More Than Meets the Eyes

[StealthGTI]

Hello,

I've been here for over four years. I didn't start a build thread earlier because, to be honest, I knew that my progress would be very slow and mostly things than don't appeal to the average enthusiast. Looking back, I've done more to the car than I expected, but it's still been a very slow moving project. My car is finally where I think I like it, right at a point when many seek to trade-in or trade-up.

The car is a 2017 GTI Sport (Lighting and Performance Packages) that currently has 134,600 miles. With very few exceptions, my primary goal has always been to make the car appear as sedate and ordinary as possible, especially when parked. "Leave no temptations for crooks, vandals, and LEOs," I say. Since this is more of a report on what's been done instead of my journey to get there, I'll share a few photos and lists of changes. Here's the look of the car at this point...

Performance Mods

APR Stage 3 (formerly known as "Stage 2+")
OEM IS38 Turbo
APR Downpipe with High-Flow Cat
APR Intercooler w/Hose Kit
Stage 2 Endurance by South Bend Clutch (HS Tuning RSR Clutch lasted 165,000 miles!)
Baun Performance "Less Aggressive" CBE with "Stealth Suitcase" muffler
OEM Spark Plugs for RS7 (by NGK)
ECS "Big Bore" Turbo Inlet Pipe

This list of performance mods is short, but effective. The following parts, which are often upgraded by enthusiasts, are not only stock on my car, but original:

Suspension (all of it)
Engine/Trans Mounts
Airbox (but with snow screen removed)

My driving style does not mandate the improvement of these parts.

Exterior

18x7.5" VW Nogaro (original on US 2017 "Sport" and UK 2013-2016 GTD) Powder Coated in Gunmetal Gray
3M PPF on Hood, Front Bumper, Fenders, Mirrors, Headlights, and Rear Bumper Top
Huper Optik Ceramic Window Film (50% front and 35% rear)
Ceramic Pro Gold Coating
OEM Pop-In Sunshades (rear roll-downs only)
OEM Sharkfin Antenna Removed (to make room for ham radio antennas)
USP Steel Oil Pan Conversion
ECS Skid Plates for Engine and Tunnel
Torklift Central EcoHitch #7310 1.25" Hitch

The hitch gets used A LOT. My car very likely has 25-30k miles of towing under its belt. I have two trailers and use them frequently...

I also have a hitch-mounted cargo carrier that I may start using more. I've been testing a truck box with lighting and a license plate relocation kit on the carrier. I'm not sure if I'm known better for my towing habits or the excessive electronics package that I have in the car...

My operating setup while parked...

I have full, mind-numbing details in this thread. Here's a summary...

AUDIO
VW Helix Sound System
OEM MIB2 8" Screen Update

COMMUNICATIONS
Icom ID-5100A D-STAR VHF/UHF Transceiver
Yaesu FT-857D 13-Band All-Mode HF/VHF/UHF Transceiver
Yaesu FT-891 11-Band All-Mode HF Transceiver
Midland MXT-275 MicroMobile 15W GMRS Transceiver
Mirage B-5018-G 160W Amplifier w/Remote Control for 2m
Toptek Communications PA-80U 80W Amplifier for 70cm
WeBoost Cellular Signal Booster
Raspberry Pi DV-Mega D-STAR Access Point
Electro-Magwave NMO Combination Mount w/GPS Antenna
Too Many Antennas to List!

POWER DISTRIBUTION
X2Power SLI48AGMDP Premium Group 48/H6 AGM Battery
Stinger 4-gauge OFC Wiring to Trunk; 8-gauge afterwards
APRS World APO3 Voltage-Controlled Switch
100-Ah/1280-Wh Fortune LiFePo4 Battery w/120-Amp BMS
Orion-Tr 360W DC-DC Charger by Victron Energy Systems
Wagan 400-watt Pure Sine Wave Voltage Inverter

There's one thing that I didn't expect to spend so much time with the car: a Dometic CFX3-35 Cooler.

It refrigerates to between 60°F and -7°F (15°C and -21°C) and has proven to be very useful. It's been to CA and back twice, is great for outings, and I've even started using it for trips to the grocery store.

Here's an interior mod that I've done that'll make some of you cringe...

I chose to mount my microphone for improved audio while recording my YouTube videos. The mic and its wireless transmitter are mounted to "cold shoes," which are bolted through the sunglasses door. The GoPro is on a suction cup mount that swivels in all directions. Now that I've looked at the photo, I guess I forgot to mention that I have a BlackVue DR900X two-channel dashcam. So, yeah, I have one of those!

Feel free to ask questions. I never mind discussing what has turned out to be the most favorite car I've ever owned.

