a few questions about modifying my future polo

[germanboozehead]

hey everyone, i've been a massive fan of VW since i was a youngen but up until recently havent had the funds to justify purchasing one.. i've been stuck driving a commodore around i've done alot of looking around and have decided a chipped polo GTI is the way to go

however i have a few questions about modifying this car so that i know how much money to loan so i can perform all the modifactions as soon as i get it. my aim is to get this car as quick down the quater mile as possible so as to beat all my friends in their japenese imports

First of all, what size turbo-back exhaust is the best to get to improve my quater mile time?
Is it better to get the exhaust on before chipping so when they install the chip they can tune it to that size exhaust?
Where in brisbane should i take my car to get lower springs and a turbo-back exhaust fitted?
Can you install a sub woofer off the stock head deck?
What other mods are available to open this baby up?

i appreciate your time, i'm very excited about getting this car and cant wait to start thrashin other cars down the quater mile with you guys

[Celestine]

Most of these modifications can be done by Guy who runs APR here in Brisbane. He's on the forums under the alias Guy_H. He's your go to guy for chipping. I personally do not believe that you need to do an awful lot to the GTI to make it beat rice burners down a 1/4 mile.

All you'd really require is an intake (either a K & N filter with a SEAT intake), or a SRI/CAI (which may require you to purchase a smaller battery to gain such room in the engine bay). Chipping it will obviously be the huge kicker. You can however go overboard (which isnt really required) by having your entire exhaust system customised. Trevor down at CES has created some of the nicest exhausts I've seen (not to mention they actually have gains with a nice note). Any exhaust shop can fit your turbo-back, so just depends on your location and who have been deemed a better mob to deal with from other people's experience. I've dealt with Right Price Exhausts and they're a nice bunch down at Slacks Creek. Reasonablly priced with very well done craftsmanship, and fast turnaround.

A subwoofer can be added via the stock headunit. You need to tap a feed into the signal wires then use a line out converter. Power cable can be run down the RHS of the vehicle while to ensure minimal interference run the signal cable (hopefully shielded), down the LHS of the vehicle to your amplifier.

There are a stack heap of other modifications such as EBC greenstuff pads, Forge strut brace, Whiteline swaybars, coilover sets (varying drastically in price dependant upon which ones you purchase). Bilsteins I was quoted $3200 ex fitting, while a set of Koni's from the UK were only 350 quid. So do your maths here and weigh up the pros and cons of each kit and get the one that suits you. You can have your suspension done at Fulcrum.

There are plenty of other modifications that you could do such as a bodykit (not that the stock one looks nothing less than spectacular already). Internal modifications could range from the centre console cubby hole, headunit change, new speakers (stock ones sound pathetic). The list can go on and on, just depends on your own personal budget and needs.

*note that if you decide to have your complete exhaust system done, it would be advisable that it is done prior to chipping your vehicle. Furthermore, there is another company called Superchips (www.superchips.co.nz) that make a chip for the 1.8 GTI. However, the gains are softer compared to APR's gains.

[Flaps]

It depends on what mods your mates Jap imports have.

Getting a Polo to do a 13.5 will cost a lot of cash or a bloody good driver. Traction is the Polo's enemy. Drag racing is all about how quick you get from A to B and not how fast your going at B.

[insanekiwi]

Yeah what have your friends got.
That makes all the difference. for what you want to achieve.

[VW GTI]

new speakers (stock ones sound pathetic). .

I disagree. I have a $2500 stereo gathering dust in my room as I don't see much benefit in paying $500 to install it. The stock speakers in the GTI are excellent for stock.

[Celestine]

I disagree. I have a $2500 stereo gathering dust in my room as I don't see much benefit in paying $500 to install it. The stock speakers in the GTI are excellent for stock.

I'm sorry - I'm picky. I used to compete in SQ, and have won before, so thus majority of stock speakers are pathetic.

[ryan_GTI]

depending on what car your friend's have, usually you won't need any more than a chip and intake to beat them... adding a turboback/dump pipe would be the icing to the cake.

the look on some peoples faces are priceless!

[FL00DY]

It depends on what mods your mates Jap imports have.

Getting a Polo to do a 13.5 will cost a lot of cash or a bloody good driver. Traction is the Polo's enemy. Drag racing is all about how quick you get from A to B and not how fast your going at B.

