Help me spend my wife's money

[snakeyes76]

So my wife has a 20th annniversary GTi that's been sitting in the garage for most of its life. She takes it out for a few months a year and has accumulated a total of 21,000 km on it! She was debating on selling it but she finally realized she's not gonna get what she wants for it so she now wants to mod it a little. Budget = $5000. What would you do with this? She's completely unmolested. The car that is ..
(entertaining a bigger turb, no body or suspension mods as the roads up here in Montreal are like driving in Beirut. Strictly engine, intake, exaust. Thinking sleeper)

[MrAkalin]

Go with a clutch and lsd..

Then talk to Mike @ Stevebilt to hook you up with a 50trim Garret turbo kit or something bigger.

Then decide whether you want Eurodyne or Unitronics management.

[87vr6]

Since it's your wife's money, get her something she'll enjoy:

http://www.cloneawilly.com/index.php?

[18T_BT]

for that money, just get an apr kit be done...it'll drive like stock, be reliable and she'll really like her car...if she's really after speed...if that's too much, just some basic bolt ons will do

[groggory]

for that money, just get an apr kit be done...it'll drive like stock, be reliable and she'll really like her car...if she's really after speed...if that's too much, just some basic bolt ons will do

All the BT's are going to be rod killers...so you'll have to factor a rods install into your budget if you want to go 'REAL' big turbo.

Whatever you do, I'd go with the Pag Parts v-band kit as the start of your build.

[18T_BT]

All the BT's are going to be rod killers...so you'll have to factor a rods install into your budget if you want to go 'REAL' big turbo.

Whatever you do, I'd go with the Pag Parts v-band kit as the start of your build.

an apr stg3 isn't a rod killer...while I do agree that he should look into pagparts

[groggory]

an apr stg3 isn't a rod killer...while I do agree that he should look into pagparts

I just can't condone dropping money on an APR setup. They don't give one flying f#$K about the 1.8t community anymore.

The APR stg3 is based on a GT2560 turbo. He should see if pag parts will build a non-rod killer big turbo setup for her.

[hiplazma]

5k with labor or without? any why what I would do is

3in tb
nice front mount
k04 with tune
lsd
front an rear sway bar
forge 007
all that would put you at around 5k before labor and make the car very nice to drive

[babarber]

f23 with that tune for stock bottom end(forget who made it). turbo back exhaust , apr r1 dv, fuel pump and 550 or 630 cc injectors, new mounts, and i would upgrade swaybars(improves handling without a harsh ride) and strut tower brace. should be able to do all that with about 4-5k and youll have 1 hell of a car on your hands

.... oh and lsd is a must the drug or the differential your choice

[snakeyes76]

thanks for all the advice.. appreciate it... but i think we're gonna try and keep her as stock as we can for now. thinking about doing the timing belt/water pump. she only has 21,775 kms on her but she's still a 2003. maybe the belt is gonna start to crack soon. rather be safe than sorry and damage the head. then probably the unitronic stage 2, with a tb exaust system, cai and the strut / sway bars sounds like a good idea. plus some new shoes as she's still running on the original michelin pilots from '03! gonna probably stick with michelin, the new pilot SS look awesome. i think that to start it will probably be enough for her. 235 hp and 275 torque are good numbers for a stock engine... anyone know where we can still get Remus?.. she ABSOLUTELY wants a Remus cat back system, and i don't blame her.. love the sound

[babarber]

al i got to say is the fact that your wife can pick out what exhaust she wants instead of just saying "idk its loud" makes her a keeper

[All_Euro]

x2 - very cool that your wife wants to keep/modify her car.

Maintenance 1st and power supporting bolt-ons is a smart approach. When you're ready for the turbo I'd keep lag in mind… likely she's not going to want any & the LSD/Rods can probably wait unless she REALLY likes to drive the thing!

