VW Golf R

[RS Grant]

Ok this is quite a wordy first post (they'll not all be as heavy going I promise!!) with some very uninteresting photographs and some slightly more interesting photographs.. but I'm hoping to keep it updated and have a good representation of my ownership experience from start to finish.

Buying this car almost happened by accident, I was helping my sister look for a replacement for her Polo GTi and she had decided that a Golf R was to fill that gap so I was happy to join her for a test drive... which, although the TD was in an automatic DSG car, is where the seed was planted.

So the planets had aligned, haha; I was helping her with the process of buying and was privvy to the figures, I was planning to cut my losses with a lemon of a 335i which I had bought from a pathetic independant 'specialist' therefore was wanting something hassle-free from a main dealer that could still put a smile on my face if needs be and I wanted something which I could use everyday in all weathers... so I ordered one two days after my sister did, November 3rd.

The waiting list for the Golf R was running at ~6 months depending on the dealership allocation, options, etc. So I was to expect delivery around May 2015, with only the VW build calendar for company and after what seemed like twice or three times as long...

...after 5 months, it was finally here!!

The salesman was well aware of how anal I am about my cars, for example, he had been reminded on multiple occasions that I didn't want any holes drilled in my bumpers to fit the numberplates because I was going to run shortened numberplates, haha.

Anyway, knowing how excited I was he phoned when the car arrived at the compound and asked if I would like to come and see it before it was prepared and put through the pre-delivery inspection, which of course I gladly accepted!! Not something many people would be into, but for me, it was a nice touch.

IMG_7313 by RS Grant, on Flickr
IMG_7312 by RS Grant, on Flickr
IMG_7314 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Golf R
3dr
Tornado Red
Manual Gearbox

It seemed like a long wait until collection, even though it was only a few days!! But here are the pictures from the day I collected it, the white Polo GTi which is beside the car ouside the dealership is my sisters car which was traded in a couple of weeks previously and the white Golf R which is in a one of photos is her replacement.

I picked up on 16th April, so just over 5 months.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
EA128329-663B-4470-AA12-81F3488B0679 by RS Grant, on Flickr

I had a wee bit of a wobble about colour after ordering, whether I should have gone for the R-only Lapiz blue or not.. but as nice as the Lapiz blue is, it's common (certainly around these parts!) and on the day of collection I could not have been happier with my choice to go with Tornado Red... I think it looks phenomenal, but then I am biased.

I'll leave this post as the first step of ordering/delivery and add further pictures once I get a chance a wee bit later on, but if you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me this far.


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 12:53

[RS Grant]

Dr G said:

Fair play for colour, doors and box - it looks good and is certainly the sort of thing VW nerds will be after down the line when everyone actually ordered a 5 door auto

Enjoy!

Thanks, I think you're right... the 'older' generation of nerd like myself appreciate the fun in changing up and down a manual gearbox more than we would enjoy the second or so less that it would take to get from 0-100 in a DSG car.

richierich37 said:

Lovely choice fella, enjoy!

Thanks Rich.

ManicMunky said:

Looks good!

I know what you mean about the TR being a bit different... but the blue looks so good!

Spec'd up an estate earlier... was knocking on for £40k! :O

Yeah I agree, the hot hatch sector on the whole is getting quite pricey compared to where they were not so long ago. But you could argue that you've got to pay to play and that if you wanted something which would do ~155mph and 0-60 in 5.something a couple of decades ago then you'd be up in the same £25-30k region and beyond, which you are today.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Scuba_steve said:

How come the suspension looks raised when it was removed from the transporter? Looks different once the prep has been completed. Lovely car, you made the right choice in the tornado red

Odhran said:

Suspension blocks for transport. Usually removed at PDI as far as I know.

Spot on, I hadn't seen a car with transport blocks fitted.. it reminded me of the time I popped into a Subaru Dealership and saw my Impreza Turbo with it's nose in the air because they'd removed the engine to rebuild it!!

HarryW said:

Slightly biased as No2 son has one but it does look good in white... Very nice and capable car.

I knew I was going to like the car, but it has impressed me on a whole different level. The cross country pace it offers is right up there with some pretty iconic cars, the suspension seems so well suited for the local back roads and highland passes that I've taken it down and the grip levels are genuinely amazing. I have covered ~4k miles in the car now and I continue to put a huge smile on my face, I could go on and on about it... don't regret the decision to buy in the slightest.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

epom said:

Lovely OP, good luck with it. Do/did VW offer a black optics pack for the R at all ?? Think it would be lovely on them.

