I've just procured a new VW302 Polo radiator to fit in place of the Escort unit that I suspect is causing my overheating problem.
Has the general experience of folks come to a concensus re. sourcing top & bottom hoses, header tank, routing - in other words, is there a
usual/normal/recommended collection of hoses? Or does everyone with this installation re-invent their own version of the wheel? 
TIA,
John.
Go to your local, friendly motorfactors and ask for various bends and sizes of hose you need. Helps if you work out roughly what you need before you
start! Then buy the cheapest bits of hose which have the bends you need!
The rad connections are both 32mm, the pinto ends are 38mm IIRC so you will need some reducing sections somewhere.
All my hoses cost under £10.
check out my post from the other day
pinto thread
Thermostat to rad top is done perfectly with a Gates flexible hose from Halfords (£7-8 IIRC) Ø32 at one end and Ø38 at the other and about 700mm
long.
Bottom hose I found a bit of an arse trying to find something that ran from the pump and leared the steering shaft and alternator belt. Ended up
using the same hose as above - a Ø32 ally hose joiner and a Ø32 x 90 deg bend from merlin motorsport.
It's worked faultlessley from day on although it's one of those things I can't help feeling could look better 
Ah! Missed that one under 'Anything else'!
In my case, it's definitely not a problem with the pressure cap - it holds pressure and the reverse flow from the overflow bottle is OK - the
level in the bottle drops as the engine cools.
I was hoping there might be a 'prescription' of tubey bits that people have found to be suitable - I don't expect anything to fit
directly, but for example 'use part of the bottom hose for Bloggsmobile Mk II joined to the bend from the top hose hose of Geekwagon 1600'
to make the new top hose or somesuch
I used part of the donor's top hose for the MK's top hose (with the Escort rad); my bottom hose is part of a Talbot Samba top hose and a
CBS right-angle.
I've just offered up the Polo rad (with the original one still in situ) and the bottom hose seems to want to occupy the same bit of space that
the chassis upright is in.
Having looked in various photo archives, it seems my current rad is fitted relatively low. It seems that the usual Polo fitment is with the bottom of
the rad about level with the top of the steering rack. That way, the bottom hose (with a fairly tight bend) clears the chassis upright.
John.
quote:
Originally posted by omega0684
check out my post from the other day
pinto thread
Nick,
I had a peep at your archive pics which led me to think I need to mount the rad higher than at present...
Useful pics, thanks!
John.
Ouch! That Polo rad's a tight fit!
Slightly constrained by the wish to minimise disruption to existing bracketry, I measured, checked, visualised, pondered, measured again...and
there's half an inch negative clearance between the nose cone and the non-pipe upper corner of the rad! 
Ah well; try again tomorrow!
John.
Wednesday update.
The Polo radiator is now securely mounted on modified original brackets. The fan also re-fitted with one small bracket still to make - it is mounted
independent of the radiator.
The rad really is a tight fit - there's less than quarter of an inch clearance to the nose cone.
I'm going to try Halfords for a Gates flexy as the top hose - as suggested by nick205.
The 38mm pump connection would ideally be a 'V' shaped hose with a 135 degree bend - down from the pump, under the fan belt and
across/slightly forward, pointing toward the lower radiator port. The trouble is that I can only find such pipes with 4 inch legs - I need 6 inch!
I do have a length of hose of unknown provenance that would then connect perfectly (via a 38mm OD metal tube) to the rad outlet.
Getting there slowly! 