Very Belated Oryx White Golf R Build

[Diggs24]

Yeah, those emblems looks good.

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

Do you have a pic of the milltek installed?

Yeahhhh...that’s kind of a sore subject at the moment. I updated my build list a few days before I was supposed to receive the exhaust and get it installed. Thanks to ‘my friends at FEDEX and TNT shipping’, said exhaust has been sitting in customs in New York since then. I’ll update my build list and take some pics once the system makes it out of purgatory...on a positive note, Milltek UK and Emnotek (the US retailer I went through) have been fantastic so far in trying to resolve the situation.

Adding insult to injury, the Road+ resonator, which was ordered separately, arrived without issue.

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

I just realized you’re in VA too! I’ve been seeing more and more MQB’rs in Virginia and I’m loving it.

If I’m ever cruising around in the NOVA area I’ll keep my eyes peeled for you. Love the exhaust tips and the red badges!

Thanks dude! Do you happen to have any experience with the VW dealership down in Fredericksburg? My understanding is that they’re an APR dealer, so really curious what they’re like.

I‘ve seen a lot of Mk 7.5‘s on the road lately in my area...good times!

 

[BTD37]

How are you liking the APR Plus tune?

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

How are you liking the APR Plus tune?

Love it...while it‘s ’only’ the 91 octane low torque file, with the other stuff I’ve done to the car, I’m guessing 0-60 is right around 4 seconds - more than enough for my daily driving needs. Power delivery is very linear and consistent. I had the TCU done at the same time and both have really been fantastic.

Since I plan on keeping the car for a long time, I might even consider sticking with it after the warranty lapses (although more likely I’ll flash to the 93 low torque or high torque at that point - thought about an EQT Protune, but don’t really want to switch vendor ecosystems so late in the game).

I haven’t had any work done under warranty and part of my decision to go with APR Plus is that there’s a VW dealer in the area that’s an APR dealer (so I’d just take it there and let them sort out who pays for repairs). Speaking with NGP (where I’ve had most work done and who flashed the car), they’ve only had a small handful of cars come in and get work done under the APR Plus warranty. FWIW, they said the process was very user friendly and APR had covered all of the repairs without issue.

*Edit - It occurs to me that now that APR is owned by the same parent company as Dinan, there’s a reasonable chance they’re leveraging Dinan’s experience in providing warranty work on modified cars (underwriting, claims policy, etc). I’ve had good experiences with Dinan in that regard (ca. 10 years ago in my (gone) E92 335i xDrive coupe...might be worth looking at Dinan’s current reputation on warranty work).

 

[BTD37]

Love it...while it‘s ’only’ the 91 octane low torque file, with the other stuff I’ve done to the car, I’m guessing 0-60 is right around 4 seconds - more than enough for my daily driving needs. Power delivery is very linear and consistent. I had the TCU done at the same time and both have really been fantastic.

Since I plan on keeping the car for a long time, I might even consider sticking with it after the warranty lapses (although more likely I’ll flash to the 93 low torque or high torque at that point - thought about an EQT Protune, but don’t really want to switch vendor ecosystems so late in the game).

I haven’t had any work done under warranty and part of my decision to go with APR Plus is that there’s a VW dealer in the area that’s an APR dealer (so I’d just take it there and let them sort out who pays for repairs). Speaking with NGP (where I’ve had most work done and who flashed the car), they’ve only had a small handful of cars come in and get work done under the APR Plus warranty. FWIW, they said the process was very user friendly and APR had covered all of the repairs without issue.

*Edit - It occurs to me that now that APR is owned by the same parent company as Dinan, there’s a reasonable chance they’re leveraging Dinan’s experience in providing warranty work on modified cars (underwriting, claims policy, etc). I’ve had good experiences with Dinan in that regard (ca. 10 years ago in my (gone) E92 335i xDrive coupe...might be worth looking at Dinan’s current reputation on warranty work).

