Rotrex powered R32
Discussion
Zombie said:
Just read this thread through from start to finish, and I mean that, I've not scanned though it.
Very nice job sir. And I say that as an alfa fanboy with a dislike for golfs...
I've been thinking about a rooters for my gta but I've been put off by the cost (mostly) and reports of them being costly to maintain. Wondering what your thoughts are?
So far I have done nearly 19,000 with the Rotrex C38, prior to that it had the smaller C30 which did about the same mileage before I upgraded. Both have been problem free, the C30 even survived water ingestion.Very nice job sir. And I say that as an alfa fanboy with a dislike for golfs...
I've been thinking about a rooters for my gta but I've been put off by the cost (mostly) and reports of them being costly to maintain. Wondering what your thoughts are?
As aka kerrly said the Rotrex only needs an oil change every 2 years.
I do annual oil & filter change, at the same time as the engine oil service as it seamed the right thing to do. The only downside is the Rotrex oil is quite expensive @ £100 for 1L, fortunately the system only holds 0.75L. Apart from that nothing else is needed.
Zombie said:
No too bad then even at £100/l
Don't suppose you know of anyone who's fitted a magnetic clutch to one? - It's a daft idea I know, particularly as the GTA isn't my daily drive, but the Mad Max element makes it all the more appealing.
I'm sure the practicalities of bypassing the supercharger and intercooler won't contribute to that though....
Rotrex are tinkering with this on the C8T http://www.rotrex.com/Home/Products/New_ReleasesDon't suppose you know of anyone who's fitted a magnetic clutch to one? - It's a daft idea I know, particularly as the GTA isn't my daily drive, but the Mad Max element makes it all the more appealing.
I'm sure the practicalities of bypassing the supercharger and intercooler won't contribute to that though....
I have often had the same thought as the charger adds quite a lot of drag to the engine. Flat out the Rotrex pulls about 50hp from the engine, we know this from the fuelling as there is enough fuel and air going into the engine to make 550Hp, whereas on the dyno it’s only making 501hp at the flywheel.
Minor update.
Car still running fine apart from a couple of minor issues
A few weeks ago I noticed there was a leak from the seal between the gearbox case and the mecatronic housing, so a new seal and housing were fitted as the old housing was rusting, tried to get a photo of the old housing, but I didn’t come out. Anyway managed to get a rubbish photp of the new mecatronic housing.
In hindsight I should have replaced the seal and housing before the gearbox was fitted as it would have saved time and the expense of wasted DSG oil
Had new rear calipers fitted as the old ones were sticking
Probably should have replaced the carriers as well so the match.
After driving the MKV around I decided I fancied adding the gentle red glow the interior illumination gives ant night, so I have also fitted the W8 interior light using the guide from here: http://www.users.on.net/~graeme86/w8/w8.html
Parts: 2x connectors, selection of repair wires & W8 light
For reference if anyone else wants the sunroof version of the W8 light in grey the part no is 3B7 947 106A 2EN and costs £75.15
Lit up in the dark
(Apologies for the rubbish phone camera pictures)
That’s about it for the moment, I’m just driving and enjoying the car. I’ll be taking it to the GTI festival @ Santa Pod in April to have another go in the strip to see if I can get into the 11s.
Had a day out at The Phirm today, my car joined 2 other FI R32’s they have in at the moment.
That’s over 1,400 HP lined up there, mine 501, middle one 400+, end one 520.
Must be MOT time
Mot failed first time due to blown brake light (blew on way to MOT station
) and fault with rear lights due to corrosion on the connector to the lamp holder caused by a water leak (common MKIV problem).
Gave the connector a clean and replaced the blown bulb, MOT passed.
Whilst waiting for the MOT this critter wondered into the workshop to see what’s going on.
They nicknamed it EOS and it seamed to like prawn crackers
That’s over 1,400 HP lined up there, mine 501, middle one 400+, end one 520.
Must be MOT time
Mot failed first time due to blown brake light (blew on way to MOT station
) and fault with rear lights due to corrosion on the connector to the lamp holder caused by a water leak (common MKIV problem).Gave the connector a clean and replaced the blown bulb, MOT passed.
Whilst waiting for the MOT this critter wondered into the workshop to see what’s going on.
