Introducing my GTI

[87_totallyvacant]

Hi guys,

I have been in to my VW's for the last couple of years and always lusted after the Mk5 GTI. Needless to say that it was all just a pipedream to be admired from a distance.

I started toying with the idea of running a GTi when I started working in the city and no longer needed anything for higher mileage. Spent many hours looking on Pistonheads and Autotrader dream shopping until I had enough cash.

This is how I started my automotive journey...



Great little first car and a nice cheap runaround until things started to go wrong and it just seemed like a good excuse to get something a little more upmarket.

So I moved on to this...





The day I picked it up.


Let's just say that first journey home was an eye opener to the life of performance motoring  I couldn't stop smiling 

The power gets me everytime. Obviously coming from  60BHP 1.1 to a 2.0l turbo with 200bhp (197 for all those fact junkies who like accuracy) was going to be a bit of a step but I love that I can be cruising at 60mph in 6th and a flex of the big toe and things get very naughty VERY quickly.





One icy day before I left for work...




Went for a weekend away and this is what I wake up to...



Decided to do a little clean.

Results




It isn't perfect, got stonechipped front bumper but that is to be expected on a 55 plate car if you ask me. Little scuff mark infront of the passenger side rear wheel which has been touched up with a paint pen. Not ideal but little things like this bother me. It's also a fairly basic spec with not a lot ticked other that the more-door.

List of things I want to do first:

Armrest
RCD 510
Wheels refurbed
Paint correction
Highline possibly
Fix tear in rear bench

Then move on to the more elaborate changes:

Remap (not sure who to use yet)
FK Highsport Coilovers (friend uses them on his Jetta, you will probably recognise it if I post some photos of a little shoot that I hope to get done)
Wheels (18s and possibly 3SDM)
Xenons

Anyway that's my car and I love it! Please feel free to comment. I know that everyone has seen a standard black GTI before but I really am in love with it and cherish driving it. If anyone has any suggestions or tips on how to do any of the things I have mentioned above that would be great.

I have been around this site for a long time and it was this that sold me on the idea of the GTI in the first place so I blame you all for the financial ruin that may follow, but also thank you in advance for all the smiles and happy memories that I know I am going to experience over the coming years 

[MC71]

Welcome on board! 

Nice to see your chuffed with your GTI. Looks like a peach too.

[87_totallyvacant]

Thanks MC71  back at you! It certainly drives well. Whist it isn't the highest spec (which I plan to do something about over the coming months) I feel like I got a great deal.

It was priced very well and when they wouldn't budge on the sticker price, I had a little help from a VW mechanic friend and managed to get the following included in the deal:

New MOT
Full Service at the VW dealership next door
New Waterpump
New Cambelt
Fuel filter
Brake Fluid changed
New ESP button (old one worked but the little light had broken and fallen out)
New VW boot open/badge
Kept tax on till end Nov. 13
Half tank of V Power
High level rear brake light replaced (they had to debond and then rebond the boot spoiler, took 3 days and cost them £280 and that was mates rates as they use the VW dealer so often!)
New windscreen
Full Four Wheel Alignment (none of your laser rubbish here  )

I think that is all of it. Think I did pretty well on all of that. They were a great garage and very impressed with the service. Don't know what the rules are on here but I would recommend them to anyone if they ask.

Car had only done 50k when I got her, and I mean literally 50k, none of this 53 or 54 nonsense when people say "only 50,000 miles) and came with full VW service history which was a big bonus and why I insisted on all the work above being carried out at the stealer next door!

[Tortaruga]

Welcome

That's quite a 'Brucie bonus' list you negotiated there. How much was the car?

You'll grow to despise us all as your bank balance dwindles.

[Rachael]

welcome 

You did really well with that list. Lovely car. Black always looks great when clean aswell 

Im in the same boat as you with regards to the wheels, they look ok but not compared to the diamond cut finish.

I've been quoted £300 if that helps you out 

As for a remap, wait till youve got used to the power, I've just had mine done and it now feels completely different.

Rach 

p.s. I also started out with a 106, great little cars!

