Hi my 1985 polo is back on the road. But it doesn' inspire confidence when driving it. The body roll is noticeable. The damping seems non existent, just riding on the springs, I had a similar problem on an old MK1 Scirocco I owned. But my attempts to calm the bouncy suspension was ill founded. My replacements jacked the front end up to much. I wonder what options are available to me to make my breadvan car feel planted yet able to absorb the ripples and bumps in the road? My tyres are 175x65xR13. Budget is an issue, I would like to be able to fit and forget.

usual stuff really

stock dampers /uprated lowering kit , no doubt a set of bushes and top mounts would freshen it up some 

 

but remember its 1970s design so will feel a bit lame compared to a modern

I can remember mine felt like that when I first started driving it after a 3year break when I had a Mk2 Scirocco. It felt like mad body roll, but it was just as I was used to the stiffness of scirocco lol

Have you ruled out a defective shock by pushing down on each corner and trying to bounce the car?

 

My 1991 is (and always has been) blobby as hell vs modern VW's, but then jars over potholes, as if the damping is too soft at low freq but too harsh at high freq.  I've had mine back on the road for a month or so after a 5 year hiatus, it's taken me a good few miles to remember how to drive her.

 

If it's body roll in particular you want to remove, GT/G40 polos (at least for Mk2F) had a specific rear axle with a tube in the crux of the torsion beam to make it stiffer.  I think those axles will be as rare as hen's teeth though.

 

There is a thread on here where someone adapted another make's anti roll bar onto their rear axle. Engineering knowledge (which I don't have!) would be needed when it comes to safely drilling/modifying an axle. 

 

 

mikeyMK. I don't know if this was fitted when he crashed at a roundabout...

 

I've got the torsion bar rear axle, but I found widening rear track 5mm per wheel and G-laderseite front ARB blocks for castor made the best transformation after 60/40 lowering kit and new rubbers at the front. Then camber adjustable top mounts by Bonrath. I think the M54 has killed them after 11 years.