They nicknamed it EOS and it seamed to like prawn crackers
Had a return trip to Santa Pod yesterday, which was great fun especially as I got a new PB of 11.83 
Favourite photo from the day, where I (right lane) raced against a mate and his R32 turbo (left lane).
Video of the race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEsdKnAQmns
The all important timing sheet
I plan on going back on a RWYB day to see if I can do better as was suffering with wheel spin even after dropping the tyre pressures.
Favourite photo from the day, where I (right lane) raced against a mate and his R32 turbo (left lane).
Video of the race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEsdKnAQmns
The all important timing sheet
I plan on going back on a RWYB day to see if I can do better as was suffering with wheel spin even after dropping the tyre pressures.
Deanf said:
Another who has read the whole thread start to finish.
A cracking car and a credit to yourself.
10/10.
ThanksA cracking car and a credit to yourself.
10/10.
Minor update
Over the last year or so the stitching on the drivers seat back rest had been gradually pulling apart and ended up looking like this
I found a car upholstery shop locally and got them to put a replacement panel in as the original had worn which was the cause of the stitching pulling out.
The new material is not a 100% match, but I’m happy with the result, as it was the best that could be done without re-upholstering the whole seat.
Had some trouble with an annoying oil leak from the gearbox, which we finally tracked down to the oil cooler.
The sealing surface of the oil cooler had started corroding
Replacement oil cooler
Hopefully that’s fixed it.
After going through the data logs from Santa Pod we noticed the timing was been pulled during the run causing a small loss in power. To try and help we are going to add an intake air temperature sensor by the throttle body. Also going fit a better water & meth system as the aquamist looks like it isn’t really up to the job.
Thought I should add some data to better explain what’s going on
The timing data is from one of my early runs on the strip, ideally the timing adjustment (KW stabilisation) should be up to a maximum of 6.
The cells highlighted in yellow show the amount of adjustment applied to each cylinder (1-6), I have added a column on the end to show each gear. The data shows that from the top of 2nd gear and through 3rd and 4th the timing was being pulled.
We think the cause of the timing pull was most likely from heat soak while waiting to get to the start line, as when the car was originally mapped all the timing was spot on.
The relocation of the IAT sensor and changing the WMI system should bring it all back to where it should be.
The timing data is from one of my early runs on the strip, ideally the timing adjustment (KW stabilisation) should be up to a maximum of 6.
The cells highlighted in yellow show the amount of adjustment applied to each cylinder (1-6), I have added a column on the end to show each gear. The data shows that from the top of 2nd gear and through 3rd and 4th the timing was being pulled.
We think the cause of the timing pull was most likely from heat soak while waiting to get to the start line, as when the car was originally mapped all the timing was spot on.
The relocation of the IAT sensor and changing the WMI system should bring it all back to where it should be.
I started on the new WMI install today
The plan was to run the power feed for the pump from the front to the pump which will be mounted the boot.
After removing the sill trim on the passenger side so I could run the wire inde the edge of the carpet I found some mystery wiring which disappeared behind the carpet.
While tracing the wires I discovered the insulation under the carpet was soaking which lead to this
I removed the carpet to reveal
You can see how wet the insulation was in the driver foot well.
There was standing water under the insulation
The interior now looks like this
I found what the mystery wires connected to
Looks like one of the previous owners had a tracker fitted. When I bought the car over 10 years ago I was never given anything that would suggest I had a tracker fitted.
I also found £1.71 and 70euro cents under the carpet
.
The carpet and insulation are now in the back garden drying out while I try and find the source of the leak.
The plan was to run the power feed for the pump from the front to the pump which will be mounted the boot.
After removing the sill trim on the passenger side so I could run the wire inde the edge of the carpet I found some mystery wiring which disappeared behind the carpet.
While tracing the wires I discovered the insulation under the carpet was soaking which lead to this
I removed the carpet to reveal
You can see how wet the insulation was in the driver foot well.
There was standing water under the insulation
The interior now looks like this
I found what the mystery wires connected to
Looks like one of the previous owners had a tracker fitted. When I bought the car over 10 years ago I was never given anything that would suggest I had a tracker fitted.
I also found £1.71 and 70euro cents under the carpet
.The carpet and insulation are now in the back garden drying out while I try and find the source of the leak.
TheLordJohn said:
Is there a new/aftermarket wire through the front bulkhead above the drivers footwell?
