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Lupo GTI No3 - New interior - heated anni recaros


Greig
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Hello all, its been a while since I have been on here. This is my 4th Lupo and 3rd GTI. Some of my previous threads are here:

https://forums.clublupo.co.uk/index.php?/topic/100525-greigs-lupo-gti-no2-update-120415/

https://forums.clublupo.co.uk/index.php?/topic/81168-anthracite-gti-update-51211/

https://forums.clublupo.co.uk/index.php?/topic/48801-my-lupo-14-16v/&tab=comments#comment-609854

With the RS4 being expensive to run and wanting to keep it for special occasions (i.e I don't want to sell it after 6 months), I thought I would get a run around. Parking down by the fish markets near Aberdeen for work isn't exactly ideal either for spaces and seagulls, so something that was small and not too worried if I got it covered in **** etc was required.

I fancied another Lupo GTI, as I felt it fit the bill, and found this one. I bought it from its second owner, the first being from Aberdeen and owning it 14.5 years in Aberdeen. She sold it to her sister in Perth who used it as a daily from March to about August when I got it. I was really lucky to get to meet the original owner on the day I collected it, who had a whole host of stories about the car, and was kind enough to give me GTI badges from her late husbands mk1/2/3s.

Spec wise, it has completely basic and standard, with 103k on the clock. The first owner got everything done at a local VW specialist and I have receipts for everything that was done to the car, including its yearly change from summer to winter wheels!

On the way home from Perth:

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The plan is just to run this until I get bored, but for my short commute and economy and the cars history, I am keen to keep onto it for a while. I do plan to do a few things to tidy it up and modify it slightly, all of which will be reversible for sale if required.

Fits perfectly in my space at the house:

48977212111_e2f7547365_b.jpg

The worst part of the car for rust was the bootlid, with crust around the handle and flaking/bubbling of the paint on the spoiler. I have therefore got a new freshly painted bootlid to go on, that has no handle, repainted spoiler, new spoiler brake light (which is interesting the same as a T5/6 spoiler brake light) and new GTI badge with sharan VW badge:

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A couple of other bits and bobs done:-

Replaced the heater bulb and fitted a bluetooth headunit from the garage (a bit boy racery but does the job):

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Fitted an auto light retrofit (not photo'd) - its quite cool - it looks like a mk6 switch, but has a cable and sensor attached for the light. This sensitivity can be controlled by an app on your phone. This allows for the 'take me home lights' like on a mk5 onward.

Driver side stubby (from Lithuania) and painted at the same time as the bootlid:

48977143236_18d6fd91a5_b.jpg

 

I also have an interior coming, which I am chuffed with for the price, and a set of Weitec coilers that I had 'in stock'

The car also passed its MOT on Saturday with no advisories which was awesome too!

 

 

 

 

Edited by Greig
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Welcome back to Lupo GTI ownership!

I have to disagree about the high level brake light though, the GTI spoiler light is only fitted to a GTI, a non-GTI light is the same though....

Have you got anymore details about the auto-headlight kit you fitted? I have one fitted to my car, but it's not app controlled, that sounds interesting!

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Got the rear window changed over between the lupo bootlids and fitted it too:

49008085366_9647a5da95_b.jpg

The new seats arrived for the lupo. I stripped the cloth off the rears ready for retrimming the rears while I am on holiday. The fronts will slot in with no issue, once I have rebuilt them with new bases.

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is the sharan badge like an arosa style where you push it in to open the boot? or is it on a popper system?

also, what did you use for removal of the glass? Ive got a knackered bootlid with tinted glass. i know they are bonded in, rather than chucking it I wanted to have a go at removing it and re-sealing it in to mine rather than using cheap tint film.

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6 hours ago, Stephenmacleod said:

is the sharan badge like an arosa style where you push it in to open the boot? or is it on a popper system?

also, what did you use for removal of the glass? Ive got a knackered bootlid with tinted glass. i know they are bonded in, rather than chucking it I wanted to have a go at removing it and re-sealing it in to mine rather than using cheap tint film.

It’s a popper system. You would need a golf mk5/polo 6r handle welded in for it to be the badge. I had that on my previous lupo, but was a faff to put together. 
 

