EIP Stage I Ownership Review
First let me introduce myself. My name is Jay Ayers, otherwise known as "cricket", and some how by default I am also addressed as "Jay Cap Guy" now : ) My wife Shannon and I have been into VW s' for the past 7 years together and I have been an enthusiast for the past 14. I have owned numerous 8V and 16V MKI & MKIIs', and 2 MKIII VR6s'.
Our Current MKI:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman...shtml
Like most of us on this board I longed to get my hands on an R32 and was one of the first here in the Bay Area to get one. It was a long wait which included several letters to VW of America prior to them actually even announcing we would get them. It was a glorious day to finally get that phone call and hear the sales manager tell me "they are taking it off the truck right now; it will be ready in 2 hours." At home in the driveway I still had my MKIII VR6 sporting a VF kit which I had just recently upgraded from the original Z-kit. Even though I had the R32 it was still fun to get in my MKIII and rip down the orchard roads. I loved the extra noises inherent of the Vortec Blower and the satisfaction that it was just plain faster then it is really supposed to be : ) It was probably all of 20 minutes of ownership of my R32 that I knew I would at one point be running a FI kit on it. And that time is now. We all know our available options for FI kits so I will assume you have done your homework such that you may appreciate my first hand experience with the EIP Stage I kit.
The Preface:
With every tuner out there you hear the bad, the ugly and the disappointing. The internet forums: a dumping ground for both legitimate and illegitimate information, often resembling a toilet, a place to post a bunch of useless and faceless complaints, crap. The decision to choose the system right for me I made on my own, and it was with great scrutiny and personal interaction that I did so. To justify my decision for buying the EIP kit, I will not compare it to the other kits available. Every tuner out there has made huge investments in this market and I would like to thank each and everyone of them for giving us a choice for this vehicle of such small production numbers.
I first met Rich, of EIP, at the Dubwars event last year were I was overwhelmed by the pure awesome power and sound of the Racecar they brought to the event. Amongst all of the attention and people coming and going I was able to have a nice hour long conversation with Rich regarding the turbo car they brought and the future release of what I now own - the Stage I EIP turbo kit. I kept in touch with Rich over the last year and made it clear to him that when the kit was available I was a very serious candidate.
2.5 weeks ago I was having a conversation with Rich and the opportunity (for the kit) finally came available. I am a very meticulous person and spent the next several days talking to/beating up Rich about the kit before I would actually commit. It was funny because he had people begging him to sell them a kit, and here I was scrutinizing it - being the biggest pain in the ass I could, and in every way telling him that the only way I wanted the kit was if it were perfect.
The Decision:
I chose the EIP kit for several reasons, First and foremost was the level of communication and respect I had received from Rich over the last year. He, at any moment, would take the time to answer my questions and there was never any doubt that he would live up to his commitment. The performance of the car they brought to the Dubwars event was very impressive in my eyes and I really liked the way the kit was integrated into the car. The piping in the engine bay looked awesome and fit in such a way that it really looked like it is supposed to be there. And the option to have it color matched really completed the package. Granted the performance of the stage I kit would not be anywhere near the level of the car they brought, it still left a permanent mark in my memory. The price with the VW vortex discount was in my budget, as we had just sold our Cabrio, and the kit is very competitively priced given what I wanted. I had already had a supercharged car so it had to be a turbo, I wanted it inter-cooled, because quite honestly I love the way they look, and given what little thermodynamics I had in school, I know they work. I liked the idea that I did not have to lower the compression, albeit easy to remove the head and put in a thicker head gasket, it just added to the complexity of installation in my eyes. Given the high compression of this engine running boost has to be kept to a minimum, so 4 to 5PSI sounded perfect. I also liked the fact that I got to keep the factory exhaust manifolds. I have in the past, on occasion, found them to be a pain to deal with on older cars, so the fact that you get to keep them intact and just remove the down-pipe made it all the more enticing. The patent pending "turbo core" that mates to the existing exhaust manifolds looks like a work of art and is clearly unique to the EIP system. In addition to the replacement 3" down-pipe the kit also includes a high flow 3" catalytic converter that is just one of the many components that make it a great buy, in my opinion.
The Parts:
The kit arrives packaged very well and the amount of stuff that you get is amazing. The list is quite long. At first glance looking at all the intercooler piping and the down-pipe I was certain that there was no way in hell that it was all going to fit. The intercooler piping had rigid tabs welded to it, which were supposed to pick up existing mounting points on the car and again I thought to myself, no way is all this going to lay in there without some manipulation. The color matched piping looked sweet and even though I had never seen an EIP R32 with color matched plumbing I new it would be right at home : ) Again I have to comment on the "turbo core" it looks amazing tucked up in the car, and comes partially assembled. Since the kit is not yet ready for release there was a few items missing, but nothing more than a few 8mm bolts and a gasket. The items I did not have were forwarded to Rich and have been added to the final parts list.
