A Little Bit Of Light

Nothing too much to update with at the moment.
We went to Belgium in March with a few others, taking some quite spectacular cars with us, although a short trip it was fun while it lasted, I think we will be going back again ourselves and taking in some of the places we drove through.

More recently we spent a day giving the car a thorough clean; wash dry, clay, tar remover, polish etc, making her the cleanest shes been since we picked her up.
Taking the opportunity we took her out and took her picture, more to follow at a later date on the trip to Belgium (we were the photo car so not many of mine about) but here are the best of the light painting pictures.

Take 2!

So, the car went into the garage on Thursday the 7th to have the radiator replaced.

Finally, on Friday the 22nd, just over two weeks later, after many phone calls, getting stressed, getting angry and probably annoying quite a few people, I could go and pick her up again.

There was some kind of electrical fault somewhere that was causing the door locks to go a bit crazy and the windows not work right. There was also a fault with the brake switch (that I wouldnt find out about until Tuesday the 26th) and there was something that kept setting the tyre pressure sensor off.
The garage that I bought her from that I hold my warrnty with doesn't have an auto electrician, which when all your faults are electrical, doesnt really help.

Long story short, got her back and have had the following new parts;
Window regs
Central locking
Wiring look in the a pillar
Radiator
Window switches
Door locking switch

And it all works wonderfully now which is great.

Over that weekend, the front grills were changed and they look spot on, I'm really pleased with them.
We also changed the side light bulbs so they now match the colour/shade of the headlights.

We also found out that a previous owner appears to have fitted some kind o HID kit as the ballasts are attached to the insides of the wings, one not too well so we tightened it up and made sure it was secure. the o/s headlight had a couple of occasions on which it wouldnt come on first time so there may be some kind of funny connection there but appears to be working fine now.
its on the list of things to look at when given the chance, maybe resecuring the ballasts somewhere where they are hidden or replacing them completely.

She had a good ride out on the motorway too and we were getting a reasonable 36mpg travelling around 70 on the motorway so, looking good for our trip to Belgium in two weeks!

Tuesday comes round and I'm drving to work and the EPC light comes on again and I notice that the relay for the brake lights isn't clicking, looks like they stopped working, so that was fun.
Got to work and called the garage as well as doing a bit of research online before hand and it sounds like a brake light switch, they order one in, I nipped down on my lunch, 20 mins and about £40 of their money/my warranty later and we have brake lights again.

So all good so far.

Also forked out for 12 months road tax too this week.

Its been a week of many presents for Lilu!

Honeycomb Front Grilles

They finally arrived, the first modification for the Polo. Starting off with a nice subtle and tasteful mod we ordered the honeycomb lower grill set off eBay.

Only one problem. Still have no car.

The quality is very good actually, I was surprised when I opened the box too see 3 fairly well finished pieces ready for installation on the car.

The Saga Continues

So, no phone call on Saturday so figured it safe to assume theres been no progress on the polo.

Monday morning, I called the garage and they said they're waiting for their autoelectrician to find a space to fit her in to be able to look at it, didn't sound too positive at all, but they would call me and keep me updated.
They called me back a bit later on and said they were hoping to get her in this afternoon or tomorrow. I asked when it was likely that I'd get her back and they didn't know but it was likely that they would need her at least all of Tuesday. The auto electrician still needs to asses it properly and then get to fitting new parts. They think its part of the wiring loom in the A piller, which runs through from the front of the car into the door just by the hinge. From what I can remember, its a plug and play job with a connector on each end, one in the dash and one in the door.

Looks like I'm still without her for at least another day.

Just got to keep positive, at least its not really costing me anything more.

Potentially Fixed Issues?

Polo went into the garage on Thursday morning to have her radiator replaced to get rid of the leak she had. I mentioned to the garage that the switch on the drivers door that locks/unlocks the doors wasn't working, to which they said they would have a look.

I called them around lunch time to see how they were doing and to make sure I'd be alright still picking her up after work. They said the radiator had been done and was getting up to temperature and was all good, and that they had just taken apart the door to have a look at this swicth, so I left them to it.
I called them again about 5 ish and they said I should be alright picking her up still. I set off from work and at 5.45 they call me and say you cant take her home, the passenger window is stuck down and we cant get it to close. Great. But they have ordered window motors and central locking units which they will fit tomorrow and I can pick her up on Friday after work.

