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Will_s Night Blue GTI daily turned track build

Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
so awesome man! what events are you joining at Sonoma? would love to join you at one, maybe laguna also.

Next time you're at Sonoma you should really drive up the hill and check out the shifter karts track also if you haven't before. They are the motorsports equivalent of crystal meth, but in a good way.

i have ~450whp GTI with stoptech brakes and soon to have EQT coilovers too, I would be thrilled to break the 2 min mark at Sonoma on Mp4s michelin tires but I just like having fun and am not that serious.

one thing i would strongly recommend thinking about is getting an EQT tune on E30 or E50 fuel mix. The stock mk7 fuel system will easily support that on an is20 turbo (my car made 460whp on stock fuel system with E48 fuel and is38x turbo on Ed's EQT dyno), the improved torque and throttle response is profound (my car picked up >65whp and 65 wheel torque from 91 to E50) but even better my car runs a touch cooler and I think the improved octane and cooling of ethanol fuel really helps the reliability of these Mk7 engines. My car has been 460+whp now for like 35k miles without any issues which I attribute mostly to the E50 fuel mix I run 100% of the time. I believe the reason so many people fry the rings or break ring lands especially in cylinder 4 in these motors I believe is because these cars run reallllly hot EGTs on pump gas when they are turned up, and the ethanol makes a massive improvement in this regard. Your car will be faster, less susceptible to heat soak, and imo will be also far more reliable over time, and you can also sell the COBB later whenever you sell your car and recoup a lot of your money and the Jb4 is easy to sell also.

my EQT DSG tune absolutely transformed my car also and is amazing. hard to explain how much better the car is with EQT DSG tune, I would not have believe it previously. You're welcome to drive my car sometime if you want to see what you think.

I would also say that my car with is38x turbo, MAperformance catted/resonated downpipe, and stock muffler is perfect balance of roudy when on the throttle but quiet when getting groceries or hauling kids around and nearly zero drone.

If I was to do the turbo again I would just get the base EQT vortex turbo and not an is38 or is38x, the spool on E3o or E50 fuel is basically the same as an is38 and I believe they are more reliable with less backpressure so the motor will last longer and that ~400-420whp level on ethanol blend fuel on these cars is the true sweetspot, which an EQT vortex turbo can do forever with great response. Plus you can turn it up later on if you ever want to, but honestly my car at 460whp on EQT dyno (which reads high so let's call it 415whp on a normal dyno?) just cracks me up everytime I drive it and the car was super reliable and also quiet like stock.
I am looking at June 12 at Sonoma with SpeedSF, but thats tentative. I am likely to also be at Laguna 7/2, Thunderhill 8/7, and Laguna 9/5. I’ve been up to the cart track at Sonoma before but am yet to drive them, would be fun to do sometime.

I am considering adding some more power back want to address a few things first. Next up on the mod list is BFI engine/trans/dogbone mounts as the stock ones are getting squishy. Then I want to tackle cooling, so I’m thinking ditching the FMIC and running the Mishimoto intercooler/radiator in tandem, and adding some custom brake cooling. After that I plan on adding some rear aero with a Verus diffuser. Possibly add a Wavetrac. THEN I will look at big turbo. It will be between EQT and a IS38 from FCP. Sending 460whp through an open diff sounds like a bad idea though. DSG tune is somewhere on the list too.
 

Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
Speaking of Sonoma - my last track day there went fairly well. New PR by about .75s, but struggled with the heat (both the car and me) all day. Sonoma is such a technical track, I think im starting to get the hang of it but know there is still 1-2s out there. Some photos/videos:

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billbadass

Drag Racing Champion
Location
your moms house
I am looking at June 12 at Sonoma with SpeedSF, but thats tentative. I am likely to also be at Laguna 7/2, Thunderhill 8/7, and Laguna 9/5. I’ve been up to the cart track at Sonoma before but am yet to drive them, would be fun to do sometime.

I am considering adding some more power back want to address a few things first. Next up on the mod list is BFI engine/trans/dogbone mounts as the stock ones are getting squishy. Then I want to tackle cooling, so I’m thinking ditching the FMIC and running the Mishimoto intercooler/radiator in tandem, and adding some custom brake cooling. After that I plan on adding some rear aero with a Verus diffuser. Possibly add a Wavetrac. THEN I will look at big turbo. It will be between EQT and a IS38 from FCP. Sending 460whp through an open diff sounds like a bad idea though. DSG tune is somewhere on the list too.