[Andy]

welcome  to the forum and a excellent  introduction with good pics .Looks a a good car you got and the rest of the  things can be retro fitted later .

[Mk5Dom]

Lovely car mate! 

[MightyMullet]

Looks super tidy mate , good job on starting the build thread itll help you go crazy and get appreciation (or hate) on all the pretty things you do. Like i said on my build thread i had a 106 gti and before that i had 1.1 106 also. Awesome little cars but their now old and tatty french sheds.

Love the plans, looks like we'll be doing mostly the same mods and i will be going down the 3Sdm route also (0.05) and be sticking some FK's on it.
Modding is so incredibly addicitive so expect your list size to increase 

Will certainly be following this one, best of luck 

[87_totallyvacant]

Thanks for all the kind comments guys  it is always nice to have other people lavish compliments on your motor!

welcome 

You did really well with that list. Lovely car. Black always looks great when clean aswell 

Im in the same boat as you with regards to the wheels, they look ok but not compared to the diamond cut finish.

I've been quoted £300 if that helps you out 

As for a remap, wait till youve got used to the power, I've just had mine done and it now feels completely different.

Rach 

p.s. I also started out with a 106, great little cars!

I am still getting used to the power so I think I may take your advice and wait a while before I start messing around with anything too much.

Looks super tidy mate , good job on starting the build thread itll help you go crazy and get appreciation (or hate) on all the pretty things you do. Like i said on my build thread i had a 106 gti and before that i had 1.1 106 also. Awesome little cars but their now old and tatty french sheds.

Love the plans, looks like we'll be doing mostly the same mods and i will be going down the 3Sdm route also (0.05) and be sticking some FK's on it.
Modding is so incredibly addicitive so expect your list size to increase 

Will certainly be following this one, best of luck 

The little 106 was like a go cart and comparing it to my mum's saxo, which was 3 years newer, it was very well built in comparison! even had hydraulic bonnet lifters! that was a surprise the first time I opened the bonnet (something that eventually started to happen on a regular basis!).

The FK's are a good quality coilover for the money, the ride is pretty dam good and they go silly low. As for the 3SDM's, I may go for 0.01s as so many people have the 0.05s now but the new 0.06 is simply stunning. Little bit in love with that wheel so will just have to see where funds take me.
Still absolutely loving your Reflex, never looked at a silver car with the same drooling that accompanies reading your build thread!

[87_totallyvacant]

Welcome

That's quite a 'Brucie bonus' list you negotiated there. How much was the car?

You'll grow to despise us all as your bank balance dwindles.

I wish I could take all the credit but my mechanic friend was a life saver! Helped to negotiate the extras and new what to look for. I paid £6500 for the car so I think I did ok 

[MC71]

£6.5k!! Bargin.

You'll spent AT LEAST that on mods in no time, if you don't, we have failed!! 

[MightyMullet]

Cheers bud  i know the 0.05's have been done to death but i love the looks of them and my cars a daily so im not going for anything insanely different. Plus itllbe different around here with the cornish folk 
I love the 01's also so theyll look great on yours  06's are nice but i think they give the appearance of being tiny, certainly seemed that way when i seen them at UD.

[87_totallyvacant]

£6.5k!! Bargin.

You'll spent AT LEAST that on mods in no time, if you don't, we have failed!! 

I thought that. Had a look at similar cars and they were all at least 7k so to get all the other stuff thrown in was a major bonus! My mate who use to work for VW reckons it was about £1500 worth of work.

Cheers bud  i know the 0.05's have been done to death but i love the looks of them and my cars a daily so im not going for anything insanely different. Plus itllbe different around here with the cornish folk 
I love the 01's also so theyll look great on yours  06's are nice but i think they give the appearance of being tiny, certainly seemed that way when i seen them at UD.

I think to be honest they have been done to death simply because they look spot on. Il post up pics of my mates car with the 0.05s on and then the 0.06s so you can see a direct comparison. As I look at photos of the 0.05s on I am more tempted  hmmmmmm

[Ramsay]

Really nice car :D cant wait to see its progress :D

[PJH309]

looks like a good example