HuangMoney
Go Kart Newbie
- Location
- Central NJ
(Thanks Jay745 for changing the IS38 in my title to EQT Vortex LMAO)
Hey guys, I'm starting this journal just to keep track of what has been done, and what is going to be done.
I saw my car up for sale on 8/9/2018 on cargurus at VW of Fairfax, a 2016 GTI S 2 door 6MT with lighting package and performance package with 25k miles, CPO. On 8/11/2018 I drove 3 and a half hours and got the car, took about 5 hours to talk to finance and my dad was getting pissed, but it was well worth it in the end.
It was taken care of by the previous owner very well, no scratches or anything, the PO traded it in for a new Golf R and moved to California to work for Google.
First manual car, by the way. The ride home was definitely interesting, in the rain, with a LOT of traffic crossing the Maryland border. I was a valet for half a year, and that was all my experience with stick shift.
Current mods:
Exterior:
Black front and rear emblem
Black Vinyl eyelids
Klii Motorwerkes color matched rear emblem vinyl
Badgeskinz Steering wheel red GTI/red line, and black side blades
Stickers!!!
OEM MK7.5 European tail lights with ZERO815's harness (Thanks!) with light lamin-x tint
Light lamin-x tint on rear reflectors
35% tint all around, 70% windshield
Engine:
EQT Vortex tune
CTS Turbo Downpipe
EQT Vortex Turbo/Oversized Muffler Delete/Silicone Hoses
Autotech HPFP Internals (Thanks Joel!)
Mamba IS38 Actuator (Thanks MK717!)
APR Cold air intake
MST Performance Hybrid turbo inlet pipe+Silicon inlet hose
CTS Turbo Front Mount Intercooler
Sachs SRE 4 puck racing clutch and Pressure Plate (retain DMFW)
iAbed Rear Main Seal
Suspension/Handling
KW V3 Coilovers
Whiteline adjustable front sway bar end links
Whiteline adjustable rear sway bar end links
Whiteline front sway bar set to least stiff setting
Whiteline rear sway bar set to most stiff setting
VWR Full dogbone and puck replacement
Interior
ECS Adjustable Clutch stop
OEM Euro/Audi Short Shifter
Euro Impulse Weighted Shift Knob
Uniden R7 Long range radar/laser detector
Uniden Hardwire kit
VAGCOM:
Turned off North American light restrictions (Rest of world headlight functions)
Convenience Open and Close windows on keyfob (no sunroof because weight reduction lol)
Foglights turn on with high beams
Needle Sweep/Staging
Full brightness DRLs with lights on
Display how many gallons to fill up to increase my gas bill dread
Waiting to get installed:
BFI Stage 1 Engine/Trans mounts uninstalled, diagnosing some knock.
iPE Catted downpipe
In limbo, waiting to get refinished:
BBS RG-R 18x8 ET35
Planned for the future:
42dd O2 spacer ASAP
Solid shifter bushings
Rear diffuser and maybe a lip
W/M injection???
so much for the title of my build lmao. I was going to go with IS38, returned that, went to look for an IHX475, lost the bid on ebay and bought an EQT Vortex.
8/9/18
No front plate, never will have one. Super clean
8/12/18
I plugged in my Vagcom and started doing some tweaks, to my surprise I found that the previous owner did a LOT of them already, wonder what else he has going on in this car, it drives phenomenally. He had the oil temp in the MFD, but no rolling the windows up and down on the key fob, really weird.
8/18/18
I found myself not driving stick as great as I would. I bought an ECS adjustable clutch stop, loaded some gift cards too, to get free shipping.
8/22/18
First thing I bought was an accessport. I knew I was going to be going custom tune, and a great deal popped up and I snagged it immediately. Holding off on this until I get my upgraded clutch, so I don't burn the flywheel. For reference, sold my mk6 one a few days earlier, and came out on top with this deal.
8/30/18
Got a good deal on an IE open intake on eBay, scooped it up. Installed it a couple days alter when it came in. Sounds great, no issues except my friend panicked when I asked him to take the coolant hose off for the relocation and he took both off and got coolant everywhere. It came off of someones car, so everything was put together, and there was reflective gold foil wrap on the intake too! pretty cool.
9/06/18
Bought gloss black front and rear emblems off of bl33dblue21, they wouldn't fit on his MK7.5. I put them on, and honestly they didn't look right, so I used some vinyl and cutting tape I had leftover from doing eyelids on my mk6, and did eyelids on my mk7. Made the gloss black front emblem a bit better.
