"clownish" (clownish)
12/01/2015 at 21:48 • Filed to: None
8
34|
"clownish" (clownish)
12/01/2015 at 21:48 • Filed to: None | 8
| 34 |
Where to start this ramble. In May, 2013 I bought a new car. It was built in June, 2012 – Autobahn Candy White DSG 2013 GTI. As with any car that isn’t just a washing machine I chose to press beyond “maintain properly” into “go faster”. In the butt dyno, the best is a Grand Turismo triangle – luxury, convenience, and power in equal amounts. Start with power.
All of my big performance installs were done at a proper professional tuner shop, since having things reliable and properly installed means a lot more to me than penny pinching and having to pay more later to fix my shoddy duct-tape/wd40/squareholdroundpeg mishaps.
This picture was in the White Mountain/Adirondack region around the fall of 2014. Did a solid 2000 mi road trip in those twisty mountain roads.
I’m not a mechanic and I never want to be on the side of the road waiting. Swap a sway bar or a catback – sure. Start messing with fueling systems or the turbocharger and I’d prefer to leave my hands off it. For those jobs where you want to be able to stress the car, you want someone who understands that installing a part isn’t good enough. You are also making sure that the entire car responds exactly. I highly recommend (shameless plug) HS Tuning, purveyors of VW, Audi, and Porsche OEM and aftermarket parts. Meticulous, bluntly honest, and very fair.
I’d owned the car less than 5,000 miles when I started with anti-sway bars front and rear, lowered the car about 1.5 inches on VW Driver’s Gear springs, and got an APR Stage 1 ECU reflash. A week later I swapped out the stock airbox for an APR Carbonio cold air intake. The phrase “night and day” gets applied frequently – but there’s a reason why. I can’t even remember the car at stock levels . On paper, Stage 1 bumps the Mk6 VW GTI to 269 HP/295 TQ. On the road, Stage 1 bumps the car to lead foot and sirens.
The most stock the car has looked in a while. Autobahn Serron wheels, slightly lowered on DG springs, just after getting 55% tint all around.
This next image is with TT-RS Brembo brakes custom powder coated Blood Red, rebuilt myself (first time!), bled about 5 times to get it right after install... along with custom powdered BBS CF wheels wrapped in Continental DWs. The bronze powder coating is actually very hard to capture as it has brilliant metallic flake in it that I can never capture in a cell phone camera.
Over the last years, I’ve learned quite a lot about my car. I’ve drag raced it. I’ve road raced it. I autoXed a few times on 19s in 235/35/19. Not ideal? Certainly. But extremely fun. Love those Hankook R-S3s.
This was the first time I put my new VMR v705s on. It snowed in April. I couldn’t get up my driveway without shoveling because my summer tires had zero traction whatsoever in the slushy new-fallen snow.
The car has been tinkered with inside and out, include an APR K04 turbo swap, Bilstein PSS coilover suspension, v3.1 APR ECU engine tune, APR stage 3 DSG tune, APR intake Stage one and two, APR intercooler, SuperPro and 034 suspension, Unibrace chassis bracing, APR turboback exhaust, multiple sets of wheels, Audi TTRS brakes, European-spec interior pieces and a ton of other bits and pieces. I’ve also changed the oil about a dozen times this year, along with brake fluid flushes and multiple transmission services. Better safe than sorry?
At this year’s 2015 h20i show:
With winter approaching I found a 2008 VW R32 as a second car. ~118,000 mi, most major maintenance done, came with a stack of receipts from mile 21 from the previous owner.
Oops. Another set of Audi TTRS front brakes. United Motorsport ECU and DSG tuning. Just got a Milltek resonated catback. Along with a ton of miscellaneous bits like radar detector add-ons (hardwire kit, mute button, remote display), interior trim pieces, Weathertech liners, winter wheels and tires...
Just reached ~121,000 miles after a month of ownership.
The GTI is a blast to drive. The R32 is slow, but planted and a great daily driver. It also sounds great. I also have a Honda VFR800 - a failed attempt at solving my motor-addiction with some cheapish speed. Did not work. Now I have 3 helmets, moto gear plus car gear, and vehicle parts and tools everywhere. My spare wheels are decoration in my living room.
GTI Parts list, probably not entirely updated.
