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lilfleck - The Rebuild - Focus: Function
- Thread starter lilfleck
- Start date
newcarsmell
Go Kart Champion
Damn, i just went through your whole build thread haha.
First off, i love your car wash process and how you removed the swirls. I really need to look into that for my car. I have polish, but no electric polisher nor experience with polishing so I haven't used it yet despite owning it for a year.
Second, I can't believe that windshield company messed up your car so badly. It really sucks hard when the person repairing your vehicle causes MORE DAMAGE. That situation is so fucked up
Finally, i think you should totally go k04 if you have the opportunity. I've reaalllly wanted to do it, but literally EVERY MONTH this year, some unfortunate event happens that sets me back several hundred dollars. This year i've lost a new iphone, got a lane change ticket, involved in a car accident, broke a sway bar, damaged a brake caliper and needs replacement, messed up my ed35 front lip, among other things.
I hope your year gets better as the months go by. How big is the difference between stage 2 and k04? immense? I really want to go k04, but i still need to buy the supporting mods like front mount intercooler and new Turbo outlet pipe before i get the turbo...
First off, i love your car wash process and how you removed the swirls. I really need to look into that for my car. I have polish, but no electric polisher nor experience with polishing so I haven't used it yet despite owning it for a year.
Second, I can't believe that windshield company messed up your car so badly. It really sucks hard when the person repairing your vehicle causes MORE DAMAGE. That situation is so fucked up
Finally, i think you should totally go k04 if you have the opportunity. I've reaalllly wanted to do it, but literally EVERY MONTH this year, some unfortunate event happens that sets me back several hundred dollars. This year i've lost a new iphone, got a lane change ticket, involved in a car accident, broke a sway bar, damaged a brake caliper and needs replacement, messed up my ed35 front lip, among other things.
I hope your year gets better as the months go by. How big is the difference between stage 2 and k04? immense? I really want to go k04, but i still need to buy the supporting mods like front mount intercooler and new Turbo outlet pipe before i get the turbo...
@1 - thank you. it is a huge time commitment to maintain and detail your car, but I enjoy it (most times, haha). I would definitely say when you are ready, invest in a Griots polisher. It has a lifetime warranty. They go on sale sometimes for $80, which is a steal. They are very powerful machines (which is good for correction) and its difficult to make mistakes (good for newbies). You can practice good car care with simple car washes. I would read up on detailedimage.com as they have a great blog section on proper technique from washing to multi-step paint correction.Damn, i just went through your whole build thread haha.
First off, i love your car wash process and how you removed the swirls. I really need to look into that for my car. I have polish, but no electric polisher nor experience with polishing so I haven't used it yet despite owning it for a year.
Second, I can't believe that windshield company messed up your car so badly. It really sucks hard when the person repairing your vehicle causes MORE DAMAGE. That situation is so fucked up
Finally, i think you should totally go k04 if you have the opportunity. I've reaalllly wanted to do it, but literally EVERY MONTH this year, some unfortunate event happens that sets me back several hundred dollars. This year i've lost a new iphone, got a lane change ticket, involved in a car accident, broke a sway bar, damaged a brake caliper and needs replacement, messed up my ed35 front lip, among other things.
I hope your year gets better as the months go by. How big is the difference between stage 2 and k04? immense? I really want to go k04, but i still need to buy the supporting mods like front mount intercooler and new Turbo outlet pipe before i get the turbo...
@2 - yeah, I may have to bring them to small claims court. I haven't heard ANYTHING from them. Very upset about the whole ordeal.
@3 - that sucks man. don't go in over your head if you can't, it's not worth it if you have no money for emergencies. even with all my mods, I always look for the best deal and try to rationalize if I can swing it or not. Most people COULD afford just about any mod they want, but they evaluate, "should I spend $3000 on a K04 kit?"
I may go K04 in the future, but for now, I'm enjoying each stage slowly. I know what K04 is capable of and I'm very happy with the power at the moment. DSG helps a lot too. It zips around effortlessly and loses 0 boost between shifts. Used K04's are listed every now and then, I would definitely hop on one of those as long as its in good working condition. $500 for software, maybe around $100 for hardware/fluids (coolant/oil/nuts/bolts/gaskets).
