DrvUMad's '17 Oryx White 610whp MK7 R Build Log
A little background for those of you who don't know me. I've owned over the years:
When the MK7 R was first announced, I knew I had to have one and placed a deposit on one of the first 500 pre-orders, but after getting wind that a '16 model was going to offer a manual transmission I backed out on the pre-order and waited! Fast forward nearly a year and I finally picked up my '16 MK7 R manual transmission in August of 2016 from a dealer way out in South Carolina and drove it home. Link to that '16 Lapiz Blue MK7 R Build Log here.
I loved this car! My favorite car ever for sure! But after about 6-9 months, many upgrades, and much spirited driving
I had this sinking feeling that I just couldn't shake, this car wasn't as perfect as it could be and I felt there was no sense in continuing to upgrade the car any further. The manual transmission was truly one of the worst I've ever driven or owned, even after upgrading the clutch, flywheel, bleeder, shift linkage, bushings and brackets, it still never felt or shifted right. Some of the problems I faced; the linkage armatures would bind power shifting from 2 to 3 (I even greased these with lithium), the synchros were notchy from the day I bought the car and never smoothed out, the gear ratios even caused me some angst being as low as they were, and I wont even discuss that tragedy of the stock clutch system. So what was I to do? Well, my amazing wife saw that I wasn't happy with the car any longer, and we are at a point in life where we can spend pretty liberally, so she suggested I sell it and buy another but with the DSG and start all over (as an added benefit, she could drive this one).
So fast forward a few months, I stripped and sold what I could from my '16 and searched high and low for another MK7 R w/ DSG in either Blue or White. Eventually my friends in Cincinnati hooked me up with a dealer down there that had a perfect car in-transit an unspoken for. I placed a deposit over the phone and drove down there the day after it arrived to pick it up and get started on my new adventure!
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I insisted that the dealer not unwrap or clean the car as part of their PDI process but only inspect the engine, drivetrain and suspension (remove the pucks) and that I would like to unwrap it and clean it myself! They thankfully obliged, except the part about removing the strut pucks. They left those in, but I didn't go far before realizing it and turned right back to have them remove it after maybe a couple miles.
I don't want to start a flame war with this traitorous post. But maybe my words can sway any of you on the fence between which transmission to select.
So, now that I have a clean slate to start from, and have first hand knowledge of a wide array of upgrades, where do I start and what upgrade do I repeat and what do I skip over this time around?
Completed Mods to date:
Engine and Transmission
Interior
Video of power run on dyno: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTG94EIjl3q/?taken-by=irozmotorsport
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A little background for those of you who don't know me. I've owned over the years:
- SVT Lightning Auto, SVT Contour MT, '97 Eclipse GSX MT, etc
- 1997 Porsche 993 C4S MT Aircooled
- 2003 C5 S6 Tiptronic
- 2004 MK4 R32 MT (still have)
- 2007 MK5 GTI MT
- 2008 MK5 R32 DSG
- 2011 MK6 GTI DSG (still have)
- 2012 MK6 Jetta TDI DSG
- 2016 MK7 R MT
- 2017 MK7 R DSG
When the MK7 R was first announced, I knew I had to have one and placed a deposit on one of the first 500 pre-orders, but after getting wind that a '16 model was going to offer a manual transmission I backed out on the pre-order and waited! Fast forward nearly a year and I finally picked up my '16 MK7 R manual transmission in August of 2016 from a dealer way out in South Carolina and drove it home. Link to that '16 Lapiz Blue MK7 R Build Log here.
I loved this car! My favorite car ever for sure! But after about 6-9 months, many upgrades, and much spirited driving
I had this sinking feeling that I just couldn't shake, this car wasn't as perfect as it could be and I felt there was no sense in continuing to upgrade the car any further. The manual transmission was truly one of the worst I've ever driven or owned, even after upgrading the clutch, flywheel, bleeder, shift linkage, bushings and brackets, it still never felt or shifted right. Some of the problems I faced; the linkage armatures would bind power shifting from 2 to 3 (I even greased these with lithium), the synchros were notchy from the day I bought the car and never smoothed out, the gear ratios even caused me some angst being as low as they were, and I wont even discuss that tragedy of the stock clutch system. So what was I to do? Well, my amazing wife saw that I wasn't happy with the car any longer, and we are at a point in life where we can spend pretty liberally, so she suggested I sell it and buy another but with the DSG and start all over (as an added benefit, she could drive this one).So fast forward a few months, I stripped and sold what I could from my '16 and searched high and low for another MK7 R w/ DSG in either Blue or White. Eventually my friends in Cincinnati hooked me up with a dealer down there that had a perfect car in-transit an unspoken for. I placed a deposit over the phone and drove down there the day after it arrived to pick it up and get started on my new adventure!
