18' Black R Build Thread - Really late to MK7 party but happy to be here 🥲

[Francoleon91]

Finally I got a Golf R guys... Been in the VW game since I started driving and I've always wanted an R since my early MK6 days.

Last year I sold my big turbo MK6 and got into a b9 SQ5. Amazing car, WAY too fucking nice for me and deep down I knew I belonged in a Golf still. My wife ended up selling her old Jeep and so I gave her my Audi and got myself this 2018 Black Pearl R. These are finally affordable now and I sure as hell wasn't going to spend $45-50k on a new MK8 R.

I had 2door mk6 GTI that made over 450WHP on a GTX3 that I loved, had it for 9yrs and did everything to it but it needed AWD for that type of power. Here is a pic of it.

Sold the GTI last year as I mentioned and got an SUV thinking that was what I wanted.

B9 SQ5:

Molested it a bit with some cosmetic stuff but for the most part it's pretty stock. Awesome car with sick features.

AND here it is.. picked it up last week. 2018 Golf R with DSG and no sunroof.. Wish I could have gotten it with a 6speed but I need my wife to be able to drive it and I wish it came with a sunroof...

Will I modify it like my old GTI? idk.. maybe.. only time will tell lol.

 

[19birel]

Love the MK6! Can't wait to see what you do with the 7.5R, so much potential in these cars haha

 

[Francoleon91]

Did a bunch of maintenance stuff that really needed to be done. The old owner left the car 100% stock which was great and big selling point for me but also, he didn't maintain it very well more often. Car wasn't neglected by any means but it was nasty. I assume it lived outside for the most part and the paint needs a lot of love. I tried my best to clean it up, clay bar, wash, paint sealant and ceramic coating, took of wheels and cleaned the suspension.

- Changed out the spark plugs- old ones were perfect.
- Fresh 5w-40 liquimoly - old oil was also perfect, ran a magnet through it and no metal particles.
- New Walmart battery - old one must of been the original one, 6yr old battery.
- New cabin filter and intake filter
- Bought a Haldex and DSG service kits which I will tackle this week. The DSG procedure seems like a PITA.

Messed around with some OBD tweaks and also removed the spoiler side wings. Now the spoiler actually looks like a spoiler. No real mods yet but looking into buying a used Cobb app and going maybe Stratified stage 1 or maybe EQT.

 

[Francoleon91]

Tackled the Haldex service, I dont think it's ever been done and this car has 58k miles. Doubt the last owner ever did it but im glad I did it, the screen was pretty clean but if you look at the picture below you can see metal flakes in the old fluid. Normal? Super easy job to do, DSG is next.

Also added some spacers, 12 and 17mm, looks better but still monster truck in the rear. ordered from EMD springs, top hats and bearings. Car will be looking much better once those are install. Kinda wish I didnt have DCC, I prefer coilovers but DCC one's are not in my budget at this time. Maybe one day ill do the whole DCC delete.

Car is getting tinted this week. Going pretty dark this time around.

 

[Francoleon91]

Things are coming along... nothing crazy but happy how the car is looking now...

Lowered it on EMD springs over the weekend. Originally used the plastic pads the kit came with but then today I took them out. You dont need em, looks better without it. Front struts were kind a PITA but the metal 2x4 method really worked out. Used a $12 unistrut off amazon, better then hacking up a piece if wood if you ask me.

Car is also now tinted. 35% ceramic on windshield, 15% all around.

 

[LapizHQ]

Great looking R man! Excited to see what's next with this build!

 

[Francoleon91]

Been slowly doing things to the R but life has been getting in the way. Hard to modify a car when there is ALWAYS something more important to pay for..

Anyways.. done a few little things since my last post in May.

Wiper delete.
Cobb APP - EQT Stage1 and DSG files. - Car feels awesome.

 

[Francoleon91]

Last weekend I traded my stock Englishtown's for some Mallorys with a local GLI guy then threw some biggers spacers a long with new meats. I've always really liked these wheels but the specs are weak as fuck. 7.5's, ET 50. They will do for now... I hated the 19's. Stock R wheels are just ugly.

 

[MonkeyMD]

Last weekend I traded my stock Englishtown's for some Mallorys with a local GLI guy then threw some biggers spacers a long with new meats. I've always really liked these wheels but the specs are weak as fuck. 7.5's, ET 50. They will do for now... I hated the 19's. Stock R wheels are just ugly, Except Pretoria


View attachment 309776
View attachment 309777

FTFY.

Love the Mallorys

 

[Francoleon91]

youre right. I forgot about those. I was referring to the Cadiz and englishtowns.

 

[Francoleon91]

My boy's leaking.. leaking from the front of the engine, below the waterpump. Looks like the oil pan seal but what else could it be?. Time for a metal pan?

 

[19birel]

If the source of the leak is low I'd assume oil pan seal too.

 

[Francoleon91]

If the source of the leak is low I'd assume oil pan seal too.

yup, is weird cause I see a bit of oil above the pan in front of the engine, below the water pump. its not coolant, it's oil. Either way, I just bought a new pan from USP which was on sale for $67 including all hardware.

 

[Francoleon91]

So this car had 2 different leaks. 1 oil leak and a coolant leak. I replaced the plastic pan with a metal one and few days later I find another puddle on the floor... fucking pissed... right away I knew it was the POS water pump that VW seems to keep installing on ALL their cars since 2007. Thankfully I called a local dealer and an actual nice dude who seemed genuine answered the phone and helped me out. Turns out this car is a CPO lol, I had no idea and apparently they have also extended the water pump warranty to 80k and 8 years.

Drove it down there and had them replace the WP and also do a carbon cleaning since they had the manifold off.

 

[19birel]

8yrs 80k on the waterpump? I wonder if that applies to 1.8Ts, I gave my sister a small bottle of coolant to take to school with her bc she has a small leak haha