Yeah it's just I really don't want to go back to stock now. Even a mild tune basically necessitates a clutch upgrade. And if I'm returning my GTI back to stock, I may as well just get a corolla because I'd enjoy it about as much. There isn't really "other" stuff for me to have fun with anymore. I'm past my phase of air suspension and caring about non-oem wheels. Having extra oomph in my daily is all I care to have.
Even if I keep my GTI I'm still well on track to getting a house. It's just a question of, "will it still be reliable?"
Unfortunately the answer to that is unknown without actual hard statistics on thrust bearing failures and their causes.
And I'm using this fear to justify the Golf R a bit...
A Golf R has more parts to go wrong. Keep that in mind.
If your engine has been sorted, it's probably less of a question mark than it was stock. That's why when I buy expensive electronics or audio gear, I tend to go for remanufactured units directly from the factory repair center.
Unlike a new product, I'm almost guaranteed to have something that's been inspected and tested for performance.
The one commonality I've seen with the thrust bearing failures is aftermarket clutches; which does make sense. It's not proven, but it makes sense; and I think it's passed the point of hypothesis, now. I'm not so sure I'd risk it, given what's been showing up after people started responding to surveys. Sure, most can't be trusted, but the number of people admitting to having stronger clutches is actually surprising. I'd have expected more to lie about it.