I insisted that the dealer not unwrap or clean the car as part of their PDI process but only inspect the engine, drivetrain and suspension (remove the pucks) and that I would like to unwrap it and clean it myself! They thankfully obliged, except the part about removing the strut pucks. They left those in, but I didn't go far before realizing it and turned right back to have them remove it after maybe a couple miles.
I don't want to start a flame war with this traitorous post. But maybe my words can sway any of you on the fence between which transmission to select.
So, now that I have a clean slate to start from, and have first hand knowledge of a wide array of upgrades, where do I start and what upgrade do I repeat and what do I skip over this time around?
Completed Mods to date:
Engine and Transmission
- Iroz IMS650 MQB Xona Turbo Kit - MQB Xona Turbo kit 650hp+, Xona 6564 .80A/R IWG Turbo, 3" Downpipe with flex coupler, Inlet charge pipe with BPV, 4 bar map sensors, Oil line kit, Water line kit, Pig tail harness for extending wastegate actuator, Gaskets/hardware
- UM MQB Pro Flex Fueling Kit - United Motorsports/Iroz MQB Flex Fuel fueling kit: Fuel rail, Deka 1200cc injectors, Harness, Iroz Brushless LPFP with custom module. PNP, Brushless pump controller, Wiring harness for pump, Fuel lines, Flex Fuel sensor
- Iroz Motorsport Built Short Block - Iroz Motorsport Built TSI EA888.3 short block, Integrated Engineering Tuscan Rods 144x22 with rifle drilling, Balanced rotating assembly and component balancing, Mahle Powerpak forged pistons 9:1, Bored and honed cylinder walls with torque plate, Decked surface for flat headgasket surface, Polished crankshaft checked for straight, deburred and oiling, checked, Mahle rod and main bearings, Blueprinted bearing clearances, Pin fit and honing, MLS headgasket
- Mahle Powerpak Forged Pistons
- IE Tuscan Rods
- Mahle Bearings
- Race Developments UK Ported Head w/ Supertech forged intake and exhaust valves and keepers - MQB RD cylinder head, stock intake manifold configuration. Filled and reshaped intake ports for high flow and faster velocity through the ports without going supersonic. Gas flowed, valve seats and faced surface included.
- ARP Head Stud Kit
- IE Valve Springs, Retainers and Guides
- Denso IKH0124 Spark Plugs
- United Motorsports Custom and Adjustable ECU Flex Fuel Tune (Currently tuned to keep torque flat at sub 500ft/lbs at the wheels but is 600ft/lbs capable)
- Motul 300V Power 5W40
- IE Intercooler
- AMS Intake
- Leyo Oil Catch Can and PCV Plate
- APR Intake Coolant Host
- APR Silicon Boost hoses
- 034 Dogbone Insert
- Iroz Custom Exhaust w/ Borla mufflers
- United Motorsports TCU/DSG Tune
- United Motorsports Haldex/AWD Tune
- Dodson Motorsport DQ250 "Sportsman Plus" Clutch Pack and Billet Basket
Interior
- Fuzzy Dice!
- VCDS Coding - Disabled Sound Actuator (0%)
- VCDS Coding - Comfort Windows (open and close)
- Vinyl Wrapped Roof, Rear Bumper Sill, Rear Reflectors, and Front Bumper Vent Indents (Piano Black)
- Gloss Black front and rear emblems
- Opti-Coat Pro
- Xpel Ultimate Full Front Kit + Headlights
- Ceramic Window Tint
Video of power run on dyno: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTG94EIjl3q/?taken-by=irozmotorsport