Engine
APR Stage ED30 K04 V3.1 Tune (Stock/91/93/100)
APR v1.4 DQ250 DSG Tune
APR Carbonio Stage 1 CAI
APR Carbonio Stage 2 CAI
APR 3” Downpipe
APR 3” RSC Catback Exhaust
APR Traverse 2.0T Intercooler
APR K04 Conversion
Audi R8 Ignition Coilpacks
NGK PFRS7EG Double Platinum Spark Plugs
HPA Lower Motor Mount HVW-904-75
034 Motorsport Engine Mount - Billet Aluminum (SKU# 034-509-5016)
034 Motorsport Transmission Mount - Billet Aluminum (SKU# 034-509-5016)
HS Tuning Subframe Shim and Bolt Kit
GoFastBits DV+ (w/ bolt b/c APR k04: McMaster #92290A338)
Suspension/Chassis/Wheels
UNIbrace RB (Black)
UNIbrace UB (Black)
UNIbrace XB (Black)
Audi TT-RS front 4 piston calipers (Blood Red custom powder)
Audi TT-RS 370x28mm 2-piece cross-drilled rotors (Front)
Audi TT-RS 23.81 mm master brake cylinder
Audi TT-RS brake line brackets (Front)
Hawk HPS brake pads (Front)
Bilstein B14/PSS Coilover System
034 TT-RS Stainless Braided Brake Lines (Front)
StopTech GTI Stainless Braided Brake Lines (Rear)
034 Track density Strut Mounts & Bushings
Stoptech Sport Rotors - cross drilled, e-coated (Rear)
Hawk HPS brake pads (Rear)
ARP extended wheel lugs (20x)
H&R 5mm hub-centric spacers (Front)
H&R 28mm front anti-sway bar
H&R 24mm rear anti-sway bar
Motul RBF660 brake fluid
SuperPro Roll Centre Adjusting Ball Joint (#TRC0003)
SuperPro Roll Control Aluminum Lower Control Arm (#ALOY0001K)
SuperPro Roll Control Anti-Lift Kit (#ALOY3273-80K)
VW R32 Engine Undertray (#1K0 825 237 P)
VMR V705 19x8.5 ET45
Hanook Ventus R-S3 235/35/R19
BBS CF custom powder-coated 19x8.5 ET35
Continental extremeContact DW 235/35/19
VW Serron 18x7.5 ET51
Yokohama iceGuard52c 225/40/R18
ARP extended wheel lugs (20x)
42 Draft Designs 12mm spacers (Front)
42 Draft Designs 15mm spacers (Rear)
Cosmetic/Exterior
XPEL Ultimate Paint Protection Film
Klii Motorwerks Candy White Hatch Insert
Ed’s Vacar R20-Style LED Tail Lights
VAGCOM Tweaks
Rolled front fenders
3M 55% FX Premium Tint
DeAutoKey LED Reverse Light Bulbs
VW European Blind-spot Mirrors
VW European Front Lip Spoiler
VW side markers (extra set) painted Candy White
Audi black lugbolt caps
BBS color matched stems and carbon fiber caps
3M black vinyl wrapped B pillars
Scotch® Vinyl Mastic Roll 2210 rain tray swap
DEI Reflect-A-Gold underhood/intake/intercooler/etc.
Interior
Autobahn Trim Package
VW Mojo Mats
VW Monster Mats
VW CarGo Heavy Duty Trunk Liner and Blocks
WeatherTech Digifit All Weather Mats (4 door)
Ebay Stainless Steel GTI Seat Lever Inserts
P3Cars VIDI Boost Gauge (Red & White)
APR Mobile Dongle
Double Apex USB Charger
Double Apex Valentine1 Mute Button
Podi Steering Column Pod
VEI V1 Series Valentine1 Remote Radar Display
VW European aluminum glove box handle
VW European headlight switch + trigger wire
Uberstealth Underfloor Sub Enclosure
AudioControl LC2i 2-Channel Line Out Converter & Sub Control
AudioControl Remote volume control know in custom enclosure
Pioneer TS-SW2501-S2 10-Inch Shallow Subwoofer
Rockford Fosgate PBR500X1 Punch 500W Mono Rail Amp
I miss my old Infiniti FX35.
jkm7680
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 21:53 |
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Ooohhh, I like what I see.
AM3R shamefully returns
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 22:09 |
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Nice build. I just picked up a 335i and the turbo bug has really hit. Already have a wish list over $5k lol.. I need to stay away from the computer before I make a bad decision.
shift monkey
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 22:11 |
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Candy white is the best on the GTI. Sure makes me miss mine.
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clownish
> AM3R shamefully returns
12/01/2015 at 22:11 |
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I’ve looked into direct injection options for the R32 already. Most of the quality supercharger or turbo charging options are more than what I paid for the car. Turbo bug for sure. I wake up @ 4k ;)
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clownish
> jkm7680
12/01/2015 at 22:13 |
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Thanks! I had my heart set on a mk4 r32 but I couldn’t find one that was worth the money around here. Rusty, daily driven, not well taken care of. The mk5 I ended up getting is so clean.
