Many moons ago I swore I own a 1.9 205 Gti and a Corrado and I can’t stop hunting for a nice VW. Anyone got/had one?

G60 or VR6? Either way – do it 8)

Allow me to help further…. http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/volkswagen/corrado/vw-corrado-g60-1992–concours–49k/872475

Used to have a VR6. Great engine but felt too heavy in both the Mk3 Golf and Corrado. Lots of understeer and unable to use the power unless going in a straight line. A Quaife diff might have helped but I was developing my hillclimb Mk1 GTi at the time.

G60 would be the way to go and if you want the ultimate Corrado, stick the supercharger on the 16v engine.

My brother inlaw owned one of the first g60 rallye golfs and I always thought it was a bit sluggish and he had a fair few probs with it , eventually got rid for a R5gt turbo . The vw was solid and nicer inside though .

Beautiful restoration, Legend.

Did you do most of the work yourself or use a specialist?

Want

That pistonheads car at £4.5K, assuming it is still in that condition, looks a lovely thing to own. Sooner that than a 5yr old base model focus or whatever £4.5K would buy you instead.

I used to have a VR6. Bad ass car.

Used to own a VR6 superb, great handling , even better noise from the Engine. No Great traction problems, but in the wet with 190BHP like all cars you have to take care.
Very under rated car at the time and never sold a great deal due to lack of Marketing by VAG.

Most of the VR6’s have had head gasket and dash board problems so buy with care.

I owned a G60 for 18 months and loved it, until the crank bolt let go 🙁 The power from the supercharger was great, and had torque from low down the rev range.

Owning it wasn’t too expensive when compared to modern cars, but be prepared to buy some spares second hand as some parts are discontinued or prohibitively expensive.

In terms of VR6 vs G60 its swings and roundabouts I think. The VR6 engines will need the timing chains/tensioners replaced as they get older, a job which is around £1k I believe. On the flip side, the G60 supercharger needs rebuilding anywhere from every 20k to 60k, depending on which size belt pulley is fitted (smaller pulley = more boost)

Bodywork and corrosion doesn’t tend to be too much of an issue but mine came with many little niggles. Look out for broken sunroofs, faulty spoiler activation, and if you get a G60 for gods sake get the crank bolt changed! Also make sure you get paperwork to prove the supercharger servicing, if it goes bang you’ll have to buy another at £400+ and they are getting more and more rare these days.

I also had a VR6, my little sister was a car sales woman at our local VW branch, somewhow she blagged it for me for neary nothing, sadly some bint wrote it off 😥 on the plus side the insurance paid out triple what i paid 😀
Cheers Zo x
Frikkin class car, based on the Mk2 golf, get a VR not a G60, the G-lader blowers can be trouble.

Or buy a cheap one and put a 1.8 20v in – loads of golfs with this conversion……

Always wanted one but they are now either totally **** or stupid money.

I’d second an engine swap. The g-lader chargers are awesome but a modern 20v turbo knocks the socks off it. Had a G40 for a couple of years, perfect Q-car 🙂

VR6, cut the back box off and weld on a 3″ straight pipe. Drive to Birmingham, wind your window down and drive through the tunnels until the petrol runs out.

BLISS…

I’ve had 3 VR6’s – fantastic driving cars, uber comfy for long journeys, reasonably practical (biggish boot and rear seats), relatively economical (25-35 mpg), just great fun! The first one I bought with 80K miles and multiple owners, and it was OK but a fair few niggly issues which do add up in £’s. The second 2 each had one owner, <35K miles – they were utterly reliable over the 10 years. Loved them, as much for the fun of the drive plus the fact they always worked really well. Stood out from the crowd in a classy way. Did a high mileage in those days so sold each with highish mileages and sold quickly and easily – but they felt that they would run and run. Funnily enough, was just looking at some in a dreamy kinda ‘can I justify this’ way! But pricing is way OTT on ebay/autotrader. My 2 low milers I found locally, at great prices. Def recommend tho

And meant to mention FWIW, had a VR6 Golf Mk3 that was just scary handling Vs. the Corrado – I’d avoid!

I had a Quaife and a Peloquin on my highly tuned VR and it killed the handling on the crap roads around here, putting your foot down on anything more than a slightly bumpy road was like trying to wrestle a silverback. Had mine in vaious stages of tune from supercharged to beyond Vento cup spec (revved to 8000rpm) the plan was always for throttle bodies but unfortunately never got around to it. In my experience, thirsty, not that reliable, expensive to fix and maintain, not ‘that’ quick, but sound amazing. I miss it but would I go back from my tuned PD130? No way.

