What did you do to your Polo today?

[kaanage]

I'll be hanging out to see how the clutch works out. If mine is dying and the dealer won't fix it, then I'll be going down the same path (maybe check an ATBD in while it's apart).

You CANNOT replace lightness and our TDi's (and GTi's too) have a great lump of metal up front making understeer inherent. Some of the best fun I had when I got my licence was tearing through the Christmas Hills at night with a friend in his Fiat 127 hatch and my Mazda 323 (original FWD model) - the Fiat had a 903cc engine with 135 width tyres and was almost impossible to catch even though my car had a 1.5 litre engine and 155 width tyres. We would swap cars and it was the same - the little Fiat was just so light and nimble that the more powerful and grippier Mazda had a tough time just keeping up.

That said, if you want oversteer in a Polo TDi, just head over to the Vic Motorsports 2012 thread...

[seangti]

Scott, i test drove some micra's for the girlfriend and had a similar experience that they aren't as bad as I was expecting. Suspension was a reasonable balance and steering had some weight. Ended up buying a new fiesta though, which lacks any weight in the steering, though overall build quality and feel is better. But yeah, I was impressed for the money.

[Buller_Scott]

I'll be hanging out to see how the clutch works out. If mine is dying and the dealer won't fix it, then I'll be going down the same path (maybe check an ATBD in while it's apart).

You CANNOT replace lightness and our TDi's (and GTi's too) have a great lump of metal up front making understeer inherent.

That said, if you want oversteer in a Polo TDi, just head over to the Vic Motorsports 2012 thread...

clutch is slow work - i got a quote from the mechanic (just down the road from the new 24hr coles/kmart complex, melburnians know the one) and parts and labor for an aftermarket "uprated" smf kit is about $4k. so i guess that means i'll be sourcing the kit myself.

and yes - one thing i'm realising - the ultra low down torque of the pog tdi makes for awesomeness in the corners (coming out of them), but with my (non R spec) semi's on the front and re002's on the back, plus damping in the front wicked up for drive days, i feel like my car's just right, and yet the last couple of days have had me thinking "man, the same tyres, and the same suspension on the micra, and all things being equal, it'd kill my car for mid corner speed"

i know you werent hurt, greg, because you've been posting on watercooled, but peter's in-car footage of you was froiking scary - the little blur that is your car really did look like a rollover. glad you and the pog are no worse for wear.

Scott, i test drove some micra's for the girlfriend and had a similar experience that they aren't as bad as I was expecting. Suspension was a reasonable balance and steering had some weight. Ended up buying a new fiesta though, which lacks any weight in the steering, though overall build quality and feel is better. But yeah, I was impressed for the money.

yeah sean, i test drove a fiesta the other week for my mom, and without a doubt the interior finish, the touchable surfaces inside, the build quality (things like the sound the car makes when you close doors/boot) are definitely superior to the micra.

the micra does have good suspension balance right out of the box (although too softly sprung when pushing it in corners - mine rolls over its front outside tyre, but that's nothing that coilovers and lower profile tyres wouldnt fix)... just goes to show that good driving fun comes in all forms.

it'd be rad if we got the following in oz:
- micra 1.2 supercharged, or micra 1.6 ''sm 160"
- renaultsport twingo
- yaris turbo
- fiat panda 100 etc

my new found fondness for tiny engined cars with little weight up front, i've got the biggest chubby for the VW gt UP!!!... it's just been given the go ahead, and im going to bash some VWA people if they dont bring it here. no, it wont be the fastest car on the road, but im guessing that (so long as the feel/feedback is good) it'll have you laughing with glee around every single corner you throw at it.

[csimpson]

Went in to get my bonnet cable re-attached (bonnet wouldn't open!), came out with this:



$57.20 well spent - a thorough wash and vacuum, a couple of hours' work to fix the bonnet, the above airbag campaign, and shiny new coilpacks as well.

[Bflat]

Went in to get my bonnet cable re-attached (bonnet wouldn't open!), came out with this:



$57.20 well spent - a thorough wash and vacuum, a couple of hours' work to fix the bonnet, the above airbag campaign, and shiny new coilpacks as well.

What year was yours built? I'm trying to suss out whether my '08 needs to make a visit

[csimpson]

November 2007 I believe. You can just call any dealer and quote your VIN, they'll advise you if any campaigns are active for your car.

[fuzion]

Went in to get my bonnet cable re-attached (bonnet wouldn't open!), came out with this:



$57.20 well spent - a thorough wash and vacuum, a couple of hours' work to fix the bonnet, the above airbag campaign, and shiny new coilpacks as well.

I had a spastic attack at the service manager for washing the car for a airbag replacement. No way of saying it politely, but do not touch the fkn car.. Can't stand VW service, bunch of twits.

On another note, we changed the SAP and quick Oil Change last weekend. Car feels much better now! Thought about doing the delete on the SAP but as car might be on the market possibly soon best not to!

[pog]

Yeah I'd freak out if they washed my car. I think based on your experience, if I ever have to take it in, I'll definitely tell them not to wash it.

Also, I think it's important that if they take delivery of the vehicle, for whatever reason (warranty etc), they should do a full round inspection of the car and inspect any scratches, dents etc. Last thing you want is a scratch down the side of the panel and for them to say "well we didn't do it".

Sometimes I wonder, if I ran a dealership...

[kaanage]

yet the last couple of days have had me thinking "man, the same tyres, and the same suspension on the micra, and all things being equal, it'd kill my car for mid corner speed"
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the micra does have good suspension balance right out of the box (although too softly sprung when pushing it in corners - mine rolls over its front outside tyre, but that's nothing that coilovers and lower profile tyres wouldnt fix)... just goes to show that good driving fun comes in all forms.
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my new found fondness for tiny engined cars with little weight up front, i've got the biggest chubby for the VW gt UP!!!... it's just been given the go ahead, and im going to bash some VWA people if they dont bring it here. no, it wont be the fastest car on the road, but im guessing that (so long as the feel/feedback is good) it'll have you laughing with glee around every single corner you throw at it.

One thing to consider is that as well as being easier to make a light vehicle handle well than a heavier one, it is also easier to make it handle well if it has less power. And part of the equation is narrow tyres as the lower scrub radius improves steering response and the tyre is less affected by camber changes.

As an example, the original Ford Ka (don't laugh) is gutless and has tiny tyres but is also one of the best handling FWD cars ever made and just about any attempt to modify its suspension or adding more power upsets the fine balance of the car. Even playing with tyre pressures can quite noticably adversely alter its handling. The Sports variant (wider tyres, stiffer suspension, more power) is faster but the handling is not as sharp.

[vwthunder]

These arrived

[GoLfMan]

These arrived

time to sell Greg your V1's???

[vwthunder]

time to sell Greg your V1's???

Hmm dont think his wife would let him have them lol. No he might not like the ride of coilovers, tho it is quiet nice, as long as you dont go too low

[kaanage]

Yeah, 'cos the ride in the Polo was so plush when I drove you, John and Paul to the restaurant before the Queen's Birthday trackday

James is FOS

[Buller_Scott]

wow try that's gonna be intense - given the designs of the polo struts, no matter what setup one buys we'd still have to take the back suspension apart to adjust, right?

so what are you gonna do with your rears - set it up stiff straight off the bat?

[vwthunder]

wow try that's gonna be intense - given the designs of the polo struts, no matter what setup one buys we'd still have to take the back suspension apart to adjust, right?

so what are you gonna do with your rears - set it up stiff straight off the bat?

Yeah looks like you have to take these out too, due to the design of the polo rear struts

Hmm around South Melbourne/ City, I think I need them on the softer side for daily driving