Looking back through this whole project log and it’s clear that the first half has been a performance focused project but then it became all cosmetic. July was the last performance modification that was done to the car in the form of Bilstien B14 coilovers from AMD Tuning. Since then it was all interior focused really, as I wanted to make the driving experience inside as good as it was underneath. I don’t regret such a change in priorities but lately I’ve lost a lot of motivation for cosmetic modifications as they are a lot of work (sourcing, planning and in some cases, fitting) and although pretty, do very little to change the feel of the car when driving.
That all changed today…
My day started well, woke up on time, got ready and left for the drive from London to AKS Tuning in Bedford with a pit stop for fuel at Tesco. £1.10 a litre for premium and less than £50 to fill up from just below a quarter. Then onto the M1 which was clear enough that I could cruise at 70 the whole way there, also didn’t get lost. Booked it to start at 9am and I arrived exactly on time. A good omen, or too much luck used up too early? Well…
A good omen. Had a quick chat with Alex (who is as nice as people say) and he laid out everything for me to look at and take pictures for this log;
So if you don’t know already, I put my name down for the SuperPro group buy to take advantage of a good discount on the full front and rear upgrade kit for my Golf. Also asked to have H&R anti-roll bars fitted as it seemed sensible while the whole suspension system was pulled apart. Plus the quoted price was the same price AMD Tuning where asking for just the SuperPro kit on its own! How can I refuse that kind of bargain?
Watching Alex work is hypnotic, found myself just staring and watching in wonder, but pulled myself together long enough to get some “in progress” shots for you all to enjoy.
Anti-lift kit;
Anti-roll bar;
Torque mount insert;
The rear assembly taken apart;
The ball joints put up a protest and several of the bolts sheared off which was expected but strangely, I didn’t think of asking to have the SuperPro versions added to my shopping list so some stock ones are on for now but may upgrade on my next visit to AKS. At 6:45pm (just shy of 10 hours later) I paid up and got the keys back.
I’m not going to talk about the kit just now (bizarrely) as I was really tired and hungry after spending most of the afternoon playing GT5 while waiting plus it was the end of rush hour so going to get a few hundred miles on the various bits before forming an opinion on the upgrades. Annoyingly, I asked if I could drop my suspension down another 10mm ahead of my first track day in March but when we had a look at the Bilstiens it was quickly apparent they are already wound down fully (their max of 50mm) so there’s no more left in them in terms of drop. I’m happy with the way the car sits but wanted that little bit more for the track but never mind.
Been a long time since I’ve been able to write an essay about performance modifications but feels good to sit here and chat for a while. Here’s some pictures to feast upon now, please enjoy and as usual, feedback is more than welcome!
