Car mod – tuning question?

Car mod – tuning question?

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seadragon

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

214 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
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I was planning on spending loads on various changes to my mk7 Golf R, but now I am thinking I am just being stupid. I have decided to get lighter alloys and get a replacement cat back exhaust system only now.

Will the new full exhaust change mess up the MAF, ie, will I need to get the car tuned, or will the MAF and other bits cope?

I had been thinking of an induction kit, intercooler change, remap as well and now I might just forget all that and stick with new exhaust system and performance alloys instead.

Views much appreciated.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
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Any changes to the breathing of the engine, in or out, will have an affect on it. The MAF is likely to be able to cater so far without remapping.

I doubt just a catback exhaust will have any significant effect. But you will produce a compound effect, more little changes may require the fuelling to be looked at.

As for spending loads. If you have the money to spare, then sure why not smile

Just bear in mind what you are trying to achieve. At the end of the day, a modified tuned Golf, will still be a Golf and look, sound and drive like one.

For the amount you could spend, it's seriously worth considering what other cars you could get instead. As you may be able to have a more fun or faster car for your money, or one that will hold it's money better.

seadragon

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

214 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
quotequote all
Hi and thanks for the advice.

I appreciate there are other cars out there, but I have to make do with what I can afford, but I don’t need to. Within my general price range, I would have my 2016 Golf R estate over anything else and I love VW’s. so it was easy for me.

To get anything truly exceptional I would need to spend 20k more and that’s not an option.

I plan to keep it a lot time, hence the mods and since I got a 20% discount on the car, I think I can justify spending a bit on it.

Thanks again

E-bmw

9,102 posts

151 months

Tuesday 2nd May 2017
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My only advice would be if you do the 2 x mods you suggest you will need to tell your insurance the car is modified, if you do 20 mods you will have to tell your insurance that the car is modified, would one scenario cost 10 x the other? I doubt it, so I would be either going all in or not at all.

Classy6

419 posts

176 months

Wednesday 3rd May 2017
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Nothing wrong with modifications however few things to keep in mind, if it's under warranty which looks as though it is - 2016? Any modifications could/probably will void any warranty work.
You'll also rarely ever get back what you pay on modifications, which is fine if you're aware but spend a couple grand on exhaust, intake, intercooler, remaps etc and come to sell the car, it usually ends up being worth less than a standard example. They're typically less desirable as hindering resale value also, with potential buyers taking the view as if it's been modified it'll have been ragged everywhere etc.

Personally if you have a turbo'd car and are happy to accept the above conditions a remap is a no brainer and best bang for buck modification. Make sure you get one from a reputable tuner and custom rolling road map. Plenty of decent VW mappers, R - tech & Badger 5 were the top tuners a few years back, maybe worth a map. You need to be getting into heavy modifications before looking into maps due to mods already fitted but worth speaking to a tuner to see what the recommended mods to do are.

Edited by Classy6 on Wednesday 3rd May 18:49

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Wednesday 3rd May 2017
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seadragon said:
Hi and thanks for the advice.

I appreciate there are other cars out there, but I have to make do with what I can afford, but I don’t need to. Within my general price range, I would have my 2016 Golf R estate over anything else and I love VW’s. so it was easy for me.
Not really sure what you mean here.

If you can afford a 2016 Golf R + lots of mods. Then there is really an entire world of alternative options out there if you wanted.

seadragon said:
To get anything truly exceptional I would need to spend 20k more and that’s not an option.
Sorry, disagree fully on that. The Golf R is I'm sure a fine car. But it's just a hatchback and looks like a base model Golf at the end of the day.

Even if it was given 800bhp it still wouldn't appeal to many motoring people, purely on what it is.

Not knocking it. As I say, it's a perfectly good car. But hardly the last word in exciting design, especially if it's an estate car.

seadragon said:
I plan to keep it a lot time, hence the mods and since I got a 20% discount on the car, I think I can justify spending a bit on it.

Thanks again
As I say, it all depends what your aims and goals are. What do you want to achieve?

A stock 2016 Golf will in reality bleed money. It's just that type of car and that sort of age.

