Toledo Tuning

"Toledo Tuning"

The Toledo started life back in 1991 being one of the first VAG designed cars. It shared a similar platform to the MK2 Golf and has a very practical boot. Many complain about the lack of rear leg room, but that is not something that bother the typical TorqueCars member who concentrate on sitting in the drivers seat.

The Toledo also enjoys pan European success and is particularly popular in Spain and France. Perhaps VAG saw it as a way to reach new markets and the car certainly has a Euro Chic of its own. 

The choice Toledo model for a tuning project has to be the 146 bhp 2.0 16valve engine in the guise of the GTi. Other engine sizes seem underpowered so many TorqueCars members will recommend an engine swap to the 2.0 16valve or for the more adventurous a VR6 or more modern 1.8T engine conversion.

Due to the abundance of parts and tuners for the VAG group you will not have too much trouble sourcing suitable high performance parts. Body styling parts are somewhat thin on the ground though. So what should your priority modifications be?

Sadly with smaller engine sizes you are wasting your time spending money on modifications, so if this applies to you get yourself an engine swap then apply the following mods.

Seat Toledo Tuning modifications.

Doing this will help to keep the cars economy at lower speeds. Fast road cams offer one of the biggest performance gains as far as a bolt on part goes. Don't forget to uprate the fuelling when you are increasing the power - it makes the car more thirsty. A fuel pressure boost valve will make the car more responsive and respond better. To get sufficient fuel you may need to uprate the injectors on your engine. When increasing your fuelling you will also need to get a bigger fuel pump to supply it.

Seat Toledo Intake and Exhaust.

Breathing mods are usually next up. For small Toledo engine sizes go with a washable panel air filter. On larger engines and turbo vehicles an induction kit will help increase power. Sports exhausts will certainly help air flow through the engine but do not go too large. Stick to 1.5 to 2.5 inches for best results.

A good fast road power clutch will help to keep that power going where it should. Never skimp or expect a standard clutch to cope. Turbo engines are just begging to be custom remapped.You will see big power gains on most turbo engined cars including diesels making a remap one of the most cost effective modifications.The largest power gains for NASP engines usually involve the addition of forced induction. Superchargers are generally easier to add than turbos. With a turbo the boost curve is related exponentially to the engine speed making it hard to map. The nice steady boost to rpm characteristics of the supercharger make them easier to map. Adding forced induction will usually require a lower compression ratio or water injection.

Seat Toledo Wheel modifications.

The benefits of alloy wheels include a lower unsprung weight and more efficient brake cooling. Large Toledo alloy wheels can decrease performance. If you get big alloy wheels you will be changing your final drive ratio. Aim to keep the overall rolling diameter of the wheel the same as supplied from the factory. In all cases we do not recommend going above 17 inches.

Please join us in our forum to discuss the Toledo options in more detail with our Toledo owners. It would also be worth reading our Toledo tuning articles to get a full grasp of the pros and cons of each type of modification.