GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Sitting here at work with not much to do so I figured I would start a new build thread. This will be a good place to keep track of what I do to the car and any issues that may arise (it is German after all).

I am still very nervous about the car because it is not a Honda and VW's have inherent issues. The mileage is low so I have that going for me and I plan to stay ahead of issues that they are known to have like carbon build up on the intake valves.

I am missing the room that the Fit had, the regular gas and 33-36mpg. The GTI takes premium, averages 25mpg and has only 2 cup holders. On the plus I am enjoying the bump in HP the neutral handling and overall wonderful driving experience. Time will only tell if it's worth it.

First order of business in an oil change. I choose Red Line 5W-40 full synthetic and Mann OEM filter.

Engine/Transmission:
Unitronic Stage 2+ K04 Tune
Borg Warner K04 Turbo
CTS 3" Downpipe with 200 Cell Cat
GFB DV+
Integrated Engineering Intake
Resonator Delete
Upgraded PCV diaphragm
R8 Coil Packs
HPA Short Shifter
Neuspeed Dog Bone Insert
BFI Stage 1 Mounts
APR Pendulum Mount
RSR DIY Clutch (all OEM parts)

Interior/Exterior
New South Boost gauge w/ air vent mount
Klii Plaid Steering Wheel Inlay
Seat Lever Inlays
Plaid Shift Boot by StitchBoots
4" Slant Cut Chrome Exhaust Tips
Rennline Phone Mount

Suspension/Brakes
17" OZ Racing Wheels w/ General G-Max summer tires
Flush wheel spacer kit (10mm/15mm)
ST-X Coilovers

Waiting to be installed:
Intercooler
LED Tails
Euro Switch
ARM Throttle Pipe
Neuspeed Turbo Outlet Pipe

Future Mods:
Water/Meth Injection
Intercooler
Head Unit with Carplay
Tint
LED Tail Lights
Possible brake upgrades like SS lines and Porsche calipers

Current mileage is a tad over 35,000. I might take a look at the intake valves at 40k and see how they look. The 2.0T had a timing chain tensioner issue that VW released a TSB about. My car is on the edge year wise and might have the updated part but I need to remove the inspection cover and take a look. Of course any money that goes toward upkeep is less for mods so those are pending on what the car will need.

Is it crazy that I was on CL the other day looking for a beater Honda to buy lol? A $500 Civic scares me less then this VW.









Recent pic 04-12-2020

Colin42

Looks nice dude!

Yeah I like the $500 beater civics, as long as there's no structural issues you know that they can be fixed relatively easily. Girlfriend's $500 civic is at 394k kms and it runs great

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Thanks! You really can't beat the value of a old Civic. I was even considering an automatic as it would just be for back and forth to work. With all my Honda's it has always been a badge of honor to get miles on them!! I don't feel that way about this car!!

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

unsure of the newer VW, but had good ones in the 90's (my family only have VW's back in Brazil )

good times, it took 15 min to drop the engine from the bottom (electrical wires, fuel, cables, then remove bolts to trans and it was off.



the FWD were easy, aside from black art of carbs



plenty of space on the older ones



my father refuses to drive anything other than beetle, old bus, so here they are. 1973 bus and 1976 beetle (brazilian models) - ignore the stickers and colors... my father have some... weird preferences to that...

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Lol those are some great pictures, thanks for sharing. I grew up with Honda's and Ford's.

Yes the older VW's are a different animal compared to the current engines. My dad told me stories of the older GTI's and how they dominated autocross back when he used to race. There are people where I work that have had great experiences with VW/Audi. There are also a few that have had bad experiences with Honda. I think maintenance is an important factor and even more so with the VW.

A guy at work says all the VW's he has had burned oil. I have been checking mine every few days and it's doing great with over 1k miles done since I bought it.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Changed the oil last night and it was just as easy to do as it is on a Honda. I did make a mess as the oil started coming out of the drain hole as soon as the T-45 bolt was loosened. With both the Fit and Pilot you have to damn near remove the plug before the oil came out. My Honda 14mm aluminum crush washer is not superior enough for the VW. Had to go the dealer to pick up the appropriate crush washer ($1) which is rounded and seems to have some sort of rubber inside it. While I was there I grabbed a normal 19mm hex drain bolt ($4) too.

I have a Blackstone oil analysis kit that I will be using at either 5k or 10k miles to see how the RedLine does. I also am going to send in some Honda Semi-Synthetic oil from the Pilot when the Pilot tells me it needs to be changed.

mac25

Nice looking car, Sir. Can't wait to see your build once we hit car season.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Thank you sir!! I can't wait for the warmer weather so I can get started and really carve up some back roads.

I did replace the foot well white bulbs with red ones because it looks much cooler of course!! Also got my black and white porcelain tag mounted and took the GTI badging off. I can't remove the rear VW as it is part of the hatch release handle and the front would need a new grill to get the VW off.



