GoatAutomotive
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Georgetown, TX
- Car(s)
- 2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
I love writing about all things auto. So why haven't I done a build journal for my beloved hot hatch before now? Who knows. I guess I felt no one would want to read about my journey to greatness with this little FWD throat-puncher.
I'll divide this up into sections for brevity and structure. I'll add pics from my phone when I can come back to this later on.
Everything I've done has been neatly catalogued/written about and photographed as it happened. Often makes it into the Suspension forums, which is my second home.
Get ready to laugh & learn.
View attachment 281513
Stormy Long Term Build Journal
[from somewhere in the book of] Genesis – “In the beginning, the Germans created the auto. And God saw that it was good…”
10/30/17 – took delivery of budget-friendly dream car. 2017 GTI SE w/DSG.
The perfect package, it had absolutely everything I wanted and needed (except DCC). I could hardly focus all week at my job just thinking about it.
She was a $33k car I bought end of year for $27,500 OTD.
Thanks, DieselGate incentives!
This is only the second new car I’ve purchased in 21 years of driving. Always pre-owned
It’s also the 2nd VW 2.0L turbo I’ve bought….both from the same dealership where I started my automotive career many presidencies ago.
I absolutely adored my first V-Dub…a 2006 GLI (Package 2), Shadow Blue w/the 6-spd manual. Selling it was like losing a family member.
For the GTI, I remember the make-ready department did a half-assed job with the cleaning, which made me sad for how momentous the delivery was for me. But to them it was just another VW sold (I get it). I knew I would have to do it myself to be satisfied.
That late-October was a coronation after 7 years of waiting, researching and dreaming of new car possibilities while I put myself through school, and scraped by on retail management wages.
I cross-shopped a dozen other candidates before I landed on the GTI. My local credit union approved me for the full loan amount with ~2% interest.
In short…the planets all aligned, and I was able to afford the car I almost couldn’t afford.
<img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="
I'll divide this up into sections for brevity and structure. I'll add pics from my phone when I can come back to this later on.
Everything I've done has been neatly catalogued/written about and photographed as it happened. Often makes it into the Suspension forums, which is my second home.
Get ready to laugh & learn.
View attachment 281513
Stormy Long Term Build Journal
[from somewhere in the book of] Genesis – “In the beginning, the Germans created the auto. And God saw that it was good…”
10/30/17 – took delivery of budget-friendly dream car. 2017 GTI SE w/DSG.
The perfect package, it had absolutely everything I wanted and needed (except DCC). I could hardly focus all week at my job just thinking about it.
She was a $33k car I bought end of year for $27,500 OTD.
Thanks, DieselGate incentives!
This is only the second new car I’ve purchased in 21 years of driving. Always pre-owned
It’s also the 2nd VW 2.0L turbo I’ve bought….both from the same dealership where I started my automotive career many presidencies ago.
I absolutely adored my first V-Dub…a 2006 GLI (Package 2), Shadow Blue w/the 6-spd manual. Selling it was like losing a family member.
For the GTI, I remember the make-ready department did a half-assed job with the cleaning, which made me sad for how momentous the delivery was for me. But to them it was just another VW sold (I get it). I knew I would have to do it myself to be satisfied.
That late-October was a coronation after 7 years of waiting, researching and dreaming of new car possibilities while I put myself through school, and scraped by on retail management wages.
I cross-shopped a dozen other candidates before I landed on the GTI. My local credit union approved me for the full loan amount with ~2% interest.
In short…the planets all aligned, and I was able to afford the car I almost couldn’t afford.
<img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="