Welcome to UK-Polos, and more specifically, the intro to the New Polo , and available modifications.
This guide was created to answer the most common questions we get asked by new members about the New Polo and also as a reference point to existing members.
We will start by listing the most common simple mods, and links to DIY guides, then talk about more involved mods, such as wheels and suspension.
Introduction
The New Polo, or Mk6 & 9N as it is also known, was released in early 2002. First introduced with 1.2 65bhp, and 1.4 75bhp engines, the Polo experienced many spec changes during the first few months of production, all of which will be discussed in another feature.
The engine range currently available is as follows:
1.2 55bhp
1.2 65bhp
1.4 75bhp
1.4 FSI 86bhp
1.4 100bhp
1.9 SDi 64BHP
1.4 TDi 75BHP
1.9 TDi 100bhp
These will be discussed in more detail in another feature.
COMMON 9N MODS
R32 Pedals.
By far one of the most common mods to the 9N. Read the following guide for info on buying and fitting these pedals.
[Guide]
Cubby Box Mod
Also another pretty common mod here on uk-polos. It's simple to fit and is a "must have" in my opinion!
[Guide]
De-Badging
De-badging is also a popular mod, again, read the following guide.
[Guide]
BODY KITS & STYLING
Body Kits
VW offer a body kit as an option for the 9N. This includes Front lower spoiler, rear lower spoiler, rear hatch spoiler and sideskirts.
There are also a number of 3rd party manufacturers producing a kit for the 9N.
Caractere:
Rieger:
Zender:
JE Design:
IN Tuning:
Dietrich Tuning:
Other Styling
There are also a number of styling mods such as grilles and spoilers available as well as the grilles and spoliers available with the body kits above, which can be bought seperately.
VW Chrome Grille:
[Guide]
VW Votex Spolier:
ABT Grille:
Aluminium Gas Struts:
This is a nice little mod which works especially well on darker coloured cars.[Guide]
WHEEL FITMENTS
The standard steel wheels are 14" with a stud pattern of 5x100, and an offset of ET38, with alloy options of 15" and 16", and also the possibility of 17". The 15" and 16" alloys are ET43 whilst the 17" alloys are ET38.
6Jx14" Sao Paolo:
6Jx15" Melbourne:
6.5Jx16" Barcelona:
6.5Jx16" San Marino:
7Jx17" Exor:
You could also opt for some non VW wheels. It has been proven that 17x7" wheels will not cause problems when lowered 70mm, as long as a sensible offset is retained. There are some 9Ns with 18" wheels, but this remains untested here on UK-Polos.
SUSPENSION OPTIONS
VW offer Sports Suspension as an option, and is standard on the Sport model. This offers a slightly stiffer suspension setup, and lowers the car approx 5-10mm over standard suspension.
There is also VW Germany approved Eibach spring kits available from VAG Parts which lower the car approx 25-30mm.
The extreme step would be to fit adjustable shocks and springs, such as KW or H&R. These offer a drop anything from 20mm to over 100mm and superb handling over standard.
EXHAUST
There's not much available for the 9N in terms of exhausts because the car is still fairly new. You could go to a company such as Powerflow and get them to make you a custom system or there are a few companies making a backboxes, such as VW Racing and Zender, shown below.
Zender:
VW Racing:
One member has just gone for looks and fitted a Skoda Fabia exhaust tip to his current backbox as shown in the pic below.
[PIC TO COME]
ELECTRICAL
If you wish to upgrade/change your bulbs, the following is a list of fitments you will need.
Bulb Fittings:
Dipped: H7
Main: H1
Fogs: H3
Sidelights: W5W 12v
VW sell "Blue" tint sidelight bulbs and "Blue" tint indicator bulbs.
The sidelights are well worth the money and take the yellow haze away, and provide a slightly whiter light.
The indicator bulbs take away the orange glow from the front lights, providing a slightly blue glow. They still flash orange! These are an alternative to Philips Silver Vision.
HID Headlights:
An excellent mod which gives you a superb improvement in light output, as well as that "expensive german car" look!
[Guide to come]
Front Fog Lights:
If your Polo didn't come with front fog lights as standard, you can retro fit these, but it's not a simple case of plug and play. It will require some wiring. Please see the following guide for info.
[Guide]
Bootlight:
If your Polo didn't come with a bootlight then read this guide for help on installing one - it's cheap too!
[Guide to come]
A common question is - "how do I enable one touch windows?".
To enable one touch, do the following:
Press and hold all the buttons down, when they are down, release the buttons and press the buttons 1 time up quickly.
Then hold the buttons so the windows go up again, once they are up, release and quickly press up one time and release again.
KNOWN ISSUES
This list details all known issues with the 9N since launch. Many of which have been fixed by VW.
Camshaft seals leaking on early 1.2 models.
Rattles, especially from the centre console in the dash
Squeaky seat bases
Horn failure
Stuck cupholders
Squeaky doors (rubbers replaced or lubed)
Seatbelts won't roll up properly
Squeaky steering wheel
Power Windows make noise (up and down)
Rear wiper hose pops off
Rear wiper wipes poorly
Front wiper hits the A pillar (LHD only?)
Noise coming from front suspension on downward travel
OTHER 9N DIY GUIDES
9N - Fitting front fogs
9N - Removing Door handles
9N - Cubby Box Mod
9N - Fitting OEM chrome grille
9N - De-locking
9N - How to Colour Code Rear Badge
9N - Removing door panels & mirrors
9N - Removing the headlight switch
9N - Connecting the LHS rear fog light
9N - Rear Aero Wiper
9N - How to De-Badge
9N - R32 Pedals
9N - Shortened Standard Aerial
9N - Aluminium gas struts
LINKS
http://www.vag-parts.com
http://www.abt-sportsline.de
http://www.bb-automobiltechnik.de
http://www.dietrich-tuning.de
http://www.in-tuning.de
http://www.je-design.de
http://www.rieger-tuning.de
http://www.zender.de
http://www.abtsportsline.co.uk
http://www.caracterestyling.co.uk
