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Vances '15 2dr CSG GTI S

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
Hello all. I'm obviously new here but not to cars and car forums. I picked up my GTI on Monday. It's an S with the lighting package.



I got the car because my MK6 was totaled by someone who ran a red light.



Anywho, I probably won't post too much but I figured I'd at least introduce myself since I will be doing some lurking from time to time.

I have no real plans for the car. Told the wife I'd keep it stock for a while...but we'll see lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
Big day for my GTI. Almost 9.5 years later and it finally crossed the 100k mile mark.
Never done that in a car before, but I’ve also never kept a car previous to this more than 2-3 years! lol
I keep saying I’m going to get something new…but then I ask myself, why?
And I've even managed to keep it totally stock after all these years!


 

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R

@Diggs24 Honestly, maybe lol. Ive been threatening getting rid of this thing for years but keep coming up with reasons why I don't.
Only replacements I'm considering would be MK8 R, Audi S4 or (R)S5 Sportback , F or G80 M3. Or some sort of "fast" wagon (MB E class AMG or CTS-V are really the only feasible options).
But all those are expensive, and nice. I haven't had a car payment in over 5 years and I'm in a great place with my GTI - meaning, I don't really give a shit what happens to it lol.
I have a 50 mile round tip commute every day and it is nice not to stress over rock chips and little dings and such.
So, having said all that, I really am not opposed to dropping some serious money in upgrades at this point and just continuing to keep it. And I'm talking wheels, suspension, BBK, engine hardware and maybe even a wrap.
If I buy a new expensive daily, that would just put me further back from the 964 I've wanted for the last 15 years.
I also have a couple "bucket list" cars I'd like to pick up sooner than later (E36 M3, FD RX-7, S2000).
Plus, my wife wants a pre-'95 Range Rover project. And we're a little over half way through building our forever home.
Meanwhile, I still have my Type 3 Squareback that keeps me somewhat occupied.
Keeping the GTI would help me realize some of those other goals a little faster. But the urge for something new and different is strong lol.
But at the end of the day...I still love my GTI. And I honestly feel that I can continue to be happy with it. Indefinitely.
 
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vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
Yeah it has been a pretty uneventful thread lol. But overall, my ownership has been pretty uneventful. Which I guess is a good thing.
I got rear ended like, 2 months after I got it. And then I rear ended someone a couple months after that lol. Both pretty minor.
Nothing has gone terribly wrong with it either.
I had a slight coolant leak a year or so ago but replaced one small, cheap part myself.
But then I developed another coolant leak a month or so ago and ended up having the dealership replace thermostat housing and waterpump and everything else involved.
I think I had to have my oil pan or something re-sealed? I don't even remember. And its currently weeping a little bit from the top somewhere, I think (at least that's what the dealer said...I think).
Knock on wood...that has been it. Still on the stock clutch, and it still feels decently strong. Though at times I feel like it may be on the verge of slipping on harder "pulls".
Been through 3 windshields (and have a crack in this one currently) I think I'm on my 3rd or even 4th battery. And 3rd set of tires. Currently running PS4s.
Been on a handful of road trips early in its life, and will have moved 3 houses and had 2 kids.
I do try my best to take good care of it. It definitely has its fair share of chips, dings, scratches and scrapes. But the interior is still in great shape.
It was garaged off and on for about 5 years of it's life, but when the garage ran out of space it got kicked to the driveway.
Those are pretty much all the stats that come to mind.
As much as I'd like to get a new daily, an equal part of me wants to just keep it as long as I can at this point. Because why not?
 

johng.wissig

Ready to race!
I too have a 2015. SE, PP, LP. I'm at 104 k , stage 1 tune at 66 k , new clutch at 76. Water pump at 92 k. Love this car. Don't see me replacing it any time soon!
 

19birel

Autocross Champion
Location
Pittsburgh
Car(s)
MK7.5 - MK4 - B8.5
These cars are so great to live with (Golfs in general tbh) I don't blame you. If you have the itch to switch things up, a simple tune with transform it.

FWIW- my dad daily drove a Golf (MK4 2.slow 5-speed) for 13yrs before giving it to me when i got my license (and it's still in my garage 11yrs later). Don't see myself ditching my MK7.5 either at this point
 

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
I mean it really is the perfect daily. Fun and practical - even with just 2 doors.
My kids are 6 and 3, so still pretty small, and I don't usually cart them around in my car, but rather my wife's Bronco.
However as they get older and have more activities that may require my transportation from time to time, they (and I) may appreciate a little more space.
Which is the only reason why I'd consider making the move to a 4 door of some variety.
 

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
Well, after years of debating what a suitable replacement for my GTI would be I finally decided there was really one choice. Another Golf lol.
The only other cars on my short list were a F/G80 M3, RS5 Sportback, Raptor or even a Model 3 Performance.
I did "reserve" one of the new Scout trucks, but that was really just for fun since it was only a $100 refundable commitment.
Anyway, the GTI has been bullet proof in the 10 years and 106,000 miles I've owned it...up until abut 6 months ago.
I was having a coolant leak which resulted in a replaced thermostat housing and water pump along with a few other "while you're there" items.
End of last week, I had another coolant leak, it ended up that a connection at the oil cooler was going bad and dripping oil down onto the new t-stat housing which caused a connection there to swell, and start leaking.
The dealer fixed that all up, but while I was there they had a white R in the showroom. We worked up a deal where everyone was happy, and the rest is history.


 

EpicTech

Autocross Champion
Location
Houston
Car(s)
MK7 GTI 6sp w/PP
Excellent choice, love the white.
 

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
Excellent choice, love the white.
It suits it. I like black cars, but vowed to never own another one lol. The only other choice was/is blue, and I just don't love the shade.
Back when I bought a MK6 in 2011, I REALLY wanted white but could not get one, and ended up with the Carbon Steel Grey, and then by chance, CSG again for the MK7.
So this sort of rectifies that, in a way hah.
Another debate was, do I finally make the switch to DSG? I think they are lovely transmissions, but I've never had one. Anf there are days in traffic I wish I did.
But with 2024 being the "last" year of the M/T for the R, it felt wrong to not go that route - so I still have 3 pedals.
 

19birel

Autocross Champion
Location
Pittsburgh
Car(s)
MK7.5 - MK4 - B8.5
Congrats on the 8R! Glad to hear you went with 3 pedals as well, gotta scoop em while you can!
 

vbrad26

Autocross Champion
Location
St. Petersburg FL
Car(s)
MK8 R
Congrats on the 8R! Glad to hear you went with 3 pedals as well, gotta scoop em while you can!
Yeah that is sort of what I figured. And it's not like these cars have a clutch that is hard to deal with. So it really isn't that bad in the occasional traffic I get stuck in.
But thanks! Still have hardly driven the thing!
Drove it home on Thursday evening, to work and back home Friday and it has been parked ever since! lol
 
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