sprinter - Corrado Club GB

The
sprinter
Issue 37
June 2009
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contents
Page 3 - Editorial
Page 4 - Meet the Committee
Page 9 - A Day at the Dealers
Page 12 - The State of the Corrado in ‘08
Page 14 - Me and my Corrado
Page 18 - All Abroad!
Page 21 - Track Day @ Castle Coombe
Page 23 - 2008 - A Year to Remember
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editorial
Welcome to issue number 37 of The Sprinter!
Firstly apologies for the extended break between the November issue and this. As anyone
who has volunteered for a club such as the CCGB can testify, it can be a real challenge trying
to juggle work, home AND club responsibilities! Unfortunately Sprinter duties slipped a little
during the winter months but hopefully I’m back on track now and we’re well on track for the
promised two issues this year.
We’re now well into 2009 and comfortably into the show season. After a cold and seemingly
endless winter, we seem to have suddenly come into milder weather and brighter nights - and
I for one am itching to get the Corrado out to some shows and meets!
To kick off the year, we held the CCGB Annual General Meeting at the Heritage Motor Museum
in Gaydon. The AGM is the chance for members to catch up with the committee and find out
how the club is doing, and what we have planned. Financially the club is still very healthy
and we have a full committee which, this year, has mostly stayed the same. But as you will
have hopefully read from the AGM minutes (which will have either recently been mailed to
you, or will be on their way to you soon!) Charley Smith has stepped down as Merchandise
Manager, to be replaced by Joe Parmenter. I’d like to take the opportunity, on behalf of the
club and all the members, to thank Charley for the outstanding effort he put into his role as
the Merchandise Manager over the last two years. I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to
Joe - read more about Joe and his “pitch” for becoming the Merchandise Manager in the ‘Meet
the Committee’ section.
We’ve got a great year ahead with some excellent events on the way (including the CCGB’s
own National Day) - hopefully I’ll get the chance to put some more names to faces at the
various shows this year, which I’ll be doing my best to get to.
If you have any suggestions for articles or things you’d like to see in the magazine or if you
feel like writing something yourself, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by email at
[email protected] or by post to:
Sprinter Editor,
23 Brookhurst Court,
Beverley Road,
Leamington Spa,
CV32 6PB.
Here’s looking forward to the summer season 2009 and I hope to catch up with lots of you at
various shows!
Jim Taylor.
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meet the committee
Like previous years, 2009 brings more new faces to the CCGB committee. Because of this, and
because not all members are able to make the AGM every year, we thought it was a good time
to run a feature introducing everyone who’s onboard this year in running the CCGB with a
picture (so you can pick them out at shows!) and a little bio about each of them. This way you’ll
know just who it is you’re talking to when you email in with a feature for the website, or when
you receive your membership details through the post.
Chairman - Paul Kippax
“As chairman, I oversee and guide the general running of the
club. Chair committee meetings, the AGM and any EGM. Ensure
the committee are carying out their duties.
Occupation, specialist cycle mechanic/sales and regular door
matt.
My cars are a Black Magic VR6 & Satin Silver 8v Daily Driver Both
with around 95k
Hobbies/interests. Buffing my cars, Cycling, Music, and socialising
:)
Have been a CCGB member since it started in 1996, attended
many many VW shows encouraging other folk to join up. I’m the
Yorkshire regional host, and club chairman since 2007.
What made me want a Corrado? when I was 19 whilst on the bus going to work the bus passed
my local VW dealership which had a Nugget Yellow 16v in the showroom, my face stuck to the
window of the bus with all the drooling it was there and then that I decided one day I was to
own a Corrado or two :)
Treasurer - Judith Hygate
I became a member of the club in 2005 and have been Treasurer
since 2006. I’ve worked for a bank since 1979 so hope I’m managing
the books OK.
As far as Corrados go I bought my first in 1997 being a 22 month
old Mystic Blue Storm which was used as a daily driver for many
years. In 2006 I was coerced into entering a concours competition
at the BVF show and seemed to get seriously into cleaning the
car after that! However with 120k+ miles on it and a club member
offering me their ‘less than 60k miles’ Mystic Storm in 2007 I parted
company with the original one and am starting the ‘deep clean’ all
over again.
It is no longer a daily driver though as I also have a Blackberry
8v which I am sorry to say doesn’t get anywhere near the same
amount of attention.
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Events Manager - Eric Coolen
I’m Eric Coolen (also known by the alias Tempest or Sturm on
several forums).
I came to the UK as part of an exchange course in electrical
engineering, that I had started at the Polytechnic Osnabrück,
(Rocco/Rado-city!), where I finished my BEng (Honours) and
the German Dipl-Ing (FH). I continued my studies to obtain
an Msc and a PhD in medical instrumentation. That was in
December 1998 - since then I’ve been running my own IT
company.
When the Corrado first came out I can still remember my initial
reaction: “That looks nice, almost as nice as a Mk1 Rocco!” My
journey to the UK did cure my Rocco-fever somewhat, but
it flamed up again and after 18 years there was only one solution..... a Mk1 Scirocco now sits
in my garage! Since then I’ve added a MK2 Scirocco Storm and a US-spec Corrado G60 to my
collection!
I’m into almost everything related to PCs (especially Linux), Squash and Badminton games,
socialising with friends, cultural events and going to events with any of my Type 53s - especially
with my Mk1 Rocco!!
Club Secretary - Chris Stevens
Chris is 59 years young, but claims to still be only 17 on the
inside, as his behaviour occasionally indicates. He retired from
the Royal Air Force and is now a C and D licenced professional
driver for the MOD and is based near Corsham in Wiltshire.
Amongst other things he has been interested in cars and car
maintenance since getting his first set of wheels way back
in 1969. He has owned, often more than one at any time:
Vauxhall Victor; 3 x Minis; MG Midget; MGB Tourer; 4.2 Jaguar
XJS; Lotus Elan; Alfetta GTV; 3.2 Jaguar XJS; 2 x Mk1 Escort
Estate; VW Polo; then started collecting Corrados.
