Matt's Mk6 GTI

[mattttt]

Hey guys, per the usual, I’m starting a build thread to keep track of my progress with the GTI. I’ve had the car for over a year and have been modding it pretty slowly, but I’m starting to accelerate the pace so I’ll be documenting it here. Most of my mods will continue to be OEM+ and performance-oriented, but K04 (or Stage 3) and air ride are likely inevitabilities. My intention is to build a daily drivable, canyon- and track-friendly show car.

I'll be continually editing this post as I mod the car and adding detailed pictures as I go. My next post down shows its progression to this point since I bought it as a bone stock, babied CPO last year. All work and following modifications have been performed myself unless otherwise noted.

As of summer 2017:

Stock
2011 VW GTI 2.0 TSI (CBFA)
2-door
6 MT
Candy White
Sunroof Package
RCD-510
Detroits

Engine Modifications
APR Stage 2 v2.4 (High Output) ECU upgrade with Launch Limiter & No-Lift Shift options (updated at Emich VW @ 62,341 miles)
APR Carbonio Stage 1 & 2 Carbon Fiber Cold Air Intake
APR Oil Catch Can (installed 6/8/17 @ 62,500 miles)
Billy Boat 3" Stainless Steel Turboback Exhaust (catless)
OEM R8 Coil Packs
OEM Black Coolant Cap
Go Fast Bits DV+
NGK Platinum Spark Plugs
Motul 8100 X-clean 5W40 oil
Soundaktor Deleted (Removed)
Secondary Air Intake Breather Filter Deleted
Windshield Washer Fluid Neck Deleted
Color Matched Engine Cover (Candy White & Gloss Black)
Removed Hood Liner

Transmission/Clutch Modifications
TT-RS RSR Clutch Kit w/ ClutchNet Disk (installed by AU Tuning in Huntington Beach, CA)
Dieselgeek Sigma 6 Short Shifter
034 Motorsports Billet Aluminum Dogbone Mount Insert
TyrolSport Solid Shifter Bracket Bushings
Burger Motorsports Short Throw Clutch Stop
TWM Spooky "Hybrid" Shift Knob

Suspension
AccuAir e-Level Management with Black Touchpad
AccuAir 5 Gallon Tank (powdercoated white)
Air Lift Performance Front Struts/Bags
Air Lift Performance Double Bellow Rear Bags
Koni Yellow Rear Sport Shocks
Viair 400C Dual Compressor Kit
SMC Auto Drain Water Trap
Bag Riders Tank Drain Kit
3/8" Air Line
Neuspeed 25mm Rear Anti-Sway Bar
Removed Front Sway Bar
Frame Notch (done at Empire Fabrication in Simi Valley, CA)
Cut off strut tower caps/hats

Wheels/Tires/Brakes
SSR Professor SP1 three piece wheels, fully polished lips with Cognac Copper powdercoated faces, 17x9/17x10 (refinished, relipped & rebarralled by threepiece.us)
TyrolSport Stainless Braided Brake Lines (Front & Rear)
TyrolSport Brake Caliper Stiffening Kit
Motul DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid

Exterior Modifications
Shaved Hood
Shaved Hatch
Shaved Front Bumper (deleted sidemarkers, headlight washers & tow hook cap)
Shaved Rear Bumper (deleted reflectors)
Color Matched Lower Front Valence
OEM Front Lip Spoiler
OEM LED Bi-Xenon Headlight retrofit
OEM European Golf R Tinted LED Taillights with Rear Fog
OEM LED License Plate Lights
OEM European Blind Spot (Aspherical) Mirrors
ECS Badgeless GTD Grille
Hella Optilux Extreme Yellow Fog Light Bulbs
Pulled & Rolled Fenders (done by Tony "eurocabi")
Deleted rear wiper (using 1" nylon hole plug)

Interior Modifications
OEM Highline CECM
OEM LED Interior Lighting Kit
OEM Dash Cubby
OEM European Cup Holder
OEM Bottle Opener (Black)
OEM Euro Switch
OEM Brushed Aluminum Glovebox Handle
OEM Monster Mats
OEM First Aid Kit
OEM Sun Shade
APR Steering Wheel Insert
GTI Seat Lever Trim (Red)
Double Apex USB Charger
Removed Airbag Warning Stickers
Rear seat & cargo cover deleted

