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Project Long Roof: APEX's Golf Sportwagen Build Thread

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
Introducing Project Long Roof:

APEX is proud to announce our new MK7 Golf Sportwagen build journal, designated Project Long Roof. Project Long Roof will follow the build progress of a humble 2017 Golf Sportwagen 4-motion TSI, as it is transformed from a completely stock example to a practical and fun-to-drive dual-duty street/track car. This project aims to create the perfect “dual-duty” Sportwagen, with a focus on improving upon all aspects of performance without sacrificing any of its creature comforts or practicality. With a 1.8-liter turbo 4-cylinder motor, 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, and 4motion all-wheel drive, this MK7 GSW offers a solid starting point for an engaging and fun-to-drive chassis, both on the street and at the track.




APEX’s all-new VW-specific SM-10 wheels will be the first of many modifications planned for Project Long Roof. Not only will this be the first time we have fit our 17x8.5” ET43 SM-10 wheels to a Sportwagen, but this will technically be the only VW rolling around on these wheels until Group Buy orders start shipping out before the end of May. Wrapped in a set of 235/45-17 Michelin Pilot AS4 tires, this setup provides a perfect fitment on a completely stock ride-height GSW. Compared to the factory 16x6.5” ET46 wheels wrapped in 205/55-16 tires, the new SM-10s paired with the sporty Michelin all-seasons provide a significant performance boost in both handling and grip. After a few hours of seat time with the new wheels and tires installed, it became quite clear that the car was significantly under-tired from the factory. With the increased contact patch of the new setup, the chassis felt far more compliant and confident when getting thrown around in the twisties.







Stay tuned for future Project Long Roof updates in this thread moving forward!

-Geirsen
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
DAZA swap or delete.
Might need to get a Gofundme started soon. I've always felt the car could use an extra cylinder.
What are your plans for your build?
The next update will involve a wheel stud conversion DIY, as well as an OE LED headlight assembly retrofit. Later down the line, I plan on doing (initially) a light ECU/TCU tune, GTI or potentially Macan front caliper conversion with lines/fluid/pads, and then the focus will be on suspension and track-supporting engine mods. The idea is to have the 17x8.5" ET43s with the 235/45-17 all-seasons for the street, and a set of 17x9" ET42s with 255/40-17 track tires for HPDEs.

-Geirsen
 

8055WAGEN

Go Kart Champion
Location
MICHIGAN
The next update will involve a wheel stud conversion DIY, as well as an OE LED headlight assembly retrofit. Later down the line, I plan on doing (initially) a light ECU/TCU tune, GTI or potentially Macan front caliper conversion with lines/fluid/pads, and then the focus will be on suspension and track-supporting engine mods. The idea is to have the 17x8.5" ET43s with the 235/45-17 all-seasons for the street, and a set of 17x9" ET42s with 255/40-17 track tires for HPDEs.
Nice Plan! I'm currently debating whether or not to put superpro bushings in my GSW, will be interested to see which components you choose for your suspension. Good Luck! 312mm brakes were a great cheap upgrade for me.
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
Nice Plan! I'm currently debating whether or not to put superpro bushings in my GSW, will be interested to see which components you choose for your suspension. Good Luck! 312mm brakes were a great cheap upgrade for me.
The goal is to do a few smaller mods initially to improve the street driving experience, then after a few track days I will hopefully have a better idea as to what will need to be modified moving forward. The OEM suspension was actually recently refreshed (springs and shocks) under warranty, so I'm not in a huge rush to swap that out just yet. This is my first VW project, and with my history of various BMW builds, I figured I would take my time on this to make sure I don't have to do anything twice.

-Geirsen
 

wesg

New member
Location
Henderson , NV
Car(s)
2018 Sportwagen
Looking forward to following this project as I have both a 2017 and a 2018 GSW 4Motion DSG.

How many miles are on the car now? How/why did you get VW to warranty the springs and shocks?
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
Looking forward to following this project as I have both a 2017 and a 2018 GSW 4Motion DSG.

How many miles are on the car now? How/why did you get VW to warranty the springs and shocks?
The car currently has just over 40k miles on it. It was purchased with 13k miles with a CPO warranty through 100k miles.

The springs were replaced as a recall from VW. However, when they replaced them, they also replaced the shocks as they were already starting to develop a leak and were becoming more audible under compression. My service advisor was able to make some magic happen between the recall/CPO coverage to get the shocks replaced at no additional cost.