Friday comes I call them about dinner time again just to check and now the drivers window is stuck down. They've replaced the motors and the central locking and still cant figure it out, but to come after work anyway and see how they're doing, regardless of what happens I'll have a car, if not mine then a courtesy one. I joked at work saying I bet I get a bloody micra or something.
I turn up at the garage just before 4 and the reception lady says, oh you're here to get a courtesy car aren't you, to which I replied smiling, I'm guessing its not sorted then? She starts writing out the form and I see as much has 'Niss' and I start laughing. I knew it.
Service guy comes out and says I think we've found what it is, theres part of the wiring loom thats green and mouldy so we've ordered that part of the loom from VW and it should be here tomorrow morning. I tell them about how I knew I'd get a micra and could I get some stuff out of my car.
Go round to the garage and there she is with the drivers door still in bits, looks like my weekend of giving the polo a good details wasn't happening.

I get in the micra and since then I've just sulked. Its bloody horrible. Guessing its a 1 litre too because its got nothing to it, I'm actually scared driving it. Its got no go, loads of body roll and I'm far too close to the windscreen for my liking. I'm actually scared that I'm going to try get out of a junction and someones going to hit the side of me because it doesn't go quick enough.

I sulked all the way home, and for a few hours while I cleaned my other car ready for being picked up on Monday and then thought, Oooh I wonder if I could drive this this weekend instead of that awful little thing, I call the insurance company, all sounds hopeful and then I get told because I'm still the registered keeper, evvn though its insured by the guy whos buying her, that I can't drive it, What kind of sense does that make?!! So I continued to sulk, put £20 worth of fuel in the micra and wish I hadn't because it wasn't far off a full tank and I am not planning on driving it that much.

Set myself a task of seeing how much fuel I could burn on my trip to Bradford and drove with my foot to the floor the whole way, barely made it past 65 most of the way! It was horrible, but I got there as fast as I could (while shoving mini eggs in my mouth to make up for it and try calm me down) then as soon as I got there I got out and I've forgotten about it. I can only hope its dry and not windy when I have to drive it again on Sunday because I think I may be found in a ditch somewhere on the motorway otherwise.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can get the polo back on Monday or Tuesday, I want rid of this thing asap and I want mine back. There should be some rule written in somewhere that when you get a courtesy car that it has to be somewhere near the same level as the car you're leaving to get work done on. Im used to driving a car that will go and it doesnt seem safe to me to give you something so different.

Anyway. Positive thoughts!

We've Sprung A Leak!

Having noticed a smell of coolant over the last week or so, while on my way to work on Tuesday, coolant light came on (while in standstill traffic). Managed to make it somewhere I could stop and top up her water, there wasn't a drop left!

Called the garage she came from, and took her in that afternoon. They had a look at her and she has a leak from the radiator, so over the 11 days I've had her, all her coolant has gone.

So she's back in tomorrow for a new radiator, under warranty.

Still a couple of faults, noticed my door lock/unlock button currently doesn't work either, so I'll mention that when I drop her off tomorrow.
Brake lights seem to be working though which is a plus.

First New Parts

So we (myself and the car) have been treated to our first new parts.
Aren't we lucky ladies!

Lower honeycomb grills. I think they'll make the front match up a bit better, not even sure why these weren't a factory fit job.
having almost bought the wrong ones (ones without the cut out for the intercooler) we now have the right ones on their way to us.

I can't wait.

In other news, I have switched key fobs and *touch wood* so far, my door locks haven't been playing up, though my brake lights are still intermittant.

I also called the garage I bought her from about my odd centre cap that I think they tried to get away with, I don't think they were expecting me to notice and/or care. getting another one ordered for me.

The First Photoshoot

Sunday brought a nice surprise, through Saturday the sun was out and it must have rained and warmed up considerably, because the 5 or 6 inches of snow we had through the say, had all disappeared!
So with the sun out once more the weather was beautiful, so we took her out to have her picture taken.

There was a place that we had in mind that we hadn't used before for photographs so we headed over to Halifax to see what we could make of it all.

Here are the results.

Little Faults To Sort

So, on the drive over on Friday night and on little ventures out on the Saturday, we noticed a few little niggles that if they don't sort themselves out over the next week or so, she will be going back to the garage and having it investigated and fixed under the extended warrnty I paid for.

Intermittant rear brake lights - I can hear the relay click when I know its working, and when it doesn't I have no brake lights. not the safest of things.