Glad you like it! I‘m currently running a JB4 and would like to add an intercooler soon but I’m not sure where my warranty would really stand if my turbo happened to go while having an aftermarket IC. I know APR Plus allows you to add their IC which is nice. If APR Plus came in the 93 low torque tune I’d most likely do it. I just don’t know if it’s worth the extra $$$ compared to the JB4 I have now. I just ran a 12.3 @110 at the strip last week so the performance is definitely there just not as smooth as a flash tune. If you ever get some times let us know!

 

[YamR1rider]

Since I plan on keeping the car for a long time, I might even consider sticking with it after the warranty lapses (although more likely I’ll flash to the 93 low torque or high torque at that point - thought about an EQT Protune, but don’t really want to switch vendor ecosystems so late in the game).

Exact same thought chain as me with APR+ on my GTI

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

Do you have a pic of the milltek installed?

Better late than never...all I’ll say about the craziness that was getting this exhaust is F* FedEx. (Big shoutout to Emnotek, the retailer, who was awesome in trying to resolve this - fantastic customer service).

Love the look, although one tip looks like it needs to be tilted up a few mm. Sound is exactly what I was looking for (this is resonated, but with the optional Road+ resonator/silencer).

 

[scrapin240]

Looks great.

It looks like the MK7.5 Milltek leaves a bit of gap between the top of the bumper opening and the start of the tips. Was wondering if it was my installation, but it seems to be the case. Regardless, it's a great setup.

 

[DaRock1459]

Black exhaust tips with the white looks clean.

The tips do look a little low. Are the hangers adjustable? Maybe you might have ability to adjust at the connection between the resonator and exhaust?

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

Thanks and agreed...I feel like it needs to come up about a 1/2”. One of the tips is also slightly misaligned and is causing my car OCD to act up. I’m going to see to what degree it can be adjusted and post results

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

My Top 3 (so far)

While I’m planning on one more mod in the near term (custom steering wheel), I thought it might be useful to capture my impressions of the mods I’ve done. My focus was on building an OEM+ daily driver that is fun and reliable. With that in mind, here’s my take on the top 3 best ’dollar-for-dollar’ mods I’ve done to meet that goal.


1. Bilstein B6 Damptronic Shocks & Struts:

I’ve done a few other suspension & handling changes (RSB, front strut tower brace, front LCA bushings), but wanted to be careful not to go overboard and end up with an unduly harsh ride. The B6 Damptronics paired with stock Golf R springs meet all of my expectations and then some. They firm up the ride a bit and rebound is noticeably improved. With the DCC functionality retained, I can put these in comfort and it’s very smooth, while race is just right for twisty back roads. The only downside is the price, but with a limited lifetime warranty, I have no regrets picking these up.


2. Low-Profile Rear Headrests:

Whatttttt...yeah, so I actually debated putting this as my #1. It takes the already exceptional rear visibility and makes it that much better. From the perspective of daily driving, this is something I benefit from every day and doesn’t break the bank.


3. ECU/TCU Tune:

Not going to spend much time on this one...went with APR Plus for both the ECU & TCU tune (no choice with the TCU). It’s certainly on the pricier end of Stage 1 tunes. I wanted to maintain my warranty - picked APR over JB4 since I didn’t want to be unplugging stuff if I had to go in for service. Also, I may just be old, but I preferred an ECU flash over playing with sensor inputs.

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

Install in a week or so...courtesy of Control Customs in the UK. MUCH better quality than the Chinese ones I’ve seen in person. Price was incredible (slightly over $300 including shipping after core refund) and the only downside was it took awhile to make (but well worth the wait!)

I went with perforated leather sides, +1mm thickness, and reshaped side grip. Edit: The core is also OEM

 

[nono0044]

Ribbed for pleasure?

 

[Rrrrrmatey]

Ribbed for pleasure?

I was going to wrap it, but wanted that natural feel...