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RudyH Build Thread

41K views 107 replies 22 participants last post by  Rudy_H 
#1 · (Edited)

6/20/2018 - beside my friends restaurant in 'graffiti alley' in Toronto


8/28/2018 - hadn't had a great summer to take pics, so did today. Especially since I will be going home to a torn up neighborhood filled with dust

Quick history to show where this car is going. This is my first VW, but not my first VAG product. Prior to this was a 2001 Audi S4 (stage III) and a 2010 Audi S4 (stage II, suspension and brakes), along with a bunch of Hyundai's.

Out of all the cars I have owned, the greatest was my 2010 Audi S4 (phantom black on black S-Tronic /w sports diff), and I feel like I had to part with it earlier then I was hoping to. I regret not snapping some pictures from the summer during it's prime.

After contiplating between a B8.5 S4 / B9 S4 / RS3 and Golf R, I finally settled on the R of the four. Partially because I have a girlfriend 600kms away and with things progressing positively, I felt the Golf R fit nicer in the '1-3 year plan' where I can review my circumstances afterwards.

So why a build thread? I hadn't done one before, and especially with the two S4's I owned, I regret not having something to look back on - and thought hey why not share it with the community as it's interesting to me to see the other members build threads. I have a feeling from what everyone is saying, especially those who have gone from the B8/8.5 S4 to the Golf R, this will be a great ride!!

Arrived at the dealership November 30th. The dealer informmed me they made a mistake and ordered it with Driver Assistance Package and Spielberg's when I wanted Pretroia's. They decided to order in the Pretroia's for me and still sell the car to me at the price we had originally agreed on. Officially picked it up on December 6th. No pictures of the pick up unfortunately as it was pitch black being in the northern hemisphere.

2018 Golf R - Deep Black Pearl - 6MT



Engine
  • COBB Accessport /w EQT Stage II - 5/3/2021 @ 57,200 km
  • 42 Design 3" downpipe /w sport cat - 5/1/2019
    • flex pipe repair - 11/17/2021
  • emichel6888 mini-cat / O2 sensor - 9/14/2019
  • NGK 91006 AKA Audi RS7 spark plugs - 7/15/2021 @ 61,000 km
  • CTS Turbo Direct Fit IC - 3/25/2022 @ 78,129 km
  • BM JB1 - 4/26/2018 @ 8,700 km (removed)
Brakes, Chassis and Suspension
  • Unibrace UBQ - 4/24/2018
  • 034 Dogbone Mount v1 - 5/24/2018
  • EMD RSB - 7/7/2018
  • Eibach Pro-Kit - 01/19/2023
  • Bilstein B6 /w DCC - 7/25/2022 @ 82,847 km
  • OEM Front Endlinks - 02/16/2023
  • EMD Rear Endlinks - 12/29/2021
  • EBC Red Stuff - 7/8/2022 @ 78,982 km
  • ECS 2-piece front and rear rotors - 7/8/2022 @ 78,982 km
  • MSS Adjustable Springs /w street 205 front and sport rears - 11/5/2018 (removed)
  • EMD Springs - 7/18/2018 (removed)
  • 034 Front Endlinks - 6/8/2020 (removed)
  • 034 Rear Endlinks - 6/8/2020 (removed)
Drivetrain
  • Clutch Pedal Spring delete - 12/22/2017
  • Shorty's clutch stop - 4/7/2018
  • Shorty's short throw shifter - 4/7/2018
  • 42 Design Shifter Bushings / Shifter Relay Lever Bushings - 4/7/2018
  • Clutch Bleeder Block diaphragm removal - 4/7/2018
  • Wavetrac LSD (front) - 1/13/2021 @ 55,244 km
  • Ringer Racer Stage III Organic / Cerametalic (575 ft/lbs) - 1/13/2021 @ 55,244 km
  • OEM Sachs DMF - 1/13/2021 @ 55,244 km
  • UM Haldex Tune - 9/9/2021
Interior
  • euro rear head rests - 12/6/2017
  • ratcheting arm rest - 12/16/2017
  • envelope style cargo net - 12/16/2017
  • eBay arm rest storage kit - 01/11/2018
Exterior
  • Autobahn Cermaic 35% tint all around - 12/11/2017
  • Premium Shield PPF - 12/11/2017
    front bumper, hood, fenders, A-pillar, roof, headlights, mirrors
Summer
  • Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 235/35ZR 19 - 03/21/2022
  • OEM 19x8 Prets Powder Coated Bronze - 03/21/2022
  • ECS Flush Kit 10 / 15mm - 3/21/2022
OBDEleven

Winter
  • 3D MAXpider Mats - 12/7/2017
  • Touren TR60 18x8- 12/7/2017
  • Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 225/40/18 - 1/27/2020
(replaces my Michelin x-Ice xi3 225/45 R18 - these rubbed a bit, but I wore them out as they were my winter rubber from my S4)
 
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4
#2 · (Edited)
Engine

This section I expected originally to be longer. However, after the JB4 install last night, I feel like it will be very short. Wow what a difference this thing made (and any Stage I tune for that matter). Where the engine felt like it tapered off and didn't want to go any more through the RPM range, the JB4 helped in keeping it pulling through the range. It also is deceitfully quick. For example power delivery comes in as linear as stock, but more of it. When cruising down city streets that I would hover around 55-60 km/h. Without changing pedal modulation, glancing down the car would be doing 85-90 km/h. Huge ticket and something I need to become aware of now. I believe a downpipe, intercooler and opening up the intake / inlet flow is going to be the only other items in here in the future at this point. Otherwise, I feel like just mods to make sure that power is making it to the ground is what I will be doing - which I consider to be more drivetrain / suspension related.

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this mod for the price. Staying under warranty is a must for me and I am solely doing this to avoid the stupid debates of 'well your tune broke your thermostat'. I have no problems shelling out cash for a new turbo if it every came to that, for example, that is the risk I am willing to take and I feel I am responsible for.



Very easy install, however I would have liked to see some type of USB cover for the extension to the laptop. I put it in a zip lock bag, I understand the USB is designed for the elements, but would have been nice regardless. When warranty expires in under 4 years or so, I am sure I would go with a more permanent solution. Love it!


4/16/2019 - I started playing with JB values the last few days, in anticipation of a new downpipe that is being personally made by 42 Draft Designs. Will update thread more when it is available.

This led me down a long path of close to 4,000 posts / 157 pages and 3.5 yrs worth of posts in the JB thread to find the optimal settings out of box for the JB, and more particularly my situation. I hope this helps someone in the future.

As per George, you can use the same mappings regardless of whether you are adding other hardware, as things like downpipes won't affect the boost, rather the octane is what you want to watch. So I kind of modified the original spread sheet as George reviewed and made a slight adjustment to reduce low end torque, and I hope it helps out others in the future. It is recommended running Map 1 for a bit to make sure everything is happy before playing with Map 6. I hope I copied the settings accurately, but feel free to let me know if I missed something. I have uploaded the rest of the values to a spreadsheet on my personal Google Drive, for safe keeping, as there are some other maps that might be useful for others.

