[freedomgli]

Thanks for the 10 year update! Very comprehensive. I love these cars and really want to get into one. Your advice gives me a good place to start. I think no matter what I'm looking at $10k-$12k spend to get to your "Stage 1" 300hp level as any $5k TT will need to have deferred maintenance addressed.

 

[chris86vw]

Clear coat issues are common....

mine solved this by just shedding it entirely :laugh:

 

[Cabin Pics]

Even though it has been subject to NevAr Lose ridicule, I still think the Audi/VW 1.8T was one of the best engines they've made. It was great in my friend's MkIV GLS. :thumbup:

I really had very few engine related issues in my MkIV 1.8T. The only stuff that ever gave me problems was stuff I'd hampered with.

I did fry my ECU once, but that was my fault for not getting the O2 wire fixed sooner. Got wet, ECU said bye bye. That was by far the most serious thing that ever happened.

 

[Metallitubby]

Great thread and update. :thumbup:

 

[TheDeckMan]

Wow, that's a car that's been loved the right way.

Thanks for sharing, keep these threads up. :thumbup:

Thanks! :beer:

Even though it has been subject to NevAr Lose ridicule, I still think the Audi/VW 1.8T was one of the best engines they've made. It was great in my friend's MkIV GLS. :thumbup:

VR6 and 1.8t's still get my vote for the two best VW motors made.

Thanks for the 10 year update! Very comprehensive. I love these cars and really want to get into one. Your advice gives me a good place to start. I think no matter what I'm looking at $10k-$12k spend to get to your "Stage 1" 300hp level as any $5k TT will need to have deferred maintenance addressed.

A $5k TT can be a wonderful car or an absolute nightmare. Buy the cleanest most stock one you can find.

mine solved this by just shedding it entirely :laugh:

I really had very few engine related issues in my MkIV 1.8T. The only stuff that ever gave me problems was stuff I'd hampered with.

I did fry my ECU once, but that was my fault for not getting the O2 wire fixed sooner. Got wet, ECU said bye bye. That was by far the most serious thing that ever happened.

I have a MK4 GTI with 238k miles on the original drivetrain, still amazed that just throwing a battery in it and it starts right up without issue. Finding clean MK4 GTI's will be hard in the near future I believe as they were so reliable everyone drives them into the ground.

Great thread and update. :thumbup:

Thanks :beer:

 

[CostcoPizza]

Nice!

1G TT is the only car that pulls of this style of grey so well.

These will be very collectible cars someday.

 

[Metallitubby]

OP, I have a question that you might have answered in your original post.

At what point did the bug bite you enough to say "**** it" and get serious about track usage?

 

[6cylVWguy]

Expanding the garage?

For the cooling it runs a low temp thermostat and fan switch, stock radiator. The oil cooler is a thermostatic Mocal with 16row Mocal Cooler center mounted on the crash bar. This way it does not block the radiator, using bigger side mount intercoolers prevents blocking the radiator with dirty air which allows for 210°F coolant temps on 98 Degree track days.

That's a pretty good coolant temp, how about oil? I'm probably at 225 coolant temp in the vr6. What oil temps are you getting. I tend to spend much more time obsessing over this vs coolant. Sounds like you've done a good job improving overall fluid temps.

If expanding the garage includes adding a detached garage, then yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. What a PIA the process has been so far. I think I would have preferred just widening what we have, but the house would probably look really funky afterward. And not in a good way!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[DerSpiegel]

If you have the means and garage space, I highly recommend picking one up

What you did there, I see it. eace:

 

[TheDeckMan]

OP, I have a question that you might have answered in your original post.

At what point did the bug bite you enough to say "**** it" and get serious about track usage?

At first I was only doing a couple track days a year, when doing a pair of events each month and driving the car to and from the events in 2013 I got a coach (mentor) and after some conversation decided it was time to commit to it. First thing was to get a trailer and truck, then start focusing on roll bar/safety equipment for the car. It was a bit of a tough pill to swallow buying a trailer and truck, but after a couple AAA tows home from the track it only made sense as the lap times were falling fast.

When you start pushing things it is time to consider having a tow ring as it allows you to get home easily if anything happens. It also makes for much better time as you can leave the track tires on the car with a more aggressive alignment without the worry of trashing the tires putting miles on the car driving to and from the track.

Being able to leave the car at the track and take the truck to the hotel or home also makes life a lot nicer, it also offers more storage space for tools/place to sit and relax out of the sun or rain/snow.


I had an axle break at Palmer in 2016 at 130+ which resulted in a spin going into turn 1, I have been mulling over that I would hate to wad this car up, so I backed off pace there as was running mid 1:50's, which for a street car is fast. But more safety is on the mind with a fire system due to slow response time at tracks like Palmer where you could be off in the woods.

 

[TheDeckMan]

That's a pretty good coolant temp, how about oil? I'm probably at 225 coolant temp in the vr6. What oil temps are you getting. I tend to spend much more time obsessing over this vs coolant. Sounds like you've done a good job improving overall fluid temps.

If expanding the garage includes adding a detached garage, then yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. What a PIA the process has been so far. I think I would have preferred just widening what we have, but the house would probably look really funky afterward. And not in a good way!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Oil temps are in the 220's running 10w-60 oil. Funky like an Aztec? How much space you adding with the detached garage?

 

[Mr Euro]

Very cool. My father threw a bunch of money at his Denim Blue 225QC and made it a formidable track machine. Those made for good times!

 

[6cylVWguy]

Oil temps are in the 220's running 10w-60 oil. Funky like an Aztec? How much space you adding with the detached garage?

Wow, that's pretty thick. What is the stock viscosity? 0w40? 220s is really good for the track. Before I swapped out the stock oil cooler for a mocal unit, I was seeing temps as high as 290F. Yup, the engine still worked just fine. That's why I love the VR6---though I'm sure the oil itself had something to do with it, lol. I'm somewhat limited by space, but it will have a 25'x25' footprint. It should be plenty big for my purposes and number of cars. The attached garage the house currently has is just big enough to fit the jeep and bmw, but there's no way I could comfortably even change the oil. It's pretty tight in there.

 

[TheDeckMan]

What you did there, I see it. eace:

Wow, that's pretty thick. What is the stock viscosity? 0w40? 220s is really good for the track. Before I swapped out the stock oil cooler for a mocal unit, I was seeing temps as high as 290F. Yup, the engine still worked just fine. That's why I love the VR6---though I'm sure the oil itself had something to do with it, lol. I'm somewhat limited by space, but it will have a 25'x25' footprint. It should be plenty big for my purposes and number of cars. The attached garage the house currently has is just big enough to fit the jeep and bmw, but there's no way I could comfortably even change the oil. It's pretty tight in there.

25X25 will be a nice space! Putting in a lift?

Stock oil is 5-40 for the 1.8t's, the 10-60 works very well when thrashing around in hot summer days on the track. When cooler temps in fall or early spring track work, I switch to 5-40 as well as for on the street. I love the VR6's still my personal favorite for boost containers and overall toughness. Next on the list of long term write ups is the Corrado, which will be seeing a good bit of track time so thus the gated oil pan and cooler on that as it will keep the motor running happy for a long time.

 

[TheDeckMan]

Still cleans up nice

 

[Cabin Pics]

Looks great man. :thumbup:

 

[Atl-Atl]

Makin me miss mine :heart:

 

[TheDeckMan]

Looks great man. :thumbup:

:beer:

Makin me miss mine :heart:

Thus why I can never find myself wanting to part with it. I know it will be missed too much!