile munching.
There does seem to be a huge variation in asking price, which (if you believe the adverts) doesn't always correlate to condition, but I'd definitely look to buy a smart example with all the usual jobs (chain, head work, suspension refresh etc.) already done.
Will take a look at those threads thanks Emma and may take you up on the offer - would be really useful to see a good example before I consider parting cash. If nothing else I've never even sat in one so the whole buying idea could come to an abrupt end. I do cycle past a very shiny looking example on the way to work each morning though (which, coincidentally, is why I can entertain the idea of running a VR6 when I do abandon two wheels for four!)
There does seem to be a huge variation in asking price, which (if you believe the adverts) doesn't always correlate to condition, but I'd definitely look to buy a smart example with all the usual jobs (chain, head work, suspension refresh etc.) already done.
Will take a look at those threads thanks Emma and may take you up on the offer - would be really useful to see a good example before I consider parting cash. If nothing else I've never even sat in one so the whole buying idea could come to an abrupt end. I do cycle past a very shiny looking example on the way to work each morning though (which, coincidentally, is why I can entertain the idea of running a VR6 when I do abandon two wheels for four!)
The headlights are crap and the poor design causes premature heat failure of the plastic headlight switch. Remember to test it. There are several re-wire kits floating around ebay which will improve the candle light issue.
They are ok to work on. Plenty of room in engine bay. Dont be put off by the sunroof not sliding back. Loads do it and as long as it tilts you get fresh air.
Heater matrixes go eventually filling the footwells up with hot water. They are a pig to change.
Coil packs crack and short, but can be fixed with a coating of hight temp epoxy resin like JB Weld.
However, be assured that these are small niggles which are easily forgotten when you put your foot down in a VR6. Get one !
They are ok to work on. Plenty of room in engine bay. Dont be put off by the sunroof not sliding back. Loads do it and as long as it tilts you get fresh air.
Heater matrixes go eventually filling the footwells up with hot water. They are a pig to change.
Coil packs crack and short, but can be fixed with a coating of hight temp epoxy resin like JB Weld.
However, be assured that these are small niggles which are easily forgotten when you put your foot down in a VR6. Get one !
Chris71 - the lights are crap coz the wiring goes from battery to rear lights, then all the way back round before it gets to the headlights. Something like a 1.5v drop ! The simple kits were available on ebay and someone on the corrado forum. They just a relay and a new direct power lead from battery. Simple.
All the answers to corrado questions are on the forum though. http://the-corrado.net/forum/ = A fab place with pleasant, helpful posters.
Wipers are an easy fix. Lupo GTI ones are a straight swap and work very well.
All the answers to corrado questions are on the forum though. http://the-corrado.net/forum/ = A fab place with pleasant, helpful posters.
Wipers are an easy fix. Lupo GTI ones are a straight swap and work very well.
EmmaP said:
That looks fabulous! And very tidy too. I've never seen an Ice Violet one in the flesh. Enjoy
When I first saw the ad, I wasn’t sure of the colour at first; I wanted something darker like Bordeaux Pearl, blackberry, aqua blue etc (no green / black!). In the flash though it looks really nice. The car isn’t prefect, some works need doing but all manageable.Chris, I’ve seen your post at the Corrado forum. I can’t comment on the ‘mechanics’, reliability etc as I’m only a newbie, but if you’re down in Sussex, you’re free to have a go at my C, as long as you let me have a go at your Caterham!
Yep, I've already registered on The Corrado Forum, and by sheer luck there was a VR6 owner just down the road from me happy to show off his toy! I spend half my ife whinging about how unhelpful everyone is in London, but this guy couldn't have done more - nice bloke and a real enthusiast. He even let me have a drive in his pride and joy.
They do shift don't they? Once you get it opened up in the lower gears it goes very nicely, but more importantly you get a very vivid sense of speed and acceleration - probably a combination of the torquey delivery and the nice low seating position - which makes it feel quicker still.
The seating position is sublime and the seats (this one was a Storm) were very comfortable. It also felt more exotic than I was expecting - probably due to that reclined position and the noise. It was actually a bit less raucous than I was expecting, but a nicely cultured large capacity feel.
The pedals and gearshift were all quite weighty and long travel, but with good feel once you got there. Likewise the steering was very light around the straight ahead and you wondered what all the fuss was about, but it loaded up very nicely once you turned in. I never got anywhere near the limits obviously, but the increase in weight suggests the feedback should be good when you get there.