The Installation:
No, I am not going to just glaze over the installation like it was no big deal. Even though you only have to remove the down-pipe it is still quite time consuming. To install the turbo you have to remove the lower sub-frame. It is only 4 bolts, plus 6 for the lower control arms, and 4 for the steering rack (if I remember correctly). With the lower sub-frame removed you can easily put the assembly in from the bottom. With the down-pipe and dump-tube loosely bolted in place I thought for sure there was no way it was going to fit. Without even tightening it up, I IM'ed Rich with my concerns. Of course when I spent the next 20 minutes tightening everything down, while waiting for his reply, it all fit perfectly. EIP owes themselves a pat on the back for the fixturing and such that they use to make the piping and exhaust pieces... it is simply amazing how well it fits! The installation instructions were another story in itself. They are by far the best instructions I have every seen, period. They come on a DVD and it is literally a step by step video that tells you even the size wrench to use! I would bet that no one has ever seen them as the CD is only active for 30 days and they ask that you do not duplicate or distribute it. For the amount of time and effort they put into it, it deserves to be protected. For example, he will tell you to remove item A, then tell you the size, if there are 10 bolts to remove the video speeds up and actually shows you every single step in detail, as they video an actual install. You simply press pause on the video, complete the step, then press play and continue on. The only DVD available right now is for the 2.8 24V, but the similarities are such that it works great for both. I do believe they are going to make a R32 specific DVD and I have suggested so. I did the install with a lift and I would highly suggest using one if it is available. The other installation tools that are a must are a set of stubby metric ratcheting box wrenches (up to 19mm).
The First Start:
When I first started the car I was amazed at how quiet it was. With the street series exhaust and the turbo combination it is quieter than stock, yet has a deeper growl. As I proceeded around the corner and the dump tube opened up, my heart stopped. I had been in cars with dump tubes before, but wow, it is so crazy. When you mash the throttle and the dump tube opens, the combination of the debris blowing out from underneath the car (off the road) and the sound of the dump tube will give children nightmares. The car makes 5 PSI, with zero effort, and the power is very impressive and very smooth. I was almost disappointed at how linear it felt, I was expecting it to "kick". Of course once I got to ride in the passenger seat it made me want to hold on to the "oh ****" handle, gave that good sense of not having any control and that the car was accelerating too fast : ) OK, now of course I just finished the car at midnight the night before we had to drive down south to the GTG, so I will continue from there.
The Drive South:
On the way down south I tried to be easy on the car, as it had just gone through some pretty severe surgery, but the temptation was too high. Rich had forewarned me that I would probably get a CEL, as I am running their personal spare ECU (mine is still there getting the latest software revision). And, just as he stated it did. But, only after embarrassing a 350Z three times in a row, of course after the fourth time he quickly found an exit : ) Rolling into the throttle in 6th gear, the car makes 5 PSI by 2500 RPM! To the point - 80 to 120 on the freeway is quick and very effortless. I would gently roll into the throttle in fourth, and well you get the rest. Once we got into the LA area the traffic slowed quite a bit and the car was not idling perfectly, as normal. Called Rich on the cell and he told me to continue running the car as the ECU is still learning. Once we got through traffic and into San Diego the car was running perfect again. I checked codes and had misfire codes, which I used to get quite often on my MKIII. As a second means of monitoring the engine I bought a LM1 AF gauge (so I can monitor air fuel and download to a laptop), not necessary as the air fuel ration always stays in range, I have verified, but it really adds value to the package in my opinion. The car ran perfect the entire weekend and at the GTG on Sunday. I took a few people for a ride, so I hope they will chime in on their experience. The more I drive it, the better it gets. Made it down to San Diego and back to the Bay Area with zero issues.
The Return Trip.
On the return trip Shannon drove most of the way. Do not let her fool you, if you are dragging your feet in front of her on the road, she will down shift and go around you
Riding as a passenger is great fun, and not having the steering wheel to hold on to lets you really feel the torque and HP increase. As soon as we got to LA, man you guys must have bad air or something, the CEL shut off and has not come back on again since: ) Once it shut off, I cleared the codes and so far so good. I averaged 24 MPG there and back according to the instrument cluster. Not sure how accurate it is. We got gas in LA and made the entire trip home on one tank. I will map it and do the math myself; I think we got better gas mileage than advertised. I am anxiously awaiting the final software revision this week... once I get it installed, I will get the car to an all-wheel drive dyno-jet and get you some numbers! Eugene you did a hell of a nice job on the event! I will see you in Vegas!
