2025 GRM Challenge Parking Lot Build - 1992 VW Corrado SLC

Hi everyone! Just wanted to finally jump here on the forums and introduce myself and my plans for next year! 

My name is Nick, I am the guy with the 01 Audi TT Quattro that has gone 3 years in a row to the challenge. This year I even added the track day afterwards, the car was probably on track for 2 plus hours of real track time, including a 45 minute stint, so was super thrilled with that! 

But I digress, the reason for this post is to announce my parking lot build for next year. I will have to save the long backstory and details for another post when not soo tired.

Long story short, the car is a 1992 Corrado SLC, has been converted to a 1.8t on megasquirt. Was bought with a bad cylinder head. (New cylinder head was included with the sale, as well as a trailer full of parts, and an entire parts car) 

I bought this bundle over x5 years ago, and have been waiting for the time to bring it and not only that, go for the full GR glory with a parking lot build! 

As someone who owns x5 of these things, I will say I am mentally prepared for the disaster to ensue. Thanks to the addition of a completely extra parts car and MULTIPLE sales on parts included. I am starting at 0$. 

I have been accumulating items for a while, and have the current rough list for the underbudget build. 

- Wilwood front brake calipers (uses stock front rotor) 

- Stainless lines

- New cylinder head (Included with sale) 

- Short throw shifter (With 02J shifter box) 

- Coilovers 

- Adjustable aftermarket rear sway bar

- Adjustable camber front strut top hats

- Control arms with Poly bushes 

- Roll cage

- New clutch kit and flywheel

- Carbon Fiber Hood 

- Ported and big wheel stocked ecotech turbo (appx. 350HP capable) 

There's quite a bit more I am sure I am forgetting, but looking forward to getting a plan together, and debating just how much to assemble in the back 40 of the Gateway Grand! 

Should be a fun time for sure! 

Oh no, not this... lol. You know I'm down.

Knowing the car model inside and out will be a HUGE plus. 

Edit-I'm excited. Thats a cool car

IN to get my hands dirty with PLB25

OMG as a Vdub nerd, this is a wonderful terrible idea.

I fully support this as a parking lot build, and here's why:

Back around 1989 or 90, GRM (which may still have been Auto-X at that point) put together something called the Council of Motorsports Clubs (CMC). It was like the United Nations of autocross. 

CMC hosted an event on or near Cape Cod to promote club racing (or something), as well as the new VW Corrado. There were some big name New England drivers there, including a few national champions. VW brought three new supercharged Corrados for us to drive. There was an autocross course, and the premise was that you got one shift (first to second) during your run.

By about the halfway point of the event, there was only one Corrado that was still operational. One had sideswiped a granite curb (driver error) and wrecked a wheel, tire and at least one corner of the suspension, and a second car went into Limp Home mode and wouldn't move at anything more than walking pace.

I was standing next to a very aggravated VW rep when a bunch of people started complaining about the cars, as well as the long wait between runs. He said, "Nobody can expect a car to hold up to something like this!" 

I think I said something to the effect of, "Maybe you shouldn't have brought your cars here if they weren't up to the task".

Then Chuck Noonan and I tried to figure out how hard it would be to mount one of the superchargers on my Civic.

So... long story short, I think that a Volkswagen Corrado would be the perfect choice for a parking lot build. Let's see what happens when GRM'er prep a car to do GRM things. 

This has the potential to be awesome.

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Super excited to get it done, just trying to plan how much work to try and accomplish in a 48 hour time period. In full transparency, part of me just wants to go "full send" and do it all. 

I know I will have Darkbuddha there for emotional support and to help. Honestly probably something i'll just get in the zone and fire it out. 

Oh, it's not really 48 hours.  You will get off and on help for about 14 hours based on my experience the last 2 years.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

... from 26 different people, so the total person-hours may be in the hundreds.

Looks like fun--topic stickied!

I love the idea of a PLB with a year worth of planning behind it. 

Not sure what your goals are, but it's probably best to treat the build like a lego set. Have everything already machined, tested, painted, balanced and ready to assemble. 

In reply to CrustyRedXpress :

Agreed! I'll be showing up with everything all planned out and sorted

Is this the car that gets me to at least spectate? Checking calendar.

I can turn a wrench or two if I make it.

So been a busy last month or so, was able to come up with a bit more of a game plan. Plan has shifted slightly from rebuilding the entire car in the parking lot. While I know I can do it, not really looking to throw the head on and find the block is cracked or worse, pissing away my chance to run during the weekend.