Water might be tracking down it and dropping into the footwell.
One possibility I thought of is this junction box above the pedalsWater might be tracking down it and dropping into the footwell.
It’s where all the multiplugs are which pass through to the engine wiring, I had to open it up to add the connections for the gearbox.
When I reassembled it I made sure the seal and surface were clean as I was worried it might leak. Nothing was disturbed on the passenger side.
It turned out it was the sunroof drains, I had initially discounted them as they were working (water drained out when I poured water in the drain channels) however it appeared that the drain tubes had become detached from the grommets inside the bodywork.
With the carpets out the foot wells looked like this after the heavy rain last week
Passenger side
Driver side
I have now glued the sunroof drain tube into the rubber grommet
Secured the connection to the sunroof drain channel with zip ties
So far the fix has worked, the foot wells are dry.
On the plus side, after nearly 2 years of searching I have finally got a MKIV R32 DSG steering wheel.
Spotted it on eBay.de and through the powers of Google translate I did a deal.
With the carpets out the foot wells looked like this after the heavy rain last week
Passenger side
Driver side
I have now glued the sunroof drain tube into the rubber grommet
Secured the connection to the sunroof drain channel with zip ties
So far the fix has worked, the foot wells are dry.
On the plus side, after nearly 2 years of searching I have finally got a MKIV R32 DSG steering wheel.
Spotted it on eBay.de and through the powers of Google translate I did a deal.
I have done some more work on the WMI install, due to the size of tank I have, there was no way it would fit under the bonnet. The only place it could go was in the boot, but I didn’t want loose any space in the boot.
I decided to put the tank in the side compartment where the first aid kit normally goes.
The tank needs some adjustment to get it to fit correctly
Started by trimming the fixing tab
After applying some heat I was able to re-shape the tank to get it to fit in the gap
Made a template out of card for a bracket to mount the tank
After a few hours work in the man cave the bracket was finished
The aluminium plate has been tapped for the Allen screws, which have been locked in place with threadlock.
Test fit of bracket, it has been made so I can still get to the back of the light cluster
The plan was to fix the tank to the bracket with wing nuts.
Unfortunately it didn’t work due to the wings hitting the tank, so had to resort to normal nuts.
Also fitted a breather (elbow in top of tank) so the tank can vent outside the car. The tube was routed down to one of the rubber bungs in the body which goes underneath the car.
Decided to mount the pump to the polystyrene tray in the boot, so drilled holes and feed bolts through for the pump fixings
Pump in place
All back together.
Just need to wire it up.
It was all going so well until I broke the fitting in the bottom of the tank
Now got to wait for a replacement before it can be finished.
I decided to put the tank in the side compartment where the first aid kit normally goes.
The tank needs some adjustment to get it to fit correctly
Started by trimming the fixing tab
After applying some heat I was able to re-shape the tank to get it to fit in the gap
Made a template out of card for a bracket to mount the tank
After a few hours work in the man cave the bracket was finished
The aluminium plate has been tapped for the Allen screws, which have been locked in place with threadlock.
Test fit of bracket, it has been made so I can still get to the back of the light cluster
The plan was to fix the tank to the bracket with wing nuts.
Unfortunately it didn’t work due to the wings hitting the tank, so had to resort to normal nuts.
Also fitted a breather (elbow in top of tank) so the tank can vent outside the car. The tube was routed down to one of the rubber bungs in the body which goes underneath the car.
Decided to mount the pump to the polystyrene tray in the boot, so drilled holes and feed bolts through for the pump fixings
Pump in place
All back together.
Just need to wire it up.
It was all going so well until I broke the fitting in the bottom of the tank
Now got to wait for a replacement before it can be finished
. DSG steering wheel now fitted, it needed a minor electrical modification to get it working.
Went to GTI international today, got my best ever time on the 1.4 mile
I’m really pleased, I think it can go quicker as I was getting a lot of wheel spin at the start, so maybe some tyre pressure adjustments or more grippy tyres will get it lower
Went to GTI international today, got my best ever time on the 1.4 mile
I’m really pleased, I think it can go quicker as I was getting a lot of wheel spin at the start, so maybe some tyre pressure adjustments or more grippy tyres will get it lower
Update time again
At the last service some play in one of the front shocks was picked up. I ordered up a replacement set of original equipment Volkswagen Racing shocks and springs and got The Phirm to fit them for me.
