Cole2999
Autocross Champion
Build list:
- Mods that came with the car
- Unitronic Stage 2 tune
- SPM downpipe with track (catless) midpipe
Eibach lowering springs (spring rate unknown)- Dieselgeek Sigma 6
- Dieselgeek side-to-side cable end
- Euro cubby
- Yellow tinted fog light covers
Clear side markersECS poly dogbone insert(no longer installedSpec Stage 3+ 6-puck clutch plus 16lbs flywheel(no longer installed)
- Mods that I've installed
- 034Motorsports Street Density engine and trans mounts
- 034Motorsports billet spherical bushing dogbone mount
- CTS billet dogbone insert
APR solid shifter bracket- Dieselgeek super pin
ECS oil catch can- ECS drilled/slotted rotors, front only
- APR upgraded coils
- NGK Iridium plugs
deAutoLED low beams- deAutoLED multifunction fog lights
- deAutoLED interior lights
- Supernova 7.5 headlights (LHD conversion)
- LED side markers
- Hardwired radar detector (Escort IX)
ECS Stage 2 Clutch and 18lbs flywheel- Sony XAX-AV100 head unit
- ECS billet bleeder block
- Braided stainless clutch line
- CTS turbo blanket
- CTS turbo muffler delete
- K&N Typhoon intake
- ARM charge pipes
iABED billet RMS- 034 Motorsports RMS
- Spec 6-puck clutch
- Spec single-mass flywheel
- Turbosmart EM Kompact DualPort BOV/DV
- ECS rear sway bar with adjustable end links
- ST Suspension XA coilovers
- TT high density front strut mounts
- Titanium wheel bolts
- 18x8 Enkei TS9s
- 235/40 Michelin PS4S
- OBDeleven Pro
- VCDS tweaks, including XDS to value 2
- Mods waiting to be installed:
- Spoiler extension
- EBC RedStuff pads for rear
- ECS panzer plate
- Fire extinguisher bracket
- Dieselgeek FGG
I'm finally getting around to writing this. Only took me one blown motor 
I bought this car on April 3rd, 2019. It was actually my second choice to a 2010 Audi A5, but the A5 wouldn't be ready before my rental was up. When I test drove the GTI, it was hands down the fastest thing I've ever driven (I haven't driven many fast things - I test drove a C5 vette, but being inexperienced in RWD I didn't want to get on it too hard). I even said "Nah, this is just too fast for me." Mind you, this is a stock* GTI
*or so I thought
Well, I bought it. Got it to 138mph on the way home.
Few days later I'm going all through the car, and I notice the springs are aftermarket Eibachs, and the shifter (which I had suspected was aftermarket) was mated to a diesel-geek short-throw shifter. It was loud and under WOT on turns would pop, but I checked the exhaust and it was stock
Figured it just came that way from the factory. In fact, with this whole car, I was thoroughly impressed with how sporty, yet refined, it was from the factory. A rough ride because of those springs, but still nice. After warping the brakes doing speeds I shouldn't be, I bought front rotors better fit for cooling (ECS drilled and slotted one-piece).
I also carried over a bad habit from my Scion tC. There's a reason I've nicknamed my car "the Golf Cart," and well...
In the summer I have a tendency to pull off my doors. While I've never been pulled over for it, I've had cops pull up next to me and tell me to go put my doors on, and that it's illegal blah blah blah. Upon research, I'm allowed to remove the mirrors, however removing the structural supports from the door is illegal I've come up with a solution which you'll see later.
Fast forward two tickets, one taco truck, and one hit and run later, and it's mid-December and I need another upgrade. Originally I decide on some subframe locking collars and a downpipe, but after talking to some friends and hearing I would need a tune for the downpipe (I didn't know much about modifying cars, yet) I decided to cancel that and get a rear sway bar (my second choice). From the beginning I wanted to dial in the noise and the handling, the power was quite alright. Upon installing the locking collars, I notice "ECS" on the dogbone insert and "SPM" written along the downpipe mount
That's when I started realizing I had no idea what mods were on the car.
Not that it mattered much. Two weeks later, late December 28th, my car started knocking. December 29th it seized entirely. I only had two codes: "knock sensor" and "camshaft position."
After a hearty 30 minutes of sobbing in my car, I had it towed home to formulate my gameplan, because I still owed nearly 12k on it.
I - foolishly - decided to buy a parts car. This is an entire adventure itself, and a very costly one. But mid-January, I had a second GTI in my driveway, this one a 2011 DSG. I got the exact same color and doors because I wanted to pull body panels to replace on my first one.
Here's the thing: tearing into my engine only made me find more mods. Not only was it an SPM downpipe - what I'd failed to notice before was the catalytic converter - or, rather, lack thereof. And mated to the engine was a Spec stage 3+ clutch and lightweight flywheel.
I replaced the RMS on the new engine with an iABED billet RMS, the clutch and flywheel (both were warped) with an ECS lightweight stage 2 kit, and put on a billet bleeder block with a braided clutch line.
New engine goes in, with some new 034Motorsport Street Density engine and trans mounts, gets hooked up, and after replacing the starter... We have life. 60 days after it died.
Now, it's worth mentioning that the extent of my real world mechanic experience is replacing a CV axle on my old Scion tC and a couple oil changes. This swap just really wasn't that hard; the hardest part was having the proper tools.
While diagnosing a boost leak from the engine install, I decided to scratch that boy-racer itch and installed a Turbosmart Kompact DP BOV. I also took my two damaged doors and made... well, I made this. I'll definitely be polishing them up and painting them
And here we are today. Since its rebirth I've done more thorough testing and found it to be running305ish lbs-ft of torque at the crank, and 240ish hp at the wheels (numbers are based on Torque Pro in 4th gear pulls, no way I was doing a 5th gear pull on the street. Also I know one number is crank and one is wheel, unfortunately those were my only options). I've wrapped the roof black and installed a K&N Typhoon intake, an ECS oil catch can, deAutoLED headlights and color-switching fog lights, a tow-hook mount kit, and soon, custom polyethylene mudflaps and R8 coils.
