Model: Polo GT Coupe

Engine: 1272cc 3F (at a guess)

Suspension: Stock and 20 years old at a guess

Brakes: OEM replacements on the front (Ate & Pagid, fitted last summer); probably the originals on the back (wouldn't be surprised!)

Wheels and Tyres: Stock steels with original caps, full set of ditchfinders all round

Exterior Styling: Oxidised red paint, few dents (rear quarter crease line and above has a cracking (not literally) dent ), no major rust - cosmetics aren't on the agenda right now, which is odd for me, cos I was heavy into my detailing with the previous few cars

Interior Styling: Completely standard and 20 years old, drivers seat has started to tear at the seams and one of the bolsters has half failed.

ICE and Security: Tape deck sourced a little while ago, believed to be the same would have been originally supplied. Stock speakers sourced from a little visit to someone breaking in Banbury last year, working at low volumes perfectly fine

Comments:

Bought from a friend last August (bit of a step down from my previous, an Audi S4 (4.2)). I was after a Mk2 Coupe S, but finding one in good nick that wasn't full of rust or had an engine that worked for 'good' money was impossible.

He'd done some minor servicing including discs and pads, and had a set of tyres put on. However, a long list of 'jobs' needed doing...including getting rid of the awful Scorpion twin exit back box hanging off the rear end. After I bought it I had the brake fluid changed, definitely needed doing, the car used to dive to one side upon braking

Quick trip to Banbury sourced me the following

• Bonet (car has light front damage, possibly hit a post? very small dent to current bonnet, slam panel...and the light had been replaced, so is shinier than the off-side - grrr)
• Door seals
• Front indicators (original, yet to be fitted, still have a crack in one)
• Speaking wiring loom
• Back box

Sourced a headunit (tape deck!) from a guy in Macclesfield, from the clubpolo.co.uk forum, Gaz I think his name was, I'd have to check

Recently fitted a chip from PoloAce - 8K version, absolutely transformed the driving already - really impressed, and a bargain too - RECOMMENDED for EVERY Polo owner! Took 15 steady minutes, had to get a chip puller from Maplin, dead straight forward. Just take your time and do things methodically.

So the plans are...on the 9th June I go back to Gloucestershire for a 'long' weekend, it goes straight into the garage (dad runs a body shop) for the following (all bought, ordered or currently awaiting delivery) to be fitted, replaced, serviced before I head back on the Sunday evening

• AP Shocks & Springs (60/50) (Thanks PhilJ!)
• 4-2-1 Manifold (Thanks PhilJ!)
• Twin exit exhaust (Thanks PhilJ!)
• New rear hanger for exhaust
• G40 calipers (eBay, new, 60 quid!)
• G40 Brembo discs
• EBC YellowStuff pads
• HEL lines (all round)
• Rotul fluid
• Lower arms
• Steering arms
• Bushes (Thanks PhilJ!)
• Top mounts
• Rear bearings
• Speedline wheels (eBay, 80 quid in good condition, no major kerbing - very impressed with these (Included a set of 185/65/14s with about 6-7mm tread all round, tyres soon to be up for grabs)
• Yokohama A539s (185/50/14)
• Cam belt & water pump (mate didn't do it, we have no history of it...running risky for far too long now!)
• Spark plugs
• Magnecour HT leads (Hope Awesome GTI get stock before Friday!)
• New dizzy & rotor arm etc
• New fan (bearings have gone on the current one, it's limping through after removal and a large dose of WD40)
• 5W-3010W-40 oil
• Sump gasket (a job my mate never did)
• K&N panel filter (for now)
• Hella light grill (bargain from MartinB!)
• Number plate backing (another job my mate never did)

So - there's a little bit to be done :-)

I'll take some pictures of parts and also the car before, during, after etc.

So with all that in mind, if anyone can think of anything else I should be doing at the same time whilst the car is literally in bits, please say now so I have time to order parts and figure out what time I have to do the job.

I've never really undertaken any major work on a car...I did a full service (ex cam belt) on a Ford Ka I had...and I'd changed the discs and pads all round on the Audi once and I've fitted an exhaust (CAT back)...I've also dabbled in car stereos in my time...but the above is going to be a bit of a challenge, especially given the time frame.