Other Interests include: reading, crosswords, war history,
aircraft – real and model, travelling, film, theatre, music, to
name but a few at random. Was a dedicated hockey and squash player for his whole service
life, as well as being active in gliding, badminton and dinghy sailing. Has retired from most
sports now due to back problems, but still enjoys hill walking and leisure cycling.
Has been known to drink the odd beer – but just to be sociable you understand.
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Technical Advice Manager - Yan Holland
My first Corrado was an ‘89 G plate 1.8 16v, I bought it 5 years
ago and still have it; although it is still langishing in my garage
awaiting the completion of its engine transplant - a 16vG60
unit crafted by my own hairy hand. Since that initial bite by
the large and hairy Corrado bug I have owned a VR6 and
am currently using a Nugget yellow G60 as my daily driver.
My interest in all things Corrado extends to an extensive
collection of advertising media, a full set of workshop
manuals and even some VW tools - ah the joys of eBay..
I do all my Corrado work myself with help from a few friends
for those jobs where you just don’t have enough body parts,
this frequently involves more time than I tell my long suffering
wife and a lot of swearing in some cases. I have tackled most
of the common jobs on a Corrado and have an unhealthy knowledge of the inner workings
of VWs part number system; this usually means getting dragged around shows looking at the
spare parts stalls - referred to as ‘tat surfing’.
Outside of the Corrado world I am a mechanical engineer for the last 12 years, I have also
rebuilt a Triumph GT6 which continues to sulk accross the back of another un-named comittee
members garage.
Webmaster - Dave Dewson
Position: Webmaster. Do anything and everything to keep
the clubs website in tip top condition.
Occupation: Design Engineer. Until very recently designing
test equipment for the automotive industry, but decided
that my passion for VW’s is what I should really be doing,
so started DG Autotech (VW Specialist). Now I can play with
VW’s all day long too!
Cars: Classic Green VR6 Turbo (DIY built!) & Bordeaux Red 16v
(Daily). Enough mileage between them to get to the moon
(but not back!). Before that a string of Mk1 Golf’s, mostly GTI
flavoured.
Hobbies: Learning to play electric guitar, listening to rock music, Sci Fi movies & all things
Corrado
Important stuff: Guinness, Indian food, a good red wine, my daughter Merrin & my other half
Karen.
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Why Corrado? In 1989 I had a poster of a red 16v on my bedroom wall. In 1995 I drove a VR6
for the first time and promised myself I would get one. It didn’t happen until 2003 and now I
don’t know why I waited so long...
Merchandise Manager - Joe Parmenter
I am the newest member of the Committee having only just
joined up at the AGM this April. I have been into VWs for as
long as I can remember. In fact every car I’ve ever owned has
been a VW apart from one which was my first car but I don’t
talk about that much. I am currently on my third Corrado
which is a very loud and very low G60 rolling around on
steelies. I want to change them but I never seem to be able to
make up my mind or have the spare cash lying around to get
some alloys. It’s getting a bit tatty around the edges now but
hopefully I will restore it one day. I’m definitely never going
to sell it! I also drive a Mk2 Golf GTi that gets used as a daily.
Well, at least it does when it’s not in bits in my garage!
I have taken up the post of Merchandising Manager which
was previously occupied by Charlie. I run my own T Shirt printing business and I hope to use
my experiences from this to help the club in any way I can with the merchandising side of
things. Anyhow, new ideas are always welcome as well as feedback so if you have anything
you’d like to share with me please get in touch.
Membership Secretary - Vicki Peace
Vicki has been the Membership Secretary for longer than
anyone on the committee can remember.
She doesn’t drive but loves Corrados and the club.
Other interests are gardening and collecting animals as she
has rabbits, cats and fish. J
And she enjoys meeting up with club members at shows.
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Sprinter Editor - Jim Taylor
I’m Jim Taylor and work as an IT Specialist for a University in
Warwickshire. I’ve been a member of the CCGB for about 7
years, having signed up at 21 when I got my first Corrado a Blackberry Metallic 2.0 16v. Despite it nearly bankrupting
me, it left a lasting impression, and here I am in 2009 on my
third Corrado and involved with the CCGB as the editor of the
Sprinter Magazine.
My current Corrado is a Flash Red 2.0 16v, with over 190,000
miles on the clock. The bodywork isn’t perfect, and it’s got
a handful of mechanical gremlins. It’s now been retired to a
weekend car as I’ve managed to pick up a (free!) daily hack.
This is my 3rd issue of the Sprinter using a new design and
new process for creating the magazines. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far,
so I hope to continue (and refine) my work on the Sprinter! Please continue to send feedback..
and articles! :-)
club news
National Day
The Corrado Club of Great Britain is holding its National Day this year at the RAF Cosford Air
Museum. The date is the 20th of June. Entry to the site and to the museum is free for all Corrado
Club members. In addition, we have been provided with a dedicated parking area. The Corrado
Club is looking to provide a buffet lunch for all members who attend but alternative catering
outlets are available on the site.
For more information on the museum (including details of the exhibits, and details on how to
get there) visit: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/
We look forward to seeing you there!
Website
Our new website has been live now for approximately 10 months. Hopefully all of the members
who’ve been on there and registered have been able to take advantage of some of the great
content that Dave has been adding over those 10 months including a revamped forum,
downloadable Sprinter back-issues, and the venerable Corrado Cam! If you’ve not been to the
site yet, point your web browser to: http://www.corradoclub.org
Dave is always adding new content to the site. If you have a suggestion for a feature or some
content that should be there, let him know via the links on the site!
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a day at the dealers
Corrado’s in the showroom? Judith explains..
While preparing my car at the Tatton Park concours competition in early August 2008 I was
approached by two guys asking me about my Mystic Blue Storm. Now, there is nothing unusual
about that as people often stop for a chat about your car when you are cleaning it as I guess
they can tell who the owner is but this conversation progressed into an interesting request.