You could order black mirrors as a no cost option, however, this wasn't advertised by the dealerships and only became apparent after I'd ordered when I joined the Owners Forum... otherwise I'd have had black mirror caps!!

But as below, it makes a massive difference and I'm waiting for a quote from a local 'wrapping' company to cover my chrome detailing.

AGK said:

Unfortunately not but it makes a hell of a difference.

Looks brilliant.

AGK said:

Looking good - what dealer did you order from?

I ordered from Camerons in Perth, we (my family) have bought from both their Audi and VW dealerships before and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them... the friendly, pressure-free service that we got from the salesman was a refreshing change.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Faxo said:

I specced my wife's with black mirrors from the factory, just need to Plastidip the front chrome!

Looks great, my friend ordered a red R and specced the black mirrors too.. my jealousy levels are high every time I see it!!

Hadn't considered plastidip, is it durable?? How difficult to apply is it??

Bungleaio said:

Did you end up running a shortened plate on the front? if so what did you do with the plinth?

I ordered shortened plates before I collected the car and I had stupidly assumed that the plinth would be removeable without any drilled holes being noticeable; which as I asssume you know, is incorrect... so I've got a shortened plate with the plinth in place, not ideal but better than a longer plate I think, just.

010440AF-389C-4CB2-ABD5-32E8D5DA5C0A by RS Grant, on Flickr
IMG_8183 by RS Grant, on Flickr


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 12:55

[RS Grant]

oobster said:

Looks great Grant

Thanks Andy, how is the ST coming along?? Not sure if I have replied to your thread or not yet, but I am a big fan of the facelift estates and the colour you chose looks spot on.

neilbauer said:

RS Grant said:

I've got a shortened plate with the plinth in place, not ideal but better than a longer plate I think, just.

Until you get pulled

Haha my days of running plates which are illegal are long gone Neil, I paid enough £30 fines in my younger days to last a lifetime!! ...so these are correct spacing/size characters and have a couple of mm more than the minimum border round the edges too.

maxest said:

Lovely car Grant, front place looks rubbish though, get a standard size one on

Thanks Max, sometimes I look at it and think the same then other days I think I prefer the shorter plates. I think that I'll remove the plinth at some point which should hopefully will make the shorter plates look less out of place.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

5potTurbo said:

Nice to see a red R for a change.

I had to pop into the local stealer yesterday for a part for my wife's car and they had a blue R wagon in stock. At €46k it was the price of our Octy vRS wagon and Fiesta ST new, combined!

Yeah the red is a refreshing change in my local area.

An Octy vRS Estate and Fiesta ST are two very good cars too, so when you look at that, it makes a Golf R sound unbelievably expensive?!

andrewparker said:

Love it! My super rare night blue R is due in three weeks, can't wait!

Night Blue, lovely colour.. and very, very rare. All the best with your early Christmas present when it arrives Andrew!

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Make sure you do a European road trip, it's what they are made for!

Had planned to take the R on a Euro Trip this year actually, however, 'life' got in the way and put the brakes on that plan... but I will definitely be going away in 2016, I can't wait already!!

That is a lovely picture, where was that taken??


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

RS Grant said:

Had planned to take the R on a Euro Trip this year actually, however, 'life' got in the way and put the brakes on that plan... but I will definitely be going away in 2016, I can't wait already!!

That is a lovely picture, where was that taken??


Cheers,
Grant

Varenna, Italian Lakes

Full report here (the last page)

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Looks great and given that I'm already very impressed with my R... this is only likely to strengthen that bond further, as you seem to have found. Great pictures too!!

Bungleaio said:

I was in a similar dilemma over the short plate and plinth however I found www.fourdotdesignerplates.co.uk and bought some from there. They do custom borders so I just selected black.

They aren't cheap but are fantastic quality.

That does look a lot better than my shortened plates, they are a touch on the pricey side for a bit of plastic, however it would save me having to fork out to get the front bumper painted if I went with the plan to remove the plinth altogether.

AGK said:

RS Grant said:

Looks brilliant.


I ordered from Camerons in Perth, we (my family) have bought from both their Audi and VW dealerships before and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them... the friendly, pressure-free service that we got from the salesman was a refreshing change.