My old Golf, dropping into second gear at about 70kmph

http://s99.beta.photobucket.com/user/schrickvr6/media/Golf/DSCF0065.mp4.html

Fantastic cars! I’ve got the VR6 Storm having always wanted one – its not disappointed. They handle really well – I’ve never noticed any traction problems. The sound of the VR is infectious! As is the acceleration. And the handling! They’re also remarkably practical – I can easily get two bikes in the back. They’re pretty straightforward to service and maintain. Fuel economy isn’t bad* – on a long motorway run I can normally get north of 30mpg – problem is, did I mention that the noise and acceleration is infectious?! Do it. Buy one!

Points to watch for: The electrics are a weak spot. Check the spoiler, sunroof and heaters all work (they’re not big jobs to fix). The timing chain is meant to be good for the life of the car, but some owners get them replaced – give the engine a listen.

This is the font of all knowledge:
http://the-corrado.net/forum.php

Give me a shout if you need – pm, or email in profile.

*This may be a lie.

I have had a couple. A 2.0 16v and a late VR6 in blackberry with leather and aircon. I loved them, but the problem with them now is that they are all very old (production finished in 1995) and parts can be hard/impossible to get hold of as they go obsolete. My VR6 had the cams upgraded and a remap and I loved taking it across the highlands and europe. In many ways it was my favourite car that I have owned. The driving poistion, engine noise etc was great, but it also had frustrations, but I guess you have that with more specialist handbuilt cars. At the VW garage in Iffly Road, Oxford, a mate of mine when in to order a couple of bits for his Corrado VR6 and the parts man said “I’m sorry, but I cannot help you. You need the Toyota garage up the road” He tried to explain for a couple of minutes, then gave up as the parts man would not have it that there is a Corrado as well as a Corolla.

My bro had two VR6s. The first kept breaking down so VW replaced it under warranty (the lucky owner of K504RBJ has a lemon on their hands). L707EFR is still around, I see it occasionally.

As for driving them, the experience is sublime. I used to run a Mk2 Golf 16V – which donates it’s floorpan and front suspension to the Corrado, but the driving experience is a whole different level. It tucks in neatly to the curves and has a hint of passive rear steer so it never feels nose-heavy or understeery as most big engined front drivers do.

The Corrado is a much better handling car than the Golf VR6, which is overweight and doesn’t come with that important rear suspension (borrowed from the unpromising Passat Mk3). In fact a lot of Mk2 Golf owners are buying Mk 3s and swapping the engine over as it seems to result in a better handling car – so I’ve been told.

Did I mention the sound? No? Well I also used to run an Alfa 156 V6, which sounded lovely, but the Corrado VR6 runs it very close. It’s softer and more warbly than the Alfa, but at high revs it develops an aggressive rasp. Very addictive.

I’d buy one…

Or buy a cheap one and put a 1.8 20v in – loads of golfs with this conversion……

Do not do this ever ever, Rado’s should have VR engines, if you’re going to the effort, charge the VR or drop in a 24v VR from a dead 4motion…

I used to have a VR6. Black with grey Karmann leather interior which sady had to go when a company car arrived. Nothing before or since has been quite as much fun or sounded as good. My Dad still has a Storm he’s owned from new so I still get to play occasionally.

OP – it seems the forum has spoken. Off you go, post pics once you’ve done the deed!

I have a VR6 Storm. I really like it. The Corrado forum linked to above is brilliant. They make a great noise, handle nicely and go reasonably fast. That said, they stopped making them in 1995, so they’re getting on a bit now with various bits just wearing through age – bushes etc.

There are some classic faults – sun-roof mechanisms break and are a pain to fix. VR6 coil-packs crack and short out. And some of the parts are ridiculously expensive because they’re unique to the Corrado. That said, the Corrado forum’s great and people help each other out with advice and bits.

I’d buy another one, but do some serious research and try and buy one that’s been properly looked after. I’d rather have a well-maintained and loved high-miler with a forum history than something with lower miles, but dubious care.

Mine:

BadleyWiredDog – That’s a sweet looking ‘rado!

Cheers – it’s currently feeling sorry for itself after some drunken moron ran over the roof of a Golf TDi and jumped two-footed onto the bonnet. Big dent. But hey. nobody died… 😉