The guys were from Gilbert Lawton of Macclesfield and they were looking for people willing to
provide their Scirocco or Corrado for the dealership launch of the new Scirocco and Passat on
the 30th / 31st August weekend. As the idea of concours competition is to show your car in as
close as possible a condition to how it would have been when leaving the factory or if it were
in a dealer’s showroom the opportunity to see my car on display in a showroom appealed
immensely. Kip was away somewhere at the time (probably fetching more water!!) but I kindly
offered them the use of his many years running, award winning, Black Magic VR6 too. There
was only one problem, as Kip works Saturdays we could only provide the cars for the Sunday
but this didn’t deter the guys from wanting them so details were exchanged and we got on
with final preparations for the Tatton show.
As the weekend approached and I looked at the map to see where Macclesfield was (my
geography of this part of the country is a bit sketchy having recently moved North) we decided
that either a very early Sunday morning start or an overnight stay would be required as we had
to be the other side of the Peak District. Early mornings are all very well now and again but
the idea of a cosy pub
meal, bit of a lie in and
a cooked breakfast
was so much better
and I set about finding
somewhere
suitable.
On Saturday 30th, with
the cars having been
cleaned a few days
earlier we set off in the
early evening thankful
that is was not raining as
had been the norm for
yet another UK summer.
Sunday morning we
ventured out into thick
fog but managed to find our way to Macclesfield and were looking for a jet wash by 8 a.m., so
much for a lie in! Just past the dealers there was a Texaco garage and next to that a car valet
business with a jet wash. K1PVW was moved into position first and Kip set about cleaning
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his car all over again. I was on camera duty so took up on his kind offer to clean my car too
although I had to do my own ‘shammying’. As time was now reaching 9 a.m. I drove back to the
dealers to let them know we were there as Kip attended to the fine detail of drying every nook
and cranny (perfectionists amongst you will know that a tiny amount of water left anywhere
will turn into a full river of water marks at the slowest of speeds!!!).
We met John Astbury of Gilbert Lawton and discussed the positioning of our cars within the
showroom while noticing a slight drizzle developing. So much for all that shammying! My car
was going in first and then Kips so his was at the end of the line-up, nearest the new Scirocco.
The big glass entrance door
was rolled back and I looked
at the space between the new
Scirocco, assorted desks and
chairs and Chris Gaskells Mk2
Scirocco, plus the fact there
were a few people stood
watching our cars arrive and
being put into position and I
chickened out. I asked Kip if
he would reverse my car in.
Not because I couldn’t do it
but I hate having an audience,
honest! Anyway, while he was
manoeuvring my car I took
photos and realised that I
should have said I wanted to take pictures which would have saved face from appearing a
dozy driver who can’t reverse!! Power steering, rubber and tiles…..I never realised driving on a
tiled floor would make such an awful noise.
Once the cars were in place they had another quick once over to remove the drizzle and
clean up the arches, wheels and tyres from the short drive. We put some Corrado information
on display and at last had time for a coffee and a chat with John and Steve Heron the Sales
Manager when we asked if we could have a test drive at the end of the day. We looked over
the other display cars being a Karmann Ghia and two Scirocco MkIIs and took the opportunity
to take plenty of photos of our cars in a showroom. I once again realised how harsh artificial
lighting is on paintwork as K1PVW’s paint showed how much care and attention (love and
money?) has been lavished on it over the years and how much work I have to do on mine.
We also spent some time pouring (purring?) over the new Scirocco as it was the first time we
had the chance to see one up close. It got a quick ‘concours’ once over and lost points on dirty
wheels and arches which we discussed offering to clean but thought better of. By now the
drizzle had set into a light rain and our plan of wandering into Macclesfield for a few hours
was ditched in favour of sitting drinking coffee, eating Danish pastries and reading books and
magazines all day. However a familiar face appeared at the window as Chris Gaskell called by
to see how things were going and to say “Hi” to us. He kindly offered to pop us back to his place
for a coffee and chat, a comfy sofa to sit on and a change of scenery.
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At the end of the day a lady from the dealers came to pick us all up. Chris needed a lift to
collect his Scirocco as he had donated it for the two days and we obviously also needed to
get back to collect ours. The other owners were also there to collect their cars and again the
glass entrance door was rolled back. Being a ‘forward only’ manoeuvre I drove my own car out
and parked up in the customers parking to wait for John as he was escorting us to the local
petrol station to fill our tanks by way of payment for the loan of our cars. On driving the short
distance to the station I asked if he knew the size of a Corrado fuel tank and he said that he
didn’t. I had already negotiated the deal to be high octane fuel and we had both, obviously,
made sure our tanks were pretty empty when we arrived. Petrol prices were much higher back
in Aug 08 and Kip managed £69.something and I got just over £70 in. After the drive back to
Sheffield K1PVWs tank had enough to get us a fair way to Germany for the Nurburgring trip
the following week.
On returning to the dealers we
waited for the new Scirocco to be
driven out of the showroom for a
test drive. With John Astbury, Chris
Gaskell, Kip and I in the car it was
a good test of the cabin space
and rear comfort which is all I can
give a road test on as I declined
the offer of a drive due to my not
liking having an audience issue
again. Jims write up after his loan
of a press car for the Germany trip
was much more thorough than
either Kip or I could do so I’ll end
with this. The space in the rear is
even less than the Corrado has or it certainly felt that way with the moulded seats, very small
side and rear windows and, in this car, dark coloured headlining. Although the rear seats were
comfortable enough I wouldn’t want to do a journey of any distance sat back there. Then again,
I went to Nurburgring in the back of a Corrado and I wouldn’t want to do that again either!
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the state of the corrado in ‘08
Yan Holland weighs in on how the Corrado is doing after 20 years..
Well despite my best intentions, this is my first article for the Sprinter - I have been putting
some time into technical articles for the website as I feel the space required in the magazine to
run through a job on the car would run to far too many pages. I thought I would start with a
look at the current Corrado situation, both in terms of car cost and spares – critical to all of us
as our cars continue to age. If you have any technical questions please post them up on the
forum on the website as I check there daily.