9/07/18ish
Saw a custom built under trunk box with a 12" sub, West Coast Customs 1500W amp, and LC2i for sale by BxGTI, scooped it up very quickly later that week. Installed that in my car with my friend, and it really completed the stock sound system, no Dynaudio or Fender or whatever people are using.
9/17/18
Put on the Klii Motorwerkes color matched rear emblem full, put it over the second part of the VW logo insert and used an x-acto knife to make it fit perfectly. Really happy, makes the black badges look a lot better.
9/19/18
Talked to Billy Amberg from A2B Motorsports about the possibility of an IS38 build! Was quickly convinced to start on the build. Ordered a Sachs Racing 4 puck clutch and iAbed billet rear main seal from him same day. I only met him and his ridiculously fast Golf R because I asked around for carbon cleaning prices on facebook for my mk6, and he offered to do it.
9/21/18
IS38 Rev H is back in stock on FCP Euro, quickly ordered it for its lifetime warranty and my experience with them in the past with suspension mounts and bearings on my mk6.
9/27/18
15% off anything on eBay!!! took advantage of this deal by buying my parts on eBay from vendors who price matched their website, and used the 15% code.
Ordered a CTS Catted downpipe, and CTS FMIC (octoberfest discounted) with an extra 15% off, was planning on buying all my parts from Billy, but the deal was too good to pass up, and saved a couple hundred.
10/7/18
first update post in comments.
I had Billy Amberg at A2B Motorsports up in Lake Hopatcong, NJ install my CTS front mount intercooler, iAbed rear main seal, and a Sachs SRE 4 puck racing clutch, and pressure plate. For anyone who isn't familiar he's a master tech/shop foreman for a VW dealership and has built one serious Golf R. My car is a pp GTI so it was a more difficult install but he still managed to do everything very quickly, picked it up in a couple hours, the clutch feels great. I have had a manual car for a little less than 50 days and I still didn't stall or burn the "racing clutch" driving it home and then to work. It takes more revs to get going and the biting point was described as an on off switch, which is sorta true but I do not see a problem dailying this as I do not live in the city. Gear shifts are great as it bites hard and there is no delay in pedal (maybe deleting the clutch delay valve will make it even better). Still learning, but reverse is a little iffy, i'm used to just riding the clutch the couple seconds I am in reverse, but with this clutch you aren't supposed to. Still, this is not as bad as people describe, pedal is 100% stiffer as i'm breaking it in, but it is definitely not a problem whatsoever. Maybe its because i'm 240 lbs and I go to the gym. Maybe its the clutch stop I have, but it still is great. Good for 600 lbft, so I am excited and not nervous. Definitely go to him to build your car, he will be straightforward and get everything right.
10/25/18
My clutch has been broken in, it drives pretty easily, stock clutch definitely felt like cake compared to this but it's still not difficult to drive. And it grabs amazingly.
I loaded on Cobb's OTS Stage 1+, and to my pleasant surprise the car is totally different with it on, much faster. I can't imagine what the Vortex turbo will be like. I assume the CTS intercooler, and the IE Intake are doing a little to help the power get delivered. I might need to turn off the torque limiter, no wheelspin whatsoever if I floor it in first or second.
The EQT Vortex full turbo kit comes in on friday, gonna open that up, but it will be installed in probably 3 weeks or a month. Doesn't come with a wastegate actuator, so Billy ordered an IS38 one, not going to reuse the IS20 actuator. It comes with all the gaskets and o rings and such, which is nice. The IHX475 does not come with O rings.
1/23/19
Little update here. Turbo going in on saturday most likely, will explain everything on saturday. Car now has an audi short shifter, ei shift knob, is running pennzoil euro 0w40, has brisk silvers waiting too, has tints all around and DeAutoLed color changing footwells lol. HPFP, and IS38 actuator on their way
Why its a rareboi at least in my eyes:
2016 was the last year the performance package was offered before being integrated into the SE and Autobahn trim
2017 was the last year to get a 2 door, and ONLY on S and not a sport if I recall correctly
2 door S with LP and PP had to be special ordered for 2016 because base models rarely came with the two packages especially on 2 door
Thanks for reading. More mods to come. I also have no idea where I got the money to do all this in such a short amount of time lol, I'm 23 and have my first big boy job paying all my expenses.
