Polo GT-G40

I'm prone to waffling so I'll try to keep this as brief as possible

Picked the car up back in March 2000 (gulp, yep that's ten years ago) from a young couple in Bristol who'd been using it as a dog carrier. It was filthy, but I could see the potential.



I didn't waste much time modding it - the wheels went on within three weeks, the exhaust was on in less than a fortnight. Took me a year to lower it though, I'm hopeless.

Looked like this for ages:


Here's a video from GTI International 2002 (on the Club Polo stand)
Club Polo at Inters 2002

After a blow-over in 2004 it was looking mint, but something was missing. Power. So, in 2005, I treated myself to a low mileage supercharged G40 engine. A graduation present to myself, lol!

Picked it up from Sheffield in the back of my car, dropped the downpipe in Buxton for the decat then overnighted in Manchester with a mate before driving home to Cardiff the day afterwards bouncing off the bump stops all the way


Fitted it in my parents' garage over two days and drove down to Pitstop Developments (G40/G60 specialist) near Brighton for a check up.


Tidy! 136bhp and 139lbs/ft in an 830kg car.


Well, more power completely changed how I use the car. I got proper performance hungry. New brakes followed, then a few more mods to push power up to the 150bhp mark (enough to be fun, but not too much to be undriveable) and as soon as cash allowed me to I got it out on track.


And the ultimate road trip:


More lessons learned. Oil cooler, smaller wheels and a LSD definitely needed. Time to put some calls in. By Mod Nats last year it was on Gaz coilies, had a Quaife LSD, EBC brakes and a Mocal oil cooler (you can see it below the number plate)


Stack gauges followed in July (who needs a head unit?) - they change colour if the car's too hot or the pressure or voltage is too high or too low. Pretty cool.


Good fun:


Got a few more bits to come, new wheels are top of the list then it's off to Perkins Automotive for a refresh. Can't wait!

G40 charger whine (standard airbox, so fairly quiet)
VW Polo G40 whine

Stack gauges at startup:
Stack Pro-Control Gauges in VW Polo G40

ENGINE
1272cc, multipoint injected, supercharged; Pitstop Developments Full Blend ported supercharger; SNS Stage 5 chip with bespoke remap; Bosch 250cc injectors; Pitstop Developments toothed belt conversion with 65mm pulley; Polo GT inlet manifold; De-restricted airbox; Boost return pipes removed; Longlife stainless steel exhaust with decat pipe; SFS silicone hoses (black); Mocal 13 row 235mm oil cooler with thermostat take-off plate;

TRANSMISSION
Quaife automatic torque bias limited slip differential; Helix Autosport uprated clutch;

SUSPENSION
Gaz coilovers with 7in 275lbs springs (front) and 165lbs springs (rear); G-Laderseite G40 cup car nylon anti-roll bar block mounts; Steel Front Brace Bar;

WHEELS AND TYRES
14x6 Speedline wheels; 195/45 Toyo Proxes T1-R Tyres;

BRAKES
Audi 90 calipers and carriers (painted silver); EBC GreenStuff pads; 256mm EBC USR discs; Pitstop Developments steel braided brake hoses; Passat master cylinder; Motul RBF600 brake fluid;

EXTERIOR
Clear indicators; late spec rear light clusters; OE fog lights; de-locked door handles; wing aerial hole smoothed; green tinted windows;

INTERIOR
Leather gear gaiter; Scirocco GT2 seats; black door cards, carpets and parcel shelf; Duostyle air/fuel gauge; Stack Pro Control boost, oil temp, oil pressure and voltmeter gauges;

SECURITY/ELECTRICAL
Toad Ai606 CAT1 Alarm and Immobiliser; Uprated headlight and foglight wiring looms; Philips Vision Plus headlight bulbs; Xenon foglight bulbs;

I've been back using it as a daily this summer and LOVED it. This is the first year I've had it where nothing's changed, and I've just used it loads. It's a great package! For example, back in July I took it for a blast around Brecon with my mate Martyn (while back home at my parents' place in Cardiff):



Then after a clean up I took it to the Polo Show at Billing that weekend:


I've got a few plans before Ultimate Dubs next March. New wheels are semi built and should be here shortly (bespoke ftw) and once they're on I can get it over to the bodyshop for a winter refresh. It's fairly clean but tbh it could do with a tidy up, there's a bit of rust on the shell which wants removing before it turns into holes. Should look factory fresh!

I'll keep y'all updated with the winter rebuild in this thread.

See this is usually where I would shout that it's not low enough and insert other scene slurs here but to be honest I think this is an almost perfect G40

Very nice mate, you should bring it along to some of the meets so I can get a better look in person

I could drop it another inch or so, but tbh it's low enough to drag its arse already. I nearly ripped the exhaust off while I was in Brecon.

This car makes me moist. I want a G40

f**k yes!

I used to always follow your build on CP, looks amazing still and makes me miss my Atlas Grey GT!

Nice G40 you've got there mate! Bodywork looks nice and clean too.
Look forward to seeing this at the next meet (if you manage to come down).

Glad you like

Gonna aim to make it down a week Friday depending on how well organised I am

Grey mk3s FTW, lovely car!