I would first like to say that these are my personal opinions based on some experience and by
looking at trends in the classic car market.
A year on from the 20th anniversary of the production of the VW Corrado and the current state
of available parts from both the dealer and from cars being broken is fairly healthy. Although
there has been a recent decline in some parts available new from the dealer, mostly trim items,
you can still get parts to ensure trouble free (ish) running of your Corrado. As many of you
are no doubt aware current market values for used Corrados is the lowest it has ever been,
currently the cars are selling based purely on the value of the car if it is broken - although well
cared for and low mileage examples will always fetch a premium.
So where is the market heading? Based on the traditional classic car model we are currently
at the lowest ebb of Corrado prices; this goes hand in hand with the largest availability of 2nd
hand parts at the cheapest prices. I believe this situation will continue for around another few
years as more and more cars become uneconomical to run and they are broken for spares.
After this point used car values will rise as the number of complete ‘good’ cars still on the road
decreases. Hand in hand with this genuine new spare part availability will continue to decline
and the difficulty involved in keeping a car in good running condition will also mean that
the current crop of owners that see the Corrado as a cheap, reliable, sports coupe will loose
interest.
In the longer term there will be some limited production of parts based on market demand to
replace items no longer available from dealer sources, but these are likely to be of poor quality
when compared to original items. This is due to the need to keep production costs down to
ensure sufficient sales. A good example of this is pattern front wings for mk I Sciroccos, these
will rust through far quicker than the OE panels due to a lower grade of steel being used; this
is not even looking into the amount of adjustment required to get a good fit. Mechanical
parts are likely to always be available; this is due to most running gear/engine parts having
commonality with other models in the VW range, although G60 owners may struggle to find
replacement superchargers. Prices will continue to rise as the cars age and obtain true classic
status, but will again be restricted by a number of factors including the value of component
parts.
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I do believe that the parts that are going to be really
hard to find are the little items of trim unique to the
Corrado, many of which are already unavailable direct
from VW, with no alternate items on the market. Some
items can be sourced from the OE supplier to VW, for
instance early L/H indicators are now unavailable
from the dealer but the OE supplier, Hella, still list
them and if you can find a Hella supplier/dealer you
should be able to order them.
Performance parts; as with OE parts we are currently
enjoying a very wide selection of tuning parts, with
new ones still being tooled up for manufacture.
Unfortunately I do not anticipate this situation to
continue for much longer. You only need to look
at companies like BBM to see that whilst they still
supply many modified parts for our Corrados they
are not producing anything new. Any new items that
are being made, on the whole, will only be made for
newer models and will happen to also fit the Corrado.
Again with time these modified/performance parts
will become harder to obtain and eventually people
with an interesting in tuning cars will probably move
onto newer models.
Now is a good time to own a Corrado, parts are cheap,
there is a wide selection of modifications available for
those that wish to and the majority of cars are still in a
reasonable condition. As time marches on then it will
become increasingly difficult to own and maintain a
Corrado to the standard that most of us would like
to. Is it all doom and gloom? Not in my opinion,
they are still great cars that are fun to drive and hold
up reasonably well when compared with modern
production vehicles.
Got a problem with your Corrado? Got a technical question
which you’re unable to find an answer to? Get in touch with Yan on
the Corrado Club Forum (under the alias ‘Yandards’) for help with
your problem. Visit the Corrado Club Forum at:
www.corradoclub.org
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me and my corrado
aka The Slippery Slope.. by Vaughan Sydenham
I’ve driven VW coupes for almost 20 years now starting with a Scirocco which was and still
is a beautiful car in my opinion and the one I coveted most as a teenager before moving on
to get a 1992 Burgundy Pearl 16v which I
thoroughly enjoyed for almost 10 years and
was rather sad to sell. I loved the colour and
the Estoril alloys.
My first Corrado!
With a bit more financial stability in my
life (and maybe a bit of mid-life crisis if I’m
honest) I then started looking for a VR6
and was lucky enough to secure my classic
green Storm about 3 years ago. When I got
it with 4x4 ride height and BBS Solitudes.
About that time I also stumbled across the
Corrado Forum and through that had the very good fortune to meet a few local members (In
particular “CazzaVR”, “Chazrad” and “CrazyDave”) and amongst others detail gurus like “KipVW”,
“Drewie” and “Butterfly” who planted those “slippery slope” seeds in my mind.
Encounters on the slope so far:
Exterior
3 Slat Grill - cheap e-bay bargain with all 3 slats open to help water and oil temps in summer –
really does make a noticeable difference and means I can keep the colour coded original with
2 slats closed for special occasions or the return of the ice age.
Aerial Base - New replacement for rotted original.
Roof Strips - New replacements for rotted and faded originals.
Side Indicators - New crystal type MR2/Golf ones because I hated the old ones.
Lupo Aero Wipers - New. Perennial Corrado problem solved in an instant!
Replacement drivers side glass - second hand in response to scratches, worked fine for 9
months but now they are back!
Headlight Protectors - New from Daves 16v on the Forum and seemed a sensible and
instantly removable mod.
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FK De-badged Grill - Quite like the de-badged look at the front and now have a choice of 3
grills – Jamie Oliver eat your heart out!
When I got it - 4x4 on Solitudes
Now lowered on BBS RX’s..
Interior
Rear seat belt “pivot point” cover - Corrado Forum second hand, original missing.
VDO Corrado Volts and Oil Pressure Guage Pod - New, bit of bling really but could, I guess,
give some useful early warnings as I now know where the dials normally indicate for most
driving conditions.
Hands free kit – for my old and most reliable Nokia with the everlasting battery life.
Engine Bay
Uprated Headlight Loom - Custom made by Forum member. Made an enormous difference
and one of the best mods in my opinion especially for someone like me with very poor night
vision)
BMC CDA - New, great mod if you like a bit of extra noise when gunning it but hardly noticeable
at about town speeds. Apparently can add about 7 bhp as well.
