chi·me·ra
[kīˈmirə, kəˈmirə]
NOUN
(Chimera)
(in Greek mythology) a fire-breathing
VW Golf with a
1.8T head, an
R body, and a
GTI tail.
a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve:
"this VW Golf is a chimera"
synonyms: illusion · fantasy · delusion · dream · daydream · [more]
biology/technology
a MK7 Golf containing a mixture of genetically different components, formed by processes such OEM part swapping, grafting, or modification:
"the sheeplike golf chimera"
I decided to start a dedicated thread as I have discovered my 'modification' list for my 1.8T far exceeds that of my R. The MK7 R is a fabulous car right out of the gates, especially compared with the MK6 R. While I was thoroughly impressed with the 1.8T for what it was, I could tell there was significant room for improvement both aesthetically and performance-wise in many areas. While the initial intent was to 'do things' to the R and keep the 1.8T as my DD/Grocery-getter, I soon found my to-do list for the 1.8T vastly exceeding that of my list for the R. I fully accept I can not 'leave well enough alone' lol, but hey I doubt many of us here do either. The intent is not to have the most radical 1.8T in existence, but rather a very OEM+ appearing golf that performs as good as it looks. I want to bridge the gap between the 1.8T and the GTI, and perhaps improve even over that where I can. With this new MQB platform there is a lot of parts that transfer over between models and amongst the VWAG family. While the focus will mostly be OEM+, I will also be using tasteful aftermarket components where appropriate. - I hope you enjoy the transformation!
04/25/2016 - Uh oh.. this followed me home. 2016 1.8T Highline. May need to start a separate log as I feel this one may end up with more mods than the R lol
With two kids in tow and a need for a reliable and safe second vehicle, I decided it was time to let go of my MK1 Cabriolet and put the funds/garage space towards a base Golf 1.8T. Fast-Forward to today we took delivery of our fully loaded 1.8T Golf Highline 5MT. We wanted a MT and the Lighting Package, and there were only two choices in the whole country at the time. After the deal on the Comfortline MT fell through, rather than wait several months for a factory order we stepped up to the Highline and could not be happier!
Piano Black OEM mirror caps suit this car nicely. These are off our R, as I put Euro aluminum caps on the R.
"TK-421 do you copy?"
A couple interior touches from the VW accessories catalogue make for some nice eye candy.
OEM Aluminum Sport Pedals including dead pedal as found in the R and GTI, as well as a new
OEM VW Accessories Shift knob + boot with a dimpled golf ball pattern - this shift knob feels almost identical to that in the MK6 GTI. 6th gear can be a little tricky in the 1.8T though
05/01/2016 - 18x8 et48 OZ Superturismo LMs with forged two-piece RAD bolts/locks
Bolted these on the 1.8 today.. Leftovers from my MK6 R. I originally bought these wheels for the MK6 R. I wanted a fifteen-spoke radial wheel similar to what the original R32 was equipped with. Im not sure but I think these wheels may even look better on this little MK7!
Thinking of acquiring either some Audi S3 V-spokes or some Pretorias for the 1.8 though. Not sure if I want to make the commitment to 19s on the 'grocery getter' but I think either choice would look proper!
06/17/2016 - Gloss Vinyl Roof Wrap on the 1.8
had a buddy and fellow dubber come over to wrap the roof on the 1.8. Turned out great! People keep asking/thinking it is painted.
did a two-layer process, 1st Layer gloss vinyl, 2nd layer XPel clear film (to add depth and a layer of protection to glossy vinyl which otherwise scratches easily..
Will try to get better pics of the roof up sometime. Quite happy with how the rear spoiler turned out as I was concerned about the lack of a defined curvature line like in the GTI/R, but my buddy did an amazing job of making it look proper.
08/17/2016 - The Great Canadian VW Show, Vancouver, BC
So, the actual GCVW Show was held August 19, 20, 21st.. We drove out West in the 1.8T as opposed to the R for a few reasons - 1) Still have not fitted the spare assembly in the R; 2) Big Pano roof in the 1.8T was going to be nice through the Rockies; 3) 18's on the 1.8T as opposed to 19's on the R; 4) Better Fuel milage
My record to-date (don't think I'll try and top this) - 5.2L/100kms throughout the rockies! The trip computer was fairly accurate and I trust these figures based on real distance travelled and real fuel consumed. 2016 Golf 1.8T, stock engine/intake/exhaust/no tune.. MT, two adults, some luggage, A/C off, avg speed between 105 - 115kmph. Estimated range on a full tank ranged from 700 to over 900kms (based on real-time data and actual observation/results). Overall fuel consumption for the entire trip ranged from 5.2 to 6.0 L/100kms.
VW claims average 6.4L/100km highway, so I'm quite pleased with this little engine in terms of consumption.. Overall though I typically average 6.0L/100kms on any highway travel.
I have to say, I am throughly impressed with this little car in many aspects. One of my favourite features is the auto-dimming high beams - worked flawlessly and I was extremely impressed.
So on to the GCVW Show - it was a 3-day affair starting with the track on Friday - saw lots of fast VWs.
Saturday started with a Pancake breakfast, followed by a scenic two-hour cruise, ending up at a brand new dealership with an all afternoon/evening party complete with BBQ, beach volleyball, live music etc
Saturday was the actual car show - hundreds of both air and water-cooled VW's in attendance! Such a great time!
This R in front ran 11.77 1/4mi at the track on friday - runs consistent 11.7s - 11.8s
The owner is a great guy as well, was a pleasure finally meeting him!