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clownish
> shift monkey
12/01/2015 at 22:18 |
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I have a friend that got one at the same time - we met because of our identical CW GTIs. Even his mother confuses our cars when she sees one of us driving around town.
Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 22:21 |
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Also, welcome to Oppo! I have a 2011 Sportwagen TDI 6 speed (I <3 my pollution machine!) with 98k miles.
Mods are:
Koni Coilovers with Bilstein Sport Shocks in the rear
2012 GTI rear anti-sway bar
Stoptech Street carbon metallic brake pads
17x7.5 GTI Denvers with Pirelli P-Zero Neros (My summer/nice weather wheels)
16x6.5 OEM wheels with BFGoodrich Touring T/As (soon to be Pirelli P4 Four Seasons)
Recently did a set of 42DD shifter bushings.
Kinja won’t upload pics for some reason... so I guess I’ll have to find some pics on here lol
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Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 22:29 |
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Pre-coilovers:
I also had a set of Audi B6 A4 17” wheels (below) that I bought for $100 and sold 3 weeks later for $350.
Now...
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AM3R shamefully returns
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 22:36 |
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Boost is a wonderful thing, it’s also a great excuse to spend money on wider wheels /better tired to put the power down :)
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shift monkey
> clownish
12/01/2015 at 23:04 |
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Have you had any issues with buildup?
PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
> clownish
12/02/2015 at 00:28 |
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stage 1+ GLI here. love my car, even though I don’t have the $$$ to make it what I really want. your build is basically my goal.
props on the R32 as well, looks awesome
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clownish
> AM3R shamefully returns
12/02/2015 at 12:54 |
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Any recommendations on tires besides Hankook R-S3s and Michelin PSS?
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clownish
> Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
12/02/2015 at 12:56 |
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You let me know if you want more stock GTI parts... Great looking wagon!
I tried very hard to get into a Golf Sportwagon but as a second car, it never made financial sense. Maybe in a few years!
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clownish
> Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
12/02/2015 at 12:56 |
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I love it.
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clownish
> shift monkey
12/02/2015 at 12:57 |
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Not yet. I’ll probably do a carbon cleaning around 100k, but right now it still dynos well, idles without problems, and starts/drives just fine. No indication of power loss or any other problems. I have driven this car very hard so that usually helps prevent carbon build up....
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clownish
> PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
12/02/2015 at 12:59 |
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Given time and forums, you can achieve all. I have to admit I’ve gotten a lot at cost thanks to friends or working relationships.
Now is a great time to have a mk6 car though, since people are parting out and going to mk7 or other brands so there’s tons of deals for those looking. I send BBK deals to my friends every week - they hate me.
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Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
> clownish
12/02/2015 at 13:28 |
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Which stock parts? Just curious lol
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clownish
> Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
12/02/2015 at 13:48 |
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I have Mk6 front brake assembly (lines, brackets, calipers, rotors, etc), both front and rear sway, front lower control arms, front ball joints, front strut mounts, rear brake lines, rear rotors (2010-2012 different from 2012+), airbox assembly, entire GTI turboback, RNS-310 headunit, RMT300 headunit,etc. What are you looking for in particular?
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Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
> clownish
12/02/2015 at 14:17 |
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Well, I probably need front strut mounts (the ones on my coilovers have 40k miles on them and one of them broke...) and front and rear rotors (Sportwagen TDIs have the same brakes as GTIs, just the calipers aren’t red)
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AM3R shamefully returns
> clownish
12/02/2015 at 16:26 |
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For the price, continental extremecontact DW (I use DWS because winter) is a great tire. I haven’t used this tire on a track, but grip is awesome and the wear rating is insanely high. Wet weather traction is great too (totally surprised me). I used a set on an E92 M3 ZCP (10” rear wheel) for a brief period during late winter and they handled wet roads really well, even with those fat back tires.
Fairly cheap, great grip, last long, and the DWS is actually a competent all-season for when it snows.
If you’re strictly going with performance, I’d probably stick with the PSS or go all out on some proxes r888’s :)
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clownish
> AM3R shamefully returns
12/02/2015 at 22:46 |
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Hmm, I have a set of Continental DW on a set of BBS wheels - 19x8.5 - after running the Hankooks I guess I got used to the super solid side walls. Also the torque on the GTI is high enough that I blow out 1-2 and barely grip 3rd.
You are not the first person to recommend them - I have a really good friend who loves them also. And they have insanely high reviews.
Maybe I just need to give them a 2nd chance. They’re rated highly for summers, grip, wet and wear, like you said.
Or just look into r888s.
