davy26

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 . . .

Thanks for the positive comments Skez! I did previously try a re-trimmed OE wheel, but while it benefited from the new, smooth leather, my basic objection remained, i.e. this, like so many OE wheels, is just too big. Hence my liking for a Momo, in this instance in my favourite diameter, 320mm. This is a mid-seventies Prototipo, re-trimmed and slightly 'thickened,' and whilst I especially like the look, my pleasure in using it is a lot down to how good it feels in the hands because of the tactile quality of the wrapping - super-smooth - and the improved 'feel' in terms of steering weight and feedback. Difficult to describe, but immediately evident in the driver's seat. Regards. David.

Having done lots on the interior recently, I'm now keen to complete some cosmetic jobs on the exterior, but now looking like this will have to wait until the New Year.

That's a beaut - good luck with selling. Regards. David

When you buy a wheel like a Momo, you will also need to purchase a Boss kit specific to your car/model. With a Momo kit you get a resistor which will 'operate' the car's air bag warning light as if a bag was installed, (i.e. come on with ignition and then go out.) You will hear several different opinions about the MOT requirement. Several testers I have spoken to say that they simply stick by the 'spirit' of the Test regarding original specification - if something was fitted as standard when new it should still be visually or functionally apparent. The resistor in conjunction with the air bag warning light fulfills the requirement. Others like to say that it's not OK and driving without an airbag is illegal - which of course it isn't. I'd suggest you do what I did first time around - go and see the tester at the local station you intend to use, and ask him what his attitude is on this. You might have to 'shop around' a little, but you will find one with the sensible approach. By the way, one of the best reasons to have something like a Momo is to have an aesthetically/functionally-pleasing smaller wheel. The Lupo does not need a great big (380mm) wheel. I particularly like 320mm, though I know some people favour 300mm. But be careful choosing - 300mm for instance is just a little too small for me with arthritic hands, making for rather too much effort at low, parking speeds. Regards. David

They are Coco mats from the States. I first had these in the early 70s in my BMWs, so the 'look' is nostalgic for me. Plus they are very well made and super-durable. https://www.cocomats.com/checker-mats/ Regards. David 😊👍😊

Oh gawd, no! I've always regarded covers as naff. All four seats have been properly re-trimmed. I agonised for some time as to whether or not to have matching door cards - on the Porsches I've seen and been inspired by, some do, some don't - but eventually decided that would make the interior just too visually 'busy.' My original covers and the seats themselves were in very nice condition considering the car is MY '05. Regards. David

Sorry Bcr, but none of my wheels retains the airbag. I'm somewhat obsessive about wanting a wheel that is aesthetically pleasing, both in terms of looks and 'feel,' and I've never used/seen one with airbag that came close! The standard Gti wheel is not too bad and I know that quite a few Lupo owners feel that fitting the 3L model makes for a nice upgrade, with a higher-quality aspect. I think you're looking at £200-£300 for a 3L. As with most things Lupo, many things are not readily available and may seem pricey, but if you know what you want and persist, the chase can be fun! Good luck - I hope you'll find something that pleases you. Regards. David

Since I was last posting on this subject, I've acquired and fitted yet another Momo - this time my holy grail, mid-70s Prototipo 320. So I'm not sure which one you're now referring to?: 1) Original Gti retrimmed and with flat bottom 2) Plastic Lupo wheel (used during Gti wheel retrim) 3) Momo 320mm Jet Regards. David

I've seen some fairly rough Gtis being punted for unrealistic money based on the belief that the model has become a 'collectible classic,' and imagine that, if sold, the price had been haggled down lots. However, as with most cars 'of an age' and outside the mainstream, individual condition/mileage/spec is what counts, and, though that red grille strip needs removing, maybe this one seems to make a good case for its asking price? https://www.stationgarage.co.uk/used-volkswagen-lupo-east-boldon-tyne-and-wear-2748409

Now completed the 'improvement' of my Gti's interior - Momo Prototipo 320mm retrimmed wheel, 917-style gear knob and Pascha seats retrim. Have a few smallish cosmetic body/paint things to do this winter, and then the car will be pretty near perfect (from my viewpoint!)

I have now accumulated no less than five steering wheels for my Gti and need to reclaim some storage space! So I’m offering the Gti wheel I commissioned from RSW Re-Trimming Ltd last year. Details are as follows: Genuine original equipment Gti wheel Rim thickened and thumb grips added Rim bottom flattened Recovered in smooth black leather with red stitching I fitted this in April 2019 and it was in use on my Gti for just 10 months, with 4,000 miles only covered. Condition is excellent, evidencing the very minimal usage I’m offering this – wheel rim/hub only, not including the centre pad/airbag-see pic 03-04-2019 – at less than half what it cost me. Internal UK Postage will be additional, at £15 Located in East Kent £105

Yes - and I realise I wrote the last post as a knee-jerk reaction to seeing how cluttered up a cupboard had become. But on second thoughts, I'll put them up in the loft, as I don't think I could recover (npi) what I spent on the retrim by way of a sale at this point. Anyway, steering wheel-wise, I'm still in the intoxicated, honeymoon phase with me Momo!😍

Morning Frank. As I've finished up with too many wheels (!), (Momo, original Gti, temporary hack and retrimmed Gti), just wondered if you'd be interested in the Gti wheel I had retrimmed/flat bottomed? The quality of the retrim by Royal (£215) is great and it's had little use, but it didn't satisfy my yearning for a smaller wheel, hence the recent substitution of a Momo 320mm, (second pic). Regards. David

I recently bought a set of wipers for mine for a little over £20 - and they are absolutely fine. My local VW Retailer quoted £54.26.

That's what I was referring to. The Momo boss kits come with the resistor automatically nowadays. In my experience many MOT testers will pass the car if they see the light come on with ignition and then go off (courtesy of the resistor). However, some like to say that current guidance requires that if the car had an airbag as OE spec and it's apparent it no longer has one, they have to fail it.

Thanks for the thought. I think I'll keep it for now, especially in case of any gip with MOTs and the old problem of how an individual tester interprets the requirements regarding air bag presence or not, irrespective of functionality of the warning light. Regards. David

No - it's nice quality and looks good, but I still find it bigger than I'd like, so fitting a 320mm Momo. Regards. David