Currently I am running the Out of box Map 6, but will likely dial it back to Low Torque 93 octane when I get my DP

Out of Box Map 6Low Torque 91 octaneLow Torque 93 octaneHigh Torque 91 octaneHigh Torque 93 octaneHigh Torque 93 octane /w DP and IC
15000.00.00.00.00.00.0
20002.02.02.02.01.42.0
25003.03.03.03.02.43.0
30003.53.03.03.53.63.5
35004.03.53.54.04.44.4
40005.04.04.04.85.05.2
45005.04.85.04.85.05.2
50005.04.85.05.05.05.2
55005.04.85.05.05.25.2
60004.84.84.85.05.25.2
65004.54.54.54.85.24.8
70004.54.54.54.44.54.2

4/18/2019 - I thought I would toss a quick assessment of the car between a few maps. I have been running Map 1 for almost a year and its worth every penny. I decided with my downpipe coming soon to explore tunes. If I had to describe the maps I have tried I would say it this way.

The 'Low Torque 93 octane' is what I currently have it set on to try it out after being on the out of the box Map 6. It is very smooth, and makes the engine feel like it's a powerful 2.0L engine. Notice no mention of the turbo. I was driving around the city and immediately I feel like this is the tune you would want as a daily driver. When you compare how it makes boost compared to Map 6, it is literally smoothed out in the mid range which is great. Still the same max boost in the higher end.

The Map 1 which I had been using for the majority of the time, is a bit more aggressive, as in you feel more the turbo punch and I think is a little more exciting to drive with then the 'Low Torque 93 octane', but if you are like me after using the Map 6 out of box, you feel bad for your passengers necks as you stomp on it.

Map 6 out of box, is definitely the most fun one can have with the 6MT. However, I was a bit worried with how long can you enjoy the clutch. I never felt slipping, but it felt much more aggressive then the other two. I feel like it is the kind of map you take when you want to have fun. I'm itching to go back to it.

At this time I won't be trying the 'High Torque 93 octane' as you can see it is a lot more aggressive then Map 6, and I value my clutch. I kind of regret not going clutch then downpipe now, as I could have cranked the boost up to get me through the 'boring clutch upgrade'. End of day, if I had to recommend clutch or downpipe....I would say clutch and crank up the boost!!! Then downpipe

5/2/2019 - I installed my new toy today, courtesy of GermanOEM, installed by Foreign Motorsports but created by 42 Draft Design. It's their 3" catted downpipe in 304 stainless steel and v-clamps. Awesome work, and I love it. I switched back to Map 1 for the JB1, but there is something new about this car that just makes you grin all day long. Launch in 1st, throw it to 2nd and you got your hit of adrenaline for the day. I suppose it helps its a nice sunny day too.

The sound in race mode is spot on, normal (closed flaps) its quiet enough to have your mother in the car and not have her think you are 18 yrs old again.

Overall, it might not seem like at first like anything changed, but the power delivery is very smooth that you don't notice the extra power. This is where I think the benefit is. It also seems to have smoothed out the entire range. I use to shift early but I feel like the car just wants to keep revving now. I am running in 93 octane which is fine, but I don't feel like an increase of torque that will hamper my stock clutch. This is going to be a fun, and likely not ticket free summer.

I think I am completely sold on this car....I keep thinking about moving towards a M2 Comp, RS3, S5 Sportback or TT RS. However, there is just something of a joy in this car that I simply can't justify moving on from it. I am 1.5 years into ownership, and the fun it is to drive. Thank you VW for bringing this car to North America.




5/3/2021 - just finished upgrading my JB1 to a COBB Accessport, and using the off the shelf Stage III tune. I must say right away, wow! Many people don't like the tune, but I actually really like it so far while I wait for some clarification on my EQT tune. It's more so the comparison between the JB1 and a tune, it such a large change in responsiveness. I think the JB1 was good, but the COBB Accessport really finishes the power I want - where the EQT tune no doubt is going to clean things up even more. Full review coming when I get the EQT updated from 2.0 to 2.51.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Brakes, Chassis and Suspension

Last night since I had to swap out my winter tires to summer, I thought I would take the time to install some parts with the nice weather. The plan was to install the 034 dogbone mount insert, Unibrace UBQ and JB1. Out of the three, only got one done, and that is the Unibrace. Ran out of time to install the JB1, and the 034 dogbone mount insert was the wrong version...

Since this is the chassis section quick blurb about the Unibrace.
I must say, compared to the part this is replacing this seems to be something VW / Audi would have put on the RS3 / or a 'higher' Golf R. The product is solid, and yet doesn't add a whole lot of weight. Where the stock part was literally a piece of metal tying in the back end of the car, this includes the mid as well.

Overall impression is 100% on the workmanship, looks excellent. As for changes to the dynamics of the car is to be seen. I literally bought the car and put on winter tires, so I might not be able to give a definite impression as I am now on summers. That said, from the transformation a similar product did to my B8 S4, this is going to be a treat on the highway ramps and roundabouts!




Picture is taken from rear to front, where the four nuts are literally the piece that tied left to right, where the new ties in front to back as well. Can't wait to push it

EMD Springs + RSB
Thoughts on EMD RSB



5/3/2019 - I m surprised I never commented on the MSS Spring kit that I installed in November yet. Overall I really like them and they are definitely an upgrade over the EMD springs. Now that I have them lowered it does retain almost stock like performance in all modes, just a tad more stiff. Last weekend I was taken out to a nice windy road and it just felt great with the RSB and these springs, if it wasnt for the fact there were 4 people in the car, I think I would have had a lot more fun with them, especially since they were little known roads and an 80 km/h speed limit.

One little thing I found though was that the driver front collar had seized up and I was unable to lower the car. Going forward, each time I raise or lower the car I need to remember to put some anti-seize lubricant on the collars to ensure the next time I use it, they will keep working. Likely the same stuff I should be using on my garage door as well!

12/18/2019 - Received a new revision to the springs, in that a spacer was put in place with lower adjustable collars. This may help with being able to adjust in the future. If things are stuck I can fit a spanner and adjust the springs. We will see how this goes, right now the car sits much higher, but in the spring I will need to review the set-up and see how the next few days go after settling. If everything is good, I will leave things alone until I get new winter rubber with the proper height of side wall, before seeing how low I can and set / walk away from it. Alignment and hopefully corner balance, lock it out and enjoy!



06/08/2020 - I think this is starting to wrap up this section of mods. After a quick boot around the the back country roads with some twisties, it feels like there is no corner this car can't handle. Not sure if some additional settling is required, but it seems things are a little more stiffer then before, but I hope to have more to report in the next few days.

Outstanding I think is a FSB when I am ready to do clutch and front control arms bushings. However, besides the bushings it will be a tough call with the potential of throwing off the new dynamics that I am quickly growing to love. I forgot to grab pics with the excitement of new mods.

