Recent Polo GTI Convert

[Bukefal]

hey all,

i've been reading these forums for about a week and couldn't resist signing up. i'm 26/M/Perth.

i have been looking for a new car for about 3 weeks and I'm 99% sure i'll be getting a new Polo GTI. i looked at the Peugeot 207 GTi too, but other than the big difference in price, the Polo seems to have a certain something about it that i really like (but i can't put my finger on it). the only thing left to do is go for a test drive.

i will probably go for the silver, white or blue colour. i'm thinking silver.

in terms of options, i'm getting either:
leather interior
OR
17" R-Line or Exor wheels

one question i have is whether the suspension will be changed if i go for the bigger wheels. does anyone know? it would be nice if the car was a little lower.

[vkswgn]

one question i have is whether the suspension will be changed if i go for the bigger wheels. does anyone know? it would be nice if the car was a little lower.

I have the Exors and I have mine lowered (but just enough) - finishes the look off IMO (closes the wheel arch gap).

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=9849

[Funkdancer]

Welcome to the forums!

I am swearing by the leathers in my own GTI, don't think you could go wrong there. Besides you can always upgrade the wheels later; that's not something you can do with the leather option.

[vkswgn]

i will probably go for the silver, white or blue colour. i'm thinking silver.

in terms of options, i'm getting either:
leather interior
OR
17" R-Line or Exor wheels

Also, if you want my opinion (you're getting it anyway ) if I was choosing between wheels and leather, I'd get the leather (but I got both - couldn't resist). Gotta love the heated seats and red stitching! The bonus of the silver (or white) is that the stock rims look extra nice on them, but you still should drop the height a bit.

[PeterHBne]

I suppose leather is a personal preference - I found it hard to justify the cost and when light coloured leather wears after a few years use it looks crappy. Makes a car in otherwise good condition look it's age.

If it was me, I'd keep the bucks and get it chipped or some coilovers.

[Bukefal]

I have the Exors and I have mine lowered (but just enough) - finishes the look off IMO (closes the wheel arch gap).

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ead.php?t=9849

if you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost to get it lowered, and also how much did you get it lowered by?

i agree with you guys - i'll probably get the leather for now. i can always get the wheels/suspension at a later date.

i'm getting very amped about this car

[Bukefal]

I suppose leather is a personal preference - I found it hard to justify the cost and when light coloured leather wears after a few years use it looks crappy. Makes a car in otherwise good condition look it's age.

If it was me, I'd keep the bucks and get it chipped or some coilovers.

isn't it black leather? fading would be quite crap. has anyone had experience with this?

[Funkdancer]

I condition my leather every 4-5 months or so (note to self: do more often, is quite nice then!). No issues yet, but then again the car is only 2 years old.

The ivory leather in my Accord Euro is still beautiful after 2.5 years.

In the Polo, the heated seats absolutely rock. Also the leather is applied to your doors / interior trim as well, so it does change the looks a fair bit!

[vkswgn]

isn't it black leather? fading would be quite crap. has anyone had experience with this?

It's called anthracite (fairly dark grey, but no where near black). It's fairly sturdy leather and very comfy (according to my dad who drives an SRi Astra with leather). As long as you condition it with the right product it will remain beautiful. But as Pete said, it's a very personal preference (and expensive decision).

Re: the springs - they're Eibach Pro. From memory around $850 fitted and alligned should cover you. Dropped it around 20mm (on top of the 15mm of the GTI vs standard Polos).

[Timbo]

It's dark grey -- doesn't fade -- just gets a tad shinier on the driver's side, which can be addressed by regular conditioning.

I was anti-leather....but I do like the heated seats in Canberra's cold winter

[Bukefal]

Re: the springs - they're Eibach Pro. From memory around $850 fitted and alligned should cover you. Dropped it around 20mm (on top of the 15mm of the GTI vs standard Polos).

that's not as much as i thought it would be. definitely going to look into it.

[vkswgn]

Oh, and one more thing re: wheels - brake dust is a killer. I'm assuming the standard rims are fairly easy to manouvre around when washing them, the Exor's however are anything but . They look great, but are very time consuming with all those spokes. If you did get them I would definately suggest applying some form of wheel sealant/wax to ease the pain at bath time.

[Bukefal]

It's dark grey -- doesn't fade -- just gets a tad shinier on the driver's side, which can be addressed by regular conditioning.

I was anti-leather....but I do like the heated seats in Canberra's cold winter

i really like the interlagos cloth design, but leather is leather.

i actually wish i lived in a cooler climate. i can't see myself ever using the heating option here in Perth.

[vkswgn]

i really like the interlagos cloth design, but leather is leather.

Have you actually seen the seats in person? From pictures I thought I'd be happy with the cloth (love the design), but when I went to look at one I wasn't as impressed as I was with the photos. Each to his own though, but definately "look" (in person) at both.

[PeterHBne]

Dark hey? I remembered it being a light colour on the demo I sat in.

Shows how flawed memory can be.