DUSTY BREADVAN - UPDATE

[Steve79]

Firstly,

I DO NOT need another car

I DID NOT want to buy another car

I BOUGHT another car

 The saab is getting purchased by a saab specialist in a few weeks and taken off of my hands which has been a relief as ive been getting sick of the sight of it. Im trying (unsuccessfully) to thin the collection to simplify my life.

Two weeks ago i received a very random call from a guy on my work phone asking if i still wanted to buy his dads car. Perplexed, i asked to provide a little more context as to the car and location. As soon as he told me i straight away said YES. 

STORYTIME:

I work in the mobility industry demoing and selling furniture to the elderly and disabled in their homes. Four years ago when i also used to sell mobility scooters i visited a customer in the Cotswolds so he could try out a scooter as he was thinking about giving up driving. He was a lovely guy in his early 80's and thoroughly enjoyed his scooter experience and subsequently bought one. We got onto chatting about cars and said i'd probably like what he had and that he'd had the car since his mother died in 2012 (it was hers from new). He opened the garage and i immediately said to him that if he ever wa ated to sell i'd buy it no questions asked! He said to leave my name and number and if he ever wanted to sell he'd call me. I never heard back from him.

That brings us up to 2weeks ago when his son calls me. Dad now has full blown dementia and they are getting his affairs in order so he can go into a home and the house sold. The son lives in Hong Kong but is back and forth to the UK whilst stuff is getting sorted. Going through some old paperwork he comes across the a piece of A4 with my number that i'd left with his dad all that time ago and he'd saved it.

I went up there a few days ago and this is where we are now

down the lane to this 

open sesame!

So the story goes that the owners brother worked at the local vw/audi dealer back in the 90's and mum wanted a new car. This was literally as the newer shape polo's were being released and this was the last one and being sold at a hefty discount. She just wanted "an" car and style wasn't important. 

Its the 1275cc CL. I forgot to check whether its a 4 or 5-speed but would presume the latter. Being 1 family owner, its got full history and has only really been used for local journeys. It was on 34140 miles on 31/01/2006 and so only covered 10k between then and 2024 when the last MOT ran out. 

In 2014 the mileage was 42621 so thats 2315 miles in 10 years!

It also comes with genuine VW roofbars and roofrack.

Its been started regularly and fired straight up when i got there. The mess underneath the seat cover is the foam where its turned to powder.

The dirt on the outside is a combination of spiders webs and rat shit and the engine bay is full of what looks like mould.

However on my little jaunt up the lane outside it starts/stops and drives fine. The clutch and brakes seem spot on. Theres little in the way of visible grot aside from a small patch at the bottom of the osr wheelarch. 

The plan is that its going to the local MOT station this week and told them to do what it needs to pass and then ill pick it up and drive home. Its about an hour away from mine. Once home then i'll assess what i want to do with it and whether ill keep or sell it.

Values are all over with these but i got it mega cheap and wont lose on it if i sell. Plus how many of these are left that are low miles and 1 family owner?

[Skizzer]

That is stupendous.

I’d be VERY interested if you decide to sell.

[meshking]

16 minutes ago, Skizzer said:

That is stupendous.

I’d be VERY interested if you decide to sell.

This needs to happen #enabling

[beko1987]

Oooh that's lovely! When I was very little the lady opposite where we lived had that shape polo bread an as her car for many years (when it was new and current) 

[Spiny Norman]

That's a bonny wee thing, hopefully won't need much more than a deep clean to get it into OMG Timewarp condition with a £5k asking price. 

[BorniteIdentity]

I’m so fond of these it’s unreal. My first ever car, albeit in 1.3 Formel E flavour. 

One thing though… 

2 hours ago, Steve79 said:

on my little jaunt up the lane outside it starts/stops and drives fine. The clutch and brakes seem spot on.

… there must be something quite wrong with it indeed. Because these do not and will never stop fine or brake well. Yours must be faulty 😉

Very well bought. 

[Pieman]

That is LOVELY.  As a modern Polo owner I might consider that if it comes up for sale as a classic companion to mine, if I can find somewhere to keep it.

[Matty]

22 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I’m so fond of these it’s unreal. My first ever car, albeit in 1.3 Formel E flavour. 

One thing though… 

… there must be something quite wrong with it indeed. Because these do not and will never stop fine or brake well. Yours must be faulty 😉

Very well bought. 

Drove a few. Can concur.

[Matty]

On the other hand. What a little sweetheart. Well done and well bought.

[grogee]

9 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Formel E

I know this was a sort of economy model, was it like BL's efforts with HLE Metros and Maestros? Taller top gear and some 'aerodynamic aids'? 

[grogee]

Also, what a belter of a Polo. Well bought! 

[BorniteIdentity]

2 minutes ago, grogee said:

I know this was a sort of economy model, was it like BL's efforts with HLE Metros and Maestros? Taller top gear and some 'aerodynamic aids'? 

It had a much taller fourth gear labelled E. There was, from memory, quite a gap between 3 and E. 

There was also a primitive stop-start system, had an eco light on the dash, different cam profile, electronic ignition and even a spoiler (!)

I didn’t pay much attention to fuel economy but it was very good. I had a Rover 100 1.1 afterwards and noticed no difference at all in consumption. I did, however, notice the Metro’s* pathetically small fuel tank! 

I would like another one for the sake of nostalgia. Just need life to stop being a so bloody expensive first!

[JMotor]

What a lovely little car. Well purchased.

