Ben-B's Progress Thread - Aqua Blue Corrado VR6 with lots of extras!

[Ben.B 0]

On the Corrado.net forum, a member in Scotland was selling his tuned VR6 at a bargain price, considering the work that's gone into it, and when I saw it I thought it's something I can't ignore, so I spent 10 hours on the train to go view and test drive the car, and put a deposit on it the same day.

Then today/yesterday I spent another 5 hours on the train to go collect it...

As far as I am aware... here are the specifications... (I'll be looking through the vast number of receipts in due course to see if I've missed anything). Here's Bill's thread too: http://www.the-corrado.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=46677

- Schrick VGI (variable geometry intake) inlet manifold

- Schrick 268 cams

- Skimmed and reconditioned cylinder head

- Big bore throttle body

- Supersprint 6 branch heat-wrapped exhaust manifold

- Milltek hi-flow sports-cat

- Milltek cat-back exhaust system

- BMC CDA

- AmD chip

- Brembo 323mm 4-pot brakes

- KW variant 1 coilovers

- OZ Ultraleggera 17x8 wheels

- Audi TT front seats, original rear seats retrimmed to match

- Vibratech front engine mount

- Lupo GTi wiper conversion

I've been told by a few people that with a remap it'd be somewhere between 230 and 240bhp. Others say more, some say less, but we'll see...

There is a Rolling Road printout from September 2000, when the car had the Schrick manifold and AmD chip fitted. I'll try scan these in at a later date, but for now, the results are as follows:

- Maximum Power Speed 5552 Rpm (110.5 Mph in gear used)

- Power at Flywheel (Corrected) = 205.3 Bhp

- Power at Flywheel (Measured) = 198.9 Bhp

- Power at Wheels = 143.7 Bhp

- Power Loss (Transmission, Tyres, etc) = 55.2 Bhp

- Maximum Torque speed 3668 Rpm (73.0 Mph in gear used)

- Maximum Engine Torque (Corrected) = 238.8 lb ft

- Maximum Road Speed reached in Test = 124.0 Mph

- Maximum Engine Speed reached in Test = 6231 Rpm

There's also 2 power and 2 torque graphs, I assume one is the before and the other is after... so if that is the case, then here is the improvement...

BEFORE: 188.7 Bhp @ 5558 Rpm, 192.7 lb ft @ 4213 Rpm

AFTER: 205.3 Bhp @ 5552 Rpm, 238.8 lb ft @ 3668 Rpm

GAINS: 16.6 Bhp, 46.1 lb ft

My immediate plans are to fit the two rolled front arches and undented passenger door that Bill supplied with the car, along with general cleaning it up, giving it a good polish, fixing up the interior which has a few issues (heater fan only working on speed 4, loose handbrake cover and dash etc).

I want to take it to Awesome GTi for a full service and checkover as soon as possible too, just for peace of mind. Also I want it put on a rolling road (as much to find any hidden faults/problems as to get a power readout) and get it weighed at a weigh bridge. That way I'll have power/torque and weight figures for how the car was when I started MY progress. May even go to a RWYB day at Santa Pod and get some 1/4 mile times too.

Longer term, I'm gonna be putting my mark on it, changing a few things, such as the wheels. The bodywork isn't perfect, although it is fine for now, and the intention is to get it resprayed eventually. I'm constantly keeping my eye out on ebay for bargains, and will be looking out for a new smaller steering wheel, perhaps a bargain pair of seats, couple of smaller things, then see what's what. Other plans are to swap out the damaged and polish-stained splitter for a smaller version, that won't catch on pavements and speed bumps, and also get the VW/Corrado/VR6 badges sprayed satin black.

In the interest of it running as best it can though, I'm gonna remap it as soon as I can afford to take it to Stealth, not gonna take it to anyone but an expert, and Stealth are about as good as it gets with VRs from what I've been told by VR owners. Also looking at polybushing it sooner rather than later, the standard bushes will no doubt be worn by now.

When I can afford to, I'll get a second car, daily driver, and turn this into a less practical car... stripping it to lose as much weight as possible for free, then start the more expensive weight saving, carbon bonnet/boot etc. Eventually I intend to turn this into a track monster.

So here is the car from when I went to test drive her.

