Now that I have the JB1 installed, I'm wondering what would be the next best mod for my 1.8T? Which mods do you think are worth it? Which have the best gains? I'm still on OEM 15's.
-Reasonably lightweight rims/tires 8" width, sticky summer tires
-Downpipe. With cat if you don't want to smell like a lawn mower, catless if you dont care.
-USP Motorsports button to turn off traction control
-Maybe with downpipe and good 93 octane gas move boost to +5.5 to stay safe.
All of the above with meth injection and a little more boost. Water/meth injection will also give you consistent performance on hot days.
Make sure stock air filter is clean and free flowing.
In my opinion, there is no complete consensus on intakes vs horsepower for the GTI. So the 1.8 making less power is likely okay with clean stock intake.
Vw made a great stock intake. The 1.8 uses the same intake as the R. My math says that unless I value the look and sound (which are fine reasons), for performance, stock is more than good for 1.8.
The downpipe isn't huge for peak numbers. But it is huge for area under the curve. You get less lag, lower boost threshold, more on the bottom, more on the top and more power held longer at the top. A noticeably faster and more enjoyable car in all conditions.