davy26

With my knackered hands/fingers and deteriorated eyesight I'd never be able to do that myself! Retrim was done by Royal Steering Wheels and I'd say that both the materials they use and their workmanship are really good.

Have now finished mine. Found a reasonable donor wheel and had it re-trimmed in very smooth leather - nice result. Not sure whether or not to retain or sell my original wheel which is in great condition, but I don't think these are particularly valued as yet.

Thanks LR and mk2 - I thought they weren't all the same from the last time I removed it. I just wish my eyesight/ability to crouch under the column were better, but there's no antidote to age unfortunately! I'm on this because I've got my donor wheel re-trimmed and ready to fit:

There is a small plastic cover under the steering column located by three screws: Does anyone know what type/size these are please? Thanks. David

. . . the (real) Beetle's engine's been relocated in front of the back axle. The Fun Cup:

For day-to-day use and fun, I'd never want to be without my Lupo Gti, but I've driven a lot of Mercs in recent years, and, apart from various AMGs, I enjoyed none more than E-Class models - quick, well mannered, stylish interior, elegant and super-comfortable. Hope you'll enjoy it for a great many miles!

At Brands this morning, so two of 'em lurking behind the pits today!

Andrew: I had a lot of experience with Waxoyl when I worked for BMW in the Seventies and then Dinitrol, with Alfa Romeo in the Eighties. In a way Waxoyl was a bit of a pioneer product at the time and we didn't 'know better.' Eventually though it became clear that in some ways it was worse than doing nothing, especially where the application acted with a poulticing effect. Dinitrol has proved much more effective, especially because of its tendency to creep into seams/crevices. All that said, as with so many things, the expertise used in applying it is as - if not more - important than the 'stuff' itself. For that very reason, no, I won't be trying to apply it myself, although I do think DIY is more feasible for applying inside doors/box sections. Key points for general underside treatment are: prior thorough cleaning, (followed by complete drying); ambient temperature 15 C or above; being prepared to be without the car for 2 or 3 days. If you're interested, have a look at the Dinitrol website - it's very informative. Regards. David.

She doesn't know it yet, but as soon as it warms up next month, some serious messing (of a Dinitrol persuasion) will be going on with her underside, (how indelicate!) And as if that wasn't intrusive enough, that delinquent rear spoiler of hers is finally going to be sorted.

Welcome! Regarding the spoiler, I've been after one for months - see I've just found out - thanks Martin - that these are still available from VW, part number 6E0 827 933 D GRU, £359.96 inc vat. Q3 2018 the number of Gtis registered/in use in the UK was 591, SWORN, 241. (https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/volkswagen_lupo_gti ) Good luck. David

I had two Ups prior to my Lupo Gti, and I'd suggest that they are not especially desirable. In fact, with particular regard to the Up Gti, a common disappointment expressed by owners is that the seats are not in keeping with a 'performance version,' lacking effective lateral location. I believe that this is another of the detail features that is better on the Lupo Gti than what's specified for the Up Gti.

We had that one for 5 years in the late '80s/early '90s. Mainly driven by my wife, we put about 30,000 miles on it; (I replaced it for her with a Scirocco). My first car, bought for £75 in 1968 was a 1955 (small oval back window) Beetle - I didn't put that many miles on that because I blew its engine up on the M1 one dismal, dank night, and had to sell it to pay off on the replacement (from a breaker) lump. Today, more than ever, I love the occasional experience of 'Beetle Motoring,' so different from the quiet, sanitised behaviour of contemporary cars. The tactile nature of that big, bare skinny wheel, the dodgy handling, and, most of all, the row, beat and clatter created by the air-cooled flat four and the whistling of the clutch thrust bearing, make me feel really alive (and 50 years younger!) . . . and, if you've got a passenger you're not that fond of, you can have the added fun of surreptitiously opening their heater flap and asphyxiating them with those distinctive exhaust fumes! Happy days.

Congratulations. When I was young we were justifiably wary of high mileage, but with the more recent technology advances we can be confident way beyond 100,000, provided service has been adequate. Just to show solidarity, here's a pic (my avatar here too)of my second Beetle (1971, 1200) turning 100K to Zero (speedos in them good ole days could only cope with 99,999):

My car was sold and shipped from Japan in late 2017, so some of my information could now be invalid. I think the best help I can offer is to recommend you get in touch with Sam Automobiles, Tokyo. The company's website includes information on the auctions, buying/exporting process, and shipping: http://www.samautomobiles.net Another source is https://www.mdkjapan.com/. If you want to know about shipping as a separate matter, have a look at www.yuwautotrade.co.uk. I'm not fully sure about the contemporary market, but I can tell you that a car like mine could be bought at auction in Tokyo a couple of years ago for under £2,000. Sourcing a car from Japan and/or simply owning one adds to the fun I think - just trying to decipher a bunch of service documents in Japanese alone provides hours of mental exercise and a new hobby to enjoy! Good luck to anyone having a go! David

I've no importing expertise myself. I'm aware of people in UK who suggest they do have, and can help you find a car, but I'm not so sure, and you know they'll be taking a cut. The model is a rarity so at any one time there's not a huge choice and each car needs assessing on its individual merits. From my own experience I'd emphasise these points in regard to any example just imported to the UK from Japan: 1) A missing key is much more of a problem than with a UK/Europe car. Also, I don't think a replacement remote can ever be sourced now - the frequency used was different for Japan. 2) It seems to me likely that the service culture is different in Japan. I don't think my car - built 2005, registered Jan 2006 - had ever had a replacement cambelt. Important to check and if in doubt, make it the first job. If you've got a service history in Japanese, this is the field on a service sheet which should be filled if a cambelt change has been done - 3) At the auctions in Japan they assess condition and signify this with a 'score' between 1 and 5. It shows on paperwork for my car in my possession and seems reasonable. But I have heard of instances where the car isn't as good as the score should indicate - so beware in using this when researching a car before you have the chance to inspect it. Trouble is, when you get the hots for one of these things, and given that there aren't many to choose from, you might have to act quickly and maybe not be as sure of everything as you'd ideally like to be. But I think that as long as you realise that and have a budget to resolve any things that need immediate sorting, the risks are not too big . . . and the upside is that once you got it, you're going to love it!