Cheers,
Grant

Cheers .

I'm sure the Mrs ordered her R from there but they messed her about so she got her money back and got one else where. Mine came from Portsmouth as I couldn't find a dealer up here that would take me seriously! Nightmare lol.

I recognise your plate too - Sure I've seen it in the paddock at Knockhill before...?

That's surprising about your experience in Perth, I could believe it of Barnetts in Dundee, but not Camerons... that said, this time I felt the sales manager was a little 'Arnold Clark' in her approach to the deal but the salesman was anything but.

Yeah, you would have seen me up there before. I visit Knockhill fairly regularly, have been out on track in a few different cars wearing that plate.. how about yourself??


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

I gave my dad a lift to collect his car from a service on Saturday and the R stuck out like a sore thumb in their empty car park/forecourt... a sea of grey and white, with one bright red beacon in the middle... as I think I said in my original post, I'll add random photos I like to this thread et voila... this is one of them!!

DF6A6835-2BB2-4AE7-A30B-833C6ED245F1 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Another picture that I found in my photobucket was this one below, it was taken up at Crail when I went up one sunny weekend with a couple of my friends...

1FD7798F-D31D-4897-B2B0-94A90E1962BE by RS Grant, on Flickr

I will also have another update in the next few days since I've ordered some new wheels for the R and will be fitting them once they arrive and I seal/wax them.


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 12:58

[RS Grant]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Keep the pics coming!

neilbauer said:

^^ yes interested to see wheel choice

Thunderhead said:

So many of the 'LeaseHire Blue' Golf R's around now it's refreshing to see it in a different colour.

Suits it well.

Thank you... wheel update coming shortly.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

AGK said:

Yeh I'm up quite a lot. Golf's been out on track too. Also go to Crail if the weather is decent!

The R looks good on track!!

Couple of questions... firstly, who turned your chrome detailing gloss black and how much (PM if preferred) did it cost?? Secondly, how easy is it to remove the numberplate plinth and what kind of mess does it leave behind??


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

So the delivery man arrived with four well wrapped wheels for me late last night and I spent some of my morning using the last of my wheel sealant on them, then I started to bolt them on... to say I was excited would be an understatement!!

Here they are... can you tell what it is yet?

E2C9960D-FAFF-4D7D-8AD2-BA8D991EB060 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Here they are unwrapped, they are 19" x 8.5" versions of BBS CH-R in gloss anthracite and wrapped in 235/35/19 Kumho Ecsta LE Sport KU39 tyres.

677892CC-B94C-400B-B56D-CF5EED442DA5 by RS Grant, on Flickr
594848B9-23CE-4B7A-8723-B4070B917E6A by RS Grant, on Flickr

Here is the R wearing it's standard 18" alloys with 225/40/18 tyres:

010440AF-389C-4CB2-ABD5-32E8D5DA5C0A by RS Grant, on Flickr

...annnnd, here it is with the new wheels fitted:

4438E4F9-5A89-4E9B-B0F0-9D9F1F80A1F2 by RS Grant, on Flickr
CA74FCFD-548E-43AD-B3A0-63CAA372E4F1 by RS Grant, on Flickr
03E4991D-696D-48BD-A18B-1E241828EB91 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Massively happy with the end result!!


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 13:02

[RS Grant]

AGK said:

Cheers bud, if you ever see me up then fire over for a chat and if I'm on track then I'll take you out.

I done it myself. £20 for a big sheet and just took them off and wrapped them. My mirror caps were sprayed by a mate.

Plate is a piece of cake, plate off, poke the centre of the fixings out then the plinth falls off. No mess left bar the holes which if you zoom in you can see on the track pic. My plate was only off for track though.

Here's mine and my dad's. Red with black bits would look tremendous with your new wheels!

Yeah I will definitely do that, what events do you go up on?? I'm usually up at TrackScotland, SIDC and MonsterUnit events as well as the usual Knockhill days. I wouldn't go on track at the MU events though, seen a lot of wallets brimming with money yet out of talent, numerous red flags on a 2/3 hour session isn't my idea of fun or value for money.

Hmmm, how easily do the front end bits pop out?? I'd be tempted to give the wrapping a shot, worst case, if it all goes wrong then you can peel it back off again.