I was looking on the Corrado.net forum and found a group buy from several months earlier on the Wavetrac limited slip diff, so posted in the thread asking for reviews on it. One of the guys who hadn't got round to fitting his (greasegriff) offered to sell me his, as he received it, so thought that was an opportunity I couldn't really miss.

I then noticed on VR6 OC that Neal was selling a Gemini 6-speed gearbox... so I put a deposit down on that too.

Here's a description of how the Wavetrac diff works, for anyone who's interested: http://www.wavetrac.net/technical.htm

The Gemini box uses the same final drive as the standard box, and same ratio 1st & 2nd gears, but 3rd-5th are all shorter than the standard box, with 6th gear slightly longer than the standard 5th. Basically, the Gemini box has fitted an extra gear between 3rd and 5th compared to the standard box.

To improve acceleration I could have lowered the final drive ratio, but that means I'd have had a short top gear, the 6 speed box is the best of both... close ratio gears for faster acceleration, but without having to rev bollocks off the engine on the motorway.

I won't be fitting them straight away though... I'll get the diff fitted into the gearbox, then I'll wait and get an uprated clutch and lightened flywheel, then fit the whole lot together.

Only one full working day after paying, the Wavetrac LSD arrived. I already have a quote, direct from TTV, for a lightened flywheel... now I'm just trying to sort something out with Helix for a paddle clutch.

Here's the diff and fitting kit:

Here's the pictures from after collecting her:

Just under 300 miles from Bill's to mine... did it on one tank, with a final average MPG of 27.2, which included about 150 miles of twisty a and b roads, and a lot of 85-90 cruising when I hit the A1/M1.

The way the car pulls is just staggering... even up a rather steep hill in 5th gear, the car will be doing 80 and still accelerate, the torque and power is unbelievable... coming off roundabouts, one burst of throttle and you're already doing over the speed limit... after a few seconds you're getting close to licence-losing speed.

I'm just gonna have to get used to being a bit more cautious... in a car like this I could easily rack up points, I've kept my licence clean for nearly 4 years, don't want to start collecting SP30s now!

[b road blaster 0]

looking very nice mate

[ashmk3 0]

I think I have just found the colour of my next car awesome car tho man.

[Ben.B 0]

Thanks guys

Noticed there is a slight leak on the sump gasket, but it only seems to be when the engine is running (there was only a tiny patch after the car sat on the drive overnight, and there's another same sized patch under the car now but it's not got any bigger since 5 minutes after the engine was turned off)

And the engine burns oil when it gets close to the redline, so thought best to check the oil and top up... So it's just had a healthy couple of litres of Mobil 10W-40 to take it to the top of the dipstick level line

I'll look at replacing the sump gasket, and when I do, also sticking a baffled sump on, maybe even a baffled alloy one from a 4Motion or R32 or whatever they're off

[ashmk3 0]

I can see this car becoming a serious bit of kit and not one to be messed with.

[Lukey. 381]

man id love your gearbox, 6spd and LSD, jealous!

those wavetrac diffs are supposed to be really good aswell arent they, they can work even when the other wheel has no grip, not like normal LSDs that multiply the drive of the spinning wheel to the other wheel, at least i think thats what i read. If i got a diff id prob be looking at one of these.

nice rado, im liking them more and more lately

[Ben.B 0]

I can see this car becoming a serious bit of kit and not one to be messed with.

Hehe

man id love your gearbox' date=' 6spd and LSD, jealous!

those wavetrac diffs are supposed to be really good aswell arent they, they can work even when the other wheel has no grip, not like normal LSDs that multiply the drive of the spinning wheel to the other wheel, at least i think thats what i read. If i got a diff id prob be looking at one of these.

nice rado, im liking them more and more lately

[/quote']

Yeah I tried explaining that to my mate but he was like "duhhhh that's what all diffs do", he didn't understand what I was trying to say lol, so I sent him the link, (he's not read it though, he doesn't want to be proven wrong haha). I've already noticed how effective the EDL (electronic diff lock) is on the Rado though... pulling out from a side road onto a national speed road, accelerating from rest with the wheels turned there was minimal wheelspin, even on full beans!

The gearbox will have a lightened flywheel and a helix paddle clutch to go with it too... will be beast!