Don't be afraid to post up some pics

[groggory]

If you guys are considering going bigger later, maybe maestro would be a good move

[snakeyes76]

x2 - very cool that your wife wants to keep/modify her car.

Maintenance 1st and power supporting bolt-ons is a smart approach. When you're ready for the turbo I'd keep lag in mind… likely she's not going to want any & the LSD/Rods can probably wait unless she REALLY likes to drive the thing!

Don't be afraid to post up some pics

again.. thanks for all the advice guys... but i've been out of the loop for years now... maestro??? no idea.. keep in mind i've had a 92 gti 16v and an '83 rabbit gti (which i regret selling every time summer comes along) but this was almost 10-15 years ago. a lots changed in the performance game since then. i've researched remus online for days now and can't find a cat-back.. do they not make them? should i just get the muffler and go to an exaust shop and custom fab the rest.
looking at the magnaflow downpipe as well. any other recommendations?
also CAI, what manufacturer do you think would work best?
and pics will definately come once we get her out of storage.

[groggory]

again.. thanks for all the advice guys... but i've been out of the loop for years now... maestro??? no idea.. keep in mind i've had a 92 gti 16v and an '83 rabbit gti (which i regret selling every time summer comes along) but this was almost 10-15 years ago. a lots changed in the performance game since then. i've researched remus online for days now and can't find a cat-back.. do they not make them? should i just get the muffler and go to an exaust shop and custom fab the rest.
looking at the magnaflow downpipe as well. any other recommendations?
also CAI, what manufacturer do you think would work best?
and pics will definately come once we get her out of storage.

Maestro is made by Eurodyne. It is software that you flash onto your ECU to 'chip' the car. After its chipped you have unlimited tweaking potential to change things if you ever want to. AKA. if you end up going Big Turbo or something down the line.

If you want a sexy exhaust I can highly recommend a ceramic coated 42 draft designs 3" exhaust. Sounds great. Fits great. Highly recommended.

For the intake, I'd go with a velocity stack setup:
http://www.bpi-us.com/filterkits.php
BPI 3" Flow Stack Kit & Standard Filter
...you'll also need a little filter to clamp onto the SAI feed hose that used to fit into the air intake box
....you'll also need a 2.75" to 3" silicone coupler

[babarber]

cai is debatable many users including myself prefer a velocity stack if you want the best of both worlds go with evoms v-flow

for exhaust i recommend 42dd be about 700-800$ for the full turbo back it sounds clean its good quality and imo its the best exhaust you can get for a 1.8t

you will also want to go with a turbo inlet pipe- forge, apr, eurojet are all worth it and great upgrades

maestro is the software program that allows users at home make full adjustments to their tune
check it out at eurodyne.ca
for software your choices are- eurodyne, unitronics, giac, apr are the big ones there are others as well

you will probably want a diverter valve with more boost- personally i use the evo x diverter valve but it takes some work to get it to fit, i recommend the apr r1 diverter valve if you want stock like operation but high boost capability

i recommend checking out neuspeed for your suspension upgrades, but once again there are others

for charge air cooling there a tons of setups out there ranging from 200$ to 2000$, though if your serious about power a water/meth injection system will be your friend and there wont be as much of a need for an upgraded intercooler

[snakeyes76]

Maestro is made by Eurodyne. It is software that you flash onto your ECU to 'chip' the car. After its chipped you have unlimited tweaking potential to change things if you ever want to. AKA. if you end up going Big Turbo or something down the line.

If you want a sexy exhaust I can highly recommend a ceramic coated 42 draft designs 3" exhaust. Sounds great. Fits great. Highly recommended.

For the intake, I'd go with a velocity stack setup:
http://www.bpi-us.com/filterkits.php
BPI 3" Flow Stack Kit & Standard Filter
...you'll also need a little filter to clamp onto the SAI feed hose that used to fit into the air intake box
....you'll also need a 2.75" to 3" silicone coupler

i guess i have some homework to do... i was looking into unitronic but now there's another player. velocity stack, eurodyne, ceramic coated exausts... she likes shopping but usually it involves shoes. this is gonna be fun!

