Discussion
Having been inspired by this thread: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... I thought I should start a thread on my 'GTI at 19' 
At the start of this year I decided that it was time to move on from my classic Mini - as fantastic as it was, as a daily driver it was starting to grate on me, especially through the winter when those bright sunny days where it was a joy to drive are few and far between. However, if I was selling it, I didn't want to replace it with a dull-as-ditchwater ecobox, I wanted something a bit different.
Having turned 19 in March and gained 2 years no-claims, I was able to afford to insure something a bit quicker. I've always liked the Lupo GTI and its rarity was a big attraction, as well as the fact it has a 1.6 instead of a 2.0 which would keep the insurance down. Whenever this car is mentioned a lot of people say they can't believe the price they sell for and the lack of depreciation, but what isn't immediately noticeable is the amount of effort VW went to in order to make it a properly specialised performance car. It has thinner glass, a wider track, aluminum bonnet, wings and doors, a trick diff, hydraulic clutch, the engine is derived from a Polo rally car, the list goes on and it means that it's pretty much impossible (and pointless) to turn a standard Lupo into a GTI. This was unheard of in a car this size and would never happen today - they'd just shove a big engine in with a bodykit and bigger brakes and stick it on sale.
The fact that they're rare means you have to travel to find a good one, and I did - we covered about 1000 miles searching! I wanted one that was completely standard, and due to the fact that they appeal to the 'dubsters' who ruin them, a lot on sale were dismissed straight away. I eventually found a nice 2003 anthracite model which had done 49k; it had been lowered slightly but looked good. When we went to view it, we found out it had been part of a collection of VWs for around 3 years where it had covered just 1000 miles! Also, on seeing it in the flesh, I actually preferred it sitting slightly lower and the ride wasn't bad at all. The following week we picked it up and it was mine
I originally wanted a red or blue one, but no blue cars were for sale and the red one we looked at was a big disappointment. The bonus of having anthracite is that it's one of the rarest colours - there's only 33 other anthracite GTIs on the road. My dad bought a machine polisher a few weeks ago so we gave it the treatment today - I forgot to take some before pics but the difference is unbelievable.
In my ownership, it's had the wheels refurbed and new discs and pads all round and I added the red trim on the grille, GTI sill strips and GTI stickers on the brake calipers, but aside from that I've left it alone as IMO it's great as standard. It's now on 52k and has been mechanically faultless - went down to London for the weekend with the OH and averaged 41mpg which I thought was very respectable. I do mainly town driving day-to-day and average about 28-30 which is about the same as I got from my Mini. It's an absolute riot on back roads and you need to keep a firm grip of the wheel as it torquesteers a bit if you floor it in the lower gears! It's ideal for me as having 'only' 125bhp means it's quick but not so fast that it's likely to throw me into a ditch at every opportunity - when you're used to 38bhp it feels more than fast enough
Plan is to just maintain its current condition and keep it as it is; there's some electrical gremlins which I'm having sorted tomorrow and then it'll be completely faultless.
Thanks for looking
At the start of this year I decided that it was time to move on from my classic Mini - as fantastic as it was, as a daily driver it was starting to grate on me, especially through the winter when those bright sunny days where it was a joy to drive are few and far between. However, if I was selling it, I didn't want to replace it with a dull-as-ditchwater ecobox, I wanted something a bit different.
Having turned 19 in March and gained 2 years no-claims, I was able to afford to insure something a bit quicker. I've always liked the Lupo GTI and its rarity was a big attraction, as well as the fact it has a 1.6 instead of a 2.0 which would keep the insurance down. Whenever this car is mentioned a lot of people say they can't believe the price they sell for and the lack of depreciation, but what isn't immediately noticeable is the amount of effort VW went to in order to make it a properly specialised performance car. It has thinner glass, a wider track, aluminum bonnet, wings and doors, a trick diff, hydraulic clutch, the engine is derived from a Polo rally car, the list goes on and it means that it's pretty much impossible (and pointless) to turn a standard Lupo into a GTI. This was unheard of in a car this size and would never happen today - they'd just shove a big engine in with a bodykit and bigger brakes and stick it on sale.