@4 - top end power is definitely a huge difference. low end power is not big at all. in fact, I prefer the low end umph from the IHI turbo. I am loving how this car zips around town. It spools up almost instantly and provides great power down low where I use it most. on the highway, I do miss the K04. It is such a rush to know you have so much power on tap when on the highway. In the winter, I was able to blow the tires off with EASE at 50mph in 3rd. I mean, first gear type shredding. Just to show how much power its got on tap. First and second were definitely useless. Third was a hoot. All of this in the winter since thats when I had used it the most. Stage 2 is quick man. It's great power. But everyone ALWAYS wants more... K04 is just a great bang for the buck mod. They changed the software a lot recently and it puts up power above 4k. I'm not sure how I feel about that... that's big turbo range. I know why they did it, but I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I was in my buddy's K04 DSG car after he got the tune and I had a HUGE smile on my face and giggles during each pull. So it is fantastic... but it's totally not that usable down load around town. It's a rush of power best served for a big straight where you can rip it to at least 80. Although, I NEVER got tired of third gear WOT pulls. /ramble
Enjoy your car. Mod what you can afford. Always consider, "is it worth it?"
Did an oil and dsg change yesterday. Everything went pretty smooth. I found out that the screw on my intake (fastened to the heat shield) was missing and as a result filed some aluminum off the intake. I'm not too happy about that. I found another screw that a buddy had and used that with some blue loctite. Hopefully it stays.
Oil change went fine. It was amazing to see how much oil it drank. I put in like 4.3qts, measured, it was full, I was like, oh perfect. I started the motor, ran it for a little and then checked the oil again, it was at the lowest point! Makes sense since there is likely oil going into the turbo, motor, and filter, but still, shouldn't have been that low.
DSG change went fine as well. Pretty easy but took forever to fill. Such a pain to sit there and tend to the funnel. When I was draining off the excess (top fill method), a lot more oil was coming out than I had anticipated. Like there was overflow, then a really tiny stream of oil (not drips, but just more than drips). I capped it off though since I was on a slight incline on one side due to the jack.
Car runs alright, I think MPG's increased. I could be crazy. Time will tell on the next few fill ups. Up next is a fuel filter swap, cabin filter, and possibly spark plugs (from the K04 car).
Oil change went fine. It was amazing to see how much oil it drank. I put in like 4.3qts, measured, it was full, I was like, oh perfect. I started the motor, ran it for a little and then checked the oil again, it was at the lowest point! Makes sense since there is likely oil going into the turbo, motor, and filter, but still, shouldn't have been that low.
DSG change went fine as well. Pretty easy but took forever to fill. Such a pain to sit there and tend to the funnel. When I was draining off the excess (top fill method), a lot more oil was coming out than I had anticipated. Like there was overflow, then a really tiny stream of oil (not drips, but just more than drips). I capped it off though since I was on a slight incline on one side due to the jack.
Car runs alright, I think MPG's increased. I could be crazy. Time will tell on the next few fill ups. Up next is a fuel filter swap, cabin filter, and possibly spark plugs (from the K04 car).
Haven't posted up in a while...
I finally got my money back from the windshield people... still haven't addressed the fender yet. I am piecing together parts for a suspension upgrade. Looking at a lightened wheel for summer as well.
Took some vids of my DSG Tune...
All of these videos are from my commute home. Didn't really get on it too much as there wasn't much room for it. But daily driving is where you'll notice the tune the most, not WOT.
D mode:
Note: Notice how when it makes the gear change, the RPMs drop an extra ~100rpm to its final place before increasing? APR mentioned changing the way they rev match, just wondering if this is something that will get fixed in an update.
S mode:
Longer vid with a mix of D & S modes:
D/M Modes, moderate quick takeoff:
Note: Not sure what that rattle is at 45s in. I only noticed it on video. Weird.
D Mode, another moderate quick takeoff:
I finally got my money back from the windshield people... still haven't addressed the fender yet. I am piecing together parts for a suspension upgrade. Looking at a lightened wheel for summer as well.
Took some vids of my DSG Tune...
All of these videos are from my commute home. Didn't really get on it too much as there wasn't much room for it. But daily driving is where you'll notice the tune the most, not WOT.
D mode:
Note: Notice how when it makes the gear change, the RPMs drop an extra ~100rpm to its final place before increasing? APR mentioned changing the way they rev match, just wondering if this is something that will get fixed in an update.
S mode:
Longer vid with a mix of D & S modes:
D/M Modes, moderate quick takeoff:
Note: Not sure what that rattle is at 45s in. I only noticed it on video. Weird.
D Mode, another moderate quick takeoff:
Just installed my DG Springs yesterday. A few bolts were a big pain in the ass. I have a good amount of corrosion on the suspension bits:
Heat, PB Blaster, torche, all were friends yesterday.
Outcome is good though, car looks lower today. Will post more pics when I get a chance!!
Lots of thanks to WetMoney for the extra set of hands. It really helped.
Mini Review - Initial Impressions
Ride Comfort: feels identical to stock to me... I know many have said it is firmer, so I'll be looking for that in the future. I've had it for less than 24 hrs but have driven about 2 hours on the setup so far. I'm liking the butt comfort, that was a big priority to me... performance w/o sacrificing ride comfort.
