How old is too old???

[hayesey]

yeah thinking about it, I stopped using my g40 daily in 2004 when I bought a house with a garage to bung it in.  Although I was still driving mk3 polos daily for a while after that, till about a year ago.

[giorgio]

after reading this thread and spending £50 on petrol to fill her up again I thought - maybe I should get a better daily.

the on the way home I hit 120 up Stagg Hill and thought; one day I will have a mortgage, kids and have to worry about important things in life.

The little blast probably cost me £20 but I really dont care  :wub:

[scotsjohn]

Is sixty three too old ? I'm on my second G and still loving it. Yeah it's always going to be light use now with 125k on the clock, but there's NOTHING on the road today that is such a hoot to drive or oozes such character. I bought mine in Brum last year and on the way back home I stopped at a motorway service station for a break. When I returned to the car, a kid of about TWELVE was licking it. His wistful little "I wish I had one of these" says it all. Look outside the UK for parts if possible: apparently some UK dealers have been attempting to stockpile. As for storing it, a workmate has one which he has stored for eight years and with 75k on the clock, it still looks rather tired. Just use it , don't abuse it.

[jez1272gt]

This thread is a fantastic read. Really high-lights the difference between PoloG40.co.uk and Clubpolo.co.uk. I'm going to make sure i start to get over here on polog40 and more and more!! Clubpolo really is starting to become full of half wits with too much time for air freshners and neon lights imo.

I feel i am so lucky to have owned a G40. When I was 15, my mate bought a completely standard and mint mk3 GT. This opened my eyes to thye cars and really made me want one. This also opened my eyes to the G40 which lived just around the corner from me (i wanted one even more) but knew it was too special for me. At just turned 17 I bought my mates GT from him and still own today (6 years later).  I was lucky enough to be able to go out and buy a G40 when i was just turned 20. It wasn't in the best of shapes, but i feel it was very tidy and had the potential to become a minter.

Unfortunately and for my sins it didn't last very long, i still feel and always will feel guilty because i wrote it off after around 3 months of owning it.  A random patch of ice on a winters evening down a country road caught out not only my mate, infront in his '04 mini cooper but me and my G too.

Although i had written off a true G i decided to fully strip the thing till there was nothin but a bent lump of metal to scrap. Since then me and my brother have have saved and saved and planned the comeback of the G, in GT form unfortunately, and with alot of differences maybe but something that we hope will do the old girl proud!

I personally dont think that a G should be used as a daily anymore as it has become a true classic!

[superchargedpolo]

G40's.....yeah I am definately addicted.

Got my first one when I was 21 or 22 years old and have had one on and off since then.  So a 10 year long relationship!  Even back then no one really knew what they were.  Three of my close friends have also bought G40's after having a ride in one of mine.

I currently have 2 and am looking at buying a third.  That said I just plan to end up with one as a second car for going to shows and just having fun in.

I don't think the car will ever be a huge classic purely because it was never made in big enough numbers, so not many people, even car buffs, know about them.  But, to me, that make it all the more special.

I have driven a fair few cars in my time but, to date, have never found one that has such a nice power delivery and torque curve.  My current daily hack is an Edition 30 Golf.  Great car, goes like stink and sticks to the road like a leech but the G still makes me feel more involved and puts a smile on my face everytime I drive it.

Cheers guys and gals
Craig

[Varley]

Good thread this... Thought I'd add my 2p's worth as it's very relavent to me at the moment.

I've owned and driven my G40 daily for 3 years (40k since Oct '05), and have intended always to do so.

To make it as usable as possible I've always chosen my mods carefully so as not to compromise the day to day experience, for instance I have leather, dynamat, crisp stereo, reasonably compliant suspension, centre silencer on the exhaust etc and I've always felt that with the exception of speedbumps there is nothing about G40's that means they can't or shouldn't be used every day.

The problem for me is that whenever something breaks (which to be fair isn't all that often really) it can take absolutely ages to find the bit you need to get back on the road, e.g. driveshafts, dizzy, struts, loom etc,  Every time this happens I end up having to get trains and buses to work for ages which is a total nightmare.

When I had a loom fire recently and I finally lost patience, I gave in and bought something for everyday reliability (far too embarrased to say what!) which I can't help but feel is a cop out on my part but I simply need an alternative for when the G is off the road.