-Geirsen
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
Last weekend, we had the opportunity to do a MK7 wagon-themed photoshoot up in the mountains of SW WA. The shoot included our very own Project Long Roof (17' GSW), along with a friend's 17' Alltrack, as well.

Here is a rundown of the specs for each car:

White 2017 Golf Sportwagen:

Wheels:
17x8.5" ET43 SM-10s in Satin Bronze
Tires: 235/45-17 Michelin Pilot AS4s
Suspension: Stock

Black 2017 Alltrack:

Wheels:
17x8.5" ET43 SM-10s in Satin Bronze
Tires: 235/45-17 Michelin Pilot AS4s
Suspension: Ohlins R&T (max low)

Enjoy!











-Geirsen
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Needs rear side fins, & bigger front brakes, ...

I mean, I could go on...;)


...I think I did a list of mods/how to guides, somewhere??...:unsure:
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
Update Time!

This thread has been dormant long enough, so I figured it was time to share some of the *light* progress that has been made with Project Longroof over the last couple of months.

As the car recently rolled over the 40k mile mark, it was time to start tackling a few first-time maintenance items. Following the installation of the new wheels and tires, I went ahead and got a fresh 4-wheel alignment to factory specs, along with a DCT service, and an oil change, as well.

While VW recommends spark plugs to be replaced at 60k miles, I figured it wouldn't hurt to throw a new set of NGK 94833 plugs in. Once I pulled the stock plugs (44k miles on them), I was happy that I decided to change them out, as they were quite dark and would likely start to cause drivability issues if I kept them in until 60k miles.

Following those maintenance items, I also did a full paint correction and interior/exterior detail on the car. During which, I figured it was time to pull the badges off the rear to give the car a much cleaner look.

Before:

IMG_1090.JPG


After:

IMG_1091.JPG


Now on to the fun stuff! The biggest complaint I have had with this car since originally purchasing it was the awful factory halogen headlights. I tend to drive a lot of country roads, and at night deer can be a serious problem with dim headlights. Huge shout out to @Will_ for the recommendation on a set of OE style MK7.5 Golf R housings with a full pre-wired LED setup that provided a complete "plug and play" installation on a halogen-equipped car. Not only does the car look way more modern with the new headlights, but the visibility at night is a total game-changer. I would highly recommend this modification for anyone considering it on their halogen-equipped MK7, it is WELL worth the money.

Here is a link to where I purchased these particular headlights: https://www.fastuningstore.com/coll...5-golf-r-style-led-headlights-vw-mk7-golf-gti

IMG_1088.JPG


Before:

IMG_1098.JPG


After:

IMG_1100.JPG


Last on the list for this update is a quick and easy APR Stage 1 91oct tune. I had the tune flashed at Matrix Integrated in Portland, OR (highly suggest them as a reputable performance shop for VW/Audi/Porsche/BMWs in the greater Portland area). The flash only took about half an hour and really wakes the car up. Even with the puny factory 1.8TSI turbo, there is plenty of torque available from the bottom of the power band and the car pulls strong and smooth. I plan on flashing the APR DCT tune next!

IMG_1105.JPG


IMG_1108.JPG


After tackling everything listed above, I took the car for a nice week-long road trip throughout central OR. The new headlights were a life-saver on some of the mountain passes we traversed at night, and the newfound passing power with the APR tune made quick work of the 1,500 miles we logged on the car over the trip. As a sign-off for this update, I'll leave you guys with my favorite picture I took of the car during the trip.

IMG_0697.JPG


Stay tuned for more frequent updates leading into this winter! I plan to hopefully have the car track-ready for the 2022 season.

-Geirsen
 

APEXWheels

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area
Car(s)
2017 GSW 4-Motion
Have you been able to track-prep your car this winter?
Unfortunately, I haven't had as much time and resources to prep the car over the winter as I originally thought. With that said, I have done a few things with Project Longroof since my last update! Most notably, I flashed the APR DSG transmission software, which made a significant difference in overall shift speed and response, especially when using manual mode. Other than that, I currently have one of our new APEX VW/Audi ballseat stud conversion kits ready to throw on the car, which I plan to make a DIY installation guide once I have some time to work on it.

The next big thing on the to-do list is brakes. Especially with the APR ECU tune, it is very clear that the factory brakes are far from up to the task for the additional grip/power the car now has. I should be able to post updates more frequently as the weather begins to warm up and the days start to get a bit longer. Stay tuned!

-Geirsen
 
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