1992 VW Corrado SLC, VR6, Dark Burgundy, Volkswagen, extra parts, good condition

Description

Discussion: I don't buy myself cars very often. After buying this 1992 Corrado I didn't buy another car until my 2004 GTI. That car was totaled when we were struck by lightning driving through a bad Mississippi storm, so I replaced it with a mk5 2006 GTI. Well... a few months ago VW decided to have an arm-twisting get these cars off our lot sale that coerced me into buying a new 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI. When you factor in inflation, it is the cheapest car I have ever bought and less than half of what I paid for my Corrado.

So now my wife says I have too many cars and need to sell one. I don't necessarily agree with that logic. But since I work out of my home and don't drive more than 5000 miles a year, it is hard to justify three cars. I rarely drive my Corrado and last year we moved to a house without a garage, so it will be much harder to work on my Corrado when the time comes. On the other hand, I bought this car when I was 35 and I am now 60. I have never parted with it because I enjoy driving it.

Bidders: This auction is for a small group of bidders - people who appreciate vintage VWs and have experience working on them. It is unrealistic to buy this car with the expectation that VW dealers can work on them. They long ago lost those skills. The car is usable as is, but has the expected wear of 25 years and 106k miles. I expect that any bidder would intend to restore my Corrado to premium condition and knows that it would be unwise to use it as a daily driver.

Engine: This was the first car VW delivered with the VR6 engine. While not as fast as today's 2.0L turbo with APR, the VR6 engine was powerful in its day and has satisfying low end torque. The engine is stock. I once added an oil cooler but it made it inconvenient to change the oil so I removed it. The engine still has the original timing chains. They have not been replaced.

About 15 years ago I got the VAGCOM tool to help me diagnose my Corrado. Unlike today's VWs which tell you about every part of the car, only the engine can be viewed. But that is the important part while diagnosing stereos and electric windows is not. With the Corrado you have to use a special VAGCOM adapter (included in this auction) and pop up the plastic around the shifter to plug it in. Because of the VAGCOM tool, my Corrado hasn't been to a repair shop since the early 2000s.

Interior: The car originally came with the gray pinstripe interior. I replaced the door cards and rear seats with black leather ones I bought on ebay about 15 years ago. The original gray pinstripe interior is boxed up and included in this auction. Corrado mats are also included.

Before I bought my Corrado I had a girlfriend who would always spill her Coke in my 88 GTI. This stressed me out so much that I imposed the rule that no one is allowed to eat or drink in my VWs, except my wife who is permitted a sealed cup of water. Because of that policy, the interiors of my cars are much cleaner than most, but my passengers think I am unfair.

Seats: My 88 GTI had defective seats and I replaced them with black Recaros. So when I bought my Corrado, I used them in place of the stock seats. So the original gray pinstripe front seats, which I recently reinstalled, were little used and have been sitting in basements for over two decades.

Exterior:

When I bought this Corrado in 1992 I had a 1988 GTI. For the first 6 years I drove the GTI in the winter and the Corrado during fair weather months. Then I moved to Alabama where cars never age, unless they get NASCARed to the junk yard. So for then next 18 years this car never saw snow and was garaged. We recently moved to Colorado and the car has been outside for the last year. Because I avoided driving in winter, the car does not have rust.

The car still has the original paint, but is has rock chips and is starting to fade. I expect any buyer will want to repaint it so it looks new.

Probably the worst thing about the car is the windshield. Back around 2010 after many miles of driving I decided to replace the windshield, not because it was cracked, but because it had so many nicks it was like a bad pair of glasses. The guy who replaced the window didn't do a great job (excess glue), but that wasn't as bad as what happened next. About a month later I got some nice wipers and my wife asked if she can replace them. She drops the passenger metal arm, without a wiper, against the window and it cracked like it was shot with a bullet. Over the years a crack has propagated from the circle. Being on the passenger side, it does not affect the driver, especially since the window is still almost new (less than 5000 miles). Nevertheless, it needs to be replaced. I just haven't done it yet. Also I think the window wasn't installed as deep as the original so the wipers aren't as tight against the window and leave water streaks.

Years ago the rain gutter inserts cracked and I replaced them. Those inserts are not shot, but they also have begun to crack. Likewise with the antenna.

About 17 years ago I got a European front spoiler which is taller that the stock spoiler. The stock spoiler is included in the auction but it is a little beat.

One time the black plastic trim piece that holds the rear license plate fell off. I attached it so that will never happen again.

Wheels: This auction includes the stock 15 inch BBS wheels that are in very good condition (in boxes in photos). The original BBS center caps are also included. Back in 2003 I got a flat and needed tires anyway so I decided to buy some 16 inch BBS VZ wheels (on car in photos). The stock BBS wheels are a PITA to clean taking longer than the car itself. I really liked the VZs and ordered two extra so this auction includes 10 wheels: four stock Corrado 15 inch BBS wheels and six 16 inch BBS VZ wheels. Two of the tires are new and two of the tires are shot.