[babarber]

dang groggory you hit "submit before i did"

any thought i would give you an idea of what your shopping cart would look like

tune: $500-800
exhaust:$800
diverter valve: $150
turbo inlet pipe: $170
ngk bkr7e plugs@.028: $10
suspension:
front sway: $200-300$
rear sway: $250-350
strut bar: $100
intake: $100-300
w/m injection: $400
intercooler: $300-1000


you looking at 3k-4500 and then other charges like shipping and installation if you dont feel comfortable doing this on your own
also if your tires are not so hot, i would go with a good grippy set of street tires like continental extreme contact dw, or bf goodrich sport comp 2 etc

all this will get you a 230-260hp car easy so enjoy

[snakeyes76]

dang groggory you hit "submit before i did"

any thought i would give you an idea of what your shopping cart would look like

tune: $500-800
exhaust:$800
diverter valve: $150
turbo inlet pipe: $170
ngk bkr7e plugs@.028: $10
suspension:
front sway: $200-300$
rear sway: $250-350
strut bar: $100
intake: $100-300
w/m injection: $400
intercooler: $300-1000


you looking at 3k-4500 and then other charges like shipping and installation if you dont feel comfortable doing this on your own
also if your tires are not so hot, i would go with a good grippy set of street tires like continental extreme contact dw, or bf goodrich sport comp 2 etc

all this will get you a 230-260hp car easy so enjoy

I like!! was just on eurodyne's website.. interesting. do they have preset tunes for novice as well as detailed tuning for more experienced users? i was originally looking at the unitronic stage 2 for $600. but if i can adjust it to my wants/needs for $200 more, and as was said above, if we want to upgrade later, it can be adjusted as needed.
you guys are awesome btw..all so eager to help. i missed this forum.
I personally am part of a jeep forum and we have a lot of sponsors that give us deals on parts, etc... any forum sponsors on vwvortex?

[babarber]

yes sponsors frequently post short time deals for the vortexers usually when a product is just released group buys etc

chris at eurodyne will send you a base file adjusted to the specs of the hardware list you give him after that your can easily adjust it to you needs. go to eurodyne site and there should be a thread that walks you through first time tuning of your setup. its overwhelming at first but once you start do dig in it all makes sense

[groggory]

Barabers advice is awesome

Before you buy, post your final list. Well go through and help minimize gotchas that you don't know you forgot or didn't consider

[Twopnt016v]

If you want an exhaust that doesn't sound super loud you should look into Miltek. I have one and highly recommend it, it's my "mature" exhaust. It is going to be a little more expensive than the 42dd but well worth it IMO.

Babarber....your gonna be hard pressed to get a solid WMI kit for $400... Just saying.

[babarber]

usrt's base kit w/o throttle body adapter plate us 400$ 500 if you want the works

[snakeyes76]

information overload !! gonna have to write all this stuff down... but its awesome.. thanks guys. she'll be SUPER happy with the performance gains I'm sure. can't wait to get the car out on the the street next week! i really miss driving it.

[Twopnt016v]

usrt's base kit w/o throttle body adapter plate us 400$ 500 if you want the works

Wasn't trying to nit pic but once you get everything you need you will be more closer to the $700 range to make the set up proper.
400$-stage 2 boost cooler
110$-Tbody spacer kit
55$-Solenoid upgrade
50-75$-for methanol or equivalent
20$-inline fuse and wire/connectors etc.
+shipping....

TO the OP...Don't worry about any of this gibberish, your wife's set-up does not warrant a water/methanol injection kit.

[snakeyes76]

Wasn't trying to nit pic but once you get everything you need you will be more closer to the $700 range to make the set up proper.
400$-stage 2 boost cooler
110$-Tbody spacer kit
55$-Solenoid upgrade
50-75$-for methanol or equivalent
20$-inline fuse and wire/connectors etc.
+shipping....

