But my excitement was tempered when I realized that once the motor was running that many sub-systems that functioned properly when I retired the car several years earlier were no longer functioning. It's frustrating to suddenly face another task that I had not anticipated. Disappointment does not begin to describe my disillusionment. All that work only to discover there was much more ahead before this was to be a functional automobile.
My first observation was that the dashboard gauges were inoperative--all of them. The warning lights were working and the dashboard illumination worked but none of the gauges were operative. I then checked the brake lights which worked as well as the turn signals. However, my newly installed European Headlights and custom wiring harness did not. To further complicate matters, the fog lights when turned on would rather honk the horn! The power windows worked but the power mirrors did not. And after all of that disassembly, I could not find the drivers side marker light. It must be dangling by its wires somewhere inside the drivers-side fender near the Intercooler. It probably fell through when that portion of the car was disassembled. A space that no longer can can be reached without full disassembly of the right fender. On the other side, I made a classic mistake and plugged the outside temperature sensor wires into the passenger side marker lights and plugged the light wires into the temperature gauge. Common mistake which instantly ruins the temperature sensor. Doh! The connectors are identical as well as the length of the wires--each easily mistaken for the other. User error that will now cost me the price of a replacement sensor. - Lesson learned.
I spent the next four weeks methodically going through fuses, ground wires, and power to verify for continuity or identify shorts in the circuitry. All while pouring through the Bentley wiring diagrams.
I've since sorted through most of the issues and have been able to resolve many of the dysfunctional electrical components. However, the problem with the power mirrors appear to be a sticky switch while the rear spoiler with its freshly rebuilt motor appears to be non-operative. I have not yet engaged the foglight switch/horn issue which is more of an annoyance to me than anything else. But it's something that will gnaw at me until I figure it out. The short in the horn may be caused by my choice of aftermarket steering wheel and Sparco hub adapter which may be grounded differently than the stock steering wheel. I'll need to further study the inter-relationship between the two systems in the Bentley manual.
However with most of the gremlins sorted out, I must confess that I took the car out for a test drive late one night on nearby streets. Straight away I realized I need an alignment--no surprise considering all that's been done to the chassis. This is an issue I anticipated. I'll have an alignment done professionally as soon as new tires are acquired. Despite the alignment issues, the suspension is tight and very positive. I'm looking forward to a spirited canyon run as soon as everything is properly tuned.
The drivetrain was a pleasant surprise as this un-rebuilt motor after so many miles, is still powerfully smooth and the transmission shifts in all gears with little effort. I'd anticipated an adjustment period because I did not have the shifter alignment tool when I initially installed the shifter linkage. Furthermore, I also introduced a Gruven short shifter setup into the transmission linkage. So I'm pleased with the outcome considering all that had occurred with the transmission to this point. It seems no further adjustments will be necessary in that department.
First driving impression--With just a little bit of gas I was able to observe the boost gauge reaching 9 lbs of positive pressure in the manifold! SWEET! I'd forgotten how much I missed the sound of the PG motor and the Techtonics Exhaust. It's incredible! The Autotech lightweight flywheel does indeed make the throttle more responsive. And finally the brakes, although not yet properly bedded are quiet, seem to modulate well, and are effective. They'll get better once the pads have properly bedded into the new Power Slot rotors.
The streets around my home are surrounded by hills that provided me with inclines where I could stretch the Corrado's legs a bit. It was the first time I could experience what kind of torque this PG motor was capable of producing. Keep in mind, I'm trying not to push too hard considering the Glader is not yet broken in and will require another 500 miles of mild effort below 2500 rpms before safely opening to full throttle.
With that said, my lack of self-control did entice me to the one dark and lonely stretch of flat road in my neighborhood--one that had no street lights, is wide open, and has no intersections. The darkness meant I could go unnoticed with little chance of encounter with other automobiles or pedestrians. The lack of street illumination would also give me a prime opportunity to finally experience the superior performance of the eCode headlights with fresh H4/H1 bulbs and Eurowires harness. I must report that this car has NEVER had this magnitude of illumination. It would be nearly impossible to overdrive these European headlights.
I still have a number of loose ends to tie up including reassembly of the motorized sunroof and the entire interior. The engine idle could also be tuned and throttle cable adjusted. The rough idle could quite possibly be caused by vacuum leaks so I think replacing all of the smaller vacuum hoses will be necessary. I'll be taking the rear spoiler assembly apart once again. And that pesky foglight/horn issue annoys the heck out of me. Maybe that's what I need to motivate me to address it.
Lastly-- I've discovered fresh coolant on my driveway underneath Project Corrado with no apparent origin. More loose ends.
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