VW, like to keep it simple. The Beetle engine for example was manufactured from 1938 until 2002 with an evolution of mods - but fundamentally still the simple design remains. No other manufacturer can claim such reliability or longevity. They run for 100's thousands of miles. The Polo Mk 2 and 3, Golf GTi and G40's were really very simple engines, low cost, and very reliable. This is what makes the VW brand name. Every now and then they go nuts and stick a charger on it, but then the lifetime is affected, so they do it *very* carefully - and leave it to the idiots to fiddle and knacker their own engines, thus leaving reputation intact.daffy wrote:Well you learn something new everyday i guess. VW with a Variable Valve Time. I think it was about time they started using it. They've been left donkey's years behind. Personally I don't like VW much as an engine manufacturer. No imagination whatsoever.
As regards a playful car JWC, my previous one was a 106 Rallye so as you can imagine......the difference is a bit more than obvious. But you would think that it would do the basics. Thinking of changing my airfilter too cos the one that it has now is totally smothered. It intakes from somewhere in the front right arch. I'm more than happy with the car's range. Revving it to 6,5 as it is now (stock) won't do much anyway as you already mentioned.
By the way, I definitely need lowering. How far down does the GTi go in relation to the 75hp? I'm not going to lower it so far that it'll effect handling. So the question is......how low do you go on 15'' wheels so that handling isn't affected?
What is your filter smothered with or do you mean your car is generally asthmatic? We believe in good hi-flow filters, the flow of gas upstream of the cylinders has a larger effect on economy and performance than down stream. Its good to keep it clean, clean filter, hoover out bugs, small barn owls and other stuff it might have sucked in.
If you lower the car at all, the handling will be affected. This is because ther are, camber, toe, thrust axis, castor, setback, KPI angles that need to be spot on for the car to be as it is now, if you lower it many of these will change. Obviously only the GTI has a known approved and tested setup. If you lower it yourself, you'll have to guess at what these settings should be, most people assume that it will all remain the same just lower, as if there were more weight in the car, but this is not the case if you've taken the suspension appart. For example, the track rods point down hill at the moment, so when you lower it they become or go over horizontal, making them effectively longer, thus causing the front wheels to gain toe-in.
This isn't to say that it won't be better than it is now! I've done my fair share of lowering etc, but I have no plans on this one, I now concentrate on it being as comfortable and as quiet as possible, wafting to work, and wafting home again. I inadvertantly became old overnight.... Anyone seen my slippers?