I have a few interested mates, a Haynes manual and an extremely slow mechanic to hand if I get stuck...but it might be quicker to learn how to fix something rather than rely on the mechanic

I'm technically and practically minded (IT Consultant with background from the ground up...and pretty damn good at DIY in general) - but even I have my doubts on this one!

Wish me luck!

Updates to follow

Edited 4 June, 201115 yr by Guest

have a good look at the faq on fitting the front suspension, saved me alot of messing about

Alot of those are 2 minute jobs, so you should be cool getting them done over the weekend. Like he said ^ take a look through the FAQs, there's some top advice on there.

Hello!

Was the bonnet from a dude in Mold Crescent, Banbury? Red GT Coupe sat in the front garden on bricks?

MartinB - it's funny I found your reply to someone else about that the other day and I did post a reply thinking you'd get notified about it...but yeh that would have been me.

Last year I was working in Cheshire and had travelled home to see parents and make a trip over to Banbury to get said items I'm now working down in Portsmouth as you know, so get about a lil!

That was a very odd visit, breaking a car on the front lawn...each to their own...sorted me out and were very helpful and reasonable over cost too!

I went over to get the wheels from the car (stock GT items) and the camshaft and I enquired about a few other parts, at the time I needed a bonnet and I was umming and arring about getting it.

A few weeks later I ended up going to get the engine from him which is currently sat in the boot of my brothers Mk2 on my parents' driveway. 75k engine so would be nice to get rebuilt for the Derby one day.

Nice one, i'm glad that the bonnet mystery is solved! He was a top bloke, like you say, very reasonable on pricing too.

Ahh I love the jigsaw puzzle, good purchase on the engine! If you want the bonnet, it's available for $1,000,000USD

I took some photos of the car on the way back from the office this afternoon

https://picasaweb.google.com/PikasaVirgin/CraigGTPoloGTCoupe

Quick update on progress

Rear suspension - out

Exhaust & manifold - off

Got to garage, something on the lift so had to use poxy axle stands...went a bit in reverse - took the rear suspension off then realised I needed the car decked to loosen the 30mm 'hub nut thingie' - well that was entertaining to say the least on stands...let's just put it this way, it all got a bit pikey...including a visit to McD's at 23:00 to get a coke and leave things to 'soak in some no name lube/release agent' found lying around the garage

Need some exhaust rubber hangers and some bolts for the rear suspension

So I've learnt I can take things off a car...hmmm...I'll found later how good I am at putting shit back on (correctly)

Loadsa fun though

:)

Rear suspension on

Manifold on (lambda boss sorted, shit looking weld by Hi-Q but it's done)

Fan on

Oil filter changed

Sump gasket not going to be changed - too much like a pain in the ass, tweaked all nuts, will steam clean and re-assess in due course

N/S front suspension assembled ready for refit tomorrow

Brake fluid drained ready for calliper and lines change tomorrow

Drive shaft nuts are a bastard, literally welded, ARB not easy to get hold of at short notice, managed to get N/S off, O/S plenty lubed with penetrating fluid so fingers crossed for an easier day tomorrow - new nuts were delivered by TPS...for £1.20! Love trade :)

Dad ground off the heat/stone shields to make getting the drive shaft nuts off easier - also cut out the old rear silencer hanger and will weld in the repair kit panel...says he'd rather do it right or he won't bother helping at all - keeps him busy

Finished up at 17:00 today, really only started on car at 11:00 due to pissing about in the morning getting lambda boss sorted...and getting some strut bolts n nuts cos the ones I removed from the rear were fucked

Went to see 'Senna' - great film, thoroughly recommended if you're a racing fan

Lowered using AP shocks and springs kit supplied by PhilJ

Rears are on the middle notch currently - I'll see how it settles before I think about going any lower - would like to end up with an even stance in the end

Right then update from today, got down the garage later than I had hope cos I'm at my parents for the weekend using dads garage, dad doesn't drive and I didn't realise mum has a lie in on a Sunday, so had to be patient and wait for the lift - was a f&!k walking in this rain! Took laptop and camera with me, laptop for reference to the right Haynes manual I have on PDF :)

I am really chuffed with myself, changed the water pump and cambelt!! Turned it through manually 4 times to make completely sure I (and it) was happy...So things completed today

• Waterpump
• Cambelt
• HT Leads
• Spark plugs
• Distribution Cap
• Rotor arm
• Coolant (as part of doing the water pump)

When I started the car after doing the cambelt, I had left the airbox and pipe work disconnected - this is definitely required to start the car - absolutely shit myself thinking I'd bolloxed up the belt, would not fire. Then it started (just) and died...again shit myself...was it fucked?! Took off the cover and ran it through manually - not fucked.

