1991 VW Polo Breadvan - That Free Camo one

[BT]

I thought I would start a build thread for this, seen as it has been documented on the forum prior to it coming into my hands it seemed only right.

So a quick run down.

I own many 4 wheeled vehicles, some with two wheels, some with no wheels, a lot need welding, or fixing, or just using for their intended purpose. So what is a logical thing to do? Browse the "For Sale" section of this forum daily! Whilst going through my daily browse I found a polo advertised for free, my younger brother is yet to start driving and I thought "Heck, that might just do him a turn" I spoke with the seller, spoke with my driver and a deal was struck.

Here is the for sale thread, well it was free so here is the "have it for free" thread.

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/188055/1991-polo-breadvan-braintree-essex

This is the first image I saw of the car.



Initially I thought it was a mk2, but after browsing through another thread I discovered I was wrong!



I don't know why but I have always liked the MK2F or the MK3, whatever it actually is.

So I got reading a little bit and discovered a bit of history on the car. The car was bought to do a charity rally in. The chap drove all the way to the sahra I belive. Hats off, I accidentaly drove to Nuremburg rther than Nurburg a few years ago and that was enough to send me borderline insane.

Anyway here is a link to the original thread with the original car.

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/156697/breadvan-banger-rally-veteran-essex?.U6s9aLGSDnY=undefined#.U7B_gbGSDnY

So I sent my driver over to pick it up on Monday, he came back, didn't seem best pleased but oh well, he got paid his money and I got myself a brush painted camo polo. I jumped in to park the car up to find no stering wheel and no pedals, huh, oh wait its a LHD! Which I didn't realise.

So initially my plan is to get an MOT on it. Get the thing to run right, stop well and we will throw it in for an MOT.

Long term plans are to attend to the paint, even if I just matte black it, I do like a bit of matte black. Try and fit some cool wheels in there that can take some decent sticky rubber. I would actually really like to build something with a little bit of poke, I do like to go abroad quite a bit, to the ring and some of the mountain roads, so the LHD of this little polo could prove a blessing. I have also read that the brake servo positioning helps accommodate for a larger engine when compared to a RHD model. Problem is these things only want to take a small block with the 1.4 16V being pretty much the boldest thing that can be installed.

We will see what happens. Until the next update, have a photo of a cool polo.

Just realised this photo didn't work!

[foldy]

A man after my own heart. Too many cars, most need too much work.
I had to avoid this, sounded like grounds for a divorce!
Will be watching though

[BT]

As far as I am aware, that's the only way to do it!

Anyway, a last Tuesday the recovery driver turned up, it dawned on me very quickly that I was probably a little bit out of my depth.



It was quite late at this point so I didn't have a huge amount of time to assess the vehicle, work needed and potential plans, so I just tucked the wagon back into the garage, thankfully it fit first time round with room to spare which was a bonus.



Currently I am trying to understand why the 20VT is such a problem. I see there are firms offering sub frames to allow fitment but even when the exchange rate is good I can not really see what you are getting for your €1500. Having put Vauxhall and k series engines in minis I can't help but think to myself "a 20VT conversion must be possible" but there seems to be next to no information online. Further investigation is required I think.

[mikehamid]

If I hadn't just bought the Trabi, I'd have had a stab at this Polo! I still can't believe it was free. Welcome to the left hand drive club too! Where abouts in Kent are you?

[guz]

i think you can get a small block 1.6, i'm sure
a mate put one in one of his (86C on club polo),
the 1.3 GT i had in a mk2 coupe s was plenty for me tbh

[qwerty]

A 20vT involves a lot of reshaping of the chassis leg, plus they're a bit tall which means either bonnet interference or sump interference.

A 1.4 16v AFH with bike carbs practically drops in and can give 130hp with not a huge amount of work. Bearing in mind the car weighs about 800kg they can be pretty fun.

