PoloDriver

Simon Kimber’s last update on his 1991 Polo GT Coupé concerned suspension surgery, where the car’s tired old Weitec dampers finally gave up like the proverbial ghost and had to be replaced. How have the new replacements been?

A few thousand miles have now passed under the wheels and I think it’s safe to say that the Konis which now occupy the Weitec’s previous homes in the wheel arches are pretty good considering they were the only option available. The performance is progressive and neither overdamped or too soft.

This set-up actually suits what is being asked of the car day to day, whether it be speed humps (of which I encounter many during a week’s driving) or having to deal with the snow and ice we all experienced a few weeks ago. That’s the GT, there, on the right nearest the camera in the picture above.

I don’t know about you, but I find that I treat the snow and ice as my own personal playground and there are certainly benefits to having an nineteen year-old Polo. One of those is that there is no room for airbags or ABS/traction control electrickery and the car will actually pull away in third gear without any complaint.

Not having all this modern-day wizardry is actually more of an incentive to stay on the slippery stuff, as even ABS can be made to look a bit of a fool sometimes and not even ESP is completely immune from the odd Bambi moment! Long may the bodywork of your Polo be undamaged in this weather and may the traffic always be behind you and not in front…

Costs this month: £0

Back in September, German Volkswagen and Audi tuners ABT unveiled its latest take on the Polo, but, of course, this is just the newest in a line of Polo ‘specials’ the engineers and stylists at Kempten have produced. We found this smart (and we should think, rare) Series 2F coupé at German Polo fan site PoloMagazin.

Primarily concerned with chassis tuning and body styling, this set of ABT modifications were designed for Polos from 1991 to 1994. The body was lowered by 40mm by way of shortened springs and dampers, while 7J x 15 ‘A5’ alloy wheels (with an ET of 35) got power down to the road, as well as providing more kerbside appeal.

Finally, a different-looking (and sometimes ill-fitting) front grille made the ABT Polo 2F stand out, if taking away some of its identity. Inside, a sporty ABT steering wheel takes centre stage. With no further body add-ons and no engine upgrades, it was clearly much simpler 18 years ago and ABT certainly took a more restrained approach, unlike today.

The latest issue of Volkswagen Golf+ magazine has a two-page feature on PoloDriver in the club profile section. Showcasing the newest online Polo resource, the article tells the story of how the website came about and details the developments we hope to make, as well as featuring founder Rich Gooding’s 1994 Polo GT Coupé. The February issue of Volkswagen Golf+ magazine is on sale now until 29 January 2010.

With all best wishes to all readers of PoloDriver. We hope you have a fun-filled festive season and a healthy and prosperous new year. Join us next week when we’ll reflect over Polo developments from 2009 and look forward to what’s coming in 2010.

Rich Gooding updates the story of his 159,000-mile, 1994 Polo Coupé GT, which he has owned for almost 11 years. It’s December, so it must be MoT time…

I’d never realised that the various pieces of paper that make up the MoT document portfolio were colour-coded like traffic lights. There’s red for a fail, orange for advisory items and green for a pass. Yesterday, my Polo Coupé GT got all three. But, crucially, it did pass the annual Department of Transport test.

It wasn’t due until 5 January 2010, but in customary tradition, I decided to get it done early. A good tradition with an elderly car. My Satin Silver GT is now 15 years old, and the days of sailing through the yearly inspection are long gone. It’s not too bad, though; brake pipes have been an advisory item for the last couple of years at least, but this year, something finally needed doing.

The Refusal of an MoT certificate stated that the tester thought that the offside rear brake hose had deteriorated so much that he thought it was dangerous to drive the car. So that was duly sorted, the car retested and a pass given. Yes, there’s still one brake hose and four brake pipes that are ‘slightly corroded’ and will need replacing and also the small matter of a minor leak of exhaust gases from the front section of the pipe, but all in all it could have been much worse than a £150 total bill.

Note for 2010, though; older cars need more care, and one that’s covered 159,000 miles maybe more than most…