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My second Lupo GTI, restoration


jon_273
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Well I've been meaning to start this topic for two and a half years, so here goes...

After starting off with a Lupo 1.4SE, I then upgraded to an anthracite 1.4 TDI. I also had a nice anthracite Lupo GTI as a second car for a while. I sold the GTI and missed it so when the opportunity came to buy a red one quite cheap I went 300 miles to go and have a look. It was a Y plate but a 6 speed with air con and HPI clear. It's actually a 2002 model year car (the model year changes the summer before), so must have been one of the first 6 speeders registered. The previous owner had had it since it was 6 months old, and had tried to maintain it, but it really needed loads doing, and I am a bit of a perfectionist.

On the way home:

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Anyway, I drove it back from Ashford and took it to it's first car show within 24 hours of owning it, CumbriaVAG:

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I then went home and set about putting lots of things right and replacing loads of parts with new OEM ones. I also had to give it a really good clean!

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This sludge is what was left after cleaning the engine bay. Stupidly I didn't take a before photo, but gearbox oil had been leaking and it had had a hole in the radiator, so it was absolutely disgusting:

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Got a few bits painted:

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 Unfortunately the roof gutters had a bit of rust coming through, and there was laquer peel on the bonnet, so those panels were painted too, and a couple of small parking dents removed.

Some of the mechanical jobs that have been done (all done by myself except the gearbox):

  • Strip & clean sticking brakes
  • Repair rear bump stops
  • Replace ABS sensor
  • Replace coolant temp sensor
  • Repair fan low speed resistor
  • Repair door micro switch
  • Replace brake fluid
  • Replace power steering fluid
  • Replace oil & filter
  • Repair gearbox end plate leak & replace fluid
  • Replace ARB bushes
  • Replace wishbones & 1 ball joint
  • Check strap fix
  • Replace thermostat & housing
  • Refit leaky speaker
  • Refit leaky spoiler
  • Adjust boot stoppers to bootlid sits flush
  • Rear wiper wash pipe fix
  • Clean & lubricate electric window runners (had had new regulators but they weren't working very well - now perfect)
  • Replace cracked rear light with new set
  • Wheel refurb & new centre caps
  • New OEM battery
  • OEM flip key & new badge
  • New number plates
  • LED sidelights

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It was now in good standard condition, and after a machine polish, looking like this:

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Edited by jon_273
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Managed to buy a second hand set of KW V2's:

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Tried the Starlites on again for good measure:

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Then my standard exhaust got a hole in it, so I bought a Janspeed:

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Then I didn't really use it much, and ended up SORNing it and leaving it on the garage for 6 months while I went abroad for work.

Fast forward to christmas when I had to decide to either start using it or sell it. When I started it up it was misfiring because of corrosion on the HT leads having been sat for so long (they were due for replacement). So after replacing the HT leads and cleaning up the connections on the coil pack, I had the timing belt, auxiliary belt & water pump replaced and then drove down to just outside Geneva where I now live and work. Driving 800 miles in one day in a Lupo GTI with coilovers and a loud exhaust is quite tiring!

We had snow here last week:

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Edited by jon_273
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John. I have a picture of it when it was at my cousins wedding. It was a friend of a friends if I remember. A few years later a mate (called Dave) advertised it for his friend. 

Isn't strange how all the lupo gtis that where in Ashford up north now!

Edited by lupo1.0se
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25 minutes ago, lupo1.0se said:

John. I have a picture of it when it was at my cousins wedding. It was a friend of a friends if I remember. A few years later a mate (called Dave) advertised it for his friend. 

Isn't strange how all the lupo gtis that where in Ashford up north now!

Well I was just writing a reply asking to see the picture, but you posted it first. Thanks, that's interesting to see! You know I didn't blank out the number plates, on the off chance that someone might recognise the car...

It's strange where they end up yes! Mine has been as far north as Aberdeen, and as far south as Geneva.

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There where loads around ashford. A silver one (was up for sale on gumtree). A black one (have not seen this in a while). A blue one - was up for sale when I bought mine, had 92,000 miles.

Then there is mine which is regularly around ashford.

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I still remember the trip to Ashford to get mine, was awesome coming back, apart from the ugly stain on the fond memory being that my ex wife accompanied me...?

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20 hours ago, jon_273 said:

Perhaps because it's a more wealthy part of the country?!

I beg to differ! LOL! I am EXTREMELY poor and I live in Surrey!

I do love a GTI in red though, great pics and I'm glad you rescued this one!

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19 hours ago, MattyB said:

Looks fantastic does that B) Can't got wrong with KW V2's!

Aha, the lesser spotted MattyB! Yeah the KW's are treating me well. The variable damping means you can take the edge off the ride a little bit.

26 minutes ago, lupogtiboy said:

I beg to differ! LOL! I am EXTREMELY poor and I live in Surrey!

I do love a GTI in red though, great pics and I'm glad you rescued this one!

Well there's always an exception! Cheers, I'm pretty pleased with where it's at at the moment. Not perfect by a long way but pretty good for it's age.

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Come a long  way and lots of God work since that first weekend and the road trip back over Buttertubs. Looking great.

...and I beat you on the North\South: Ullapool and Girona.

?

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19 hours ago, jon_273 said:

Well I don't think I'll be back up in Scotland any time soon, but I'm sure I could manage a trip into Italy to go a bit further south...

How long did your road trip take Ray?

3,242 miles in 7 days. Sorry 8 as I included my mileage home.RFF_receipts.jpg

I must admit; Ullpool wasn't on the same trip; Perth to Girona.

Doing another this year, but UK based. Portsmouth, Plymouth, Wales, Lake District, west of Scotlan, East of Scotland, and down through Yorkshire across country to the National Memorial Arboretum @ Shropshire.

 

Not sure if I'm going all the way back to the South Coast yet.

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That's pretty epic. Unfortunately I think you have overshadowed me slightly.

I hope you worked out your mpg since you kept all your receipts. And anyway, what were you doing buying supermarket fuel!!!

 

7 hours ago, mickster said:

Wow those petrol prices :blink: so glad those days are over for now!

Yeah, the V-Power was even more :blink:

 

Edited by jon_273
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Nice write up Jon!

Is it staying over there and getting registered etc or just for a bit?

itll be a hoot round the mountain roads in the summer time! So how long did the journey take?

how much fuel did you use?

...I'm asking all the questions in one go cos I'm not in very often!

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