Oh, and there's bags of space in the back. This was a phase 2 in case it makes any difference, but I reckon getting two MTB frame in would be fairly easy. Okay, it's not very tall, but the load area with the seats down is easily as wide and as long as a small-to-mid sized hatchback. It's also confirmed that I'd like to go for one of the lighter leather colours - preferably the tan/beige one as it really brightens up the cabin and lends a nice two tone effect against the great slab of dark plastic on the dashboard.
Excuse the waffle - those were my thoughts and might be useful if anyone stumbles across the thread in the future!
So I like it. The decision basically comes down to costs now. Can I justify the additional maintenance and running costs over something like a 306 GTi6? The other thing is finding a good one, which doesn't seem to be easy.
They do shift don't they?
Once you get it opened up in the lower gears it goes very nicely, but more importantly you get a very vivid sense of speed and acceleration - probably a combination of the torquey delivery and the nice low seating position - which makes it feel quicker still. The seating position is sublime and the seats (this one was a Storm) were very comfortable. It also felt more exotic than I was expecting - probably due to that reclined position and the noise. It was actually a bit less raucous than I was expecting, but a nicely cultured large capacity feel.
The pedals and gearshift were all quite weighty and long travel, but with good feel once you got there. Likewise the steering was very light around the straight ahead and you wondered what all the fuss was about, but it loaded up very nicely once you turned in. I never got anywhere near the limits obviously, but the increase in weight suggests the feedback should be good when you get there.
Oh, and there's bags of space in the back. This was a phase 2 in case it makes any difference, but I reckon getting two MTB frame in would be fairly easy. Okay, it's not very tall, but the load area with the seats down is easily as wide and as long as a small-to-mid sized hatchback. It's also confirmed that I'd like to go for one of the lighter leather colours - preferably the tan/beige one as it really brightens up the cabin and lends a nice two tone effect against the great slab of dark plastic on the dashboard.
Excuse the waffle - those were my thoughts and might be useful if anyone stumbles across the thread in the future!
So I like it. The decision basically comes down to costs now. Can I justify the additional maintenance and running costs over something like a 306 GTi6? The other thing is finding a good one, which doesn't seem to be easy.
Chris71 said:
The pedals and gearshift were all quite weighty and long travel....
The 3rd gear is quite 'magic' though, I reckon on B-Road it's all I'll ever need!
EmmaP said:
That looks fabulous! And very tidy too. I've never seen an Ice Violet one in the flesh. Enjoy
Ice or Twilight Violet?Some of the names for the colours are a bit "flowery". Had to find a local Twilight Violet car to look at before going to Ormskirk to buy mine.
Very comfy seats.
Fantastic sounding engine. Torquey when pootling around and then a great ramp of power as the revs rise when in a hurry.
Economical. Would easily do 31mpg plus on a run. In fact better than the 205 GTI I had before.
Still miss it.
I wish I could have kept the Corrado and the 205. Both brilliant cars.
duncansaunders said:
Ice or Twilight Violet?
......
Economical. Would easily do 31mpg plus on a run. In fact better than the 205 GTI I had before.
When I test-drove it yesterday the Seller showed me the trip computer and it was showing 30.5 mpg! Very impressed! (He’s only using 95-RON fuel though)
Can anyone give me an idea of running costs?
I'm not too worried about fuel economy as I do a fairly small mileage and a lot of it is cruising on the motorway. What does slightly concern me is the cost of keeping a mint Corrado in that condition. Particularly interested to hear from anyone who's also run a 306 GTi6 (or Rallye).
I'm not too worried about fuel economy as I do a fairly small mileage and a lot of it is cruising on the motorway. What does slightly concern me is the cost of keeping a mint Corrado in that condition. Particularly interested to hear from anyone who's also run a 306 GTi6 (or Rallye).
Running costs are flippin' pricey! Mine sees about 32mpg on motorway journeys. On jaunty B road drives I see about 23mpg. Around town I see 16mpg. I have been known to register 8mpg when being peddle happy around town/estates.
After market spares such as brake discs, pads, exhaust systems, filters etc are about what you'd expect for any performance car and costs are not particularly scary.
Most expensive costs I have had are replacing the radiator, heater matrix and Koni sport shock absorbers.
It isn't a cheap car to run. In the tax year 08-09 I spent about £4,000 in running (including petrol), servicing and upkeep.
After market spares such as brake discs, pads, exhaust systems, filters etc are about what you'd expect for any performance car and costs are not particularly scary.
Most expensive costs I have had are replacing the radiator, heater matrix and Koni sport shock absorbers.
It isn't a cheap car to run. In the tax year 08-09 I spent about £4,000 in running (including petrol), servicing and upkeep.
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