TO the OP...Don't worry about any of this gibberish, your wife's set-up does not warrant a water/methanol injection kit.

no worries... wasn't planning on a w/m kit just yet anyhow. for the setup she wants to run and the actual abuse (or lack thereof) she's gonna give it, she won't need an upgraded intercooler either. she just wants to be able to pass 90% of the cars on the road at that split second she decides to. I, on the other hand, have the fortunate job of keeping the engine free of carbon deposit accumulation .. what a terrible job to have

[snakeyes76]

so far, narrowed it down to eurodyne maestro tune, and 42dd exaust. nice sound, not obnoxiously loud. remus was a close second but for convenience, better off with the former.
should i go 2.5 or 3" on the downpipe and exaust?

[Twopnt016v]

so far, narrowed it down to eurodyne maestro tune, and 42dd exaust. nice sound, not obnoxiously loud. remus was a close second but for convenience, better off with the former.
should i go 2.5 or 3" on the downpipe and exaust?

This is gonna be up for debate depending on who you talk to but my opinion is 2.5. That way she keeps the low end torque. The torque is what will allow her to pass cars with a light press of the throttle I have ran both sizes and I like 2.5 on the stock turbo.

APR R1 Diverter Valve > Forge

[iTech]

an apr stg3 isn't a rod killer...while I do agree that he should look into pagparts

Wanna bet?

I have pics to prove it.

[snakeyes76]

This is gonna be up for debate depending on who you talk to but my opinion is 2.5. That way she keeps the low end torque. The torque is what will allow her to pass cars with a light press of the throttle I have ran both sizes and I like 2.5 on the stock turbo.

APR R1 Diverter Valve > Forge

so i read up on it a little and a lot claim that 2.5" for up to 250hp and 3" for +250hp.
now i have another dilemma. i was on you tube listening to audio clips of exausts and came across a setup similar to what i'm doing with a eurojet tb .. wow! NICE SOUND... any feedback on their exausts?

[Twopnt016v]

so i read up on it a little and a lot claim that 2.5" for up to 250hp and 3" for +250hp.
now i have another dilemma. i was on you tube listening to audio clips of exausts and came across a setup similar to what i'm doing with a eurojet tb .. wow! NICE SOUND... any feedback on their exausts?

I run a 2.5 on a my car with 280hp and 300tq
IMO the 3" is really for real BIGr turbo cars.
Eurojet makes good products, I don't know of anyone running the TB.
42dd is better quality...

[snakeyes76]

I run a 2.5 on a my car with 280hp and 300tq
IMO the 3" is really for real BIGr turbo cars.
Eurojet makes good products, I don't know of anyone running the TB.
42dd is better quality...

nice.. understood.. thanks.. 2.5 it is.. just noticed that on eurojets website the TB is still in "production" stage as cannot add to cart... 42dd it is

[18T_BT]

Wanna bet?

I have pics to prove it.

APR says it on their site, so take it up with them. I don't know what you did, if you ran higher octane on a race program, that's your own doing...You have picts to prove that you bent a rod? Good for you, I guess?

Our goal with Stage III is to provide our customers with a powerful but usable turbo application that will behave as well as the factory unit and not adversely affect longevity.

http://www.goapr.com/products/beyond_tvs3.html

[peace2matteo]

does your wife have any interest in breast implants? Those are always a good way to spend your money!!!

[toby lawrence]

I'd go with the 3" over the 2.5". Anything you've ever heard about exhaust backpressure and losing torque down low is completey untrue for *turbocharged* cars.

The 3" is throaty and will give you the most power. I have a 3" system from 42DD with the turn down tip and I love the exhaust. My car might only have like 215hp or something but it sounds mean as **** when I'm in 2nd or 3rd with the throttle on the floor. No Honda fart can rattle or raspiness... just delicious sounding.