VAGCOM
Disabled Door Chime
Disabled Horn for Lock Confirmation
Disabled Rear Wiper
Disabled Seatbelt Warning
Disabled TPMS
Electronic Differential Lock (XDS) Strength set to 1
Enabled DRL Turn On/Off in MFI
Enabled Fogs with High Beams
Gauge Cluster Staging (Gauge Sweep)
LED DRL brightness set to 70%
ROW Lighting Configuration
Steering Wheel Push-to-Talk Button as Mute
Windows Up/Down with Key Fob

Removed
OEM Base Carrier Bars with Snowboard Attachment
Dieselgeek Panzer Skid Plate
Kill All Wipers Flush Rear Wiper Delete Kit
OEM Audi A8 58870 Ronal wheels (19x9 et33)
Accelera Phi XL tires (215/35/19)
Continental ExtremeContact DW tires (225/40ZR18)
Slam Specialties SS-5 Double Bellow Rear Bags
IDF Tubular Rear Lower Control Arms (powdercoated white)
ST Coilovers (installed by Temple City Auto Repair)
OEM Bottle Opener (Metal)
OEM European GTD Grill
OEM European Short Shifter
42DD Shifter Bushings
APR Boost Tap
VWVenson Black Washer Cap
Color Matched Side Markers from john@FTC5
Modshack Low Profile Engine Bay Trim
NewSouth Performance RedLine Boost Gague w/ VentPod
3M Color Stable 35% Window Tint
deAutoKey LED Interior Set
deAutoKey LED License Plate Kit
Hoen Endurance Fog Lights
DIY Hatch Pop
Klii Motorwerkes Rear Badge Inlay
Klii Steering Wheel Badge Inlay
Color Matched Rear VW Badge

Future Plans
Braille B129 Lightweight Battery
OEM AFS retrofit
OEM Golf R Side Skirts
OEM Edition 35 Front Bumper Cover
OEM Porsche 911 oil cap
P3Cars VIDI Vent Gauge
BFI Stage 1 Motor Mount
BFI Stage 1 Trans Mount
Neuspeed FMIC
APR K04
APR Valve Spring system
Wavetrac LSD
Euro Sport Rear X-brace
Recaro Sportster CS Seats
Porsche Cayenne front & rear brake conversion
Engine bay wire tuck (with deleted rain tray)


I have a history with mini trucks but I’ve always been obsessed with Volkswagens. This is actually the first VW I’ve ever been able to really build the way I want to, but I’ve owned a few:

2003 Passat Wagon GLS 1.8T, Auto, Reflex Silver (lost every picture I ever took of this car, unfortunately)

2006 Jetta 2.5, Auto, Campanella White

2008 Eos Komfort 2.0T, DSG, Candy White

 

[Janton_17]

Nice' similar plans as my build but you seem to have build up a lot faster than I have
OEM gtd grill look great on the white
And your monza II (us call them Detroits?) look clean compared to mine-.-

Epic win!

 

[mattttt]

Day after taking delievery:

Gross wheel gap is gross:

Removed stickers and safety warning labels from all door jambs, visors, etc:

Removed rear wiper and installed Euro Image delete:

Carbonio Stage 1 intake installed:

Clear sidemarkers with amber LEDs installed:

OEM Euro switch installed (with both trigger wires):

DTLA Art District shoot (no substantial mods yet—no fucks given):

deAutoKey license plate housings installed:

Swapped clears out for color-matched OEM markers, thanks to john@FTC5 (much cleaner):

First ticket in the GTI, and in over four years:

OEM Golf R short shifter and 42DD shifter bushings installed:

APR Stage 1 at Ingolstadt West in Canoga Park (would highly recommend them):

Then ruined a tire...

...thanks to this pothole and the City of Los Angeles (who politely declined to pay for it):

So I ditched the stock set and upgraded to Continental ExtremeContact DW's:

Repped the APR badge for about a month:

Spent three days detailing inside and out—bathed, clayed, polished, sealed and waxed:

Black OEM coolant cap and VWVenson washer fluid cap:

Picked up a set of ST coilovers and proceeded to spin them all the way down:

(Before)

(After)

Settled to 24.5" FTG almost exactly at all four corners:

Mounted a NewSouth RedLine boost gauge in one of their VentPods:

PCH/beach shoot:

Second ticket was a speed trap—the pigeon-toed piece of shit writing my ticket literally jumped out in moving traffic to stop me and the three cars immediately behind me:

Hoen Endurance (yellow) fog lights installed:

The same motorcycle cop nailed me in the exact same spot almost a month later, and initially tried to insinuate that I was evading, but ended up ticketing me—again—just for speeding (~50 in a 40 mph zone):

Little paint correction done:

Installed OEM R8 coil packs due to continuous, random misfires, and then removed the engine cover to properly show them off:

Fastivus 2014, Memorial Weekend at Willow Springs:

I just couldn't look at that ugly front plate anymore:

Temporary fix until getting it filled correctly and completely shaving the front bumper:

Klii Motorwerkes badge insert:

And steering wheel insert:

OEM GTD grill acquired, and retrofitted a new OEM GTI badge:

Removed all deAutoKey LEDs in order to switch to OEM license plate lights and the OEM LED interior kit that was recently produced by Philips:

After:

Quality 6000K bulbs throughout, with 4000K in the visors:

Much better:

Big SoCal Euro we outchea:

Rolled over 40K:

Completed a 40K service that weekend with a new Carbonio filter, OEM cabin filter, NGK Platinum spark plugs, and an oil change with Motul 8100 X-Clean oil:

 

[deep.mit]

That's a nice drop you got there:w00t: How does the car ride since?

 

[Tk_mkv1]

nice car, clean! we have the same rear end except the gti isn't debadged. it looks like you have spacers no? since i can't find on mod list. might probably consider chrome strips as well

 

[mattttt]

That's a nice drop you got there:w00t: How does the car ride since?

Thanks dude! I wish the ST's went a little lower but the ride is pretty great actually, not too far from stock even with the collars spun all the way down.

nice car, clean! we have the same rear end except the gti isn't debadged. it looks like you have spacers no? since i can't find on mod list. might probably consider chrome strips as well

Nope no spacers, I've been holding off in hopes of just buying real wheels soon, but I may add them soon.

And the GTD grill is pricey but I love the look. I'll be keeping all my emblems chrome to match.

 

[VanDorin91]

Good looking build. The car is coming together really nicely. I love your attention to detail (the rear emblem, cleaning behind the tail lights, ect.)

Oh and of course points for being Candy White :thumbup:

 

[mattttt]

Update (9/9): installed OEM LED tails with rear fog, OEM LED license plate lights, and a color matched (painted CW) hatch handle/rear emblem.

The LED tails completely transform the look of the car and I couldn't be happier with this stage of my build. The entire car has OEM LEDs now except for the stupid halogen headlights, but I'll be piecing together a retrofit soon.

The rear end is pretty much done now except for exhaust and either color matching or shaving the reflectors. I'll be ordering a Billy Boat turboback and going stage 2 soon.


Hatch handle/rear badge removed:

Klii Motorwerkes insert on the left (old), color matched CW paint on the right (new). Note the visible black borders between the insert and the badge compared to the fully painted piece:

Installed:

Thoroughly cleaned the buckets, because OCD:

Hella stamp:

Finished product:

 

[ssilver88]

Subbed

 

[newcarsmell]

Wow that's a well put together mod journal!

Love the color matched rear emblem.

 

[Fuzzyhead]

I like it.

 

[mattttt]

Thanks dude, that's my compulsion toward attention to detail shining through lol but it's nice to have an accurate list.

Yeah I love the cleanliness of the rear badge now. I'm picking up a flawless, shaved rear bumper this week to compliment it, and a 4" tipped Billy Boat turboback within a few weeks. That will complete the rear end, then my plans are front end upgrades and wheels!

I'm loving my car more and more every day, and taking pleasure in modding it incrementally and enjoying it at every stage. I spent three hours detailing it today which is pretty typical for a Saturday (I'm single lol)

 

[willmk4]

awesome ride bro

 

[lo ran]

sweet ride man.

 

[mattttt]

Thanks guys! [emoji5]️

A few updates: I finished off my intake by adding a Carbonio stage 2 pipe and cleaned up the wiring going into the fusebox over the weekend. Initially running stage 1 only allowed me to accurately compare the added benefit of stage 2, which has translated into slightly better throttle response and louder turbo spool, not to mention aesthetics.

Also added some Tyrolsport solid shifter bracket bushings. I'm definitely still getting used to the added feedback in the clutch petal but side-to-side movement is nice and tight now.

Then picked up and installed a shaved rear bumper yesterday. I picked it up off a buddy that went with an R bumper, and I'll soon be buying his shaved/color-matched/lipped front bumper too.