Sincerely,
Jay
R32
323,232
Bugs 0
Modified by cricket at 11:35 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 11:36 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 11:41 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 11:46 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 12:06 AM 4-13-2005
First let me introduce myself. My name is Jay Ayers, otherwise known as "cricket", and some how by default I am also addressed as "Jay Cap Guy" now : ) My wife Shannon and I have been into VW s' for the past 7 years together and I have been an enthusiast for the past 14. I have owned numerous 8V and 16V MKI & MKIIs', and 2 MKIII VR6s'.
Our Current MKI:
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman...shtml
Like most of us on this board I longed to get my hands on an R32 and was one of the first here in the Bay Area to get one. It was a long wait which included several letters to VW of America prior to them actually even announcing we would get them. It was a glorious day to finally get that phone call and hear the sales manager tell me "they are taking it off the truck right now; it will be ready in 2 hours." At home in the driveway I still had my MKIII VR6 sporting a VF kit which I had just recently upgraded from the original Z-kit. Even though I had the R32 it was still fun to get in my MKIII and rip down the orchard roads. I loved the extra noises inherent of the Vortec Blower and the satisfaction that it was just plain faster then it is really supposed to be : ) It was probably all of 20 minutes of ownership of my R32 that I knew I would at one point be running a FI kit on it. And that time is now. We all know our available options for FI kits so I will assume you have done your homework such that you may appreciate my first hand experience with the EIP Stage I kit.
The Preface:
With every tuner out there you hear the bad, the ugly and the disappointing. The internet forums: a dumping ground for both legitimate and illegitimate information, often resembling a toilet, a place to post a bunch of useless and faceless complaints, crap. The decision to choose the system right for me I made on my own, and it was with great scrutiny and personal interaction that I did so. To justify my decision for buying the EIP kit, I will not compare it to the other kits available. Every tuner out there has made huge investments in this market and I would like to thank each and everyone of them for giving us a choice for this vehicle of such small production numbers.
I first met Rich, of EIP, at the Dubwars event last year were I was overwhelmed by the pure awesome power and sound of the Racecar they brought to the event. Amongst all of the attention and people coming and going I was able to have a nice hour long conversation with Rich regarding the turbo car they brought and the future release of what I now own - the Stage I EIP turbo kit. I kept in touch with Rich over the last year and made it clear to him that when the kit was available I was a very serious candidate.
2.5 weeks ago I was having a conversation with Rich and the opportunity (for the kit) finally came available. I am a very meticulous person and spent the next several days talking to/beating up Rich about the kit before I would actually commit. It was funny because he had people begging him to sell them a kit, and here I was scrutinizing it - being the biggest pain in the ass I could, and in every way telling him that the only way I wanted the kit was if it were perfect.
The Decision:
I chose the EIP kit for several reasons, First and foremost was the level of communication and respect I had received from Rich over the last year. He, at any moment, would take the time to answer my questions and there was never any doubt that he would live up to his commitment. The performance of the car they brought to the Dubwars event was very impressive in my eyes and I really liked the way the kit was integrated into the car. The piping in the engine bay looked awesome and fit in such a way that it really looked like it is supposed to be there. And the option to have it color matched really completed the package. Granted the performance of the stage I kit would not be anywhere near the level of the car they brought, it still left a permanent mark in my memory. The price with the VW vortex discount was in my budget, as we had just sold our Cabrio, and the kit is very competitively priced given what I wanted. I had already had a supercharged car so it had to be a turbo, I wanted it inter-cooled, because quite honestly I love the way they look, and given what little thermodynamics I had in school, I know they work. I liked the idea that I did not have to lower the compression, albeit easy to remove the head and put in a thicker head gasket, it just added to the complexity of installation in my eyes. Given the high compression of this engine running boost has to be kept to a minimum, so 4 to 5PSI sounded perfect. I also liked the fact that I got to keep the factory exhaust manifolds. I have in the past, on occasion, found them to be a pain to deal with on older cars, so the fact that you get to keep them intact and just remove the down-pipe made it all the more enticing. The patent pending "turbo core" that mates to the existing exhaust manifolds looks like a work of art and is clearly unique to the EIP system. In addition to the replacement 3" down-pipe the kit also includes a high flow 3" catalytic converter that is just one of the many components that make it a great buy, in my opinion.