Schimmel 263 Cams and Stealth Remap - New, picked up speed on the slope here after
reading rave reviews by one and all who benefited from the 1st Forum group buy run by
Cheesewire. What can I say but hail the mighty Vince and a great improvement in performance
for not a lot if we forget the re-map and fitting! 221 BHP @ 6214 rpm and 200lb/ft @4439
rpm.
Drivetrain
Goodridge Braided Brake Hoses all round - New in response to some perishing and an MOT
advisory, lifetime guarantee it says on the box.
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KW Variant 1s - Second hand but new in box from a forum member. Endured 2 years of
embarrassment on the previous 4x4 ride height before getting this done.
My son demonstrating the
ridiculous ride height
Looks and handling have both improved immensely and I rate this as one of the best
investments I’ve made so far. Was a little anxious about the comfort factor but need not have
feared as its excellent)
BBS RX 17’s - Second hand and newly refurbished from a Forum member. Original Solitudes
were getting ragged and letting down the appearance of the car plus I wanted a winter set
(Solitudes) . In combination with the KWs these were the finishing touch to the look of the car.
Well pleased with them and get so many chufties. I think they look excellent on all Corrados.
288mm Front Brakes – ex VR6 Golf and refurbished (by Biggred) in red of course. These make
a really noticeable difference and are confidence inspiring compared to the originals.
I’m actually surprised how long this list is, which, as I’ve been
told by more experienced and wiser members than me is a
sure fire symptom of slippery slope fever.The beauty of the
club and forum scene is that you get feedback on things
you’ve done and advice and ideas on new possibilities from
those further down the slope. Further on for me are things
like forced induction, anti roll bars, stainless steel exhaust,
etc etc. Better stop there I think before any more seeds
germinate! For now I’m just enjoying having a great car that’s
been gently modded yet remains utterly reliable.
Vaughan Sydenham (AKA Vornwend)
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17
all abroad!
Nigel Rowlands takes a Corrado Storm to Australia..
I thought you guys and girls might like this story and it will answer the question of where has
one of those 500 Corrado Storms gone? Well one of them is alive and well in South Australia
now!
My Fiancée and I decided in 2004 that we had had enough of the busy UK and its weather,
traffic, roads etc, so we decided to emigrate to Australia. We decided on Adelaide as it’s more
laid back than the rest of Oz and has a lovely Mediterranean climate. So once the permanent
residence visas were sorted it was a question of selling up and getting over here. But what to
do with the cars?
Well I had owned my little MK1 Golf GTI for about 15 years and couldn’t bear to part with her.
She is currently fitted with a Turbo Technics T3 turbo kit and an Emerald ECU with mapped
boost (175BHP and 200 ft/Lbs). That was a lot of hard work converting her to electronic
injection from the KJET. I had to design and build all the looms for the system and adapt G60
injectors and fuel rails etc to get it all going. But that’s another story that was fraught with pain
when we got her here, as here in South Australia its hard to get a modified car registered. But
I got there in the end after a full engineers report and road tests etc.
So back to our Corrado Storm. Well again we decided that it would be cool to bring her with
us. The thing is that the Corrado was not available from VW in Australia, so we knew it would
be pretty unique and we couldn’t get another one here. VW did have the VR6 Golf 3 here but
for some reason not the Corrado?
To ship both cars and all our stuff from the house etc was only going to cost £7000 including
packing and delivery to our address in Australia so we figured that it would be cheaper than
selling everything and starting again here. Plus the Corrado is a very very rare beast here. The
current estimate is that there are about 5 or 6 in the whole country of all model types and years
including ours. I know ours is the only Corrado in the whole of South Australia and it’s the only
Storm in Australia.
The reason for this is that there is a rule for importing a car built before 1989. You can import
any number of pre 89 cars as an Aussie, but its different on post 89 stuff. Basically you can
import one post 89 car a year as a personal import but, and this is the crunch… you have to
have owned it and used it abroad, and to have been out of the country with it for a minimum
of a year before you can import it. This is a strict ruling that requires documentary evidence
of ownership, use and your whereabouts for that year including passport copies. So that’s the
background behind the difficulties of getting one over here.
I had always wanted a Corrado in the early 90’s but they were well out of my price range and
running costs so it always remained a dream. A long time later when the prices became more
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reasonable my other half had convinced me we should
really get one now before nice ones became few and
far between, and if we were going to do it then why not
get a Storm? On a visit to Autotek at Guildford back in
March 2001 we were fortunate enough to find a lovely
unmodified Classic green Storm that has just come in
as a part ex. She was even fitted with the after market
air-conditioning system too, which at the time we
didn’t realise how much we would need in the future.
She came with a full VWSH, huge history file including
the original PDI sheets and was unmolested and totally
standard. So after paying top book price, I finally had
my VR6 Corrado. I still think that she is one of the best
cars I have ever driven and she still puts a smile on my
face 8 years later.
Once the car arrived in Australia we had to pay import
duty and GST (like VAT) on the landed value of the car
(this is what it is worth before it is modified to meet
the Australian Design Rules or registered). This was
reckoned by an independent valuer to be about $18000
at the time (about £7500 then). We had to pay these
fees on the Golf too!
We also had to engage the service of a broker to get
the cars released and even had to get a CFC exemption
license from Canberra for the A/C on the Corrado!! What
it all means is that they will try and make it as hard as they
can for you to bring a car in but not make it impossible.
Also the cars have to be immaculately clean all over with
no mud or dirt anywhere that might harbour bugs or
microscopic thingies! The Corrado was always kept very
clean in the UK even as a daily driver. My neighbours
in the UK used to think I was crazy, hosing her down
underneath and under the arches if it had been wet or
salty that day and washing her most weekends, but it
has paid off as she is in very good condition. No salt on
the roads here… I have never seen so many old cars on
the road in great condition… old Jap and British stuff..
amazing!
Once both cars were released from Customs and
quarantine, we got permits to drive them back to our
house on their UK plates. A few weeks later a ‘Statement
of Compliance’ letter was issued. This basically details all
the Australian design Rules that the cars have to meet.
