TimNeedsCoffee10's Build Thread -

[timneedscoffee10]

Got the cat-back re-installed, and am pretty happy with the results. I wish I'd taped it off right up against the tips, but I didn't put that much thought into it. So I'll fix that next time I'm feeling ambitious. I think I can touch it up pretty well without pulling the entire cat-back out - but had to remove it anyway to get the Unibrace RB in there.

Before:


After:


Used VHT Flame Proof header paint, and followed their on-car curing instructions. Don't have any odors or anything to speak of. It was also 100% humidity today, so it could have used a little more drying time than I gave it before manhandling it back into place, but it turned out really good.

 

[ToMMyGuN]

Loving the build thread dude, and congrats on the K04 install yourself! You and I are cut from the same mold, my friend.

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Drove through the ADK park today on my way to Rhode Island from Northern NY -- saw a few of you today on the drive! At least two of you threw a VW at me, so hopefully you saw I acknowledged. I know there's some bad feelings around here for people ignoring it, haha.

Anyway - I found a nice stretch of road with very little traffic where I could pull over and do some data logging. 75* F., 90% humidity, and 1980ft altitude, and were done in 3rd gear from a rolling start to fuel cut-off, on the 93-octane program with 93-octane gas. Here's the charts I generated. Things look really good to me, but I'm not sure how to interpret the timing data.

Boost pressure (actual + specified) with N75 Duty Cycle:


MAF vs Ignition Angle:


MAF vs Timing Retardation:


NOTE 1: I believe I'm running APR K04 v2.1 right now. It's whatever the most recent public release was as of April 2013 when I had it flashed.

Raw data is posted here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ds225byxmmn4ojh/eVFP5tnw1y

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Loving the build thread dude, and congrats on the K04 install yourself! You and I are cut from the same mold, my friend.

Hey Tom - thanks! My build has nothing on yours, haha -- but with the exception of the clutch and timing chain tensioner (since I had him do it while he was doing the clutch), I've done every bit of work myself... you made a comment in your build that I agree with 100%: driving around in a car that I know inside and out, and had a hand in building, is what makes driving my car enjoyable. I feel that if I'd paid someone to do the work, that I might as well have just bought a better/faster/different car to start with.

 

[ToMMyGuN]

Hey Tom - thanks! My build has nothing on yours, haha -- but with the exception of the clutch and timing chain tensioner (since I had him do it while he was doing the clutch), I've done every bit of work myself... you made a comment in your build that I agree with 100%: driving around in a car that I know inside and out, and had a hand in building, is what makes driving my car enjoyable. I feel that if I'd paid someone to do the work, that I might as well have just bought a better/faster/different car to start with.

Yessir, its a great feeling! Keep up the good work!

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Updated my timing charts in post 78 above with timing data I logged coming home today. Same location and same conditions as data from Monday. Also reformatted the charts so the engine speed labels were displayed below the axis, rather than on the zero-line.

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Took a family road trip this weekend... Getting my daughter hooked on VW early

 

[ToMMyGuN]

Took a family road trip this weekend... Getting my daughter hooked on VW early
View attachment 35254

Haha awesome dude, congrats on the girl!

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Picked up parts for a couple end-of-summer projects to close out my modding season (once fall and winter set in, it's too cold in my garage, which is taken over by my lawn equipment anyway):

* Replacement intake manifold and injector seal kits - valve cleaning coming up!
* Adam's Rotors black/black Track Pattern rotors (double slot / dimpled), front and rear
* Stop tech pads

My intake manifold is actually fine - but for $150 I'd rather just put a new on one and not have to worry about the runner flap failure later, since I'm doing all the work anyway.

I'm already rocking stop tech pads and stainless lines, but recently I've been noticing a lot of fade, and the pedal is much softer than some of the rentals I've had recently (I travel for work, in different cars every week) - so I'm putting new pads in, doing the rotors which are still stock and looking pretty shoddy, and flushing the fluid with Motul.

Hopefully I'll have the time to take some detailed pictures removing the intake manifold... That's the biggest piece missing from the valve cleaning DIY's, though the steps and instructions are pretty clear.