New shocks and springs ready for fitting
Before, not looking in the greatest of condition although not bad for 13 years and 120k
After, looking allot better
At the same time I got the supercharger belt replaced as it was slipping. During the strip down we found one of the bolts that holds the compressor casing on had blown out, leaving an 8mm hole for boost to leak to atmosphere. The leak probably cost me a couple of tenths on the strip
On disassembly it was found one of threads had stripped on the compressor casing.
While it was in bits I got some pictures of the internals of the compressor side.
Blades in good condition, considering it has pumped water a couple of times
Compressor housing
The damaged thread was drilled out and repaired with a helicoil, unfortunately I didn’t get any pics as camera battery died. Anyway it was all reassembled and car is back up and running with full boost, just need to test it once the new belt has had a chance to bed in.
While I was picking up the new shocks and springs from the VW dealer, the parts guy handed me a copy of Volkswagen Driver magazine. They had used a picture of my car in the feature article for GTI international
I don’t get mentioned in the article, but it’s cool they picked a picture of mine, Must be some
for the MKIV R32 in the editorial team
At the last service some play in one of the front shocks was picked up. I ordered up a replacement set of original equipment Volkswagen Racing shocks and springs and got The Phirm to fit them for me.
New shocks and springs ready for fitting
Before, not looking in the greatest of condition although not bad for 13 years and 120k
After, looking allot better
At the same time I got the supercharger belt replaced as it was slipping. During the strip down we found one of the bolts that holds the compressor casing on had blown out, leaving an 8mm hole for boost to leak to atmosphere. The leak probably cost me a couple of tenths on the strip
On disassembly it was found one of threads had stripped on the compressor casing.
While it was in bits I got some pictures of the internals of the compressor side.
Blades in good condition, considering it has pumped water a couple of times
Compressor housing
The damaged thread was drilled out and repaired with a helicoil, unfortunately I didn’t get any pics as camera battery died. Anyway it was all reassembled and car is back up and running with full boost, just need to test it once the new belt has had a chance to bed in.
While I was picking up the new shocks and springs from the VW dealer, the parts guy handed me a copy of Volkswagen Driver magazine. They had used a picture of my car in the feature article for GTI international
I don’t get mentioned in the article, but it’s cool they picked a picture of mine, Must be some
for the MKIV R32 in the editorial teamAVV EM said:
Amazing work!
ThanksHad some free time today, so I thought I’d try and fix something that’s been bugging me for a while.
Ever since fitting the RNS510 I haven’t been able to get the navigation display on the FIS display, all I could get was latitude and longitude.
To get the display to work properly I needed to re code the RNS510, however I couldn’t access it via the MKIV golf diagnostic interface as it doesn’t support the correct CAN bus version.
The obvious way would be to put the RNS in newer CAN bus based car, however due to the way I installed it I would have to dismantle half the dashboard to get I out.
So I hatched a plan that involved connecting the RNS 510 to the CAN Bus in my MKV golf. First step was to get access to the CAN bus connections to the RNS by digging out the CAN converter I was using to get it to work on the MKIV (black box by gear selector).
I pulled the connector to the CAN converter apart and using CAN bus wiring I recovered from the TT wiring loom (used as source for DSG wiring) I connected to the CAN bus for the RNS
Pulled the radio from the MKV
Connected the CAN bus wires and a ground to the radio connector
Wiring going back to MKV
Fired up VCDS and was able to connect to the RNS
I needed to change the display protocol from BAP to a more basic mode (DIS I think?)
Re coded
Success
Now have direction and radio station on the FIS display
Displays media info as well
clio007 said:
What a fantastic read.
How is the DSG box in the MK4 ? Is it the same as the DSG box in the MK5? This would be my ultimate car. Surely it must be the only MK4 DSG in the UK, nevermind being a charged one?
ThanksHow is the DSG box in the MK4 ? Is it the same as the DSG box in the MK5? This would be my ultimate car. Surely it must be the only MK4 DSG in the UK, nevermind being a charged one?
Yep it’s the same as the DSG box in a mk5, mine has been re-mapped to alter the shift points to suit the supercharger.
