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Single parent has mid-life crisis @ 34; buys dream hatch; gets back into racing after 8-yr hiatus; chases BMW M-cars

GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
Last edited:

GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
Teaser pics…

Monkey flatulence.

Miguel outrunning fast FoSTs and Bimmers.

This greatest hits collection has it all. 👏 🎼
 

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MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
DDT ftw.

We used to chase the ddt fogger truck. I guess that explains a lot.

What's funny is they put my car smoking as the the lead pic on the site

Screenshot_20230522_090223_Chrome.jpg
 

GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
Props to you for the DDT reference! 👏 😆

I haven’t heard/thought about that since grade school when I first learned about it.

That was some nasty shite!

Hopefully your Smoky excretions distracted track goers from the sound of my toed-out alignment squealing into every corner… 🤦‍♂️ 👀
 

Waltari

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Portland, OR
Car(s)
MK7 GTI
I pulled into the pits after that to give my explanation which was a series of unintelligible words stringed together based on shit I've read and absolutely no mechanical knowledge. I think the words Pcv. Dumping oil. Completely normal in these damn Volkswagens were used.

I have the recording, but I'd never post and embarrass myself like that 😂
Hmmm...believe I had the same conversation with our pit boss at my last track day lol. His response was...typical VW owner...just dump more oil in it.
 

GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
2023 track days are complete!

Time for a brake flush, oil change, and fresh rubber.

New shoes for Stormy can be seen below.

I had 5/32” left on the fronts and 4/32” on the rears. This is per Discount Tire’s laser reader.

My handheld analog tread depth gauge showed 4/32” fronts and 3/32” rears, so I thought it was much more urgent.

I only did this swap NOW because I locked in some INSANE savings last month:

$1370 for all 4 tires with road hazard, mount and balance, sales tax (normal pricing)
-$50 for using my DT card
-$110 for the Michelin tire promo last month
-$610 Michelin mileage credit (warranty)
————
$521 for all new PS4S tires with full road hazard warranty 😎

When I tell people I have a “sponsorship” with Michelin, I’m only *half* joking.

Their 30k mileage warranty lets me drive my tires as intended, and they stand behind the product (as does having a healthy relationship with my local DT stores).

I’ve used this twice now on two new sets of Michelins. I also rotate the tires religiously every 5k miles.

Anyway, I can’t ever afford to risk little kids with tools damaging my wheels, so I hand clean them, dismount them, label and take pictures of them before they go in for the new tires.

That’s the baseline in case any “new damage” occurs during the mount and balance, in which case it’s blood on the hands of the installers.

I’ve basically created legal documentation for myself “just in case…”

I shot some helpful YT videos documenting the how and why for this, but I need to teach myself to edit it down in iMovie.

Less of a skill issue, more of a “I have way too much else going on at the moment to be video editing.”

Hope this helps.
 

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GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
Post paint repair for the cone damage from the 6/7 track day… 👌
 

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GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
2023 track days are complete!

Time for a brake flush, oil change, and fresh rubber.

New shoes for Stormy can be seen below.

I had 5/32” left on the fronts and 4/32” on the rears. This is per Discount Tire’s laser reader.

My handheld analog tread depth gauge showed 4/32” fronts and 3/32” rears, so I thought it was much more urgent.

I only did this swap NOW because I locked in some INSANE savings last month:

$1370 for all 4 tires with road hazard, mount and balance, sales tax (normal pricing)
-$50 for using my DT card
-$110 for the Michelin tire promo last month
-$610 Michelin mileage credit (warranty)
————
$521 for all new PS4S tires with full road hazard warranty 😎

When I tell people I have a “sponsorship” with Michelin, I’m only *half* joking.

Their 30k mileage warranty lets me drive my tires as intended, and they stand behind the product (as does having a healthy relationship with my local DT stores).

I’ve used this twice now on two new sets of Michelins. I also rotate the tires religiously every 5k miles.

Anyway, I can’t ever afford to risk little kids with tools damaging my wheels, so I hand clean them, dismount them, label and take pictures of them before they go in for the new tires.
That’s the baseline in case any “new damage” occurs during the mount and balance, in which case it’s blood on the hands of the installers.

I’ve basically created legal documentation for myself “just in case…”

I shot some helpful YT videos documenting the how and why for this, but I need to teach myself to edit it down in iMovie.

Less of a skill issue, more of a “I have way too much else going on at the moment to be video editing.”

Hope this helps.
Soooooooooooo....ECR 😂

I think we can destroy those ps4s in 2k miles. That'll give you like a 90% credit
 

GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
Soooooooooooo....ECR 😂

I think we can destroy those ps4s in 2k miles. That'll give you like a 90% credit
You’re the worst influence!!! 😆

I only did the 6/7 track day because you tempted me with hope and reassurance. 🤦‍♂️

What a s**t show that was.

I truly hope my write ups help some people out to avoid walking in my poop 💩 smears.

🏎 😎 🔧
 

GoatAutomotive

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Georgetown, TX
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI SE, DSG
2024 Goals:

-Pay car off 1/2024 (for my birthday!)

-Save for IS38 and E85 conversion with (2) OTS tune files for 93 and Ethanol

-395-405whp SAE on corn
375-380whp on 93 octane

I figure that’s about all the car can handle on a FWD layout.

I would spend the extra on a Vortex to make 460whp on 93 and have a 7100rpm powerband, but the cost of fueling upgrades and pro-tuning seems to zap both the budget and the reliability of the cars, versus just doing a HPFP upgrade and OTS files that are proven.

Open to feedback from @Hoon, @Acadia18, @MonkeyMD , @DerHase and others who have walked this walk.

I love this car, and I don’t want to ruin its mechanical solidity.

