FMIC & Suspension Upgrade Suggestions/Ideas

[JTop]

Hi All ,

Looking for a FMIC that I can swap into the Polo.

Also looking for some quality Coilovers, ones on Ebay just look dodgy... I want to lower the car only a bit and still allow it to be functional.

Suggestions and options would be appreciated
Located in Melbourne if anyone has bits laying around, would be appreciated )

Aiming for a stock looking stage 2/2+

[seangti]

It's rare for second hand stuff to come up for the polo's.

Intercooler wise, Forge and SeatSport are generally the two most used. There's other brands that evade me at the moment. Check out some of the build threads on this forum. These are generally sufficient for the large majority of applications and requires least effort to fit. SeatSport requires cutting of the back of the bumper and grille, though done right isn't obvious once fitted. You'll need to source appropriate piping and whatnot. Forge can be had as a complete kit.

Coilovers depend on your budget. H&R, Bilstein, KW, JOM, ST, Weitec, AP, BC to name a few.

Thread - Coilovers.

[JTop]

Hi Sean,

Yes and No
Already picked up a couple of smaller mods, some people are looking for pd160's and I just got one the other day.
Many of the larger more expensive mods though, can't find second hand.
I think it's a bit much to buy the Forge kit from Forge or SeatSport Kit from Darkside.
Goes back to Alibaba... $150 for a SeatSport Replica(Without the brackets ( ), another $200 for the tubing. So it's a Yes and No situation... Might do it if there is nothing else

So for Suspension, all the ebay ones are around $300, all different sorts. Then there are AP ones for $900, like I'm happy to spend around $500-700 MAX for a reputable set that I won't regret. Or I go to Pedders or ??? yeah...

Cheers

[sambb]

If the budget is up to 700 bucks then I'd forget coilovers. At that price they are going to be ****e. I'd buy a brand new set of Bilstein B8's or Koni yellow sports. The Bilsteins particularly will out handle those cheap coilovers. I have a set of Weitec springs (called ST now and owned by KW I believe) that I'm willing to sell that would team up with those perfectly. I tracked my car for a couple of years on that combo and got plenty of good results with them. I'd be whacking a rear bar on there too - actually before anything else I'd be doing that. As for Pedders I could be wrong but I doubt they have anything for the 9N platform.
From personal experience you are really going to struggle with a seat sport IC and no brackets. The brackets are very particular to the car and would be very difficult to emulate. Look up ford falcon XR6 turbo BA/BF intercoolers. There are two types, a smaller black one and one that is the same design but taller out of the typhoon. They have a bootom side entry and the exit pipe aims back over the top of the IC so can be use with our drivers side in/out setup. They will work and would probably be easier to fit than the SEAT (assuming the seat doesn't come with bracket) but you'd be on your own working out the pipe bends etc needed to complete it.

[JTop]

Hi Sam,

That's what I was expecting to spend for 2nd hand set :O, but doing a bit more research, I could spend more I guess... only about 5k into the car and all, so I got a bit of room before I'd stop. I'm in no rush with this build. Might take you up on the lowering springs, then slowly buy the shocks one by one. Get them all and do the install.
As for the FMIC, mmmmmmmmmmm, still not sure how i'm going to go for this one yet. I'll figure something out. I'll try see if I can get a bigger intercooler from a newer stock car. Gotta do a heap more research.
The XR6 Idea isn't bad, would be interesting how to secure it in and pipe it all up.

Cheers

[sambb]

I'd do rear anti roll bar. Then I'd fit a pair of Bilstein B8's with front springs or even keep front stock springs (they are the same spring rate as all the sport spring kits anyway - just higher) and will actually handle better than most of them precisely because they are not too low. Later you can fit a pair of rear B8's with the rear pair of springs. Then I'd rebush every single bush - superpro aus sell everything you'll need and then I'd put in shims into the rear end to fix the excessive toe in there. That'll get it nice and quick and ready for a power up.


