My GTI, Rocco

[Cole2999]

Which Turbo blanket

CTS. It was impulsive, didn't do any research on it. I don't think I'd want to spend the 170 on ptp. It's not like I'm tracking the car regularly, I just want to cool down the intake temps a lil since I don't yet have an intercooler.

 

[uglybastard]

I have a ptp k04 one I'm not gonna use

 

[Cole2999]

I have a ptp k04 one I'm not gonna use

Oh shit just checked and it seems they're the same fit, which I guess makes sense. In your DMs

 

[Cole2999]

Just spent another $150 on hardware fuck stretch bolts this shit is a scam. I've gotta be near $600 just on replacement bolts and bits

 

[Cole2999]

Every time I see my car I get sad

But mechanic said it's gonna get rolled into the shop this weekend and work should begin next week so
They still have no idea what to do about the selector shaft though

 

[Cole2999]

Ordered the final pieces for getting my car back on the road, a MAP sensor and lower left intercooler hose. It's getting aligned and a bolt check this week, and as soon as those throttle pipe parts come in it'll get inspected and come home.

Still gotta figure out whether my bumper is any good or not. I was storing it improperly the first 5-7 months and now it's kinked in the middle. I've tried heating it up but I just don't have a good method of holding it in place. I'm hoping it will mould itself back into place when I do this with it attached to the car.

Also, trying to plan a trip around the Northeast US area to break in my clutch and shakedown the car, maybe 700 miles. I'm considering going down Blue Ridge Parkway to Tail Of The Dragon. I was originally planning on just doing a weekend trip, but now I'm considering taking a few extra days off for an extended road trip, but maybe I leave it for warmer weather... It got chilly last time lol

 

[Cole2999]

You ever get the urge to do something really dumb? https://www.bonoss.com/product/bonoss-titanium-mclaren-wheel-bolts-cai

 

[Cole2999]

Pulled the OEM spindles from my parts car and grabbed the new FAG bearings I originally planned to install, dropped them off at the shop. I was researching fender flares and I realized I don't think I would look at my car the same if I went that route, and pulling/rolling probably wouldn't get me enough clearance, assuming I didn't fuck up my quarters in the process anyway.

All that's left on my car:
- install new bearings on OEM spindles
- install spindle assembly
- alignment
- install turbo outlet pipe

Almost there guys....

I'm also getting ready to scrap my parts car. Parents are moving and I gotta do something with it, and it's just not worth it to store a rolling chassis if I don't plan to use it for at least 3 years. It's a Mk6, I'm sure I can find another with a blown motor lmao
It's looking worse for wear anyway

 

[Cole2999]

Idk how I'm just now learning about Dieselgeek's super pin but that shot to the top of my to-do list. One of my biggest complaints with my car was the horrendous side-to-side slop in the shifter, I think I measured over an inch when I was on my trip.

New side markers, taillight bulbs, skid plate hardware, and a new coil pack harness cover should be here tomorrow.

 

[Cole2999]

He lives!

Needs a lot of work though:

• Rear brake pads need to be changed out for my EBC pads
• Fog lights are not attached, because the passenger side wasn't working last I remember
• Front tires rub a fair bit, rear rubs very rarely
• Side marker bulbs need to be plugged in
• Skid plate needs to be installed
• Oil level sensor clip needs to be fixed
• Really about a dozen or 2 clips need to be fixed
• Radar detector needs to be rewired
• Ride height needs to be tweaked
• Clutch stop needs to be installed
• Engine bay and various crevices need to be cleaned. The top jamb when the hatch is open is  filthy, and the door jambs aren't much better
• Interior needs a thorough cleaning

There's a lot more, but for the most part nothing pressing.

I'm getting a ton of error lights, but based on how it drives most of them should go away when I clear codes. My oil light comes on any time I step on the throttle. The clutch shudders, though it's getting easier.

Wouldn't start this morning, but once I did get it running (7 or 8 tries) I took it to the gas station, dumped dry gas in the half tank that's been sitting for a year and filled the rest with fresh 93oct. It's still stage 2, and I'm considering reverting it to stage 1 or stock for a while while I break in the clutch and sort shit out

 

[Cole2999]

Did the fender screw mod before my trip to Boston, worked a charm. Still some rubbing in front and back. Back will prob be sorted with a full alignment and adding a teeny bit of camber, and I can live with the front.

Put 200 miles on last night, and even taking it easy this thing still rips. And the noise, oh my god. I did charge pipes and turbo muffler delete while it was down, and one or both mods have caused my car to have a distinct dentist's drill high-pitched whine from the turbo, and I love it. Love listening to how fast it spools.

These rims grow on me every time I see them. They look terrible in pics (this is the way of the black wheel), but they catch light pretty well in person so they don't just blend in with the tires. I'll still gonna experiment with wrapping them soon.

I'm excited for when the air pressure gets a little higher and my BOV opens; all I'm getting right now is DV flutter. Still love the DV sounds but I haven't heard the BOV since summer 2021 and I need me some whooshy sounds. I did hear it slightly last night on just one occurrence, so I know the plunger is working right I'll probably still spray it with some silicone lube just in case

This white Sorento is currently parked next to me and making my CW look dingy and dirty.