I got a glass man to do a homer for me - things I won’t touch is windscreens, timing belts and paint haha. He charged me £60 for replacing 2 rear screens. One on the lupo and one on the mk5.

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1 hour ago, Greig said:

It’s a popper system. You would need a golf mk5/polo 6r handle welded in for it to be the badge. I had that on my previous lupo, but was a faff to put together. 
 

I got a glass man to do a homer for me - things I won’t touch is windscreens, timing belts and paint haha. He charged me £60 for replacing 2 rear screens. One on the lupo and one on the mk5.

I thought as much it looks a tidy finish.

For the sake of some cheap tint film for the rear 3 windows it's probably easier. It's no show pony.

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  • 1 month later...

So I haven't used this in about 6 weeks - Oz for 2 weeks and then have been using the mk5 since I have been back, to make sure all is ok before selling it.

One of the things I fancied getting for the car was a set of better seats - the standard ones are in good condition, but didn't like that I could feel my back through the seat and they weren't the most supportive when pushing on. 

I decided to go for mk4 Anni Recaros, as the fabric is awesome and to me they 'made' the car when I owned my Anni 8 or so years ago (scary!).  However I really struggled to find a set. One set came up in Portsmouth, but the seller never got back to me, even after 2/3 messages. This set came up in Ireland, however were a little worse for wear as seen below from the photos from the ad:

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Filthy, buggered bolsters and missing trim pieces.

 

I got to work, first stripping the rear cloth and putting it in the washing machine. I then dropped the lupo rear seats and the Anni cloth as French Touch Upholstery to see what they could do. It was agreed to use the centre cloth and a similar black cloth for the side, as the existing black cloth was unable to be used due to the amount of usable material.

49278899506_8a309e6043_c.jpg

Picture of one half completed - they need a wash from sitting in the workshop and the light has made it look grey rather than black.. I must say that French Touch Upholstery did a great job with the materials I gave her, including getting all the little details right like the red stitching etc.

 

For the fronts, I stripped them and also put the cloth in the washing machine.

The seat bases were buggered, but I managed to find a brand new pair of OEM bases from Germany (not cheap!) and went for them!

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While going to all this effort, I thought it would be cool to make the Recaros heated and bought a universal heated seat kit from eBay. These use carbon pads, that can be cut width ways to your required length, and also to allow the hog clips to be put back in position. The loom is pre-made and comes with 4 connections - live, earth, ignition live and lights. It comes with an inline fuse, control box and relay too.

Back heated seat pad:

49279089597_b4987b7fd3_c.jpg

New base with heated seat pad:

49279089817_301a75a2f9_c.jpg

 

I took the feed for the loom off the cigarette lighter, due to having a similar thickness of the cable, while the centre console also allowing the perfect place to store the loom and control box etc. The cables were run under the carpets and came up in the OEM location:

49278416758_36516f578c_c.jpg

 

Seats done (apologies for the damp patch on the passenger side :rolleyes:):

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Installed, with new handles etc:

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Colour of the switches all looks OEM:

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Couple of things left to sort:

1. Sort the rear headrests so they drop down to the seat

2. Get a cover for the passenger seat belt catch

3. Mount the switch for the heated seats properly - the plan is to cut a blank switch and install this inside (the item that comes with the loom is about 5mm too small)

 

I drove the car back in the road tonight and they feel perfect - look super cool, much more supportive and a nice toasty bum :)

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Good work. I also get my upholstery stuff from germany, but only because the passenger seat over there (hardly used) is usually like new. Just needs a decent wet vac on arrival and all good. Who are French touch upholstery? Retrimming seats is quite easy ince you see all the tricks an experienced master uses... I usually do it all myself now, including the sewing! I'm just very slow. The upholstery pocket wire pull back wires in the foam slots are the trickiest bit. 

Also what floor mat is that?

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  • 1 month later...

French Touch Upholstery are a company based in Aberdeen. Working out quite handy as they are next to work too Floor mats are just the OEM rubber VW mats.

The car hit 105k this weekend and was treated to a service, including replacing the timing belt and water pump.

I have also decided to put the car up for sale. I have got back into biking this year and have bought something larger to accommodate the bikes.

Some recent pics for memories/potential new owner:

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