The fact that they're rare means you have to travel to find a good one, and I did - we covered about 1000 miles searching! I wanted one that was completely standard, and due to the fact that they appeal to the 'dubsters' who ruin them, a lot on sale were dismissed straight away. I eventually found a nice 2003 anthracite model which had done 49k; it had been lowered slightly but looked good. When we went to view it, we found out it had been part of a collection of VWs for around 3 years where it had covered just 1000 miles! Also, on seeing it in the flesh, I actually preferred it sitting slightly lower and the ride wasn't bad at all. The following week we picked it up and it was mine
I originally wanted a red or blue one, but no blue cars were for sale and the red one we looked at was a big disappointment. The bonus of having anthracite is that it's one of the rarest colours - there's only 33 other anthracite GTIs on the road. My dad bought a machine polisher a few weeks ago so we gave it the treatment today - I forgot to take some before pics but the difference is unbelievable.
In my ownership, it's had the wheels refurbed and new discs and pads all round and I added the red trim on the grille, GTI sill strips and GTI stickers on the brake calipers, but aside from that I've left it alone as IMO it's great as standard. It's now on 52k and has been mechanically faultless - went down to London for the weekend with the OH and averaged 41mpg which I thought was very respectable. I do mainly town driving day-to-day and average about 28-30 which is about the same as I got from my Mini. It's an absolute riot on back roads and you need to keep a firm grip of the wheel as it torquesteers a bit if you floor it in the lower gears! It's ideal for me as having 'only' 125bhp means it's quick but not so fast that it's likely to throw me into a ditch at every opportunity - when you're used to 38bhp it feels more than fast enough
Plan is to just maintain its current condition and keep it as it is; there's some electrical gremlins which I'm having sorted tomorrow and then it'll be completely faultless.Thanks for looking
Had one of these in black for a few years - fantastic car. As you say there is something special about how different it is.
It doesn't have a mechanical diff though - it has an electronic system that brakes a spinning wheel (Electronic Differential Lock / EDL)
Looks like yours has an aftermarket great knob and gaiter. Are the internal door handles chrome? They were black as standard if so.
It doesn't have a mechanical diff though - it has an electronic system that brakes a spinning wheel (Electronic Differential Lock / EDL)
Looks like yours has an aftermarket great knob and gaiter. Are the internal door handles chrome? They were black as standard if so.
Edited by Defcon5 on Sunday 13th July 20:56
Thanks for the great comments
Took it down to Auto Technic in Sheffield today to have a new indicator stalk put on, they did it in 3 hours which I thought was excellent service, highly recommended! One of the guys there was mad about GTIs and knew everything there was to know about them - he said mine was one of the best he'd seen so can't complain with that
He identified a few other bits that want doing like new door check straps (they're made of cheese on these) and the wheel alignment being slightly out, so I'll get that done at some point but with the MOT looming next month I know it should now fly through - I'll probably still have the nerves I had when I used to take the Mini for its test though
Took it down to Auto Technic in Sheffield today to have a new indicator stalk put on, they did it in 3 hours which I thought was excellent service, highly recommended! One of the guys there was mad about GTIs and knew everything there was to know about them - he said mine was one of the best he'd seen so can't complain with that
He identified a few other bits that want doing like new door check straps (they're made of cheese on these) and the wheel alignment being slightly out, so I'll get that done at some point but with the MOT looming next month I know it should now fly through - I'll probably still have the nerves I had when I used to take the Mini for its test though
Nice car that and I like the subtle modifications. You can eek a few more HP out of the 1.6 with a few mild modifications to which is nice and as far as 16v engines go they sound good to and have a traditional 16v power curve.
Good write up to apart from the "ruined by dubsters" comment- that really ticks me off.
Good write up to apart from the "ruined by dubsters" comment- that really ticks me off.
OP. . .that is a very nice example.
