Is this true about Corrado?

I was looking at a Sport Compact Car magazine from 1999 last night and came across an article about these. I like the looks, but have always been a little concerned about VW reliability.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaMGaYhVDpU

not really. Vrs need timing chains every 120k or so. VWs are no worse than many other rides out there and they're pretty user friendly in terms of wrenching yourself.

Corrados are FANTASTIC cars too...there is an AMAZING one for sale next town over from me for $4000...bilstein Pss9s, Porsche Phone dials, rebuilt G-lader....

Oh no. I had just gotten Corrados out of my mind, too....

Oh hell.

After craigslisting, i found two G60s that run in my area for Challenge budget.

In reply to 93celicaGT2:

What about that Impulse RS?

so what is so bad about the G60?

mad_machine wrote: so what is so bad about the G60?

If I recall correctly, Corrados are pretty heavy, and the G60 isn't particularly powerful.

Fletch1 wrote: In reply to 93celicaGT2: What about that Impulse RS?

I'm sure it's gone by now, and my cash offer couldn't come up with the extra money to take my car and all the parts with it. He was about $600 low.

ZOO wrote:

mad_machine wrote: so what is so bad about the G60?

If I recall correctly, Corrados are pretty heavy, and the G60 isn't particularly powerful.

And the superchargers don't last very well. There are two kinds of G60s. The kind that have had a supercharger rebuilt, or replaced with the mercedes unit, and the kind that will need the supercharger rebuilt, or replaced with the mercedes unit.

mad_machine wrote: so what is so bad about the G60?

The chargers need frequent rebuilding.

odd... I read up on the g60.. the scrollcharger is a neat design that seemed to look pretty durable

Almost everything electrically complicated goes on them (spoiler module, sunroof, ABS, window regs) some mechanical stuff goes bad frequently (G60 chargers, diff rivets/spider gears, timing chains on the VR6, cooling parts on the VR6, door handles like crazy, etc).. they're cool cars but you have to be in love to deal with it. I make more then half my side money working on them and it's a steady income stream.

It's a shame because both the G60 and VR6 versions feel more like a FWD Porsche than anything I've ever driven. But between the G60 issues and the early VR6 issue, I've never had the guts to buy one...

As a previous Corrado SLC owner...yes, they are expensive bitches to keep going. The auto seatbelts suck, too.

Pretty, fun to drive and unique, though.

May consider selling or swapping the Capri XR2 for a G60. I like em better and they can make more power than a VR6 cheaper. Ppl get a bad vibe about the chargers on these cars with the S/C exploding and possibly putting a hole in your hood. The key is to replace that little belt that keeps the charger in time regularly... If mine would have been a manual, I'd still have it today!

Corrados....as I have learned from my brother-in-law; make a rich man poor.

In reply to wcelliot:

VRs really are the best sounding beasts out there....as a friend said, "like 6 unicorns gang banging a mermaid...."

^ Exactly. I would buy the biggest piece of E36 M3 ever if it had a healthy uncorked VR6 in it.

Same applies to anything KLZE powered. Those are the two best sounding V6s ever made.

I had a G60 powered GTI for awhile and a '93 Corrado SLC. Once I got the G60 motor sorted it ran reliably and was strong. However I always had a couple of superchargers sitting on a shelf for it. They are a very weak link.

I loved the SLC, but it was a serious maintenance hog. The corrado specific items are extremely expensive and dealer only parts.

Ive ridden in corvettes, turbo camaros. and 13 second integras, and Ive never been as happily scared to death as I was in a Corrado. I want one for that reason alone.

The early VR6s had crappy guides for the timing chains, but the new parts are better. Just buy the youngest one you can find (both mine are 92s, one's been done, the other isn't making any noise yet). And yes, the C was VW's first attempt to move "upmarket" in the US. They tried luxury on the cheap. The power windows/sunroof are crap, the electric spoiler motors aren't robust, and the door strikers are cheap pot metal (replacement kits are available).

That being said..if you don't want to deal with that stuff-don't ever test drive one. Never. Ever. It's like being in love with the "Party Doll". She'll make you miserable, but when she decides it's your turn, you just can't say no.

The windows on my corrado would roll up and down all by themselves.

Door handles at the time were $125 each.

It's a fun car, but getting quite old now, definitely not the car for somehow with no mechanical aptitude unless they have deep pockets.

A GTI VR6 is like a Corrado but with cheap body panels and junk yards full of spare parts. Sure the roofline is higher by a hair but thats nothing a sawzall can't fix.

Engine mounts are made from fudge and the fever dreams of imprisoned children. If you even get near the car they break, then the shift linkage bushings go. Neither are hard to replace (or improvise with parts from the side of the road—ask me how I know), but they WILL need attention.

jg

JG Pasterjak wrote: Engine mounts are made from fudge and the fever dreams of imprisoned children.

I agree..except I'd say "..the fever dreams of VW marketing execs.." (that attempt to move "upmarket" again..can't let any vibration into the cabin, right? )

Looking at VW's offerings in the US today, I guess the marketing guys succeeded. But at the time, it was nuts. The Hamster was right when he said in his Top Gear piece about the C that "it was a complete flop". There was a new VR6 in the showroom when I bought my 92 GTI..and I saw several people look at the window sticker, say "TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A VOLKSWAGEN?!?!?!", and walk out. My dumb self immediately wanted one after seeing it, and being Grassroots, I didn't mind waiting eight years to find one in my price range.

My own damn fault for driving the stupid thing first..