Door locks sound like they're trying to lock/unlock while driving - forst noticed on the motorway and it freaked me out a little. When it did it again while stationary we pressed a door lock down to see if that stopped it but it wouldn't push down so it must be trying to unlock the doors. Today it has done it some more but actually locked the doors and unlocked them, both while driving and stationary. I'm wondering if they key fob has anything to do with this, a stuck button maybe? The boot is also tempremental at opening.

Tyre pressure light - it was on when I went on the test drive and they reset it and said they would check it out to see if they tyre had a puncture. It wasn't on when I picked her up but it came back on while I was driving home on Sunday night, I reset it on Monday morning and it seems to be clear for now, but I will keep an eye on it.

Misted headlights and o/s rear indicator - possibly due to the weather etc but will get it sorted once the weather gets nice.

Coolant smell - noticed a couple of times after a good run out, just something to keep an eye on, could just be all the wet and the snow.

Odd centre cap on front wheel - It was missing when I went to view it so pointed it out and they said they would replace it, having looked at it properly I've noticed they've just got a blank and badly stuck a VW sticker on it, I will be telling them this and insisting on a new genuine one to match all the others.

I think some of these issues may just be because shes been sat still for a couple of months so I've called the garage on Mondayand told them of the faults I'd picked up on and that I'd run her this week and see if it made a difference that it might just be damp and needed drying out.

She has a couple of minor marks on her anyway which I knew when I went to go see her (kerbed wheels, parking dings etc) but I had some money knocked off her sale price to be able to get them sorted. Wheels are the first thing once all the above is sorted out.

The First Weekend

So I collected her on Friday the 25th and we were due to make out way over to bradford, as has become customary at the weekend.
I finished work early, and it started to snow, a lot.

I completed all the paperwork, and started taking her home and the snow just came down thick and fast. It started sticking to the roads and everyone else all of a suddent forgot how to drive, but non the less, we got on our way, we cleared the muppets driving through town, got to the motorway and we were on our way.
Luck took hand and the snow started to clear as we hit the M62.

We arrived in Bradford just in time it would seem as the snow that was falling when we left soon caught us up and in a matter of hours there was a good few inches covering everywhere you could see.
So the following morning, despite picking her up sparkling from a half decent clean, she was filthy and covered in snow, thankfully the sun started to come out to shift some of it.

How It All Started

Over the years of car ownership and having my little projects, my cars become like a member of the family. I have had readers rides threads and build threads on forums before, but they end up cluttered with off topic comments and the conversation ends up taking over, people voice their opinion on how they think you're doing it wrong and how you should be doing it, and what they would be doing and so on, the information becomes broken and inconsistent.

Here, with my latest addition, I am going to be keeping track of the work that goes into the car, the adventures we may go on and everything that goes with it. Hopefully managing to keep up to speed with anything that happens (as slow as progress may be), if only for my own benefit on those days when you think nothing much has happened.

How we got to this point;

Back in October/November time 2012 it was suggested due to various different reasons that it was time for me to be getting a different car, something newer, with less hassle.

I originally started off looking at something diesel, still with some power behind it, but better on fuel, similar insurance, lower tax etc. i was looking at Seat Ibiza Diesel Sports, and then moved onto the Curpa Diesel, still being in a similar insurance and tax band to my current car, but with a higher bhp and a bigger body. I didn't really have the money to be buying anything and figured I would struggle to get one without selling my current car which I needed to get to and from work. So it all kind of hit the side lines really.

My parents were looking in the papers at cars that were for sale at local garages, or through dealerships seeing what deals were available on brand new cars, things like the VW Up (basically the same car as what I was driving but with less power) a nice little car but I felt like I'd be taking a step down as it didn't really have much of anything really, or a Mk V Golf, which for the money I'd be spending I wouldn't really be getting very much, like alloys or a nice interior. All nice cars, but going from having a lot of nice things to something very basic for the same money seemed counter productive as I'd just end up spending more money trying to get them up to parr with what I was already driving.

It all just faded out after a while and I didn't really think much about it, then this car came up in the paper at a local garage. It was listed as a 1.8 GT Polo, which despite trying to look it up, didn't exist. I know that there were 1.9 GT Golfs, but I don't ever remember there being a Polo version, so I went to go see it.
Turns out it was a 1.8 GTi. A beautiful car, I loved it straight away and arranged to take it out for a test drive and as they say, the rest is history.

I sorted out the finance side of it over the Christmas period, arranged the sale of my current car, and last weekend, Friday 25th January, 2013, I went and picked her up.