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Jason's OEM+ GTI Journal

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
Thought it was time to create a journal thread and keep some record of the changes I'm making to my GTI. This is my 3rd GTI, so figured I would add a couple pics of my past v-dubs here too.

1996 GTI 8v


2002 GTI VR6



Here's the progression of my 2010 GTI over the past couple of years:

Feb 2011



Oct 2011



Mar 2012



Oct 2012



Dec 2012



Mar 2013


Oct 2013


Current Setup:

Wheels , Tires, Suspension & Brakes
OEM Porsche Twist Hollow Spoke Wheels 18x7.5 et50
15mm H&R Adapters
Hankook Ventus V12 - 225/40
Koni Coilovers - current setup (FTG - 24.25 front, 24.25 rear)
StopTech Street Performance Brake Pads

Engine/Drivetrain
Euro Sport Catback Exhaust
Audi S3 Short Shifter

Interior
OEM Rear Sunshade
Sunshield Front Sunshade - Link
TDI Shift Knob

Exterior
Black Grill Strips
OEM Roof Rack
Whispbar Roof Rack
Here’s a link to my comparison/review of both roof racks.

Lighting
DEPO LED Tinted Tails w/fog
Euro Switch with Rear Fog and City Light Wiring
Clear Side Markers
Amber City Lights
Hoen H8 Pure White Fogs
Pure White Interior Lighting
 
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Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
Whispbar Roof Rack

Before I even purchased the car back in Feb of 2010, I dug up some pics of these roof racks on VW's down in Australia and New Zealand. Nobody had them for a Mk6, but since the OEM rack had the same fitment between Mk5 and Mk6, I decided to pull the trigger and give it a shot. Rack Attack had them shipped from New Zealand with the Mk5 fit kit. Fit perfectly.

 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
Blacked out Grill Strips

The red strips just seemed to stick out to me against the Candy White. I like them better on Tornado Red or Black, but I decided to black them out on my car using black pinstripe tape from Pep Boys. It worked great and I've only had to reapply it once after it was applied for about a year. I guess the high pressure car washes finally started to make it crack on the edges, but I had plenty of tape leftover, and only took about 15 minutes to reapply.



 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
10mm Rear Spacers

I got these at the same time I got a new camera, so decided to finally take some legit photos of my car.





Good angle on the rear spacer in this one:




I love this shot:
 
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Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
Tint Installed

I went with 50% Huper Optik. It does a nice job with heat rejection, but in hindsight I would've gone with an even lighter film, like either a 70%, or possibly even the light blue film used on Mercedes...who knows, maybe I will redo it at some point in the future too.



 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
Driver Gear Springs

These were a tremendous upgrade. They actually dropped more than I expected, and the ride on them is excellent even with stock shocks. I went from 26" FTG at all 4 corners to 25.5" FTG in the rear, and 25.25" FTG in the front.

Unfortunately, about a month after install my car started making some popping noises while turning the wheel from side to side when the car is stopped (or rolling very slowly). Unfortunately other have had (or are having) the same issue and cannot figure out a fix. It's minor enough that it doesn't bother me enough to swap them out, especially considering how they ride along with the performance benefit. I will probably swap them out for a more aggressive spring when I decide to replace the shocks.



 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
Picked up an OEM Roof Rack

I liked the the Whispbar was so quiet, but it just didn't feel quite as sturdy as the OEM rack. The Whispbar is great for light duty stuff like transporting surfboards, but the OEM design definitely inspires a lot more confidence if you ever have to transport anything heavy.

I wrote up a long review comparing the differences between them here:
http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20958



 
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Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
TDI Shift Knob Installed

As something that you have to interact with the whole time you drive the car, this is strangely one of my favorite changes I've made to the car. When I was at the dealer for an oil change I checked out some of the new cars on the lot, and really thought that the TDI shift knob was much more comfortable. It's a little larger so it fills the palm of the hand more, and it actually sits a bit lower than the GTI shift knob, which is nice.

I happened to have an extra Golf Ball shift knob laying around, and was able to trade it with someone here on the forum for their TDI knob. I actually don't miss the red stitching either.

Before:


After:
 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
OEM Rear Sunshade Installed

I found that the tint on my rear window sort of refracted the light in a strange way at night where the defroster lines are (could be my astigmatism too). I found that the OEM sunshade does a better job of diffusing the light from cars behind me at night, but it actually is a little distracting since you don't have 100% clarity because of the mesh material. At least this pops in and out quite easily. We will see if I hang onto it.



 

Stocktastic1

Go Kart Champion
I'm a fan.

Any vibrations with those spacers?
 

OneHotHatch

Ready to race!
did you need longer studs with these spacers...a before and after shot would have been cool, im thinking about grabbing some for mine with the 17" stock wheels... will help considerably
 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
I'm a fan.

Any vibrations with those spacers?

Thanks!

No vibrations at all. They're the ECS 10.5mm hubcentric spacers. They fit snug! In fact, they're so snug they can be a pain to remove. When I rotate the tires I usually have to pop off the VW centercap and tap the spacers out from the front side of the wheel.
 

Jason3D

Go Kart Champion
did you need longer studs with these spacers...a before and after shot would have been cool, im thinking about grabbing some for mine with the 17" stock wheels... will help considerably

Sorry I don't have any closeup before and after pics. You should be able to find some here on the forum pretty easily though. I thought they made a big difference cosmetically, even before I installed springs.

Yes, you do need to buy longer bolts. I think ECS sells them as a kit with the spacers. Once I get the CO's I may be putting the spacers up in the classifieds.
 
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