It truly feels like I've owned this car for years and it's barely been one. Without a doubt, this car is truly a part of me, cheesy as it sounds
I'm going to go into a lot of my ownership on my YouTube channel in the coming weeks. I'm going on a 10k mile road trip around the US, from Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon to the PCH, up through old Idaho highways, down to the Bonneville Salt Flats and Pikes Peak (my all-time driving dream), through Glacier National Park (if it reopens in time
) and to the Tunnel of Trees. And these are only half the places. I'm calling it the Ultimate Driver's Road Trip, and I'm attempting to hit (nearly) every single driver's road in the US. I have a follow-drone and GoPro for some epic driving and scenic shots, and I'm camping in my hammock and sleeping in my car for the whole trip (might stay at a hotel once or twice for a shower). I'm going to have to sort out uploads, but I'll figure it out.
It's been a hell of a year and I can't wait for more ❤
I bought this car on April 3rd, 2019. It was actually my second choice to a 2010 Audi A5, but the A5 wouldn't be ready before my rental was up. When I test drove the GTI, it was hands down the fastest thing I've ever driven (I haven't driven many fast things - I test drove a C5 vette, but being inexperienced in RWD I didn't want to get on it too hard). I even said "Nah, this is just too fast for me." Mind you, this is a stock* GTI
*or so I thought
Well, I bought it. Got it to 138mph on the way home.
Few days later I'm going all through the car, and I notice the springs are aftermarket Eibachs, and the shifter (which I had suspected was aftermarket) was mated to a diesel-geek short-throw shifter. It was loud and under WOT on turns would pop, but I checked the exhaust and it was stock
Figured it just came that way from the factory. In fact, with this whole car, I was thoroughly impressed with how sporty, yet refined, it was from the factory. A rough ride because of those springs, but still nice. After warping the brakes doing speeds I shouldn't be, I bought front rotors better fit for cooling (ECS drilled and slotted one-piece).I also carried over a bad habit from my Scion tC. There's a reason I've nicknamed my car "the Golf Cart," and well...
In the summer I have a tendency to pull off my doors. While I've never been pulled over for it, I've had cops pull up next to me and tell me to go put my doors on, and that it's illegal blah blah blah. Upon research, I'm allowed to remove the mirrors, however removing the structural supports from the door is illegal
I've come up with a solution which you'll see later.Fast forward two tickets, one taco truck, and one hit and run later, and it's mid-December and I need another upgrade. Originally I decide on some subframe locking collars and a downpipe, but after talking to some friends and hearing I would need a tune for the downpipe (I didn't know much about modifying cars, yet) I decided to cancel that and get a rear sway bar (my second choice). From the beginning I wanted to dial in the noise and the handling, the power was quite alright. Upon installing the locking collars, I notice "ECS" on the dogbone insert and "SPM" written along the downpipe mount
That's when I started realizing I had no idea what mods were on the car.Not that it mattered much. Two weeks later, late December 28th, my car started knocking. December 29th it seized entirely. I only had two codes: "knock sensor" and "camshaft position."
After a hearty 30 minutes of sobbing in my car, I had it towed home to formulate my gameplan, because I still owed nearly 12k on it.
I - foolishly - decided to buy a parts car. This is an entire adventure itself, and a very costly one. But mid-January, I had a second GTI in my driveway, this one a 2011 DSG. I got the exact same color and doors because I wanted to pull body panels to replace on my first one.
Here's the thing: tearing into my engine only made me find more mods. Not only was it an SPM downpipe - what I'd failed to notice before was the catalytic converter - or, rather, lack thereof. And mated to the engine was a Spec stage 3+ clutch and lightweight flywheel.
I replaced the RMS on the new engine with an iABED billet RMS, the clutch and flywheel (both were warped) with an ECS lightweight stage 2 kit, and put on a billet bleeder block with a braided clutch line.
New engine goes in, with some new 034Motorsport Street Density engine and trans mounts, gets hooked up, and after replacing the starter... We have life. 60 days after it died.
Now, it's worth mentioning that the extent of my real world mechanic experience is replacing a CV axle on my old Scion tC and a couple oil changes. This swap just really wasn't that hard; the hardest part was having the proper tools.
While diagnosing a boost leak from the engine install, I decided to scratch that boy-racer itch and installed a Turbosmart Kompact DP BOV. I also took my two damaged doors and made... well, I made this. I'll definitely be polishing them up and painting them
And here we are today. Since its rebirth I've done more thorough testing and found it to be running
It truly feels like I've owned this car for years and it's barely been one. Without a doubt, this car is truly a part of me, cheesy as it sounds
I'm going to go into a lot of my ownership on my YouTube channel in the coming weeks. I'm going on a 10k mile road trip around the US, from Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon to the PCH, up through old Idaho highways, down to the Bonneville Salt Flats and Pikes Peak (my all-time driving dream), through Glacier National Park (if it reopens in time
) and to the Tunnel of Trees. And these are only half the places. I'm calling it the Ultimate Driver's Road Trip, and I'm attempting to hit (nearly) every single driver's road in the US. I have a follow-drone and GoPro for some epic driving and scenic shots, and I'm camping in my hammock and sleeping in my car for the whole trip (might stay at a hotel once or twice for a shower). I'm going to have to sort out uploads, but I'll figure it out.It's been a hell of a year and I can't wait for more ❤
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