Polo G40 - when black became grey

[4wheeledstool]

Non on the 'bay though!

They do pop up from time to time - best place to look is polog40.co.uk, although there's nothing up for grabs at the moment.

 

Not been out in this as much as I'd like so far this year - thanks to my Cavalier related fettlings. Gave it a miss today so I could spend a bit of time in it.

 

 

I still totally dig this thing!

[Pillock]

You can still import them from Germany quite easily - I considered flying over and driving one back. In fact I'm still considering that to replace the hole that J711KLY left in my life.

Apparently they go cheap as a TUV fail but will pass out less strict MOT easily with the obvious lighting changes. Or just hoik the oily bits out and throw into a faded pink Polo Genesis for sleeper win.

[Skizzer]

You clearly aren't using this fabulous little rocket enough and need to sell it to me

 

I'm with Pillock - I still miss K785GYC, which I loved but had to basically give away when I was flat broke about 15 years ago.

[4wheeledstool]

This one may still be available - but I fear the price may the reason.

 

https://www.polog40.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,12376.msg84861.html#msg84861

[Skizzer]

Some people are just bizarre. No price, no link, no photos, she just wants people to search on some unnamed other website for the listing from when she bought it?

 

Jog on, Victoria.

 

Cheers for the link though, will keep an eye on the site.

[4wheeledstool]

After 16k miles, the crappy jubilee clips I'd used on my charger to intercooler pipe finally gave up. I'd intended to change them a long time ago, but never got round to it - in all fairness, they did quite well!

 

Made a bit of room in the unit

 

 

The burst jubilee clip causing 100% boost leak

 

 

The cure, thanks to eBay

 

 

Normal service resumed again, thankfully! This car really is pointless without forced induction!

[4wheeledstool]

Had a ride out in this yesterday thanks to a nice dry day.

 

 

Whenever I think about selling it, a good blast invariably changes my mind.

[Skizzer]

Whenever I think about selling it, a good blast invariably changes my mind

Curses! You're such a tease.

[4wheeledstool]

Finally got round to doing the cambelt on this today. Embarrassingly, it's not been done since the engine was built in late 2007!

 

 

It's a hell of a lot easier to do when the engine is on a stand - the job was more of a faff than it should have been due to the toothed belt lower pulley being wider than a standard one. It's done now anyway, just needs a quick buff up and it's ready to enjoy again!

 

[4wheeledstool]

Just had these powdered, same size and offset as the BBS jobbies on there.

 

 

Came up pretty well considering their age

 

 

I don't know if they'll suit it or not - I guess I'll have to try them out at some point.

[4wheeledstool]

Just finished changing photobucket links to imgur ones - miserable! Put this chariot away for the winter the other day, terrible saltiness dictated it.

 

[4wheeledstool]

MOT passed on this today, closely followed by the dreaded sinking brake pedal feeling when I got home. It would appear to be the load compensator valve next to the rear beam mounting - 70 sheets will see it right. I think that's the first substantial thing to break on it since it was built? Hopefully it's not the start of a downward spiral!

[lincolndanny]

This thread makes me happy.

 

1)Good work going on

2) cars kept minty over winter

3)retro 1990's hot hatches

4)more than one owned

5)it reminds me of Errr me (I own 3 early mk1 Saxo VTS')

 

Keep up the good efforts

[John F]

MOT passed on this today, closely followed by the dreaded sinking brake pedal feeling when I got home. It would appear to be the load compensator valve next to the rear beam mounting - 70 sheets will see it right. I think that's the first substantial thing to break on it since it was built? Hopefully it's not the start of a downward spiral!

 

^ Liked for the MOT pass, not the brake failure

[Pillock]

Liked because I like every time these cars appear, takes me back to my yoof. Beautiful.

[Skizzer]

Funny, I was just thinking about your G40s yesterday - I’ve been on a mini holiday and those nice people at Enterprise upgraded my rental car from a Fiat 500 to an Abarth 595, which reminds me how much fun there is to be had from an overpowered FWD hatchback with a short wheelbase and not much suspension travel.

 

 

The trouble with the Abarth is that you have to keep the turbo on boost, and the driving position is rubbish (old school Italian, long arms short legs, like an Alfa GTV6). Neither of which is true of a G40.