I’m also deeply proud of how far it’s come without straying from my original build goals:

-OEM+

-Sleeper

-Only cost-effective mods that provide a lot of performance and/or aesthetic improvements per dollar.
 

manu97

Autocross Champion
Location
Chicago
Car(s)
MK7 R
2024 Goals:

-Pay car off 1/2024 (for my birthday!)

-Save for IS38 and E85 conversion with (2) OTS tune files for 93 and Ethanol

-395-405whp SAE on corn
375-380whp on 93 octane

I figure that’s about all the car can handle on a FWD layout.

I would spend the extra on a Vortex to make 460whp on 93 and have a 7100rpm powerband, but the cost of fueling upgrades and pro-tuning seems to zap both the budget and the reliability of the cars, versus just doing a HPFP upgrade and OTS files that are proven.

Open to feedback from @Hoon, @Acadia18, @MonkeyMD , @DerHase and others who have walked this walk.

I love this car, and I don’t want to ruin its mechanical solidity.

I’m also deeply proud of how far it’s come without straying from my original build goals:

-OEM+

-Sleeper

-Only cost-effective mods that provide a lot of performance and/or aesthetic improvements per dollar.
Vortex is a highway hero turbo IMO. Coming off an IS20, getting into a Vortex car means you have lag. IS20 is much more foot in, half a pause, go, whereas the Vortex is more so foot in, wait a sec, holyshitwe'regoing.

All down to your usage of the car. Not sure it's the best for tracking, the IS38 may be a better option overall for that.
 

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
I concur and you can go with the Cobb flex fuel tune so you don't have to worry about ethanol levels






















/s
 

DerHase

Autocross Champion
Location
Hampton Roads, VA
Car(s)
2019 GTI Rabbit
2024 Goals:

-Pay car off 1/2024 (for my birthday!)

-Save for IS38 and E85 conversion with (2) OTS tune files for 93 and Ethanol

-395-405whp SAE on corn
375-380whp on 93 octane

I figure that’s about all the car can handle on a FWD layout.

I would spend the extra on a Vortex to make 460whp on 93 and have a 7100rpm powerband, but the cost of fueling upgrades and pro-tuning seems to zap both the budget and the reliability of the cars, versus just doing a HPFP upgrade and OTS files that are proven.

Open to feedback from @Hoon, @Acadia18, @MonkeyMD , @DerHase and others who have walked this walk.

I love this car, and I don’t want to ruin its mechanical solidity.

I’m also deeply proud of how far it’s come without straying from my original build goals:

-OEM+

-Sleeper

-Only cost-effective mods that provide a lot of performance and/or aesthetic improvements per dollar.

Honestly I think people chasing big power are the ones who have all the problems when it comes to tracking these things. I feel like you don't go more than a day or two without seeing someone mention a HPFP failure, or LPFP failure when they're pushing E85 or more power in general. (and no I don't think it's because of E85 itself, I think it's just stock stuff is far more reliable).

If you're not running Spec Miata times on an IS20 then I'd spend more on coaching or data acquisition (Garmin Catalyst). The single biggest improvement I've ever made from one weekend to the next was when I bought the Catalyst - it provides immediate, specific feedback that helps me get faster throughout the day vs not looking at the data until the day or weekend is over and then looking at everything analytically to make a change.

Also one common trend I've found is all the cars that are either IS38 "stage 1" or IS20 "stage 2" (so pushing more boost) are running notably hotter (particularly the DSG cars, 6MT seem to fare better). Also some depends on the intercoolers I think. Some block airflow to the radiator more than others. My own car ran 10F cooler average coolant temps (and over 15F difference in peak coolant temps) with stock tune and intercooler. And mine is a very mild tune running significantly less than anything EQT puts out (23psi down low, tapered to 17psi at redline).

I mean bolting on parts is fun and all, but if you intend on continuing to track the car then you're going to be spending money on track days where stuff either breaks or overheats. It would also be helpful to evaluate how your car is doing on track now (knock, IAT/ECT/etc wise) because we've already found that my GTI reaches the same top speed on the back straight at VIR as a S1 IS38 car that has $3000 worth of radiators, oil cooler, etc.

Also for whatever reason, anecdotally IS20s seem to put up with abuse a lot better than IS38s in general.

I'm going to recommend learning to tune it yourself on Simos Tools/with Tunerpro so you can know/understand what changes are being made. This also gives you some flexibility with the map switching to have 5 different maps ready to go. What *I* do: my first 3 maps start out at silly, slightly less timing, slightly less timing again, then I have a lowered boost (in the lower RPMs mainly, 20 tapered to 17 instead of 23) map, and then a stock-ish tune in map 5.

Plus we have actual flex fuel ready to go and MPI which seems to be a much more reliable way to add fueling headroom (instead of any of the questionable long-term quality HPFP upgrades).

And then there are tons of little side quests like screwing around with pops and bangs or DSG farts, rev match downshifting to speed up the DSG shifts, etc.

I can't speak for the track(s) that you run at, but I know that under decent conditions my car would be capable of mid-pack at VIR in NASA TT5 (which at least here is a pretty competitive class with fast drivers). And it has 2 BIG straights (3 if you count the bridge straight between lower and upper esses).

The way I see it, I want the GTI to be a reliable, comfortable do-everything car. Throwing more power at it more often than not compromises the reliable portion of that. Once I verify my cooling stuff is sorted I intend to start playing with simple aero (OEM undertrays, control arm winglets, etc) as I think that'll be a lot more helpful than most people might think. Hell, the difference between a C5 coupe and C5 FRC on the back straight is almost a 5mph difference because of the shitty aero of the FRC/Z06 body.

If you want to go faster then get something other than the Michelins 🤣 Tires are easily the #1 thing you can do.

/message @GoatAutomotive didn't want to hear

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