Golf GTI DSG in Red!

[zed4]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I had a little spending splurge recently! We went out and bought a Renault Clio 172 Cup and a Golf GTI DSG on the same day. These will sit alongside the TVR Chimaera, which is reserved for sunny weekends!

So, first things first, the TVR Chimaera 400: http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...



The Clio 172 Cup (this is now my daily driver and will become a hill climb car too) http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...



And finally the Golf! This is now my girlfriend's daily driver. Plan to remap it (either Revo or Bluefin) and upgrade the stereo.

DSC_5952 by danyeates, on Flickr

DSC_5953 by danyeates, on Flickr

DSC_5955 by danyeates, on Flickr

DSC_5956 by danyeates, on Flickr

DSC_5957 by danyeates, on Flickr

DSC_5958 by danyeates, on Flickr

DSC_5961 by danyeates, on Flickr

We're both really enjoying the Golf, we like the DSG gearbox, nice not to have to change gear and cruise control is handy on the motorway! It's nice to have some modern features after driving the Clio and TVR!!

[TurboHatchback]

Nice, my old 182 was the best and most reliable car I ever owned and I currently have a Golf just like yours (but manual). The Golf really is a very good all-rounder, can be fun when you've got the space and the inclination but it's comfy, relaxing and fairly economical when not. Red with three doors is also the best combination by far.

[zed4]

Thanks, yes it does look good in red.

I should say it's quite well spec'd too. Seems to have...

Highline computer
Steering wheel controls
DSG paddles
Cruise control
Power folding mirrors
Puddle lights
Heated seats
Auto lights and wipers
Parking sensors
18" wheels
CD changer and iPod adaptor (although that's not working!)

Edited by zed4 on Wednesday 4th June 08:41

[MGRik]

Really nice looking MK5 GTI there! Looks spot on in that Red and looks really clean!

[ManOpener]

I'd recommend speaking to Nikki over at R-Tech about remapping. It's a bit of a drive for you but he's widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to the 2.0 TFSI engine.

[pjfamilyguy1]

how is the red paint work holding up (fading), assuming its all original (which I hope it is, as I'm looking at 5 door version of a similar age.

Thanks

[zed4]

ManOpener said:

I'd recommend speaking to Nikki over at R-Tech about remapping. It's a bit of a drive for you but he's widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to the 2.0 TFSI engine.

They're not much further than MRC Tuning at Banbury and they're much cheaper.

Anyone know the difference between the stage 1 and stage 2 remap? It's good to know they use a rolling road before and after, I'm definitely interested.

[zed4]

pjfamilyguy1 said:

how is the red paint work holding up (fading), assuming its all original (which I hope it is, as I'm looking at 5 door version of a similar age.

Thanks

Paintwork is all original and in fantastic condition. I only found one scratch on the car and just a couple of marks around the boot loading area! Very impressed. The red is holding up very well, it's not fading at all, but I think it's been well looked after. No doubt I'll get Luke from LG Autoworx to detail it at some point.

[CaptainMorgan]

zed4 said:

They're not much further than MRC Tuning at Banbury and they're much cheaper.

Anyone know the difference between the stage 1 and stage 2 remap? It's good to know they use a rolling road before and after, I'm definitely interested.

Another vote for R-Tech here, a mate runs a local garage and uses him for mapping 1.8t and 2.0t VAG motors.

Stage 1 would result in around 240bhp, stage 2 would be about 260bhp but ideally you'd want a induction kit and 3 inch downpipe iirc

[ManOpener]

zed4 said:

ManOpener said:

I'd recommend speaking to Nikki over at R-Tech about remapping. It's a bit of a drive for you but he's widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to the 2.0 TFSI engine.

They're not much further than MRC Tuning at Banbury and they're much cheaper.

Anyone know the difference between the stage 1 and stage 2 remap? It's good to know they use a rolling road before and after, I'm definitely interested.

A loose guide:

Stage 1 is standard engine or uprated intake/filter
Stage 2 is exhaust (with/without sports cat or decat but ideally with 3" downpipe), intake
Stage 2+ is above + uprated high pressure fuel pump and intercooler
Stage 3 is above + bolt-on turbo kit (K04 or the smaller Garrett units)

Anything above that and you're getting to forged internals and expensive custom goodies.

The headline figures from the R-Tech stuff isn't as good as Revo/APR but they've got a reputation for being a) more accurate and b) more progressive. I think the basic map is based on the Revo one, like the custom maps that Badger Bill from Badger 5 Motorsport in Stroud does, but modified to be less...I think "abrupt" is probably the word I'd use to describe most Revo maps. They feel faster because they're quite aggressive.