Suspension: Back around 1995 I had the soft stock shocks replaced with Bilstein HD struts. Unlike most every other removed part, I do not have the original shocks. Around 2010 I replaced the stock springs with Neuspeed Sofsport springs which lower the car, but not by very much. The original stock springs are included in this auction.

Exhaust: The car still has the original exhaust system and catalytic converter. For the first time in my life, and this Corrado, I live in a place that requires emissions testing. It was tested last fall (Jefferson County Colorado) and passed.

Accidents: The car has been in two accidents. Back in 1992 while it was parked someone scraped the passenger rear fender above the wheel. Now 25 years later you can see minor cracking when you are close and the paint hasn't faded as much as the rest of the car. Most people don't notice - but I do. The second accident occurred in 1993 when I was waiting to turn left and the idiot behind me bumped me. It made a minor depression in the bumper plastic. I had it fixed and looking at the bumper can't tell where it happened.

Maintenance:

Sunroof: The first time the sunroof broke was in 1999. I ordered replacement cables and fixed it. Then around 6 years later it broke again and I bought a sunroof unit off ebay and fixed it again. Then around 6 years later it broke again and I disconnected the power. Some leftover cables are included in this auction.

Heater core: The heater core went bad around 2000. I brought it to a local shop where the owner told me he didn't want to do it because of the amount of work and his size (about 300 lbs). He offered to bypass the heater core which I quickly agreed to because I was living in Alabama and the car's vent air was always heated even when the lever was all the way on blue.

But four years later after we got struck by lightning I decided to wait for the mk5 GTIs. That period (2004-2005) was the last time I regularly drove the Corrado. But it was winter and I needed heat so I replaced the heater core. It is a big project the requires disassembly of the dash and meticulous marking of everything. It is a time consuming project you don't want to delegate.

What I learned, and this is important for all Corrado owners, is that VW botched the heater core box. It has a metal flap that moves directing the air over or around the heater core. VW decided to punch big holes, maybe to save weight, and cover it with thin foam. After a few years the foam deteriorates allowing air to go through the large holes and over the heater core even when it shouldn't. I covered the heater box metal flap with thin metal sticky insulation and the vent air is now ambient when on blue.

Air conditioning: The air conditioning system broke and I had it converted to r134. It worked for some years but then got weak. Maybe it just needs more refrigerant or maybe more than that.

Hoses: When one of my hoses leaked I replaced them with a set of black Samco hoses (not a stock part) so I wouldn't have to deal with it again.

Radiator: I replaced the radiator some years ago.

Water pumps: The primary and secondary water pumps have been replaced with stock pumps.

Parts:

Bentley: The yellow Corrado Bentley repair manual is included.

Door windows: One time in the late 1990s, thieves broke by door window to try and steal my aftermarket stereo. They failed because of the alarm, but left me with a busted window. It took a couple weeks to get one and I had to transfer the metal bar from the old one by gluing it. After that I won auctions for door windows in case it happened again. So this auction includes a spare driver and passenger window.

Optional parts: I have not included my Momo steering wheel and Recaro seats. Instead the original steering wheel and seats have been reinstalled. If you would like either the aftermarket steering wheel or seats that can be negotiated.

Miscellaneous:
New Interstate battery. Rear wing, moving seat belts, and alarm system work fine. Replaced deteriorated insulation on underside of hood. Of course the door handles broke multiple times until I got and installed the part from an ebay seller that fixes them permanently. Because of replacement handles the trunk is keyed differently. I replaced the fuel lines about a dozen years ago. Soundstream amp and custom made subwoofer in trunk. The stock cassette stereo was replaced when new with one that played CDs. Around 2000 that stereo was replaced with one of the first mp3 capable units. It still works but is lame compared to today's stereo head units. There was a smudge on my camera lens so my photos are a little hazy in the upper middle left area, sorry.

VIN: I read the vin# off of my registration, but it had a typo (the A should have been a K). I have fixed it.

Terms and conditions:
I am really an ebay buyer and don't sell very much (but I do have 100% positive feedback over 19 years). Because of the rarity of this car and the limited number of potential buyers, I am trying to sell it on ebay. I myself would be hesitant to buy a car on ebay without checking it out first. Therefore, I would hope that if you win this auction that you pick the car up in person. If you should decide that my car is not right for you, that is Ok. I can either re-auction it or keep it. But in no case should you expect me to negotiate down the auction price. I am requiring a $250 deposit within 2 days of winning the auction. The deposit will be refunded if after you visit you decide not to complete the auction. I don't do financing. Another reason to pick up the car in person is that being a sports car, Corrados aren't that roomy and I don't know if all the extra parts will fit inside (extra interior, 6 extra wheels, etc.).

Conclusion:
I could write more, but don't want to and believe I have covered the main points which are that this auction is for my 25 year old 1992 Corrado and a lot of associated parts. This car is a good candidate for restoration by someone with mk2 VW experience.