I like that picture, the front end difference is very noticeable with the wrapped parts.. along with the mirrors and my wheels I think you're right, it'll look spot on... could be my first modification of 2016.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

neilbauer said:

Wheels look great nice choice

Thanks Neil, glad they were worth the wait.

Meridius said:

The BBS CH is the perfect wheel for the Golfs, fill the arches nicely, make it look more serious and capable of a car while still looking like they belong there.

Yeah, I saw red MK5 Edition30 at a local dealership when they were new/nearly new and I loved the look of it on the dark BBS wheels... this is like my modern replication of that.

Beedub said:

lovely wheel change!! can't believe how much difference they make to the car!! looks awesome .

Cheers mate, appreciate the comment... they have made a bigger difference to the car than I was expecting them to. I had expected that I would possibly need to lower the car when I was thinking about going up a size in wheels too, but now that they're fitted, I'm not so sure I need to anymore.

Nickbrapp said:

Wheels look mega! Not a bad driveway either, 2 golf Rs and a m3?

Thanks Nick.. the neighbours are probably less enthusastic about the cars when they spill out onto the street, haha.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

ManicMunky said:

CH's look spot on there!

Thanks mate.

Johnny50 said:

Looking good Grant. Seen the update on FB earlier.

OEM+ but also different from the other MK7's. Good choice!

Hi Johnny, long time no see!! Yeah I thought I'd spread my joy far and wide, haha... are you still a VAG man, or moved back to Cosworths??

oobster said:

Yep, very nice Grant! You still got the TT RS?

Also, good to see some of the auld SIDC crowd on here, good times going on runs and meets with you 'orrible lot!

The TT has gone, replaced by an F80 M3 in September... just in time for winter.

Haha they were the days, some fantastic runs and banter in SIDC... even though I've got another Impreza again, I popped in to the forum to see what was happening, but it seemed pretty dead unfortunately.


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 13:03

[RS Grant]

AGK said:

Depends on the weather and stuff but usually more private events than hot hatch Sunday's etc. I've not been out on a MU night but I was at the ring with the MU lot in October.

Front end bits are easy for the grille. Two screws then just pop the rest out. The lower bits need the bumper off to remove properly or you could try wrap in place.

I'll try dig out a better picture of the front of the red one but it makes a seriously big difference, especially when parked next to one that hasn't had it done!

Yeah, you put your bodywork and balls on the line on Hot Hatch days!!

What was their trip to The Ring like?? I saw them mention something on Facebook about it a wee while back and it's a trip which I'd really like to do and given that their track events are well enough organised I thought that it might be an idea to tag along with them this year.

Thanks for the details, I'll take a look at the numberplate plinth and grill bits the next time I wash it to see if I'll go ahead with it myself or seek assistance elsewhere, haha.

Rikki55 said:

Really really do like these new Golf Rs! Yours is such a nice example OP and quite refreshing to see it in Tornado Red compared to the White or Blue which I normally see on the roads!

Loving the BBS CHRs too, really do set the car off!

MrBarry123 said:

Those wheels look so much better - not a big fan of the standard 18" items.

Very nice.

Thanks for the comments lads.

madtoro said:

Nice collection Grant

Some auld names appearing in this thread...
That better be an Impreza wagon then Grant!

Cheers Big Daz

Woah, there's another one.. haha, hows things Daz?? Think you were smoking around in an S4 Avant and had the track car with Ian the last time that I saw you, how do things stand these days??

Of course it's a wagon, everybody knows they're the fastest.

Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr
Untitled by RS Grant, on Flickr

STI V6 Limited... it's in a far lower league of interior fit and finish to the Golf, but still got that Subaru charm!!


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 13:06

[RS Grant]

rm89 said:

Just saw this parked in South Tay Street, Grant. Looks cracking! The BBS really suit it. Still enjoying it?

Thanks Ross, think this is my first spotted post!

Yeah I am still really enjoying the car and even though it's still pretty much standard, it's a very capable car... it's impressed me far more than I ever expected it to.

Leroy902 said:

I saw a golf r being used by a local company as a learner drivers car.

Sorry, I know it's irrelevant, it's just the first r thread I've seen since, and wanted to sell someone on here.

Haha that's ok... a Golf R beats the hell out of the 1.25 Fiesta Ghia that the AA Driving School used when I was learning?!