awesome, that sounds like fun. I will check my schedule and try to make one of those, 7/2 at laguna would probably work great and legendary track. Karts, and shifter karts especially, absolutely redefined what motorsports means to me, they are so much cheaper and so much faster and you can get so much track time (there are norcal kart tracks that are $300 for a gate key for a year race as much as you want) that we sorta stopped racing other stuff once we got into them, you just laugh out loud in your helmet. I am excited to do some big track stuff this year in the GTI though finally


if you ever want to check out a race send me a message and i will let you know the next one.

little pricey but I absolutely love my st40 stoptech kit, easily one of my favorite things about this car. i have the smaller 328mm rotors, and with titanium shims and pagid yellow pads i can't come even close to over heating them even with my current 480whp. can swap brake pads in <5 minutes with them too.

car puts the power down surprisingly well on the street at least, can WOT third with 480whp no problem 99% of the time with open differential and michelin p4s tires. the EQT COBB spark-based traction control is awesome too when it does slip. when i went way down the intercooler rabbit hole I ended up getting the APR one but once you start running ethanol fuel the car is so much more resistant to heat soak that the intercooler becomes far less important.


you will need the DSG tune also even just for increased clutch clamping, it was barely noticeable until looked at the logs but i was slipping the DSG clutch packs sometimes even when my car was just Map6 on E30 fuel.
 
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Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
Been very busy traveling and moving the last few weeks so not much time for the GTI. Picked up a few parts. GTI Jake downpipe, ECS inlet ducts. Also getting a Verus diffuser from a friend soon. Next things to order will be BFI stage 1 mounts. I plan on having the mounts/downpipe installed at the same time along with a new battery (preventative) and oil change for 50k service. Also waiting on Apex wheels to ship, once those are in the Neuspeed’s will go up for sale.

I went to install some titanium pad shims this last weekend but I have too much pad life left to make them fit. Need to wear the brakes down a bit more. Gave me a chance to check tightness on all suspension bits and re-torque my wheels though. They were torqued to goddamn infinity by my shop, slightly disappointed.

I do have a track day at Laguna Seca coming up on Friday 7/2, which I’m very excited for. Looking to get into 1:46s.

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GSXR

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Ca
Ran across your thread and it makes me miss track days. I used to head out to Thunderhill and Buttonwillow in my Evo X. Your times are good for the power. Does your GTI have the LSD up front?

I'm wondering if it's worth trying to do the same with my GTI.
 

Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
Ran across your thread and it makes me miss track days. I used to head out to Thunderhill and Buttonwillow in my Evo X. Your times are good for the power. Does your GTI have the LSD up front?

I'm wondering if it's worth trying to do the same with my GTI.
My car does not have the LSD unfortunately.

The 2:11 I ran was with 40 less HP and skinnier, less stickier tires than I have now. I’m shooting for a 2:07/2:08 this time around. I’m headed there in two weeks. Only issue is it might be 100+
 

GSXR

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Ca
That would be a really good time w/o a LSD. Good luck with the heat. It wasn't that hot when I was there and it was pretty brutal.
 

turbojzrr

Go Kart Champion
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Car(s)
'19 Golf R
Been very busy traveling and moving the last few weeks so not much time for the GTI. Picked up a few parts. GTI Jake downpipe, ECS inlet ducts. Also getting a Verus diffuser from a friend soon. Next things to order will be BFI stage 1 mounts. I plan on having the mounts/downpipe installed at the same time along with a new battery (preventative) and oil change for 50k service. Also waiting on Apex wheels to ship, once those are in the Neuspeed’s will go up for sale.

I went to install some titanium pad shims this last weekend but I have too much pad life left to make them fit. Need to wear the brakes down a bit more. Gave me a chance to check tightness on all suspension bits and re-torque my wheels though. They were torqued to goddamn infinity by my shop, slightly disappointed.

I do have a track day at Laguna Seca coming up on Friday 7/2, which I’m very excited for. Looking to get into 1:46s.

Hey Will! how did it go on July 2? Did you eventually get into the 1:46's?


About these ☝️ , is it to help force more air into the intake / radiator?



Nice stud conversions!
I am sick of getting my wheels' inner barrel scratched every time I take off my wheel.
The single wheel change rod is a waste of time too.

Curious how many mm's did you find to be a good length? I am looking to do this as well and I'm looking to add 10-15mm spacers to help my OE englishtown's clear the brembo's.


Your Brembo paint job looks really good and seem to have held up to the test of time and track miles. Did you use G2 paint?
 

Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
Hey Will! how did it go on July 2? Did you eventually get into the 1:46's?



About these ☝️ , is it to help force more air into the intake / radiator?




Nice stud conversions!
I am sick of getting my wheels' inner barrel scratched every time I take off my wheel.
The single wheel change rod is a waste of time too.

Curious how many mm's did you find to be a good length? I am looking to do this as well and I'm looking to add 10-15mm spacers to help my OE englishtown's clear the brembo's.


