Performance compared to Golf GTI

[seangti]

The problem I see there is the fact you've done the springs but not the shocks.

That's it. If you want it lower and not seeking increased handling, springs will do, if you want it to handle, need to replace everything. Hoping to get my suspension sorted mid-year and will then be a regular at the track. Gotta beat my mates clio.

[Evaded Motorsport]

Yeah, I've changed a lot of gear since then... Had assumed you would have seen one of my many-many-many posts where I've talked about various bits of work I'd done.

- AP Coilovers
- 312's up the front
- Whiteline Control arm bushes
- Front sway added
- 17's with Kuhmo

Don't think my street tyres would be spectacular on the track, will need to fins something grippy but cost effective.

I should have 17" Proper semi slicks available for around the $300 to $350 mark it should be in the sizing you require.

[jamesatfish]

Hi guys, I had a question on people who raced chipped Golf GTI (MK5) at race tracks with their modified Polo GTIs.

I've found the Polo to be quite competitive with Golf GTIs on the various tracks I've been to - a few natsoft times are below. My PB at Wakefield in the Polo is currently 1:12.7 but that was a non-timed day so no Golf GTIs to compare against on that occasion.

Wakefield Park March '10 - Very Wet
Golf GTI 1:16.4
Golf GTI 1:16.9
Polo GTI 1:17.6

Wakefield Park Aug '09 - Dry
Polo GTI 1:14.9
Golf GTI 1:16.1

Oran Park GP Dutton Rally '08
Golf GTI 1:26.6
Polo GTI 1:28.9

[bfeboi]

My last experience at Wakefield left me feeling a bit lost with my suspension

With H&R springs, stock shocks and a RSB, the car did not grip through the corners. Personally I don't think a lot of the Stock CCS2 tyres and Bfeboi who had stock suspension, RSB but good tyres was carrying more speed through the corners.

That should all be a thing of the past now, just need to get some spare wheels with some sticky rubber and I should be ready for some proper driving.

Challenge accepted buddy

so far my times are
1.15.*** wakie
1.30.*** Oran park (final lap looked like a 1.29 but i went off and bent a rod )
2.**.*** easterncreek (first time no mod)

I'd like to get a set of coilovers and get back onto the track but its all about the $$$$.

I wished there were golfs to chase around when i went to the track but they were always running in a different group.

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

If it helps, I have a Natsoft time at Wakefeild Park of 1:13.1 (8/11/09).
This was in me Little Blue Girl, daily driver.

http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?08/11/2009.WAKE.S3

If ya have a look at this Waky page, you'll see that my smart arse son come 4th in his Nissan with a time of 1:7.8,,, what can I say.

Hooroo.

[pologti18t]

Yeah, I've changed a lot of gear since then... Had assumed you would have seen one of my many-many-many posts where I've talked about various bits of work I'd done.

- AP Coilovers
- 312's up the front
- Whiteline Control arm bushes
- Front sway added
- 17's with Kuhmo

Don't think my street tyres would be spectacular on the track, will need to fins something grippy but cost effective.

The problem could be the fact you have a front bar and no rear bar. That would reduce grip up front to a certain extent in corners leading to extra understeer.

[Greg Roles]

Agreed. To make a FWD handle, start with the back!

[bfeboi]

he already has a rear sway bar fitted to his car

[noone]

The problem could be the fact you have a front bar and no rear bar. That would reduce grip up front to a certain extent in corners leading to extra understeer.

I said I had a rear sway with H&R's and since then I've added that list. The front bar set on hard adds a lot of traction to the front end, yet to test on the track.

[Buller_Scott]

I said I had a rear sway with H&R's and since then I've added that list. The front bar set on hard adds a lot of traction to the front end, yet to test on the track.

lol okay too many posts have been about incorrectly listing mods you've done to your car, noone- i think you might have to list the whole kitten caboodle so that there's no confusion over why you've installed a thicker front sway but have left the back stock-factory-swayless, lol.

[break]

I said I had a rear sway with H&R's and since then I've added that list. The front bar set on hard adds a lot of traction to the front end, yet to test on the track.

Still, with any understeer prone car you should always start with the rear sway bar. Traction is irrelevant when your front end massively outgrips the rear and causes understeer.

[noone]

Still, with any understeer prone car you should always start with the rear sway bar. Traction is irrelevant when your front end massively outgrips the rear and causes understeer.

I'm not sure I agree.

I don't really know enough about cars in general to say that a rear sway is the first thing to do to a car. Personally, I think its a good place to start and great bang-for-buck, but if you plan on doing quite a bit of work to the suspension, or are looking at quality suspension (for the Polo KW, Weitec or H&R IMO) then I think that changing the springs / shocks is a better place to start.

The car comes with a front sway as many cars do, I'm assuming this helps the soft front end keep some composure and is likely a cheap way to add some handling without stiffening the stock springs / shocks.

I don't know about the rear of my car TBH, the front understeer was too big to worry about the rear and now I've done the work I need to track it to know. I like to drive in a 'spirrited' fashion, but don't push my car to its limits on the road. I think that all the weight being over the front end, it being FWD and having torsion beam in the rear makes the front end much more relevant than what is done in the rear, but that's just my uneducated opinion.

lol okay too many posts have been about incorrectly listing mods you've done to your car, noone- i think you might have to list the whole kitten caboodle so that there's no confusion over why you've installed a thicker front sway but have left the back stock-factory-swayless, lol.

its all here

Other than the listed works, I've got a OEM stubby antennae on the way, Whiteline droplinks (i'm keen to see if there is an improvement over the stock ones as they have too much movement for the upgraded front sway), different wheels with a lower offset (track or daily, TBD), and possibly CC tune. Looking to get some colour coding done and want to do something original with the front end, but I'm no fabricator...

I'm intrigued by clutch and flywheel, hybrid turbo, exhaust and manifold, but I'll mull over these for a while and wait until I am employed again before i go spending money I don't have.

[Buller_Scott]

howcome cc? to make the most of front mount/ dump etc? tasty....

lwfw deffo sounds like and underrate & smile-on-your-dial mod for sure.

[noone]

howcome cc? to make the most of front mount/ dump etc? tasty....

Yeah. APR don't have an intermediate option before the K04 for stage 2, where as CC has their stage 2 with the stock turbo (think I've got everything else for CC stage 2 and a little more).

[Buller_Scott]

raaaaaaaad. yeah, if i were you and i had moolah lying around, i'd be all over that stage 2 for sure....

i really hope that i can find someone who can do rolling road tunes for the polo for when i get the gt tdi turbo put in one day

but for the tdi'ers its more just either t-boxes or off-the-shelf stuff like oettinger and my one.