I've gotten the following parts lined up, and ready to go. 

Front and Rear Sway Bars with Bushings

Poly Control Arm and Rear Beam Bushings

Upgraded 6 puck clutch kit with lightweight G60 flywheel

Roll Cage

Aftermarket Seat 

02J Shifter box and cable upgrade with shift tower and dieselgeek sigma

Upgraded big wheel stock turbo 

OBX LSD ($72 on ebay and $32 for the upgraded bolt kit online) lol

Eibach Adjustable upper camber plates 

Wilwood front brake calipers and adapters with lines. 

Carbon fiber hood

The following I am still hunting down within budget

Suspension

Seat Harness with Hardware

Racing seat bracket

other misc. 

- Possibly cams with springs (if able to found for a song) 

Current plan will be to do the following in advance, likely documented on YouTube for my fellow Corrado owners. 

1. Remove and replace cylinder head, inspect bottom end and ensure no complete disaster. 

2. Remove transmission and install LSD and Replace Clutch and Flywheel

3. Inspect and clean up wiring, resecure loose fuse box and reqire as necessary.

4. Replace Turbo 

5. Replace Hood 

6. Weld in Cage

7. Install Seat and Brackets

8. Install Poly Rear Beam and Control Arm Bushings

9. Install front and Rear Swaybars, install steering rack poly bushes.  Lower Control Arms

10. Install 02J shifter box, cables and tower with short throw

11. Ensure car runs, doesn't suck, and adjust tune as needed. (baseline) 

The following I am thinking could all be done in the parking lot and still be "fun" without issues. 

1. Install coilovers/suspension 

2. On the floor alignment

3. Install front BBK, replace all pads and rotors. Replace all lines with stainless. Bleed brakes - Create brake ducting? 

4. Fine tune the ECU and running values. 

5. Whatever odd stuff I forget to do until the last minute.

So yeah, thats it for now. Still working on possiblities otherwise, but figured this may be a more fun and drawn out way to do it.. (YAY!) 

Update, was able to get the car over to work last weekend to make some progress. The biggest win was the finishing of removal of the cylinder head on the car, something I have been waiting on for quite a while. I was slower to make progress as I also started something new to me, filming video. At the request/encouragement of others, I will be documenting the build on youtube and sharing that content for all.

This weekend, I was able to pull the oil pan, inspect the bottom end and confirm the bottom end is okay at this time. I was also able to check rod bearings, and update to a new hybrid oil pan setup for additional ground clearance.

Upon some inspection, figured out that a dropped valve was not the issue, but a nice blow out of the cylinder head gasket, as well as a nice chunk completely gone between the 2x cylinders. A good failure if I do say so myself. The fact the car ran is pretty surprising to me.

Unfortunately I did not have the right wrenches or time to swap over the exhaust manifold, so will be working away at that over the next few weeks, then get ready to reinstall the cylinder head.

Another win for the weekend was to get ALL the parts together for the project, so I am not constantly digging. Here is the current list of items I believe I can work with under budget.
 

• Wilwood front caliper setup with new rotors and stainless lines
• Poly bushes for the rear beam, control arms, and upper rear shock towers
• Front and rear neuspeed swaybars.
• Eurosport front strut brace
• Home made roll cage (1/2 cage setup)
• Larger BWS ecotec turbocharger (350HP capable)
• Upgraded engine mounts (Billet front, Poly rear)
• 02j shifter conversion with B&M short shifter and dieselgeek trans shifter.
• OBX LSD and hardware kit
• Upgraded clutch (Used from red car)
• Ground control upper camber plates (front)
• Carbon fiber hood
• Race seat

More to come, but excited to be making some progress!

In reply to Oliverjami :

Thanks so much! 

Unfortunately I sold the TT, in hindsight probably not the best idea. I did tell myself though if it survived the last one, I would sell it and move on. I do have lots of great parts to build a super nice one out of budget down the road, which I will likely do. 

Part of selling the Audi was to force myself to follow through on this and not just do a quick oil change on the Audi and throw it on the trailer for next years challenge lol. 

Hoping to get this through the GRM challenge, and that there will be an opportunity for track time as well this upcoming year!   @Tom.......

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Thank you sir, while not turning into a 2 day thrash in the parking lot as originally expected, hopefully people find it interesting nevertheless. 

There is a track day! Register ASAP, though, as the FIRM's under new management and I'd like to make sure they remember we're coming. 

https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/firm-grassroots-open-track-march-31-florida-intl-rally-msport-park-001990