Couple of minutes checking and double check all connections, realised I'd only placed the positive and negative leads of the battery back on...this was fine earlier but not this time, tightened them - WOOHOO. Oh the relief!!

Can't stress how chuffed I am about changing the water pump and belt - great achievement in my book. Bloody tedious, not exactly difficult I'd say, just frustrating working in such confinement (engine in). Any one doing this will be grateful of a good set of Snap-On sockets - they seem to be the perfect length to get around the covers and shrouds - and ratchets are just slimmer too, enough to fit in tight spaces - however, still a tedious job

Pictures from today found here

And I'm done

The exhaust blows a little due to the connections, but I'll end get this solved with Cycloflex or get down to a PowerFlow type place and have them put in a solid connection from manifold to mid section

HEL brake lines are going back and I'll get some Goodridge at a later date

The ARB bushes will be ordered from gladerseite later in the week to replace the SuperFlex ones which cause fouling on the manifold

Really pleased with myself with the amount I've been able to do personally - especially in such a short space of times :)

Photos

:)

Right, so due to work commitments the car now has to see a garage for any bits being done.

I took it to Mike Stokes in Bournemouth to have the exhaust sorted out - get a proper fit done and some other bits

Rebuild of front suspension to try and find and eliminate a 'knock'

Bump stops fitted to front

New steering arms as the adjustment end was seized - this was planned for the weekend I'd done all the work anyway but didn't have time

Sort out leaking O/S/F tyre

Exhaust

Larger exit from manifold

Reposition lambda sensor into cavity meant for CAT

Replacement of reducers with a single section of pipe to mid section

Reposition rear hanger for better and more secure fitment

Tuck rear silencer into chassis so it doesn't stick out so much

Tracking

The bloody knock is still happening - I'll post in the appropriate forum section but if anyone reading has an idea - please get in touch. However, the wheels no longer rub the inner arch under heavy braking or cornering :)

The head unit and iPod/iPhone cable turned up from eBay purchases so I wired that in last night - just awaiting the voltage converter so I can charge it from the same cable. Shame I can't control the tunes - it's a case of sticking on a playlist/album/song and listening...but that'll do just nicely

And today...I cleaned the outside - it ain't 'detailed' but it's a damn sight better than it was and the O/S rear quarter is getting close to the proper colour too

Have a problem with idling and also fuel - not so much consumption but the smell of it - again to be posted in the technical forum.

Lower brace ordered, should be a right laugh at the Nurburgring in August :)

Looking good Craig!

thats how my exhaust is going to look saturday when i get it welded up, look sweet tho i think and arnt oo loud neither

Car is up on ramp Sunday - lower brace delivered today and anti rattle clips to go on

Will take more photos of exhaust whilst it's up. Will be first opportunity for me to see the exhaust from underneath since having it fitted correctly.

I personally think it's a lil much on the motorway or journeys of that nature - especially with the seats down, but that'll be rectified with a new daily by the end of the year :)

Need to think about the following

Throttle body / air feed gasket

Gearbox oil

Gear change bush repair kit

I've also heard someone got a head sorted and a Shrick cam too - so I need to see how that is and may do the same for my little red monster

Great project mate - top work!

Got back today so went to garage as I went to get out on my mountain bike tomorrow (just had it back after being vandalised and got some new mud/trail tyres )

The pictures are a little blurry

Fitted

Anti-rattle clips

Lower brace

Tweaked dizzy (again)

Checked suspension and bolts for looseness - all good it seems

Have that bloody knock still so who knows, doesn't feel like suspension

There's a small blow where the clamp is on the exhaust so I'll get that sealed up next weekend, am extremely pleased with the work done at Mike Stokes (Bournemouth)