I'm a car geek and always looking to fix up my rides but on a budget. I could never find the info I needed so I decided to Blog then later do YouTube videos.
Being a father of 3 I have to be mindful with the toys I want and the toys my kids want.
Join me for information about my stuff and thoughts about making them nicer. I've introduced my kids when I can as my helpers.
www.youtube.com/RobDaman
Instagram: @_robdaman
I'm going to be testing a piggy back tuner called TuningBox on my R soon. It'll be dynoed on the same dyno as the JB1 I have. I'm curious on my butt dyno results and overall driveability. Stay "tuned" pun intended. So far it appears that the TuningBox is a multi-platform type of item meaning it can fit several cars depending on the configuration. There are 3 specific plugs for the piggyback which reminds me of the Neuspeed product.
So as you know I'm the original owner of my Golf R.
I wanted to change the cornering lights from the yellow shade to white to match the HIDs from the headlights. Well I bought a cheap pair (under $2 on ebay) and one was bad. I looked how it lit up and then I discovered the fingerprints! I wore rubber gloves but in order to put your paws in that reflector there are only 2 ways:
When assembling the housing or if for some reason you decide to stick a finger in the bulb opening for whatever nonsensical reason.
I wore gloves by the way so even if I had some weird thought to "finger" my headlight it wouldn't do that.
Well crap! I thought it as my imagination that it was also pointing too high until I tested it tonight in a dark business park! Horrible QA on the lights. If it wasn't the manufacturer who did this then why would the dealership do it? Makes no sense but at the same time explains how the fingerprints got there like they tried to do something with that corner light. I know that the headlight points a little higher on the left as well.
This morning we did a meet up /dyno day where 6 out of 7 MK7s were GTIs and myself the lonely R. As you may know I'm using the Burger Tuning JB1 "stage 1" piggy back and an APR intake. No other power mods.
The rest of the crew were all stage 2 versions of Revo, Eurodyne, Apr and Giac.
I did a respectable 309hp and 339 lbs tq at the front wheels. It was run like this because unless you have a roller type of dyno and the right settings, it won't run right. I think I like 2 wheel drive mode only since it's a head to head with the little brother GTI.
All in all for $400 and getting 45hp, it's not a bad mod. I'm planning on tweaking it with Map 6 to get better boosting.
I picked up some 18x8 OZ Ultraleggera in 18x8 +45 wheels the other day. It was used set and the I got them for a really good price. Buying wheel can be risky. You really have to check for bends and cracks. If they have them they will be a safety issue or cannot ever be balanced right having shakes and shimmies while driving.
There was some curbage but I sanded them down and used an old can of gunmetal spraypaint. it wasn't perfect but you wouldn't be able to tell unless you really look at it.
Picked up a PedalBox throttle booster and installed it.
It wasn't too hard disconnecting the harness and connecting the unit but I cheated and read someone's post with pics. If you don't install it securely you'll get Christmas lights in your dash and it'll run like crap.
It looks exactly like the Remus Responder down to the shape and lights. I'm going to say one is a relabel.
I think overall the pro is if you don't want an ecu tune and no warranty hassles this is a nice feature.
Don't put it in sport plus in bumper to bumper traffic. You will probably plow into another car or wall like you see on TV.
And don't leave it on for anybody borrowing your car. Seriously here.
I hate drilled holes in bumpers so I made sure that the dealer didn't touch it.
I got a good deal on a cravenspeed plate holder from a forum member and it was new in box.
Installation was simple and looks to be a quality piece. the only thing is it would look better towards the center a little more but check out my video for my explanation.
I purchased a Ross-Tech micro-can cable to do VCDS updates or VW coding.
I did the coding for remote windows open and close and reverse mirror drop.
It's not to difficult but you need to be patient and do each step EXACTLY as stated. If not you can do something bad and brick your module which only the dealer can restore.
I picked up this second hand from another R owner because he had what they called the "mystery part".
Anyhow the point of this insert is to firm up things such as shifts. Here's what their site says:
The 034Motorsport Billet Aluminum MQB Dogbone Mount Insert for MkVII Volkswagen Golf/GTI/R & 8V Audi A3/S3 is designed to fill the large void in the factory dogbone mount, and limit drivetrain movement without sacrificing ride quality or introducing excessive additional noise, vibration, or harshness into the cabin.
By filling the void in the factory mount, this insert eliminates the associated slop to ensure that you experience crisper shifts and a smoother driving experience. Unlike polyurethane insert options on the market, this billet aluminum part will not pack and wear over time, and guarantees long-lasting performance.
So installation was a breeze because I had my trusty Milwaukee impact gun. I've learned over the years that proper tools make the difference.
Anyways so far I'm getting vibration at idle. Other Golf owners stated there was either some to none but as you can see from 034's site it says it won't bring "excessive" nvh.
So after starting the car in the morning and having a cold start then driving warmed up I would say it's a nice mod but you will have vibration at idle and some during the lower rpms. The upside is there is a nice crispness with shifting and things are tighter. If you are modding your car with suspension mods, noisier but stickier tires, louder exhaust, intake, downpipe, etc... I think you'll like it. If you just want simple mods and a stockish car I say you may want to pass. However since it's $50 and you can sell it for $35 shipped any day if you don't like it...give it a try.
I told myself to reduce my modding addiction but dammit, these deals are too good to pass!
I decided to pick up a used APR intake for a really good deal. I'm honestly not a CF guy but since I ended up with a cf lip I'll just suck it up.
It did have a few nicks on it but nothing to complain about and my car isn't for show so I'm fine with it.
Installing the intake took about 15 minutes maybe more because I was just taking my sweet time.
CF goodness
One thing I read about and just noticed too is that you can't rev the R like other cars. It stops below 4000 rpm. I guess that's a good thing for some people...including me.
video is just a quick run showing the sound of the intake. It seems to spool up faster. At least that's what my butt dyno tells me.
Yes I shaved her....the side fender badges that is!
I felt that since they weren't functional in any way I'd just pull them off. It was a 95+ degree day so it wasn't too much effort yanking the side where the sun was toasting on the emblem. I didn't have any Goo Gone with me so I had to make do with what I had which was a microfiber cloth and wd40.
The cooler side took a lot more elbow grease but I cleaned all the adhesive off. Used some polish to remove the light scratches from the mf towel and looks great! No regrets.