 

Quick, sell me yours before I do something dumb like buy a Clio Williams.

[4wheeledstool]

There was one for sale on that poloG40 site recently - people seem to be asking for far more money than they did a couple of years ago.

 

Brake fixery happened last week - just got round to updating the thread!

 

First, the entire braking system was emptied of juice via the bleed nips

 

 

The standard master cylinder always had a little too much pedal travel due to the MK2 Golf 16v discs and calipers used, so I thought this would be a good time to upgrade it.

Old M/C just before being jettisoned.

 

Alloy Golf spec item installed.

The replacement of the load compensator valve would have been a lot easier if the previous owner hadn't spaffed the whole thing with grease. It was a very messy job, and as a result of not wanting to besmirch my phone, there are no pics of the job in progress! I did take this shot of my gypsy style method of safely suspending the rear end of the car at a height that allowed the operation to take place.

 

And this is the failed valve with 99% of the grease and shite removed so you can almost see what you're looking at.

 

 

Once bled up with the help of my nephew's right foot, I now have a nice short pedal travel. It still needs to be stood on pretty hard to effect the rapid shedding of speed compared to a modern braking set up, this being down to the teeny tiny servo fitted to the RHD cars - there's simply no room for a bigger one without some bulkhead surgery. I might* have a go at that next time it's all in bits!

[Guest Hooli]

Heavy brakes are good, much easier to control I find.

[4wheeledstool]

Brakes still braking, charger still charging, wry smiles still generated when mashing the loud pedal. Put it away this afternoon for possibly the last time this year due to impending coldness/saltiness.

 

 

[4wheeledstool]

Had a bit of spare time after a job interview today, so with everywhere being nice and dry, I dug this out.

Whilst driving I couldn't help but notice a rhythmic miss fire every 10 seconds - as though the ignition switch was being flicked off then on again. A quick root around under the bonnet revealed that the plug on the knock sensor had disintegrated, effectively unplugging it. I cobbled it all back together again, and the weird miss fire was gone - I guess I'd better order one up! 

Had a good ride out in it, then put it back in the garage until next time.  

[Skizzer]

Hnnnngggg.

Wibble.

[4wheeledstool]

MOT'd this today - first time its been driven on wet roads in my ownership! Hadn't even done 800 miles since the last test, I really need to get out in it more. 

[4wheeledstool]

The clutch pedal on this has been requiring more and more effort of late, and today it started to get noisy too. After changing the oil and filter, I changed the clutch cable too - no jacking or lifting required, just a little entry level contortionism and in it went. The difference is incredible - I probably should have done it last year! 

Time to put some miles on it.

[rusty_vw_man]

I love the car. I’ve always wanted a car on BBS alloys, but for reasons of skintness have never managed to achieve it. I almost bought some split rim ones I was offered but had just got engaged to my now wife and they were more than her engagement ring and she thought this was bang out of order, so didn’t. 
Thanks to this thread I’m now back on eBay looking at 90’s VW tat which will only get me in trouble!! 

[4wheeledstool]

This chariot still providing many smiles on the rare occasions it gets exercised.

Been out and about in it all day today - if only I had the time to use it more often. (It'd probably cost me my licence if I did!)

[MJK 24]

On 3/22/2015 at 10:30 PM, 4wheeledstool said:

The perfect day - glorious weather, with nothing else to do other than exercising my chod.

 

 

Hopefully 2015 hasn't just peaked!

How come the blue Polo is on a T plate?!  I thought that this body of Polo ended on 1994 M reg?

[4wheeledstool]

22 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

How come the blue Polo is on a T plate?!  I thought that this body of Polo ended on 1994 M reg?

Its explained here chief. https://autoshite.com/topic/18687-polo-g40-oddball/?do=getNewComment

You need to look at the start of the thread though, not the end - for some reason the link takes you to the end.

 

[4wheeledstool]

Spare time over Christmas means that this gets a bit of attention for a change. 

Fettlings to begin at the weekend. 👍

[4wheeledstool]

Got a bit of clean underside envy now I've done two for other people. 

Hopefully I'll get the time to sort my own out at some point.

[4wheeledstool]

Barely had the time to drive this, let alone give it "the treatment" .

Plans are being made to make a start on it, hopefully in the next few months.