02/08/2021 - performed the adjustment to the DCC shocks - found a slight more positive change, less bounce on roads where I found it to be a problem

10/05/2021 - looks like the creek I find on occasion has a fix. Putting this here so that when I get to shocks I can get rid of this
 
#4 · (Edited)
Drivetrain

Today I thought I would start monkeying around with the clutch and shifter over the winter to get it dialed in to where I want it. There was a few free modifications that seem interesting, so I got started right away.

Personal observation, the clutch seems extremely soft and I never seemed to get it quite right on where the clutch was gripping. It's that feedback that I want a little more of when slipping the clutch on a quick launch for example or to smooth out overall driving. The shifter isn't terrible, but previous cars were Hyundai's and a B5 Audi S4 which were never renowned for stellar shifting experiences. So likely in my build you won't find a whole lot of tweaks to shifting, I feel like the short shifter will be the only thing to do from what I have been reading thus far

So begins the first free modification!

Clutch Pedal spring delete
Free 6MT mod (part deux): clutch pedal spring removal

I must say it really made a great difference. I can actually feel the clutch now and it doesn't feel super soft. I only had a day so far, so need to spend more time adjusting to the new feel of the clutch. I have it stored in a bag with my OEM parts for other mods in case a meatier clutch is installed. I feel like this would help greatly in making in softening up the clutch in the future, right now it feels great!

Clutch Bleeder Diaphragm delete
Free MT6 wonder mod: OEM bleeder delay removal

Shorty's modified OEM+ Short Shifter + Clutch Stop + 42 Design Shifter Bushings / Shifter Relay Lever Bushings, review :
Shorty's Short Shifter + Clutch Stop Review

Installed the 034 Dogbone Mount - everything you read about it is true! I found additionally powering through a corner it felt much more responsive. With the glue the R seems to have, this is giddy fun to drive. Shifting feels as good as I can imagine it with all the above modifications.

I feel like the only two future items left here is a new clutch, possibly restore the clutch pedal spring, and the Haldex tune which I am going to try to save for this summer. Otherwise the car from this prospective is what I would consider beyond my expectations, nearly perfect. The only exception of modifications, is seeing how I can get more power from the engine to the road down, and will continue to update. Driving experience - excellent

Ringer Racer Stage III /w street pressure plate

I decided to go with this set-up as it maintained the OEM dual mass flywheel, as I have done SMF in the past and always got annoyed with the chatter that comes with it. There is of course a performance hit, as the engine is able to rev more freely with a SMF. The clutch set-up should be good for 575 ft-lbs of torque. I was torn between this or the Clutchmaster FX350 and decided to try this one out. There was a great post that provided all the options for us 6MT - and after much research went this path.

Wavetrac LSD

The XDS+ system utilizes the ABS sensors to determine slip. When slip is determined it will brake the wheel to maintain control. The downside is there is a delay, and it isn't incredibly precise as to how much braking it should or should not do. As well it brakes the wheel causing you to reduce speed. Haldex is a FWD biased system, so it makes sense to have a mechanical LSD in the front. Often too with an open diff on a FWD, when you launch you will get one wheel spinning faster then the other which causes torque steer. Again, the mechanical LSD fixes this to provide you with two clean tire marks on a hard launch!

During the install, they noted I was missing a hardware kit that is required to install the Wavetrac. This added an additional cost for ring gear bolt kit and bearings.

Thrust Bearing Repair
For more information, start here: EA888 Gen 3 Crank Walk Issues for 6MT Ownerz
Great post to show what's going to be done: What causes thrust bearing failure?

 
#5 · (Edited)
Interior / Exterior
- euro rear head rests

My first mod, was a requirement from the start as I loved the look in my S4 and required it in the Golf R




- 3D MAXpider Mats
Part of the winter package, I immediately ordered some 3D Maxpider Mats. Awesome fit and finish. There was another mat I was interested in but they were on back order until ?? We will see how these go for the next few winters and go from there


Definitely money well spent as I missed the storage. It's nice to have the tray to hide slightly larger items under it



10/22/2021 - more of a to be cont'd post - they were done by the Rim Doctor here in town. I thought he did a great job at a very reasonable price for the Pret's. Unfortunately, the temperature dropped, summer tires are scarce in Canada right now - so I have some excitement for March / April!

 
#6 · (Edited)
spare slot - returned dragy as after a few launches got annoyed with the engine protection, and finding a nice flat 1/4 mile stretch has been quite the challenge
works great, the 6MT on the other hand not so much. Also by the time I found something worth launching on, I was a good 20 minutes away and time has never been on my side to be able to play around.
 
#7 · (Edited)
OBDEleven - will update when have settings, will try to only put the Adaptions in here if you are looking to skip using credits

Expanded electronic differential lock
03 Brakes -> Adaption -> Expanded electronic differential lock -> Old: Standard, New: Off
Notes : The XDS electronic differential lock is an extension of the familiar EDL function. However, XDS responds not to loss of traction but to the unloading of the front wheel on the inside of the corner when cornering fast. XDS applies pressure from the ESC hydraulics to the inside wheel to prevent it from spinning. This improves traction and reduces the tendency to understeer. The level of pressure applied ranges from approximately 5 to 15 bar. The impression when driving is similar to that of a limited-slip differential in toned-down form. The precise, one-sided build-up of brake pressure makes cornering even sportier, quicker and more accurate.

This setting was moved from Strong, to Off, after installing the Wavetrac LSD

Starting vibration reduction
03 Brakes -> Adaption -> Starting vibration reduction -> Old: Strong, New: Deactivated
Notes: Removes intervention during launch of car in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears

Rough Road optimization
03 Brakes -> Adaption -> Rough road optimization -> Old: activated, New: Not activated
Notes: This seems to have smoothed out 1-2 and 2-3 shifting a LOT. Will try some hard launches, and see if there are any differences in handling

Acoustic measure, wiring logic
22 All Wheel Control -> Acoustic measure, wiring logic -> Old: Standard New : Increased traction
Notes : It does sound a bit more noisier, almost like you have studded tires on in the summer time. Not quite that loud, but still noticeable. I also feel like there is a bit of a vibration in the cabin but I want to give it more seat time to determine. Performance wise, the car feels a lot more lively on acceleration while in ECS Sport mode, and turn in into parking spots seems to have this odd grippy feeling. On ramps, I haven't tried on my 'test' ones but I feel like I have been able to get an extra 5-8 km/h on the one leaving work with confidence.

Lane Assist Intervention
A5 (Front Sensor Driver Assistance System -> Adaption -> Peronalization of intervention moment at T 15 on -> Old: Last setting, New: Early
Notes: This helps in keeping your car in the lane, rather then ping ponging between the lines

Dash board style
17 Dash Board -> Adaption -> Display depiction -> Old: Version 1, New : Version 3
Notes: Slight changes in display, a few new animations, looks much more cleaner

Throttle Response
44 Steering Assistance -> Security Access -> 19249 -> Adaption -> Driving profile switchover -> Old: Incremental, controlled over time, New: Direct, controlled over threshold
Notes: I had always felt like I was missing something with modulating the throttle and clutch, resulting in not as nice shifts as I had in my previous cars. This cleared it right up, I was thinking of going pedal box but no more!