Had a couple myself. A lack of brake servo is interesting. Later cars had better front brakes.

Have a little check of the drivers rear inner arch tub. The bit behind the fuel filler neck. 

As I discovered they LOVE to rot there. My last one was also low miles. The undercoating fails and holds moisture.

Ah! Keep an eye on the battery tray for rust as well. If both areas are clean, keep them that way. 

Otherwise perfectly fine cars. Even the 1.05 engines felt zippy. The 1272's should be five speed anyway at that age. 

[Steve79]

TBH I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with it. My last experience of this gen polo was very meh but that was at least 20yrs ago and it was a curtosey car whilst my 306 was being serviced. 

It was a bit of an unfair comparison and my tastes have shifted over time to older, shitter stuff and as such, ownership hasn't put me off. 

I don't want to pineapple it as although I'm not adverse to a degree of this, it's best suited for higher miles, much worse condition vehicles which this is neither. 

It'll get a thorough cleaning and disinfecting as ain't nobody got time for hantavurus. Weirdly the interior is rodent free in terms of visible evidence and smell.

The only discernible aroma is that which is best likened to "grannies house", a faint bouquet of mothballs and piss 😂 

I was going to get the local garage nearby to where the car is to do the work but it turns out that they have serviced the car for a very long time and had previously expressed great interest in purchasing it. 

There was a degree of disappointment and irritation in their voice when I spoke to them to book it in and that I'd bought it so maybe I'll drive it back to mine and let my mates garage do it instead rather than a nit picky mot and mega  bucks repair job suddenly appear. 

 

[High Jetter]

Great find!

[Steve79]

Collected the polo this morning, FINALLY. 

Was a bastard to start as the battery was flatter than a witches tit. The NOCO GB30 jump pack I had resolutely refused to entertain jump starting it as the battery was too low. 

Even with the boost function activated it just displayed the red warning triangle which denotes that the battery isn't detected. 

For some reason I own two of these GB30'S and managed to get the polo started by switching the boost function on before connecting them to the battery terminals. 24v into it forced it into life.

It was like going back to when I was 17. No power steering, 1.3litr, 4 speed manual box, non servo assisted brakes and the engine revving it's tits off at 60mph.

Actually drove quite well, although ride quality is very 1850's horse & cart esque.

It's been dropped in at my mates garage for MOT so will see what happens. 

[Steve79]

GREAT SUCCESS

 

[martc]

I hired one of those to go down to the bike show at Earls Court in the mid '80's. It was the most modern thing I'd ever driven and those LED warning lights were just the most space age thing I'd ever seen. I wonder if they were left 'naked' to emphasise/show off the cutting edge technology they certainly were?

[Steve79]

Was surprised it passed tbh. It's far from minty fresh and the whole underside is chocca with surface corrosion on every surface. 

Gonna get under there and wirewheel everything  I can get to, then bar & chain oil the lot and find a dusty gravel car park with drive though to bind it. (tip from Mustie1 channel on youtube) 

That way it'll stay somewhat solid and not continue trying to outdo an Alfasud! 

[Steve79]

Decided today that the barn find dusty and spiders webs had to go, this devaluing the car by about £3.59.

Got a two bucket job and a bit of a vacuum. This will be the first of many over the next week or so.

Matching dealer plates and window sticker 

Matching original VW floor mats

Original Radio Blanking plate

 

Bodyworks a bit rough in places 

So yeah, overall it’s not the tidiest outside but the interior is amazing and the seat covers have really protected them. Had to bin the covers as they are vile. Going to bang the carpet washer over the front seats and they’ll come up good.

It’s in DIRE need of a new negative battery cable and  battery connector as these are corroded to buggery and the terminal has fallen apart to the extent that the car car only be started with a jump starter. 

I’m also minded to fit a new fuse box as it’s still got the old bullet fuses. There’s only about 8 in there so a generic kit car one should be fine. 

 

 

 

 

[DeanH]

I had a mk2f saloon as my first car and always fancied a breadvan at the time. Shame about the arch but absolutely lovely otherwise. 

[Bren]

If you can use a welder that arch isn't going to be make or break.

A tidy little thing.

[Dj_efk]

I’d say that’s worth doing the body and paintwork, personally.

I would then give it a Bilt Hamber jackpot to keep it nice for years to come - then just enjoy it.

[Steve79]

Oh the body work is getting done but ive never welded in my life and tbh im not sure that i have the patience because of my ADHD.

I'm more of a visual learner and once i'm shown something in person a few times i can usually grasp what i need to do.

It looks like arch repair panels are available so would just need to find someone who can show me how to weld or help me do it. 

[Bear]

"Service brake efficiency only just met"

Oh, it's factory fresh then!

[Keymaster]

I just want to comment that Dusty Breadvan is a fantastic pseudonym

[Eyersey1234]

Chodtastic buy. My dad had a couple of breadvan Polos back in the day, a red A reg one then a blue D reg.

[UltraWomble]

I had a C plate Formel E - served me well, but by god the brakes....

[Steve79]

8 hours ago, Bear said:

"Service brake efficiency only just met"

Oh, it's factory fresh then!

Not gonna lie, the brakes in general are dicey at best, so yeah, just like from the factory. 

Driving to drop it off for MOT was interesting the first time I had to properly jam on the brakes. You definitely need to plan ahead when braking when you have no servo assistance!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

My Uncle has an L-reg Breadvan and it's his only car.  He must have had it over 20 years and it's still doing service.  Yours looks much better!