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Many of these translate directly to the UK rules like seatbelts, headrests, safety glass etc etc.
However one difference between Australia and the UK is the way that child seats are fitted.
The Aussie seats use an over the seat strap mounting and the Corrado (and Euro spec MK1 GTI)
don’t have these fixings.
So I had to modify the Corrado to install 5/15 UNC nuts on mounting plates into the rear panel
in the boot (have a look at the piccies). Funny thing is that if you look at your Corrado you
will see a perfect pressing in this panel that is almost designed for the job? Maybe VW were
planning Australian release of the Corrado after all?
After all this was done, I booked the car in for its compliance testing and she passed first time.
So off to the registration office and she now sports Australian ‘Rego’ plates. Here in South
Australia you can have custom plates with up to 7 digits in a number of colour combinations
for not a lot of money, and ‘CORRADO’ is available on the data base. So maybe I might indulge
in the future. I guess no one else is going to grab that first? The car now has a personal import
sticker on the scuttle tray that shows she is all legitimate. She also still has her ‘Corrado Club of
Great Britain’ sticker in the front and back. Its funny driving her about here as people will often
ask you ‘what is it mate?’ and she often gets mistaken for a Toyota Celica or such like. But there
have been quite a few people in the know that have come up and chatted about the car with
us, not quite believing there eyes at the sight of a Corrado VR6 here, let alone a Storm!
I am a member of the www.vwwatercooled.org.au website here in Australia. It’s a great site
with lots of Aussie VW nuts. I was offered $30,000 (about £14,000) for her at Christmas by
another member. That’s a good offer but not enough for me to part with her after all its taken
to get her here. Oh yeah, she isn’t the daily driver anymore, I have a Holden Commodore for
that now, but she does get used on a regular basis if it’s a nice day, which is most days here!
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track day @ castle coombe
Dave Dewson takes a break from the website..
It was a bright and sunny start to the day and, from all accounts, due to be an absolute scorcher.
The Corrado stand had been arranged with Autometrix, the track day organisers, and several
names had appeared on the forum list to attend.
Now this isn’t your normal kind of meeting, with the usual start to the day of cleaning and
polishing (although the stand did look rather fine), this day was all about testing the limits of
car and driver….
Some of you may have noticed a rather rough round the edges blue VR6 at several club
meetings in 2008. Wearing black 17” wheels (made from magnesium alloy so they are actually
lighter than a set of 15” wheels), Toyo R888 tyres and some very large Brembo brakes. It also
sits pretty low on Koni coilover suspension. Under the bonnet, no supercharger or turbo, just
a pure VR6 with a VW Motorsport VSR manifold.
Well this car is owned by John Munyard, and it’s his daily driver and track day car. He freely
admits to having never washed it, but all his attention is focused on the suspension and oily
bits. The engine has been lightened lots so that it spins freely and is now 3 litres not 2.9. It has
a big valve head, Schimmel 263 cams, strut braces front and rear, polyurethane suspension
bushes everywhere, even the engine subframe is seam welded for strength.
Now at a track day you can put on a helmet, pay a reasonable fee and thrash the living daylights
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out of your own car round the track. Simple idea and obviously you can go at your own pace.
Instructors are on hand to guide you if needed. It’s also OK to take a passenger out and John
had kindly offered his spare seat to anyone who wanted to see what it was all about.
After sorting out a helmet, Vaughan was
first up. Waiting in the pit lane and being
subjected to various jokes by us (the
spectators). Eventually the green light was
on and they took to the track. Other cars in
this session included, a couple of Audi R8’s,
a Quattro Sport (short wheelbase!), a few
Golfs (mk2-5) and a red mk1 Golf with very
wide arches and what sounded like a large
turbocharger.
After about 8-10 laps, the session was over. Vaughan emerged with a large grin from ear to ear,
‘WOW! That was fun!’ followed by, ‘I still find it hard to believe how fast we cornered, how late
we braked and still stayed on the track. I was totally convinced (especially on the first lap) that
we were going to end up in the armco or in the grass banks (even remember thinking “well
its just mud and grass and that won’t hurt too much”) but the amazing thing was that I never
once felt that John wasn’t in control and knew exactly what he was doing - hats off to the skill
and commitment you put into your driving John. It was a real privilege to experience. Best bit
was being able to gain 25 yards or more on an Audi R8 coming fast into Quarry turn - don’t
think any driver I saw today took that part of the circuit better than you’.
After a short break
(and ice cream)
Charlie was next
and after lunch it
was my turn.
So if you really want
to know just how
well a Corrado goes
around corners this
is the only way to
do it. The speed
John enters corners
is just amazing
and will have most
people reaching for the passenger brake pedal. But you know you’re in good hands, we all
walked away from the experience with big grins.
Huge huge thanks to John Munyard for the laps. I think that innocent looking blue VR will
be seen in a whole new light, but maybe you should think about washing it before the next
meeting! Another great day out.
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2008 - a year to remeber
Paul Kippax looks back on a superb year in the CCGB
Well as the title suggests it was indeed a year to remember for so many reasons.
Preparation started long before January 2008 as it was to be the 20th anniversary year of the
Corrado and it was only right that the club should mark this occasion. Looking back I think we
all did a pretty damn good job of it too. Many decisions were made amongst the committee
as soon as the previous years show season was over and ideas were thought up in abundance.
Most notable were the birthday balloons which were filled with helium for better effect, a
special anniversary banner, new design polo shirts and even cakes and competitions. As well
as a very special display of 50 cars at Stanford Hall our clubs own National Day was held at the
prestigious Prescott hill climb.
First up came Ultimate Dubs indoor show in Telford where club members that attend the show
have to leave their cars there the previous evening for security and safety reasons. Several of
the regulars had their cars on the stand including Dave Dewson with his turbo VR6 and new
member Shaun who came all the way from Jersey.
