Faults:

HT leads.

Air filter element.

Back box.

General Comments:

For the price I paid for this wonderful car, I'm surprised the whole engine hasn't blown up, as I only paid £50 for it, but the fuel pipes, HT leads, air breather pipes and the exhaust were removed. So for £50 you can't really go wrong, it sounds as if it's a brand new engine :)

The inside is very comfortable; I find it's like sitting in an arm chair without the arm rests :)

The engine does not pull too well, but that's what you get for a 1 litre really. I do wish they had put in a rev counter, but all around, it's a great little motor, and only one rust spot on the rear at the age of 26 :O brilliant (Y)

Faults:

Heater failed after 54,000 miles.

Gear selector cable broke after 69,000 miles.

Stereo stopped working after 78,000 miles.

General Comments:

A few electrical problems, plus a major gearbox fault, but otherwise it was an excellent car considering its age and use.

Faults:

Only required basic servicing in the time I owned it.

General Comments:

Very cheap to run.

Performance surprisingly sprightly. I thrashed this between the Midlands and Swansea, week-in week-out for nine months. She never let me down.

'Formel E' version so 'long' fourth gear for economical cruising.

Faults:

213.000 Oil pressure warning light and beeper sounded continuously (very annoying) despite pressure being OK. Fault of the relay in the instrument panel. (poked a screwdriver through the buzzer...).

210.000 A bit of welding needed.

200.000 Breaks serviced all round and new suspension/springs.

The points need occasional setting otherwise the car cuts out regularly.

General Comments:

Brilliant little car, always starts, very reliable. If you go easy on long distances it does up to 60 miles/gallon! Breaks are a bit poor as it has no servo breaks. But even pulling a trailer with boat it still does a reasonable job.

With the rear seats folded over it is actually rather big.

Faults:

First off may I just say never buy back a car you once sold.

Gearbox has just lost its third gear synchromesh. (3rd now U/S)

Suspension top mounts gone.

Whole exhaust replaced parts unavailable in UK. (not same as other Polos)

Drivers seat split and frame broke when sat on by overweight MOT tester.

Remote control wing mirror mech' broke.

Speedometer hasn't worked since I previously sold car in 1995.

Headlining coming away from around sunroof.

Ignition wiring caught fire. Had to re-wire half the loom. (thank god I used to be an auto electrician.

And finally lots of brake disks.

General Comments:

No its not an "S" or LHD import, but an actual UK RHD '82-'83 Polo GT. One of only 2 built.

I first bought this car off a colleague in 1995. I had seen it in the car park and had once risked my licence trying to keep up with it at over 100mph on a b-road.

I later was made redundant in 1997 and due to the need to have a working car I sold the polo to a friend when the clutch went.

I saw the car advertised in autotrader last year and decided to buy it back, despite the fact that the new owner wanted more for it than I paid for it 6 years earlier.

I've had no end of problems with it since and has cost me £1000 this year despite the fact I've done most of the work my self.

I'm glad that not everything in life is as reliable as a Volkswagen.

But it is incredible to drive. It has a special lightweight motorsport shell. And big 185 low profile tyres making it the best handling FWD car I've ever driven. And before you ask yes I have driven an awful lot of cars.

Most of the faults are now fixed and I'm thinking of converting it for the track, where it really belongs.