Love my Lupo sport as my daily driver, its the mild 100BHP version but nips along and although it has 160,000 plus miles on it, it feels like its got that in it again !
A great car the Lupo, and although I prefer the Met Blue is it Raven Blue ?? (defcon will know), anthracite is a good colour to, enjoy it !
Love my Lupo sport as my daily driver, its the mild 100BHP version but nips along and although it has 160,000 plus miles on it, it feels like its got that in it again !
A great car the Lupo, and although I prefer the Met Blue is it Raven Blue ?? (defcon will know), anthracite is a good colour to, enjoy it !
benters said:
OP. . .that is a very nice example.
Love my Lupo sport as my daily driver, its the mild 100BHP version but nips along and although it has 160,000 plus miles on it, it feels like its got that in it again !
A great car the Lupo, and although I prefer the Met Blue is it Raven Blue ?? (defcon will know), anthracite is a good colour to, enjoy it !
Is is indeed raven blue (absolutely lovely colour) however there are a couple of very late ones that are laser blue - probably less than 10 of those around though.Love my Lupo sport as my daily driver, its the mild 100BHP version but nips along and although it has 160,000 plus miles on it, it feels like its got that in it again !
A great car the Lupo, and although I prefer the Met Blue is it Raven Blue ?? (defcon will know), anthracite is a good colour to, enjoy it !
In order of commonness, the Lupo GTI came in:
Reflex Silver
Black
Moon Silver
Raven Blue
Flash Red
Anthracite
Tornado Red
Laser Blue
There are 759 Lupo GTIs currently registered according to howmanyleft.
Defcon5 said:
Is is indeed raven blue (absolutely lovely colour) however there are a couple of very late ones that are laser blue - probably less than 10 of those around though.
In order of commonness, the Lupo GTI came in:
Reflex Silver
Black
Moon Silver
Raven Blue
Flash Red
Anthracite
Tornado Red
Laser Blue
There are 759 Lupo GTIs currently registered according to howmanyleft.
Love your work mate. . .In order of commonness, the Lupo GTI came in:
Reflex Silver
Black
Moon Silver
Raven Blue
Flash Red
Anthracite
Tornado Red
Laser Blue
There are 759 Lupo GTIs currently registered according to howmanyleft.
Max M4X WW said:
Looks great, always fancied one for all the reasons you mention. Looks like someone has fitted the nicer rear lights too, I forget what they come from.
The rear lights are from an SE, normally referred to as 'cambridge' lights. Not cheap!Looks like the interior chrome door handles are from the SE too.
Love lupos. On my 3rd now and waiting for a nice raven blue GTi to be my 4th.
Looks like a lovely car!! Absolutely loved my Lupo GTi had from 18 until I was 20, great on insurance I think due to their rarity. Nice to see another standard one (other than the gearknob... sorry anorak 
).
Mine was absolutely faultless, the only thing I would highly recommend doing is sorting the centre brake light, water gets behind them and can make them faulty. Its an easy job just two screws hold on the rear spoiler, just remove the light silicone it to stop the water. When I did mine 3 years ago I bought a new light and was told by the dealer this was one of only 3 left in the VW network, so you don't want that failing really.
Definitely depreciation proof too!! Bought mine from a lady in London who specced the colour concept leather from new and didn't realise what it was managed to sell it for just over 6 grand around 2 years ago, so have no doubt got rarely since then. Very good purchase!!
Enjoy
).Mine was absolutely faultless, the only thing I would highly recommend doing is sorting the centre brake light, water gets behind them and can make them faulty. Its an easy job just two screws hold on the rear spoiler, just remove the light silicone it to stop the water. When I did mine 3 years ago I bought a new light and was told by the dealer this was one of only 3 left in the VW network, so you don't want that failing really.
Definitely depreciation proof too!! Bought mine from a lady in London who specced the colour concept leather from new and didn't realise what it was managed to sell it for just over 6 grand around 2 years ago, so have no doubt got rarely since then. Very good purchase!!
Enjoy
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