Polo coupe project!

[charlie292]

Hi all, first post so be nice!

I have been given a 1993 1Litre Polo Coupe, its quite sound but I really dont need it, already drive a Mk4 Golf.

However I dont fancy getting rid of it, I was going to turn it into a bit of a project car, the only thing is its little tiny engine!

Does anybody know just how big of an engine will drop in without any major modifications to the chassis?

I was thinking along the lines of a Mk3 2L Gti unit, as if I find a decent donor I can use most of it to modify the Polo to cope with the power gain.

1.8t is on the cards too, but its probs a bit too over the top for the size of the car!

What are your thoughts? Does anybody know if this has been done before?

Thanks

[g40jon]

forget any ideas about fitting golf gti engines, its too much work, you need custom subframes, brake servo needs moving etc.. the popular engines for chucking in mk3 polos are the mk4 polo 16v unit, the mk4 polo 1.6 8v with mk3 polo gt management or bike carbs and then you've also got the g40 and gt engines that will drop in nice.
if you want to look out side the box, it is possible to charge the 1 litre either using supercharger or turbo, stock g40 power is achievable! normally aspirated you can get about 70 bhp out of the 1 litre using gt multipoint fuel injection, head, cam and exhaust sys. bike carbs would also make it fly! if your on a budget you can fit the 1.3 spi head, inlet mainfold and throttle body (make sure these are late spec ones, as the earlier 1.3s had smaller t/body!) the mk3 golf 1.4spi also has the same throttle body, but the linkage needs a little adapting. also the 1.3spi polo ecu can be used.

[charlie292]

The 1.6 idea sounds good, or just try and tune up the 1litre unit.

I like the sound of bike carbs! Ive seen this on a few other small engines at shows and its a nice clean look, and no ECU's to worry about!

Ok, so if i change tactics, try and keep the original 1L lump and tune that up, I have the time and space to drop it right out and pretty much rebuild it.

What do people suggest I do to it? Im thinking for a start its new exhaust, sort the head out, and bike carbs. Is there anywere that makes better cams/pistons etc for these engines? or even a better head that will go on etc.

Back to the 1.6 idea, just how much of a job will this be? I know theres no engine swap thats as simple as just literally swapping the engines around!

The idea for doing this is I'm a reader or PVW mag, and I've yet to see a Mk3 polo featured in it! I figured if I was going to spend the time and money smoothing and tidying up the bodywork and retrimming the interior then I might aswell spend some cash on the engine, not for outright power but to just give everything a nice new look even under the bonnet!

[g40jon]

like i said, the 1.3 heads will fit and are larger, the downside of this is that you will loose torque (of which there is very little anyway). but as the mk3 is fairly light, torque isnt such a major issue!
the 1 litre is basically the same engine as the 1.3, they share the same pistons and bore size. the difference in capacity is achieve using a longer crank to increase the stroke of the engine.
try www.polo3.co.uk for more info as there are a couple of clubpolo outcasts who are tuning up 1 litres, one has gone down the eaton supercharger route and the other is going with bike carbs

[charlie292]

Thanks for your help, I was half expecting to be laughed and mocked at as is what seems to be common place on almost every forum these days!

The link you put up seems to go to a dead end!

I'll keep everyone posted with any progress made shortly!

[g40jon]

i think the site is down at the mo cos i cant get on there! try it again later

[grungeisdead]

personally i would got about the 1.6 skoda bottom end route for around 110-120 bhp depending on other performance goodies, i know of a mk2 coupe and mk3 coupe with these engines in and they are lovely and revvy, perfectly suited to the suit with g laidersite bushes and appropriate handling mods.

[Crasher]

I'm just building a little screamer of a 1.3 GT 3F unit for a customer, double big valve head, mild cam and an overbored lightened and balanced bottom end, should produce around 110 BHP.