Go stage 2+ on 57 ED30 or save for Golf R/TTRS...

[justsean]

Hey Guys,

I've had my ed30 for about 6 months now and absolutely love it. It's just stage 1 at the moment and I've been putting money aside to get it kitted out to stage 2+ BUT its getting towards being an old car now (57) and first and foremost would I be at greatly risk of killing it if i go stage 2+...

Just looking for some thoughts on the matter, I find that the power at stage 1 is already causing issues through the front wheels, particularly in the wet its like being on an ice rink if I give it anything, spinning wheels up to 4th on straights....any corners and I get major traction loss to the point that the traction control has to be turned off or it cuts in so aggressively feels like im going to lose control...dont get me wrong I love the challenge of driving it in and in the dry I have no problems but just feel giving it more power is more or less pointless if it cant get it down...I drive country roads and stuff round the lake district predominantly so top end improvements aren't really the issue more the 'I nearly died' every time I go for a blast in the wet just has to go wrong once. I know you can improve the handling but is it worth tinkering a fwd to handle the power after spending 2.5k on mods up to stage 2+ to then have to spend more on handling so it can handle it engine mounts, WAL kit and so on when I could get a 4wd that will handle it fine with generally better standard equipment, and rather spend the money on adding power/cosmetic modifications to that in the future.

My dilemma is, I cant afford a Gold R/TTRS for at least another year or so, so I could leave the ed30 as a stage 1, look after it and buy a TTRS and spend money on that instead as the 2.5ltr engine remaps and modifies really well too.
OR stage 2+ the ed30, and spend extra on handling improvements so that it can handle the power better...but keep it for the next 3 years

I realise I could transfer quite a few of the mods on the ed30 to the Golf R....could be an option tooo! I need some direction before I take the plunge to stage 2+

What would you do?

[gazon69]

If you only have to wait a year to get your hands on one of those beauties then its a no brainer for me, get saving because both the ttrs and the golf r will out perform your ed30 in the wet all day long with a stage 1 map.

[Andy_Ed30]

I have been thinking the same for a while.

I can't afford a golf r just yet.
So I will probably just go stage 2 and leave it there.

As for driving in the wet, I don't really push my luck in the wet, so for me the lack of 4 wheel drive does not bother me.
My last golf was a g60 rallye and they are 4 wheel drive. But even when I had that I did not push it in the wet.

I would say keep it at stage 1 and keep saving for a R or TTRS unless your rolling in money and can do both? Lol

At the end of the day mk5 is a great car and good tyers and few other mods can help
Get SOME of the power down.
Andy.

[Portent]

My vote is for keeping the ed30 another year and moving to an R. It gets you into a newer car (although 57 really isn't that old), is a better platform for modding, has 4wd and will hold its value better. Any money spent on the Ed30 won't be recouped on resale.

One thing I absolutely love about my current mk4 Golf 4Motion is the Haldex. The grip and traction is fantastic.

[GrayMK5GTI]

You won't kill it going Stage 2+  

Red Robins GTI is still running strong on stage 2 with over 100,00 miles.  

Bear in mind a Golf R is still £30k + for a used one, is it really worth the extra £18k on top of yours for a few cosmetic tweaks and a 4WD system?  

Bang for buck, to me its not a sensible choice  

Get a diff and some sticky tyres for less than £1700 and you will be even closer to the R's performance

[justsean]

My thoughts exactly...thing is I've got the £2,000 sat there waiting earmarked for the work and I've had a quote from local REVO dealer for THS intercooler, APR hpfp, miltek tbe, downpipe, ITG intake and updating stage 1 remap to stage 2+ which is about 1.8k including labour....how much of that would move to the Golf R if I got that in a year or so?  1.8k isnt major if I can move most of it to the R, I heard the intercooler needed doing on the R anyway, would the THS fit the bill? Would be awesome fun in the ED30 anyway for a year whilst I saved and if I dont lose to much in terms of being able to shift the parts across...it may still be worth doing...

[Janner_Sy]

Why not get an S3, they are dropping in value a nice amount now.  Same running gear and engine.

[Andy_Ed30]

Don't forget if/when you go stage 2 the breaks will need upgrading.

[justsean]

Don't forget if/when you go stage 2 the breaks will need upgrading.

yeh exactly, once you go stage 2 or more theres a lot of added cost, uprated brakes and handling stuff so that it can actually use the power. Seems abit silly - S3 may be an option I suppose but I find them a little boring looks wise - also my stage 1 Ed30 is about the same speed as my friends stage 2+ s3...not in the wet though I suppose which is my concern!