EpicTech's 2017 GTI Build

[19birel]

If you find a link before I do, lmk. I looked for a few minutes on Aliexpress and all I saw was the usual extensions.

They're honestly a pain to find haha here are all the skirts I have come across so far

Golf R Style

Oettinger Style

TCR Style

 

[EpicTech]

Thank you !! Kind of like the Golf R ones.

 

[19birel]

Thank you !! Kind of like the Golf R ones.

No problem! Of the three I think they're probably the best option

 

[EpicTech]

I believe the next thing I did, and probably my favorite mod thus far, was the Porsche Macan brake setup. Kudos to that wonderful thread on the Macan swap. With everything I needed scribbled down, I collected parts:
Stoptech rotors

Hawk Pads

and of course the calipers

I did get the custom brake lines from the email contact listed in the thread. No pic but that is what I used.

 

[EpicTech]

With brake parts collected and knowing I would have to have a shop install it (apartment life and that no work on car on their premises bs...) I figured I would make better use of the trip to the shop I scheduled to do the work, so I got BC Racing Coil overs. I really wanted KW's and honestly the cost of the BC's was a bit of a stretch for me at the time, but it is what it is. I am picky and wont put lower than a certain standard on my car. BC's were as low as I was willing to go. They have honestly been really great and have put some 60-70k miles on them.

 

[EpicTech]

Shop day came so I drove the 30 something minutes to inner-Houston area. That was a fun drive, played with a BMW 335 and a couple other cars along the way because I guess my GTI was starting to attract attention with how it was starting to look. Weird to me because she still looked very oem/stock, despite being lower on the H&R springs. Anyway, the shop being a VW/Audi specialist, they made very short work of the brake and coil overs install. The drive back home was wildly entertaining with the extra stopping power and totally different feel of the suspension.

 

[EpicTech]

The next major thing I did was changing wheels, yet again. This was due to thinking about lighter wheels after reading that thread on here, and the benefits that allows. I really liked the BBS and still do, but I just could not find anything light enough to make the switch worthwhile. I did consider LM's and RF's, but I had that nagging poke of people saying something about BBS looking too OEM. I really should not give a shit because it's my car, and ultimately I still may get a set of LM's or RF's because I love both of those wheels, and it would be cool to rock them every now and then. I also considered some custom spec Work 2 piece T5R's, but I was torn between getting candy red faces, or GT Silver. Both look ridiculously good and yes, a future purchase of those is still on the table. I may be a bit of a wheel junkie lol. Anyway, I landed on a set of Rays Gram Lights FXZ "overseas" edition, finished in this very subtle matte grapjhite color. It was a perfect color for some upcoming cosmetic changes and would blend the contrast together very nicely. These wheels are a tad busy for my taste, but I wanted to show off those Macan calipers lol. About a week after placing the order, they showed up.

And after install...

 

[EpicTech]

Not very long after the new wheels went on, I had the Macan calipers painted red.

 

[19birel]

Love the wheels! cool to see something different, as everyone (myself included) seems to pick between the same 4 or 5 sets of nice but cookie cutter wheels for these cars

 

[EpicTech]

Love the wheels! cool to see something different, as everyone (myself included) seems to pick between the same 4 or 5 sets of nice but cookie cutter wheels for these cars

Thank you, I debated for a couple weeks over these. I like them because they look like BBS FI-R's, except cheaper.

 

[EpicTech]

So after some time of driving around for a while enjoying the lighter wheels, with better cornering, braking, and just general overall better feel, I started yet again thinking about power increases. I weighed numerous options but basically it was cost vs. benefit vs. I was already vested into Unitronic. I originally wanted to just do a Mamba or a Vortex, but that meant switching tunes and even more cost associated with upgraded the turbo. Then there was fueling said turbo. I decided for the time being, I didnt need that much of a power increase, and to stay within what Unitronic had tunes for. This option would keep me (so I thought) on the Unitronic platform that I was already invested in. I also weighed in a few other factors, but the ones I mentioned were the key deciders. So.. you guess it. I decided on an IS38, and as luck would have it, I scored a deal on a used unit with low miles, pulled from a wrecked Audi as I was told. I had this installed at the shop and they even went over the turbo with me and opened it up for visual inspection of compressor wheel and verified no shaft play. It went on the car and while the shop was installing I called Unitronic and upgraded my stage 2 tune to the IS38 file. With the turbo on, I had them also install a Cobb turbo blanket that I had also picked up for a fair price. Once the turbo was in, blanket on, and engine bay all buttoned up, we flashed the tune. I let my car warm up for a few minutes and get to temp and then did a couple hits from second gear, boy was I surprised. The spool is indeed very similar to the IS20 initially, but the top end felt way different. It just seems to wake up at the top end where the IS20 would fall off. I pointed the car the 60-something miles home and that was quite the ride. More on that later...
A couple pics.