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clownish
> Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
12/02/2015 at 22:49 |
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My fronts are used stock GTI rotors/pads. Used maybe... 30k? Not entirely sure. But pretty new. The rear rotors - I have a set of new drilled Centric geomet rotors that fit earlier mk6 GTIs - after 2012 they swapped to a different slightly smaller size, which is what my car has on it, so I can’t use em.
Honestly, front strut mounts are so cheap I’d just buy them new - but mine are again only used for ~20k or less. I swapped to 034 track density mounts for most of the life of the car.
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AM3R shamefully returns
> clownish
12/02/2015 at 23:04 |
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Oh good point, the DWS has a rather soft sidewall.. I definitely noticed it but it was mostly remedied by slightly increasing psi. If I didn’t live in a place that got winter, I would totally use r888’s. Probably overkill, but everyone I've talked to absolutely loves them.
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PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
> clownish
12/03/2015 at 00:09 |
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I only see one limitation though, and that’s the car being FWD. it may just be me, but I believe anything north of 300hp in a FWD car is a bad idea, and I’m shooting for a car that can make way upwards of that.
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Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
> clownish
12/03/2015 at 00:22 |
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Agh, my rears are the 272x10mm ones
I have new-ish pads (stoptech streets, been on the car since August, probably 75% pad remaining) but the original rotors with almost 100k miles on them (probably 60% highway miles though)
I think I somehow killed both of my strut mounts too! The passenger one started clunking today! FFS having modified suspension is SUCH a hassle :P /sarc
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clownish
> PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
12/03/2015 at 00:42 |
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Last dyno was 330 whp - car doesn’t launch well but it takes down plenty. Fastest quarter was a 12.8 - full weight with r comps. Yea, it’s FWD but I’ve never had any real problems with it personally. It’s a balanced car on a road course and it’s still a GTI so the car handles beautifully.
I’ve driven Stage 3 cars making 400+ and that isn’t super fun because they spool so high - car is only fun from 5000 to 7000. Hah, but it’s a riot at that range. Guess it depends what you want to end up doing. You right.
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PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
> clownish
12/03/2015 at 00:51 |
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I love my GLI and I absolutely adore hearing passengers giggle when it spools up, but I want NA/more linear power. while a turbo-4 is great, I think a V8 will suit my wants better
Raymundo
> clownish
12/04/2015 at 15:03 |
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Reading this made me remember how much I miss VW. I’ve had a MKIII Jetta, MKIV Golf 1.8T, and a MKIV R32. I really enjoyed your pictures and recap on your modifications. Seeing this makes me want to revist VW so badly in the form or a MKVI or VII. One thing I wanted to bring up was this:
I’ve also changed the oil about a dozen times this year, along with brake fluid flushes and multiple transmission services.
Let me ask you this: When you changed your fluids, did they look like they needed to be changed? I mean if you’re changing your gear oil and it’s still red (or whatever color it may be for you), then you’re essentially throwing money away. If the engine oil still has a golden hue to it as it’s draining, put it back in there. Let the oil does it’s job. Sure, it’s not going to hurt anything by increasing the frequency at which you change fluids, but there’s really nothing to be gained by changing your fluids early if they still have plenty of life left in them.
Just my two cents. If you want to change your fluids early and frequently, then shoot, send me your used fluids. I’ve got a LeMons truck that might be able to use them. :P
chilichez
> clownish
12/20/2015 at 18:06 |
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don’t get married
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clownish
> Raymundo
12/27/2015 at 23:57 |
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The mk7s are putting up very impressive times and handling characteristics. Remains to be seen if the quality holds up but they’re very cool.
You are absolutely right in the assumption that the fluids still look okay most times I change it. A few times it’s been bad. I’ve been figuring that I’d rather have the oil fresh and know it since for the longest time the GTI was my daily and I’ve been driving it like it was stolen. Maybe I’ll rethink that a little bit. The R32 I’ve done two oil changes already - just hit 123,456 mi today - and trying to do it around every 3,500 mi
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clownish
> chilichez
12/28/2015 at 10:14 |
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Sadly, I am engaged. The conflict between saving for house/life/wedding and buying car parts is real.
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chilichez
> clownish
01/02/2016 at 09:50 |
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Wait until she skips through the kitchen in a new pair of Laboutins while your baby sits sadly on jackstands for another month. Several times. Enjoy!
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clownish
> chilichez
01/03/2016 at 23:34 |
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Oof. That’s why we both work right?
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chilichez
> clownish
01/13/2016 at 10:43 |
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SO a new set of RPF-1s shod with RE-11s are now sitting in my garage. Exactly, why we work and thanks again for a good read