Sean have you ever dragged yours? At the moment yours would be close to what this guy wants to do, maybe he should just wait till you sell yours

Yeah seriously doing 13.5 in these cars is gonna be damm tough. IMO you are buying the wrong car if you want mountains of speed and power, for going round corners yeah sure great choice. For the money you are going to spend, I'm sure you could find better, however please don't ask me what as I don't have a lot of interest in straight line speed machines. Look at the stock kw number between your car and your friends jap imports, might give a good indication of how much work & $$$ it would take.

[VW GTI]

I'm sorry - I'm picky. I used to compete in SQ, and have won before, so thus majority of stock speakers are pathetic.

I noticed you had Focal listed in your sig. I almost got them but they were pushing my budget a little too far

Look at the stock kw number between your car and your friends jap imports, might give a good indication of how much work & $$$ it would take.

Well, it depends how well they're tuned stock. The Polo GTI is toned down a fair bit so it doesn't compete so much with the Golf GTI, therefore chipping gives fairly large gains. Jap cars might be pushing their cars harder which means mods they do might not gain much unless they've changed exhaust etc and possibly even the engine.

[FL00DY]

Well, it depends how well they're tuned stock. The Polo GTI is toned down a fair bit so it doesn't compete so much with the Golf GTI, therefore chipping gives fairly large gains. Jap cars might be pushing their cars harder which means mods they do might not gain much unless they've changed exhaust etc and possibly even the engine.

Yeah the Polo GTI isn't as quick as a Golf GTI, but that's because of the different engines, not because of VW's using diff tunes. You'll keep up with MKV Golf's when you chip it, chips will give you about 150kw. What 1/4 times are your friends doing in their jap cars?

[VW GTI]

Yeah the Polo GTI isn't as quick as a Golf GTI, but that's because of the different engines, not because of VW's using diff tunes. You'll keep up with MKV Golf's when you chip it, chips will give you about 150kw. What 1/4 times are your friends doing in their jap cars?

Yeah, thats what I am saying, they could have easily released the Polo GTI Cup Edition as the standard but then hardly anyone would buy a Golf for $10k extra. That gives the standard Polo GTI about 15kw less than it could/should have had. The Golf is in the same boat, it goes from 147kw to 188kw from memory with a chip. You'd be lucky to get gains like that on a Jap car with such a simple and easy mod.

[PeterHBne]

If the main reason you are buying the car is to drag it down the quarter and beat Skylines then you are really buying the wrong car.

Why make life hard for yourself? Just buy a Skyline or S12/13/14 and do the usual to it.

If you want to do the underdog thing and beat the japs in an unusual car, get something light, rear wheel drive and stuff a big motor in it.

Whatever you do, just have deep pockets.

[Bubu]

germanboozehead has not given us enough information as to what he really wants out of this car. If he is even slightly interested in motoring then he would probably know that the Polo is not going to be the weapon to beat the some Jap cars.

But maybe he is not seeking to be the next Online CRX (Australian FWD record holder (last time I checked)). He probably wants the same thing I want, quick 1/4 mile times to shut the ricers up. Something to brag about

Its not the only thing I want from my GTI but its a start...

[Spec83]

I'm sorry - I'm picky. I used to compete in SQ, and have won before, so thus majority of stock speakers are pathetic.

Do you happen to be or were a mumber of Car Audio Australia?? I used to compete in a lot of SQ events in QLD in my old car a couple of years ago

On Topic - Your goals are at odds with one another... To get a car to go fast is one thing... but it is another to shove a heap of stereo gear in a car and still get it to go quick. MDF weighs a s**t load and if you want to do an install right you will be using a fair bit of it... and fibreglass!!!

A good balance that a lot of the guys here have found is - Chip, Dumppipe, springs and a stereo to top it off. IMHO, a stock polo GTI will still give a skyline / silvia a good run to about 100km/h... You can't go any faster than that on public roads anyway

[Koz]

IMHO, a stock polo GTI will still give a skyline / silvia a good run to about 100km/h... You can't go any faster than that on public roads anyway

On that note my car has an APR chip and it goes very well however I still want it to be abit quicker but we have to remember there is only a limit as to how fast we can go on public roads. Unless you will take it down the strip or to the track regularly then there isnt much point in wanting to produce mass power as you wont be able to use it in day to day driving without having your licence suspended.

Thats my 2 bob's worth.