The Parts:
The kit arrives packaged very well and the amount of stuff that you get is amazing. The list is quite long. At first glance looking at all the intercooler piping and the down-pipe I was certain that there was no way in hell that it was all going to fit. The intercooler piping had rigid tabs welded to it, which were supposed to pick up existing mounting points on the car and again I thought to myself, no way is all this going to lay in there without some manipulation. The color matched piping looked sweet and even though I had never seen an EIP R32 with color matched plumbing I new it would be right at home : ) Again I have to comment on the "turbo core" it looks amazing tucked up in the car, and comes partially assembled. Since the kit is not yet ready for release there was a few items missing, but nothing more than a few 8mm bolts and a gasket. The items I did not have were forwarded to Rich and have been added to the final parts list.

The Installation:
No, I am not going to just glaze over the installation like it was no big deal. Even though you only have to remove the down-pipe it is still quite time consuming. To install the turbo you have to remove the lower sub-frame. It is only 4 bolts, plus 6 for the lower control arms, and 4 for the steering rack (if I remember correctly). With the lower sub-frame removed you can easily put the assembly in from the bottom. With the down-pipe and dump-tube loosely bolted in place I thought for sure there was no way it was going to fit. Without even tightening it up, I IM'ed Rich with my concerns. Of course when I spent the next 20 minutes tightening everything down, while waiting for his reply, it all fit perfectly. EIP owes themselves a pat on the back for the fixturing and such that they use to make the piping and exhaust pieces... it is simply amazing how well it fits! The installation instructions were another story in itself. They are by far the best instructions I have every seen, period. They come on a DVD and it is literally a step by step video that tells you even the size wrench to use! I would bet that no one has ever seen them as the CD is only active for 30 days and they ask that you do not duplicate or distribute it. For the amount of time and effort they put into it, it deserves to be protected. For example, he will tell you to remove item A, then tell you the size, if there are 10 bolts to remove the video speeds up and actually shows you every single step in detail, as they video an actual install. You simply press pause on the video, complete the step, then press play and continue on. The only DVD available right now is for the 2.8 24V, but the similarities are such that it works great for both. I do believe they are going to make a R32 specific DVD and I have suggested so. I did the install with a lift and I would highly suggest using one if it is available. The other installation tools that are a must are a set of stubby metric ratcheting box wrenches (up to 19mm).
The First Start:
When I first started the car I was amazed at how quiet it was. With the street series exhaust and the turbo combination it is quieter than stock, yet has a deeper growl. As I proceeded around the corner and the dump tube opened up, my heart stopped. I had been in cars with dump tubes before, but wow, it is so crazy. When you mash the throttle and the dump tube opens, the combination of the debris blowing out from underneath the car (off the road) and the sound of the dump tube will give children nightmares. The car makes 5 PSI, with zero effort, and the power is very impressive and very smooth. I was almost disappointed at how linear it felt, I was expecting it to "kick". Of course once I got to ride in the passenger seat it made me want to hold on to the "oh ****" handle, gave that good sense of not having any control and that the car was accelerating too fast : ) OK, now of course I just finished the car at midnight the night before we had to drive down south to the GTG, so I will continue from there.
The Drive South:
On the way down south I tried to be easy on the car, as it had just gone through some pretty severe surgery, but the temptation was too high. Rich had forewarned me that I would probably get a CEL, as I am running their personal spare ECU (mine is still there getting the latest software revision). And, just as he stated it did. But, only after embarrassing a 350Z three times in a row, of course after the fourth time he quickly found an exit : ) Rolling into the throttle in 6th gear, the car makes 5 PSI by 2500 RPM! To the point - 80 to 120 on the freeway is quick and very effortless. I would gently roll into the throttle in fourth, and well you get the rest. Once we got into the LA area the traffic slowed quite a bit and the car was not idling perfectly, as normal. Called Rich on the cell and he told me to continue running the car as the ECU is still learning. Once we got through traffic and into San Diego the car was running perfect again. I checked codes and had misfire codes, which I used to get quite often on my MKIII. As a second means of monitoring the engine I bought a LM1 AF gauge (so I can monitor air fuel and download to a laptop), not necessary as the air fuel ration always stays in range, I have verified, but it really adds value to the package in my opinion. The car ran perfect the entire weekend and at the GTG on Sunday. I took a few people for a ride, so I hope they will chime in on their experience. The more I drive it, the better it gets. Made it down to San Diego and back to the Bay Area with zero issues.
The Return Trip.
On the return trip Shannon drove most of the way. Do not let her fool you, if you are dragging your feet in front of her on the road, she will down shift and go around you

Sincerely,
Jay

R32
323,232
Bugs 0

Modified by cricket at 11:35 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 11:36 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 11:41 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 11:46 PM 4-12-2005
Modified by cricket at 12:06 AM 4-13-2005