Awesome job, thanks Marin!
Hey guys.
I know I'm technically a newbie, but I've been lurking for the past 7 years on Vortex, and I've been a member of various other forums for nearly 15 years (Turbobricks, 67-72chevytrucks). Anyway, this is not my first post on a forum, and I'm a real person, with a real VW. I currently have a 2009 CW Rabbit, and have owned an '08 UG Rabbit and an '06 PGM GLI.
I know that trusting someone with your car is tough, especially in a case like mine, where I needed Marin's services, but found out that he was prohibitively far away for me to take time off of work and drive. After discussing my swap both over email and on the phone, I (admittedly) reluctantly agreed to send my midline cluster, both of my keys (I didn't have a valet key), and my newly-acquired GTI cluster to someone I had never met in person and had only ever read about.
I shipped it to him insured for quite a bit. After all, if UPS lost my cluster or keys, I'd be completely screwed. Marin received my clusters and keys on a Friday, and was completely done with reprogramming the eeprom in the GTI cluster (assuming that's how he does it), and making my valet key. I got everything back on Wednesday, installed it immediately, and to my great delight, found that both my valet key started the car, and that the GTI cluster was now working 100% with my Rabbit. Marin worked much quicker than I expected, and was about 1/4th the cost that the dealer wanted. All in all, it wasn't a cheap swap, but it was worth it to me. This Rabbit was the only MK5 and up VW my family or I have ever had that did not have a highline, and now that has been fixed, and upgraded. Marin's services actually cost me less than my local dealers wanted for just the valet key and programming... Oh, and he also enabled backlit needles!
Anyway, thanks again, Marin!
If any of you would like to talk to me about it, PM me.
I think I'm the only one with a Rabbit and a GTI cluster. Don't let me be all alone!
Joe