The black one is a stock BA/BF IC. Its quality and made by Garret so not a dumb dumb IC. I did a mock fit up on my car. you can see that it'll fill out the bottom grill and its exit/return pipe is hidden neatly behind the crash bar. Couldn't find a typhoon one but the last pic is an aftermarket version of it if you want something bigger. There are literally millions of them on ebay/gumtree. The black one didn't need any cutting of anything to fit in behind the bar but like the SEAT sport would need bits and pieces of the drivers side foglight surround and some other plastic bits removed. I found my black one for 50 bucks. You can have it for 50 if you want as I'll stick with my SEAT for a bit longer and then i'll get the typhoon version which is a beauty.

[JTop]

I THINK I already have some aftermarket bushings done, they don't look stock whatsoever (they're red) from previous owner.
Found a Ultra Rear Sway Bar on ebay for $200, I'll go buy it in a bit if I can't find anything else
Found the Rear Bilstein B8's for $430, fronts are $360 a pop I think? :|, was going to impulse buy the rears, definitely waiting a little then
Gotta find the fronts then, and keep the stock springs, I like this idea.
The rear definitely needs the shims to poke the tires out, they're tucked inn.

There are the typhoon versions for $160 on ebay, I'll pick one up then, seems like the best option. Then gonna do some fab work and sort the connections out. Will be the best bet.

Cheers Sam ))))))))

[sambb]

no worries. Yep UR bars work. A few guys on here have them. Thing is you can do the rear dampers on an impulse and put them in with a pair of aftermarket springs - the job takes about half an hour from the moment you reach for the jack....easy. So to do bar and rears will transform the car and hopefully inspire you to get on with the fronts. The fronts are a much more committed job though.
PM me if you are interested in those springs.

[seangti]

The rear definitely needs the shims to poke the tires out, they're tucked inn.

Shims have nothing to do with poke, you're thinking of spacers perhaps. Shims change the toe angle. Toe in = stable and boring, 3mm toe out helps turn in and agility.

Sam knows his suspension and engine stuff better than most and has done some hard yards trialling different approaches (rather than throwing a lot of money and hoping). Being FWD, rear roll stiffness is important for cornering, so good struts on the front, some camber and castor and keep your foot flat Assuming you want it to handle, just don't go too low or stiff (at the front) as it ruins the dynamics.

[JTop]

I googled Shims for the Polo and had wheel spacers show up, fk google lmao. You're right

Yeah, I'd prefer it to handle well. What's the point if making power if it can't be put to good use.
Yeah I'm not a stance dude, I'd prefer if my car has actual functionality over looking like it's sitting on the ground.

Cheers Sean )))

[simon k]

I landed a full set of B8s for less than a grand from Europe, then I converted the fronts to coilover by welding on adjuster sleeves that were $55 each, current springs were $50/set. Nissan Silvia/180SX strut tops are the same bolt pattern just swapped side to side so you can get camber in to it pretty cheaply. My rear springs are the fronts from an EK Honda Civic with about 5" cut off and cost $0

[sambb]

POLO

their picture is wrong but worth a call

K-Sport Suspension – KS Racing

same deal with these - worth a call as lkong as they understand its a GTI

[JTop]

Hi Lads,

Simon, that is a super idea, I'm not superb at welding but I got the equipment. Would be a fab experience creating makeshift Coilovers

Sam :O The Coilovers from BC and KS racing are super tempting, two item sales and I could go for them.
So I got my friend to upgrade from his Clapped out VT Commodore to the Polo, went to go look at it today and yeah, he bought it so this will be fun next couple of weeks.
I also got offered 17" Denvers but in Gold. I think Candy White + Gold Denver Combo would be a decent look. What you guys think?

Cheers :>, I'll keep updating as I do stuff, should make an official post of the Polo. I lost the original photos of the condition it was in when I bought it, I just got a couple when I was fixing it up for RW. And a couple random photos all over the place.

[Sydneykid]

My 20 cents, stay away from the Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean dampers, they are truly horrid. Bilsteins, even at twice the price, are 5 times better value for money. I could write a dozen pages as to why, from body and shaft flex to sophisticated damping and serviceability.

Cheers
Gary

[brad]

We fitted Koni Yellow to the OEM springs to a mates Polo Comfortline(???). It was transformed and it only had 10k km on it.

I have them on my Octavia too. Such great low speed damping