Judith’s in there.. somewhere! (Ultimate Dubs)
Judith & I were just there for the Sunday so, with an early start in a car all loaded up with a big
bag of balloons and a birthday cake, which Judith had made the day before, we headed off to
Telford. When we arrived we found the car park was full so we ended up further up the road in
a shopping centre car park. Not such a big deal normally but after inflating around 30 of the
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balloons with helium inside a Corrado then tying a ribbon to each one it becomes a bit of a
nightmare. Anyway, once the balloons were ready it was time to make our way down the busy
road to the show hall which was quite a challenge as the only way out of the car park was in
a lift which took us through the shopping centre itself. Great fun with 30 helium balloons in
hand, it must have looked funny for everyone looking on anyway!
The balloons were then tied to anything that didn’t move or stood still for long enough
including a few club members. This was also the first time one of Judes cakes was tested out on
anyone around the stand. I think they all approved as some had more than one slice too! The
day flew by and another great event came to an end but not before Shaun scooped the best
Corrado in show award which he was gobsmacked with. He very rightly won as it is a stunning
example if ever I saw one so a worthwhile trip for him and many congratulations for the win.
“Not much competition this year!” (Stanford Hall)
Next was the AGM which for 2008 returned to the heritage motor centre in Gaydon. The weather
however tried its best to put off attendees as the previous day saw quite a bit of snowfall
which was still lingering on the morning of the meeting. There was quite a good turnout for it,
all things considered, and after a few technical glitches the meeting got underway. Thankfully
2 vacant committee positions of the sprinter editor and technical enquiries were filled.
Sprinter editor by James Taylor who had taken on the magazine since Steve Alleston stepped
down due to work & family commitments, and Yan Holland who stepped in for the technical
side of things after the post was vacant for a year or so since Chris Gaskell left the position
after many years service. A huge thanks to both of you for coming forward. Jim added to the
entertainment of the event by pulling on his blue committee polo shirt once he was officially
elected. After the usual contents of the AGM were out of the way discussions on the years forth
coming National Day and Germany trip began. Then after refreshments of tea, coffee, biscuits
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and more birthday cake began the important business of Charlie and merchandise with just
about everyone making a purchase. Finally it was out into the car park for a little social before
the small convoy home.
Club Display (Stonor Park)
The show at Stanford Hall soon came around in May and for me this was a big highlight as the
club had been asked if we would like to put on a special display with it being the twentieth
anniversary. Stanford have a special display like this every year and given how different
varieties of VW/Audi there are there is always an occasion to celebrate. We gladly accepted the
offer and it was suggested that we could have up to 50 cars attend which we duly set about
achieving. Myself and Judith took the liberty of arranging this one and a list was soon filling
up even before the AGM. We thought it would be good to have the specification of each car
there as well as owner details etc so the public would know which model they were looking
at or if the cars had any modifications. Gathering details for this was a long process and some
members had more than one A4 sheet as they had so much info on them. But we enjoyed
reading them all and our kitchen looked like a printers as we printed them off and stuck them
through the laminating machine. This was all done in good time for the show and so as there
was no last minute panic to deal with we decided to book a place to stay near the event on
the Saturday night. I was also entered into the superclass (as the previous years winner of the
Corrado/Scirocco class) so as well as setting up the club stand area with the gazebo’s, banner
stands and flags I thought it wise to give the car a once over while there and duly did so until
it was dark! Then we left my car there and headed off to our hotel in Judes 8v workhorse. Even
25
with a nearby overnight it was an early start on the Sunday to be there before most members
arrived and to do a few more finishing touches to my car. People started to arrive nice and early
and the rest of the show got into full swing. I think all together we had 47 cars on the special
display as a few had problems and couldn’t make it plus there were the concours entrants who
were right next to the display.
I also get asked to judge the concours class for Corrados & Sciroccos if I’m not showing in it
so this made it an exceptionally busy day for me. I’m sorry I didn’t get to speak to the many
people I wanted to as the class was full to capacity again, 10 cars, which takes a lot of time to
judge. This is fantastic news as only a few years ago there were only 2 or 3 entrants but in more
recent years two members have stepped up to the challenge with Corrados of an exceptional
standard and they are Andrew Parker & Dave Brunyee, I’m sure you’ll know their cars by now.
The club thought it would be a good idea to attract the public into the display area by holding
a competition to win a model Corrado. We filled Judith’s car with balloons and asked people to
guess how many there were inside. The balloons were counted later in the day and the person
with the nearest guess won the car which was announced on the shows tannoy. I have to
admit that I did find it very amusing watching some of the summons members blowing them
all up , going red in the face and giddy!
Sheltering from the elements (BVF)
We also had more birthday cake, speedline & solitude wheel buns for anyone who visited
throughout the day and some very special May 4th designs for the Starwars fan members.
A terrifying part of the day came for me when the chap who walks around the show with
a microphone asked for an interview. Obviously I couldn’t refuse and as I’m quite shy I was
dreading it but I think I did ok considering. Lol!
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Next up was the fabulous event at Stonor Park. We decided to camp for this one as its in the
middle of June so the weather is usually very good. We drove down late on the Saturday
evening and stopped at a Fish & Chip shop just before reaching the event for some food. I
had said we would have to eat them there and then as I didn’t want chippy smells in the C but
I relented and proceeded to the ground to set up camp. It didn’t take 5 mins with the small
‘one night tent’ we have so we were soon tucking into our takeaway and a beer or two! The
morning started with a few showers (not of the personal hygiene kind, Stonor doesn’t run to
that level of facility) but they soon cleared up to a very hot day indeed. Most of the club stand
attendees were seeking refuge under the gazebo to hide from the suns rays, a rare occasion!
I really enjoy Stonor as it has a very chilled out and relaxed atmosphere and set in stunning
surroundings is certainly an event worth going to.
Preparing for show & shine... (BVF)
It was then onto BVF which is located by the beautiful Malvern Hills. This is a weekend event
with camping available from Friday night so I usually book a day off to attend the whole show!
