Corrado Storm Restoration

What a pleasure it has been for both Ben and me to restore this much loved Corrado Storm. The owners, Andy and Karen have been a complete joy to work with and the end result has delighted us all.

This Corrado was bought by Andy and Karen from new back in 1995 and since that time has been Andy’s daily commute. Until that moment came upon them, that if they didn’t address the effects of 23 years use now, then indeed this great little coupe could be rendered beyond repair.

Responding to our advert in Modern Classics magazine, Andy called us and the conversations began, with respect to the restoration process. Andy wanted to retain some of the patina imparted over the past 23 years, but rectify the mechanical wear and weary coachwork.

Works began with the mechanical restoration of all the running gear, suspension, braking system and exhaust. All the subframes were stripped, shot blasted, powder coated satin black, re-built with new bushes and hardware. The KW Classic Variant 3 coilover suspension kit was installed, to replace the OEM shock and spring system no longer available and a Milltek cat back resonated system, fitted to replace the very corroded OEM item.

With the underside fully restored and gleaming like a jewel, Andy and Karen visited to test drive their Storm, with its all renewed running gear. Instantly they loved the compliant and precise handling, largely down to the KW V3 coilovers which are such a fantastic addition to any road car. The sound from the Milltek exhaust, was a hit with them both and what it should of had from new. They were delighted with the transformation, so much so that they asked us to keep the car and complete the bodywork restoration straight away, back to back.

We got underway and delivered the Storm to Chris at our bodyshop, whose team are highly skilled professional experts, producing the most beautiful results for our customer’s much loved cars. This Storm was no exception and before not too long it was ready for collection and the last remaining works back at our workshops.

A new headlining was trimmed in the original beige velour. The wheels were re-furbished in the OEM Speedline silver and were fitted with new Hankook tyres. A full wheel alignment was carried out to final check the now settled vehicle. The underside was treated with a coat of clear waxoyl to protect all the restored components. Whilst protection from being stolen was also on the list, a new Clifford Thatcham Category 1 immobiliser and security system was installed. This replaced the outdated and semi non-funtional Dealer installed Laserline system. The final task was to fully valet the Storm ready for collection by Andy and Karen, who were to join us for early breakfast and then to be re-united with their Corrado. I think the picture says it all as to how happy they were.