Added via apps :
Heated seats memory
DRLs off with handbrake
Windows function via remote
Pop trunk via remote
 
#8 · (Edited)
Got my car back yesterday from tint and PPF. Went with the standard 35% tint because of new laws in Ontario for all cars model year 2017+

After asking the owner of the shop who I trusted with my cars for the past 10+ years with tinting and PPF, which was better Xpel or Suntek, he recommended a brand new product he has been using the past two years. Premium Shield. Brief history is that VentureShield was bought out by 3M because of how advanced their product was in it's time. After the contract with the original owner of Venture Shield / 3M expired, the owner moved on and to Premium Shield which is what is today. New compounds and the owner of the shop highly recommended the product so I gave it a try - reviews and videos I have read are placing it so far ahead of Xpel and Suntek. Forums say different because the Xpel and Suntek are tried / tested and true

I hope once a year I remember this post, and report back on how it looks and holds up during a Canadian winter in the snow belt!

 
#9 ·
quick review of the ratcheting arm rest

Decided to not do the zip tie mod, but I kind of regret it. The position locked wasn't bad, it wasn't 100% comfortable for myself so I thought I would get it to that perfect spot with the ratcheting arm rest.
Installed the arm rest on the weekend, and I think I am in an odd in between spot for the arm rest. Bottomed out is too low. One click is a tad bit too low, but two clicks is uncomfortably high. However, the arm rest when locked felt like it was at the one click location when I was driving it the past week or so.

Advice to others, do the zip tie mod, if you really hate it then get the ratcheting arm rest, but I feel different people might have better success. I was a bit worried about getting proper ergonomics, only because I broke my wrist a few years ago. It gets bothersome after a period of time at work without good ergonomics. I don't see it being a large problem driving but thought I would give it best effort.

Followed the youtube video below, and got a great deal off Club Wolfsburg member :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jVLxZK1rIM
 
#11 ·
I love the ratcheting armrest, one thing to keep in mind to fine-tune your arm position is you can adjust your seat height.. i was the same with you, 2 clicks was too low, 3 clips was too high, so i raised the back of my seat a touch and then it was PERFECT. I would hate to be stuck at one position but i get why people do it. Also not having to deal with those soft bolts is a godsend.

ACC is amazing for road trips, i went to Montreal and back in a day and it was very relaxing, right until the moment i started to hit the GTA traffic again haha.
 
#10 ·
It was the day before winter holidays, and no one was stirring around the office. I refused to use a vacation day, and the Friday sickness didn't hit me. Instead since it was so quiet, I decided to give my 350 km / 2 week review of the Golf R.

The easy parts are the interior and exterior so I will hit those off first.

Exterior, I regret getting BLACK! I feel like the black makes the car look a little bit more plain then going with the Indium Grey Metallic which was my second colour choice, outside of the custom colours. This is my first hatch and I pushed myself to grab one. Overall it's different waking up to instead of the typical coupes and sedans I had in the past. I will admit, I think a tad of the edge I have with the hatchback is the fact it is similiar to a lot of the SUV / CUV's on the road today. If you knew me, I am very anti SUV / CUV / truck (people that actually use trucks exempted)

It seems that many have a love hate relationship with the MK7.5. In the end, I am happy with the decision to stick with the MK7.5, and that is no slight at the MK7. I can go into details, but there were some things I wish the MK7 had, and wish the MK7.5 was more like. Versus the competition, quite simply the package that VW created for the Golf R is what I wanted more then the Focus RS which at the end of the day was the only close competitor.

Interior, you would think in the past this would be shorter then the exterior because for me personally I always had a passion for great looking exterior. I do enjoy the interior for an 'economy car'. The past year I did some travelling around the US and had a few car rentals, must say the Golf interior felt nicer then a lot of the others out there. It is simple, yet practical with little details which I really enjoy. For example the fact the cup holder cover slides over nicely to fit a phone - I wish someone would bring a wireless charger replacement to the market!!!

The virtual cockpit is something I honestly could do without as I still find myself only caring about the digital speedo to watch my speed. The other 'features' don't do anything greatly for me - I do have a roadtrip all holiday season (400 kms to visit friends up north, then driving with my gf back to her home in Montreal and back 1,200 kms). I feel the navigation is the only item that is a real perk - but for how often I use it I could have done without it.

Space, ok this is something I never thought I would ever enjoy. The B8 S4 even though a larger car, felt much smaller in the cabin. I find everything about the Golf R as being comfortable including the back seats. One of the space consumers was the sport seats in the S4. I have a small gripe with the R seats, but I actually like the fact that they are comfortable (not the same as the S4) HOWEVER, I don't have to move them when I have passengers. As mentioned above, 1,600 kms this week, I am hoping to getting these seats worked in is all it's going to take.

The infotainment system is such a large step from anything I had before. I feel like 2015ish is when things changed for the better. The first week I felt distracted playing with all the toys and configuring stuff, but that has died down. The sound system also is a great step compared to anything I have had in the past. If I had to give a 10 out of 10 on anything, I am just loving everything to do with this part of the experience. It is more then I even wanted, including everything I wanted.

After a senior management drop in, and some quick research required before lunch because of it, I decided I am going to need to hold off on the driving experience feedback till another time. I want to go home!! IT'S FRIDAY of the holiday season!!
 
#14 · (Edited)
I thought I would toss in a blurb about the car now that I reached over 2,000 km in one weekend of driving. The following big trips I did over the winter holidays :
1) Kitchener to Toronto and return - pickup GF from airport
2) Kitchener to Midland and return - visit friends (approx 220 / 440 km round trip)
3) Kitchener to Montreal and return - take GF home and spend New Years (approx 630 / 1260 km round trip)

During the time, the weather was freezing cold, and we got dumped on especially the farther north you went. Perfect weather to test out the R. My posts though are more focused on the last two trips and winter driving. For winter set-up, this was all on Michelin X-ice Xi3's.

The drive to Midland was not very eventful, however while chilling with friends over Christmas we got dumped on.



The next morning we dug my car out first so we could blow out the snow, and I was impressed with how much traction the Haldex system along with main power / weight over the front powering wheels worked. You forget about this benefit with the RWD Torsen based I had in my Audi. The Golf R was fantastic for getting out of snow even from a stand still that was about 6 inches higher then the bumper. It wasn't until I slowed down backing out of the driveway because the snowbank was too high and snowmobiles had just been screaming down the street, so I was too cautious coming out of the driveway and got stuck.

This did however make for a fun drive to my next friends place who had a condo at a ski resort on the way back home.



I couldn't get all the snow off the car as you can see in the front grill / vents especially with needing to plow through snow. I simply couldn't break the tires free from the snow. I must say between the two S4's which I felt were tanks in the snow (B5 and B8), the Golf R has taken that crown from them. If it weren't for the snow in my wheels causing imbalance to remind me how fast I was going, I think I would have never realized how fast I was actually going, pure confidence.