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Bit of an update to this (quite picture heavy too!), I decided to try and get a little more real noise from the R as well as hopefully letting it breath a bit better... so I bought a VWRacing Cup Intake, Forge Intake Pipe and a Forge Recirc DV kit.

VWR Cup Intake:

CD0E0742-BF54-4D80-9080-84CA7F979344 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Forge Intake Pipe:

B23FC813-8E4C-480A-9242-EB5163819255 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Forge Recirculating DV Kit:

2B05F3C8-0F05-4C86-8283-E40134F06A03 by RS Grant, on Flickr
82236CEC-8128-4CC6-B2F1-1135B8280030 by RS Grant, on Flickr

After:

8CB07100-5A17-429A-BDA5-FB99424FE42B by RS Grant, on Flickr

Then, while it was all apart, I decided that I would carry out the CDV (Clutch Delay Valve) modification which I'd read about on the VWROC... which has definitely made a difference and improved the pick up during fast gear changes.

2D142984-0645-420E-A2CA-E288215259F9 by RS Grant, on Flickr
FB55B8B6-7D90-48CB-98D1-0308C3A3DA05 by RS Grant, on Flickr

This small yellow part is the restriction...

1CE5F6CB-AEED-47D9-B0B3-7276956D8D21 by RS Grant, on Flickr

The difference in diameter:

4615BFC2-7B9C-469B-B598-BA96A5C8C185 by RS Grant, on Flickr
0D856595-D19D-4E16-8602-11DE6A354D8A by RS Grant, on Flickr

After all that and the car looking a bit sorry for itself on the outside covered in salt and general crap from the roads, so I gave it a wash and three layers of protection too... which has made it look fantastic again!!

Before:

99ABB928-9501-4B0D-8468-7982CDDAD5A3 by RS Grant, on Flickr

After:

6F50E0C6-FE12-40B1-9D00-6C9F6CFCEAC3 by RS Grant, on Flickr

If you made it this far... well done!!


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 13:17

[RS Grant]

Sounds great!! Far more audible turbo spool and a wee flutter/chirp on gearchanges... performance may have been improved, however, being an open filter in an engine bay, I'm sceptical of any gains quoted for it.

I'll try to make and upload a video clip of it.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Part of the reason for the triple layer of wax was the fact I had booked myself onto the R's first track event and it'd be easier to clean the crap off the bodywork afterwards... so the day arrived and after packing my van full of replacement wheels/tyres, trolley jack, tools, etc... it was time to brim the tank:

8B46EB0C-1075-4382-8060-66A3E3F93CA9 by RS Grant, on Flickr

After arriving and parking in the paddock, we had plenty of time to watch car after car arriving on the back of trailers with their aero bodywork, slick/semi-slick tyres, Gucci modifications, etc... which was a little concerning since I'd essentially pulled up in a standard Golf road car.

36F29E0E-D19B-402A-A052-7217A2A79930 by RS Grant, on Flickr

Anyway, I completed the drivers briefing and got myself ready to head out for the first time in the Golf... more than confident in the cars ability to deal with everything that a British B-road can throw at it, but not really sure how well it was going to cope with track driving.

Here are a few photos which I've found/been tagged in afterwards, as you can see, the weather was fantastic with blue skies and staying dry all day:

8DF553D9-36C4-49D5-889F-7EACED7A9962 by RS Grant, on Flickr
8B61139E-A546-4788-A4DC-476535389C7B by RS Grant, on Flickr
F52B4D40-A3D0-44F6-8110-C5B24C41C698 by RS Grant, on Flickr
E3F9ED81-135A-44C1-9469-78B1F9A90039 by RS Grant, on Flickr
57348210-FFAC-4295-90DD-6046D365D9AE by RS Grant, on Flickr

...after the first couple of hours of the four hour session, I noticed that I was on reserve fuel and needed to pop out and get some more jungle juice!! But, the first picture would probably explain why... the worst I've seen on track before was c9mpg in an Impreza, so this was almost frugal in comparison.

I had an absolute blast!!

Discovered that the standard brake fluid wasn't up to the job, which I'd already suspected but the replacement fluid hadn't arrived in time to change it... and the suspension had a bit of bodyroll which could probably be solved/improved by fitting lowering springs. But apart from that, it went well on the straights and the level of grip (even on Kumho road tyres!) was extremely good.

I was extremely impressed with the car on the whole.


Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Wednesday 4th April 13:31