After running the bready for 3 years standard I have decided to make it more fun by tuning the AAU and make it handle and stop a bit better.

(Last winter)

Already put a set of VWII calipers on the front

fitted a golf elbow and K&N from my old 406

and have the following lined up ready to be fitted when I finally get some time off work next week.

40mm springs (May just put these on the front and get a set of G40 springs for the back)

Bilstein shocks

Front bearings (VW this time, damn you GSF)

Rear cylinders

Low milage AAU block to replace the 160k unit in the bay

5 speed CEG box

GT head and cam

1.3 SPI TB and inlet (Hedgehog will be getting a shave as well)

Poloace chip

GT exhaust mani and de-cat, centre box with custom SS backbox

Trying to source some ARB bushes just now. Was wanting a set of PhilJ's but looking at the thread he is having supply probs just now so may have to go to G-laderseite, unless anyone has the dims and i could get a set knocked up?

Long term I will getting the body work sorted next summer as it will need the battery tray welding and a patch on the drivers inner wing where the battery boiled due to a faulty voltage regulator and acid went down the drain hole :(

(Stripped to check condition)

Will get more pics up as I get stuff done.

Edited 17 November, 201015 yr by grant.morrison

Sounds like a cool build mate, i love breadys in that colour, always fancied one. I have a GT breadvan which i love.

Theres something about seeing an old breadvan in daily use (even in the snow) that warms my heart lol

Joe

Thanks Joe

Do at least 500 miles a week, coming up to 80k in 3 years and very little has gone wrong. I don't think there's another car you could run for the same money and fun :)

500 miles a week! It just goes to show how reliable they can be doesnt it.

Mines done 164,000 miles, it has an odd door on the passenger side and odd wheels. Its a right old shed but the engine is still quick and its all in really good health!

Its all about the breadvans!

500 miles a week! It just goes to show how reliable they can be doesnt it.

Mines done 164,000 miles, it has an odd door on the passenger side and odd wheels. Its a right old shed but the engine is still quick and its all in really good health!

Its all about the breadvans!

Funny you say that, I used to hate them, thought they litterally looked like a mini hearse or something.

Now i think i like them better than coupes , and i have two of them!

Been getting a strange attraction to loon's recently and just been looking at a MK1 on Ebay, definately want a MK1 at some point.

Not much to report on the build, head is at the shop getting skimmed, lapped, new stem seals and cleaned. Would have been doing the stem seals and lapping myself but the valve compressor I got from Machine Mart died after the third valve they wouldn't even give me a refund, said it would have to be sent away as they are only sales not service, tw@s. Looking forward to getting the engine out the bay so I can give it a good clean.

I could have done the head work for you!

Just doing mine at the moment.

What's the reasons with the AAU then?

I'm currently doing the same kind of thing but using carburettors.

Looking good - I look forward to seeing the end result!

I've taken my bready over the road over winter and brought a mk3 Golf - trying to source a GT lump to replace the AAV in there at the minute and a few bits to tidy it up :)

Echo what Grant says, I did 30k in the first year I had mine, had very little go wrong!

What are you going to do with the interior?

Edited 20 November, 201015 yr by PoloJamie

the valve compressor I got from Machine Mart died after the third valve they wouldn't even give me a refund, said it would have to be sent away as they are only sales not service

Not true. The contract it with them not the supplier. The item was clearly Not Fit For Purpose. You've got them over a barrel - don't settle for anything less than a replacement which can do the job or a full refund.

I could have done the head work for you!

Just doing mine at the moment.

What's the reasons with the AAU then?

I'm currently doing the same kind of thing but using carburettors.

Will keep you in mind for future work, last minute plan to get it skimmed was only going to get a clean but they gave me a good weekend price :) They also have a fully re-conned air cooled engine for sale, due to a customer refusing to pay for the work they carried out. Will get the spec of it if anyone is interested? I know is a 1.7 but not much else, looks really good though.

Sticking with the AAU just now just cause its what was in there to start with, and I had a lot of fun tuning my 1 litre Mini before I changed to a 1275, thought I would do the same with the Polo.

Looking good - I look forward to seeing the end result!

I've taken my bready over the road over winter and brought a mk3 Golf - trying to source a GT lump to replace the AAV in there at the minute and a few bits to tidy it up :)

Echo what Grant says, I did 30k in the first year I had mine, had very little go wrong!

What are you going to do with the interior?