The second leg of the road trip was great. Complaints about the seats are gone. They aren't as snug as the B8 S4's, and the leather not as nice, but I honestly had no complaints with the seats. It was a concern I had posted about but I feel like getting a set of Recaro's is more or less off the table unless I want to get into a bit of weight reduction as well. I still wish I had memory seats, my brother joined us for the roadtrip to Montreal and between the two of us it was annoying to find my perfect seating position again. We don't have much different but it was enough to be annoying. As well, the leg room with 3 grown adults in the car was fantastic. Everyone was able to sit / nap comfortably, and even if there was a 4th person it would have been comfortable. Luggage wise we had 3 'carry-ons' and a number of gifts to share. No lack of space, and if there were 4 carry-ons, we still would have had enough space. Obviously it was larger luggage it would have been tight - but the Golf R is EXCELLENT for a weekend away.

Another concern I had with the car is the amount of digital components used, and mostly around the virtual cockpit and winter weather. I had previous cars where during winter time HVAC systems wouldn't work, to displays not being able to power up. The car sat in Montreal for 3 days without being turned on. Also the weather with wind chill had as some days down to -32 C.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-cold-weather-streak-1.4470272

This wasn't as bad as my snowboard trip several years ago with my B5 S4 where we did Le Massif, where I parked at the near the summit of the mountain and temperatures reached -50 C. However, not a single glitch to report, not even at startup. I was expecting a slow start-up of the virtual cockpit but it went flawless. Well done VW, and although I hope not to put your product through the same extreme weathers as I did in northern Quebec, for my own sake as well, my confidence is high.

As we came home from Montreal, we hit Guelph ON, and there was a snow storm + major accident in Kitchener (approx 15 km), so off to the back roads. Again, the car simply impressed me beyond belief. Even turning from one back road to the other and giving it extra gas, the car simply stayed glued to the snow with minimal oversteer. Yes I was feathering the gas, but even from a stop in a straight away the car launched like it was a clear road. My brother was like 'umm maybe the '06 330i is about to be retired for a GTI...or MK7 R'

All this praise though comes with one negative observation. DAP. Again I didn't want the car with it, and it has been an annoyance since it snowed. It proved to continue the trend. As one can imagine for a long drive cruise control is almost essential, especially on a car built in 2018...not 1980. Unfortunately as snow built up on the sensor (VW badge on the front), so goes adaptive cruise control with no option to use regular cruise control. This will be a complaint I am going to express on my first oil change. We did make a stop at OWASCO VW in Oshawa which was visible from the 401 on the way to Montreal. I was told you could turn off (not disable) the Front Assist and it would de-activate the adaptive cruise control. I tried and it appeared that adaptive cruise was stil active. Unfortunately for the rest of the trip the sensor was never blocked by slush so I can't confirm for sure that I would still have cruise control.

This said, I am going to look into adjustments to the ACC and see if I can tighten up the gap for the ACC from 3 seconds to something more like 1.5-2 seconds which is more of a standard for driving. 'Very Close' is 3 seconds currently but there must be a VAGCOM over ride to narrow the gap. That way if I want the 3 second space I can have it in 'Normal', but a tighter distance with 'Very Close'. The car brakes itself anyway I found in case your reaction isn't 100%. Super annoying when trying to pass Ontario drivers that refuse to move out of the left lane to allow faster traffic to pass, in so many ways.

That said - I did enjoy ACC, I could literally leave it on for the large stretches of road, but as congestion and aggressive drivers kick in, the ACC is out of it's element.

The other minor gripe I had was with the windshield wipers. They seemed to smudge right where the rain sensor was. So if I sprayed to clear the windows, it would keep going since it never completely cleaned where the sensor was. This would cause the whole windshield to smudge up after a few extra wipes. I feel like a better wiper blade will fix this in the future - seems to be a problem with every new vehicle I had.


Though winter just started, I am excited for the spring time to really put it through the ringer...already past the 1,000 km break in, and I am sure the 5,000 km first oil change is almost here before the mods kick in.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Well that didn't take long to bust up the car lol
I actually think this happened on December 27th, as I don't recall any other time it might have happened.

I was teaching my gf how to drive manual in a parking lot. The lot was half plowed so afterwards I thought I would turn off the nannies and go into the unplowed section. The snow was above the bumper, and after about 5 minutes of trying to get the car to spin I exited, and I think the built up snow from the plow had something solid in it. It made a large clunk noise and pretty sure this was the culprit of trying to impress women. Shame on me!!!



I don't see anything on ECS but appears to be a $60 fix for the 2015-2017 equivalent, once it's less cold I will take a better look at the bumper as the picture appears to be a small crack
 
#16 · (Edited)
After dealing with it for several weeks, OCD took over, and she's back to almost new. Minus a crack in the bumper which you can barely see (the finger prints highlight it). In person you can see it as the bumper is unevenly touching each other but it's hollow and I feel like the summer / during an intercooler install I can get this fixed quite quickly. Looking at the picture - it might have been the angle I took it at, but the passenger side 'fog light' looks broken too...I'm sure it's just the angle...

It seems with flights out of town on weekends, and work during the week just don't have the time to sit down and do the work myself which was regrettable. Had some shop time to do it myself and check on the elusive low washer fluid sensors, but flying out and needing the car to get to the airport, plus secular work - the $40 to do the actual work was an easy sell. No part number to share as they didn't have the 2018 in their system yet so used a 2017 part number - sorry folks

Regardless, driving it back, the car felt like it now has 100 hp more, and handles like it's glued to the road - even though I have winter tires on :laugh:

 
#17 ·
I decided to remove my review of the delivery of the Golf R. To summarize, it wasn't the greatest experience but maybe time to just move on, enjoy the next years with the R and learn from my lesson. There was a lot of unnecessary run around, I didn't get the car options I wanted (at least they got black and 6MT right, and got the wheels I wanted), they left the shipping pucks in the suspension...and to top it off I find out VW decided to change the ratcheting arm rest with the next deliveries of R's. There were a lot of other gripes, but the end product made up for the sales experience.

I have already put 6,000 kms on the car. I found the ECS Sport button and some dry roads (mind you with winters) and that frown got turned upside down.

As I get settled into driving 6MT again, I feel like those characteristics of a go-kart are in this one. I haven't touched the car really and already it feels nice and tight. Even the power is fun enough to zip in and out of traffic. I am still not happy about the gas mileage, but that could be my right foot enjoying the drive. I still have my list of modifications, but coming from the Audi S4, before getting into everything I did to it, the R feels almost as good as when I had the S4 in the prime. Excited to see if I can push that bar higher.

Gripes around the driver assist package, which really pissed me off, I found simply putting it in ECS Sport mode fixed almost all this. The 6MT already has me more involved in the driving experience which I expected, but I still find there are days that I leave the safety features on because I just want to get to work. The only outstanding is when ACC doesn't work, a manual version is an option. I will likely look at options for keeping the front VW emblem clear, but this is a winter issue, so it is only a PITA 20% of my driving time.