Handling: car definitely feels more solid around turns and steering in general. Steering response improved. Tires seem to stick better. Less body roll. Less weight transfer, front-to-back. I'm liking it a lot.
Looks: car is still settling, but it looks very good. Since I opted for DG DSG Springs (on a DSG car), the front appears a little higher due to the fender cut, but I'm liking it. Not going for the slammed look this time around.
Before:
Ride Comfort - 7.5/10
Handling - 7/10
Looks -6.5/10
After:
Ride Comfort - 7.5/10 (still testing this)
Handling - 8/10 (sway bar is next)
Looks -8/10 (nice subtle improvement)
Heat, PB Blaster, torche, all were friends yesterday.
Outcome is good though, car looks lower today. Will post more pics when I get a chance!!
Lots of thanks to WetMoney for the extra set of hands. It really helped.
Mini Review - Initial Impressions
Ride Comfort: feels identical to stock to me... I know many have said it is firmer, so I'll be looking for that in the future. I've had it for less than 24 hrs but have driven about 2 hours on the setup so far. I'm liking the butt comfort, that was a big priority to me... performance w/o sacrificing ride comfort.
Handling: car definitely feels more solid around turns and steering in general. Steering response improved. Tires seem to stick better. Less body roll. Less weight transfer, front-to-back. I'm liking it a lot.
Looks: car is still settling, but it looks very good. Since I opted for DG DSG Springs (on a DSG car), the front appears a little higher due to the fender cut, but I'm liking it. Not going for the slammed look this time around.
Before:
Ride Comfort - 7.5/10
Handling - 7/10
Looks -6.5/10
After:
Ride Comfort - 7.5/10 (still testing this)
Handling - 8/10 (sway bar is next)
Looks -8/10 (nice subtle improvement)
Um... a long time haha. Like 6 hours. I had two issues:
1) stripped both ends of the passenger side end link - had this not happened, it would have been done in like 2-3 hrs. to get the end links out, I tried hammering in an allen, a flathead, both helped, but didn't do the job. Then I tried a small pair of vice grips to grab what I could on the bolt and that did the trick. Also heated the crap out of it and added pb blaster.
2) dropped a nut and it fell into the rotor. Had a fun time trying to fish it out around the heatshield.
Also installed my front lip!! Woohooo!
1) stripped both ends of the passenger side end link - had this not happened, it would have been done in like 2-3 hrs. to get the end links out, I tried hammering in an allen, a flathead, both helped, but didn't do the job. Then I tried a small pair of vice grips to grab what I could on the bolt and that did the trick. Also heated the crap out of it and added pb blaster.
2) dropped a nut and it fell into the rotor. Had a fun time trying to fish it out around the heatshield.
Also installed my front lip!! Woohooo!
Aphix
Go Kart Champion
Cheers on the new DG springs, looks like the new car is coming along. I love the CW color, wish I picked that or UG. :thumbsup:
I remember reading the story of your first car and the accident awhile back, that was one of the first stories I read on here when I joined. Awesome you bounced back.
You made a good point about considering each mod before pulling the trigger. For me, first time modding, Im learning that with each upgrade, you may need supporting mods to balance things out.
I recently pulled the trigger on SuperPro ALK and RCA and though barely had a chance to use, I think this was a good choice for the 40miles I was able to drive it.
Cheers
I remember reading the story of your first car and the accident awhile back, that was one of the first stories I read on here when I joined. Awesome you bounced back.
You made a good point about considering each mod before pulling the trigger. For me, first time modding, Im learning that with each upgrade, you may need supporting mods to balance things out.
I recently pulled the trigger on SuperPro ALK and RCA and though barely had a chance to use, I think this was a good choice for the 40miles I was able to drive it.
Cheers
jnj2455
Ready to race!
DUDE! I totally thought about your car this morning. I didn't recall that it was you specifically but as I was driving down 287 towards the parkway this morning, I came across what looked like a 2 foot long thick steel pipe with three fat flanges on it sitting in the middle of the highway.
Clearly it fell off someone's truck or something but man I thought about how catastrophic that would've been to run over. I hope no one did... :yikes:
Good to see your rebuild thread so far.
Clearly it fell off someone's truck or something but man I thought about how catastrophic that would've been to run over. I hope no one did... :yikes:
Good to see your rebuild thread so far.
Thank you. I remember reading a few posts since I've been a member on this forum from various people stating how they wished they would have kept things simple. They've realized, the more you add, the more you mod because you're trying to get that perfect balance you had at stock.
Ugh, it pains me to think of more people running over that thing. It shouldn't be often that it happens. Just terrible. My insurance rates went up even though they deemed me not at fault. Some insurance system we have...