£290 for a health check + custom rolling road map is pretty much unbeatable IMO. They're where my SEAT is going once I've finished my selection of minor preventative upgrades.

Edited by ManOpener on Tuesday 3rd June 16:11

[jimbop1]

Nice choice of cars! I have to agree.. A 3 door, red golf is the best choice.

Loving the the TVR and the colour combo. All three cars look so clean.

[si_xsi]

Good choice with the Gti - almost identical to mine. BTW my ipod dock didn't work, but luckily fixed under warranty. If yours is the same as mine, i.e under the armrest, its a whole new unit i'm afraid.

Agree the standard stereo is utter ste. What do you have planned for it. A stage 1 remap with chip will see 240bhp.

Getting mine properly detailed next week

Does it have good history, how many owners and mileage?

enjoy

[rallycross]

Get the DSG ecu reset so it can learn your style of driving, all the ones I've had have been hopeless ie in drive you will be in too high a gear all the time - eg 5 th gear in a 30 limit.

[zed4]

si_xsi said:

Good choice with the Gti - almost identical to mine. BTW my ipod dock didn't work, but luckily fixed under warranty. If yours is the same as mine, i.e under the armrest, its a whole new unit i'm afraid.

Agree the standard stereo is utter ste. What do you have planned for it. A stage 1 remap with chip will see 240bhp.

Getting mine properly detailed next week

Does it have good history, how many owners and mileage?

enjoy

My iPod kit is an aftermarket one I think, as it was in the glovebox. It does work, but only seems to play a song for a few seconds before coming up with an error. Not sure what to do about the stereo yet, we just want better SQ and more volume. Might upgrade to a newer RCD510 and fit an amp and some better speakers. Or I might go for a Zenec, although we have no need for sat nav, we would like Bluetooth.

Stage one map is probably all we'll do to the engine. It's just had a new PCV and DV. I doubt we'll go exhaust and induction kit, at least not yet!

It's had three owners, full service history, mostly main dealer, cambelt done etc. It's had new brake pads but the discs are shot, which is annoying. Will have to change those myself. Mileage is about 70k IIRC.

[zed4]

rallycross said:

Get the DSG ecu reset so it can learn your style of driving, all the ones I've had have been hopeless ie in drive you will be in too high a gear all the time - eg 5 th gear in a 30 limit.

Yes, it does seem to sit in a very high gear all the time and it can labour a bit. When I drive it, I use it in manual. How do you reset the gearbox?

[zed4]

jimbop1 said:

Nice choice of cars! I have to agree.. A 3 door, red golf is the best choice.

Loving the the TVR and the colour combo. All three cars look so clean.

Thanks! The Golf is the tidiest, it's really mint. It was a good find. The TVR is pretty good, I'm slowly tidying it up, it's looking good now. The Clio is a bit rough round the edges, but it's not bad! It suits me as I leave it in a town centre car park all day at work and I don't mind if it gets scratched!

[zed4]

Thanks for the above info on R Tech too. I'll definitely look into them.

[si_xsi]

zed4 said:

My iPod kit is an aftermarket one I think, as it was in the glovebox. It does work, but only seems to play a song for a few seconds before coming up with an error. Not sure what to do about the stereo yet, we just want better SQ and more volume. Might upgrade to a newer RCD510 and fit an amp and some better speakers. Or I might go for a Zenec, although we have no need for sat nav, we would like Bluetooth.

Stage one map is probably all we'll do to the engine. It's just had a new PCV and DV. I doubt we'll go exhaust and induction kit, at least not yet!

It's had three owners, full service history, mostly main dealer, cambelt done etc. It's had new brake pads but the discs are shot, which is annoying. Will have to change those myself. Mileage is about 70k IIRC.

Slightly off topic, just seen your profile, we used to keep a Rib in Lymington in the late 90s, in the same yard as Scorpion, or South Coast RIBSs (Graham Jelly was the owner)as it was known at the time, what a wonderful job you have.

[rallycross]

zed4 said:

Yes, it does seem to sit in a very high gear all the time and it can labour a bit. When I drive it, I use it in manual. How do you reset the gearbox?

I had mine re-set by AMD while they were doing some other work, feels like it made a big difference since being done, much more lively in D.

[bakerstreet]

One of the best colours for the Golf GTI IMO.

Looking at yours has got me looking for GTIs on Autotrader...They are quite a bargain now.