 

[Cole2999]

I know this is peak r/carscirclejerk and really fuckin corny, but god damn having this car back makes me feel exactly like I expected: complete. It feels like an extension of me, and driving it just feels so natural. Everything I've driven while it's been down has been fine, and I've found a new love for cruising in vans/trucks, but I always felt like I was using a tool; with this car, it just does whatever I want it to, in the most predictable fashion.

I'm also really appreciative of the tech era it comes from. I love that it has a digital speedo (though I wish it would update faster when accelerating), and that the MFD cluster menus are mostly intuitive, but still has an analog tach and speedo, no clumsy rain sensors or finicky ADAS systems, and no push to start. I wouldn't mind ACC and blind spot monitoring, but as someone who works with ADAS systems I know how much of a pain they can be. And I know most people love push to start, but having DD an '18 Mazda3 with it for the last two months, I just genuinely do not like having to push the button repeatedly to change system modes. Keys are way better IMO.
I've never driven a Mk7, but I would love to because I've heard they're better than the Mk6 and I simply can't wrap my head around that.

http://imgur.com/vjKU6Rv

Also, I've heard people say that the turbo muffler delete doesn't do anything...? My turbo is fuckin LOUD now. Doesn't come across well on camera but the whine is perfect. I also upgraded my charge pipes so could be a combination of both. I'm now leaning toward leaving my catback completely stock, because I don't want to drown out any of the engine sounds.

 

[Cole2999]

Oops starter dead

 

[Cole2999]

Call 'ZZZ Roadside Assistance' for all your sketchy roadside repairs! Starter replaced in under 30 minutes!

As legit as I could make it I had my street shield in the back and I ended up using that to lay on

---

Still having weird startup issues. Someone suggested a lpfp, and after considering it was sat in year-old 93oct I decided to order a new one just because.

---

Out with the old, in with the new!

Still can't stop staring at my car. I know it's really rough at the seams, but it's so close to perfection. I have a list of visual upgrades I want to do this year(in order):

1. PDR on my roofline (and maybe paint repair)
2. Wrap
3. Fix fog lights and remove tint
4. Fix side marker lights
5. Finish painting front trim
6. Front bumper repaired/replaced
7. New upper grille and hood notch filler (rewrap)
8. Tail lights
9. Front splitter
10. Rear diffuser

I don't mind if I don't get to 7-10, but they're in the plans.
Other than aesthetics, this is what needs to be fixed:

• I need to replace at least the RR wheel speed sensor.
• My ESC/ABS light is giving me errors (probably related now that I think about it).
• My oil sensor level needs to be fixed, as do a couple dozen plugs on the engine harness. I chopped as much of the CC harness as I could, so I'll be scavenging plugs and connectors this summer.
• Need to replace the AC lines and condenser
• My airbag light is on, which needs to be reset by VW iirc.
• Windshield washer fluid neck is missing. Need to find it and reinstall.
• Install fire extinguisher bracket
• Replace windshield
• Replace passenger side skirt
• Rewire my radar detector switch

Nota huge list tbh.

Already put 480 miles on it. Excited to take it over 4k RPMs again.

 

[Cole2999]

Sorta productive day. Replaced my fuel pump, ezpz.

Don't think that insulation was supposed to be there. Vacuumed it out regardless, degreased the surrounding area.

Don't yet know if that was the startup problem, only happens on cold starts. Could also be my throttle sensor, which no longer has a plug but rather two pins; they were both loose so I refitted them. I'm going to go through and replace some critical connectors soon, namely that one and the oil level sensor, passenger fog light, passenger side marker, and the whole MAF sensor.

I have an aftermarket power cable on my radar detector, and from the beginning it we giving me problems with constantly clicking the mute button, creating this obnoxious loop of inputs. Got sent a replacement harness, but the new harness was the splice style while my old one–and the style I intended to continue using–was powered by a fuse tap. Anyway, I worked in the new harness with the fuse tap, but it needs a new fuse.

I stripped the center console and installed dieselgeek's super pin. It was a bit of an adventure because I read the wrong drill bit size on the instructions, however I made it work with a 1/4" drill bit. In doing so, though, I lost a nut–presumably, it's started a new life in the crevice under the shifter; a better one, I hope–and had to go to Home Depot for a replacement with vise grips serving as a temporary solution. All in all it went well enough, and while it certainly eliminated a lot of slop, I have only slightly less overall as now most of the slop comes from the FGG. That seems to require me properly adjusting the Sigma 6 first, for which I'll need to get my appropriate tools... Yeah, I still have another couple hours with this shifter before I'm happy.

In the meantime, I think I'm really digging the console-less look.

I've long had this desire to redo the center console, and I forgot it had carpeting underneath. I think I could make a couple parts here, namely two side pieces next to the climate controls, a back plate plus plugs for the truncated rear vents, a surround and boot for the shifter, and a minimalist cup holder mounted on 3 points behind the shifter.

All plans for the future, though.