My order of modifications is what I am sticking to,

1) Chassis / OBDEleven XDS+ tuning
2) Engine - Stage I via JB1
3) Suspension / Haldex tuning
4) Braking
5) Engine - Stage II - I am already enjoying stock...which is unusual compared to other cars I owned.

After some researching, I feel like the 6MT is being sand bagged by too much technology while drag racing, where the DSG is able to control these nannies and perform optimally. My driving preference is less to do with straight line, but overall joy of driving the car, I am hoping that I can get a more natural driving experience (oh then why did I get a R and not the GTI...). These modifications come under the OBDEleven I feel, with some fine tuning coming from a company like 'United Motorsports' or 'HPA'. Hopefully with the OBDEleven I can find the issues I am having, see how much I can fix it, and perfect it when the Haldex tuning is available. Regardless, I will update the thread from my own general observations - would be better playing with a DSG but not sure where to find one I can test out.

I also have a feeling seats are going to be done. They are nice as a premium economy seat, but I still feel like I need more. Will see after a year of owning it.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Busy car weekend. Finally got my car detailed in anticipation of spring / summer, but of course it decided to snow after dropping the car off...and continue snowing all day into the next. At least it got me to a point of being able to do a quick clean-up when the weathers better and enjoy a new car again.

Unfortunately, Benny my detailer is retiring, so it will be the last time he will touch one of my cars. Hence a quick pic of the milestone - last day May 31st


Detailed engine by Benny...as stock as it's going to look in the next couple years


yes that is a snowflake photo bomb, still in winter mode for another month
 
#21 · (Edited)
sorry for the late reply, was travelling Friday - Monday, and worked on the car after work on Tuesday.
I got them off a Facebook group member named Long (Club Wolfsburg) which is based out of Toronto ON. That said there are folks in US (Minnesota area I believe) that is selling them as well. Cheapest I could find.

schwab0 is the gent that was supplying the US, not sure if still active : https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36048

Also I found them to be quite similar to my old B8 S4 silver stitching. This I feel would be the cheapest of the two options.

Looking good so far! Would you happen to have the part numbers available for the euro headrests?
I'll check when I get home, believe it was on the box, don't think it's engraved into them
 
#22 ·
Track Day 2018

This isn't related to my car build, but in a way it is. Not worth posting in it's own thread, but just a rambling.

One thing I found with cars is that you learn what you like from driving other cars. Over the years I found I have driven, fun, straight line cars that really lit up the highway. The Golf R really has been the most fun in every situation car I have ever owned. One thing I have really focused in on with this car came after I started my personal fun days. The idea behind these days is to take a day off, do a fun event and enjoy the day. Last year I had the opportunity to drive a Ferrari 458 around the race track. I must say that really was fun and it is what got me to thinking about driving dynamics and how to get the most joy out of driving. I will likely never own a Ferrari, based off maintenance alone, but I thought why not try to find how I can replicate that go-kart feel in a car. So, I bought a 2018 Golf R.

This year, I did the same thing, because the company had a new list of cars. Also my now fiance took me to the auto show, and when her eyes lit up on the Ferrari 488, I told her 'I should take you this summer to the track so you can drive it'. She was like 'they would let me drive it?' lol, well they let me drive it...

So May 4th, I booked us two cars, for her the Ferrari 488 and myself a Lamborghini Huracan, which I later learned was the LP 580-2...more on that later. As we were driving to the track, I received a call that the 488 wasn't going to join us because it was stuck with Ferrari trying to figure out a gearbox issue. So they offered us a discount to use their older Ferrari. When we arrived, it turned out being the same 458 that I had the year before, so we gave up the small twin turbo V8 for a naturally aspirated V8...the way it should be. The track we went to was the Canadian Tire Motorsport, and we were set up on the driver development track, not the Grand Prix circuit : https://canadiantiremotorsportpark.com/pages/driver-development-track


As you can see from the weather, it was foggy and wet...

When we arrived, I immediately saw this stunner :


I thought it was one of the cars to be driven, and as I approached it to look inside, I was shocked by the baby seat in the passenger seat /w a passenger! I spoke to the lady whose husband was driving it. Turns out it was their personal car, and the owner of the experience invited them to take it for a spin. With the fog and wet track, they were using the Aventador as a pace car for the other drivers to make sure they don't go crazy. The little passenger was refusing to leave the car as dad was whipping around the track...can you blame them? I was going to take more pictures but it was constantly moving. I have some videos of it whipping around the track, incredible NOISE!!!!

After watching the cars go around the track, and spending some time in the other cars in the line-up : Porsche 911 Carrera 6MT, Aston Martin DB9, Corvette Z06, Audi R8 V10, Nissan GT-R, Lamborghini Gallardo. I finally had my shot with the Huracan.




As you can see from roof up, it was foggy and wet on the track. It was a bit disappointing for me because I couldn't push the car to it's limits without feeling like I needed to take out a second mortgage on my house...in the first corner I felt no traction in the front wheels. Thinking all Lamborghini's now come with AWD, it turns out I was in the RWD version of the Huracan. This made it a lot more tough to push the car, even on straights!! The back end just wanted to over power the front when you trounced on the gas. As well since the car was a spyder, it had a fixed racing seat which I couldn't lower so the driver position was off. To say I really pushed the car, would be a lie. I liked it, but comparing it to the 458 which I drove last year, it was such a large difference!!! Where the Ferrari drove and handled like a $250k go kart, the Huracan just had this feel that I wasn't confident to push it too hard and losing traction. That laps still went quick, but I didn't totally enjoy it like I did in the Ferrari.

The guy managing driver times saw my disappointment, and he offered me 3 more laps when things dried up, and we put the roof down. It was still good, but I think it's a car you drive to look good, you don't drive because you enjoy driving. If I had a choice, I would take the Ferrari 458...how can I expand on it, honestly I don't know. I am not going to get all Jeremy Clarkson on it, but if I had to choose between the two cars, I would take a Ferrari 458. It drove just much nicer, felt confident pushing it, right amount of power to go fast, but not enough to feel like it's too much.



That led to the girl, driving the Ferrari 458. I'm sure she has her own opinion on the car, but reviewing the videos we took, she was so much faster then I looked. I keep saying, the track was much more dry when she got to give it a go. Down the front straight though I could hear her downshift 3 gears, and I barely got 2...so no one will see these videos online lol, obviously gearing can be different on the two cars but she was flying, must say I was impressed with her. I might need to challenger her to some real lap times one day lol.

Next year, I feel like the 911 Carrera is going to be my next drive. It was the only 6MT, but I feel like if I was building a car, and don't get me wrong, this is a mid engine RWD car vs a front engine FWD Golf...but you can still play with a bit of dynamics to sway the car towards feeling like one way over another.

Plenty more pictures / videos, just don't want to suck up bandwidth.
 
#23 ·
Pretty much spur on a craving to mod, I decided to buy the EMD Stage I Suspension package from a local shop : Park Auto Motorsports. Great guys to deal with, young but I personally like where they are going and willing to support them!

