davy26

Thanks Clayton. Surprising that no one is offering here, but it looks worthwhile, so I'll be getting from the U.S. Regards. David 😊😊😊

Mine is January 2006-registered, ex-Japan and now 74,000. I'm interested in comments here regarding price/vale. I think perhaps some people might take the standard Gti's performance capabilities for granted. As someone who got my first licence in '68, I naturally have an interest in and affinity with 70s cars - I started working for BMW in '71. One of my all time favourite cars is the 2002 Tii. We used to think that a very fast car in the day - but just look at the figures: Lupo Gti: 123 bhp; 0-60: 8 secs; top speed: 127 mph; 2002 Tii: 130 bhp; 0-60: 9.8 secs; top speed: 118 mph. And what about these other examples: Lotus Europa (Renault engine): 82 bhp; 0-60: 9.1 secs; top speed: 116 mph; Alfa GTV 2000 (105 series): 129 bhp; 0-60: 8.2 secs; top speed: 121 mph. So I think the value we get for £4K-£7K in a car with such a sensibly small footprint is outstanding. So there!

Well done Clayton with the new Piston Heads video - very enjoyable, and showing your Gti off so well. I'd like to get the OSIR throttle pedal extension for mine, but can't seem to find a UK source, (and I'm also not sure if the TT/Golf version shown as available in the US is a straight fit for a Lupo). Could you please let me know where yours came from. Many thanks. With kind regards. David

Last year I was told that if 50% of the component LEDs were inoperative, it's a fail. Rechecking now, I'm wondering if that was a misunderstanding of the regs, which referred to more than 50% of the brake 'lights' not working - if you read 'lights' as the lamp units - 2 conventional, 1 high level, a dodgy high level would result in still 66% of the lamp units working, so OK (?). Anyway, I now see further clarification to testers stating that if the unit is not permanently connected (wire taped up) it doesn't have to function for MOT purposes. I'm happy now that this isn't the possible future problem I'd been trying to get ahead of. Thanks for the replies and opinions.

Morning Andrew - hope you're good too. I think you're right - I've tried following up a few on eBay after searches, but there doesn't seem to be any actually available. I'm just trying to get ahead of possible future MOT failure; the things are a bloody nuisance, as is the spoiler - one of the most irritating aspects of Lupo Gti ownership - though most other things continue to make having one a real delight, especially as cars generally continue to get ever bigger and heavier. Regards. D

Just wondering if anyone here can recommend a reliable source please for a replacement lamp unit, 6E0 945 097B, (I believe)? Many thanks.

I have a Momo 320mm Prototipo on my Gti - adds a lot to driving pleasure. (No air bag, but at my age aesthetics can come first!)

Thanks for the response - much appreciated. What you suggest is pretty much what I did when I received the new spoiler, (supplied ex-factory in primer), though I didn't have the patience to wait a whole year before getting it on and painted! Before I retired, I worked for quite a few car manufacturers and, ironically, frequently found that over a long term, paint would remain in better shape on 'plastic' spoilers and such-like other ancillary body parts. Volkswagen certainly managed to creative a distinctive anomaly with this spoiler - I know of many owners who have all had similar experiences. Regards. David

The original spoiler on my 2006 Gti (ex-Japan) was badly bubbled when I bought the car in 2018. Eventually, I tried to resolve the situation by replacing with a new genuine factory spoiler, and had it painted by a bodyshop which I know to be competent. However, within one year I noticed some micro-blistering on the spoiler and, along with some other cosmetic work, the bodyshop has just re-done it . . . and even only a day or two later, I've got micro- blisters again. I've enquired again about the possibility of wrapping the spoiler, but the prospects are not good, and exact match with L041 is not feasible. A couple of people now have contended that the problem will always recur if new paint is oven dried. Does anyone here have experience please of success with air drying? Many thanks.

I've had mine now since mid 2018 and have enjoyed it hugely, especially as I felt I'd bought something free from potential corrosion concerns. Whatever is said by some, the cars from Japan - like mine - tend to be in really good underside condition with nothing more than isolated superficial rust-affected areas. I also think many are like mine in that they seem to have had moderate use, have not been modded with all this lowering etc. nonsense practiced so much here, and have evidence of a good service history. We get some intemperate view-stating in threads like this from people who apparently resent such imports. I'd never dreamed of importing a car before, but found I 'had' to because decent, late Gtis are so hard to find here in England. I have all the paperwork and reckon I easily paid at least twice what the car was knocked down for in Tokyo, but I got what I wanted, so I'm perfectly happy and good luck to anyone/everyone who made a buck in the chain. Relax . . . it's only a li'll' ole motor car. Christmas Greetings and Happy New Year. Regards. David.

I think it's well worth it Martin. Royal have now done two wheels for me and I've been very happy with both - good materials, excellent workmanship and completed on-schedule. Considering that that it's through the wheel that we have the most interaction with the car's dynamic behaviour, spending that bit more to get the very best tactile/visual characteristics is surely repaid many times over. With kind regards. David

Sorry Martin, that one came up in this thread incidentally and because I just wanted to see if another member might be interested. I advertised the wheel at . . . and sold it promptly from there. Apologies if I have inadvertently indicated it was still available. With kind regards. David

Thanks -Good photos and write-up Bernd. I too remain devoted to mine! All you mention is of interest, but I'm especially so regarding your new tyres - could you tell us please what size you've managed to find those Hankooks in? I would like to retain the OE width of 205, but I thought the tyres you mention don't come wider than 195 for a 15" rim? Regards. David

Afternoon Martin - hope all's good with you. I used to have these Coco Mats in BMWs back in the Seventies. More recently they've become available again - https://www.cocomats.com/ They have 'on file' rhd templates for both the Lupo and Up (3 door) as result of my previous orders. In my view they're well worth the money, being very well made, heavy duty and better looking than anything else I've seen. If you contact them, you'll find Crissy very helpful. Regards. David

The smaller wheel doesn't make the car easier to drive - in fact there's more muscular effort required of course at parking speed - but it makes the experience more engaging, so, if you want to do, you can be quicker on road or the track. The Momo also provides a much nicer feel on the rim wrap because it's thicker, smoother and is not so rigid like the OE. With Momo hub kits nowadays there's always a resistor included so that the air bag light is seen to function normally. And it's the air bag that is the root of my main reason for preferring a Momo (or similar) - this component gives rise to designs which typically result in an OE wheel in which there appears to be a lumpen black buttock wedged! I feel that virtually all OE air bag wheels are very unattractive to behold. I also don't care much for all the buttons and gadgets that increasing feature on contemporary wheels. In contrast a Momo Prototipo possesses real purity of purpose with the simplicity and great aesthetic of the plain black leather rim/spats and bright metal, lightened spokes. I could go on . . .