Please help...newbie here!

[jaykay69]

Hey guys,

I have just purchased my first car, a 3-door Silver X Reg VW Polo MKV 1.0 litre (small engine for insurance reasons!). I would appreciate some help on the following:

1) Before my friends laugh at my plastic wheels, can anyone recommend some decent and affordable alloys (including size and tyre details)? Nothin too flashy, just plain good looking wheels. I have been told to sift through ebay but there are so many to choose from and I do not know which will fit.

2) The car has done 64K. Are there any typical problems I should expect with the car? The car runs really smoothly; are there any tips to keep the car in good working order? There are several minor scratches and dents - does anyone recommend t-cut or sticks? Can anyone recommend good shampoo/polish?

3) I am also considering clear back lights and a CD player/changer - any info on where I can get these from at a good price? Does the CD changer have to be VW branded or can I look elsewehere?

Thanks so much for taking your time to help

Jay

[Gary Gee]

on point 2 has it had its timing done as really it should be getting done around that sort of mileage

and wheels... i wouldnt go for anything larger than 16" and as for makes and where to look try things like http://www.rimstyle.com they have loads of wheels and am sure you can set it by what car it will fit so your not looking at wheels you cant even get... or if they are too much try looking in forsale sections on sites eg clubpolo.. edition 38 or even on ebay ... bargains on ebay some times

i got my teledials for 95 quid for 6


and as for radio... you can fit aftermarket radios straight into your car... just be mindful if you dont have a cubbyhole (shelf) as you may need one to fill the gap up

[jaykay69]

Gary, thanks for the response! The car appears to have full service history upto 60K. Do I need to service it every 10K? How can I check whether the timing has been done? What is the implicatins of this test? Should I get it looked at immediately?

With regards to wheels, I need something decent but not too fancy. Anything will be better than those tiny little plastic hubcaps! If 16" is the max., I suppose I want 14" or 15". I will check the website...thanks for the advice! Are teledials good? Do you have any pics?

Again, sorry for the complete newbie nature of my questions but what aftermarket radios would you recommend? I have the standard radio and the cubbyhole below. Would it be best to just buy the standard VW CD atatchment or fit an aftermarket system? Will any aftermarket CD player fit/work? Any advice on brands? Can I connect my iPhone and stram music directly?

Cheers everyone!

Jay

[emma_88]

Gary, thanks for the response! The car appears to have full service history upto 60K. Do I need to service it every 10K? How can I check whether the timing has been done? What is the implicatins of this test? Should I get it looked at immediately?

Yes, Ideally you should service it every 10k. Some people do an oil change every 5k, just depends on what you want to do really. Did the car come with any receipts?? If you're not sure if the timing belt has been done get it sorted a.s.a.p/ You don't want it snapping on you, or it'll cost you more than you'd like.

With regards to wheels, I need something decent but not too fancy. Anything will be better than those tiny little plastic hubcaps! If 16" is the max., I suppose I want 14" or 15". I will check the website...thanks for the advice! Are teledials good? Do you have any pics?

As Gary said look at rimstyle website, they have loads of styles, IMO try go for something that no one else has if you can, to make your Polo stand out.

Again, sorry for the complete newbie nature of my questions but what aftermarket radios would you recommend? I have the standard radio and the cubbyhole below. Would it be best to just buy the standard VW CD atatchment or fit an aftermarket system? Will any aftermarket CD player fit/work? Any advice on brands? Can I connect my iPhone and stram music directly?

I can't really recommend an aftermarket headunit, 'cos I still have my standard radio in. I think most likely it will be easier to fit an aftermarket CD player, you will get more out of it ie if you want to go with the I.C.E side of things - speaker upgrade, subs, amps etc. Any aftermarket CD player should fit, just have a shop around. If you want a headunit with an iphone attachment, when looking, make sure it's iPhone/iPod compatible.

[Gary Gee]

i dont think you can check if your timing been done without a receipt really but if it doesnt get done and ur timing belt/chain slips/snaps... it could break your engine.... which is defo bad crack i was lucky and mine got done before i bought car at 42k

but aftermarket headunits are alot easier to get Ipod connectivity with... have a look round your local halfords or ICE people and they will be able to help you out alot with it

and as for picture of teledials heres my car on them... altho you do need adaptors to fit them which set you back about 150-300 quid depending on width.. make and so on

[jaykay69]

Gary and Emma, you've been a great help! Sweet car btw, if only my Polo looked half as cool...do you want to swap your teledials for some swish plastic hubcaps,lol?! How big are your wheels/tyres? It looks like the rimstyle website is the place to shop...I will browse later today! How can I find out whether a certain rim from ebay will fit my polo?

The timing belt sound slike a very serious issue; I will take my car to a mechanic asap...how much do they cost to replace? Gary, you said you had yours replaced before 42K, will you need to get another replacement before you hit 60K, 70K, 80K? Can the mechanic easily tell whether it needs replacing?

An aftermarket CD player it is...any brand recommendations?

Cheers guys!

p.s. how much do you guys pay for insurance? I got a pretty good deal for my Polo (my first ever car!)...worked out £614 for a 10 month policy with accelerated no claims (I get a 1 year NCB after just 10 months!). Not bad as I remember my mates paying a fortune when they first passed...only problem being my puny 1.0 engine!