Hey guys, I'm starting this journal just to keep track of what has been done, and what is going to be done.
I saw my car up for sale on 8/9/2018 on cargurus at VW of Fairfax, a 2016 GTI S 2 door 6MT with lighting package and performance package with 25k miles, CPO. On 8/11/2018 I drove 3 and a half hours and got the car, took about 5 hours to talk to finance and my dad was getting pissed, but it was well worth it in the end.
It was taken care of by the previous owner very well, no scratches or anything, the PO traded it in for a new Golf R and moved to California to work for Google.
First manual car, by the way. The ride home was definitely interesting, in the rain, with a LOT of traffic crossing the Maryland border. I was a valet for half a year, and that was all my experience with stick shift.
Current mods:
Exterior:
Black front and rear emblem
Black Vinyl eyelids
Klii Motorwerkes color matched rear emblem vinyl
Badgeskinz Steering wheel red GTI/red line, and black side blades
Stickers!!!
OEM MK7.5 European tail lights with ZERO815's harness (Thanks!) with light lamin-x tint
Light lamin-x tint on rear reflectors
35% tint all around, 70% windshield
Engine:
EQT Vortex tune
CTS Turbo Downpipe
EQT Vortex Turbo/Oversized Muffler Delete/Silicone Hoses
Autotech HPFP Internals (Thanks Joel!)
Mamba IS38 Actuator (Thanks MK717!)
APR Cold air intake
MST Performance Hybrid turbo inlet pipe+Silicon inlet hose
CTS Turbo Front Mount Intercooler
Sachs SRE 4 puck racing clutch and Pressure Plate (retain DMFW)
iAbed Rear Main Seal
Suspension/Handling
KW V3 Coilovers
Whiteline adjustable front sway bar end links
Whiteline adjustable rear sway bar end links
Whiteline front sway bar set to least stiff setting
Whiteline rear sway bar set to most stiff setting
VWR Full dogbone and puck replacement
Interior
ECS Adjustable Clutch stop
OEM Euro/Audi Short Shifter
Euro Impulse Weighted Shift Knob
Uniden R7 Long range radar/laser detector
Uniden Hardwire kit
VAGCOM:
Turned off North American light restrictions (Rest of world headlight functions)
Convenience Open and Close windows on keyfob (no sunroof because weight reduction lol)
Foglights turn on with high beams
Needle Sweep/Staging
Full brightness DRLs with lights on
Display how many gallons to fill up to increase my gas bill dread
Waiting to get installed:
BFI Stage 1 Engine/Trans mounts uninstalled, diagnosing some knock.
iPE Catted downpipe
In limbo, waiting to get refinished:
BBS RG-R 18x8 ET35
Planned for the future:
42dd O2 spacer ASAP
Solid shifter bushings
Rear diffuser and maybe a lip
W/M injection???
so much for the title of my build lmao. I was going to go with IS38, returned that, went to look for an IHX475, lost the bid on ebay and bought an EQT Vortex.
8/9/18
No front plate, never will have one. Super clean
8/12/18
I plugged in my Vagcom and started doing some tweaks, to my surprise I found that the previous owner did a LOT of them already, wonder what else he has going on in this car, it drives phenomenally. He had the oil temp in the MFD, but no rolling the windows up and down on the key fob, really weird.
8/18/18
I found myself not driving stick as great as I would. I bought an ECS adjustable clutch stop, loaded some gift cards too, to get free shipping.
8/22/18
First thing I bought was an accessport. I knew I was going to be going custom tune, and a great deal popped up and I snagged it immediately. Holding off on this until I get my upgraded clutch, so I don't burn the flywheel. For reference, sold my mk6 one a few days earlier, and came out on top with this deal.
8/30/18
Got a good deal on an IE open intake on eBay, scooped it up. Installed it a couple days alter when it came in. Sounds great, no issues except my friend panicked when I asked him to take the coolant hose off for the relocation and he took both off and got coolant everywhere. It came off of someones car, so everything was put together, and there was reflective gold foil wrap on the intake too! pretty cool.
9/06/18
Bought gloss black front and rear emblems off of bl33dblue21, they wouldn't fit on his MK7.5. I put them on, and honestly they didn't look right, so I used some vinyl and cutting tape I had leftover from doing eyelids on my mk6, and did eyelids on my mk7. Made the gloss black front emblem a bit better.