Thanks, I've seen a few GT lumps in the for sale section hope you find a good one local to you. The interior will have to wait a long time to get done, once the engine is sorted I will have to start on the bodywork, but its nothing two front wings, a hatch, drivers door, front panel, rear arches and battery box won't solve I would like to take the back seats out, flush the spare wheel well and carpet through, super light seats in the front, real roll cage linked onto the suspension then I could start the next stage of the engine tuning but I would need a serious pay rise to get it done any time soon :(

the valve compressor I got from Machine Mart died after the third valve they wouldn't even give me a refund, said it would have to be sent away as they are only sales not service

Not true. The contract it with them not the supplier. The item was clearly Not Fit For Purpose. You've got them over a barrel - don't settle for anything less than a replacement which can do the job or a full refund.

Thanks for the advise, I will see what they say first, and if they refuse a refund I will go to town on them. We have Trading Standards in at work a lot of the time so I guess a quiet word to them may be useful for some legal quotes?

Quick update of whats been going on. Got the head back from the shop,

which motivated me to crack on after a 2 day Pug 106 driveshaft replacement, ECP sort it out and sell the right parts .

De-hedgehogged at last, from this

what were you thinking VW

to this

should breathe a bit better now, which got me thinking about the manifold

bit of porting to do tonight I think :)

and this has got to be smoothed down and radiused (SP??), under the top of the manifold where the injection unit sits.

Also got round to starting the clean up and painting of the block, from this

to this :)

not fully finished but its gonna look good in the bay, greens may even match only down side was a crossed thread on one of the sump bolts, so that will have to be drilled and re-tapped, bugger.

Edited 23 November, 201015 yr by grant.morrison

If your going to be doing some slight porting on the manifold, I make sure that the manifold ports arent bigger than the ports on the head or you will have a dead spot or flow, It will basically bounce of the ridge you create , which doesnt help in slightest.

You also should have done a bit of head and valve work, Big gains in that area mate.

Looking good though, Like the green, Id also hammerite your sump. Protects it nicely.

Had a look at my ARB blocks on my thread?

Thanks, will check the port sizes tonight, was going to take the manifold out to the gasket and bring the head out to match keeping it gentle down to the valve. Good shout on the hammerite hadn't thought of that.

When do you think your testing of the ARB's will be finished? I have seen them and will be wanting a set when they are ready will hold off on fitting the -40mm springs if it will be soon.

Seriously, while the engine is apart, get hold of a 3F(GT) or mk3 golf ABD engine - they are exactly the same as your aau in every single way except that they have a higher displacement and will make way more of a difference than all the rest of the tweaks combined. If insurance is an issue it doesnt really matter as they are all identical to the eye anyways! While its all apart you may as well do it now, rather than find you have to do allll this work all over again when you get bored of the slight increase... you know it makes sense!

Going to stick with the AAU just now as I got all the parts for next to nothing by selling off parts I had spare. Would either of the 1.3 blocks work with an SPI unit and AAU ECU and dizzy?

Going to stick with the AAU just now as I got all the parts for next to nothing by selling off parts I had spare. Would either of the 1.3 blocks work with an SPI unit and AAU ECU and dizzy?

I would stick with the AAU for now, You've got it , and your not looking for massive power are you.

Then when your up and running with this, You can rebuild something bigger and do it all again. I'm sure you enjoy it.

With the section I have highlighted, Do you mean could you use AAU fuelling (Manifold, throttle body , ECU and dizzy) with a GT or AAV?

If you did mean that, then no. It would run, But would be crap, As it wouldn't be able to flow enough fuel/air to satisfy the displacement properly.

The advance ignition curves would be all wrong for characteristics of the 1.3 if you were using the ECU and dizzy from the 1.05.

If you considerably go up in CC you need to compensate with air/fuel otherwise it will be a waste of time.

Think of the 1.4 ABD , it makes 15bhp less than the 1.3 3f GT because its fuelling system is very restrictive for the displacement.

Did you keep the AAU head then? Or is that a 1272? You really should have done some head work before re- assembling.

No, ditching the AAU head, will be using a 3F head with GT cam, was thinking with the increase in port/valve size it would be as good as working on the AAU with a better cam thrown in? The inlet and injection unit is from an AAV and the exhaust mani/downpipes/decat are GT so hopefully it will be able to breathe much better. The dizzy and ECU will still be AAU, with a Poloace chip, so hopefully they will keep up firing the 1.3 injector?

looks like a good rebuild there.

See its not just in Alabama they shoot road signs

You've got to take care in them hills

Think I will be getting a set of these in Kawasaki green

SS Braided brake lines

Be rude not to seeing as there is 10% off till the end of Nov and free P&P :)