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Author Topic: Standing at the top of the rabbit hole...  (Read 5632 times)

Offline KJNGTi

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Standing at the top of the rabbit hole...
« on: March 08, 2019, 10:01:23 am »
I have a 2005 GTi and am looking at building a pot to carry out a few mods and need some help in the following areas. The car will only be used on the road.

1. Going faster and stopping better
Thinking doing a stage 1 remap only, what are the recommended upgrades needed here. Are brakes really needed at this level or are std more than capabale on normal road conditions. With remap is there anything else recommended doing here such as leads, filters etc.

2. Suspension
Want to go for a more settled ride, thinking buying a compete kit for shocks and springs. What brands are a good choice here for road use? Equally what about bushes etc are there any recommendations.

3. Wheels and tyres
I have 17’s monzas that have been diamond cut they look good but 18’s look better so am budgeting for an eBay set of £800

4. Stereo
I have RCD300 and nothing else, am looking at a new double din unit which is probably DMX7017 from kenwood and running a USB port near the gear stick. This will be around £400

5. Tidying up
So she needs some new boot struts £40, new rear VW badge £20 and that’s about it

So far it’s £1260... and before I go down the rabbit hole I wanted to get your thoughts on point 1 and 2 to determine an approx cost... any help appreciated

Offline colesey

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Re: Standing at the top of the rabbit hole...
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2019, 10:18:15 am »
Stage 1 is software only, no hardware changes are needed.  Better front pads are useful and I can highly recommend the Endless MX72 which can be bought much cheaper from Nengun in Japan. Check out this thread for ideas www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167216

For the suspension, the Racingline kit is pretty decent for road use at the price but maybe also consider the Relentless coilovers for more adjustability, along with a more aggressive geo.

Save your money on wheels I would say but get decent tyres like PS4.

Offline KJNGTi

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Re: Standing at the top of the rabbit hole...
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2019, 10:28:38 am »
Ok the race line kit is £500 so am guessing another £300 for fitting and realignment

Tyres currently fitted at Dunlop RT Sport Max, are the PS4 that much better?


Offline bobby_fodge

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Re: Standing at the top of the rabbit hole...
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2019, 10:53:11 am »
Ok the race line kit is £500 so am guessing another £300 for fitting and realignment

Tyres currently fitted at Dunlop RT Sport Max, are the PS4 that much better?

Never had those Dunlops but the PS4 tyres are super good.

I've currently got standard calipers with Ferodo ds250 pads, new brake fluid and stainless brake lines and I still find the brakes lacking. My car is currently not mapped but will be soon.

I've got some 4 pot Porsche calipers i'm refurbing in the hope the braking will be much improved.

Offline AJP

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Re: Standing at the top of the rabbit hole...
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2019, 06:18:58 pm »
Maybe see how you find the standard brakes after the remap. More power doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need better brakes if you’re a decent driver! If you do want an upgrade in the future the 8v S3 / mk7 R setup works well. Bigger piston, bigger disc, and not so big that you’d have to mess around with wheel spacers to clear your wheels. They should even fit behind your 17s.

As for wheels, be careful not to end up with a set of 18s that weigh significantly more than your 17s. Any improvements from your power/braking/suspension upgrades could potentially be ruined by adding a load of unsprung weight and rolling mass. Arguably sticking with your OEM 17s would be your best bang for buck decision, but look into the well made lightweight options for 18s like BBS, Oz, etc. If you must get 18s, don’t end up with heavy replicas. Obviously OEM Monza 18s are a sound option. Just make sure they’re real!

PS4 really are an excellent tyre. Definitely worth the money and just like fitting light wheels, good tyres will allow you to reap the full rewards of your overall mods. More engine power is useless if you’re forever spinning up on boost, better suspension is useless if your tyres can’t cope with the extra lateral force in a corner, and more stopping power is useless if the tyres just lock up. You get the picture.