Apart from the ones I specifically went and viewed, I've seen only 3 Rado's on the road this year, and only one was definitely a VR6. They're pretty rare round here, and there's always lots being broken for parts... pretty soon they'll be rare enough to be a classic

[ashmk3 0]

Well I don't think there are actually many solid rados out there. But it's been decided that I'm getting one And in that blue it's so nice, or mulberry.

[Ben.B 0]

Aqua Blue is a really nice colour I reckon. If/when it gets resprayed, I might get it done in R32 Deep Blue Pearl, or Dragon Green

[Lukey. 381]

got any interior pics? interested to see the audi seats

[Ben.B 0]

I'll get some for you buddy

[Ben.B 0]

Bought some car mats (to stick in my old car for when I sell it), thought I'd see how they fit in the Rado, fit pretty good so they're staying. They're not bad for £14, so think I'll get another set of them for my old car when I sell it.

Here's some interior pics. Also stuck my AA first aid kit under the arm rest, where the standard one usually goes.

[Lukey. 381]

the seats suit the car, especially with the rears done in the same style

[Ben.B 0]

Yeah they're really comfy too, only bad thing is them being leather, so if you're wearing comfies like trackie bottoms and hoody then you slide down the seat haha

[mike 6]

nice raddo

[Ben.B 0]

On Friday I went to Compomotive to pay my deposit on a new set of wheels... the group buy on the Corrado Forum for the new wheels Compomotive are introducing this month... 17" x 8J MO1783 5-spokes.

Because of the brake calipers and the coilover height adjusters, I've had to space them out to ET30 instead of the ET35 I was gonna go for.

Also I bought a set of 5 Audi TT Competition alloys, 4 satin black with Toyo R888s, and one spare polished one, off another member from CF when I was down there. They're not the best condition... but I took that into account when buying them... and as they're Track/Winter wheels they'll do fine (obviously I won't run 888s on them in winter, I'll get proper winter tyres)

The R888s are worn down to the tread bars so aren't road legal anymore, but they've still got a few track days left in them for sure.

Still... can't complain for only £200!

[Ben.B 0]

My Compomotive MO5s arrived today.

Want them on the car now, but can't afford tyres, so gonna probably put them on early next year when I take the winter wheels off.

They're even better than I thought they would be, look really similar to the standard Speedline wheels, but these have the caliper clearance.

Here's some pictures:

Heres a picture side-by-side with the standard Speedlines in comparison... Comps (top) are 17s, Speedlines (bottom) are 15s

[VR6Nat 9]

Niiice

[b19drg 0]

mmmm vvvv nice !!!!

[Ben.B 0]

Thanks guys

[nivag27 5]

I cant wait to see what they look like on

[ashmk3 0]

yum they look very tasty indeed cant wait to see what they look like on.

[Ben.B 0]

Haven't been any updates for a while due to breaking my laptop then starting a new job. Only just got round to updating, but not many pictures I'm afraid.

The Compomotive MO5s went on in the 2nd week of October. Big thanks to the local friendly Toyota mechanic who spent an hour swapping the tyres over for me in exchange for beers. The OZs were sold at the same time.

Unfortunately the other day due to parallel parking with a dirty side window & wing mirror, as well as the fatal combination of running late and being annoyed, I slightly clipped a kerb with the rear one already, but it's barely a mark on there so not too bothered.

I have now purchased the 6-speed Gemini Motorsport 6-speed box as well, which is sat in the garage. Just need a Helix paddle clutch and a billet flywheel then I've got the transmission sorted.

The other day, at some traffic lights on a hill I pulled the handbrake on and the whole mechanism came off in my hand, as one of the bolts pinged off the windscreen... still works, but the ratchet mechanism isn't fixed down to the car, so it's kind of awkward to get the handbrake off. Bought a spare mechanism and centre tunnel off Neil who's breaking his VR so will fit that when I get a chance, probably during my week off before xmas, as I don't have much free time before then, and it's not an urgent job.

And finally after playing petrol station roulette, I managed to get 411.4 miles out of the tank before I bottled it and stopped to fill up, only took low 60-something litres though so looks like I had more miles in the tank averaging nearly 30mpg including 15 miles a day to/from work on twisty country roads

Will upload some pics when I get a chance to take some decent ones