[Paul]

An AFH did cross my mind... ;-)

Watching with interest...I think the guy who took it Mongol rallying occasionally appears on here...sadly the army ration packs that were in the boot had been attacked by mice when I suggest her out!

[cianha]

I very nearly bought one of this as my first car, until Dad was put off by the clutch needing replacement. Settled for a 6N, but always preferred the Breadies!

[jimjimthehumanbin]

Breadvan Love

It's an old thread but the first couple of pics...potential. First things first though.

[BT]

This is an attempt at a multi quote, that hopefully works out!

Apr 10, 2016 17:36:38 GMT mikehamid said:

If I hadn't just bought the Trabi, I'd have had a stab at this Polo! I still can't believe it was free. Welcome to the left hand drive club too! Where abouts in Kent are you?

Its a pretty cool free car, certainly a conversation starter! This will be my first go at a left hooker, hopefully with it being so small I will not find it too bizarre.

I am from the Rochester part of Kent, yourself?

Apr 10, 2016 17:44:57 GMT guz said:

i think you can get a small block 1.6, i'm sure
a mate put one in one of his (86C on club polo),
the 1.3 GT i had in a mk2 coupe s was plenty for me tbh

That's interesting, I am on Club polo and have been for over ten years now I think although I don't use the board that much, I never seemed to really get on with it overly well. I will have a search for his user name, as I was unaware that the 1.6 16V fit the breadvan and it would sure prove an interesting read.

Apr 10, 2016 18:14:03 GMT qwerty said:

A 20vT involves a lot of reshaping of the chassis leg, plus they're a bit tall which means either bonnet interference or sump interference.

A 1.4 16v AFH with bike carbs practically drops in and can give 130hp with not a huge amount of work. Bearing in mind the car weighs about 800kg they can be pretty fun.

I am under the impression that there is quite a bit of agro involved in fitting the 20VT, come to think of it I don't think I have actually seen one? I think the easiest way would be to bring the engine up and modify the hood rather than have the sump super low. I don't even know what box you would run on these to get it as narrow as possible, 020 like in the MK2 golf?

The AFH seems the most logical option, seems simple enough and 130 shouldn't really be sniffed at, plus I suppose it would prove for a far more balanced car than a hefty old 150bhp+ 20VT hunkered into the front.

Apr 10, 2016 19:51:36 GMT Paul said:

An AFH did cross my mind... ;-)

Watching with interest...I think the guy who took it Mongol rallying occasionally appears on here...sadly the army ration packs that were in the boot had been attacked by mice when I suggest her out!

AFH seems logical, once its legal. I thought I had PMed you back paul, just checked and I seemed to have typed it all out and then closed the window before sending it, I will fire you one over as soon as I can.

Apr 10, 2016 20:29:53 GMT cianha said:

I very nearly bought one of this as my first car, until Dad was put off by the clutch needing replacement. Settled for a 6N, but always preferred the Breadies!

When I was much younger I always wanted a 6N, the 6N2 was just a little too expensive for my meagre paper round money back then, always seemed logical to have a car years before you could legally drive it, poor decisions are something I seem to be very good at!

Apr 10, 2016 20:49:56 GMT jimjimthehumanbin said:

Breadvan Love

It's an old thread but the first couple of pics...potential. First things first though.

That thread is evil!

This thing is awesome.




It took me a while to figure why this think pleased me so much. Then I realised it was the MK1 golf rear arches.

How ever this one...



Seems to be far more achievable in my books, for now any way. Wheel specs seem to work very well, I think I remember reading about this car years ago, are they not Renault wheels?

[guz]

i've just picked up yet another one :/
£100 off ebay with 6 months MOT, 1.3 coupe.
i've got a 1.4 16V 6n sat on the drive too but
it just seems a bit modern to me, paid £150 for
that so cheap donors are out there.