On a side note the speakers are not that great and I may end up getting better ones. The Fit's were way better but that had the Nav and upgraded sound package and my GTI does not. If I am listening to ACDC, Zeppelin or Metallica the speakers are not bad. Decent separation and bass response. If I am listening to metal, hip hop or rap it lacks. The speakers can't handle the extra bass and distort with complex stuff like dub step. The engine and exhaust are way to quiet though so I would like to make them sound better first.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

So I was saving up to put a cat back on the car because it is so quiet. But for the cost of a decent CB exhaust I can easily get more fun out of the car. So I am beginning to dive down the path of an ECU tune. I don't live near any tuners to flash the ECU for me so I have decided to go the DIY route. After research found a company that has been in the business for a while and has a great reputation. All the available flash files are only Windows compatible and with me being a Apple fanboy I don't have a PC. So I just purchased a cheap Windows 10 laptop with all the requirements needed to run any software that I may want to use on the car. I am looking at going Stage 1+ which is for a completely stock vehicle and 93 octane gas. I will have access to the regular Stage 1 tune that I can also download to start off with if I want (91 octane).

Also picked up a diverter valve piece to help with the increase in boost and replace the failure prone stock one. The stock valve is controlled with a solenoid and an ECU signal and this new piece retains the factory precision and control but replaces the plastic and rubber bits with metal.



Tunes are on sale until the 10th so I have until then to think about it and decide if I want to take the plunge. I'll put the new DV on until then.

mac25

If you arn't running one I would install an easy to read A/F gauge, that way you'll always know it is running safe.

I doubt that any flash tune for stage 1 would be dangerous, though.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

I have looked at A/F gauges and it is not something that is ran on GTI's. From what I could find the ECU does a great job at monitoring it and giving a code or shutting down the car if a problem were to occur. That being said there is always a chance of something going wrong even with a proven tune so I may invest in one after the Stage 1 phase. Will need a clutch and a couple other stuff before then so it will be a while before stepping it up to stage 2. I may add a boost gauge to monitor any spikes.

From what I have read it seems to be a pretty safe flash tune and guys have been using it on the MK6 for a while. Many have gone over 100k miles with Stage 1 tunes they put on the car shortly after buying it.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

So I verified that I do have the current timing chain tensioner which is a very good thing. It can be a PITA to DIY and pricey to have someone else do it.



Installed the Go Fast Bits DV+ and the car holds boost much better.




Also picked up a wheel holding tool, nice lug nut socket set and Carista which is a blue tooth dongle that you can use to change settings. I used Carista to get rid of the confirmation honk when locking the doors, fog lights on with high beams and some other random convenience things. I don't know why VW does not use wheel studs but it is a PITA to put a wheel back on without a stud to hang it on. So the wheel holding tool gives you something to hang the wheel on which is something I took for granted having wheel studs.



With everything being updated I downloaded the Unitronic Stage 1+ software last night and holy hell does it really open the car up!!! Pulls so much harder and really gets out of corners. I did have some computer issues but Unitronic customer service was great with helping me through it. I'll see how long my clutch lasts but that might be my next upgrade. Someone near me is selling a turbo back exhaust for a decent price so I might pick that up.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

On family's VW's I sit on the floor and hold the tires with me feet while placing the bolts in the threads - like a little monkey (can't do until I do the next hip replacement/rehab, though...)

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Lol, my kids are not old enough for that yet and I do all my car work when everyone is in bed so it's a one man show.

Picked up a slightly used downpipe for a decent price. Drove an hour to meet the guy and really enjoyed the trip. The car just eats up the highway and is a pleasure to be in.

Downpipe should be installed in the next coming weeks. Technically with a downpipe the car will be Stage 2. Software is needed to clear the CEL from the high flow cat but is not needed for increased power. If I do add it I will have to be mindful of the clutch as adding the downpipe can push the torque over the 300 lb-ft mark. Some clutches go for 10's of thousands of miles others make it only a few hundred.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Have some stuff waiting to go onto the car and have already installed a few things. Down pipe is still not installed because of not much time, I would aslo like to do a res delete at the same time and I am kinda scared for my clutch which is still doing great. I also have a torque arm insert that I need to instal that will help with putting the power down and keep the engine from twisting so much.

I added a boost gauge because racecar but don't like it. It is not one of the popular choices for mounts and gauge and I wanted to be different but I don't like it. Bought it used so don't have too much invested. When another used gauge comes up at a good price I will replace it.





Local guy had a set of 17" OZ Racing wheels for sale at a great price. Got the curb rash fixed on the one and got a set of General GMax RS summer tires mounted on them and they are awesome so far. If my HFP Civic wheels ever sell that money will go toward some coilovers and wheel spacers to complete the look. If I was paying the full price of $1200 for these wheels I would have gone with a different look I think but they look pretty good on the car.