Judith set off earlier in the day on Friday to set up camp and I followed on after I had finished
work at 5.30. I arrived to a pitched tent and food cooking nicely (Bonus). The weather was not
looking good again, as in the previous year, so after a short chat with a few others an early
night beckoned.
Saturday was the best weather wise and it was good to just have a wander round the event
relaxing and meeting up with our friends, Richard & Libby and their daughter Bethan. They
had brought their bay window camper to the show for its maiden outing. The weather turned
poor once more and there were several tents unable to cope with all the rain. However, spirits
27
were high, or is that spirits were drank? and after a nice evening chatting with our friends and
Corrado folk it was off to bed as tomorrow was concours day for both myself and Judith.
After last years poor weather the showing of cars was held indoors and, no doubt due to the
poor weather leading up to the show, many people had been put off making the trip and
entering the event. This was noted by the organisers who were desperate for good weather
which sadly for them never came. So in the class it was just my VR6 & Judith’s new storm as the
previous storm she had was sold to make way for this lower mileage example.
A shoot out between us ended up with me taking the honours and Jude coming in a very
worthwhile runner up which brought back memories of 2005. It’s only a matter of time before
this role is reversed Lol!
Just completed a lap of the Nurburgring...
August came round in no time which meant it was VWNorthwest, held at Tatton Park in
Knutsford near Manchester airport. This is only a 50 mile trip from our house so it’s pretty local.
A good bunch as ever was manning the club stand and again there was a full class for the
concours event with both me & Jude trying our luck once more. I ended up with runner up and
honoury member Chris Gaskell took first place with his gorgeous MK2 Scirocco.
This was where we were approached by the VW dealers from Macclesfield about having our
cars at the showroom for the launch of the new Scirocco but more of that in another article.
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A week later it was onto Harewood house for what is becoming a fantastic event in only its first
few years of running. A full house on the club stand and several new faces too which is always
good to see! I won’t repeat much about this one as Judith wrote a feature in the last issue of
the Sprinter.
On the ferry to Holland...
On then to September and the event which everyone has been talking about since last year!
As if you didn’t already know I’m talking of the trip to Germany for the 20th anniversary meet
at the Nurburgring where just about every nation in Europe was represented by their national
clubs. It was indeed a mightily impressive sight seeing so many Corrados in one place. I think
somewhere in the region of 600 to 700 was the count.
Even the drive to the ferry was exciting and for me also one of apprehension as I’d never been
on a car ferry before so I was a little unsure what to expect. And I have to admit, I was terrified
the car would get damaged in some way. Obviously this was not the case and I was very
impressed with how much room there was on the car decks.
Next was the drive down to the world famous and legendary Nurburgring which was to be
our home for the next few days. So much to see with so many cars there it was utterly amazing
and of course the very real possibility of driving around the green hell itself for many of us
including myself. Now to say that it has been one of my all time dreams to drive my Corrado
around the ring is a massive understatement so when I asked at the campsite headquarters if
the track was available anytime over the weekend I was ecstatic to learn that a couple of hours
on the Saturday evening were free. This was it I thought, its now or never and I hadn’t come
all this way just to watch the others going round it. My best friend Richard also came on the
trip with us and he agreed that he wanted to come in the car with me! Brave man Lol! I was
29
scared to death and my palms were sweaty but yet I felt cold and shivered a little, was it too
much for me to take on?? I was starting to think so after all the nightmare stories I had heard
about crashes and the costs incurred with having no insurance whilst being on the track. But
something kept telling me it simply had to be done so I played safe and bought just 1 lap
ticket. Then I lined up before the barriers to take on what was probably one of the biggest
challenges in my life. It just felt so right having Rich next to me as we had both been attending
VW shows together for over a decade.
Who says the Corrado isn’t family sized..!
And then we were off, we went into the unknown, so many bends twists and turns with ascents,
descents off cambers, even the famous banked sections of the karousel which was amazing to
drive into and exit perfectly but terrifying at the same time. It had it all and it all seemed to go
by so quickly but after the last few bends there is a long straight back to the finish and this is
where Dave Dewson with passengers Fay Pearson and Judith, who didn’t want to go with me
for some reason but also didn’t want to miss the opportunity to watch me at the same time, Ah
Bless!, flew past. It was indeed a moment I’ll never forget and I got quite emotional afterwards.
So it was back to camp to celebrate along with many others who had shared the experience.
The next day was a move north to where our cars were made, the Karmann Factory, where
one chap in particular had arranged for over 50 of us to have a guided tour around both the
factory, which was in full swing making C class Mercedes convertibles, and also the chance to
view the private collection within the grounds of the factory as well. That was a real bonus!
30
I could fill an issue of the Sprinter myself just talking about this trip alone but I’ll leave it here
and invite others to share their memories of the fantastic trip we all had. All that remains to be
said on this one is a massive thanks must go to Eric for all his hard work in arranging this trip. It
was a long time in the making and he must have spent hours or even days getting everything
together for what was a flawlessly planned holiday for all of us to enjoy! I’m sure we are all
extremely grateful for his efforts!
And lastly for us was the classic car show at the NEC which is a 3 day affair but due to making
the Germany trip I had used up all my holidays so we only attended on the Sunday. The show
is all indoors so there is no need to worry about the weather at this one. We did however get
off to a shaky start as when we arrived at the NEC Judith announced that she had forgotten
the tickets which we had bought in advance! We went to the box office to see if they could
help and as they had a record of our details from the internet booking we were handed a pair
of tickets. Phew! Off we tootled to find the club stand which had some great cars present and
Eric had managed to borrow a new Scirocco from the local dealers which attracted quite a bit
of attention. Also present was the new club indoor banner which stands 3 meters high and has
quite a story to tell so maybe we’ll hear more of that another time. With so much to see at the
NEC time flew by and in no time at all it was the end of the show but what a great event it is.
This was the first time I had been so I’ll definitely return and hopefully get my car on the stand
for the duration of the show holidays permitting.
These are just some of the highlights from my memories of 2008 and they will all be with me
for a very long time, it was without question a year to remember!
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