Rich's 2015 GTI SE 2dr

[RS_MacD]

Hi folks, new member here.

Just picked up a 2015 Golf GTI SE DSG 2 door from a VW dealer in Chicago.

- 23k miles
- CPO so got the 2 year/24k warranty

Very clean and somewhat rare for the states I feel like to be a 2 door model.
I'm originally from Scotland and they are a lot more popular over there, let me tell you!

Plans:
- RBC Mk 7.5 projector headlights (purchased)
- HIDs and LED high beams (purchased)
- Lighting Package grill so the red line is straight (purchased)
- Dynamic LED mirror indicators (purchased)
- Mk 7.5 Euro rear LEDs and associated harness coding + dynamic indicators (later)
- APR Stage one ECU and TCU tune (maybe in the summer)

Aaaaand, that's it for now!
As she's got so little miles on her, I'm generally interested in making the outside look lovely and just taking decent care of her!
I'll be doing summer / winter tyres and generally avoiding all season rubber.

Two pretty awful pictures for you are attached.
I'd say "watch this space" but I don't think it's going to be one of the more heavily modified GTIs on here!
Clean and classy is the look I'm going for.

Cheers!
Richard

 

[Square1]

Congratulations. I love the 2 door MK7's. You need better pics lol.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Welcome to the forum and that's a great first post. Welcome to the USA also regardless of how long you've been here. Nice low mileage purchase also. Sound like you know your way around the GTI's.

 

[RS_MacD]

Just one more picture of her in getting new winter bootsies fitted for the next few months.
One of the guys at the dealer actually had loads of photos with the snow around Chicago - I'm going to try and get hold of them!

Waiting now for all the bits to arrive - picked up some 15/20 spacers with extended bolts also to make the wheels look a little more flush.

 

[RS_MacD]

Found 'em

 

[RS_MacD]

Installed a few things tonight:
- RFB Projector headlights
- 6k HID kit
- Dynamic mirror indicators
- LED license plate bulbs

Took me about 3 hours all in, with most of that spent fiddling around with the first headlight to go in (driver's side). It would be nice to get some form of install instructions from USP but I eventually figured it out.
HIDs look amazing and I've made sure that they are level and cut off at a proper height as not to blind other drivers.
Only a couple of quickly taken iPhone shots and a video of the dynamic-ness that makes me smile every time I see it!

Next up:
- Wheel flush kit (15/20mm spacers)
- Glovebox/boot LEDs
- Eat ramen for the next month as I have NO MONEY LEFT.

3 second video of dynamic indicators

 

[RS_MacD]

Spacers arrived last week but hit a bit of a bump going to install them.
VW dealer gave me lovely locking wheel bolts but no key.

They have so far sorta refused to help in any significant capacity, so instead I ordered some extended locking wheel bolts from USP and will just convince the dealer to take the originals off for free (as I'm replacing them anyway).
Bit daft if you ask me!

Some more pictures of the proper lights and LP grille after throwing her through a car wash.
A bit better than the usual garage lighting crap I've put up!

Next update will be post spacer install.

 

[sprinks]

Looking good! Hard to go wrong with the 2 doors.

 

[RS_MacD]

Spacers went on tonight!
Still struggling with the new headlights I got (a small shake in them, and fitting issues) so I wasn't too excited to get back working on the car, but the install for these was a breeze!

15mm on front, 20mm on back. Spulen badboys.
Now I am saving for summer wheels and tyres. Most likely going with Enkei Raijin's in grey with MS4S rubber.

 

[RS_MacD]

Updates from the last month:

- Both front bearings went pretty quickly after a road trip so had to get those replaced by VW under warranty. Not sure on the spacers effect but could well have had one.
- Kept the spacers off for now and I'll just wait until I have my summer wheels for some proper flushage.
- Having some sort of steering rack issues (loose feeling from front end over rough ground, wandering over certain surfaces, knocking when turning the wheel at low speed) so in at VW now to get looked over/sorted.

- MS4S rubber purchased (going with 8.5 wide wheels so picked up 245/35/R18)
- Booked in for window tinting on Saturday (IL law is 35% all round so doing that)
- Wind deflectors installed
- Personalised plates have arrived so will be fitting those once I get the car back.

Wheel choice has changed instead to Kong Ampliforms! Going for bronze instead of the near black colour, which I think will look better:

Pictures to come when it's all on there!
Rich

 

[RS_MacD]

Plates are on and tints are done!

VW fixed the airbag (?) which obviously didn't have any mechanical effect so booked in tomorrow morning once again and I've got a date with the lead foreman so we can actually figure out the front end.
Got a bit trigger happy and booked the car in for a full interior/exterior detail and coating for the car and the new wheels. Booked in for 6th April so hopefully the wheels arrive by then!

Latest pictures:

 

[RS_MacD]

Full paint correction and ceramic coating completed, what an amazing job! Car looks like a mirror, can't take my eyes off her!
Wheels STILL haven't been shipped so have to keep waiting for my summer set up to be on!

Here are some pictures from yesterday in the sun. Included originals and some edited ones just for fun's sake.

 

[RS_MacD]

Summer wheels are on!
Amazing job by Chicago Auto Pros over the last few weeks, doing the window tinting and ceramic coating.

They just sent me some pictures.
How do you like them!?

 

[RS_MacD]

Today's the day!
Picked up a COBB AccessPort V3 with the DSG upgrade, and both ECU/TCU 93o base maps from EQT.

Going up to a dyno in one of the suburbs for some pulls.
General plan:
- stock pulls to gather stock data
- maps loaded
- mapped pulls to see the difference in power

It's a completely stock non-PP GTI running on 93 octane, and I'm still not sure on what sort of figures to expect. Very excited to share it with you all!
Will post the graph data here once it is all done.

Rich

 

[RS_MacD]

Numbers time!

Stock three pulls:

Maps then applied (took quite a while). 40 mins later, mapped pulls:

This confused me slightly - as 285bhp, 250bhp, and 272bhp are quite different numbers.
The fella in the garage said that the timing was likely pulled back due to heat/temperature differences, but I was shocked to see a 35bhp difference. @Ed @ EQT if you can shine any light on that, would be great.
I'd say some good graphs for how a fully stock non-PP GTI compares with stock and OTS EQT Stage 1 tune though, for anyone potentially doing the same in future.

(and she felt so quick on the way back home!)
Rich