Author Topic: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date  (Read 20599 times)

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #30 on: February 04, 2010, 06:00:28 pm »
Hey mate.

I don't actaully live in southampton anymore, i moved to havant about 8 months ago, but i do work in Fawley and i try to get to the Sovag meet.   Used to live in Freemantle!

Offline Varley

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #31 on: February 04, 2010, 10:31:43 pm »
Ah cool,

I work up your way actually, even go down the Hawks occasionally! lol

Let me know when you're next going down sovag and i'll pop down like...


Offline LeonL

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #32 on: February 05, 2010, 07:34:06 pm »
Woot down in Havant ;)

Great addititon to the topic again.

PS: Were did you get the new ariel gromit, think i could do with doing this on mine? Wanna lend a hand? ;) Pm me

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #33 on: February 07, 2010, 11:18:39 am »
ya, ebay is good for them, but i bought mine through VW dealers.  part number 1H0 051 753.  can't remember how much it is though  ???

Offline LeonL

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #34 on: February 07, 2010, 06:20:12 pm »
Nice one,

Will get down VW next weekend.

Cheers

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #35 on: April 06, 2010, 10:05:31 pm »
A couple of months have passed since The G40 was tucked away in her new home.  But it was time she saw the light of day again.  My Vento was going into the body shop for some work so I needed the G40 to use as the daily for a week or two.  Hopefully I’d be able to do a few tidy up jobs too.

When I opened the door to the garage I was shocked.  She was filthy!   When she was put into the garage, she was very wet from her trip down.  I connected the battery and jumped in.   She fired to life straight away.  Hearing the supercharger whine sent tingles down my spin and gave me an instant smile!  Time to move her, well, that bit didn’t quite go according to plan.  She wouldn’t budge!   It appeared that the brakes had seized on.  A few jumps of the clutch didn’t realise them.   Not a great start really!  I quickly discovered that it was the drivers size rear drum that was sticking.  Quickly off with the wheel, a few taps with a rubber mallet and she freed up!  Attempt number two was a success and she saw the light of day again after 2 months.   What a great feeling it was to be out and about in her again.

What with being a bit grubby, I thought it best to make a start on cleaning her up again, starting with the interior.  Thinking back, when was the last time the interior had been cleaned?  My guess would be early part of 2007!   Ok, so the car hadn’t had much use, but the seats had a couple of grubby marks on them and the floors were a bit dirty.  Now you may think I love all things to do with cleaning a car.  You’d be wrong, I do no like cleaning interiors!

I quick trip to Halfords saw me coming back with a few bits and pieces to make a start.  I quickly got stuck into cleaning up the seats.  All the grubby stains have now gone but it did highlight to me that the interior was starting to tire a bit.  The rear seats and door cards had really faded and the seams were breaking at the top of the rear bench!  Classic G40 interior problems.  Also, one of the bolsters on the drivers seat has started to soften in a specific place.  I shall have to keep my eye out for some new interior bits :)

Unfortunately, the bad news didn’t stop there.  Earlier this year I had done a job which I thought would cure water getting into the boot.  That areal base!   After some extremely heavy rain and tonnes of surface water, it has become apparent that this wasn’t the source of water getting in.  The boot carpet is drenched on the drivers side.  This really isn’t what I want to find.  The up and coming forecast for the next week is rain rain and more rain!  Some time ago I bought the boot seal, I was going to hang onto it until I had the car resprayed, but I think the time has come to give that a go!  If that doesn’t stop it, I shall just have to keep looking!

Also, at some point this week, I plan to refit the door strip which has been progressively getting worse!

All in all, not the best start to 2010 for the G, but it’ll get better I’m sure!  Its still a bloody great drive though :)

So, to the door strip.  Over the past 5 years it had been getting worse and worse.  Now, from a weeks solid use up and down the motorway in the pouring ran, it was pretty much hanging on by the last thread.  Time to act!





It didn’t take much effort to pull the trim off the door.  The clip section which is meant to be secured to the door had broken into three pieces, all be it not perfect, but it would was still useable to put it back.  The fun part was yet to come.  All the sticky remains on the door.  So me and my trusty assistance set to work.







After some time it was done, I tidied the strip up and boot some new sticky tape on (I’d had this for some time as I’d planned to do it sooner) and I carefully stuck it back to the car and held it in place with some tape!



It was now complete and looked far better.  Ok, its not perfect, but it’ll do until I can find some strips in better condition!







She’d also had a clean during this and had been to her first meet down in Hampshire! :)

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #36 on: June 13, 2011, 07:44:55 pm »
About time i put a bit more effort into this and got it right up to date!  So here goes.....


Just before it was time to put the car away, I decided I would try investigating where this leak in the boot was coming from.   A friend of mine had a handy gadget that would come in very useful!  An optical camera! :)

One evening, I took the camera and started having a look around in the boot.   Eventually what I found was a possible leak from a couple of rubber bungs in the inner arch.   A bit of silicon sealant and they were stuck back in.  Lets hope that’s the end of that.













