Hi Everyone, I don't know many of the Golf boys on here, but am unfortunately more than familiar with the Polo lot I'm studying Motorsport Engineering at Brooklands College, the first ever race track is.... 200yds from my house, but unfortunately tescos have cut it up, along with Mercedez to build their own test track and museum! So, cars... my first (and current) is a 1991 Polo GT, home brewed throttle body conversion, big valve head, blah blah, still needs a few tweaks and mapping, but i'll hopefully sort that over easter when i'm home, oh its also got nitrous (i can't affford a g40) And my second car is a 1981 Mk1 Polo. Purchased for the massive sum of 50! Unfortunalety some local kids smashed it up a little whilst at the back of my house, ho hum, i was gonna replace the windows anyway... Enough chat, here's some pics and progress over the 10weeks i've been working on it, i get 4hours a week, so progress is slower than i'd like. Oh before i forget, the main purpose of the project was to bring green fuels into Motorsport, i'll be using E85 as a fuel source (107 ocatne thank you!) and hopefully a home brewed 1.5 16v turbo motor, aiming for 230bhp. Smashed windows, looking sorry for itself: Moved the car into college nice warm workshop with air tools, welder, plasma cutter etc. First few weeks where spent stripping and inspecting some of the fiberglass repairs, in some cases they had been done well (as well as you can) but i prefer metal, so lots of bit where cut out for fresh bits to be welded in: All inner wings stipped of underseal, interior stripped of sound deadening, weighed in at 13kg, so not bad for free and a few hours! Shell was now quite light: As we all know, polos are crap... well, not crap, but where designed with 45/55bhp in mind, being as i was planning on putting 4 or 5 times this amount through the chassis something had to be done. In comes the welder... I still have to finishing gusseting the front chassis legs, to stop the dreaded polo death crack, but the stiching is all done now. as the inention was to track day the car, and maybe try and make it road legal rubber bushes where out of the window, not being impressed with poly ones either (my brother tore a set of powerflex ones on his g40) i opted for the 'spit you off the road' nylon kit: Should suffice until i can afford a subframe and wishbones This photo shows the bulkhead removed, some repairs done to the scuttle and the top of the turrets finished off: Back end was attacked with a wire drill to make sure no demon filler/fiberglass had been used, pleased to say it was all metal! Angle grinder and a steady hand gives surprisingly neat results! Waiting for a sheet of ally to go over the sunroof and spare wheel well, where my radiator will be mounted (more about that later)
Now, the plastic roll cage much amusment was had, i used this to measure up angles etc for my proper one, although i wish all roll cages where this easy to mkae/install. I ran out of material to mock up door bars etc, but the main body was there Christmas brings presents, the parts list grew for the mk1 considerably, Got more turbo parts, 14" steelies (for time being), tial dump valve, bucket seat, psd intercooler, huge radiator (going in the back due to lack of room) and lots more running gear bits, a few still to buy, oh and the coilovers off the mk3 (due to be replaced with some more road going suspension) Here's a few of the parts; so, here's how i left it, awaiting its cage and paint! Sorry for the massive long post, i've also got some berg arches coming from germany (if they ever arrive) and just have picked up a vaxuhall 256mm brake set up and 16v golf rear discs Cheers Pete
what car did the engine yu are putting in the car come from? what colour is your 91' polo that you drive?
hi mate, im at brookys as well. saw this the other day, seems to be coming along nicely. keep us posted
Good thread Pete, seems to be coming along much faster than anything else in that workshop, our crusty MR2 included!
nice one. must be great to have a free unit and access to any tools you need! give some thought to a 1300 screamer similiar to some of the berg cup polos.
cheers, for the replys guys. Engine is a mis-mash of polo and small block motors, custom pistons, manifolds and hopefully a t25 turbo (i still have to do some maths to see what size i need/want) the '91 Polo is Tornado Red Cheers Pete
a good looking project, nice to get load of practical experience. wish I had time to get back to school, brooklands would be on my list what you going to be using to keep the rain off the heater blower intake?
mk1 by any chance? We have one in our college's workshop that need serious work to get rid of the rust!
ahhh, you didn't happen to overtake a black mk4 polo a while ago (a month ago tomorrow) on our way to no rice.... May have also seen my house mate's red g40 with polished borbets, or maybe my mk3 around these parts.
where abouts you live, have seen a few MK3's about? is urs modified? im in weybridge and work in woking...i have german plates and the last 3 letters are SLY
Mine is the same one in my sig, but doubt you will have seen it. My housemates g40 is red slammed with polished borbet A, and a bastuk exhaust. I live in Byfleet
