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Chinese Polo = Old Lupo?


mk2
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I keep finding brand new parts made in China for our Lupos.

So I started investigating, or at least trying, to figure out what Chinese car(s) these Lupo parts are for. And I'm not getting very far. If anyone has any 9 digit part numbers or platform numbers that would really help. 

You know, like 191.... is a Mk2 golf platform. 1J1... is mk4 golf. 6N0... is polo. 6X0... is Lupo etc.

So on Wiki, there's this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Polo_Sedan

I think this model is the same basic platform as the 6N polo, which our Lupos are based on.

You can often interchange part numbers by swapping the first 3 digits and leaving the remainder. So if you're looking for a Lupo part 6X0 123 456A (listed as obsolete), sometimes a 191 123 456A is the exact same part and is still available.

I once changed a clutch in one of my Lupos and used the ancient 1970's Beetle 3 digit code and it was the exact same part.

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That is one of the most hideous things I've ever seen 🤢🤮

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15 hours ago, mk2 said:

I keep finding brand new parts made in China for our Lupos.

So I started investigating, or at least trying, to figure out what Chinese car(s) these Lupo parts are for. And I'm not getting very far. If anyone has any 9 digit part numbers or platform numbers that would really help. 

You know, like 191.... is a Mk2 golf platform. 1J1... is mk4 golf. 6N0... is polo. 6X0... is Lupo etc.

So on Wiki, there's this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Polo_Sedan

I think this model is the same basic platform as the 6N polo, which our Lupos are based on.

You can often interchange part numbers by swapping the first 3 digits and leaving the remainder. So if you're looking for a Lupo part 6X0 123 456A (listed as obsolete), sometimes a 191 123 456A is the exact same part and is still available.

I once changed a clutch in one of my Lupos and used the ancient 1970's Beetle 3 digit code and it was the exact same part.

It says that Polo Sedan is based on the 6R/6C Polo chassis.....

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I've since found out that it's actually a TWO cylinder petrol with 4 manual box and is not even a Vdub. Just "professionally" rebadged. You can have the front end and rear lights changed to become a Volvo too.

I'll see if I can find the technical article I read earlier while on my commute. It's a QQ3 (?) or something.

However, that one above and a couple of other similar dubs use a huge number of Lupo components. Made "under VW guidance" in China. And you do see parts popping up on Aliexpress and Temu.

Like yeah, brand new, apparently obsolete Lupo components from China. Clearly some Chinese sellers have realised that there is a bigger market for QQ3 parts than just QQ3s...

This all started when I was looking for a front subframe. Couldn't be bothered to extract a used one, working under an oil soaked Arosa in my nearby breakers. This Chinese seller was selling a brand new subframe... Like, sent from China??? Huh? Japan maybe, but China? And brand new, not new old stock.

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On 10/21/2025 at 8:22 AM, mk2 said:

Yeah, like this "thing". A Lupo/Polo/Fox mix up. Based on 6N.

fulu-china-1.jpg

In fact, I think this is a photoshop. The body looks like a Daewoo Matiz which they've carefully 'crafted' a 9N2 Polo front end onto. Look where the bumper meets the wing, there is no line between the 2 panels. The wipers are all wrong too, far to big for that windscreen, they'd be constantly smashing into each other! There are no VW's that use door handles like that, or mount the exterior mirrors like that. I can look parts up for foreign models, and nothing in either the SAIC VW range or FAW VW range matches any of this car. Why anyone would want to make something like this is beyond me, they need locking away!

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Yeah, my first thoughts too. But looking at the wipers, yeah that's pretty normal for Chinese cheap cars.

I can't find the original article I read, but apparently you can choose the front and rear style of a car if you buy it brand new. It's wierd that in China, there's no trade mark disputes. Imagine buying a new Ford from a Ford dealer here and putting a Merc front end on it. Just odd. There'd be lawsuits everywhere. These QQ things are 49% co-owned by vdub though. So there's some commonality in parts.

Bear in mind, labour rates are so low, you can have a full custom job for the equivalent of a days wages. Here, it's more like months. And insurance? What's that... Cars only get "written off" if they've been completely crushed or burned out. Same in India and many third world nations. A cheap car is equivalent to 40 years wages.

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