[emma_88]

How can I find out whether a certain rim from ebay will fit my polo?

Make sure the PCD is 4x100. Most sellers will state in their ad what makes of car the wheels will fit. If in doubt, you can always ask them, or ask on here.

The timing belt sound slike a very serious issue; I will take my car to a mechanic asap...how much do they cost to replace? Gary, you said you had yours replaced before 42K, will you need to get another replacement before you hit 60K, 70K, 80K? Can the mechanic easily tell whether it needs replacing?

I got a quote for my cambelt to be replaced from my local VW dealer - £300 ish including VAT. I thought that was a bit pricey mind, as that was without the tensioners, water pump etc. So I just opted for buying the timing kit, and getting a mate to fit it. Just go to your local mechanic and ask for a quote, they aren't cheap though. But always cheaper than a replacement engine!

p.s. how much do you guys pay for insurance? I got a pretty good deal for my Polo (my first ever car!)...worked out £614 for a 10 month policy with accelerated no claims (I get a 1 year NCB after just 10 months!). Not bad as I remember my mates paying a fortune when they first passed...only problem being my puny 1.0 engine!

How old are you? £614 for your first car is very cheap. Build up your no claims and your insurance will remain cheap. I'm currently paying £300 for my GTi, but that's in my Dad's name with Directline - Meaning I get my own no claims being a named driver

[jaykay69]

Thanks Emz!

I will make sure they are 4x100 - thanks! Do you think 14" or 15" will be best for my car? I do not want anything too big/flashy (because it is only a 1.0 basic model). Do I need special tyres?

A family friend is a mechanic so hopefully he will sort the timing belt for a decent price (wishful thinking!).

I am 23 (very late to the driving game due to a fondness for alcohol and complete an utter laziness) but I was quite happy wth the quote. It is only for 10 months but at least my NCB will come early (fingers crossed!). I did not realise elephant, admiral and diamon were all owned by the same company...they even own confused.com!!! Cheeky gits!

One more question before I begin my search for rims and ICE...can I purchase any aftermarket CD player off ebay and expect to slot it underneath the standard VW radio/tape player (the cubbyhole) and work, or will I need loads of additional connectors?

Cheers!

[emma_88]

Thanks Emz!

I will make sure they are 4x100 - thanks! Do you think 14" or 15" will be best for my car? I do not want anything too big/flashy (because it is only a 1.0 basic model). Do I need special tyres?

I'd go for 15's, just right IMO. Most folk have 195/45/15 tyres, but you can have whatever you want I suppose.

I did not realise elephant, admiral and diamon were all owned by the same company...they even own confused.com!!! Cheeky gits!

This company also owns Bell.co.uk too, just so you know lol

One more question before I begin my search for rims and ICE...can I purchase any aftermarket CD player off ebay and expect to slot it underneath the standard VW radio/tape player (the cubbyhole) and work, or will I need loads of additional connectors?

Any aftermarket headunit will fit underneath the cubby hole, not too sure about any additional connectors though. Sorry.

[Gary Gee]

OMG am payin nearly 1000 on my 1.4 8v i feel so poo now... and my wheels are 15x7 tyres are 165/50/15 (stretch)

and radios its personal prefernce in my opinion as i like jvc... my brother does not.. and so on

[jaykay69]

Emz - 15s it is! I have seen a nice set on rimstyle but the price is not so nice,lol! I wne ton ebay but alll the half decent wheels are miles and miles away,lol!

I saw a Sony Cd player that allows bluetooth music streaming...looks pretty cool! I am just worried about the connections...not sure what i need! Will I have to remove the standard Radio/Tape player or do I just put the CD player underneath and keep both? One of the standard speakers souns a bit dodgy, would you guys recommend replacing them? I don't want a huge sub/amp in my boot though!

Gary - £1000...dude that is a lot! How old are you? First year of driving? I got adecent elephant quote through confused.com and then elephant phoned me to negotiate. I pretended to have received a better quote elsewhere and they reduced their price even further. May be you should consider a 10 month accelrator policy like I got...gives you a years no claims bonus after just 10 months!

Cheers guys!

[Gary Gee]

Emz - 15s it is! I have seen a nice set on rimstyle but the price is not so nice,lol! I wne ton ebay but alll the half decent wheels are miles and miles away,lol!

I saw a Sony Cd player that allows bluetooth music streaming...looks pretty cool! I am just worried about the connections...not sure what i need! Will I have to remove the standard Radio/Tape player or do I just put the CD player underneath and keep both? One of the standard speakers souns a bit dodgy, would you guys recommend replacing them? I don't want a huge sub/amp in my boot though!

Gary - £1000...dude that is a lot! How old are you? First year of driving? I got adecent elephant quote through confused.com and then elephant phoned me to negotiate. I pretended to have received a better quote elsewhere and they reduced their price even further. May be you should consider a 10 month accelrator policy like I got...gives you a years no claims bonus after just 10 months!

Cheers guys!

lol nope second year driving.. altho my mods are declared on the car and its fully compy my first year was 1500 third party fire and theft lol and no if you take your old radio out there is a radio harness and your new radio should plug straight into where the old one was..... if not the shop where you buy it will tell you if you need another harness

and elephant were gonna charge me too much for all the stuff i wanted on like third party extention (so i can drive any ones car with there permission and so on)