Modified cars in the UK tend to be worth less too as a rule. And of course the cost of the mods.


If all you want to do is some simple bolt on mods, such as an exhaust and remap. Then sure, go for it. They should make the car more peppy and sound better/louder. Whether these things are really desirable on an estate car are really up to you?

As in, is it a family wagon or just you in the vehicle?


If you are going for big power and more extreme mods. Then my advice/opinion would be to consider other cars.

Highly modded cars are going to be less economical to run and run higher risk of parts failure. So the argument to run a newer car would seem less valid. And there are some entertaining big power cars out there, that may be more suitable to modding.

But it's your choice at the end of the day.

SuperchargedVR6

3,138 posts

219 months

Monday 8th May 2017
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300bhp/ton said:
At the end of the day, a modified tuned Golf, will still be a Golf and look, sound and drive like one.

For the amount you could spend, it's seriously worth considering what other cars you could get instead. As you may be able to have a more fun or faster car for your money, or one that will hold it's money better.
300bhp/ton said:
If you can afford a 2016 Golf R + lots of mods. Then there is really an entire world of alternative options out there if you wanted.
300bhp/ton said:
Sorry, disagree fully on that. The Golf R is I'm sure a fine car. But it's just a hatchback and looks like a base model Golf at the end of the day.

Even if it was given 800bhp it still wouldn't appeal to many motoring people, purely on what it is.

Not knocking it. As I say, it's a perfectly good car. But hardly the last word in exciting design, especially if it's an estate car.
Change the fking record. Was the man asking for your opinion on his choice of car? Save this crap for GG, this is the Engine subforum. We don't need your anti-German BS in here as well.

Seadragon - You would be better off asking this in the VW/Audi section, or better still, on a forum that is NOT pistonheads. This place is just full of surly old men.



GreenV8S

30,149 posts

283 months

Monday 8th May 2017
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SuperchargedVR6 said:
Change the fking record. Was the man asking for your opinion on his choice of car?
The original post is asking for views about a set of mods being considered so I think it's reasonable to respond with opinions about whether the mods are sensible for this type of car.

For what it's worth, my view is that if you are looking for a high performance car, the most cost effective option is to buy a car which has that performance as standard. The next best is to buy a car that somebody else has modified. The least cost effective option is to buy a lower performance car and modify it yourself. Even if you are in a position to do all the work yourself and it is something that you want to do, it will IME end up being more expensive than the other options. That's not to say you shouldn't do it. Lots of people modify their cars, me included. Just be clear with yourself that you're doing this because you want to, not because it is the most sensible way to achieve the performance goal.

seadragon

Original Poster:

1,137 posts

214 months

Monday 8th May 2017
quotequote all
Thanks l know this probably was a bad idea, the guys on VWROC warned me. I wasn't trying to justify my choice of car. For the money it's awesome and I also chose it for the understated looks not to be flashy but even so it still gets loads of attention. You can't please everyone and some are super opinionated and that's fine with me, within reason.

I just want the engine to perk up a bit and have fun. I don't care about resale asi I plan to keep it at least 10 years and after that time the worth modded vs standard will be less relevant.

Well anyway thanks those for the constructive comments. All my bits are ordered and delivered and being done at the end of the month at JF Automotive in Maidstone.

Thanks and take care

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Monday 15th May 2017
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I'd change the Intercooler for a more efficient one as that'll give more consistent gains so you won't suffer heat soak that these & most modern turbo cars suffer with, I'd also replace the standard filter with a direct replacement K&N item & then the Cat back Exhaust.

I'd do the above before doing the lighter wheels.


300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Monday 15th May 2017
quotequote all
SuperchargedVR6 said:
Change the fking record. Was the man asking for your opinion on his choice of car? Save this crap for GG, this is the Engine subforum. We don't need your anti-German BS in here as well.

Seadragon - You would be better off asking this in the VW/Audi section, or better still, on a forum that is NOT pistonheads. This place is just full of surly old men.
If you weren't trying so hard to be insulting this would actually be quite funny. Anti German??? Come on get over yourself and stop being such a child and try and act grown up ffs rolleyes as in don't make stuff up as though you are a school boy bully.