These wheels saved 10 pounds per wheel over the OEM wheels.

OZ = 19 lbs
OEM = 29 lbs



The ride height does not bother me as much as I thought but I would still like to lower it some. It is just so hard when I can add moar powah with that money!!!



This month I would like to get the black paint back to looking decent. It has so many swirl marks and holograms in it. The bird poop has since been removed from when this picture was taken.

mac25

Nice bro 😁

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

hhhoooooh, boy! the mod craze going on!

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

^ yes the mod craze is in full swing. Josh knows what I mean lol. Hey it could be worse things.

Went and visited my dad so he could drive the car. It meet all his expectations and what he has read about it. He had a blast in it and was impressed by its power delivery and how it handled the corners.

Installed some stuff over the weekend and bought some stuff. Changed the oil and took a sample to send to Blackstone (I am still waiting on a sample I sent them a week ago for the Pilot). Oil has 6k miles on it and I am curious how it held up. I didn't need to add any oil which was nice. While I was changing it I installed a magnetic drain plug and replaced the PCV valve gasket with a much thicker one. The thicker one will hold up to boost better and handle future mods. I plan on going bigger turbo with this eventually.

Installed dog bone insert which is great for getting the power down but has created a rather annoying hum from the extra vibration. I am going to ride it out until I install upgraded engine mounts to see if it helps get rid of it.

Forgot to get a pic of the actual insert so here is a shot of the instal instructions.



Picked up a used billet aluminum transmission mount. Just need to get the passenger side and I will be set to put these in.



Have a short shifter to instal but have been waiting for an intake before I instal it since you have to remove the stock air box to replace the shifter. Waiting for the intake I want to come up used.



Scheduled to have my resonator deleted next week so I can hear some beauitiful sounds.

Got my first CEL too (German engineering my ***). Scanned it and got P1432. After some Google research it is either the Secondary air pump or the relay for the pump. Some kind of emissions thing which is covered under an extended warranty but still a PITA. Car runs great so I will deal with that in the upcoming weeks.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Got the resonator delete and the car sounds amazing IMO. On throttle lift off you can get some nice Chewbacca noises and can hear the turbo spool more on acceleration. Also got some new tips installed to give the OEM exhaust some bling.









Ordered some R8 coil packs and will put those in soon with some new NGK plugs. Blackstone oil analysis came back great at 6k miles so might go for 8k this time. First time using Redline oil but I am liking it.

Still searching and waiting for an air intake to come up for sale. Need to get the other motor mount so I can put those in too. I have been thinking lately to just stay at stage 1 for longer and skip straight to K04 but I already have the down pipe and it's only an extra $100 for the stage 2 file so I will probably just do that when the stage 1 excitement wears off.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Changed the spark plugs and coil packs. Coil packs are OEM from an Audi R8. Apparently they have a higher output, I didn't notice any changes. They are red so that adds at least 1HP per cylinder!!



Picked up a brand new throttle pipe (connects from the outlet of the intercooler to the throttle body). Not needed at this time as it is not much of a restriction but will be good for K04 power levels. Also new this part can range from $100-$160 which is flippin crazy for a piece of aluminum pipe that offers very little in performance besides better throttle response. Got it for $40 so can't complain. Pancake pipe or turbo outlet pipe is the other that completes the factory restrictions. Want to buy used as these are pricey for what they are. Almost picked up a used intercooler but the guy lived kinda far and neither of us had free time to meet.



I am letting the classified section/craigslist determine what parts I get. Trying to keep it as budget as I can to keep the CFO happy

Just started listening to music in the car again. Have been enjoying just driving it around and hearing the exhaust.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

New South boost gauge installed. Love how well it fits in with the interior. Bought it used from eBay.






Hopefully scoring an intake soon just waiting on some auctions.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Integrated Engineering Intake installed. Very high quality part and makes the engine sound amazing. You can hear the turbo and diverter when you let off or shift. Even if it doesn't add much power for the stock turbo it is a great upgrade to enhance the overall driving experience. It felt like it might have shifted the power band up a bit. Don't get the cool Stututututu Subie noises but still nice to hear the turbo.

Scored the intake and secondary air filter used off of eBay for $225.





Instal took about 35-40min and everything fit very nicely.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Got some little parts coming soon. A picture in the meantime. Washed and waxed with 303 Quick Wax/Detailer.





Need to get the DSLR out and get some nice high quality photos.

Cleaned the engine bay some too.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Installed HPA short shifter. Made a nice subtle difference. It advertises 20-30% in reduction and adds a little bit larger counter weight to increase shift effort.



While I was installing that I took a look at my secondary air pump valve and found a connector that was loose. Plugged it in, cleared the CEL and it has not come back since. Glad it was something simple.