As far as I’m aware there is only one other mk4 running a DSG box and that car is running a HGP turbo, so the only two UK mk4 R32’s with DSG are both forced induction!
morganvw1 said:
Who fitted the charger for you?
The charger was supplied and fitted by The Phirm, the bracket was designed and built by United Motorsport.C7 JFW said:
I was looking around a VW dealership yesterday and my wife asked, do you fancy a Golf R?
Then I read this. Think i'll keep my V6 4Motion.
How does the car drive? Do you have a Haldex controller?
I have the original Haldex controller, but it has been re-flashed with custom software so it sends more power to the rear quicker. When accelerating out of bends I can feel the rear pushing more, the new software also helps with traction in the wet as with the OEM programming there was some wheel spin from the front when accelerating in the wet, now with the rear pushing none. Then I read this. Think i'll keep my V6 4Motion.
How does the car drive? Do you have a Haldex controller?
GrantB5 said:
The more threads I look on here the more nice electrical work I see going on.
Would love to get my head around it and give some bits a go in the new year. I'm gonna go and buy a glass of man up.
Nice car op.
If you have been to the Phirm in your time you may of seen my mate Dan's mk1 wrigleys golf there, he's there from time to time.
Thanks, good luck with your plans. Yep I have seen Dan's mk1, some really nice work has gone in to that car. Surprised it hasn’t appeared in the decently modified cars thread.Would love to get my head around it and give some bits a go in the new year. I'm gonna go and buy a glass of man up.
Nice car op.
If you have been to the Phirm in your time you may of seen my mate Dan's mk1 wrigleys golf there, he's there from time to time.
I’m hoping on having another go at VMAX in next year, so to avoid a repeat of last time where the plastic under tray got ripped off at 170mph I wanted to add some extra support.
I had the idea of using bonnet pins
The plan it to attach the pins to the radiator support and fix the locking clips to the under tray. The radiator support had ideal cut outs which were just the right size for the pins.
Pins bolted to radiator support
Position for the clip on under tray
Locking clips fitted, they are held in place with stainless steel bolts and nylock nuts
Finished
Apologies for the poor quality of the 2nd photo, there were too many reflections with the flash.
I also took the opportunity to fit LED number plate lights as seen here http://www.users.on.net/~graeme86/numberLED/number...
I managed to find a pair of used number plate lights on ebay.de for £28 (they are nearly £30 each from VW)
Only managed to get one fitted so far, but managed to get a photo to show the difference between original bulb(right) and the LED light (left)
Got my place booked on Vmax
so wanted to get a couple of things sorted before the event.
First is to replace the lower splash guards which cover the side of the engine and protect the belts from road dirt.
At the last Vmax the splash guards were damaged when the under tray fell off and had to be replaced in a rush so I could use the car. This time I want to make them fit better.
I started by removing the wheel arch liner which revealed the classic MKIV dirt trap at the front of the sill.
Current splash guard which has seen better days
New splash guard (top) vs old, quite a lot needs to be removed to fit around the supercharger
This time I want to reshape the plastic so it fits around the supercharger bracket better, so I made wooden frame to support the guard so I could heat it with a hot air gun to reshape it
After a lot of heating and manipulating I managed to form a curve in the plastic to clear the pulleys and brackets, it was straight before I started.
Newly reshaped splash guard back on the car, I had to do a final tweak the get it to fit better, unfortunately it got a bit too hot hence the wavey edge along the top by the chassis rail.
While I was at it, I cleaned and repainted the bracket on the shock which supports the flexible brake hose.
I attacked the bracket with wire brushes and sandpaper to get rid of the rust and old paint which resulted in this.
After a couple of coats of paint the bracket looked a lot better
Bracket back on car, looking better apart from the other rusty bits
Before putting everything back together, I gave all the areas which will be hidden by the plastic wheel arch liners a coat of Dynax to protect it and try and prevent any rust from forming.
All back together, apologies for the poor quality photo, had to use mobile phone as normal camera was flat.
At some point (assuming the rain stops) I want to replace all the rusty screws which hold the plastic arch liner with new screws.
To be continued…..
so wanted to get a couple of things sorted before the event.First is to replace the lower splash guards which cover the side of the engine and protect the belts from road dirt.
At the last Vmax the splash guards were damaged when the under tray fell off and had to be replaced in a rush so I could use the car. This time I want to make them fit better.
