Upgrading to OEM Cupra/Cupra R suspension on 1.6 + other changes considered......

[Al]

Had a spirited drive in my runabout last night and have decided that I need to uprate the suspension. The stock 1.6 suspension is built for comfort from a to b and it is therefore a bit floaty at speed.

Now as this is a cheap runabout, I dont want to be spending a fortune on it - I am just trying to make it a bit better than it is as stock

Anyway as an OEM+ kinda guy, I was thinking about keeping an eye out for some OEM Cupra or Cupra R struts and springs that may come off a car someone is planning to upgrade the suspension on as I am guessing that there would be no problem in doing this. Has anyone else gone down this route? I am not planning uprated lowering springs, struts or coilies as I dont want the car trailing the deck.

The other thing that may be contributing to the floatyness are the space hopper tyres, and therefore, I may also look for some bigger wider OEM wheels with wider tyres and lower profile sidewalls. I think that the original MK1 Leon Cupra wheels would be the best compromise especially as you often see them for sale with tyres for much cheapness.

The dark nights have also made me think about finding a set of OEM front fogs and the surrounding plastic inserts to wire them to the beams as the OEM lights are not the best especially on main beam. Due to legal reasons, I am not going to go down the HID conversion route.

One more thing for interest sakes, but on the non Cupra bumper, there is no cut out for the twin exit exhaust. Is the whole bumper different or is it just the valence at the bottom? I know that when I had the Toledo, it would have been necessary to hack the bumper to add a protruding exhaust.

Anyway, thoughts and opinions would be welcome on this.

Ta,

Horace

 

[Willie]

The Cupra R strutts and springs would be a good one for you. I have my OEM 20mm front ARB which we could check to see if your subframe has the ARB mounting on it for this bar. Richard Cooper (WX%! TXR) had the same motor as you, he fitted a Power flow exhaust, BMC CDA CAI, lowered syspension and uprated pads and discs and he was very happy with it on the back roads. He even had it on knockhill a couple of times.

 

[FSiLeonMike]

Only prob with OEM Cupra/Cupra R set up on a 1.6 is engine weight.

1.8 20vt is way heavier than a 1.6, so the car could actually sit higher on these springs

If you look at after market springs for example, 1.8t and 1.9tdi are usually the same, with 1.4 and 1.6 springs both being different.

 

[Muttley]

Trying to use front fogs as "driving lights" to augment your main beams is not the best route. Even asuming you wire them to come on ONLY with main beam (i.e. go out when you dip, as driving lights should) foglight reflectors are designed to produce a wide diffuse illumination, not much use for seeing into the distance.

And a lot of people will get bent out of shape by seeing you with "fogs on when it isn't foggy"

Foglights are supposed to be used instead of dipped beams when visibility is so poor (due to fog or falling snow, both of which reflect your headlights back to you) that you need a wide flat beam to see the edges of the road. Distant vision isn't possible under those circumstances.

I got more light up front by replacing the bulbs with Philips Vision Plus; today you could go for Philips Xtreme Power or Osram Nightbreakers. The OEM headlights are well enough designed, you just need brighter bulbs.

 

[FSiLeonMike]

Trying to use front fogs as "driving lights" to augment your main beams is not the best route. Even asuming you wire them to come on ONLY with main beam (i.e. go out when you dip, as driving lights should) foglight reflectors are designed to produce a wide diffuse illumination, not much use for seeing into the distance.

And a lot of people will get bent out of shape by seeing you with "fogs on when it isn't foggy"

Foglights are supposed to be used instead of dipped beams when visibility is so poor (due to fog or falling snow, both of which reflect your headlights back to you) that you need a wide flat beam to see the edges of the road. Distant vision isn't possible under those circumstances.

I got more light up front by replacing the bulbs with Philips Vision Plus; today you could go for Philips Xtreme Power or Osram Nightbreakers. The OEM headlights are well enough designed, you just need brighter bulbs.

I agree, I uprated my bulbs to Hi Power Xenons with a white light (didn't want to go to expense of HIDs), and they are fine

Driving with front fogs on is when not foggy is not only a bit chavvy, but could annoy the local police a bit too

 

[FSiLeonMike]

.........................One more thing for interest sakes, but on the non Cupra bumper, there is no cut out for the twin exit exhaust. Is the whole bumper different or is it just the valence at the bottom? I know that when I had the Toledo, it would have been necessary to hack the bumper to add a protruding exhaust.

Anyway, thoughts and opinions would be welcome on this.

Ta,

Horace

Yup, bumper is all one piece and needs hacking, or alternatively, you could cut it and shape it carefully

 

[Willie]

Trying to use front fogs as "driving lights" to augment your main beams is not the best route. Even asuming you wire them to come on ONLY with main beam (i.e. go out when you dip, as driving lights should) foglight reflectors are designed to produce a wide diffuse illumination, not much use for seeing into the distance.

And a lot of people will get bent out of shape by seeing you with "fogs on when it isn't foggy"

Foglights are supposed to be used instead of dipped beams when visibility is so poor (due to fog or falling snow, both of which reflect your headlights back to you) that you need a wide flat beam to see the edges of the road. Distant vision isn't possible under those circumstances.

I got more light up front by replacing the bulbs with Philips Vision Plus; today you could go for Philips Xtreme Power or Osram Nightbreakers. The OEM headlights are well enough designed, you just need brighter bulbs.

I had my fogs linked into my high beams for my 106 GTI. Where DJHorace stays, where he drives and how he drives, lol, he will find the same benifit as I did. For back roads the fogs are great as they allow you to illuminate the sides of the roads to accurately judge your distance from these when cornering etc. Maybe not great for distance but good for back roads and for blinding people who don't dip their head lights (....................did I say that out loud)