Installed a Euro Impulse shift **** and custom shift boot. Shift **** came off of eBay used. It was black but the sun has changed it to a bronze color which I kinda like. Boot came from StitchBoots which has a great selection of shift boot patterns. It is very well made and matches my seats perfectly.





Next on the list is to obtain the other engine mount I need, get a dog bone mount and keep an eye on craigslist and eBay for any other deals. Down pipe is still on standby not sure when that is going on. I was waiting for the excitement of Stage 1 to wear off but it still brings a smile to my face.

Oh yeah also picked up a programming device ObdEleven. It lets me change a bunch of settings in the car and later help with troubleshooting any issues. You can turn on individual outputs, log data, re-code, scan all the cars modules and more. Has been fun playing around with.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Had the kids in the car and they make such a huge mess!!! I don't know how they do it but dirt just gets everywhere.

Did an interior detail and took a night shot to add some drama.



Also I don't think I like my new shift ****. The OEM one was actually really comfortable and I didn't notice as much until I didn't have it. Will probably switch back even though this one does look nicer.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

So I finally decided to take a peek at my valves to see what kind of carbon carnage I had with 48k miles. It actually didn't look too bad and I am relieved that it is not in need of cleaning ASAP. I removed the IAT sensor and inserted a borescope that works off a phone app. Worked well and I was able to check out the middle 2 cylinders.







I was thinking of doing a carbon cleaning next year and once that is done would like to install meth so that it keeps it clean (and for more power of course).

Picked up a turbo outlet pipe, euro switch and automatic light sensor used off the forum. Euro switch is not something I was originally interested in but it gives you more lighting flexibility. With the switch I will be able to run my parking lights and fog lights but not have my headlights on. For parking and fog I would like to add yellow bulbs to add some lighting style. The switch also allows for a rear fog light to be wired up so I might add that as well. Turbo outlet pipe is for increased flow and better turbo response. For retail price not worth it for minimal gains it offers with the stock turbo but as a used part yes!



Random Google image of an R with the City (parking) lights on.



Back to the OE **** and I might cut an inch or so off the shifter to drop it a bit but haven't decided.



Checked out aliexpress and found a USB and AUX plug that will fit into the blank slots in front of the shifter for $20!! I hate having the AUX connector on the arm rest so moving that would be great. Adding the USB will need a little bit work as I don't have a USB connection on the back of the HU, but a small buck converter to lower the voltage and current should do the trick.

Still on the hunt for an intercooler, water/meth, and coilovers. I have been throwing around the idea of Euro tails too. They look hella nice!!

Oh and Stage 2 maybe soon. I'm starting to say screw my clutch life!!!

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Did a few things over the Thanksgiving weekend while I was off.

Picked up a Pendulum Mount (dog bone mount) from a local. I was not considering this style at first because I was afraid of the added vibration. There are some mounts that include a rubber/poly bushing that helps dampen engine vibrations and then there are other mounts like the one I picked up that have a spherical bushing and are more of a solid mount. The price was so good that I figured I would give it a try and if I don't like it I can sell it. On a stock car this is not a part that generally needs replacement but once tuned it becomes a weak link. If it snaps it can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Generally it breaks when the car is launched and the wheel starts hopping. The solid one piece billet aluminium of the aftermarket one should hold up to all the extra torque the engine will be producing.

APR Pendulum Mount Installed





I only backed the car off the ramps so have not really tested the mount but it was as smooth as butter at idle. It's rainy out today so I took the Pilot to work. Don't want to ruin my nice shine

Also changed the oil while I had the car up on ramps. The car seems to really like the Red Line oil.

Added minor interior bits. eBay seat lever inlays and a vinyl graphic for the steering wheel logo. Tartan (plaid) of course to match the seats and shift boot.

Camera flash washed out the color but it's a darker red.





Rear wiper delete kit is in the mail and on it's way (coming from the UK) and so is a phone mount. Tired of my vent mount blocking all my heat and when you get into the twisties the phone has a tendency to fly off.

BrotatoChip

What's the benefit of that? You just don't like the look of a rear wiper?

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Purely cosmetic. Makes for a cleaner look IMO. Not something I was every interested in as I need the rear wiper but we now have another vehicle so I can take the Pilot when it rains. I'll put some Rain-X on it just in case I get caught in some rain.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Installed a Rennline phone mount. Fit was excellent and put the phone in the perfect position to change music. Going to make a pop socket adapter so that I can mount my actual phone. When I want to data log then I can remove that and mount my android phone that is only used for changing car settings and data logging.





Played around with OBD11 and changed some settings on the car:

• Needle sweep at start up
• Service mileage changed from 10,000 miles to 6,500. Days from 365 to 270.
• Open/close windows with key fob
• Comfort turn signal blinks from 3 to 5
• Fog lights on with high beams (this is really nice)
• Enable DRL on/off from MFD

Did some random logs too just for fun.