Nice little shot of a few of us, with the famous silver Expo '86 dome
08/04/2016 - OEM MK7 Golf R Sideskirts
So If you read earlier how my wife and I went to the GCVW show a couple weeks ago, you'll see me mention a gentleman who's R runs consistent 11.7s-11.8s in the 1/4mi (his car is pictured on first page near the bottom). Well this gentleman (and scholar) agreed to sell me his OEM side skirts from his R, and as they say the rest is history.
I love how things just work out.. I ended up parking next to him and his R at the car show early Sunday morning. He told me how he originally ordered an Oryx White R but another R (in Pure White) arrived at his dealership well before the car he had originally ordered was scheduled to arrive. Rather than wait several weeks/months he snagged the Pure White R up as he said he already had been stockpiling parts for the new R in his garage and was itching to get going on his project. Fast forward to the car show where I asked him what he was doing with his factory side skirts and he agreed to sell them to me! If you're reading this T.C. thanks again man!!
These R side skirts actually worked out really well for me and my vision for the 1.8T. Originally I was planning on doing a full GTI aerokit install, but for a few reasons this plan became less and less ideal to me after I did some homework. I prefer the gloss black rear diffuser over the textured ABS plastic of the GTI.. Now with a gloss black rear diffuser, the textured GTI side skirts may look a little out of place. In addition, the GTI side skirts require drilling 12 holes on each side and installing pins to mount the bracket to which the side skirts attach to - A pretty big commitment if I am not sure I wanted that look or not.. And lastly, I originally thought I could easily mount the GTI chin spoiler to the front bumper as the belly pans for both the 1.8T and GTI are the same, then the GTI has an additional bracket that bolts to the belly pan, and two chin spoilers bolt to this bracket. I soon discovered the 1.8T bumper kicks down lower than the GTI bumper and would require trimming the lower corners on each side to allow the GTI chin spoilers to fit - another aspect I was not sure I was ready to commit to based on my vision. I do hope someone does fit a full GTI aerokit to their 1.8T as it definitely is doable!! If anyone does, please comment and link me as I would love to see the final results!
I'm still debating whether or not I need something up front to 'finish' the look, but everything looks so clean right now I may leave well enough alone. The 1.8T looks unfinished without side skirts as the front bumper comes down approximately half an inch further when compared to the rocker panels by the front wheel. The R skirts really level everything off, and If I don't draw people's attention to the side skirts I find that even enthusiasts have a difficult time spotting what has been done as they do flow nicely with the rest of the car in my opinion.
08/04/2016 - OEM GTI TBE and Rieger Rear Diffuser (Gloss Black)
This was also something I had planned on doing since acquiring the 1.8T. It took a while to source both the DP and the CB but as the stars aligned, during that same trip out West for the GCVW show, I also sourced a GTI DP! It was a successful trip to say the least!
Before anyone (else) asks why I simply did not go aftermarket - well, I like my OEM+ stuff for starters.. But also price - I got the entire TBE for less than the cost of the Rieger rear diffuser lol! This is not to say I will not go aftermarket, in fact I plan to one day. I'm just going to wait for a good deal on perhaps a GTI part-out, or a nice sale on say a Milltek system. (I had a Milltek on my MK6 R and man do I love their quality).
Me and my first born - He loves cars, LOVES VW's.. He's actually a good 'lil helper!
Going full GTI TBE allows me a lot of flexibility as there are plenty of systems available for the GTI but not the 1.8T. Also, by using the OEM GTI DP I don't have to worry about adapters, reducers, cutting and fitting GTI CBs to a 1.8T DP.
Yes, I actually polished the OEM GTI exhaust prior to install - it's a habit my father instilled in me at a very early age when I helped him work on cars - always put things back cleaner than you found them/improve on things where you can. My OCD wanted me to grind and smooth all the welds and imperfections and then shine to a mirror finish haha but the realist in me said not to worry as nobody is ever going to see any of that on a DD, and the exhaust is just going to tarnish again anyways. So a quick clean and polish it was!
Not only do I get a more attractive rear end, but an unexpected benefit (based on my butt dyno) is actually a slightly more responsive and snappy throttle, with quicker acceleration!? Perhaps that slight increase in pipe diameter with the DP is allowing the turbo to spool slightly quicker? I actually thought I might be risking some down low torque by going to a full 2.5" system over the stock 2.25" on the 1.8T, but I can definitely say this is not the case! Also, it sounds almost exactly like a GTI, go figure lol - I was hoping for a more audible and deeper exhaust note, which this GTI TBE provides. No drone, no CEL. Perfect. The 1.8T exhaust was so quiet I actually stalled the car several times as I would forget the car was still running as I could not hear it. All the mounting points are the same, everything bolts up perfect. Only thing that needed consideration was the rear diffuser to accommodate the GTI exhaust tips - Enter Rieger
I chose Rieger because they typically make a quality product that looks good. Rieger actually supplies companies like Remus with rear diffusers for their exhaust kits.. And IIRC Remus manufactures the VW Accessories Golf Centre exhaust kit, so I'm not sure but would not be surprised if the rear valence for that kit is also made by Rieger.
Now, looking at the Reiger diffuser on the car it looks proper - I love it. But man, Installing it was a little painful. Not hard by any means, just painful. After I had it almost completely fitted I discovered that a mounting hole had not been completely drilled.. off it came. Once more almost mounted - wait? two more holes not completely drilled?? I had to repeat this process three times to finally get everything sorted. Shame on you and your quality control, Reiger.
At the end of the day I expected the DP to take the longest to R&R, and the diffuser to be the quickest.. What actually happened has record time DP removal and install, and a serious pain in the ass to remove the factory diffuser and get the Reiger diffuser sorted lol.
Hope you enjoy the progress..