 

[EpicTech]

Post IS38 install - about midway through the drive home from the shop, I became aware that I was smelling fuel. I pulled over at a Buccee's in Waller, TX to check the GTI over. I was convinced the shop had nicked a fuel line or something, but I could see no leaks, or drips of fuel anywhere in the engine bay, or hitting the ground. It was dry as could- be. I sat back in the car and gave her a few revs, noticing the smell of fuel. I looked around again, but no leaks. I went on home and started pouring over the forum and Google looking for info. I even went back to the Unitronic website to look at required and recommend hardware to support the tune. I wasn't missing anything. I ended up for the time being passing it off as the car just trying to adjust to the tune, as passive as that sounds, but at the time I just could find no answers. Some time went by. maybe a couple months, I even mentioned it here on the forum about the fuel smell and starting to really consider alternate tuning options. I even talked to UNitronic tech support to discuss what was going on. They gave me a spill about this being an aggressive tune, but was thoroughly researched and tested. They added that if I was smelling fuel, then I had a leak somewhere. The car did seem to run ok otherwise, and it did feel faster, although I wasn't sold on the advertised power on their website, which is: Unitronic Stage 2+ : 381HP / 377LB-FT - The butt dyno told me I was getting about the same torque as before, with maybe a little more horsepower in the upper end. I really wasn't amused with this (Sorry Unitronic, I know yall are on this forum, I loved the Stage 2 tune, it was really good). Then one day Diggs sent a reply offering to tune me on Simos tools. What a blessing that was. After some setup, initial flash and a few revisions later, I smelled no more fuel, and the IS38 felt like what I had been reading about from everyone else. My GTI now had the "feel it in your gut" acceleration that I was hoping for. Now, I dont know if I am at Unitronic's numbers, but the car feels pretty dialed. A buddy of mine has a GTI with a IS38 and Cobb tune and he said my car feels slightly faster. I dont know about that lol, we have run a few times and he is always right there with me. Anyway, just thought I would share my experience with that, because you can hardware this and that to make power, but without a good tune, you can't really get the full benefit of those upgrades. Thanks Diggs. We will do more in the future if your game.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Good read! Is there anything about the car you are unhappy with at this point? Do you think the IS38 will keep you tied over?

 

[EpicTech]

Good read! Is there anything about the car you are unhappy with at this point? Do you think the IS38 will keep you tied over?

Yep, a couple things. I did the 8 inch glass screen radio upgrade, and I am annoyed I could not get matching trim. I been struggling with how to correct that and a few options are on the table. Vinyl overlays, or spend a bankroll and get cf pieces.

My cf wide fenders. I got the wide ones because they had the vent provision molded in. The problem with them is the fitment with the wheel setup. On OEM fenders I am dead flush, but with these fenders it looks a little weird. I have thought about some fab work and getting the bumper to line up with the wider fenders better, but that is something I may tackle later.

When I pulled the radio brain in the glove box for the screen upgrade, the removal "keys" stuck in the unit and will not come out. Not sure what to do, I have tried an assortment of picks and tools to get them to release, but no luck so far.

I have to use a prop rod now for my cf hood. It does have a provision for the hood strut, but I hear that is bad idea.

*With the IS38- this was a great upgrade and I have a great tune, totally stoked. Took a random fellow GTI guy for a ride and he thought I had the APR DTR turbo setup. I told him nah it's an IS38. His reaction was I believe the word "bullshit."
I've said it before, an IS38 GTI with bolts on, IC, DP, exhaust, intake, etc is a very quick GTI and just overall a sweet spot in usable power. Honestly I have yet to really stretch her out with this new clutch and new tires, but I will soon. I am planning in the near future to do a Mamba or Vortex, MPI, RS3 LPFP, and Ethanol- and then re-tune for that obviously. I do want to do a couple track days before this, maybe a time attack, and go to Texas 2k. I really would like to get a flat out run and see what she can do. Scribble some results down so I can reference them when needed. I would like to build the engine, but the problem with that is if I do it I'm not going to do just piston and rods, I will be doing all of it. Power goals ? not sure really, but with knowing what the turbo I choose can push reliably, then that is probably the ballpark I will shoot for. Now with that being said, and Diggs tells me that according to the logs, there is some room left, then I will say sure lets take that room and see what she will do.

 

[19birel]

With the screen upgrade, I assume the trim that came with it is the Piano black rather than the patterned trim? If you find someone parting a wrecked MK7.5 they came with Piano black from factory so you could probably buy all the necessary trim for it to match inexpensively second hand