I started by removing the wheel arch liner which revealed the classic MKIV dirt trap at the front of the sill.
Current splash guard which has seen better days
New splash guard (top) vs old, quite a lot needs to be removed to fit around the supercharger
This time I want to reshape the plastic so it fits around the supercharger bracket better, so I made wooden frame to support the guard so I could heat it with a hot air gun to reshape it
After a lot of heating and manipulating I managed to form a curve in the plastic to clear the pulleys and brackets, it was straight before I started.
Newly reshaped splash guard back on the car, I had to do a final tweak the get it to fit better, unfortunately it got a bit too hot hence the wavey edge along the top by the chassis rail
.While I was at it, I cleaned and repainted the bracket on the shock which supports the flexible brake hose.
I attacked the bracket with wire brushes and sandpaper to get rid of the rust and old paint which resulted in this.
After a couple of coats of paint the bracket looked a lot better
Bracket back on car, looking better apart from the other rusty bits
Before putting everything back together, I gave all the areas which will be hidden by the plastic wheel arch liners a coat of Dynax to protect it and try and prevent any rust from forming.
All back together, apologies for the poor quality photo, had to use mobile phone as normal camera was flat.
At some point (assuming the rain stops) I want to replace all the rusty screws which hold the plastic arch liner with new screws.
To be continued…..
sleepera6 said:
Still running a Fabia alongside this?
So many times I have resisted an R32 bad knee means I have to drive auto (and wife only has auto licence!) so no MK4 although I could do a DSG swap 
Nice car 500bhp means it must go like s
t off a shovel 
props for keeping it all these years...
..and keeping your sanity
ThanksSo many times I have resisted an R32
bad knee means I have to drive auto (and wife only has auto licence!) so no MK4 although I could do a DSG swap Nice car
500bhp means it must go like st off a shovel props for keeping it all these years.....and keeping your sanity
Unfortunately Fabia was written off at the end 2015 (not by me) which was a bit annoying after the work I did to tidy it up. I replaced it with a 105hp MKV TDI, which was meant to be temporary but it has kind of grown on me as it’s quiet and easy to drive
If you need to scratch that VR6 itch there is always the DSG MKV R32 with is a bit more grown up
Slightly delayed update
While the bumper was off I wanted to replace the speed nuts which hold the undertray to the bumper as they were starting to wear out
Old broken speed nut on bumper
After talking with the very helpful parts guy at my local VW dealer I found there were R32 specific speed nuts and bolts:
Standard speed nut (left) R32 speed nut (right)
R32 speed bolt 9Left) standard (right)
New speed nut fitted to bumper
With the new speed nuts and bolts the undertray is now allot more secure so won’t fall off again whilst at vmax.
By the end of next week the front of the car will have a new look. The one thing that has bothered me since getting the supercharger installed was that the intercooler and pipe work were visible. I hid them a bit by painting the intercooler and pipes black, but they were still visible.
In early February I paid a visit to Pro Alloy Motorsport to see about getting a custom intercooler made.
The requirements I had were that the end tanks were hidden behind the bumper either side of the centre grill, and that the boost pipes were hidden behind the side grills to return the front to looking as close to original as possible.
The guys at Pro Alloy were confident that they would be able to meet my requirements so I dropped the car off to them last week.
On Friday they sent me some photos showing the new intercooler before it went off for pressure testing and paint.
New vs old, the new IC will be a lot more efficient and less restrictive so might release a few more hp’s
The old intercooler was a generic/ebay intercooler that was fitted back in 2009 when I had the first Rotrex supercharger kit installed.
I’m collecting the car up on Thursday ready for vmax at the weekend so cant wait
While the bumper was off I wanted to replace the speed nuts which hold the undertray to the bumper as they were starting to wear out
Old broken speed nut on bumper
After talking with the very helpful parts guy at my local VW dealer I found there were R32 specific speed nuts and bolts:
Standard speed nut (left) R32 speed nut (right)
R32 speed bolt 9Left) standard (right)
New speed nut fitted to bumper
With the new speed nuts and bolts the undertray is now allot more secure so won’t fall off again whilst at vmax.
