Wow... been almost a year since I updated this!
The Vogtland coilovers have proven to be a good bet, they're still tight and feel just as good as when they were fitted. No issues whatsoever.
I've finally got round to sorting the brakes. Got some new PP calipers with OEM pads that will be going on with some two piece Clubsport S discs in a week or so. The PP calipers coming off will be sent for a full rebuild and refurb - I'm convinced there's a sticky piston so I want them sorting 100% before I move them on.
The clutch slave popped a few weeks ago, which was new with the Helix Organic clutch that went in a couple of years ago. Bit disappointing that the cylinder died so soon, but I gather they're not of the best construction. They don't like heat. Also had an alarm fault that needed a new sensor and siren. Quite an expensive couple of months.
Still a love/hate affair with the Ramair intake. Love the dumping noises and reasonable increase in power from 4k up, hate the weird resonance noises you get from intakes on a k03 car. I've been reading up on Pudding's work with the VWR intake (well done mate). I won't rule out picking up one of the revised versions in the future. The Ramair also sits questionably close to some coolant hoses. It won't kill me to go back to the standard airbox if all else fails. I won't lose too much top end, might claw back a bit of the response it's lost coming onto boost, and I'll sleep better at night knowing nothing dodgy is happening like rubbing through a coolant hose...!
As for top end power, a k04 is still there in the back of my mind. It's an itch that won't go away. Steve at Statller has high praise for the Etuners maps he does, as does Hurdy, so I'll probably go for that rather than back to R-Tech if and when the k04 gets bolted in. Makes sense to me to let Steve do the lot, he's only 20 minutes away, and I'm interested to find out how good the Etuners maps are. From what I gather there are loads of options... such as a bit of extra fuel on the overrun if you know what I mean. Might need to change the BCS cat to a decat to stay safe but it's a bit of fun at the end of the day :)
Intercooler wise I need to find out about the revised Peron, if it's actually a thing yet. Seems to differ depending who you speak to. There's always the S3 cooler as a safe bet.
So not much of an update, but more an 'all is currently fine' post! Still get a buzz driving it in the right conditions, still surprises some genuinely fast stuff on the road. I'll keep her alive as long as I can :)