I think that G40's can and should be an everyday proposition but for one reason or another it seems to be getting harder and harder to do so for many of us, which is a major shame. Hopefully mine will prove it's reliability when it's back on the road and I can get rid of the Vaux... err, other car, and return to proudly running the G each and every day as I think it should be.

Love the site by the way, spiritual successor to the PSD forum I think just about hits the nail on the head (only without the spam!)

Cheers,

Varley

[jonboy]

i use my g40 as a daily, mostly due to my gt developing flat batteries all too often (hopefully i have fixed this now though!)
i bought my g40 with 115 on the clock, its now on 140k and the only prob if encountered was hall sender failure, which could happen to any vag.  I think i would put the reliability of it down to being std engine wise and the fact the previous owner was really anal about maintaining it!  The bodywork is still in good shap too, one scab on the drivers door.

[86C]

My first G40 was bought back in 1994, but as a torched insurance write off(engine bay was fine though, transferred to my 1981 Derby)
The second was an ex G40 cup car(again an insurance write off - rear ended)
The cup car stuff was transferred to my Genesis shell in 1997 and I used it as a daily. Bar a piston melting(CL fuel pump, doh!) the only other breakdown was a hall sender.
Perfectly useable everyday car for the next 3 years, mainly I think due to it's fairly standard spec at the time. Mike T did a charger rebuild on it before he opened up Jabbasport as a business and it always ran sweetly.
As for using them nowadays as a daily, as said before, bodywork is the key thing these days.
Spanish build quality and poor ownership can have a bad and lasting effect on a vehicle.
Driven and maintained with respect, they can continue to be a sight on our roads  

[jules]

[quote pid=3503 author=86C date=1219411283]My first G40 was bought back in 1994, but as a torched insurance write off(engine bay was fine though, transferred to my 1981 Derby)
The second was an ex G40 cup car(again an insurance write off - rear ended)
The cup car stuff was transferred to my Genesis shell in 1997 and I used it as a daily. Bar a piston melting(CL fuel pump, doh!) the only other breakdown was a hall sender.
Perfectly useable everyday car for the next 3 years, mainly I think due to it's fairly standard spec at the time. Mike T did a charger rebuild on it before he opened up Jabbasport as a business and it always ran sweetly.
As for using them nowadays as a daily, as said before, bodywork is the key thing these days.
Spanish build quality and poor ownership can have a bad and lasting effect on a vehicle.
Driven and maintained with respect, they can continue to be a sight on our roads  [/quote]

hello old timer

i remember the car from a long time ago,glad to see you ve still got the bug we will have to meet up somewhere.
it was magazine featured was .nt it ,think i have it somewhere

[NeilG40]

[quote pid=3503 author=86C date=1219411283]My first G40 was bought back in 1994, but as a torched insurance write off(engine bay was fine though, transferred to my 1981 Derby)
The second was an ex G40 cup car(again an insurance write off - rear ended)
The cup car stuff was transferred to my Genesis shell in 1997 and I used it as a daily. Bar a piston melting(CL fuel pump, doh!) the only other breakdown was a hall sender.
Perfectly useable everyday car for the next 3 years, mainly I think due to it's fairly standard spec at the time. Mike T did a charger rebuild on it before he opened up Jabbasport as a business and it always ran sweetly.
As for using them nowadays as a daily, as said before, bodywork is the key thing these days.
Spanish build quality and poor ownership can have a bad and lasting effect on a vehicle.
Driven and maintained with respect, they can continue to be a sight on our roads  [/quote]


And I thought I was one of the longest going owners but it looks like you've got me beat by 3 years, though I have had the same one for 11 years.

[86C]

All I have left is the engine and 'box from mine :/

[AlexG40]

Not many reasons why you couldn't run a G40 daily, I used to and if you maintain it right it'll be good to you.  

The only reason I wouldn't now is because I have an option to run a new car for just about nowt so it's stupid not too.

[SamG40]

[quote pid=3547 author=86C date=1219664273]All I have left is the engine and 'box from mine :/[/quote]

And the wheels!

[86C]

Ah yes... The 14" Azev A's. Currently sat in my loft, away from Sam's itchy mitts, mwahahahahaha!

[lance]

Good thread.


As long as the right people own them they will live as long as the people do.