tweedbean Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) Hi all, thought I would join up here to ask lots of questions around the VW Lupo GTI. Below I've put a brief description of my car history, so you know where im coming from. Basically im after a little project/weekend car which will be cheap to run alongside the Qashqai. I was looking at the Lupo GTI as it seems you can pick them up dirt cheap and the running cost are a lot lower than the MINI from what I can see. Project car budget of around 5k.Previous carI currently drive a Qashqai which replaced my MINI JCW. Long story on why I changed cars but basically, my partner was having the family car as we found out she was pregnant and the MINI was staying, however she had an epileptic fit recently so she cant drive for a year. Therefore I decided to do the sensible thing and buy a big family car, hence the QashqaiHere are my two previous cars:First MINI Cooper S 2004Modified for looks and power, ended up with 260bhp. The MINI had a lot of marmite mods so im sure not everyone on here will like it.When I bought it:The day I brought it by tweedbean, on FlickrLook 1MINI by tweedbean, on FlickrThe best my r53 looked by tweedbean, on Flickr5708585662_358f9d649c_o by tweedbean, on FlickrAt this point it was magazine featured:P1020872 by tweedbean, on FlickrLook 2, fancied a changeP1030454 by tweedbean, on FlickrI really liked this shot for some reason by tweedbean, on FlickrGTT strut brace fitted, picture also shows my carbon fibre M7 air diverter by tweedbean, on FlickrSpec:- 2004 Facelift R53 MINI Cooper S - SuperchargedEngine:- Thumper TPR1 Peformance Head- MINI GP Intercooler- DaveF CAI- Milltek Catback Exhaust- Janspeed Manifold with decat pipe- KMT 17% Pulley- Newman Cam- 450cc Injectors- GTT Oil Catch Can- P-Torque Custom Remap- SFS Snoot bootsPerformance:- ¼ mile at Santa Pod: 60 ft @ 2.24 secs - 14.37 secs @ 97.5mph before carbon clutch and LSDGearbox:- Six speed manual- KMT Carbon Clutch- Retro fitted MINI LSDSuspension:- GTT Upper Strut Brace in black- OMP lower strut brace in black- Cabrio braces in Purple- GTT Rear Strut brace- Meister R Coilovers- Lower SPC Rear Control Arms- Polybushed rear upper control arms in red- Superflex Polybushes for the engine mounts, gearbox mounts, rear control armsand steering rackBrakes:- Front Custom R56 4 pot Brembos in Black with gold brembo decal- Front Drilled and grooved front discs- R56 Cooper S Brake lines- Rear Cooper S brakes in black- MOTUL RBF600 Racing Brake FluidWheels and tyres:- Road Use: Custom 17” Purple BBS RZ's 17x7 et37- Road Tyres: Toyo Proxes T1 R's 205 45 17- Track Wheels: Custom 17” Black BBS RZ's 17x7 et37- Track tyres R888's 205 45 17Interior:- Orranje Performance GP Style Seat Delete Panels in matt black- Sparco Milano's Full Leather Seat- GP Rear seat delete kit in matt black- Black Sparco Harnesses for track use- Black Alcantara Roof liner with satin black fixture and fittings- RKDE Black Alcantara downtubes with silver stitch- RKDE Black Alcantara gear stick gaiter with silver stitch- RKDE Black Alcantara handbrake gaiter with silver stitch- De-chromed interior with black gauge/cupholder rings- JCW Carbon fibre gearknob- JCW Carbon fibre handbrake grip- Front Speakers - Focal 165V 6.5" Components + tweeters.- Rear Speakers - Focal 690CA 6x9's- 10" Kenwood subwoofer- Auto Acoustics Stealth Box- Kenwood amp for subwoofer- Pioneer AVH-P5000DVD motorised DVD screen with Bluetooth and iPod integration- 30gb ipod video + 30gb iphone 3GS connected to the DVD player- Scanguage 2Exterior:- Orranje Performance Rear Bumper GP Style Inserts -Black- Orranje Performance GP Style Spoiler- Orranje Performance Brake Ducts- Orranje Performance GP Style Rear bumper trim- Front Aero Bumper- Aero Sideskirts- Joey modded headlights - All black- Colour Coded Aero Grills- Colour Coded Headlight Rings- Black side vents- Black Wing Mirror Caps- Black De-locked door handles- Colour Coded Custom Cooper Petrol Cap- Rear Road Legal Pressed Metal Number Plates from Dubmeister- Offset front numberplate on a custom removable mount- De-badged rear end- Rear Wiper Delete- Entire exterior de-chromed including gloss black belt line and rear lightsSecond MINI Cooper S JCW - Owned for 2 months before getting the qashqaiMy car at Curborough Sprint Track by tweedbean, on FlickrThe 2.0 Qashqai TeknaFront corner by tweedbean, on FlickrDash by tweedbean, on FlickrIts a 2011 facelift 2.0 manual petrol Nissan Qashqai Tekna. The Tekna is the top spec version so it has all the gadgets and has only done 9k. It has more gadgets than my MINI. It has loads of other features such as BOSE 7 speaker sound system including underfloor subwoofer, full ipod control, dual climate control, multifunction steering wheel, built in touchscreen sat nav, reverse camera, full bluetooth, panoramic roof, heated full leather seats, xenons, automatic rain sensing wipers, automatic lights, keyless entry, electric folding mirrors etc. Its no slouch, the 2.0 engine picks up really well, its just not JCW fast lol. But for me its somethings that's big and safe which is all I want with a new born baby.So any tips on buy a used Lupo GTI would be great Edited July 23, 2012 by tweedbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LupoJoe Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 I wouldn't of bought a Qashqai Nice to see someone else that goes to Curborough though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedbean Posted July 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Ha the qashqai is great as a family car, but im after a project car for the new and always had a soft spot for the lupo gti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedbean Posted July 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) So the big question is can I purchase and modify a Lupo GTI within a 5k budget?Mods wise, im looking to start off with coilovers, uprated anti-roll bars, bushes, strut braces etc to get the handling sorted.Not really interested in power mods, although if a decent airbox/manifold/exhaust would help that let me know.Looks wise I would want to go for something clean with maybe a subtle accent colour.Also what are the stock brakes like on these? Edited July 23, 2012 by tweedbean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopylove Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 My Lupo is for sale on eBay the itemNumber is 3007432397552003 raven blue See if it takes your fancy Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwaps Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hi, I think 5k is a healthy budget. There is a guide on here which highlights the common faults. No sunroof or air con as standard. All in all, good solid cars which hold there value. The gti will be now where as quick as your cooper S. I would get test driving!!! You may find you miss that extra oomph! All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedbean Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Hi, I think 5k is a healthy budget. There is a guide on here which highlights the common faults. No sunroof or air con as standard. All in all, good solid cars which hold there value.The gti will be now where as quick as your cooper S. I would get test driving!!! You may find you miss that extra oomph! All the best.Yeah the GTI will be way down on power, the MINI was at 260bhp, however with the GTI im looking for something for low and slow lol. The MINI I built was aimed at track/drag racing however the Lupo will be faster than the qashqai, but doesnt have the power potential of a Cooper S so I wont be tempted to spending tonnes on getting more power like i did last time. Going to test drive one soon, then the hunt for info starts following by car shopping in the new year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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