Your Brembo paint job looks really good and seem to have held up to the test of time and track miles. Did you use G2 paint?
Yes, I managed a 1:46.24, which I’m quite happy with. I think with fresh tires and a few small tweaks I will be in the 1:45s.

The air intake scoops theoretically create a little ram air effect but not sure if they really make a difference in practice. I installed them for fun after I switched out my 034 intake.

The studs I have on my car I believe are 88mm which is enough to clear a 20m spacer. I enjoy the stud conversion a lot for taking the wheels off and think it looks cool as well. Got it from motorsportshardware.com, they make good products.

I painted the calipers with VHT high temp spray paint actually. Sanded, 2 coats primer, 2 coats color, applied sticker, then 2 coats clear. Only cost $30 and came out great. Not as durable as powder coating though.
 

turbojzrr

Go Kart Champion
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Car(s)
'19 Golf R
Yes, I managed a 1:46.24, which I’m quite happy with. I think with fresh tires and a few small tweaks I will be in the 1:45s.

The air intake scoops theoretically create a little ram air effect but not sure if they really make a difference in practice. I installed them for fun after I switched out my 034 intake.

The studs I have on my car I believe are 88mm which is enough to clear a 20m spacer. I enjoy the stud conversion a lot for taking the wheels off and think it looks cool as well. Got it from motorsportshardware.com, they make good products.

I painted the calipers with VHT high temp spray paint actually. Sanded, 2 coats primer, 2 coats color, applied sticker, then 2 coats clear. Only cost $30 and came out great. Not as durable as powder coating though.
Thanks for the info! Damn that's going to be a hard time for me to beat in my Golf R. Will try my best though and see when I go next :)
 

Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
Since last update haven't done too much but preparing for some big changes. Downpipe still waiting to go on, also picked up a Verus diffuser that is ready to install. Had a track day at Laguna Seca, where I posted a new PR of 1:46.241, and also had a fun battle with a C8 Corvette. Can ran well the whole day and enjoyed the 65F weather.

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Once the Apex wheels arrive I'll be mounting them on 245/40/17 Hankook RS4's. I went with 245 instead of 255 as the RS4's seem to run wide and I wanted to ensure no fitment issues in the rear.

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.
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Next track day is Aug 7th at Thunderhill East. Hopefully with the diffuser and fresh tires installed by then I will be able to hit my goal of 2:07. That is 4s faster than my current PR, which I set on 280TW Yokohamas and with stock power. Given the added 40hp from the JB4 and fresh tires, I think 2:07 is doable.

Finally, did a vacuum/wipe down/clean of the interior last weekend. Used Folex on the seats to remove some stains. Still looks pretty fresh for 48k miles!

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Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
So, finally got the Apex wheels installed and Verus diffuser put on. Wheels fit as expected and I like their look a bit more than the Neuspeeds. Slightly brighter color. Neuspeeds found a new home the same day so the swap couldn’t have worked out better!
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I went with 245/40/17 instead of 255 as I heard the Hankooks run wide and my 255 Nexens BARELY fit. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure I could’ve fit 255 without issue. The upside of 245 is I think it’s a better fit for a 9” wheel. Shouldn’t get as much tire deflection that I experienced with the 255 Nexens.

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Only downside of the day was that I found both shock boots torn on the coilovers. Not too concerned as I don’t live in an area with salted roads but still a bit disappointed they only lasted less than a year before tearing.

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I have a track day in two weeks at Thunderhill East. Looking to set a 3-4s PR and hit 2:07. Should be doable with a clean lap. Only concern is the heat. Could be well over 100F. Hoping for at least a cool morning.
 

Will_

Autocross Champion
Location
SF Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GTI S DSG
Had a track day last week at Thunderhill. It was projected to be 100F by noon so early runs were critical. I managed to set a huge PR in my first session at 2:06.819, even with a passenger. The fresh tires and relatively low ambient temps (75/80ish) really helped. By noon, even though I was driving just as well if not better, best I managed was 2:09 flat. It was 100F and smoky by about 11 so everything after that was pretty much a wash, just driving for fun. There was another GTI driver there who flagged me down at the beginning, we parked together and talked much of the day. Good times. I also had a brown flag moment when I tried to take T8 flat out at 105. Kinda just forgot to brake. Had to lift hard and correct the minor slide I induced to avoid going off track. Although it doesn’t look too dramatic on video it was probably the scariest moment I’ve had on track. Been in more sideways slides before but never at 100+!

Only other thing I’ve done recently is change the air filter and cabin air filter. Cabin air filter was filthy and full of leaves, probably should’ve changed that earlier.

Some photos and videos of my best lap and brown flag moment.
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