Unfortunately I found water under the boot carpet when she was next used in the rain. 
So the search continues.

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #37 on: June 13, 2011, 07:45:34 pm »
June 2010 – Its that time of the year again.  The MOT!  Unfortunately she failed on this occasion, but it was an easy fix that I was only two happy to do.  The central locking which had been fitted in 2004 had seized and prevented the passenger door opening.   30mins and the door cards were off, central locking removed, and door cards refitted. I’ve had the door cards off so many times I know them like the back of my own hand :).







After that was done, she passed with a few advisories.   Back into storage she goes…..but for how long?



In September the Vento started leaking coolant from the radiator, so the polo stepped up to take the vento’s place at Players.  It was the first show the Polo had done since 2007.  It felt weird but good to get her out and about in the show scene again.





Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #38 on: June 13, 2011, 07:46:25 pm »
In October of 2010, my other half and I moved into our new house.   The house was in a poor way and needed a lot of work just to make it liveable.   However, the good news is it has a big long drive and a garage!!!   OK, so not the best garage, but a garage nevertheless.  In March 2011, the polo left her old location and moved to the house.  Finally, for the first time in over 4 years the polo is now at my home address.





Couple of pics with the vento….





Now with her new home, it was time to take her to a meet, but she needed a wash first.





Old Vs New haha


New, Old and Low :)


June 2011 and it was off to the MOT station once again.  This year with an extra 1300 miles under her belt, she passed.   The advisories are starting to appear but this is unsurprising for a 20 year old car!

Pictured next to the new daily.


Now she is finally at my home address, I am hoping to spend more time using her and doing a few jobs.  The paint has started to fade a little and she is quite dusty so its high time she had a good once over.   I would also like to start getting the running gear tidied up by stripping it all off, powder coating and replaced with all new components.  All standard of course ;)

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #39 on: June 20, 2011, 10:31:42 pm »
On the run up to GTi International 2011, I’ve been busy. :)











Now into the garage where its relatively dry, apart from the odd drip off the roof.  The weather has been naff all week so fingers crossed I get everything done I want to.







Very much looking forward to this weekend :)

Offline SpikeyG40

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #40 on: January 28, 2013, 06:30:55 pm »
So this is how she looked for Inters 2011



2011 was a very quiet year for the Polo.  With inters under her belt, a trip to a local Southampton meet saw her meeting up with an old friend……


For those that don’t know, the vento far left is my old daily hack..



The trip to Inters in the June and a day trip up to a very wet Santa Pod for VW Action in September were the only shows she did.  She was washed and put back into the garage and left for 6 months.

March 2012 – This was the current state of affairs, stuff had built up around the G40.



March was the first time the G40 had been started in 6 months, and I’m glad to say, she fired up on the first key turn, a slight misfire eventually cleared to leave the sweet sound of the charger whine however, it was a further month before she ventured out of the garage, and that was only for a wash.  The plan was to take her to GTi Spring festival but after breaking my knee in the February, I was unsure if I’d be able to be cramped up for such a long time, so afraid to say she was put back in the garage once more.  She did look nice though….



May saw the G40 removed from the garage once more, and this time it was for a local meet in Portsmouth.  She went down a treat and got a lot of attention.  A blast up the motorway made me remember how great this car felt when you put your foot down (the Corsa behind probably wasn’t so impressed).



June quickly came around and it was nearly time for Inters!  There was one issue, she had to get through an MOT first, and there was a skip in front of my garage!! Our neighbours were clearing their garden which, as it would benefit us, I said they could put the skip on our drive as it will make their lives so much easier.  Unfortunately the skip company were not so efficient in coming to collect the skip, so it was only a couple of days before Inters that I actually got an MOT.  Some minors but nothing major considering.

Time to get cleaning, but a few extras arrived before hand……





Saw this on Ebay and thought it was too cool to let pass….


So ready for inters?  I think so…….







So inters was……muddy!





Unfortunately this is how she stayed until October when she was finally washed again.





Finally clean! (for those that don’t know, I was known for a clean car)


Another little ebay find saw its way into the car too….



An engine bay shot for good measure….



So that was 2012 done, the polo did not see the light of day for the rest of the year.

Offline z3i

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #41 on: August 17, 2013, 08:24:45 pm »
Just read the whole thing mate! awesome write up! enjoyed reading it :D
the difference from the day you got the G to now is unreal!! it was hanging especially the engine bay!!
im in Winchester and have been to Sovag and socovag a couple of times, might bump into you some time

you need to drive your G more! haha, ive done more mileage in a week than youve done in your entire ownership lol :P
love tornedo red! think it suits so well with the red strips and red g40 badges

top ownership thread, such a good write up!
cheers for posting :) hope to see some updates
Taylor

Offline vee-dub90

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #42 on: August 18, 2013, 12:50:29 am »
I remember seeing this at inters last year!

Offline Jimmy B

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Re: Doug's G40 - December 2004 to date
« Reply #43 on: September 11, 2013, 01:10:50 pm »
What a sweet example