[BT]

Apr 11, 2016 20:49:27 GMT guz said:

i've just picked up yet another one :/
£100 off ebay with 6 months MOT, 1.3 coupe.
i've got a 1.4 16V 6n sat on the drive too but
it just seems a bit modern to me, paid £150 for
that so cheap donors are out there.

Nice!

I do like the coupe, my neighbour used to have one with a G40 kit in a maroon, looked awesome.

Is the AFH just a 6N 1.4 16V? Ebay AFH engines seem to be stupid money, I kid you not there was a 125K one on there for £710. its bonkers. Whole cars are the way. Does the box from the AFH get thrown in as well?

[guz]

tbh i dunno

[qwerty]

Hit the Club Polo FAQs section and there's guides for everything.

mikeymk is the guy to speak to about Polo engine conversions!

[mikehamid]

Apr 11, 2016 20:33:34 GMT BT said:

This is an attempt at a multi quote, that hopefully works out!

Apr 10, 2016 17:36:38 GMT mikehamid said:

If I hadn't just bought the Trabi, I'd have had a stab at this Polo! I still can't believe it was free. Welcome to the left hand drive club too! Where abouts in Kent are you?

Its a pretty cool free car, certainly a conversation starter! This will be my first go at a left hooker, hopefully with it being so small I will not find it too bizarre.

I am from the Rochester part of Kent, yourself? 

You won't find it too hard I'd imagine. You'll find yourself knocking your arm into the door car looking for the gear stick once or twice though lol.

Nice one, I'm in Canterbury. I'll be started a job in Rochester in September though, so I'll hope to see your Polo out and about!

[BT]

Apr 12, 2016 6:41:51 GMT qwerty said:

Hit the Club Polo FAQs section and there's guides for everything.

mikeymk is the guy to speak to about Polo engine conversions!

Nice one, I've just been over there and having a little look, thought I might have found a how to quide or something on the AFH, but no such luck.

I did however find a pretty interesting thread about the subframe conversions, I can not get my head around the front strut set up on these, they seem so super bizarre. Pretty limiting as well.

Apr 13, 2016 20:21:58 GMT mikehamid said:

Apr 11, 2016 20:33:34 GMT BT said:

This is an attempt at a multi quote, that hopefully works out!

Its a pretty cool free car, certainly a conversation starter! This will be my first go at a left hooker, hopefully with it being so small I will not find it too bizarre.

I am from the Rochester part of Kent, yourself? 

You won't find it too hard I'd imagine. You'll find yourself knocking your arm into the door car looking for the gear stick once or twice though lol.

Nice one, I'm in Canterbury. I'll be started a job in Rochester in September though, so I'll hope to see your Polo out and about!

There are quite a lot of cool wagons over this way, used to be a very cool meet every first Thursday of the week by the industrial estate/dockyards, but a stop has been put on that.

Can anyone tell me... What is this?



It also has this on the dash.



Who ever had the tipex pen. They need a talking to! Its everywhere!!



Paint seriously needs sorting, I did contemplate hitting it with some left over colour I had in the garage, but I am a little unsure, eitherway I need to sort this.




This all seems pretty pucker though.

I found this... It seems awesome!

[dean36014]

The webasto is a petrol powered coolant heater. It looks likeyour vw might have come from a colder climate

[BT]

Apr 17, 2016 14:56:36 GMT dean36014 said:

The webasto is a petrol powered coolant heater. It looks likeyour vw might have come from a colder climate

Thanks for that, looking at the fob in the cab of the car I assume you can preset it or something so that the car is already warm when you come to leave for work or what not?

I thought it was from Germany, heard mention it could have even been from Scandinavia? I think I might have to submit one of those V888 forms when I get the full V5 come through, which should hopefully be next week provided DVLA don't balls it up.

Shame I will have absolutely zero use for it.

[qwerty]

Could you take off the tan with thinners? Paint underneath could be OK.

[BT]

I did have a go but seemed unsuccessful, will have to take a variety of thinners/gunwash down with me next time. Paint in the original thread looked pretty good!