It turns out they happened to have the kit in stock, which was super weird, but really for how many R's are floating around the city, I probably shouldn't be that surprised. That said I still ran EMD product numbers and can confirm the following :

Golf R springs - EMD-MQB-LSK is a proper part number, even though many dealers list EMD-MQB-LSR on their web sites.
Golf R RSB - EMD-MQBA-RSB

I figured this information might be helpful for someone else in the future through a Google search.

This post is mostly geared around the RSB, as I installed that first, with the springs + alignment happening on Tuesday. Please note, I did NOT replace the end links at this time. I do understand the geometry is going to be off and will wear them much faster, especially since I was removing the sway bar it would have made sense to buy them. More on the end links at the end of the post, but if you are reading this post and wondering if it's a good idea, personally I would recommend considering them at the sametime.

I should have gotten an adjustable RSB, where the EMD is fixed. I am not complaining at all about the EMD RSB as I feel like it's set perfectly for my needs, but it might have been nice to have the opportunity to add or reduce the ridigty of the bar. That thought in mind, this bar ain't going anywhere anytime soon, I like it.

Wow, we have a road that is full of round abouts close to my house, and so following the traffic line through them, this Golf R feels like it is on rails. Where in the past I felt a lot of float in the rear, this just simply feels glued to the road. I actually feel completely confident tackling the round abouts at any (reasonable / h*** sh** handle) speed / accelerating through them even.

I also have a Unibrace UBQ which I am sure helps in the mid section of the chassis, but the big question is to FSB, or not to. At this time I hadn't done any hard cornering to say. For understeer vs oversteer question, I feel like this has a special balance right now that I don't want to touch. Personal opinion, but I am quite happy so far - but more seat time is required, and I most certainly will post and compare if my mind changes and I want to move into a FSB. If I do, I feel like an adjustable RSB would be purchased as well, just so I know I can adjust it to avoid throwing off the nice feeling rear I have now.

One downside is the rear in Race mode feels less forgiving if the road is bumpy, but putting the car into Normal mode it feels like a regular commute. DCC for the win!!

Spring review and the great dilemma will be posted post install / seat time.

More on the endlinks. They are a bit of a pain in the butt to remove. To take them off properly from the sway bar, you need a 12 point (triple square) driver to hold the bolt in place, while using a wrench to loosen the bolt. Way easier to take the whole sway bar out while only removing the end links from the control arms, at least this is what I felt. The thing was one of the bolts on the endlinks was cross threaded from the factory - or the thread on the endlink wasn't quite nice I actually broke the female end of the bolt for the 12 point but with some crafty German hard headiness - it worked out, and I could reuse them! Getting them back into the control arm was a whole new ordeal though.
 
#24 ·
Just tossing in a rant about the car, and a quick review of the EMD Springs.

First off, the overall car. This spring I bought myself a 2017 (last one in Canada) Giant Escape 3 before the new 2018's arrived. The idea behind it was to start enjoying a bike ride to work which was only about 12 minutes vs 10 minutes to drive by car.

This was a bit of a waste of money. I must say when I wake up in the morning, and I am going through the decision, bike or drive - drive wins everytime (except for one week when I got the bike). Meanwhile the years leading up to the Golf R purchase, I loved biking to work don't get me wrong. This after owning a B8 S4 and B5 S4 - all tastefully modd'd for power and handling.

My commute isn't bumper to bumper, but there are some fun twist and turns in the city, the sound of the turbo building boost and the joy I have going out for lunch / out of the office gives it even more purpose to drive. This is a three year lease, and though I have been picking away at putting parts on the car - I have a feeling this car is going to stick around the driveway for a very long time. I keep looking at the current options, and minus going with more power then I need in a RS3 - or going back to a highway cruiser in a B9 S4 / S5 Sportback - I just feel like the Golf R continues to be perfect for my needs. It could use a little more rear bias in the power department, but I feel like there is a fix for that...and every other issue I have for wanting to get rid of it.

That is my 15,000 km assessment anyway - last week was the first oil change, and the bad news is I am well targeted to overshoot my mileage limit for the lease.
 
#25 · (Edited)
As for the EMD spring, I just realized, I haven't had time to take a picture of the car with them. The overall look of the car is exactly how I wanted it. The only thing that now it has me wanting to finish the look, is more so spacers then new wheels with a more aggressive offset (really eyeing some VMR V801's in Anthriacite Metallic). I feel like once this is sorted out, I will post pictures as I don't see myself changing a single thing around the exterior of the car. It's nearly perfect.

I spent a lot of time doing research on springs, from VMR, H&R, Eibach, and I still felt these were the best on the market for the drop I wanted but also the overall that I wanted.

Now we get into the dicey part of the discussion.

I am going to start with saying the install was approximately 6 hrs including 1 hr cost for alignment. So I want to put that out there because I had someone do the install so around here you are looking around $100 /hr as shop rate, so let's make that a cool $600 before taxes.

Comfort wise, I found all modes are more stiffer. Race isn't bad for daily driving for a city that gets winter weather - along with the terrible roads. Normal is about where I thought Race was before the spring and RSB were installed. Comfort mode on the other hand is nice and soft, and the weekend of August 17th it will go through the 'mom test' as I am taking her on a long road trip. She loves her Chevy Impala - so this will be a stress test for sure. My fiance enjoys cars in general, and no complaints all weekend from her - even when I complained to see if she would go along with complaining about comfort. She also lives in Montreal, where the roads are terrible, so I am sure that could change if I drove around Montreal.

I had installed prior to the springs the EMD Rear Sway Bar, and I found the rear end became much more active in Race mode as one would expect and this is a good thing. It truly transformed the car, and if you weren't going for a look for your car, the RSB is all you need.

Performance, this is where some people will continue to read, but others will have already had their answers made.
In race mode, the rebound in the rear is simply too stiff. It can at times create some gasp for air moments, where you think you might lose the back end when pushed too hard and hitting the right dip in the road. The general handling improvements of the RSB and OEM springs, had me feeling more confident then the RSB and lowered springs. I don't feel like endlinks will solve this problem, but I will look into replacing them later this year and getting everything aligned properly. I look forward to reporting too back actually on this. The general stiffness of the springs + shocks makes race mode I am sure excellent on the track, but maybe not on the unpredictable streets.

I asked EMD what their suggestions were, and quick solution to see if it gets better is put the spacers in the rear. If this does solve the problem, a quick trim of the bump stops should fix the problem. I will give this a shot when I find a free weekend to get in there. I will report on this as well!!!

In normal mode, I haven't spent enough time, because I do truly still enjoy race mode even with the change in comfort, but I feel like I might just dial everything into Race (within individual mode) and leave DCC in Normal. When something interesting is about to happen on a weekend for say, flip it to Race and have a little bit of fun.

Putting this all together, and remembering the point about cost to install. If you are still reading this, you went through the performance section. If I had to choose springs again, I would have went straight to the MSS Kit. Everything that XLR8 have said in their posts, along with the feedback of the customers - I must say I lived it and somewhat regret my purchase. I felt like from what customers were explaining, the cheap fix would be to add a RSB, but that is not the case, this is something else that I am not sure how to explain neither.