By the end of next week the front of the car will have a new look. The one thing that has bothered me since getting the supercharger installed was that the intercooler and pipe work were visible. I hid them a bit by painting the intercooler and pipes black, but they were still visible.
In early February I paid a visit to Pro Alloy Motorsport to see about getting a custom intercooler made.
The requirements I had were that the end tanks were hidden behind the bumper either side of the centre grill, and that the boost pipes were hidden behind the side grills to return the front to looking as close to original as possible.
The guys at Pro Alloy were confident that they would be able to meet my requirements so I dropped the car off to them last week.
On Friday they sent me some photos showing the new intercooler before it went off for pressure testing and paint.
New vs old, the new IC will be a lot more efficient and less restrictive so might release a few more hp’s
The old intercooler was a generic/ebay intercooler that was fitted back in 2009 when I had the first Rotrex supercharger kit installed.
I’m collecting the car up on Thursday ready for vmax at the weekend so cant wait
Collected the car today and I’m really pleased with the result, the guys at Pro Alloy have done an amazing job, they have got it exactly how I wanted. They said it was a very tight squeeze to get the intercooler in. To help gain some space the radiators have been moved back slightly.
Just snapped off a couple of quick photos, to show how it looks now.
Just as a reminder, before:
And now
Removing the centre grill gives a better idea
I have new side grills to go in, but where the bumper has been cut for the old pipework the grills are very loose so drop out.
I tried the new grills and it looks how I want, just like a standard R32
So apart from the big brake callipers the car now looks completely stock
Just snapped off a couple of quick photos, to show how it looks now.
Just as a reminder, before:
And now
Removing the centre grill gives a better idea
I have new side grills to go in, but where the bumper has been cut for the old pipework the grills are very loose so drop out.
I tried the new grills and it looks how I want, just like a standard R32
So apart from the big brake callipers the car now looks completely stock
Had a good day out at VMAX200 yesterday, there were some amazing cars there. The list included 2x Veyrons, a Pagani Huayra, a couple of Mclaren 675LT, various Aston Martin’s etc… basically it was a supercar fans heaven so it was great in that respect.
I managed to complete 7 runs going up against 2x RS6 and a S3, BMW M5, Nissan GTR and a Porsche 996 (I think).
The day didn’t go entirely without problems, the first was in the race against the M5 where I was just ahead until a coil pack failed (fortunately had a spare) so had to limp back to the parking area. On the final run I managed to crack the exhaust manifold somewhere so it sounds a but rough.
As for the top speed, my best was 162 so down on previous of 171, which I think, was down to a lack of space.
Previously there was a short run from the start down to the bottom of the runway, so could carry 40-50 mph onto the runway. Now the start is at the bottom of the runway so only have about a mile to accelerate, which meant it was only getting into 6th gear just before the timing beams.
Some pictures from the day
A couple of videos from the day, the first is from when I was against the M5 when the coil pack failed at about 19 seconds, for some reason the gearbox didn’t change up which probably didn’t help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOg9JV4pZ4
The second video is against the RS6, almost kept up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0x_H0-bHgc
Even though the car had some problems it surprised a few people and got lots of compliments. On the run from the gate down to the parking area, a guy in a M5 asked what I’d done as he struggled to keep up with me.
I managed to complete 7 runs going up against 2x RS6 and a S3, BMW M5, Nissan GTR and a Porsche 996 (I think).
The day didn’t go entirely without problems, the first was in the race against the M5 where I was just ahead until a coil pack failed (fortunately had a spare) so had to limp back to the parking area. On the final run I managed to crack the exhaust manifold somewhere so it sounds a but rough.
As for the top speed, my best was 162 so down on previous of 171, which I think, was down to a lack of space.
Previously there was a short run from the start down to the bottom of the runway, so could carry 40-50 mph onto the runway. Now the start is at the bottom of the runway so only have about a mile to accelerate, which meant it was only getting into 6th gear just before the timing beams.
Some pictures from the day
A couple of videos from the day, the first is from when I was against the M5 when the coil pack failed at about 19 seconds, for some reason the gearbox didn’t change up which probably didn’t help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTOg9JV4pZ4
The second video is against the RS6, almost kept up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0x_H0-bHgc
Even though the car had some problems it surprised a few people and got lots of compliments. On the run from the gate down to the parking area, a guy in a M5 asked what I’d done as he struggled to keep up with me.
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