9/07/18ish
Saw a custom built under trunk box with a 12" sub, West Coast Customs 1500W amp, and LC2i for sale by BxGTI, scooped it up very quickly later that week. Installed that in my car with my friend, and it really completed the stock sound system, no Dynaudio or Fender or whatever people are using.
9/17/18
Put on the Klii Motorwerkes color matched rear emblem full, put it over the second part of the VW logo insert and used an x-acto knife to make it fit perfectly. Really happy, makes the black badges look a lot better.
9/19/18
Talked to Billy Amberg from A2B Motorsports about the possibility of an IS38 build! Was quickly convinced to start on the build. Ordered a Sachs Racing 4 puck clutch and iAbed billet rear main seal from him same day. I only met him and his ridiculously fast Golf R because I asked around for carbon cleaning prices on facebook for my mk6, and he offered to do it.
9/21/18
IS38 Rev H is back in stock on FCP Euro, quickly ordered it for its lifetime warranty and my experience with them in the past with suspension mounts and bearings on my mk6.
9/27/18
15% off anything on eBay!!! took advantage of this deal by buying my parts on eBay from vendors who price matched their website, and used the 15% code.
Ordered a CTS Catted downpipe, and CTS FMIC (octoberfest discounted) with an extra 15% off, was planning on buying all my parts from Billy, but the deal was too good to pass up, and saved a couple hundred.
10/7/18
first update post in comments.
I had Billy Amberg at A2B Motorsports up in Lake Hopatcong, NJ install my CTS front mount intercooler, iAbed rear main seal, and a Sachs SRE 4 puck racing clutch, and pressure plate. For anyone who isn't familiar he's a master tech/shop foreman for a VW dealership and has built one serious Golf R. My car is a pp GTI so it was a more difficult install but he still managed to do everything very quickly, picked it up in a couple hours, the clutch feels great. I have had a manual car for a little less than 50 days and I still didn't stall or burn the "racing clutch" driving it home and then to work. It takes more revs to get going and the biting point was described as an on off switch, which is sorta true but I do not see a problem dailying this as I do not live in the city. Gear shifts are great as it bites hard and there is no delay in pedal (maybe deleting the clutch delay valve will make it even better). Still learning, but reverse is a little iffy, i'm used to just riding the clutch the couple seconds I am in reverse, but with this clutch you aren't supposed to. Still, this is not as bad as people describe, pedal is 100% stiffer as i'm breaking it in, but it is definitely not a problem whatsoever. Maybe its because i'm 240 lbs and I go to the gym. Maybe its the clutch stop I have, but it still is great. Good for 600 lbft, so I am excited and not nervous. Definitely go to him to build your car, he will be straightforward and get everything right.
10/25/18
My clutch has been broken in, it drives pretty easily, stock clutch definitely felt like cake compared to this but it's still not difficult to drive. And it grabs amazingly.
I loaded on Cobb's OTS Stage 1+, and to my pleasant surprise the car is totally different with it on, much faster. I can't imagine what the Vortex turbo will be like. I assume the CTS intercooler, and the IE Intake are doing a little to help the power get delivered. I might need to turn off the torque limiter, no wheelspin whatsoever if I floor it in first or second.
The EQT Vortex full turbo kit comes in on friday, gonna open that up, but it will be installed in probably 3 weeks or a month. Doesn't come with a wastegate actuator, so Billy ordered an IS38 one, not going to reuse the IS20 actuator. It comes with all the gaskets and o rings and such, which is nice. The IHX475 does not come with O rings.
1/23/19
Little update here. Turbo going in on saturday most likely, will explain everything on saturday. Car now has an audi short shifter, ei shift knob, is running pennzoil euro 0w40, has brisk silvers waiting too, has tints all around and DeAutoLed color changing footwells lol. HPFP, and IS38 actuator on their way
Why its a rareboi at least in my eyes:
2016 was the last year the performance package was offered before being integrated into the SE and Autobahn trim
2017 was the last year to get a 2 door, and ONLY on S and not a sport if I recall correctly
2 door S with LP and PP had to be special ordered for 2016 because base models rarely came with the two packages especially on 2 door
Thanks for reading. More mods to come. I also have no idea where I got the money to do all this in such a short amount of time lol, I'm 23 and have my first big boy job paying all my expenses.
Last edited:
I'm trying to get a lot done before the snow