$370 CDN springs + $600 labor = or $1000, with a potential of and additional $600 wasted to upgrade to MSS Kit
$650 CDN springs/RSB + $600+ labor (I installed the RSB myself) = or $1200, with a potential of and additional $600 wasted to upgrade to MSS Kit

$1500 CDN MSS adjustable sports + $600 labor = or $2100

I haven't driven the MSS kit, but I have a feeling next year I will be opting for it. It does feel like I pissed away $600 on the decision, so I am posting this to others looking at springs vs going with the MSS Kit. Give it a strong thought, beware about the performance side of things. This is my personal opinion as it stands now...however, if the solution from EMD works, I will surely update this review.


Added a few pictures with the lowering, please note there are spacers in the rear, its not too noticeable of a difference (especially being a black car), so I am going to just leave it, as long as no one mentions it to me, then I dwell on it lol. Also the front, where it looks like the wheel liner is sticking out, it appears to be an optical illusion. I noticed it, so I went to my car and it's fine. It might be just because of the angle / black on black on black that is making it looks odd.



 
#26 ·
After finally finding time, I think I found the solution to being unsatisfied with the EMD springs. Simply put, the rear spring spacers are required for the 6MT.
Speaking with EMD, they had recommended installing them. So under I went on Monday to put the spacers in.

Having driven the car for 3 days now, I love it again!

Next step - adjustable rear end links I believe and potentially front. There is a creek coming from what sounds like the front but I am pretty sure it's because of the aggressive 1" drop.
 
#27 ·
HOW did i miss your thread for so long? And how have I not seen you around town?

Seems we have similar mods and tastes :)

I haven't had the same issues with the EMD springs btw. Mine have been perfect from day one, went to the track too and they were excellent.

PS: come to the thursday night meets (18:00-20:00) at sunrise, there's only a handful of caRs right now but its low key and we get to gawk at our cars like kids...I dont make it to most but once in a while i do.
 
#28 ·
That's weird, so you aren't running the spring spacers?
Could have been the off chance they weren't installed right the first time, and when I reinstalled them all is well now.

I think I saw you once going down Bleams towards Trussler road, I had a TT with a blown turbo in behind me (well not sure why else white smoke would be coming from his exhaust). I remember that day - plus the racing green sticks out.

Thursdays are generally the day I have meetings for volunteer work, so never get a chance to make it. I heard from a guy I work with that also has a R, and another member with a GTI that I helped install their dogbone mount.

These guys are great for getting parts in, I like doing my own work, but thought I would pass it on if you are buying new parts. I saw the guy that organizes the Thursday meet picking up engine oil from them when I got the EMD Suspension kit there. It's always great ordering parts and getting a phone call 30 minutes later : 'hey we have that in stock, drop by anytime to grab it'
https://www.parkautomotorsports.ca/
 
#30 ·
Summer is almost over, and I never had a chance to get some clean pictures of the car. I had some spare time for once last night, so spent some time at the coin wash and got things cleaned up. My neighborhood has been under constant construction (older houses, new infrastructure going in), so haven't been able to clean it nicely in my driveway without it getting dusty before I finish drying it...




 
#31 ·
Summer is almost over, and I never had a chance to get some clean pictures of the car. I had some spare time for once last night, so spent some time at the coin wash and got things cleaned up. My neighborhood has been under constant construction (older houses, new infrastructure going in), so haven't been able to clean it nicely in my driveway without it getting dusty before I finish drying it...

https://i.imgur.com/kcGK32f.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/E0fh3eu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bWca86O.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qVgLjwq.jpg

Car looks mint! And that is such a good spot for pics! I will sneak in there one weekend to do the same when the lot is empty.
 
#32 ·
One more post...
Was prepping for camping, and thought - why not use the R as a tent instead of bringing one?? It would keep the bugs out, solve the dispute of too many tents on the site. Would be perfect, IF it was 1 more foot longer....queen sized air mattress in the boot.
Another option would have been to inflate it while the hatch is closed, but then it wasn't going to be as practical. As well I was contemplating just sleeping bag, but it felt more comfortable sleeping on the ground

 
#34 ·
My one year review

So far I have been very happy with the car. I will say it is the most fun I have had in a car, and it's not the straight line performance, it's just a joy to drive.
Focus for mods has been mostly on that connection between shifter, clutch along with a few suspension parts and the JB4...but overall I feel like a downpipe and a few things here and there, and I won't be asking for more.

That said I have had a list of problems, and I am getting them covered under warranty.
1) right side of the steering wheels flicker on and off
2) driver side seat belt is making a weird clicking noise while driving
3) noise coming from the front right side as if something is loose - mind you it seems to have gotten worse visiting my wifes family in Montreal

Last week, after running into an issue with my EMD springs and winter tires, I decided to get a set of MSS adjustable sport springs /w street fronts. I love the way the car drives, but it's not without it's issues. Again the new noise I have in the suspension, I hope something is simply lose or a upper strut bearing or bushings that are causing the issue. I will likely get VW to take a look at it and see if they can pinpoint the issue. I do have the car at it's highest level for winter weather, so will be interesting to see how the car settles, especially in the summer time.

Still staying on track to clean-up the last of the suspension pieces then focus on clutch and going Stage II /w Haldex tune. Other then that I just find the perfect balance of fun, with a good heaping of performance and handling, while flying under the radar.
 
#35 ·
My one year review

So far I have been very happy with the car. I will say it is the most fun I have had in a car, and it's not the straight line performance, it's just a joy to drive.
Focus for mods has been mostly on that connection between shifter, clutch along with a few suspension parts and the JB4...but overall I feel like a downpipe and a few things here and there, and I won't be asking for more.

That said I have had a list of problems, and I am getting them covered under warranty.
1) right side of the steering wheels flicker on and off
2) driver side seat belt is making a weird clicking noise while driving
3) noise coming from the front right side as if something is loose - mind you it seems to have gotten worse visiting my wifes family in Montreal

Last week, after running into an issue with my EMD springs and winter tires, I decided to get a set of MSS adjustable sport springs /w street fronts. I love the way the car drives, but it's not without it's issues. Again the new noise I have in the suspension, I hope something is simply lose or a upper strut bearing or bushings that are causing the issue. I will likely get VW to take a look at it and see if they can pinpoint the issue. I do have the car at it's highest level for winter weather, so will be interesting to see how the car settles, especially in the summer time.

Still staying on track to clean-up the last of the suspension pieces then focus on clutch and going Stage II /w Haldex tune. Other then that I just find the perfect balance of fun, with a good heaping of performance and handling, while flying under the radar.
Can you describe the noise? I have a noise coming from the front passenger as well. It's sort of a clunk but only happens when I turn the wheel to the left and oddly sometimes when I just hit the brake. It doesn't happen all the time though. I have ECS's Heavy Duty Strut mount for about 18k since lowered so I'm not sure if that is the issue.
 
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