Hi guys,
I am a long-time gearhead and it's time to document a little of this build, at least just because it's a little different. I bought a wrecked 2012 GTI with 90K miles in anticipation of my daughter driving it in a little over 18 months. I race and instruct and have been down this path already. The goal is to teach her to drive well and some of that will mean HPDE/track time.
Back to tech: the car had front end damage but no frame work was needed. I work with a great group of guys in Fort Worth at a shop for my other car stuff so they got to do the heavy lifting. Car is a 2 door, 6spd manual, no sunroof car. Before pic is below.
Since it needed a new intercooler anyway, I went with ATP front mount. Since the front end was blown apart the list of "while we are in there" grew to:
New OEM clutch, RMS, upgraded valve springs, walnut blasted head, new injectors, new water pump, and all new timing system components.
Interestingly the car was on a replaced crappy timing chain tensioner, but the original chain. The chain had plenty of stretch and needed to be replaced, so a new tensioner and guides went in as well.
I just got the car on the road, licensed/insured and made sure it’s dead reliable. As soon as I drove it I realized the front wheel bearings were shot, and the horn was pathetic, so those got replaced. Now that it’s bone stock and dead reliable, it's time to address the painfully slow portion! I want more power because I will drive it for the next bunch of months. I want it super predictable for my daughter and not over the top so it will stay open diff and relatively stock (and quiet). I am downgrading from 18” Detroit wheels to 17” Dallas wheels and going to a 245mm width tire for traction and no bent wheels.
The clutch is getting replaced now with the TT-RS pressure plate and TDI disk. I’m having Frank Mabo tune it with EuroDyne. And of course, the turbo: Garret GTX 2860R Gen II turbo. I ordered this to bolt up to the stock airbox and downpipe/exhaust. So if you are following this the net of the upgrades will be:
New Chrysler truck horn <- very important
H&R Springs
TTRS Pressure Plate/TDI Disk
GTX2860R G2 Turbo
Upgraded Valvesprings
ATP Front Mount Intercooler
Eurodyne custom tune.
17” Dallas wheels and 245mm width tires.
The car will need better brakes on track (it will only every go out on track pads and Motul brake fluid). I will be getting two tunes for the car: One to put it at about 230whp, and a max effort 93 octane tune for me. I don’t expect (due to the downpipe or airbox) that the car will ever make more than 300whp, which would be about perfect IMO. It will always be traction limited. If my daughter decides she really likes the track time we can invest in more as needed but this should be a great start. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to upgrade to a 3 bar MAP sensor for the tuning. Let me know your thoughts and impressions! Hope you enjoy. Pics of the turbo and the IC coming up as well..
I am a long-time gearhead and it's time to document a little of this build, at least just because it's a little different. I bought a wrecked 2012 GTI with 90K miles in anticipation of my daughter driving it in a little over 18 months. I race and instruct and have been down this path already. The goal is to teach her to drive well and some of that will mean HPDE/track time.
Back to tech: the car had front end damage but no frame work was needed. I work with a great group of guys in Fort Worth at a shop for my other car stuff so they got to do the heavy lifting. Car is a 2 door, 6spd manual, no sunroof car. Before pic is below.
Since it needed a new intercooler anyway, I went with ATP front mount. Since the front end was blown apart the list of "while we are in there" grew to:
New OEM clutch, RMS, upgraded valve springs, walnut blasted head, new injectors, new water pump, and all new timing system components.
Interestingly the car was on a replaced crappy timing chain tensioner, but the original chain. The chain had plenty of stretch and needed to be replaced, so a new tensioner and guides went in as well.
I just got the car on the road, licensed/insured and made sure it’s dead reliable. As soon as I drove it I realized the front wheel bearings were shot, and the horn was pathetic, so those got replaced. Now that it’s bone stock and dead reliable, it's time to address the painfully slow portion! I want more power because I will drive it for the next bunch of months. I want it super predictable for my daughter and not over the top so it will stay open diff and relatively stock (and quiet). I am downgrading from 18” Detroit wheels to 17” Dallas wheels and going to a 245mm width tire for traction and no bent wheels.
The clutch is getting replaced now with the TT-RS pressure plate and TDI disk. I’m having Frank Mabo tune it with EuroDyne. And of course, the turbo: Garret GTX 2860R Gen II turbo. I ordered this to bolt up to the stock airbox and downpipe/exhaust. So if you are following this the net of the upgrades will be:
New Chrysler truck horn <- very important
H&R Springs
TTRS Pressure Plate/TDI Disk
GTX2860R G2 Turbo
Upgraded Valvesprings
ATP Front Mount Intercooler
Eurodyne custom tune.
17” Dallas wheels and 245mm width tires.
The car will need better brakes on track (it will only every go out on track pads and Motul brake fluid). I will be getting two tunes for the car: One to put it at about 230whp, and a max effort 93 octane tune for me. I don’t expect (due to the downpipe or airbox) that the car will ever make more than 300whp, which would be about perfect IMO. It will always be traction limited. If my daughter decides she really likes the track time we can invest in more as needed but this should be a great start. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to upgrade to a 3 bar MAP sensor for the tuning. Let me know your thoughts and impressions! Hope you enjoy. Pics of the turbo and the IC coming up as well..