New brakes and clean valves, though, right at the 60k mile mark - will give her a spark of new life - not that she needs it after getting K04'd this summer already

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Got some funny looks and strangers staring while picking up some lumber on the GTI today... love roof racks

Was worth it, though ...


That's one happy baby

 

[timneedscoffee10]

So I'm toying around with the thought of parting out and/or selling the GTI... there's been quite a few unexpected expenses this year, and the expected ones of being a new father added up quicker than I planned for! I have a couple career opportunities I'm working on, and if one of them pans out in the near term I can avoid this option -- but it's not a terrible one. I would enjoy getting back into the car and taking it all apart all over again. Plus it'd get me primed for 2 years out when I trade in for a MK7 R!

In thinking about options, though, I finally did something I've dreaded doing for years -- adding up how much I've spent on mods. Overall, it's not all too terrible, actually! It's funny how it worked, because the total amount for all the mods new is less than I expected, and at the same time the expected income from a part-out is higher than I thought!

You ready? It's $6,418. Let's call it an even $7,000 after taxes and shipping charges and replacement bolts and washers. If I took a 25% depreciation selling it all, I could net $5,000 on a part out, and I think it'd all sell pretty easy.

So, nice to know I have that option if I have to resort to it. $5,000 would easily cover the unexpected things that crept in the past few months (including a $2,300 surgery for my dog :-\)...

But, those of you who've read my build thread know what's in the car - I'll certainly link it here first if I do start a part-out, but I'm going to sit on it for a few weeks before I decide.

 

[Baosa]

...subbed for possible part out...keep us posted!

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Whoo... it's been a while. Sorry to have teased the part-out and then disappeared. Been focused on some other things lately, but have been trolling again over the past couple weeks to get caught up - so I thought I'd finally come back and visit 'ye ol build thread' here...

Regarding the part out - I'm hanging on to her as-is for the time being. I'm making a career move, which should pan out over the next couple days, and will alleviate my current financial constraints... so there's no need to start selling off parts (phew!).

In the meantime, I also just ordered my winter steelies with 16" Blizzak WS70's ... my Potenzas are crap in the snow, and with my daughter in the car it's just not worth the risk driving around on them. I've never had dedicated winters on before, so it'll be interesting to see how they perform! Got the same setup for my wife's '12 Jetta SE, too -- safety first, gentlemen!

Will try to get active on the boards again... have some work planned still; I need to do my valve cleaning and intake manifold replacement. I also recently put on my Adam's rotors, and don't think I've posted about that yet. Many things to catch up on!

 

[timneedscoffee10]

My winter tires and steelies came in today... 16" Bridgestone Blizzak WS70s mounted on black steelies. I've never driven dedicated winter tires before -- I'm pretty blown away by the difference! Of course my Potenzas are rubbish in the slush, but I don't ever remember being very confident on my all-seasons either. A quick spin around the neighborhood on the Blizzak's, though, and it's very much like there's nothing on the ground at all.

I'm putting the same setup on the wife's Jetta tomorrow, and feeling much better about driving around this winter.

 

[timneedscoffee10]

Well it's been an interesting week for my GTI... she threw a service message at me indicating that I needed to check the front driver's turn signal bulb. I didn't have time to deal with that when it happened, so I ran my errands, got home, and put the car in the garage. When I went to go out again, a couple days later, I found a very dead car in the garage. After a bit of research, it appears I'm suffering the solid-blinker-of-doom -- this symptom indicates a failed CECM, which needs to be replaced.

Of course, I did some problem determination first before reaching this conclusion. I assumed it was just some water in the headlight assembly causing a short - so I swapped my retrofits back out for my halogens, and found nothing. I also goofed around with fuses and the harnesses a bit, but to no avail.

My searching eventually brought me here: http://www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33859

Turns out this isn't a too-uncommon issue, seemingly among those of us with aftermarket HIDs retrofitted in.

Sigh....

So I just ordered the high line CECM from Deutche Auto parts for $367... I could have gotten out a little cheaper if I stuck with the midline, but I have dreams of one day putting in legitimate bi-xenons with auto-levelling sensors. Since I had to buy a CECM anyway, might as well get the one that'll support my dreams.

While I was spending money on the car anyway, I threw in a GFB DV+ for good measure . Will have updates later this week I guess - for now, the GTI is dead in the garage.