VW Corrado
Walking down the rows of cars at Waterfest you start to get punch-drunk. There are so many amazing cars, it's hard to take it all in and decipher which ones stand out. So when we encountered this grey Corrado it initially failed to catch our attention.
"That happens all the time," laughed Jason Hayden, the 30 year-old production supervisor from Pittsburgh who proudly displayed his SLC. "I wanted to build something that looked OE VW, but it often gets overlooked!"
Yes, it all works, including heating, (although AC removed), and Sirius radio. GTI shifter
The owner plans some subtle changes over the winter to ensure it gets noticed but we were just thankful we did a second-take. With the hood propped open, the plastic engine cover caught our attention, so we took a closer look.
What we found was the 2.0T FSI motor from the Mk5 GTI, sitting there as if VW had intended it. And a peek inside revealed not just the GTI's front and rear seats but matching door cards and even the Mk5's dash. Holy crap. This car was extraordinary!
"I've always loved the Corrado," Jason continued. "It's my favorite VW of all time. So I wanted to create the car I thought VW would build if they introduced the Corrado in 2009. Therefore, I wanted the latest engine as well as the dash and seats so it would look authentic."
Staggered at the work involved, we wondered whether the dash was integral to getting the Mk5's electronics to work. "It is," he confirmed. "You could install the engine without the dash but the FSI wouldn't work, which would defeat the objective. Yet before I knew this I'd never considered doing the car without the dash. It was always part of the plan."
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Mk5 instruments and trip computer also work like stock
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Floorpan had to be deepened and frames adjusted but GTI seats easily accommodate 6' 3" dri
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2.0T FSI motor not only looks like VW put it there, but has around 280hp thanks to APR sof
The plan dates back to a conversation Jason had with Josh Volk at Next Level Tuning (in Greensburg, PA), which is both a tuner shop by day and car club thereafter. Josh had built Jason's Mk4 Jetta 1.8T to the point where they couldn't do much more "but everybody had one," Josh lamented. "I like to be different, so I started talking to Josh about possible projects."
What sounds like the beer-induced result of their conversation was a Corrado with either an R32 or Mk5 GTI conversion. The base car would take the form of a Corrado rolling shell a fellow club member let go for $500, while the choice of powerplant was decided when a Mk5 owner hit a Jersey barrier and rolled several times. "All that was left was the engine and interior," Jason explained, "but that was all we needed, so it was perfect."
Being an SLC model, the Corrado had the heavy-duty VR6 front subframe that proved the ideal cradle for the FSI motor. In fact, they were able to use the front and side VR6 motor mounts, but had to fabricate the rear transmission mount.
One of the bigger obstacles was installing the Mk5's front-mount intercooler and plumbing. The pipes fouled the engine's accessory pulley. So they removed the AC, modified the bracket and altered the pipework before it all "fell into place".
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Neat Osir vent pod and New South boost gauge
The Mk5 fuel pump was mounted with a custom flange in the Corrado's fuel tank, ensuring the APR stage 2+ software had enough juice. What's more, they were able to flash the ECU through the OBD port in the dash since everything works properly, from the airbag steering wheel to the trip computer and Sirius radio.
The only thing they disabled was the passenger's airbag since they weren't sure it would operate safely, and it saved weight. They also installed rebars behind the dash to ensure it was secure.
Fitting the dash required 0.5" to be trimmed from either side and 4" from the front. "We experimented with the dash from the donor car but then I bought a brand new dash to install. Once we knew how much to trim we heated and rolled back the leather cover, made the adjustments and stuck the leather back down so it looked completely stock," Jason explained.