 

[Golfs everyday]

That is quite a project you have going.

Can you speak to space aliens with that big antenna? Good job.

 

[Diggs24]

Yes.

 

[Jgilber0]

Hi Scott - good to see you here on Golf MK7. I really appreciate your blog, especially the advice you shared on trailer hitch options and installation. After reading it, I felt confident enough to install one on my GTI and it went on perfectly. Thanks!

 

[StealthGTI]

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

That is quite a project you have going. Can you speak to space aliens with that big antenna? Good job.

Theoretically, yes! Some of my signals do penetrate our atmosphere and travel into space. But, since aliens would probably be searching for intelligent life, I'd be ruled out due to doing all of this stuff to my car.

Hi Scott - good to see you here on Golf MK7. I really appreciate your blog, especially the advice you shared on trailer hitch options and installation. After reading it, I felt confident enough to install one on my GTI and it went on perfectly. Thanks!

Glad it was helpful! Most of my first mods were done before I was shooting videos. So, most YouTube watchers won't see that content unless they're readers, too. I started shooting videos because I recognized that today's web surfers have short attention spans and favor watching over reading... myself included. My attention span may be why I prefer NHRA over NASCAR.

 

[CaptainRatty]

About time! You use your GTI in ways the average owner doesn't (trailer, zero concern over odometer reading, comms equipment, etc) so it's cool to see it all laid out.

 

[StealthGTI]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! This thing continues to change as I do more with it. I've found myself doing more ham radio activity than ever before in my 25+ years of hamming. Computers are more a part of the game these days, but I cannot let go of paper logging. I added a "car desk" to the passenger seat, but keeping the other "desk" on the steering wheel for paper logging...

Ham radio in remote locations, most recently at Spruce Knob (highest point in WV), has made having my refrigerator a blessing. I decided to move it to behind the driver's seat for easier access. I removed the left rear seat back and installed a fold-up platform to support it...

I may revisit the use of my "rear seat delete," but modified to work with this setup.

I also had my driver's seat bolster repaired...

I'm doing another ham radio activity in MD/PA this Saturday and will then attend VAG Fair on Sunday. Since the ham stuff will be with me, I'll enter the show and set up everything as a demo. Feel free to say hello if you're there.

 

[gixxerfool]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! This thing continues to change as I do more with it. I've found myself doing more ham radio activity than ever before in my 25+ years of hamming. Computers are more a part of the game these days, but I cannot let go of paper logging. I added a "car desk" to the passenger seat, but keeping the other "desk" on the steering wheel for paper logging...

Ham radio in remote locations, most recently at Spruce Knob (highest point in WV), has made having my refrigerator a blessing. I decided to move it to behind the driver's seat for easier access. I removed the left rear seat back and installed a fold-up platform to support it...

I may revisit the use of my "rear seat delete," but modified to work with this setup.

I also had my driver's seat bolster repaired...

I'm doing another ham radio activity in MD/PA this Saturday and will then attend VAG Fair on Sunday. Since the ham stuff will be with me, I'll enter the show and set up everything as a demo. Feel free to say hello if you're there.

That seat repair is well done. What did they charge for that; if you don’t mind me asking.

 

[StealthGTI]

That seat repair is well done. What did they charge for that; if you don’t mind me asking.

Thanks! I think they charged $250. It seems expensive, but you have to remember that they remove the seat back fabric and then stitch-in new material. It's a price to pay for poor entry technique. I've since changed how I enter the car and hope to avoid a repeat.

 

[perryis5150]

I had to have mine replaced within a year of having my car. It got replaced and has held up much better than the original.

 

[StealthGTI]

It's been a while since I've touched this thread. I haven't done any performance upgrades since my top post. But I have gone nuts with the ham radio mods. I've updated the top post with new photos and the equipment list. I did not share photos of a rooftop mounted radio tower. It was an interesting experiment, but ultimately had to be removed since clip-on roof rack mounts are not beefy enough to support the lateral forces exerted by the tall load. The tower is now on my utility trailer...

But my primary reason to update this is because I have an oil analysis report to share from my 200,000-mile drain. Yes, the car is past 200,000 miles (322,000 km). Here's the thumbnail image from my 7yr/200k video...

See the video HERE. Finally, the oil sample report from Blackstone. I think it speaks for itself. Keep in mind that I've run with 10,000-mile oil drains for the life of the car, with the exception of just before 2020's coast-to-coast road trip and later when my turbo was swapped to IS38. Otherwise, I've pretty faithful to the 10k drains. Okay, here's the report:

Either I'm lucky or I'm doing something right. Either way, I'll take it!

Cheers!