Hey guys and gals, new to the forum and still finding my way around, but thought i'd introduce myself nonetheless.

I'm now the owner of a '91 1.3 GT Coupe, but she's been a bit neglected. Been stood for about 5 years, and last started about 3 years ago, she's looking a little worse for wear, as you will see in the pictures. Anyway, i've made it my mission to get the old girl back up and running, and hopefully get some enjoyment out of her in the near future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86994714@N06/7965121124/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86994714@N06/7965126432/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86994714@N06/7965117558/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86994714@N06/7965116004/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86994714@N06/7965112550/

As you can see, I've got my work cut out, and seeing as i can't actually legally drive yet (I've been a biker all my life up to now), I don't envisage progress being quick either, although i am learning at the moment so hope to pass soon. She's only done 71k miles and is reasonably clean inside, but all the black exterior trim is badly faded and the paint is nastily oxidised, so any useful hints or tips will be gratefully recieved.

Thanks for looking and i hope to have some updates for you all in the near future.

Good ol waxing session does it no harm. Mine looked the same, look at her now.. http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q635/C...275BF457BDF.jpg

Took me a good 6 hours though!

my top tip for the paint would be to use some wet or dry paper used wet, with a bit of fairly liquid to cut away the oxidised layer, then polish up with a machine polisher or by hand. use something like p1200 and be very carefull on bodywork edges as the paint tends to be thin in those ares

Thanks for the comments and tips. For the time being, getting her nice and shiney is low down the list. I cleaned all the built up moss and grime off over the weekend, and also hoovered and polished inside, so she is looking a lot better already. Re-inflated the tyres too, although one blew because it had been sat flat for so long. Seems it has two slow punctures, hence why one of the alloys was in the boot.

My first job is to try and get it started, I think. Just to make sure I'm not throwing a load of money at it without good reason. Battery is goosed, so tried to jump it off the missus' car. Didn't even bite, but then it was hardly surprising as the injectors are probably blocked up with gunk after sitting for so long. Put injector cleaner in the fresh petrol anyway, so hopefully this helps. Unfortunately though, I found out that it has developed a leak in the radiator during it's lay off, so it isn't holding any water. Looks like I'll have to get that off and replaced/repaired, not that I know how to tell if repair is possible!

Anybody know where to get hold of a decent service manual for these cars? I've been given a pdf copy of the old haynes, but that doesn't appear to be very good, certainly not up to the standard of the bike service manuals I've got, with their detailed pictures to help novices like me.

Good to see another motorcyclist, have faith in the Polo!

Good to see another motorcyclist, have faith in the Polo!

Cheers Mike. Been a biker for a long long time. These car things are all a bit new to me, but there's something special about these mk3 polos.

So, got the old girl started this evening. took a new battery and a fair few attempts, but she finally burst into life for the first time in years. I'm pretty made up with that. Sounds rough, but then i knew the exhaust manifold gasket was gone already. One of those is on order, and a radiator will be ordered tomorrow. Also replaced the exhaust rubbers this evening as both the old ones were either missing or broken. The bad news was, when i replaced the battery, i was presented with this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86994714@N06/7977102359/

will need to get that fixed by someone as i wouldn't have a clue where to start doing that myself.

I'm also hoping to get a couple of tyres sorted at the weekend, then i can have a crack at freeing off the siezed brakes.

Guys, I realise this is going to make me sound a bit dim, but what the hell. Can anybody tell me (or show me) where the plenum chamber is and how I get access to it in order to refill the radiator properly? Thanks.

Having a real nightmare sourcing parts at the moment. Ordered radiator. The one that turned up was too small. After much faffing about i managed to get one that was the right width but didn't have the drivers side bolt holes for the fan housing so had to get a bracket made up. all sorted now.

The thermostat housing bolts were rusted in and the grommet thing just span in the housing, so that needed replacing. till waiting for that to turn up. Hopefully it gets here tomorrow so i can put that on and fill the radiator.

Anyway, I ordered a brake master cylinder from GSF, wrongly assuming that because my car isn't left hand drive, the only one of the 4 items they had listed for my model that wasn't listed as for left hand drive vehicles, would be the correct one. It wasn't and they look nothing alike. Can anybody tell me what the part number is for the following image of the master cylinder, and more importantly, where i can get a replacement??

Alternatively, if nobody knows where I can get a replacement of this type, does anyone know where I can get replacement rubber seals between this part and the reservoir, and a new o-ring too?

Been a good deal of progress on this but forgot to update. After repairing the bodywork and replacing the fuel tank, turned out the brake ballance thingy was seeping fluid too, so that needed replacing. Treated it to new plugs, dizzy cap and rotor arm too. Now running a lot better, but the fuel pump has started to whine. Anybody know where I can get a decent second hand one from? The new ones from GSF are either £98 or £192 and I'm not sure which one i need. Either way, it's a bit steep!!

Anyway, quick pic of how she looks at the moment:

Still needs a proper polishing, but much improved from before. :-)

Edited 4 March, 201313 yr by EddieMonsta

Thats a hell of a transformation, Keep it up

Cheers Mike. Been a lot of long days at the weekends, getting it to where it is so far. Hoping to be taking for it's MOT in a couple of weeks, then I can start enjoying it, but this whining fuel pump sounds awful from inside the car, and no breakers seem to have any. :( Plus, after closer inspection, the ones on GSF are labelled as "in tank" pumps, but the one that making the racket on mine is outside the car, underneath it, at the back on the drivers side. It still pumps, but if it's making that much noise, I doubt it will be pumping for much longer.

What a transformation. Thats some good going

cheers bud. Doubt it will ever be as nice as yours though!

Yeah that's brilliant work mate, looks stunning in that picture! I wish I had the motivation to wax my car that well, I get bored too easily!

Good news everybody. Another Polo has made it back on the roads! MOT passed today.

it's been a bit of a mission, especially seeing as i have no eprience of cars, but i got there in the end with a lot of help from a good mate.

to get it at is in the picture, i've had to:

Replace the radiator, fuel tank, wheels and tyres, front discs and pads, rear drums and shoes, rear master cylinders, brake bias control thing, plugs, distributor, rotor arm, thermostat housing, water temp sensor and gasket, exhaust manifold gasket, and in-line fuel pump. I've also had to repair the in-tank fuel pump and various bits of pipework, as well as the battery tray and some rot down by the bottom of the rear arch on the drivers side. I'm sure there's more too but thats all i can remember for now.

She's had new fluids all round, and a bloody good clean, inside and out.

Still to do:

I need to find some suitable centre caps, but am having no joy with that whatsoever, so if anyone knows where i can get some raised centre caps for a 66.6mm bore, i'd be grateful for the advice.

I also need a drivers door bump strip, as mine has bent at the front and wont straighten out.

I've got sunroof seal and lifter arms on order too, so they'll need fitting when they arrive.

I've fitted a blaupunkt toronto 420 bt too, but that has no power at the moment. need to get to the bottom of that.

Anyway, i hope you all like what i've done to her. Maybe see you out and about soon! :)

Ed